Thanksgiving

1. Thanksgiving Thanksgiving An American “Holy-day”

2. Pilgrim Purification The first time “Pilgrim” is found in scripture is in Heb. 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” parepid’ēmos: a resident foreigner

3. Pilgrim Purification Heb. 11:14-16 “For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”

4. 1 Cor. 10:11 “Now these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition.” Nouthesi’a: warning! Why does God use “history” to warn us? Because we’re prone to forget that “history” repeats itself!

5. While many consider “Thanksgiving” a uniquely “American” holiday, it actually has its roots in Israel. God initiated “The Feast of Tabernacles” to encourage Israel to perpetually remember their history in the wilderness and the lessons they learned. (Lev. 23:34-44 and Deut. 16:9-17) Thanksgiving in America

6. “All that are Israelites shall dwell in booths: (for 7 days!) that your generations may know that I made Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” Lev. 23:42,43 “Thou Shalt Remember all the way the LORD led thee in the wilderness…to prove thee…” Dt. 8:2 Thanksgiving in America

7. Pilgrim Purification Let’s consider how history has repeated itself. 1. REMEMBER THE “BONDAGE” Israel left “Egypt” because they had become slaves. The Pilgrims left Europe because of religious bondage. A. The Reformation brought the Bible back to Europe! “The Truth shall set you free.” John 8:32 1) Many embraced “Religion” without a real Relationship with God through His Son and Word.

8. Pilgrim Purification 1. REMEMBER THE “BONDAGE” B. Government enforced “Religion” produced bondage. 6 times in Galatians Paul uses “douleu’o” (slavery) to describe the effect “Religious Traditions” can have on us. Gal. 2:4; 4:3,9,24,25; 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Gal. 5:1

9. “Thou shalt remember” • 1. REMEMBER THE “BONDAGE” • B. Government enforced “Religion” produced bondage. 1) Even the “Reformation Movements” produced “State” churches that were run by Ecclesiastical Politicians. • 2) Support and obedience were “non negotiable”. • 3) Non conformity brought harsh Consequences. • (Fines, imprisonments, banishment, even death!)

10. “Thou shalt remember” William Bradford wrote of this time: “It is well known… how since the first breaking out of the light of the gospel in England, … what wars and oppositions ever since, Satan hath raised, maintained and continued against the saints. Sometimes by bloody death and cruel torments; other whiles imprisonments, banishments and other hard usages; as being loath his (Satan’s) kingdom should go down, the truth prevail and the churches of God revert to their ancient purity and recover their primitive order, liberty and beauty.”

11. “Thou shalt remember” “But when he could not prevail by these means against the main truths of the gospel…he then began to take him to his ancient stratagems…he then began to sow errors, heresies and dissensions amongst the professors themselves, working upon their pride and ambition… Satan took occasion and advantage thereby to foist in …vile ceremonies, with many unprofitable canons and decrees, which have since been as snares to many…even to this day.” “Of Plymouth Plantation” byWilliam Bradford

12. “Thou shalt remember” C. Puritans sought to “Purify” the Church from within. 1) Some of these eventually immigrated to America (1628) and formed the Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Became the Anglican or Episcopal church in America) D. Others believed that the “Church” was irreversibly contaminated by unbiblical “Traditions” and separated. 1) They were called “Separatists” or “Pilgrims”. (Congregationalist)

13. “Thou shalt remember” 1. THE “BONDAGE” (of Religious Traditions) 2. THE PRICE OF “FREEDOM”. Jn 8:32 A. The path to freedom is always difficult. Darkness always reacts to Light! John 3:19 “light is come into the world, and men loved darkness Rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” 1) Several “Separated” from the “State” Church. Pastor John Robinson led one such group in 1603.

14. “Thou shalt remember” “Many of these professors as saw the evil of these things in these parts, and whose hearts the Lord had touched with heavenly zeal for His truth, shook off this yoke of antichristian bondage and as the Lord's free people joined themselves (by a covenant of the Lord) into a church estate, …to walk in all His ways made known unto them, according to their best endeavors, whatsoever it should cost them… And that it cost them something this ensuing history will declare.” “Of Plymouth Plantation”

15. “Thou shalt remember” Elder Brewster’s “Scooby Manor” where the Pilgrims met in secret. King James vowed: “They will conform or I will harry them out of the land.”

16. “Thou shalt remember” William Bradford writes: “But after these things they could not continue in any peaceable condition, but were hunted and persecuted on every side, …. For some were taken and clapped up in prison, others had their houses beset and watched night and day, and hardly escaped their hands; and the most were (forced) to flee and leave their houses and habitations, and the means of their livelihood.”

17. “Thou shalt remember” • 2) After years of persecution they vote to flee to Holland. • 1607 paid an English captain to smuggle them to Holland. • They were betrayed and lost their money and supplies. • 1608 they hired a Dutch ship to take them, but the men and women traveled to the pick up site separately to avoid suspicion. • The ship began to pick up the men, but soldiers attacked before they finished, so the ship left, • leaving many men and all the women and children behind. Families were separated for months of uncertainty.

