Eat the Fat

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.  Nehemiah 8:9-12 ESV

Did you know that, long before Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose the fourth Thursday in November for America’s observation of the Thanksgiving holiday, government leaders recognized that their cultures needed to pause for a time of gratitude?

These days haven’t always been celebrated in autumn, but before Abraham Lincoln specified a national day of Thanksgiving in the month of November, and before what we think of as “the first Thanksgiving” during colonial times, we have long set aside time to recognize God’s provision and protection of His people.

In my recent study of the book of Nehemiah, I really enjoyed exploring what appears to be their own feast of Thanksgiving. To understand why this beautiful moment in Scripture is important, cultural context from that time is also important.

In the year 586, the southern remaining kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Babylonians and Israelites were being held in captivity. The city of Jerusalem was falling into ruins: the wall was broken down and the temple was destroyed. The population had scattered.

After about 140 years of this exile, decline, and decay, God led Nehemiah back to Jerusalem. He was a cup bearer to the king, and called by God to rebuild the wall and provide protection for Israel once again.

This brings us to Chapter 8.

Once the Jerusalem wall was rebuilt and physical safety was restored to the city, Nehemiah called the people together for a reading of the Torah. This was a big deal and the entire population gathered. They had a special platform built and brought in people to interpret the reading of the law. Then, for what was likely the first time in their lives, this generation of Israelites heard stories from Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Imagine it! They finally heard the stories of Adam & Eve, of Noah, of Abraham and Sarah, and of the patriarchs from their history. They heard about the Ten Commandments and other laws God had put into place for their flourishing. And in response, the crowd spontaneously broke into weeping, realizing how far they’d fallen from God’s original plan for them.

But Nehemiah, and Ezra the priest, who was reading the law, said to them, “Everybody, stop weeping! You have been blessed with hearing the law! This is not a time for sorrow. This is a time to celebrate that the law has been restored!”

What comes next is so wonderful:

“Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Then everyone went back to their homes and enjoyed a massive celebration.  

Here today, we can be encouraged to do the same—particularly in sharing with those who have need so they can celebrate, too. Our society lives with an epidemic of loneliness, but God calls us to celebrate with thanksgiving and make sure that everyone is included!

As you gather around your table this Thanksgiving, I’d invite you to take part in an intentional activity: giving thanks to God and others with specificity. While it’s good to go around and share what you’re thankful for, it’s also important to remember that genuine gratitude always has a referent—someone you are thanking. A subtle point, but an important one. If a child at your table says, “I’m thankful for my Nintendo,” what they’re really saying is, “I’m glad I have a Nintendo.” But it’s not true thanks unless they can extend it to acknowledge the source of the gift, like, “I’m thankful that my grandpa bought me this Nintendo.”

It’s so important to personalize our gratitude—for us and for those we are thanking. That will also help us remember the Ultimate Source of all we have, that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights who never changes (James 1:17).

Even in the most difficult of times, there is so much for us to be thankful for. So let’s take some time this Thanksgiving to enjoy one another and to feast, because the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Additional Reading: Nehemiah 8