Tag Archives: Give thanks

THE BATTLE SONG OF ISRAEL

Christian Life, ,

There is a recurring refrain in Scripture that was Israel’s national anthem, war cry, and battle song. For example, when the kingdom of Judah went into battle under King Jehoshaphat’s command, against an amassed army from surrounding nations, assured of victory…

2 Chronicles 20:13-15 NLT
[13] “As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, [14] the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. [15] He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”

So, … they sang this song as they went into battle…

2 Chronicles 20:21 NLT

“Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!”

What is the significance of this confession?

The words ‘faithful love’ are an attempt to translate the untranslateable Hebrew word, ‘chesed’. This ‘chesed’ of God is an attribute that enshrines everything He is in His legally-binding covenant commitment to His people.

“In the Hebrew Bible, the word “hesed” (also spelled “chesed” or “ḥesed”) is a significant term that is often translated as “steadfast love,” “lovingkindness,” “mercy,” or “faithful love,” among other similar expressions. It represents a unique concept that combines elements of love, kindness, loyalty, and faithfulness.

“Hesed is used to describe the covenantal relationship between God and His people, emphasizing God’s enduring faithfulness, mercy, and lovingkindness towards them. It is a quality that embodies loyalty, devotion, and compassion, often demonstrated through acts of kindness, grace, and generosity.

“The term is not easily captured by a single English word, as it encompasses a range of positive attributes that reflect God’s character and his relationship with humanity. Hesed is seen as a fundamental aspect of God’s nature and is often used to describe how God interacts with His people, showing mercy, forgiveness, and compassion even when they do not deserve it.

“Overall, hesed is a rich and multifaceted concept in the Hebrew Bible that conveys the depth of God’s love and faithfulness towards His people, highlighting the importance of kindness, mercy, and loyalty in relationships.”
(quote captured from the app, “Quora”, answering the question, “What is the real meaning of the Hebrew word ‘hesed’ in the Bible?”)

The ancient word picture of chesed, I am told, is that of a mother swan. Before she lays her eggs, she plucks the softest down feathers from her breast to line the nest for her young.

This is a reminder of God’s tender love for His people.

The simplest meaning of chesed is ‘to bend down’, the picture of a stork with a bent neck. Enshrined in these pictures are some of the shades of meaning expressed in the above quote which highlight His faithfulness to His people in a covenant relationship. He bends down to minister to His people whatever they need because of His everlasting love.

The Greek word, ‘agape’, is the counterpart of this love in the New Testament.

There is a phrase omitted from this song, quoted in Psalm 118.

Psalms 118:1 NLT
[1] “Give thanks to the Lord, FOR HE IS GOOD! His faithful love endures forever.”

This psalm, (118), tells of the psalmist’s victory over his enemies because of God’s ‘chesed’. He calls on all his fellow Israelites to celebrate ‘chesed’ with him because God is good.

A quote from Jeff Benner throws more light on God’s goodness.

“Very few sermons in our Western synagogues and churches would include the passage “I [God] form the light and create darkness, I make peace and I create evil, I am the LORD who does all of these” (Isaiah 45:7) as our Western mind sees these two forces as opposing opposites. However, the Eastern mind sees them both as equals and necessary for perfect balance. In the Western mind, God is only good and therefore unable to create evil. The Eastern mind sees God as a perfect balance of all things including good (tov in Hebrew, Strong’s #2896) and evil (ra in Hebrew, Strong’s #7451)…

“To understand the words “good” and “bad” from a more Hebraic understanding, these words should be understood as “functional” and “dysfunctional”. God is both functional (such as seen in the Creation Story of Genesis one) as well as dysfunctional (such as seen with the destruction of the flood).”
(Jeff Benner, article “Good and Bad”, Ancient Hebrew Research Centre, Hebrew Word Studies)

God’s goodness is expressed in another of His supurb attributes, His wisdom, which reveals that everything God does, good or bad, is in the end, ‘functional’.

When we declare that God is good, we are expressing our confidence in His wisdom, that which always works. Even if things seem to be bad, He promises that it will work out FOR us because He is at work IN us for our functionality.

In our worship of God on our journey from independence to dependence, from self-rule to submission to God’s authority, from discontent to peace, how can we measure our progress?

I think one word shows us how far we have come…gratitude!

