The Bible offers a wide range of teachings on leadership. One of the amazing teachings about leaders is how leaders approach thanksgiving before God. When leaders stand before God’s throne in thanksgiving, they go deeper, are more intimate, and are more appreciative of what God has done. The simple reason is that, unlike followers, leaders have a bigger picture and more details about the journey, circumstances, and developments, helping them understand and appreciate how only God could have brought them this far. Thus, what is involved in a leader’s “thank you” to God is often much more since they usually know more, see more, and are often under more pressure. This wonderful truth is traceable in the biblical book of Psalms.

The Book of Psalms

The Psalms have often been introduced as a collection of song lyrics, mostly written as responses to events in the authors’ lives. These songs were later used by the entire Israeli community in worship. Scholars often say that the collection of songs into a single book called the Psalms is dated to the post-exilic era (after the return from Babylon).

As the introductory note to the Book of Psalms in the New International Version (NIV) Bible found in the YouVersion Bible App offers, the Psalms are a five-part book, each part separated from the other by the phrase “Praise the Lord…Amen and Amen”. Books 1 (Ch. 1-41) and 2 (Ch. 42-72) are mostly from King David, Book 3 (Ch. 73-89) mostly highlights Israel’s exile, Book 4 (Ch. 90-106) prays that God should bring Israel’s exiles home, and Book Five (Ch. 107-150) declares that God has done that. So, at the end of it all, the Psalms tell of God’s faithfulness through His justice and restoration.

This five-part book thus tells the story of Israel’s redemption through three themes: Monarchy, Exile, and Return. The Book operates at two levels: an exploration of honest individual responses to God in diverse situations, and a communal telling, appreciation, and celebration of God’s work to redeem His people in history.

Book Five and Focus on Psalm 118

As the entirety of Part 5 of the Book of Psalms focuses on thanking and celebrating God for what He has done in redeeming His people throughout history, a section of it, Psalms 113-118, often called the Egyptian Hallel Psalms, praises God for delivering Israel from Egyptian slavery and especially thank God for the exodus to the Promised Land. Hallel is the Hebrew term for praise, and so these Psalms praise God for His mighty works over Egypt. These Egyptian Hallel Songs are often sung during the Passover festival (113-114 are sung before the meal is taken, and 115-118 sung after it), and they are recited in other major festivals of the Israelites as well. It is said that Jesus might have sung this hymn with His disciples at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:30).

Psalm 118 is particularly a concluding song of thanksgiving. It says to God: “This is how we end it all in thanksgiving for what You have done for us.” Some scholars say that Psalm 118 seems to have been written by a leader or a royal, probably King David (when enemy armies encircled him) or King Hezekiah (when Sennacherib of Assyria rose against him – 2 Kings 18 and 19). This is why this song is often called the Royal Thanksgiving Song. As such it comes from leadership’s appreciation of what God has done.

Thus, knowing the issues at stake better, the leader’s outpour of thanksgiving and praise in this particular song is deeper, very reflective, and revealing.

Some Selected Emphasis of Leaders’ Thanksgiving in Psalm 118

1. Vrs. 2-4: Leaders thank God for what He does for those under them – what God does in the lives of those they lead. (In these verses the leader thanks God for Israel, its priests and temple workers, and the righteous people in the land, calling them to respond in affirmation that God’s love endures forever).
2. Vrs. 5: Leaders thank God for His works of deliverance in their lives. Indeed, God delivers His leaders from many troubles, and every leader knows this very well! When they stand in prayer, therefore, they thank God for saving them out of troubles, problems, and challenges.
3. Vrs. 6-9, 13-14: Leaders thank God for His Presence that is with them – to help them, protect them, deliver them, strengthen them, and provide them a refuge to run to in times of trouble and insecurity.
4. Vrs. 10-12, 15-16: Leaders thank God for the victory He gives them. They know their victory is not from their strategic thinking and action deployments, but from the Lord (see verse 16).
5. Vrs. 21-23: They thank God for answering their prayers and empowering them for service. Indeed, leaders cry for help, and when they do, it is God Who hears them best! In times of trouble, many people desert their leaders. Some followers also only see leaders as providers. They always expect answers and resources from leaders, while remaining insensitive to moments of pain, lack, and rejection in leaders’ lives.  When frustrations arise from inadequacy to meet people’s high expectations, from looming threats, insufficient resources, and criticisms, or whatever the source, God is the present help for leaders in times of trouble, and He is there to answer their call for help (Jer. 33:3).

Thus, God’s leaders attribute all good things in their lives and around them to God, and they direct their thanksgiving to God in deeper and passionate ways.

Every leader must be encouraged: It is God who appoints leadership, and He is their present help. What to do is to call on Him, to obey Him, and to remember to bring Him the thanksgiving that is due Him!