Verses Referring to Thanksgiving:
Leviticus 22:29
“And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, offer it at your own will.”
God commands many things, but a thanksgiving offering is not one of them.
Psalm 50:14
“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High.”
Psalm 116:17-19
“I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord.”
There are 30 verses in the Bible that use the word THANKSGIVING in the singular, and although I could write them all down, I chose to focus on 4 specific verses found in the old testament. These verses refer to thanksgiving as a sacrifice or an offering unto God. I was struck immediately by the fact that Leviticus says that this is a free will offering. This passage in Leviticus is referring to what most of Leviticus addresses: the sacrifices that Israel was required to offer to God. And here where God could have said, “And you will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the Lord, at the beginning of each year.” But instead he tells his people, “Offer it at your own will.” I can’t help but think that God may have been testing the hearts of his people. They weren’t required to offer an offering of thanksgiving, but God certainly deserved their love, praise, and thanks.
So how does this apply to you and me today? First of all my friend, just because we don’t offer burnt offerings to God does not mean that we should not be sacrificing to him even today. And how much more so should we, who have seen the work of the crucified and risen Savior, offer sacrifices of thanksgiving to the Lord! It has been said that there is no success without sacrifice. If you are not willing to sacrifice for the one who gave all for you, than I should not be surprised if you are not growing in your Christian life. We have been given so much! How much are we willing to give?
Psalm 107:21-22
“O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.”
