Thanksgiving Throughout Scripture

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, our country overflows with reminders to be grateful, from dinner table traditions to social media posts to making lists of what we’re thankful for in our journals. However, here’s something that many people don’t realize, Thanksgiving isn’t just an American holiday. It’s a Biblical command woven throughout Scripture from the Psalms to Paul’s letters, from Temple worship to everyday life.

Thanksgiving in Temple Worship

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Praise Him, bless His Name. For Adonai is good. His lovingkindness endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”

psalms 100:4-5 tlv

Psalms 100 – Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

This beloved psalm has been sung throughout time, and for good reason. It provides us with a template for approaching God. Notice the order: we don’t enter with requests, we don’t enter with complaints, we don’t even enter with worship songs yet. We enter His gates with thanksgiving…

The Hebrew word used here is Todah (תּוֹדָה), which carries a beautiful dual meaning. It encompasses both the internal attitude of gratitude and the outward expression of giving thanks. Todah isn’t just a feeling we keep to ourselves, it’s something we actively do, something we declare.

In ancient Israel, the word Todah was also associated with the thanksgiving offering (zevach todah). This was a voluntary sacrifice brought to the Temple not because the Law required it, but because the worshiper’s heart overflowed with gratitude for God’s deliverance, provision, and/or faithfulness. The offering itself was accompanied by public testimony where the person giving the offering would tell the story of what God had done for them. 

Thanksgiving is the entryway to God’s presence. Before we bring our petitions, before we pour out our hearts about our struggles, we acknowledge who God is and what He has done. Giving thanks first positions our hearts to encounter Him in the right way!

While we may not have a physical Temple to approach and “enter His gates” through, the principle remains. When you pray, begin with thanksgiving. When you gather for Shabbat services, come prepared to recount God’s faithfulness. When life gets overwhelming, pause and remember what He has already done. Thanksgiving isn’t just proper procedure—it’s the pathway to His presence!

David’s Model of Thanksgiving

1 Chronicles 16:8-10 – “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name”

Context matters here. This isn’t just David writing a nice song—this is a moment of national restoration. David is bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem after it had been captured by the Philistines and then neglected for years. This is the centerpiece of Israel’s worship returning to its rightful place, and David’s response is explosive, public thanksgiving.

Let’s break down the verbs David uses in this passage:

• Give thanks (todah again!)
• Call upon His name (prayer)
• Make known His deeds (testimony)
• Sing (worship)
• Sing praises (more worship!)
• Tell (declare publicly)
• Glory (boast in who He is)
• Rejoice (celebration)
• Seek (pursue relationship)

Notice the progression? David moves from personal gratitude (“give thanks”) to public proclamation (“make His deeds known among the peoples”). This is a wonderful example of how Thanksgiving isn’t meant to stay private, it’s meant to spill over into testimony that impacts others and stands as a witness to the God we serve! When God does something in your life, that testimony is not just for you—it’s for everyone who will hear about it and be encouraged to trust in Him as well. It could be fuel for someone else’s faith…So when we gather to worship and pray in our community, we should come ready to tell what God has done and glorify Him for His faithfulness; because He is good, and He is still working in our lives every single day!

Yeshua’s Life of Gratitude

Then Yeshua picked up the loaves. And having given thanks, He distributed bread to everyone who was reclining. He did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted.

john 6:11 Tlv

Picture this scene…five thousand people (not counting the women and children!) gathered on a hillside. They’re hungry but there are only five loaves and two fish. The disciples are overwhelmed and stressed, and the situation looks impossible.

And what does Yeshua do? He gives thanks.

Not after the miracle—before it. Not when the bread had already multiplied, but while it was still just five loaves. Yeshua modeled thanksgiving not as a response to abundance, but as a posture of faith before the miracle had even occurred.

And this wasn’t an isolated incident if we look at His pattern throughout the Gospels:

At the Last Supper, He took bread and “gave thanks” before breaking it (Luke 22:19)

At the tomb of Lazarus, He looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me” (John 11:41)—again, before the miracle!

Let’s consider the Jewish context here. In traditional Jewish practices, there are blessings (berachot) for everything—before eating bread, drinking wine, eating fruit, etc. The brachat hamazon (blessing after meals) is an extended prayer of thanksgiving for God’s provision. This culture of constant acknowledgment of God’s goodness wasn’t just tradition—it was a lifestyle.

