17. Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Melchizedek’s prayer after the victory of Abraham:Genesis 14:19-20

Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand.

Prayer of Abraham’s servant after he has been successfully guided to a wife for Isaac:Genesis 24:27

Blessed be Jehovah the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken His loving-kindness and His faithfulness towards my master: as for me, Jehovah hath led me in the way to the house of my master’s brethren.

Prayer of thanksgiving on the occasion of the annual presentation of the first fruits at the sanctuary:Deuteronomy 26:5-10 A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and popu­lous. And the Egyptians dealt ill with us and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage; and we cried unto Jehovah, the God of our fathers, and Jehovah heard our voice, and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression, and]Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs and with won­ders, and He hath brought us into this place and hath given us this land, a land that floweth with milk and honey. And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the ground, which Thou, O Jehovah, hast given me.

David’s prayer,on hearing Nathan’s prophecy that his kingdom would be everlasting:2 Samuel 7:18-29;1 Chronicles 17:16-27 Who am I, O Lord Jehovah, and what is my house, that Thou hast brought me thus far? And this was yet a small thing in Thine eyes, O Lord Jehovah; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come (The last clause of 2 Samuel 7:19 is obscure, and has been omitted.). And what can David say more unto Thee? for Thou knowest Thy servant, O Lord Jehovah. For Thy word’s sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou wrought all this greatness, to make Thy servant know it.

Wherefore Thou art great, O Jehovah God; for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation in the earth is like Thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem unto Himself for a people, and to make Him a name and to do for them great and terrible things, in driving another people and its god before His people. (This is a plausible reconstruction of 2 Samuel 7:23, which can hardly be correct as it stands (cf. 1 Chronicles 17:21). And Thou didst establish to Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever; and Thou, Jehovah, didst become their God. And now, O Jehovah God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and concerning his house, confirm Thou it for ever, and do as Thou hast spoken. And let Thy name be magnified for ever, saying, “Jehovah of hosts is God over Israel,” and the house of Thy servant David shall be established before Thee. For Thou, O Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, “I will build thee a house;” therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee. And now, O Lord Jehovah, Thou art God, and Thy words are truth, and Thou hast promised this good thing unto Thy servant. Now therefore let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee; for Thou, O Lord Jehovah, hast spoken it; and with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever.

David’s prayer,after the presentation of the free­ will offerings of the people towards the building of the temple:1 Chronicles 29:10-19 Blessed be Thou, O Jehovah, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.

Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thy hand is power and might, and in Thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now, therefore, our God, we thank Thee and praise Thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding. O Jehovah, our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee a house for Thy holy name, cometh of Thy hand, and is all Thine own.

I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now have I seen with joy Thy people, that are present here, offer willingly unto Thee.

O Jehovah, God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever as the purpose in the thoughts of the hearts of Thy people, and direct their hearts towards Thee; and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made pro­vision.

Ezra’s prayer, which immediately follows his account of Artaxerxes’very generous decree:Ezra 7:27-28

Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem; and hath extended loving kindness unto me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. A song of salvation:Job 33:27-28 I have sinned and perverted that which was right, And He hath not requited it unto me, He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit, And my life shall behold the light. A prayer of gratitude:Isaiah 12:1-2 I will give thanks unto Thee, O Jehovah, For, though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, And Thou didst comfort me.

Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust and not be afraid. For Jehovah is my strength and song, And He is become my salvation.

Prayer of gratitude,possibly on the news of the victories of Alexander the Great:Isaiah 25:1-5 O Jehovah, Thou art my God;

I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name. For Thou hast done wonderful things, Which were truly and surely purposed of old. Thou hast made of a city a heap, Of a fortified city a ruin, The palace of the proud to be no city, It shall never more be built.

Therefore shall a strong people glorify Thee, And tyrants shall fear Thee. For Thou hast been a stronghold to the poor, A stronghold to the needy in distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat. But the insolence of the proud Thou layest low. A prayer of gratitude for some deliverance:Lamentations 3:55-58 I called upon Thy name, O Jehovah, Out of the lowest dungeon Thou didst hear my voice;: hide not Thine ear at my cry for help.

Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon Thee;

Thou saidst, “Fear not.”

Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul, Thou hast redeemed my life.

Daniel’s prayer for gratitude,after Nebuchadnezzar’sdream has been divinely revealed to him:Daniel 2:20-23

Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. He changeth the times and the seasons, He removeth kings and setteth up kings; He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and know­ledge to them that have understanding. He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.

I thank Thee and praise Thee, O Thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might and hast now made known unto me what we desired of Thee; for Thou hast made known unto us the king’s matter. A prayer of thanksgiving for deliverance:Jonah 2:2-9 Out of my affliction I called to Jehovah, And He answered me.

Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And Thou heardest my voice, Thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas, And the flood was round about me.

All Thy waves and Thy billows passed over me.

I said, “I am cast out from before Thine eyes, How shall I look again to Thy holy temple?” The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; The deep was round about me, The weeds were wrapped about my head.

Down I went to the bottoms of the mountains, The earth with her bars closed upon me for ever.

Yet Thou hast brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah. And my prayer came in unto Thee, into Thy holy temple.

They that regard lying vanities Forsake their own good. But I will sacrifice unto Thee with the voice of thanks­giving:

I will pay that which I have vowed, Salvation is of Jehovah.