A True Thanksgiving to God

Levit. 7: 11-13, “This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which one shall offer to God. If he offers it for (not as) a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil. With cakes of leavened bread he shall offer his offering with the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving.”

First of all, it is very important to notice that even in the book of the law the Lord indicated one important thing that before we bring a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, there must be a peace offering brought in first. That has a great significance to us today.

If we ever want to receive and answer from the Lord, we need to understand that we must be at peace within ourselves and not be disturbed by any circumstances that we are going through. Faith is a MUST to keep the peace within our heart. Only when we are at peace we can proceed with our thanksgiving to God.

What is a thanksgiving to God? Verse 12 declares, “If he offers it for a thanksgiving…” Pay attention, the Spirit of God says, “Our offer is not AS a thanksgiving but is FOR a thanksgiving.” That means we cannot bring to God just anything we want as a thanksgiving.

Let me explain, when we are in the wrong mood, when we are not in faith, when we are complaining or grumbling or in any type of distress, this is not a sacrifice to God.

God doesn’t concern much what we confess through our lips, it is the abundance of our heart that our lips shall speak.

How important it is to understand that it is our faith and attitude that are the thanksgiving to God. What I mean by attitude is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is in our lives. Let me explain, take a look at the same verse 12: “If he offers it for (not as) a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mixed with oil.”

There are three offerings that are mentioned here: unleavened cakes, wafers and cakes. The cakes and the wafers must be made out of flour.

In the old days, the way the flour was made was very different from today’s ways. They would take grains and they would put in between two heavy stones, and then they would turn the stones and crush the grain until the grain became fine powdery flour. It should so fine that it’s suppose to run through your fingers.  When the flour is like that it means it’s ready for baking. Then it would be mixed with oil and baked as cakes and wafer.

What does this represent? It represents that God puts our life between the rocks and grinds our life until it becomes fine flour so that we would be able to yield to Him and be obedient in every way. The bible also calls this the fruit of the spirit that is being developed within us which is a Godly character.

Let us look back quickly to Leviticus 7 and begin to see how all these things work. There are two major points that are in these verses:

1) When you come to God to give Him a thanksgiving, you must be at peace

2) Our thanksgiving to God is our life. It’s produced with fruit of the spirit that is in our lives.

3) Mixed with oil, that means our life is saturated with the Spirit of God.

In Leviticus 7:29 the word of God says this, “When you sacrifice a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God, you shall sacrifice it so that you may be accepted.”

Have you noticed that our thanksgiving must be accepted by the Lord? The scriptures above show you how.

In Psalm 50:7-15 the bible declares this,

“Hear, my people, and I will speak: Israel, and I will testify against you, I am God, your God. I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before Me. I have no need for a bull for your stall, nor male goats from your pens. For every animal of the forest is [my] (mine), And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field are mine, If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High. Call on Me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

My dear friends let us walk in the Spirit, let us allow God to change our life; so that our life will be a true thanksgiving to God. That is the only thanksgiving God wants from us.
God bless you.

Shalom!

By: Messianic Rabbi Gennady Livshits