Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is an occasion when we
acknowledge God’s abundant blessings. The Jews also expressed their gratitude
to God at various times. Three Hebrew words convey the idea of giving thanks: huyedah, yadah, and towdah.
Huyedah, found only in Nehemiah 12:8, (The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel,
Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in
charge of the songs of thanksgiving.) describes
a shout of rejoicing. It is derived from hed, a proclamation. The huyedah
was a song of jubilation sung by a choir of Levites assembled for that purpose.
The cause of their rejoicing was the recent reconstruction and resettlement of
Jerusalem. God had fulfilled his promise to restore the Jews to their land. (We got spirit yes we do! We got spirit, how ‘bout
you?)
Yadah applied to an occasion where God was publicly adored.
It is related to yad, hand, in the
sense of extending the hand in an act of worship. This was also an organized
event led by the Levites (Neh. 11:17; Mattaniah
son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in
thanksgiving and prayer; Neh 12:46 For
long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the
singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.).
Towdah, a participial form of yadah, is the term most frequently employed to express
thanksgiving. Towdah was offered in public worship (Lev 22:29 When you sacrifice a thank offering to the
Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. Ps 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.) or in
private devotions (Ps 69:30
I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with
thanksgiving.). It could be accompanied
with sacrifices (Lev 7:15 The meat of
his fellowship offering of thanksgiving must be eaten on the day it is offered.)
and the payment of vows (Jonah 2:9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will
sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good.). Singing (Ps 147:7 Sing
to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.), and
rejoicing (Jer 30:19 From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.) were integral parts of towdah. (Col 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus
as Lord, continue to live in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in
the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.) Our
prayers are to be offered with a thankful spirit (Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. Col 4:2-3 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Philem 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in
my prayers). so that God might be
glorified (2 Cor 4:15 All this is for your benefit, so
that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to
overflow to the glory of God.).
As we
sit around the table this holiday, we have a huyedah that only the redeemed can sing. With a yadah, our towdah should resound to the glory of God. Our blessings are
greater than those given to the Jews; our thanksgiving
should be greater as well.
BACK IT
UP 2 Cor 4:7-12
But we have this treasure in jars
of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around
in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed
in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for
Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life
is at work in you.
It
is written:
"I believed; therefore I have spoken."
“ah” it’s thanksgiving
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