Paul W. Manuel: Thanksgiving (Ps 65)

THANKSGIVING:
Inspiration for Thanksgiving (Ps 65)

Dr. Paul Manuel—1999

It is good to see you all here this evening. Despite the busyness of tomorrow, you have chosen to begin the holiday by giving thanks together in God's presence. Not everyone, of course, shares your obvious priorities.

A mother was trying to convince her two children that attending the Thanksgiving Eve service was a time-honored tradition. They were simply excited about having the next day off from school and did not at all see the necessity or desirability of spending any of that time in church. To bolster her argument, she picked up a Thanksgiving card they had received. On the front was a pilgrim family in typical pilgrim garb walking toward a small wooden church. "See," she said, "even back in their day, children enjoyed going with their parents to church." The older of her two peered intently at the picture and replied, "Oh, yeah, then why is the dad carrying that rifle?" (Adapted from Samra 1997:183; 1998:73)

I have heard of a "shotgun wedding." This must be "shotgun worship." I trust you did not come under such coercion.

As we look for appropriate ways to express our adoration of God, including gratitude for His manifold blessing, one source of inspiration is the Psalms. In these Hebrew poems, written millennia ago, we find expressions of life's experiences that are often close to our own, and we might wish we knew their authors better. What were the trials and triumphs that motivated them to pen these words? The language is often so general that it could apply to many situations, which is, of course, why it appeals to us, because it could apply to our situation as well and offer us Inspiration for Thanksgiving.

In the early part of this century, two German scholars revolutionized the study of Psalms by bringing us closer to understanding their original setting.¹ They proposed that most of these compositions fall into just a few categories and that these categories reflect the circumstances at the time the biblical authors were writing. These scholars also proposed that the writers intended their poems to be expressions of their own experience or that they wrote them for use by the community in the public assembly. One of the categories is called Psalms of Thanksgiving because in them the authors are conveying their gratitude for God's great goodness. It is not that the LORD has delivered them from an enemy or protected them from some natural calamity, but they recognize His blessing to them in the ordinary course of life.

Our passage on this Thanksgiving eve is, appropriately one of these Thanksgiving Psalms, Ps 65, which the author, probably David, intended for use by the believing community in a public assembly such as this. David refers to himself only once in this poem (v. 3a) and to his fellow worshipers only four times (vv. 3b, 4b, 5a²), focusing instead on the LORD. Nevertheless, it still is a very personal composition because throughout these verses he and the congregation speak directly to God (2d person 24x). If you have your Bibles, please follow the text with me. I will be reading from the New American Standard.

David does not open this psalm with thanksgiving. Instead, he begins by describing...

I. The Worship (or praise) of God (vv. 1-4)

Ps 65:1 There will be silence before You, [and] praise in Zion, O God, and to You the vow will be performed. 2 O You who hear prayer, to You all men come. 3 Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, You forgive them. 4 How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near [to You] to dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple.

We must never forget that when we enter the presence of God, whether in a private audience or a public assembly...

A. He requires our devotion before Him.

We may regard Him as a companion and friend, yet He is ever God and we are ever His servants.

As I mentioned earlier, David writes this psalm for use in the congregation, yet he puts together what seem to be contradictory elements: silence and praise. When we think of praising God, the terms boisterous and exuberant come to mind, not silence. Yet the purpose of worship is not to hear the sound of our own voice, regardless of how wonderful or loving the words may be that issue from our lips. The purpose of worship is to exalt God, and sometimes the best way to do that is to make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible.

We do not like silence, especially in public gatherings. We need constant stimulation; otherwise, our concentration will wane. Hence, there is always something audible—announcements, a prayer, a hymn, the sermon. Even the offering has an instrumental accompaniment. The pastors here might agree that to incorporate periods of quiet contemplation in the worship service would be risky at best, because our short attention spans could render such an act meaningless. Nevertheless, David reminds us that the most appropriate expression of praise to God may be in the very absence of expression: our silence before Him.

David also speaks about "the vow" as part of worship. A vow is a promise to do something for God or pay something to God, usually in the form of a sacrifice. This was more common in the biblical period than it is today. People now make all sorts of promises but few, if any, to God, which is probably good given the casual way we use the phrase "I promise." Performing a vow that one has made to God, however, can demonstrate our recognition of His involvement in our lives as well as His claim on our lives.² He requires our devotion before Him, and these are some appropriate means of expressing that.

One of the marvels of entering the presence of God in worship is that He would pay any attention to us at all. Yet, David says that...