Many times, after Paul’s explanation of what God has done for us in the New Covenant, he urges his readers to be thankful. He himself learned to celebrate his weakness in his struggles and hardships as God’s way of delivering him from pride.

2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV
[10] “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Gratitude shifts the focus from self to God, loosens our grip on present circumstances, and willingly looks beyond now with its needs, wants and demands to the bigger picture.
Gratitude begins to recognise God’s hand in the trials and tests we encounter. Gratitude displaces discontent as the core attitude of
our hearts despite adversity.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT
[18] “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

A grateful attitude “in all circumstances” is what God desires so that our trust in Him circumvents mistrust and discontent, and chooses to rest in all that He is.

Can you see, then, how we can trace the growth of our faith by our response to our circumstances. A grateful heart in everything reveals a trust in the Father’s love that is willing to wait until God has finished what He started. Gratitude rests in the `chesed’ of God, His goodness, that cannot and will not fail or fall short of its promise.

To declare sincerely, as an expression of worship,

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His unfailing love endures forever”…

… Is committing ourselves to a God who is functional and dependable, who will aways work in us and for us what is perfectly in line with His unfailing love and goodness.

AND BE THANKFUL – 14a

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 5:17-20 NLT‬
[17] “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. [18] Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, [19] singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. [20] And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There is a little addendum to Paul’s ‘therefore’s’ that kickstarts the process of becoming like Jesus. Unlike God’s children in the wilderness, we are to exude gratitude and thanksgiving from every pore of our beings.

Ingratitude, complaining, grumbling, murmuring against God and His people is rebellion which enfuriates Him. Every time Israel murmured against Moses, another judgment fell on the Israelites because God Himself was their real target.

Forgetting is the main symptom of ingratitude. Moses, in his messages to Israel before his death, repeatedly urged them to remember what God had done. Both in Egypt, against the Egyptians and for them, and in the wilderness for forty years, He had protected and provided for them.

Their complaints were selfish and materialistic. They lost sight of their destination and thought only of their lack of creature comforts. Their faith in God only lasted until the next test.

Their grumbling climaxed in their refusal to enter the Promised Land despite Joshua and Caleb’s assurances that God was with them. That entire generation died in the wilderness because of their rebellion.

‭Numbers 14:1-4, 9-12 NLT‬
[1] Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. [2] Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. [3] “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” [4] Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”
[9] Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” [10] But the whole community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to all the Israelites at the Tabernacle. [11] And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? [12] I will disown them and destroy them with a plague. Then I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they are!”

How many of God’s people follow in their footsteps. There is always something to offend them, someone who gets in their way to the top, some situation or person who doesn’t please them, even some teaching that doesn’t suit them. Their ingratitude is infectious, casting a shadow over the fellowship and unity in the church.

Grumblers and complainers sow dissention. Paul and John have one answer for dissenters because dissenters have a dangerous influence over the church… “Kick them out! Have nothing to do with them. Don’t tolerate their presence in the fellowship of the church!”

‭Romans 16:17-18 NLT‬
[17] “And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. [18] Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.”

Paul`s counsel to the church is simple.

‭Philippians 2:14-16 NLT‬
[14]” Do everything WITHOUT COMPLAINING and ARGUING , [15] so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. [16] Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.”

‭Philippians 3:1 NLT‬
[1]” Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, REJOICE in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.”

‭1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT‬
[18]”BE THANKFUL in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

‭1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT‬
[31]”So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the GLORY of GOD .”

‭Colossians 3:15, 17 NLT‬
[15] “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And ALWAYS BE THANKFUL .
[17] And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, GIVING THANKS through him to God the Father.”

Paul’s teaching and counsel are always coloured by the instruction to have a thankful heart. Gratitude to God in every circumstance changes our perspective. Even if life goes horribly wrong, God is still in charge; He has a purpose in everything that happens; He works, in all things, for our good.

Giving thanks in all circumstances guards us against rebellion. Gratitude helps us to remember, enhances our awareness of God, puts Him in the centre of our existence, and keeps us in touch with our future. If things are going wrong now, it’s only temporary because we have a great future ahead of us.

‭2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT‬
[18] “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

So, says Paul, cultivate a grateful heart and you will be safe from the influence of people who are never satisfied. You will remain in God’s love.

Remember, thanksgiving is the language of faith.