What do Thanksgiving and Bible Translation have in common? Part 2
- Stephen & Madison Dillard
- Nov 18, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 22, 2019
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we tried to think of some of the ways Thanksgiving and Bible Translation are similar. We decided to focus on the aspects of community, feasting, and thankfulness.
Feasting
I don’t know about you, but I love a good feast.
The Thanksgiving holiday is known for feasting. It is a time for friends and family to gather together, while sharing a meal that is made up of unique dishes from various kitchens. Some are savory and some are sweet, some are warm and some are cold.
This special meal is rarely the “Thursday night usual” – cereal for dinner with a side of PBJ. No, this is full-course. We feast at Thanksgiving.
But there is more to be said of feasting than the food and its yummy flavor. There is also the warmth of being surrounded by people who know and love you. People you also know and love.
When we gather around the Thanksgiving table, we have a tangible demonstration of friendship, closeness, joy and thankfulness.
We have heard stories of tribes of people who, when they began to translate the Bible into their own language for the first time, skipped meals to complete it as fast as possible. They equated the reading of God’s Word to feasting.
That is because reading Scripture is like feasting. It brings both sustenance and joy. It sustains us by teaching us to hope in God – in his justice, goodness and compassion. It gives us the joy of knowing the God who created us, knows us and loves us.
The Psalmist talks about “the decrees of the LORD” being “sweeter than honey.”
Think about how sweet it is to be nourished by Scripture. While we often take it for granted (having had access to it our entire lives), the Bible is no less powerful in its ability to stir our hearts.
Then imagine how positively overwhelming it must feel to hear God’s words after having lived a lifetime without them.
The prophet Jeremiah felt abandoned and filled with grief, but then declares,
“When I discovered your words, I devoured them.
They are my joy and my heart's delight.”
“The LORD of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world” (Isaiah 25:6).
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