B. He invites our petition to Him.

"You...hear prayer." There is nothing that obligates God to listen to us. We have nothing He needs. We possess no wisdom or ability that would help Him to govern the universe. He existed in eternity past without our aid and could have continued indefinitely with no difficulty in our absence. In His love and grace, however, God chose to make us. More than that, He chose to meet with us, and part of our devotion involves the wonderful communion of prayer, not just our praise but our petitions as well. God's accessibility is one of His most attractive features. David says, "to You all men come."

What other public figure is as accessible as our God is? One of our county commissioners, is a member of the church I pastor. Surely, as his minister I should be able to see him whenever I want, but he has many responsibilities and is not always available. God also has many responsibilities. Despite that however, He is always available, and He invites our petition to Him.

There are malevolent, supernatural forces intent upon disrupting our fellowship with God, and they would exploit any weakness on our part. Our most effective enemy, though, is not this external foe but our own internal propensity for self-gratification. We apply the Burger King slogan, "Have it your way," to more than just food. Placing our wants over God's will is what the Bible calls sin, and it damages our relationship with Him. Moreover, it is not something we can repair. As David says, my own "[i]niquities prevail against me." Fortunately for us, God has the answer to our dilemma...

C. He remedies our transgression against Him.

God provides the means of repairing the breach in our relationship. David understood this. He may not have known that the means of atonement was "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev 13:8), but he did know what God expected. Turn back for a moment to Ps 51. There, in v. 16, David writes...

Ps 51:16 ...You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering.

God has no interest in the worship of disobedient people. Their offerings, no matter how costly, mean nothing to Him.

Ps 51:17b [But a] broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

We cannot remove the damaging effects of sin; only God is able to do that. What we can do, and what God requires, is to repent, to forsake whatever behavior is leading us away from Him and turn back to Him. In response to this renewed commitment, He forgives our sin. At that point, David says in v. 19, God's attitude toward our worship changes.

Ps 51:19a Then You will delight in...sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering....

David's point in Ps 65 is that God does what we cannot. He remedies our transgression against Him.

There is another element in David's description of worship, an aspect we do not often consider yet one that is equally important to what else God does, for...

D. He grants our satisfaction in Him.

God is particular about the company He keeps, and He chooses those who may enter His presence. We view freedom of religion as a right, an entitlement the law of our land offers to every member of society. Whether you are United Church of Christ or United Methodist, Brethren or Seventh Day Baptist, you can come to this service. In fact, you can be here even if you have no church affiliation. No one quizzed you on David's first three points when you arrived:

Did you come to praise God, or are you here for another reason?
Are you depending on Him to meet your needs, or do you plan to get what you want through some other means?
Have you repented of any known sin in your life, or are you reluctant to give up an old habit?

No one asked you anything embarrassing, for which you are probably very glad. You just walked in and sat down. Being in the sanctuary of a church, though, is not necessarily the same as being in the presence of God. This is an important distinction: We have no right to come before God; nothing we have done entitles us to meet with Him. That is a privilege God accords only to those who come to Him on His terms—terms such as these. David says, "blessed is the one" who has this privilege, permission "[t]o dwell in Your courts," because those who do "will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house." David is referring here to the Tabernacle, but the principle is relevant in other places of worship as well.

When was the last time you left church satisfied, or do you often leave with some complaint?

No one greeted me.
No one complimented my new outfit.
The music was too slow or too fast.
The sermon did not meet my needs.

If we come on our terms, expecting something from other people or even from God, we probably will be disappointed. If we come on God's terms, however, we will find in worship a fulfilling experience, as He grants our satisfaction in Him.

At this point, you may be thinking, "This is all well and good, but what does it have to do with Thanksgiving?" Perhaps the connection will become clearer as David turns from the worship of God to...

II. The Wonder of God (vv. 5-8)

Ps 65:5 By awesome [deeds] You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation, You who are the trust of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest sea; 6 Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being girded with might; 7 Who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. 8 They who dwell in the ends [of the earth] stand in awe of Your signs; You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.

David reflects on God's past involvement with Israel, reviewing the divine track record in dealing with the nation over the years. David's evaluation is that...

A. He amazes us with His salvation.

David is using salvation in the broad sense of that term to mean all God does to ensure the safety and supply of His people. David says that God's answers to their petitions, the way He meets their needs, can be so unexpected as to leave them in utter astonishment.