Yeshua lived this lifestyle perfectly. He demonstrated that thanksgiving isn’t reserved for when everything is going well. He gave thanks before miracles, during ministry, and even facing the cross. His life shows us that thanksgiving is a lifestyle, not just a response to good circumstances. Even the Messiah, the Son of God Himself, modeled thanksgiving, and so, how much more should we?

What if we approached our challenges the way Yeshua did—with thanksgiving before we see the breakthrough? What if we thanked God for what He’s about to do, not just what He’s already done? This kind of faith-filled gratitude transforms our perspective and positions us to see God move..

Paul’s Vision of Constant Todah

In Scripture we see how Paul wrote to two very different communities with remarkably similar instruction on giving thanks…Let’s look at both:

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tlv

And…

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.”

ephesians 5:20 tlv

Two communities with one common message: constant thanksgiving.

Now, while the broad message is the same, do you notice the subtle but significant difference between these verses?

To the Thessalonians, Paul says give thanks in all circumstances—meaning in the midst of them, while you’re going through them, when you’re in the middle of the storm.

While in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul says give thanks for everything—a more comprehensive gratitude that encompasses all we receive, both the blessings and the challenges.

Think about the Thessalonian believers. They were facing persecution. They had seen some of their own die for their faith. They were anxious about loved ones who had passed away. And yet Paul tells them: “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

That’s not natural. That’s not easy. 

Or consider the Ephesians, called to give thanks “for everything.” Not just for the good things, not just for what makes sense—for everything. That includes the disappointments, the closed doors, the prayers that seem unanswered, the plans that fell through.

These verses remind us that giving thanks (Todah) isn’t dependent on circumstances, but instead on God’s unchanging character. His goodness doesn’t fluctuate with our feelings. His chesed (loving-kindness) will never diminish when life gets hard, and His faithfulness will not waver when we can’t necessarily see the way forward.

We give thanks not because everything is good, but because He is good. We give thanks not because we understand His plan, but because we trust His character.

Conclusion: Living the Todah Life

From the Temple worship in ancient Israel to daily life in the era of our Messiah and His disciples, Scripture paints a consistent picture: God’s people are a people who give thanks. This isn’t optional, cultural, or just for when times are good and things are easy. It’s woven into the very fabric of our faith.

Let’s trace the journey we’ve walked together:

First, Psalms 100 taught us that thanksgiving is how we enter God’s presence.

Then, 1 Chronicles 16 showed us David’s model of moving from personal gratitude to public proclamation that progresses us as witnesses of our Lord. 

John 6 revealed Yeshua’s pattern of giving thanks before the miracles occurred, depicting it as a lifestyle and not just a response.

And finally, both 1 Thessalonians 5 and Ephesians 5 challenged us to give thanks in all circumstances and for everything. 

This Thanksgiving season, we challenge you to practice this Biblical pattern:

• Enter God’s presence with thanksgiving (Psalm 100) – Begin your prayers with gratitude. Start your day by acknowledging what He has already done.
• Proclaim His deeds publicly (1 Chronicles 16) – Share your testimony. Tell others what God has done in your life. Let your gratitude spill over into encouragement for those around you.
• Follow Yeshua’s example of constant gratitude (John 6) – Thank Him before the breakthrough, not just after. Make thanksgiving your default posture, not just your emergency response.
• Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5) – When life gets hard, choose gratitude. When circumstances don’t make sense, anchor yourself in God’s unchanging character.
• Make thanksgiving a continuous practice (Ephesians 5) – Don’t wait for major blessings to be grateful. Thank Him for everything—the sunrise, the breath in your lungs, the community you’re part of, the Word that guides you.

Thanksgiving isn’t just a day—it’s a way of life for God’s people.

The world celebrates Thanksgiving once a year with turkey and family gatherings, but as followers of Yeshua, we’re called to something so much richer—a lifestyle of todah that enters God’s gates with gratitude, proclaims His goodness publicly, trusts His character constantly, and overflows with thanksgiving in every season.

So this Thanksgiving season, let’s not just celebrate a holiday. Let’s embrace a lifestyle. Let’s become people characterized by thanksgiving—not because our circumstances are always perfect, but because our God is always faithful.

Todah l’Adonai—give thanks to the LORD!