The Miracle of the First Thanksgiving: Squanto
Scripture: Matthew 25:40, Psalms 100
It is common to compile wish lists at Christmas and draw up a list of resolutions for the New Year. There is another list we may consider, a Thanksgiving Day list. Let me read a part of the list that several homemakers compiled. They wrote that they were especially thankful:
1. "For children who put away their things and clean up after themselves. They are such a joy, you hate to see them go home to their parents.
2. "For automatic dishwashers because they make leaving the kitchen before the family comes for their after-dinner snacks more likely.
3. "For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey’s done.
4. "For teenagers, they give parents a chance to learn a second language.
5. "For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house because they usually make them big enough to call in the professionals.
Your list will not be the same as theirs, but I believe we would find more to be thankful for than our material possessions. Like you, I am sure, my list would include life's major things, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in. Even more than that, I am thankful for my salvation, our church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each day.
What did the first Americans, that small handful from the Mayflower who started the custom of setting aside a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God, have to be thankful for? They had started from scratch in the wilderness of North America in 1620. They had only primitive, quickly erected log homes, little food and it was severe winter. They had no means of transportation but their legs. The first winter, one-half of them died from the cold and starvation.
Then a miracle occurred. Squanto walked into their lives. Squanto was an American Indian born on January 1, 1585, near Plymouth, Massachusetts. Captain George Weymouth who was exploring New England for the Plymouth Company abducted Squanto and some other Indians in 1605. Weymouth took Squanto and other Indians back to England to show the Company owners what they were like. Squanto returned to New England in 1614 with an expedition led by Captain John Smith. On his way back to Pawtuxet, Englishman Thomas Hunt, one of Smith's lieutenants, abducted Squanto. Hunt sold American fish, corn, and captured natives in Spain. There, Hunt sold Squanto and several other Native Americans into slavery for £20 apiece.
However, some local friars who opposed what Hunt was doing purchased the American Indians, including Squanto, to instruct them in the Christian faith. Squanto convinced the friars to let him try to return home. In 1617, the friars arranged for Squanto to go to London, where he worked for a shipbuilder for a few years. To get to New England, Squanto tried to take part in an expedition to that part of the North American east coast. At last, in 1619 Squanto returned to his homeland aboard John Smith’s ship, having joined an exploratory expedition along the New England coast as an interpreter. Squanto soon discovered that his tribe as well as a majority of coastal New England tribes died in an epidemic the year before. Squanto had spent 14 years learning to speak English, Spanish, and the Bible.
Squanto decided to live where his old village had been. Then, in the winter of 1620 - 1621, Squanto heard of Plymouth Colony. He went there and on March 22, 1621, just before spring planting season, Squanto walked into the town and in English said, "I am Squanto." Squanto taught the pilgrims how to grow American crops, dig clams, oysters, fish, and catch other seafood. Squanto also made peace between the nearby Indians, the ones who celebrated that first Thanksgiving with the colonists. It was from the abundance and Squanto teaching and the colonist labor with which all celebrated the first Thanksgiving.
Both Squanto and the Pilgrims considered this a miracle, a miracle like Joseph in the Bible. Remember in the Book of Genesis Joseph, the 11th of Jacob's and Rachel's 12 sons, came to be sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt next to Pharaoh. When famine struck Egypt, Jacob (Joseph's father) and Joseph's brothers went to Egypt. Joseph saved his family from starvation and Pharaoh gave them his best land, the land of Goshen, for their land. God performed that same miracle for the colony through Squanto.
Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive American holiday. It does not commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday or anniversary. It is simply a day to express our nations thanks to God. In 1789, George Washington made this public proclamation, "By the President of the United States of America. A proclamation: Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and Whereas, Both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me 'to recommend to the people of the United States a day of Public Thanksgiving and Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God.' Now, Therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be."
This week our nation will pause once again to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Because of the example of our ancestors, and because today we have so much, we will give thanks. Look at the Psalm David wrote for Israel to praise God, the 100th Psalm. We are to say it with an attitude of gratitude. God said, "When you come into the Promised Land, and settle down in your warm homes, and you have plenty to eat, don’t forget Me. I led you out of the wilderness and brought you into a land flowing with milk and honey." It does not take very long to realize that the people of Israel needed a reminder, and we need that.
If you remember the 100th Psalm, join me: “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all ye lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations”.
In the first verse, God addressed this psalm to "all the earth." The last verse says that it includes "all generations." This message of thanksgiving is so deep and wide that it applies to every person in every era and stage of life.
