The Miracle Of The First Thanksgiving: Squanto

Squanto: The Miracle of the First Thanksgiving

One of the most beautiful Psalms of thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and follow along as I read. “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”.

A. It is common to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for New Years. There is another list we may consider, a Thanksgiving Day list.

1. Let me read a part of the list that several homemakers compiled. They wrote that they were especially thankful:

a. "For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get out of the kitchen before the family comes back in for their after dinner snacks.

b. "For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house because they usually make them big enough to call in the professionals.

c. "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 own parents.

d. "For teenagers because they give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.

e. "For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey’s done.

2. Now our list will not be the same as theirs, but I believe we would find that we have much to be thankful for than our material possessions.

a. Like you, I am sure, my list would include the major things life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in.

b. Even more than that, I am thankful for my salvation, our church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each day.

B. 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 only primitive, quickly erected log homes, little food and it was severe winter. They had no means of transportation but their legs. They had started from scratch in the wilderness that was North America in 1620. 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 January 1, 1585 somewhere near present day Plymouth, Massachusetts. Captain George Weymouth who was exploring the New England for the Plymouth Company abducted in Squanto and some other Indians in 1605. Weymouth took Squanto and other Indians back to England to show the owner of the company 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 America fish, corn, and captured natives in Spain. There, Hunt sold Squanto and a number of other Native Americans into slavery for £20 apiece.

However, some local friars who opposed what Hunt was doing purchased the American Indians, including Squanto, in order 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. Unfortunately, Squanto returned to London in 1618 to ask for permission about the trip to Squanto’s homeland. 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, the Squanto walked into the town and in English said, "I am Squanto." Squanto went on to teach the pilgrims how to grow American crops, how dig clams, oysters, where to fish and catch other seafood. Squanto also made peace between the nearby Indians, the ones who celebrated that first Thanksgiving with the colonist. It was from the abundance from Squanto teaching and the colonist labor with which all celebrated the first Thanksgiving.