America's Providential History Podcast explores why we celebrate Thanksgiving
>> Stephen McDowell: Welcome to America's Providential History Podcast, where we talk about the real story of America and explore the hand of God in our history. Now, here's your host, Stephen McDowell. Hello. Glad you're joining us for this edition of America's Providential History Podcast. Today we will be exploring why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a unique holiday observed in the United States of America. The fourth Thursday of, November, we celebrate this holiday. now, innumerable blessings have been bestowed upon the United States of America throughout our history. And concerning these blessings, President Lincoln wrote, no human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the most high God. Then President Lincoln went on to set apart the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And ever since, we as a nation have observed this day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. Now, while President Lincoln established America's official Thanksgiving holiday in 1863, it was the pilgrims who first celebrated a day of thanksgiving in this land in 1621, and who set an example that many followed in the succeeding years. Now, in the past three America's Providential History podcasts, we have taken a look at the pilgrim story in the words of Governor William Bradford, served as their governor for 33 years. And we were introduced to these, fathers of our republic, if you will, into their great Christian character and their willingness to follow God, do his will, whatever he called them to do. And because of their great sacrifice, we, have a nation today, and we certainly see their example in giving thanks to God throughout the whole course of their life and everything that they did.
Sam Bradford writes about the Pilgrims' first winter in New England
Now, as the pilgrims gathered their harvest in the autumn of 1621, and they looked back over the preceding year, they had so much for which to be thankful that they decided to set aside a day of thanksgiving unto God, whom they acknowledged as the giver of all blessings and the only reason for their survival. As we looked at in the past three podcasts, if you didn't listen to those, I encourage you to go back to listen to them. It was indeed a miracle that they did survive their first year in the wilderness in NewSong England and had any kind of harvest at all. Desire for a home where they could freely worship God and the desire to propagate the gospel of the kingdom of Christ, as Bradford would write, and be stepping stones for others to do the same, motivated a band of Christians they were later called Pilgrims, to set out on a hazardous voyage to Plan a colony in the new world of America. And as we explored in great detail, after 66 perilous days at sea, where the storms were so great that they were blown unknowingly hundreds of miles north of their intended destination, they reached Cape Cod. Now, the captain attempted to sail south to Virginia. That was where the charter that they carried with them gave them the authority to start a colony. But the weather forced them to settle in NewSong England. He couldn't sail south, so he said, you're going to be getting out right here. So they looked around about a month, looking for the best spot possible in the area to start a settlement. And they later learned that the site that they chose for a settlement, we know as Plymouth today, had been the home of the Patuxent Indians. Had they arrived there just a few years earlier, they'd have had no place for them to settle. But a plague had mysteriously wiped out the patuxent tribe in 1617, and no other tribe would settle in the area for fear of the same thing occurring to them. And so, as we examined previously, winter had already set in. As they started to build houses to protect themselves from the unrelenting cold, Scurvy and other diseases began to infect the settlers. Due to the long voyage, lack of provisions, and unaccommodating conditions, people began to die so rapidly that in two or three months time, only half of the original 102 persons remained. Now, while this was quite a tragedy, they still fared much better than the early settlers of Jamestown, who saw nine out of 10 persons die in the first years of their colonization. Bradford describes how during the first dark winter in America, the Christian character, the pilgrim, shone brightly. We read this in a previous podcast, but I want to remind you of the great difficulties and sacrifice these people went through that first winter. So Bradford writes. But that which was most sad and lamentable was that in two or three months time half of their company died, especially in January and February, being the depth of the winter, and wanting houses and other comforts, being infected with the scurvy and other diseases which this long voyage in their inaccumbent condition had brought upon them. So as there died sometimes two or three of a day in the foresaid time, that of one hundred and odd persons, scarce fifty remained. And of these, in the time of most distress, there was but six or seven sound persons, who, to