Taste and See that the Lord is Good

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
     Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 
                                                                (Ps. 34:8)

Whenever I think of the Thanksgiving Holiday, I think of this verse and Psalm 34. This Psalm was written as David is leaving Gath after the Philistines seized him. This was the time that David is fleeing from Saul and has just left Nob with Goliath’s sword.

The narrative says that David came hoping to find a warm welcome because he was bringing Goliath’s sword with him, but they recognized him as a killer of many Philistine’s in battle. Therefore, David pretended to be mad in hopes that they would let him go.  (I Sam 21: 15)

David was scared and thought he was done for…, and when he leaves he writes this Psalm.

Even though thanksgiving is not specifically mentioned in Psalm 34, it is a Psalm of thanksgiving. It is describing relief and thanksgiving. As in the rush of relief you feel when delivered from a horrible event.

I also relate this to the Thanksgiving Offering as described in Leviticus 7.

What you find in Leviticus 7 with the Thanksgiving Offering is that on top of the normal animal without blemish you would offer in a guilt or sin offering, you would also bring:

  • Multiple Unleavened loaves,
  • Multiple unleavened wafers,
  • Multiple loaves of fine flour,
  • Multiple loaves of leavened bread.

You would slaughter the animal at the door of the Tabernacle and then bring in the slaughtered animal and roast it on the alter, draining the blood and cutting off the fat.

While the meat roasted, and the grain mixed with the oil,  you would testify to the priest and those around the alter what you were thankful for. Then you would give a portion to the priest, and you would take a portion while also providing some as a heave offering to the Lord.

Then you would consume all of the offering that same day, leaving none until morning. So, this was not really an offering as much as a feast. And, there was no way you were going to consume all of this offering by yourself.

It is easy to see how this feast that was large enough to be shared was a foundation for what the Pilgrims did to thank God after the big harvest.

Thanksgiving is meant to be shared.

You will find that a person doesn’t just think thankful thoughts and keep them to themselves. Thanksgiving is meant to be shared. Matter of fact, I’ll tell you that a truly thankful person can’t keep it to themselves. If you’re thankful, you’re going to share. It must be shared. It comes out!

By sharing it, you’ll find that it grows and multiplies. It actually impacts you more deeply; and by sharing your thanksgiving, it also sweetens the lives of those around you.

So, when David wrote about Tasting and Seeing that the Lord is Good, my thought is that David was not just sampling the goodness of the Lord, like in the samples the grocery store or Costco offers on Saturdays. He was feasting. He wanted to be in God’s presence with others that love the Lord, feasting on the blessings of the Lord. He wanted to share the blessing in joy. Laughing and talking about what is good in their life.

So share, thanksgiving is multiplied in sharing…!

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