WHEN WE GIVE SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING
WHEN WE GIVE SACRIFICE OF PRAISE & THANKSGIVING
TEXT: Isa 42:10-16 KJV 10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands. 13 The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. 14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. 15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. 16 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Life is spiritual and supernatural forces contending with mankind whether you are a believer or not. They call it spiritual warfare. There is a battle going on even right now because of you between the forces of the devil and forces of God.
Eph 6:12 KJV For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Here is the good news that for a believer, the outcome of such battles has been determined and concluded. You are already a winner, victorious and more than conqueror.
Rom 8:37 KJV Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
1Co 15:57 KJV But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because of this many have devoted a lot of effort and time on spiritual warfare. We engage in all night prayers, fasting and prayers because of these forces. We have deliverance ministers and ministry which is strange to the New Testament. We only have ministry of reconciliation 2 Cor 5:18-19
But as I study the word, I discovered that apart from all those methods there is a better way of handling issues of spiritual warfare.
The text teaches the things we must do and what God is bound to do because His word is law and covenant.
Isa 42:10 KJV Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
The prophet was calling on the people to sing. The kind of song is defined by Isaiah. He said let him sing a new song. Song hitherto unheard. Songs that talk about His mercies, salvation, redemption. Here the prophet calls upon all people to celebrate the divine mercy in a song of praise in view of his goodness in providing a Redeemer. The sentiment is that God’s goodness in providing a Saviour demands the thanksgiving of all the world.
Jas 5:13 KJV Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
The category of people that should praise:
Ye that go down to the sea – That is, traders, navigators, merchants, seamen; such as do business in the great waters.
And all that is therein: The meaning is, that all who were upon the sea – the completeness, the wholeness of the maritime population,
The isles – A large portion of the inhabitants of the world are dwellers upon islands
He also called upon people dwelling on the rock, villages, wilderness. Anywhere you are you are called to give thanks and praises.
Isa 42:12 KJV Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands.
For all the great and good things he has done for them, in sending his Gospel to them, calling them by his grace, enlightening their minds, and revealing his Son in them, and making them partakers of the blessings of his grace, and entitling them to eternal glory and happiness.
Col 1:12-14 KJV 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
These are strange and uncommon things that people give thanks for. We are only motivated to give thanks when we receive a salary increase, new jobs, money, bought new cars, bought land, getting married and other things in life. I am not saying they are bad in themselves, but there are much more weighty things we are called to praise God for.
What happens when they give praise?
Isa 42:13 KJV The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
This and the following verses give the reasons why they should praise Yahweh.
He would go forth in his might to overcome and subdue his foes, and to deliver his people.
As a mighty man – As a hero, as a warrior. Yahweh is often in the Scriptures represented as a hero, or a man of war: Yahweh is a man of war: Yahweh is his name. – Exo 15:3. Who is this King of glory? Yahweh, strong and mighty; Yahweh mighty in battle. – Psa 24:8.
Psa 24:8 KJV Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
He shall stir up jealousy – He shall rouse his vengeance, or his indignation. The word קנאה qin’âh means vengeance, or indignation, as well as jealousy. The image here is that of a warrior who rushes on impetuously to take vengeance on his foes.
He shall cry – He shall give a shout, or a loud clamor. Warriors usually entered a battle with a loud shout, designed to stimulate their own courage, and to intimidate their foes
Why has God not been doing that before now?
Isa 42:14 KJV I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.
The idea in the verse is, that Yahweh had for a long time restrained his anger against his foes, and had refrained from executing vengeance on them.
He is saying the reasons I folded my hands when you were buffeted by the devil, when you were oppressed, challenged, frustrated, manipulated. And I didn’t do anything because you have not given thanks.
But now he would rouse his righteous indignation, and go forth to accomplish his purposes in their destruction
- Praise and thanksgiving are arsenals of warfare.
Psa 8:2 KJV Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
Jesus while quoting that scriptures rephrased it.
Mat 21:16 KJV And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
The Greek word they used for “perfected” is “Transliteration: katartizo” It means:
to render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete
to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair
to complete, to complete thoroughly, that is, repair (literally or figuratively) or adjust: – fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect (-ly join together), prepare, restore.
to fit out, equip, put in order, arrange, adjust
to fit or frame for one’s self, prepare
ethically: to strengthen, perfect, complete, make one what he ought to be.
Jesus changed the word “ordained” to “perfected”
When you combine Psalm 8 and Matthew together it means when you give praise and thanks, God uses your praise to still your enemies, the avengers and perfects you, that is “katartizo”. To still means they are paralyzed and become paranoid.