18. Bradford wrote that: “… by these so public troubles in so many eminent places their cause became famous and occasioned many to look into …their godly carriage and Christian behavior was such as left a deep impression… And though some few shrunk at these first conflicts and sharp beginnings (as it was no marvel) yet many more came on with fresh courage and greatly animated others. And in the end, notwithstanding all these storms of opposition, they all get over at length” (about 125)

19. “Thou shalt remember” The Price & Path of Freedom: Expensive/Difficult. 3) After 12 years in Holland, the church voted to immigrate. 4) Their trip was financed by a group of London investors (Thomas Weston) in exchanged for produce from America. a) They agreed to work for 7 years to repay their voyage expenses. (Later changed it to 20 years) b) The day of their departure Weston showed up with a new contract requiring them to work 7 days a week and basically turning them into slaves.

20. “Thou shalt remember” The Price & Path of Freedom: Expensive/Difficult. c) Brewster refused to sign so Weston refused to pay the remaining fare. d) They ended up selling some of their supplies to fund the rest of the trip. 5) The “Company” had hired two ships (Mayflower and Speedwell) to sail to America (Virginia Company) a) After leaving England (Aug 5th) , the Speedwell leaked. b) After several failed attempts at repair, they had to “cram” into the Mayflower, delaying their journey.

21. “Thou shalt remember” The Price & Path of Freedom: Expensive/Difficult. 6) There wasn’t enough room for the passengers from both ships so Pastor Robinson stayed behind with some while William Brewster took the others to America. (Families were separated!!!) 7) They finally left on Sept 16, 1620, with 102 passengers. (50 men, 19 women {3 were pregnant} 14 teens, and 19 kids.) a) About half of the adults were pilgrim separatist. The others were known as “adventurers”.

22. “Thou shalt remember” The Price & Path of Freedom: Expensive/Difficult. b) These 102 “passengers” spent the 7 week passage in the lower cargo hold enduring violent storms. ship dimensions: 90’ x 25’ 1200 ft2 total living area!

23. “Thou shalt remember” The Price & Path of Freedom: Expensive/Difficult. 8) For 2 months, they braved the storm-tossed Atlantic but were blown off course, arriving in Mass. Bay, (instead of Virginia) on Nov. 11, 1620! All Attempts to sail South to Virginia were thwarted by bad weather and contrary currents!

24. “Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees & blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast & furious ocean, and delivered them from all ye perils & miseries, But hear I cannot but stay and stand half amazed at this poor peoples present condition; Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation, they had now no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies, no houses or much less towns to repair too, to seek for succor. What could sustain them but the Spirit of God & His grace?” (Of Plymouth Plantation)

25. The Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620 “In the name of God, Amen…We whose names are under-written, …Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith…a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politic…” “Thou shalt remember”

26. “The Rest of the Story” • 1) They spent the first winter living on the ship. • Found deserted Indian village with supplies of corn for planting the next Spring. • 3) Over half of the passengers died that first winter. • William Bradford’s wife died first! • 4) Winter 1620 Squanto met them late winter • and taught them how to plant corn and find shell- fish. • Bradford described Squanto as: “A special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation.”

27. “The Rest of the Story” 5) Spring 1621 Mayflower returned to England. Not 1 pilgrim returned to England with them! 6) Spring of 1623 brought a 3 month drought. 7) Summer 1623 two more ships arrived with "treasure hunters" from “the Company” but no food or supplies. Bradford Proclaimed day of prayer (July 30th) and after 9 hours of praying it began to rain and crops were saved. 9) The same day another ship arrived with some of their family members and fresh supplies! It turned into a day of Thanksgiving!

28. “The Rest of the Story” That Fall, 1623: Gov. Bradford declared a 3 day feast. "Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest …, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.”

29. “The Rest of the Story” That Fall, 1623: Gov. Bradford declared a 3 day feast. Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three…, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.“

30. This pattern was repeated. 1631 crops were so bad they had to live on acorns. During the winter when these were also scarce they had only 5 kernels of corn per person each day. Bradford appointed another day of fasting and prayer! On that day, (Feb. 22) the ship "LYON" came filled with food. The day of Fasting became a day of feasting! Before they began their Thanksgiving feast, they placed five kernels of on their plates, “lest they should forget.” (Deut. 8:11-19)

31. Conclusion • Tragically, Israel failed to “celebrate” the feast of Tabernacles as God commanded. • Within a few generations, they stopped living in “booths” and soon lost the wonder of what God had done for them. • Dt 8:10-11,14 “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. • Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God… • Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land … of bondage…” Are we any different?

32. Application Our natural tendency is to compromise God’s Word and Ways and return to a “comfortable” bondage. Like Ancient Israel, the Pilgrim’s children eventually “forgot” their roots and were “absorbed” by the Mass. Bay Colony. October 7, 1691 Eventually they (the once persecuted) became the “persecutors” of non conformists.

33. The first “Pilgrim” scriptural reference is in Heb. 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” The Last is in 1 Peter 2:11,12 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul”

34. “Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many...” William Bradford “Of Plymouth Plantation” Thanksgiving The Uniquely American Holiday “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see… and glorify your Father” Mt. 5:16