Thanksgiving occupies a special place in the cycle of the yearly celebrations. It may be the least of the feast days, but it is the first among them all. In a sense, it is the most original and most fundamental among all the Christian days of commemoration. That may sound strange when it is compared to the other festive days. We commemorate on Christmas day the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Is that not a greater work of God than the abundance of food He grants us, and the opportunities to work and have our living? And Pentecost refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Is that miracle of God’s closeness not much more important than the food on our tables?

No one will want to take anything away from the greatness of God’s mighty works of salvation. We should certainly continue to commemorate them. Yet, we should still recognize Thanksgiving as the first and original celebration of God’s work for us. Consider for a moment the beginning of this world. God created everything, the world, the plants, the animals, and even the man Adam and his wife Eve. At that time, Christmas could not be celebrated, for the Christ had not been born. Passover did not exist, for Israel had not yet been led out of the country of Egypt. But Thanksgiving could be celebrated, for God had planted a garden for Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:9). They could live off the land, for it provided its fruit even before they had begun to work in the garden. That means that in a world without sin, they could (and would!) be thankful to God for sustaining them. Thanksgiving could be celebrated in paradise!

Destined to Give Thanks⤒🔗

In that garden, the man had to work. God placed him there “to work it and to take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). This was the first “job” God assigned, working the soil of the garden so that it would produce nourishment for himself and for the wife God had made for him, and, if things would have developed normally, for their children and grandchildren. Beginning with paradise, the human race was destined to give thanks to God for the abundance of food and other resources He provided so lavishly on this earth.

It did not work out that way, for Eve and Adam sinned. Actually, they sinned on the point of their food, by eating fruit from the one tree God had specifically excluded. As a result, God banished them from the garden. However, He did not forbid them to use the food his earth produced. They found fruit trees, grains, vegetables, and many other things that were edible. The end of paradise was not the end of their food supply, of working with the earth and taking from the earth the good things it brought forth. God had created a great abundance of good things for us, and we still profit from them. There is much reason for thanksgiving, when we see the harvests and enjoy the good things the earth has produced.

Teach Thanksgiving←⤒🔗

That was recognized in Israel. David composed a psalm about this work of God, to teach the people of Israel to praise their God. It is He who cares for the land, and who provides water for it. In Israel, water was always a problem; there was only one river, the Jordan, which always had water. The fields were mostly dependent on rain to be fruitful and provide food for the people. David knew how much his nation was dependent on God, and taught them a song to praise God for his continued care:

You care for the land and water it, you enrich it abundantly!Psalm 65:9

The harvest is dependent on God giving rain:

You soften it with showers and bless it with crops. You crown the year with bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.Psalm 65:10, 11

God’s people have always been taught to praise God for the food they receive. It comes to us out of God’s hand.

And this should be recognized, not only by Israel, but by all nations. When Paul went out among the nations and received the opportunity to speak of God, he emphasized God’s care, even for them. When he received the opportunity to evangelize in Lystra, he said about the living God:

Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons: he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.Acts 14:17

The gentiles who were not given the many revelations God had given to the Jews, yet knew God. God had made himself known to them by giving them harvests. God could expect their gratitude for the gifts He had given, which allows them to live in this world. Instead, they had made gods for themselves, gods like Zeus and Hermes, and worshipped these.

Who Receives Thanks Today?←⤒🔗

And that is still the case, today. Zeus and Hermes are forgotten, just as Baal and Dagon are forgotten. They are no longer worshipped, and thanked for the rain and the abundance of food. But that does not mean that the only true God receives the grateful admiration of the people in this world. We, as western people, admire the wonders of technology and the improved strains of grain we have been able to develop. We pat ourselves on the back for the abundant food supplies we can enjoy, forgetting that we can only work with God’s created world and are always dependent on the blessing of the God of heaven and earth.

We need to return to the beginning of our praise of God. He is the God of heaven and earth. He made this world, and all we are allowed to eat goes back to his creation. And He is powerful enough to prevent us from receiving any food at all, as He proved in the Flood. Is our world much better than the world of Noah, which God decided to destroy? The answer is obvious to all who watch the news, hear the people speak and observe what they do. It is the goodness of God that we have again received a plentiful harvest, and have available all we need for our daily needs, and much more.

Return to True Thanksgiving←⤒🔗

The world should return to the beginning: astonishment and admiration for the God who still provides us with the food we need, and actually, with much more than we really need. That may open their eyes for this God who did so much more by sending his Son into the world. We Christians should surely never forget the beginning of this world. Before God revealed himself as the God of salvation, He proved to be the God of our life. He planted trees in the garden of Eden so that Adam and Eve could eat, while fulfilling their tasks in his service. Although we sinned already at the very beginning of this world, God continues to provide for our daily needs. We Christians, should not forget that our Saviour is first of all the Creator. We should not forget Thanksgiving, for our daily bread is the first and basic gift of God. And we receive so much more than our daily bread.

Let us celebrate Thanksgiving by giving thanks to God who, in spite of the sins we and all people commit, continues to do his first work for us.