- Praise and thanksgiving distablizes and confused the enemies
There was war between Judah and three other nations and there was no way Judah alone could face them. They received a strange instruction by prophecy to march into the war with the choir. Who does that? But that was the instruction for them to praise and give thanks. While they were doing that something happened:
2Ch 20:22 KJV And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
What praise does for God’s people
The second aspect of what praise and thanksgiving does
- Praise attracts God to your side.
Psa 22:3 KJV But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
God is full of favour, mercies, compassion, power. All these and more are attracted to you when you give thanks.
Isa 42:16 KJV And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
Having said in the previous verses what he would do to his enemies, God now speaks of his people. He would conduct them to their own land, as a blind people that needed a guide, and would remove whatever obstacle there was in their way.
When they were ignorant of what course to take; or in a path which they did not contemplate or design.
I will make darkness light before them – Darkness, in the Scriptures, is the emblem of ignorance, sin, adversity, and calamity. When you give praise your darkness will turn to light. You will know where to go and what to do.
And crooked things straight: Solomon had asked the question that who can make what is crooked straight
Ecc 1:15 KJV That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
Ecc 7:13 KJV Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
God did not make anything or anyone crooked but because they lacked revelation of the devil in the old testament, they attributed everything to God as the one that causes it.
To prove that to you in the Act 10:38 the Bible says He went about doing good healing all that were sick and oppressed of the devil.
But in the New Testament when Jesus saw a woman who had been crooked for 18 years in the temple, He made her stand straight.
Luk 13:13 KJV And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
If God made things crooked then Jesus will be violating His father but God is a good God. We have better understanding than Solomon.
Whatever is crooked shall be made straight in Jesus name.
He said He will not forsake them. Because you praise Him, it doesn’t matter where you He will be there with you to comfort and deliver you. David said though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me, they did and thy staff comforts me.
Psa 23:4 KJV Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
When they threw the three Hebrew children in the furnace, another man appeared there walking in the fire. Heb 13:5 says I will never forsake them
Heb 13:5 KJV Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Isa 63:9 KJV In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
How do we offer sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving?
Heb 13:15 KJV 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.
That is by Jesus and through Him alone we should come to offer sacrifice of praise. He has now fulfilled all vision and prophecy, has offered the last bloody sacrifice which God will ever accept; and as he is the gift of God’s love to the world, let us through him offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, this being the substitute for all the Levitical sacrifices. The sacrifice of thanksgiving is to take the place of the animal sacrifice.
The sacrifice of praise is the Levitical term for a thank – offering. Lev 7:2 , Lev 7:3 , Lev 7:5
Lev 7:12 KJV If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.
The sacrifice of praise for salvation, temporal and spiritual mercies we have received.
He said let us offer: Because of Jesus who is now our high priest, we have been made priest too. So we are qualified to offer sacrifices of praise.
Rev 1:6 KJV And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 5:10 KJV And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Wherever there is a priest there is the necessity of a sacrifice. We have a sacrifice to offer and it is a sacrifice of praise.
Is there any man born of a woman offering evil sacrifice on account of you? It shall backfire in Jesus name.
There is only one altar-the cross of Jesus, every other altar lifted up against you shall collapse by fire in Jesus name.
There is only one final bloody sacrifice who is Jesus, every other thing being offered by any man or woman shall boomerang in Jesus name
It should be done continually—not merely at fixed seasons, as those on which the legal sacrifices were offered, but throughout all our lives.
It is done whether it is convenient or not
Hab 3:17-18 KJV 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
It is done when it costs us something.
It is done when we pass through mountains and valleys of life. You just lost something or someone, you still praise HIm not because He caused it but He is able to make ALL things work together for your good and He can bring good out of evil. Joseph said you meant it for evil but God has turned it for good.
1Th 5:18 KJV In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
It is not only when something good has happened but at all times and that is what makes it a sacrifice. Our generation only gives thanks and gives testimonies only when they perceive or received something good like deliverance from motor accident, domestic accidents, favour in office or gift from men. But it ought not to be.
How is it done? Since we are not bringing goats and rams to the altar, how are we to offer our sacrifice?
The fruit of our lips – The phrase “fruit of the lips.” is a Hebraism, meaning what the lips produce; that is, words; compare Pro 18:20; Hos 14:2. This is a reference to Hos 14:2 , where the Septuagint renders the Hebrew by “bullocks or calves of our lips.
Giving thanks = confessing or acknowledging. Greek. homologeo. His name is taken for His personality.
The summary is because we do have an altar (the cross) and we do have a High Priest (Jesus), we should always offer sacrifices. But they are not the bloody sacrifices of the old covenant, but the sacrifice of praise , the fruit of our lips .
In conclusion, when you offer sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, you provoke Him to do more and more for you. The leper that returned back to give thanks was made whole. Others were healed but he was made whole and restored. He got more.