THANKSGIVING (Psalm 92:1-4)
INTRODUCTION:
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving was in the fall of 1621, and it was a three-day feast between the English colonists and the local Native Americans in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. It was a celebration of a successful harvest after the colonist’s first difficult year, and even though it is considered an historical event, the term “First Thanksgiving” was not used at the time. President George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving to give thanks for the end of the revolutionary war. President Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863, declared the last Thursday of November as a national Thanksgiving Day, thus he set a precedent for an annual celebration. Even though presidents had issued proclamations before, Lincoln’s was the first to be observed annually. Later in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress that made the fourth Thursday of November a legal federal holiday. Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in making proclamations for Thanksgiving tied it to giving thanks to God for His provision.
For most Christians Thanksgiving is a holiday in which we can reflect over the past year and give thanks to God for His provision and His blessings. As you reflect this year what will you be most thankful for as you give thanks to God? The greatest provision we can be thankful for is the salvation made available to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. This morning, I want to look at a few verses of Psalm 92 that call us to give thanks to our great and awesome God. Let’s pray and ask God to speak to our hearts from these verses.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 92:1-4. Please, if you are able, stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
Psalm 92:1-4,
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night, With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, With resounding music upon the lyre. For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 92:1–4, NASB95)[1]
GIVING THANKS (Psalm 92:1)
We cannot look at these verses without looking at the whole context of the psalm in which they are written. First, in the title we find that the author of this psalm is anonymous, we are not told who wrote it. We are just told that it is a psalm, a song for the Sabbath. After the exile when the people of Israel had returned, and the temple had been rebuilt and the morning and evening sacrifices reinstated, some psalms were sung throughout the week in connection with the morning and the evening sacrifices, others like this one were designated for Sabbath worship.
In this psalm we immediately see the enthusiasm of the author as he recognizes that God is merciful in salvation. Then he explores God’s greatness in His works of creation, He declares that God is just in His dealings with the wicked, and finally, He is faithful in prospering His children, whom the psalmist calls the righteous. This morning, we will only be looking at the themes that God is merciful in salvation and great in His works of creation.
The psalmist begins by calling us to give thanks to the LORD. Notice that the title LORD is in all capital letters, this is the covenant name of God with His people Israel. The way it is rendered in the Hebrew Bible is by the capital letters that are translated in English as YHVH. This is the name Yahweh which refers to God as the Self-Existent One. This name was so sacred to the Jews that when they would come across it in Scripture they would substitute the word Adonai, another term meaning “Lord” instead of saying God’s covenant name. The psalmist is telling us to gives thanks to our God, the Old covenant God of Israel, but also for us the new covenant God of the New Testament. Remember what Jesus said when He instituted the Lord’s Supper for us? 1st Corinthians 11:25 records His words, “In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ ” (1 Corinthians 11:25, NASB95)[2] We are called to give thanks to the covenant making God, the God of both the old and the new covenants. For what are we to give thanks? We are to give thanks for the salvation that is made possible by faith. When was the last time you gave thanks to God for your salvation? That is something that we should be eternally grateful for, because we have been forgiven for our sin and saved from God’s wrath against sin that will one day be poured out on those who refuse to turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
God only sees two types of people in this world, those who are His children because they have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and those who are not His children because they are still in their sin, they have rejected the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord. Mankind was plunged into sin when Adam ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By doing this he became a sinner and passed that sin nature down to all his offspring, the human race. We are all born with a sin nature and have a predisposition to sin. Sin is anything that we think, say, or do that is contrary to God’s commands or will. All sin is against God. Because we are all sinners, God in His love made a way for mankind to restore his relationship to God. God sent His Son in human flesh to suffer God’s wrath against sin as our substitute. Jesus Christ satisfied the justice of God through His death, and three days later God raised Him from the dead proving that sin was paid for once and for all. As sinners we must agree with God that we are sinners and helpless to save ourselves and believe that Jesus died and rose again on our behalf and put our faith in Him as our Savior and Lord. If you have never done this you can do it right now in the quietness of your own heart and then be eternally grateful that God has declared you righteous in Jesus Christ.
One way we can be grateful and express our thankfulness is through praise. Praise can come in many forms, but the psalmist writes, “And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High.” (Psalm 92:1b, NASB95)[3] He tells us to show our gratefulness by singing praises to our God, and here he uses another name for God, he calls Him the Most High. This name is used of God to declare that there is no other God like Him, He is the Most High because He is the sovereign Lord of the universe, the Creator and Sustainer of it. Paul speaks of the Lord Jesus in these same terms, He writes in Colossians 1:15-17, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15–17, NASB95)[4] Unlike the psalmist, Paul can now look back at the cross and he has a fuller understanding of this salvation that has been provided for us through the sovereign God of the universe that he has just described for us and he writes in verses 18-20, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:18–20, NASB95)[5] Paul has the advantage of being able to interpret what was prophesied in the Old Testament through the crucifixion and resurrection and tell us that this salvation that was promised was reconciliation between sinful man and a holy, sovereign God and it was made possible through the blood of His cross, when God took on human flesh and died as our substitute making peace between God and man.
