The Thanksgiving Offering
A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick
In Psalm 107, we are given four real-life occasions for Thanksgiving. The third of these has to do with a situation where there was a recovery from sickness. The appropriate response is found in verse 22: "And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." (KJV) "Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy." (NIV) When calling for "thanksgiving", what the Psalmist had in mind was "sacrifices of thanksgiving", which is no doubt a reference to what in the Book of Leviticus is called the "Peace Offering". (Chapters 3 and 7) Certainly, Leviticus is not one of the most widely read books of the Bible, but at the beginning of the book, the four principle offerings are described and explained: Chapter 1 - Burnt Offerings; Chapter 2 - Grain Offering; Chapter 3 - Fellowship Offerings; Chapter 4 - Sin Offerings. The third of these, the "sacrifice of thanksgiving", in the King James Version is called the "Peace Offering". It should be understood that this does not suggest that the offering is intended to bring about peace, but was to be an offering made by those who were in a state of peace. As an aside, note Ephesians 2:14-19 - "He is our peace" could well mean "He is our peace offering." Here are some of the main features of this sacrifice: The animal sacrifice was to be brought by the worshipper to the tabernacle or temple, and he was to lay his hand on the animal as it was slaughtered. (3:8) In this way, the worshiper identified himself with the sacrifice. Then the animal offered for the thanksgiving offering was to be placed upon the "burnt offering" (3:5), a sacrifice which had been offered earlier. What this means is that the atonement, represented by the burnt offering, is the basis for peace and fellowship with God. Or to say it another way, "self-surrender leads to peace" (Pulpit Commentary). Prescribed parts, the best parts (fat), of the slaughtered animal would then be then offered to God. A literal rendering of 3:11 is, "It is the bread of the offering by fire to the LORD." Of course, we may think of the fat as being unnecessary excess - in fact most of us are trying to avoid eating it! However, in the Psalmist's day, the fat was considered to be a delicacy, and this was offered to God as it was burned up on the altar. Neither fat nor blood were to be eaten (3:17) because they were offered to God. (Fat intertwined with the meat could be consumed.) The inner parts of the animal that were to be burned are considered by interpreters to represent the passions - - our passions should be in complete subjection to God. The lamb "rump" is the tail, and in eastern sheep would weigh anywhere from 12 to 40 pounds - it would be considered to be the very best part of the lamb meal. The next instruction is that a share of this meat would be provided for the ministers (7:31-35), and eaten in the court of the tabernacle. There is here provision for the support of the priests and Levites, even as today offerings brought to the church provide support for Pastors and others who work on behalf of the church. In this regard, notice what Paul writes in I Corinthians 10:16,17, "we all eat from the same bread." Last of all, the remainder of the sacrifice was eaten by the offerer with family and friends. The entire sacrifice had to be eaten on the same day (7:15), and no one who was ceremoniously unclean could be served (7:20). It's also interesting to note that both leavened and unleavened bread could accompany this meal (7:12,13). This very ancient Israelite sacrifice is very comparable to our Thanksgiving feast. One commentator states, "We offer the peace offering whenever with grateful hearts we offer praise and thanksgiving to God for having brought us into union and communion with himself." (Note I John 1:6,7) This "peace" offering was representative of joy, the joy of salvation, as noted in Psalm 51:12 - "Restore to me the joy of your salvation", symbolic of "the festive joy which pervades the souls of those who are in communion with God." Furthermore, it served as a reminder of the covenant between God and His people, for in the East, covenants were ratified by the parties eating a meal together. (Example: Genesis 24:33 when Abraham's servant made arrangements for Isaac's wife.) So here's my suggestion. Let's view this year's Thanksgiving feast as a "Peace Offering". Let us give to God the very best, and make sure He is included in the meal. Let's make sure we are clean as we partake of this meal. And let us fully enter into the joy of His salvation. While we are thankful for the many material blessings we enjoy, let's most of all give thanks for the fact that through Christ, we have full communion with God. In closing, listen to this prophecy of Jeremiah: "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,' declares the LORD, `because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.' "This is what the LORD says: "`I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained." (Jeremiah 30:17-19)  - - Return to Top of this Page  - Email a Link to this Page
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