If you have walked with God, then you can probably identify with David's statement. Something in your life was beyond your control, perhaps a crisis or an urgent need, and you brought the matter to God. When He answered, resolving the crisis or supplying the need, you were amazed. It is not that you questioned God's ability or doubted His concern, but His answer still surprised you. He may not have performed a miracle (in the biblical sense of that term), and to someone who does not know God, the outcome might just appear unusual or coincidental, but it left no uncertainty in your mind that God was indeed responsible.

That is what David is talking about. Despite the fact that we know God answers our prayers and supplies our needs, still He amazes us with His salvation. Moreover...

B. He amazes others with His signs.

David looks at the displays of power in nature, the formation of the mountains and the billowing of the seas, and he sees evidence of God's power.³ Who else could shape the contours of the earth? Who else could control the mighty ocean?⁴ David is not the only one who notices this indication of divine might. Even those who do not know Israel's God recognize that what they see in nature is not just the working of chance but ultimately under supernatural control.⁵

People no longer see God in nature. We live in a more enlightened age, where such activity is the work of impersonal forces. For those who care to look, however, the natural realm does evince the power of God.

Someone mentioned to me the other day that he is paying more attention to God's handiwork in nature than when he was younger. A bug that would have escaped his notice earlier is now an object of wonder that God would make such a creature. This increased awareness is perhaps as much a result of general maturity as it is of heightened spirituality. People do tend to become a bit more reflective as they get older. Nevertheless, it might be necessary to point out to them what is obvious to you.

Israel's neighbors knew that some supernatural being controlled nature, and they stood in awe of His power. The benefit of that knowledge was limited, though, if they never learned who God is. Likewise, some of your neighbors or relatives may come to recognize that nature is more than a display of impersonal forces. They may have been the most hardened skeptics in their youth but have begun to consider the possibility of God. He still amazes others with His signs, and the holiday season often promotes such reflection. That awareness will do them little good, though, if someone (perhaps you) does not tell them about God.

You may be thinking, "I still don't see the relevance to Thanksgiving. We're two thirds of the way through the psalm and David has yet to thank God for anything." Perhaps the final verses will be closer to what you expect. From the wonder of God, David turns to...

III. The Work of God (vv. 9-13)

Ps 65:9 You visit the earth and cause it to overflow; You greatly enrich it; The stream of God is full of water; You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth. 10 You water its furrows abundantly, You settle its ridges, You soften it with showers, You bless its growth. 11 You have crowned the year with Your bounty, and Your paths drip [with] fatness. 12 The pastures of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing. 13 The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain. They shout for joy, yes, they sing.

Here, at last, is something we normally associate with the holiday—God's gracious and bountiful provision. In these final verses, David makes two simple, yet important observations of how God providentially works in nature. The first observation is that...

A. He waters the ground.

Having grown up in the suburbs of NYC, I regarded rain as more of a nuisance than a necessity. It clears some of the pollution out of the air and washes off the sidewalks but, apart from that, rain just makes you wet and the driving slower. Then I spent a year in Israel and learned that rain is actually a very valuable commodity with other uses. (I could have learned the same lesson in this country, of course, but some of us require more extreme educational experiences than others.) Israelite farmers, much like farmers in this area, depended on rain for their crops rather than on irrigation, because the land has no natural sources of fresh water, no system of rivers and streams. The Canaanite farmer looked to Baal, the storm god, for rain, and that same temptation faced the Israelite farmer, but David insists that the true source of this precious resource is the LORD. He waters the ground. The second observation is that...

B. He nurtures its growth.

When my wife and I moved to this area a year ago, there had been no rain for several weeks. (Keep in mind that we came from New York, so we did not immediately regard the absence of rain as a problem.) As the drought worsened and the crops grew more parched, one of my parishioners commented that they must not be paying their pastor enough. Noticing the puzzled look on my face, he explained that, in the country, one of the pastor's duties is to pray for rain and that if there is no rain it must mean that God is not pleased with the congregation's support of the minister. (This sounded like a myth I should encourage.) However dubious the connection between a church's support of the pastor and God's watering the earth, what is true is that He nurtures its growth. The bounty we enjoy, especially at this time of year, is the work of God.

Here we are at the end, and David still has not actually thanked God for anything. How does this qualify as a Thanksgiving Psalm? While other psalms in this category do have explicit statements of gratitude,⁶ David's approach here is simply to allow this recounting of God's abundant favor to inspire the congregation's thanks. May it be the Inspiration for Thanksgiving to us as well: