What is the sacrifice of thanksgiving in Psalm 116:17?

Therefore, the godly remnant of Israel realizes her place of complete servitude to the Lord, not as under a legal commandment, but as having been totally loosed from bondage (v. 16), therefore free to serve in the liberty of love. Their sacrifice is therefore no longer of legal bondage, but of voluntary thanksgiving, as they call upon the name of the Lord.

(vv. 16-19) He now delights to own that he is the willing servant of the One who has set him free. In the presence of all His people in the courts of the Lord, in the midst of Jerusalem, he will pay his vows, and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Thus, the Lord secures a loving and praising people to fill the courts of His house.

Psalm 116 celebrates this deliverance when they were at the very point of death. Jehovah had heard them, and they would walk before the Lord in the land of the living. In this view it is a continual recital of the gracious mercy of Jehovah: they were brought low and He helped them. It drew out their love to Him. Such was Jehovah's character. He preserves the simple. The soul so sorely tried could return to its rest. The death of His saints was precious in His sight; and now, before all His people, in the courts of Jehovah's house, in the midst of Jerusalem, he would pay the vows made in his distress when he called on Jehovah. He would offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. The quotation of the apostle shows how these psalms can be used as containing holy principles of life for every saint. In spite of suffering and trial, trust in Jehovah opened the mouth of the believer. The passage does not apply to Paul, nor did he say in his haste that all men were liars, though there be something like it in "all seek their own;" but the general and important principle the apostle can adopt. The word, translated "haste," is not haste in the sense of moral defect, hastiness, but in distress — rather sudden distress or alarm from the pressure of circumstances, and hence hasting away.

What then could he do for One who needs no help from His creatures (see Ps. 50:12), and for whom "all the forests of Lebanon are not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering?" (Isa. 40:16.) How could he recompense Him? There could be but one way — to receive the cup of salvation and call on the name of Jehovah. He could not add one ray to God's glory. He was to receive from Him and so glorify Him. What a position is this to be placed in! He had said in verse 4, he would call on His name for salvation. When saved, he will not forget Him. "My vows will I pay to Jehovah now in the presence of all his people." Worship comes in when deliverance is completed. As delivered, and because delivered, not to be delivered, does he worship. Publicly saved, he will publicly own it. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." He learns this by being kept alive on the earth; for it is of saints kept alive, not of saints who die, that this verse speaks, as the context shows. Revelation 14:13 will afford comfort for those who die during the tribulation. Here it is one preserved alive who speaks. We have something analogous to this in Psalm 72:14. "He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight." God will not allow it to be shed. So here he looks to be preserved from death. And hence he prays, "O Jehovah, I beseech thee. I am thy servant, I am thy servant, the son of thine handmaid. Thou hast loosed my bonds." All will be accomplished, and he will stand before Jehovah in the courts of His house at Jerusalem. The heathen might, as they surely will, destroy the temple, and besiege Jerusalem; but the courts of the Lord's house shall again resound with the voice of joy and praise proceeding from a ransomed people. For the king shall build the temple of the Lord, as Solomon did in his day (Zech. 6:13), and Jerusalem be publicly owned as the city where Jehovah is (Ezek. 48:35) — a full answer to the taunt of the heathen, which elicited from the godly remnant, that "He was in heaven."

Faith grew bolder; now Jonah could say that he would yet sacrifice to Jehovah with the voice of thanksgiving. How could he possibly have hoped for this while he was still in the belly of the fish? Only by faith. This sacrifice of thanksgiving is the "peace offering," though it is also called the "thanksgiving offering." It was a voluntary offering of a sweet savor to Jehovah. We read of it in Leviticus 3, and 7:11-21 and 28-36, where in 7:12, we find it is called "the sacrifice of thanksgiving." It is a peculiarly beautiful aspect of the sacrifice of Christ. We find that in this sacrifice, God had first His own special share. The priest that offered it had his own share. Aaron had his own share, and there was a share for Aaron's sons, and the man who offered the sacrifice also had his share. When we offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, not only does God Himself find sweetness and fragrance in it, having a special portion in it for Himself; but Christ as the High Priest, and Christ as the One who offered Himself, has a portion in that sacrifice also. The family of Aaron, the saints of God down here — they get a portion, too; and the one who has offered the sacrifice of thanksgiving also has a portion in that sacrifice. May we each one be found much more often offering the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving!

Delivered from his enemies, the godly man will, with a willing heart, bring his sacrifice to Jehovah. His sacrifice would no more be the carrying out of legal obligation, or mere compliance with an outward form, but would be the expression of a grateful heart that recognizes how good is the Name of Jehovah. The psalmist can say that God has answered his prayer, and has acted according to His Name in delivering him out of all trouble, and giving him to see the overthrow of his enemies.

There are three reasons given for the presentation of this offering, "a thanksgiving" — verse 12; "a vow," and "a voluntary offering" — verse 16. In each case it would spring from some appreciation of what God is to us through Christ. The word "peace" may be translated "prosperity," and this no doubt gives the true character of this offering. It is a spontaneous movement of affection towards God, born of an increased appreciation of all the blessing into which we have been brought. As meditating upon what has been secured for the glory of God and our blessing, we cannot refrain from opening our lips, and as in the enjoyment of spiritual "prosperity," give back to God in a response of praise, thanksgiving and worship, our appreciation of it all. This is the character of "thanksgiving," perhaps the most simple of the three presentations we have mentioned, and one which is within the reach of each of God's people.

Now there are three ways in which the peace offering can be offered, firstly, in verse 12, as a thanksgiving; then in verse 16, as accompanying a vow; or thirdly as a voluntary offering. The first is very simple, a thanksgiving. It would spring spontaneously from an appreciation in one's heart of the blessings of which God has brought us into. As we meditate a little concerning the greatness and glory of Christ, and the sphere of divine blessing we have been brought into as the fruit of what Christ has done, we cannot refrain at times from opening our lips as we thank God from the depths of our soul, both for the giving of His beloved Son, and for all His beloved Son has done for His glory and for our blessing. Thanksgiving is probably the simplest of all the reasons for offering a peace offering, springing spontaneously from the hearts of the saints of God in their deep appreciation of this wonderful blessing that God Himself has brought us into.

Further to that as we progress through the book of Psalms we arrive at psalms 116 and 118 where our Lord is presented as the spiritual counterpart of the peace or thanksgiving or prosperity offering of Leviticus 3. What is characteristic of this offering is the basis of communion of God and man in the satisfying of the righteous claims of a holy God by the sacrificial death of our Saviour at Calvary. So in psalm 118 we read, "bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar" (v.27), and in psalm 116, "I will offer to thee sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the Lord" (vv.17-19). The grand issue of the finished work of Christ at Calvary is set before us here in that wonderful burst of praise which says, "Hallelujah" or "Praise ye the Lord".

The closing section beautifully expresses in the number of it the triumph of His ways in bringing thus the heart of Israel back to Himself. We have, first of all, and as the foundation of all else, the spirit of obedience which is the fruit of His grace. They serve in liberty, in the constraining sense of His love who has loosed them from their bonds. They confess His Name with sacrifices of thanksgiving, and thus perform their vows. The circumstances are now added which assure us in what a scene the vision ends for us: "in the courts of Jehovah's house, in the midst of thee, Jerusalem." Jehovah has taken His place once more in the midst of His gathered people; and that is the sign which shows the day has now come for the earth; and for the "gathering of the peoples" so long foretold, at last to Shiloh. (Gen. 49:10.)