And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day. And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD. | ||
| Leviticus 22:26–30 | ||
| When an Israelite willingly offered a sacrifice of thanksgiving, it was to be completely eaten on the same day it was offered. Why? First, it was to protect against pollution, against the food becoming spoiled for lack of refrigeration. Spiritually, I believe our thanksgiving can also become spoiled unless offered consistently. Over time, our minds have a way of explaining away God’s miraculous hand in any given situation, of attributing His goodness in our lives to our own efforts, to luck, or to coincidence. And thus, our thanksgiving becomes spoiled if not offered immediately, consistently, and wholeheartedly. Second, I believe this word was given to us to provide satiation. It is as if the Lord is saying, “When you bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving, I want you to leave with a full belly. I want you to be deeply satisfied, totally satiated, and completely happy.” By him 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 God wants us to offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving not because He needs to be thanked but because we need to be thankful. Why? Thanksgiving is the antidote to depression, the remedy for a cynical spirit. Yes, there are very real battles facing each of us. We are not to pretend they don’t exist. But neither are we to indulge in doubt and self-pity. Rather, we’re to do what Jehoshaphat did . . . With a confederation of Edomite, Ammonite, and Moabite troops arrayed against him, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, called unto God for help. God responded through a prophet, saying, “Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17). Jehoshaphat could have said, “What kind of battle plan is that?” Instead, he bowed his head and worshiped. Although all he had was a promise, the next morning, rather than sending his troops to battle, Jehoshaphat sent a choir to praise. And although this made no sense militarily, it disoriented the enemy, they drew their swords in confusion, and they annihilated one another (see verses 20–24). The same thing is true in the Spirit. We have an Enemy who surrounds us constantly, an adversary who wants to intimidate and depress us daily, whose goal is to rob us of the riches of our joy and peace. But this Enemy is beaten back, confused, and overwhelmed through the power of praise and thanksgiving. Pastor Jon Courson | ||