There is a real danger in this season of determining our Thanksgiving based on how much material wealth we have. Do I have enough turkey to gorge myself sufficiently? Is my money in the bank secure? Am I healthy? We let these things determine whether we are or are not thankful. The Bible says that all of these things may change at any time. They may drift away or burn up or someone may steal them. The only thing we have for sure is our relationship with the Lord. The greatest, most wonderful gift we are to be thankful for is our relationship with God.
In verses 2 and 3, you find the name of the Lord. In verse 4 it says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving." And, in verse 5 you find the name of the Lord. The basis of our thanksgiving is for the Lord.
In this psalm, we find five thanksgiving commands: The first command is in vs. 1, "Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all ye lands!" "Make a joyful noise" means to "shout with the force of a trumpet blast, a shout of joy to the Lord that comes from the depths of your being. God will give you the victory! Maybe He has not yet solved your problems. He has not given you the direction to go. He has not provided a blessing. He is still the Lord. Therefore, from the depths of your being, you proclaim your praise.
What the Psalmist is saying, is that God has been so good to you that you cannot keep it inside anymore. He may not have given you all you want, but He has given each of you much. From the depths of your being, you shout your joy unto the Lord.
The second command is, "Serve the Lord with gladness." It does not say, "Serve the church." It does not say, "Serve the preacher, or serve the leaders, or the organization." It says, "Serve the Lord." The Bible teaches that if we witness on behalf of the Lord if we feed the hungry, if we clothe the naked, if we do the work of the Lord, whatever it might be, we are serving the Lord.
In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, "Since you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." I am not sure that we grasp that. Maybe we serve at times out of a feeling of obligation or a fear of guilt if we do not serve, or because we want to draw attention to ourselves. It is natural for us to desire appreciation when we do something worthwhile. However, the Bible says, "In whatever you do, serve the Lord with gladness."
The third command in the 100th Psalm, "Come before Him with joyful songs." Psalm 98:4 says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." And that I can do. In these first 3 commands, God has said, "I want you to be happy. Shout with joy, serve with gladness, and come with joyful songs." Take a moment and look at the people around you. Do they look happy? Or are they just sitting there with scowls on their faces? The Psalmist says, "Come before Him and serve Him and sing His praise with joy in your heart."
Command number 4 is, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." God took every bone, every joint, and He welded them with sinews and muscles, covered them with skin, and gave us eyes that see, brains that think, and fingers that can pick things up. God made us, inside and out. He made you the way He wanted you to be. He made me the way He wanted me to be.
I do not understand why, but somehow in God’s providence, He decided that He wanted a medium-sized man, not too good-looking, not outstanding in anything, but just a faithful father and husband who would keep plodding along. He made me. Somewhere along the way, He had you in mind, and He made you. He is still making you. That is important to realize. He is not satisfied with the unfinished product. He is unhappy with the weak areas of your life where you give in to temptation. He is still making you. He is still working on your lives. God is your maker; He created you in His image. Therefore, give Him thanks for who you are.
Then He says, "We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." Most of us want to be shepherds, not sheep. We often want to serve God but in an advisory capacity. However, the problem is we do not know where the still waters and green pastures are. When we search for them, we invariably end up in a far country. You are the sheep, let Him be the shepherd and He will lead you beside the still waters and the green pastures. Just let Him lead.
Command number 5 is this, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever, His faithfulness continues through all generations."
In the Old Testament, the temple symbolized the presence of God. Therefore, whenever the people entered the courtyards and came to the temple, they knew they had come into the presence of God. Now that temple no longer exists. However, often the place where we meet to worship God is called a "sanctuary," indicating that God is there. However, God is everywhere. You know that. He is with you as you drive. He is with you when you work. He is with you as you care for your children. He is with you every moment of your life.
What if He would not bless us today because we did not thank Him yesterday? What if God answered our prayers the way we answer His call for service? What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow Him today? O Lord, help us to be thankful that you do "not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" I pray that this is a meaningful Thanksgiving for you and all your family. Take time to read the 100th Psalm again. In addition, if you heed those commands, your heart will overflow with thanksgiving to the Lord.
This morning, we offer His invitation. If you have a decision on your heart, we pray that you will make it and come forward, confessing your faith or transferring your fellowship, being faithful to the Lord in Christian baptism, whatever your need might be. We extend His invitation as we stand and sing. Be thankful that you do not already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times, you grow. Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build strength and character. Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you are tired and weary because it means you have made a difference. It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.