their great commendations, be it spoken, spared no pains night nor day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed Them meat made, their beds washed, their loathsome clothes clothed and unclothed them, in a word, did all the homely and necessary offices for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear named. And all this willingly and cheerfully, without any grudging in the least, showing herein their true love unto their friends and brethren. A rare example and worthy to be remembered. So, though half their number survived, the prospects of the coming year look very bleak. They were surrounded by Indians, some hostile. They were short of food and supplies, and they knew little of how to survive in the American wilderness. But to their astonishment, God sent a special instrument to help them. Now we read this before, too. But to set the stage of this first Thanksgiving that we remember and celebrate each year, I want to again read you from Bradford how he records God's miraculous supply and provision for them, how he sent a special instrument. So Bradford writes. But about 16 March, a certain Indian came boldly amongst them and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but marvelled at it. His name was Samoset. He told them also of another Indian whose name was Squanto, a native of this place who had been in England and could speak better English than himself, being, after some time of entertainment and gifts, dismissed. A little while after, he came again and five more with him, and made way for the coming of their great sachem called Massasoit, who about four or five days after came with the aforesaid Squanto, with whom, after friendly entertainment and some gifts given him, they made a peace with him, which hath now continued this 24 years. So they made a peace treaty, with the Indians, and Bradford mentions how it lasted these 24 years. Now, this is. That's because that's when Bradford was writing this history. But actually this peace treaty lasted, 50 years. And this is a marvelous thing here. It was. Remember, these Pilgrims are a group of farmers mostly. They learn some other trades when they lived in exile in Holland for about 12 years. But they were able to come up with a, treaty that they entered into with the Indians that lasted 50 years where there was peace between, these tribes. And that's the same way that these Pilgrims could drop the Mayflower Compact, that governmental combat based upon Christian self government and Christian liberty. A unique idea regarding, governance and American polity. The same reason they could do that enabled them to come draw up a peace treaty as well. And that's because they had learned how to reason from the Bible to all of life, to all spheres of life. They were taught not only their relationship personally with Lord and theological issues, but they are taught to reason from their pastor John Robinson and others. What does the scripture say regarding other matters of life, civil government, and entering into treaties with various individuals. And so they, drew up this very important civil document. Now, there are some, specific provisions in this treaty. One, this treaty states that they would not harm one another, that if either did injure one another, they would send that one to the other party for the appropriate punishment. And this actually did happen various times in the years that followed. And another, that no, provision, no property would be taken, and if so, proper restitution would be made. Three, and if either party were attacked by others, they would come to each other's aid. And four, that when they visited one another, they would leave their weapons behind. So those are some of the specific aspects of this treaty they drew up, which lasted over 50 years and would serve as a great example, for, for us today as well. And most importantly, one important lesson to learn from this is we need to learn how to reason from the Bible to specific things that we face as not just personal problem, but as our society, our nation, things that our nation dealing with economic matters and governmental matters, political matters and moral issues, and so many other things. The Scripture gives us principles that, if we would apply, would produce great fruit. And so they then, as Bradford writes, they made a peace with the Indians. Now, Squanso took the Pilgrims under his care and taught them how to survive in the new land. He showed them how to plant corn, assuring its growth by setting it with fish. He taught them how to catch fish and the times when they could find creeks stocked with fish because the Pilgrims had only caught one cod in the proceedings four months. He taught them to stalk deer, plant pumpkins, find berries, and catch beaver, whose pelts, by the way, proved to be their economic deliverance and enable them to pay back the loans to the businessmen that financed their adventure. Now, Squanta was also helpful in securing a peace treaty between the Indians and surrounding Indian tribes, as I mentioned, which lasted 50 years. And in the words of William Bradford, Squanto was a special instrument sent of God for their good, beyond their expectation.