GIVE THANKS FOR HIS CHARACTER (Psalm 92:2)
Next, the psalmist in verse two tell us that we can give thanks through our praise by declaring God’s character at all times. He writes, “To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,” (Psalm 92:2, NASB95)[6] God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness touch on a couple of His attributes. The root word in Hebrew that lovingkindness is translated from is the word mercy. Because God loves us so much, even though we are sinners in rebellion to Him, in His mercy He offers us salvation. The definition of mercy is not getting what we deserve. What is it that sinful mankind deserves? Sinful man deserves to be condemned to eternal death, to eternal separation from God in the lake of fire, which is what man deserves. God in His lovingkindness offers us forgiveness and reconciliation with Him and eternal life in His presence. So, within this same word lovingkindness we see the flip side of mercy which is grace. Grace is God giving sinners what they do not deserve. Instead of giving us what we deserve, eternal death and damnation, God offers us what we do not deserve, forgiveness and eternal life. We should declare His lovingkindness in gratefulness in the morning as he says, but also throughout the day.
Then the psalmist tells us to declare God’s faithfulness by night. God’s faithfulness is seen from the opening pages of Genesis on throughout the rest of God’s Word. Shortly after Adam and Eve sinned God promised a Deliverer for mankind, some who would deliver them from their bondage to sin. In Genesis 3:15 God said, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NASB95)[7] God promised that One would come, born of a woman who would conquer sin and crush the head of Satan defeating him forever. That promise continued to be given all through the history of Israel. Then one night out in the dark hills surrounding the little town of Bethlehem a group of shepherds received a visit from angels, Luke records this encounter, “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ ” (Luke 2:10–12, NASB95)[8] Savior is just another word for Deliverer. God showed Himself faithful as He always does and because of this we know that His promises about the return of Jesus Christ are true as well. We are to praise God with gratefulness because He is faithful to fulfill all His promises.
GIVE THANKS WITH ALL THAT IS WITHIN US (Psalm 92:3)
In verse three the psalmist returns again to the subject of music. Music in God’s Word is an important medium for delivering truth. It was through songs that the Levites taught the truth about God to the Israelites. The book of Psalms was not only Israel’s hymn book, but it was also their book of history and doctrine. The Levites could teach the people the songs of the book of Psalms, and they would remember what they were taught and they in turn could teach it to their children. In this verse the psalmist lists three instruments that are to be used in making music to thank our God for who He is and for what He has done for us. The psalmist writes that our praise is to be accompanied, “With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp, With resounding music upon the lyre.” (Psalm 92:3, NASB95)[9] These are just three of the instruments used in Israel’s music, we also know that there were trumpets and cymbals and many other musical instruments as well.
Paul also spoke of using the medium of music and singing as a means of teaching wisdom and encouraging one another. In writing to the Colossian believers, Paul wrote in chapter 3, verses 16-17, “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:16–17, NASB95)[10] How often do you sing words of a hymn but not really think about the words? Pay attention to what you are singing, some of our hymns are filled with rich theology and doctrine. Did you know that even God sings? In Zephaniah 3:17 we read these words, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, ESV)[11] Music and singing were given to us by God when He created us is it any wonder that God sings?
Our thanksgiving should be filled with music and singing just as the psalmist and Paul encourage us. Paul says we are to sing with thankfulness in our hearts to God. Our hearts should be bursting with thanksgiving for all that God has done for us and all the spiritual blessing that are ours through the Lord Jesus Christ. We, of all people, have so much to be grateful for, let us not only sing songs of thanksgiving one day a year, but make it a part of our lives daily.
GIVE THANKS FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE (Psalm 92:4)
Our passage for this morning ends with the psalmist once again speaking of what God has done and reiterating that he will rejoice in song at what God has made. He writes in verse four, “For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” (Psalm 92:4, NASB95)[12] Again, the psalmist uses the covenant name of God, telling the Lord that He has made the psalmist glad by what the Lord has done. Think about what the Lord has done for you, what He has brought you through, how He called you to Himself, and in His mercy and grace saved you from eternal punishment. We each have our own story of what the Lord has done for us that should make us glad, should make us most thankful. But it is more than just our individual stories that make us thankful, we can also look around us and be grateful and sing for joy at the work of God’s hands.
God is the Creator of all things and when He originally created it His creation was perfect. It was created for us and all the beauty of the heavens, and the beauty and diversity of the vegetation and animals is for our enjoyment. Isaiah records for us in Isaiah 45:18, “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else.’ ” (Isaiah 45:18, NASB95)[13] Even though this world is now marred by sin, we can still see and admire the handiwork of God and marvel at how awesome and wonderful He is to have created all this so that we might know Him, love Him, and obey Him. This world will one day become as it was, as Paul writes in Romans 8:19-25, “For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Romans 8:19–25, NASB95)[14] Again, in these verses we see the faithfulness of God, our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies, the creation being set free from it slavery to corruption, these are all promises of God, that we do not see, but because God is faithful we will continue to hope as we eagerly wait for the promises to be fulfilled. And as we hope we can rejoice in the lovingkindness and faithfulness of God and thank Him that His promises are as sure because He has proven Himself over and over to be our promise-keeping God.
CONCLUSION:
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving and many of us will gather with family and enjoy the day together. In the midst of family, food, and tradition, stop for a moment and look at the world around you and thank the Lord for all that He has done, from creation to salvation, thank Him for the hope that we have in His promises, thank Him for His lovingkindness, mercy, grace, and faithfulness. Make a new family tradition of spending some time around the table thanking God for who He is, and what He has done, and if that involves some singing all the better.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.