THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF STUDYING THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH.
[THIS STUDY WE BEGIN AT CHAPTER 12]
Nehemiah 12 is most known for the dedication ceremony of the walls, but for me, it has always been about the Thanksgiving Choirs. I always wondered what that really meant to the people of that day. Did "thanksgiving" mean literally singing "thank you"? Let's take a look at this remarkable ceremony.
What a procession that took place in Chapter 12! This was the dedication of all that had been rebuilt and established. Below is a map I found online (click image to go to the blog source) of the processional route of the choirs.
For a long time I have pondered, I mean several years, what a "Thanksgiving Choir" must have looked at. Maybe that was what a "choir" was in the first place? Perhaps the original idea of a choir was this, simply “amplification”. In order to magnify the praise to God (remember this was before we had large speakers and sound systems to amplify the sound) a "choir" was simply a group in sync delivering a message? A message that all the neighboring cities could hear?
It is also worth noting that there was "large voices" coupled with "trumpets". Trumpets always represented an "alert" or "announcement". So the trumpets are announcing the "thanks" and praise being given to God. What a beautiful picture.
For years in our church we always begin our worship time with a "thanksgiving offering", a few minutes before the worship music to prepare our hearts with thanksgiving. Some people might not be aware of what we are doing and why. This chapter actually is the foundational scripture for establishing a culture of people who worship God and keep God at the center of their lives. And at the very heart of the culture, is a people who offer thanks. Thanksgiving says, "I acknowledge that God is responsible for every good thing and that every good thing comes from Him." Thanksgiving is a position of humility. It is the place where we see God as the one who is in charge of us, and He rules the kingdom. I liked how it was said in the previous section when we looked at chapter 11, "HE is the owner of the property, and we are the tenants." When we give thanks we acknowledge He is the provider, the center of our universe.
thanksgiving prayer & worship
Try this exercise of thanksgiving for a few days, you chose how long. Condition yourself to only turn every thought, prayer, complaint and utterance into “thanks”. It is difficult, but you will get the hang of it. It will be challenging to turn some things into thanksgiving, but if you are mindful of it, you will see the shift in your heart and your mind and many areas of your life may be touched.
Let me give you an example. If I were having a thought, possibly obsessive, that there is something wrong with me, I’m a failure, I’m just no good, etc., I wouldn’t just try the power of positive thinking by changing those statements into, “Nothing is wrong with me”, but with thanksgiving the statement may be more like this, “Thank you God for how You made me. Thank you fo showing me my mistakes so that I can learn and grow.”
The second part of this that is challenging is to only give thanks. What that means is that you would not follow that statement with, “And now Lord, help me to change.”
When we offer thanksgiving as a discipline, we are strengthening our belief and view that God worthy. We make it about Him, not about us. Try it for a few days and see what happens.
prayer
Father, teach my heart to be centered and anchored in thanksgiving. Help my heart when I feel weak to remember all that You have done, all that you are, and stir my heart to remember and give thanks. Lord, today I thank You for drawing me back to the very heart of the culture of Your kingdom. Just as your people here in Nehemiah did, I want my life to be build on the foundations of thanksgiving. Expand my heart to look up and to see all Your goodness and mercy towards me. I thank You for all that You are, good, pleasing, perfect, and worthy God. In Jesus Name, Amen.