The Thanksgiving tradition dates back to the Pilgrims in 1605
We mentioned in previous podcasts how his life story is amazing in itself. Certainly you can see the hand of Providence upon Squanto's life to prepare him to fulfill his unique, mission of, preserving these Christian settlers there in Plymouth, Massachusetts. See, in the year 1605, Squanto, who was a member of the Patuxent Indian tribe. Now, that's the tribe that lived at the very spot where the Pilgrims ended up settling and starting the village city town of plymouth. So in 1605, Squanto was captured by an English explorer and taken to England. He remained there nine years, during which time he learned to speak English. In 1614, Captain John Smith took him back to NewSong England. But shortly after this, he was again taken captive and sold into slavery at a port in Spain. Well, providentially, some local friars bought him and rescued him from slavery. Well, from Spain, he eventually went back to England, where he remained until 1619, when he obtained passage back to his home in NewSong England. As Squanto went ashore what was to become Plymouth, he found his entire tribe had been killed by a plague. He was the only survivor of the Patuxent tribe. Well, he joined himself to a, nearby tribe, remaining there until the spring of 1621, when he joined himself with the Pilgrims, determining to see them survive at the place where his tribe had not. So thanks to God, his instrument, Squanto, and the character and determination of the Pilgrims, half of them had survived an unimaginably difficult first year. Moreover, they harvested a sufficient food supply for their second winter at Plymouth. Now, even though there is no surplus food, things look much better than the preceding winter. So Governor Bradford then appointed a day of thanksgiving and invited the nearby Wampanoag Indians. This was Squanto's adopted tribe, where Massasoit was the chief, to come and celebrate and give thanks unto them and unto their God with them. So Chief Massasoit and 90 of his men came and feasted with the Pilgrims. They ate deer, turkey, fish, lobsters, eels, vegetables, corn, bread, herbs, berries, pies. The Indians even taught the Pilgrims how to make popcorn. Pilgrims and Indians also competed in running, wrestling and shooting games. Massasoit enjoyed himself so much, he and his men stayed for three days. And so this is what we look back to and remember, as the first Thanksgiving. And we can see where the American tradition of feasting at Thanksgiving began. Because they feasted, they enjoyed sport and game. While many people today follow the Pilgrim's example of feasting at Thanksgiving, they too often. Too often we ignore the entire reason that the Pilgrims set aside a special day. The reason they set aside was to give thanks to Almighty God and to acknowledge their other dependence upon him for their existence. So while many today take ease in having plenty, never seeing a need to cry out to God, the Pilgrims relied upon God in their lack of. They thanked him in their abundance. Their trust was in God and not in their abundant provisions. And this certainly was seen more fully in the two years following their first, Thanksgiving. And so our tradition of having a Thanksgiving celebration, Thanksgiving holiday, we trace back to the Pilgrims. Now, the Pilgrims had observed days of prayer and thanksgiving before, as had many other of God's people in England. They had days of prayer and fasting, days of thanksgiving. Observed them in England, The Pilgrims observed them in Holland, they observed them on the ship. Many others observed these, as well. In fact, even in America in the colonies, there was a observance of a day of thanksgiving in Berkeley Plantation in Virginia in 1619. there was even a prior day of thanksgiving observed on these shores in the original colonies before the Pilgrims. But it's the Pilgrims, whom we look back to in tradition to remember and remember their story and all that they went through and the difficulty they had and how they celebrated this, giving thanks to God, but inviting the Indians who had helped them survive as well, to be a part of this, so that they could testify to them of the goodness of the God that they served. And to. Yes, they were thankful for the Indians and for their help, but the greatest Thanksgiving that they were giving was to God himself. Some modern revisionist textbooks used in some of our government schools. That's how they relate. Well, the Pilgrims had a Thanksgiving to give thanks to the Indians for helping them survive. Well, that's partly true, but it's certainly not the whole truth, because giving thanks to God Almighty was the primary motive for their whole life and existence. Just go back and listen to the previous three, podcasts that we've done to help show you the heart of these people who we call the parents of our Republic. Well, shortly after their Thanksgiving celebration there in the fall of 1621, 35 new people unexpectedly arrived who planned to remain and live at Plymouth. Now, these were family and friends who had come over to join them, and so they were certainly glad and excited to see them. It brought much rejoicing. But when they found out they had no provisions, it also brought them a great soberness. Now, they had a supply, a nice supply in the harvest, but that supply was based upon the number of people who were living there at the time. And with 35 new settlers, you almost doubled the population. So they began to think about, oh, how are we going to survive this next year until the next crop comes in? But their reliance was upon God, so they gladly shared their food, their clothing, and their homes with the new additions. Their food, even at half allowance for each person, would last six months. At the most, well, their provisions had almost completely run out when they spied a boat in May of, 1622, they hoped the English company who had sponsored their colonizing Plymouth, it sent provisions. However, this boat not only did not bring any food, nor the hope of any, but seven more hungry people to stay in Plymouth. In their extreme hunger, as in times of plenty, they put their complete trust in God to provide. Well, no one starved to death yet, ah, it would be over a year before famine was completely removed from their midst. M During that time, there were many days where they, quoting Bradford, had need to pray that God would give them their daily bread above all people in the world. That spring and summer of 1622, God miraculously fed them, even as the ravens fed Elijah in the wilderness he provided because the Pilgrims had determined to walk in the way of their Lord Jesus. This was most evident in early summer when 60 lusty men, that's the word Bradford used to describe them, came to them for help. Even though these men showed no gratitude, the Pilgrims still gladly took care of them, for many were sick. They gave them housing, shared their meager provisions, and this they did for almost the entire summer until the men left. Well, like the year before, the harvest of 1622 proved insufficient to meet the Pilgrims needs. Outside help appeared doubtful. So the Pilgrims considered, how could they produce a larger harvest? Well, through God's wisdom, they chose to replace the collective farming they had practiced the two previous years. And that economic system was actually imposed upon them by their sponsoring company, the company. See, the Pilgrims, when they came to the NewSong World, didn't have enough money on their own to finance their voyage, their voyage and settlement. So they had to get business backers, to back them. And part of the provision initially sent in was, you're going to pay back the debt, you'll farm the land in common, and then you'll each get what you to meet your basic needs and whatever's left over, you can pay back the debt that you owe us. So that was a collective farming, or socialism. It's really what it was. Farming the land in common, as Marx put it. to each according to his need, from each according to his ability. this is the type of system imposed upon them, but under emergency provisions in the charter, that is, they were going to die, they were going to starve to death, and they had to come up with a new way. Well, they put aside this collective farm and, and they embraced, individual farming or the individual enterprise system where they assigned every family a parcel of land. The scripture tells us that we ought to benefit from the fruit of our labor. This is a basic part of, individual enterprise, a free market, or you could call it biblical capitalism, that benefiting from the fruit of your labor motivates people to work. Because if you profit from your labor, the harder you work, the more you profit. It's going to encourage you to be more productive. This is why biblical, capitalism or free enterprise system. Individual enterprise system is biblical. It's based upon, how God created man. And so they embraced individual enterprise, where every family was assigned a parcel of land and said, whatever you produce on this land, that's going to be, yours. William Bradford wrote, this had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious. So as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the governor or any other could use, and gave far better content. the women now went willingly into the field and took their little ones with them to set corn, which before would allege weakness and inability, whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression. And so here it was a great demonstration of how God created man, the nature of man to inspire productivity by, enabling him to benefit from the fruit of his labor. Here it was. These were Christian individuals who we've seen already their great Christian character in the service they gave to one another and how they laid down their lives for one another.
The pilgrims learned the hard way that communism does not work even among covenant community
But nonetheless, the prophet motive that recognizing, I don't want to starve this next winter, so if, if I can get all that I. I can produce, I'm going to go out. And it made all hands very industrious. And so as they were freed from economic communism and entered into individual enterprise, abundance began to come upon these people. In fact, they planted six times more crops. Well, the pilgrims learned the hard way that communism does not work even among a covenant community. Bradford wrote that the experience that was had in this common course and condition tried sundry years, and that amongst godly and sober men may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato's and other ancients applauded by some of latter times that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing as if they were wiser than God. See, he's pointing out communism doesn't work. Socialism doesn't work. It's been tried since the fall of man from Babel onward, and it does not work because it's contrary to the nature of how he created man. He pointed out how Plato and some of the ancients proposed such ideas. They didn't work then. They weren't working among the pilgrims. In the more recent history since the pilgrims, the ideas of Karl Marx, Lenin and Stalin and others don't work. Or even as they are tried today in Venezuela, North Korea and Cuba, they do not work, and they never will work. And so the pilgrims hard work resulting from them being able to directly benefit from the fruit of their labor caused them to plant about six times more crops than the previous year.
We need God's help and blessing to prosper in economic affairs
Now, while labor certainly increases our prosperity, there are other factors that are necessary also for us to prosper. God wanted the pilgrims to never forget that it is the Lord that gives men the power to get substance or wealth. Prosperity is God's blessings on our work, our thrift, our foresight. We need God's bl. We need to work hard, and we can benefit from the fruit of our labor. Our economic systems should incorporate that. We need to be thrifty and save and invest in capital investments and other things. We need to need God's wisdom and understanding of how to make wise choices regarding economic affairs. But still, in all of this, we still need God's blessings. And the Pilgrims learned this lesson, very well. They had great hopes for a large crop, because, look, we planted six times more than we had before. And so, they anticipated a much larger harvest. Yet, as Bradford wrote, the Lord seemed to blast and take away the same and to threaten further and more sore famine unto them by a great drought which continued from the third week of May till about the middle of July without any rain, with a great heat for the most part, in so much as the corn began to wither away, here it was. They embraced biblical ideas of, of property and individual enterprise. They. They labored real hard, planted a lot of crops, but they still recognize we need God's help and blessing. Because there was no rain for almost two months. What do you think the Pilgrims did in response to this? Bradford writes, they set apart a solemn day of humiliation to seek the Lord by humble and fervent prayer in this great distress. And he was pleased to give them a gracious and speedy answer both to their own and the Indians admiration that lived amongst them for all the morning and greater part of the day. It was dear weather and very hot, clear weather and very hot, and not a, cloud or any sign of rain to be seen. Yet toward evening it began to overcast and shortly after to rain with such sweet and gentle showers as gave them cause of rejoicing and blessing God. It came without either Wind or thunder or. Or any violence, and by degrees in that abundance as that the earth was thoroughly wet and soaked therewith, which did so apparently revive and quicken the decayed corn and other fruits, as was wonderful to see and made the Indians astonished to behold. So here it was, almost two months of drought. They had great concern. We're going to have no crop. They thought, they're going to have six times as much. But with this drought, there was concern they're going to lose it all. So they reflected their Christian faith. They set aside a day of fasting and prayer. They cried out to God. Now, that morning, everything was clear, hot, just like it had been. No sign of rain. Yet as the evening approached, gradually became overcast. And then it began to rain. Not heavily, not with a thunderstorm, but sweet and gentle showers such the crops wouldn't be beaten down, but revived. Now, the Indians were, impacted by this drought as well, and they were aware. They watched what the Pilgrims were doing. One Indian named Habamook, who witnessed this event, said to a pilgrim, after seeing their day of prayer and fasting, seeing the rain come, a gentle shower. He said to a pilgrim, now I see that the Englishman's God is a good God, for he hath heard you and sent you rain. And that without storms and tempests and thunder, which usually we have with our rain, which breaks down our corn, but yours stands whole and good still. Surely your God is a good God. Surely the answer to their prayer, their day of prayer and fasting, was God sending this rain that not only revived their crops, but was a testimony to the Indians of the good God that they served. As Hobammac said, your God is a good God. Well, the harvest of 1623 brought plenty to each person, with the more industrious having excess to sell to others. And from the time they started a biblical economic system, from that time, no famine or general want ever again existed among them. In fact, really, we've never even had a, widespread famine in America from that very time because of God's blessing upon our nation. And that we have attempted to apply his principles in how we govern our nation, our economic policies, ideas of labor and work and so many other things. That autumn of 1623, the Pilgrims again set apart a day of thanksgiving unto God. They had much to give thanks for and knew whom to acknowledge. So each year when we celebrate Thanksgiving, we just celebrated it, last week. But every year when we celebrate, it's. Let us remember the heritage of that day and why the Pilgrims as well as President Lincoln set aside a day of thanksgiving. In the words of President Lincoln, proclaiming the second National Thanksgiving Day, he said, this is a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent creator and ruler of the universe. So let us, with every Thanksgiving, give thanks to the God who mercifully watched over the founding of this nation and birthed it as a land of liberty, a land where people have found refuge, a land that has been a light and a testimony to the nations of the world. Let us remember this. Let us give, thanks to God and work so that everybody understands what has made America the most free and prosperous nation in history. And this true history that we've been looking at in the last four podcasts of our pilgrim forefathers certainly helps to make that story clear. So share this with your friends, let others see. Listen to the podcast, you can get our book America's Providential History. Read about the Pilgrims. You can get our new in God We Trust tour guide, volume two, America's Beginnings that deal with the Plymouth Plantation and M Boston and areas, around that we fill in and tell this story about the Pilgrims even in greater detail than in our book America's Providential, history. But share this story because as we share true history, true history is history that acknowledges the hand of God. America's Providential history. History. Providential history is true history because if God is left out, you have no true history at all, because history is his story. So share this story because that will help people to recognize there is a living God who governs in the affairs of men. He was central in the foundation of this nation of the United States because he wants it to be an example, a light to the nation nations, and an instrument by which his kingdom can advance all over the world. Well, I invite you to Visit our website, providencefoundation.com look up some of our books as I've mentioned America's Providential History and God We Trust Tour Guide Volume 2, America's Beginnings and many others. We have articles, we have an article on why we celebrate Thanksgiving, other things as well that will help, you to learn this marvelous story and share it with others. Well, hope you can join us next time as we carry on taking a look at America's providential history. God bless.
