The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

I will be thankful because:  You are faithful in your care of me.

November 25, 2019

"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD."

Psalm 116:17

Is God good to His child?  This psalm demonstrates over and over Jehovah’s loving care for His children.  Listen to what He has done for the psalmist.

“He hath heard my voice and my supplications,” (v. 1).

“He hath inclined His ear unto me,” (v. 2).

“Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful,” (v. 5).

“The Lord preserveth the simple…he helped me,” (v. 6).

“The Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee,” (v. 7).

“For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling” (v. 8).

“Thou loosed my bonds,” (v. 16).

What a blessing the LORD has been in the life of the psalmist.  Believer, if you have known and walked with the LORD for any time, you too will bear witness to His goodness in your life as well.  The question is, how can we ever pay back our God for His kindness to us?  The obvious answer is, we cannot.  It is impossible to begin to repay Him for all that He has done for us! Although we cannot repay Him, the psalmist shows us that our great God can be honored and thanked for His kind attention to us.

“I will offer to thee.”
According to the Old Testament Law, there was a way that a person could acknowledge and thank God for His goodness.  It was the “peace offering,” given to thank the LORD.

“And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.  If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried” (Leviticus 7:11-12ff.).

“The sacrifice of thanksgiving,”
How can we today, in the age of grace, offer the “sacrifice of thanksgiving” to the LORD?

“Oh 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” (Psalm 107:21-22).

“The word “sacrifice” here is used in a large sense to denote worship or adoration.  Let them worship God with thanks or praises” [1] (Barnes).

“Being thy servant, I am bound to sacrifice to thee, and having received spiritual blessings at thy hands, I will not bring bullock or goat, but I will bring that which is more suitable, namely, the thanksgiving of my heart.  My inmost soul shall adore thee in gratitude” [2] (Spurgeon).

“And will call upon the name of the LORD.”
Four times in this psalm, we find the psalmist “calling” on “the name of the LORD.”  Even when he is thanking the LORD for His help, he is still dependent upon Him.  It is a simple truth we need the LORD at all times.

“By him [Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

 

Dear Lord, I thank you for your watch-care over me. Please remind me to offer you my thanks faithfully.

 

 

 

[1] Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword.