Ebenezer: Stone of Help.
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the LORD. So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods...and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. So the Israelites put away all their Baals and Ashtoreths and served the LORD only. Then Samuel said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah and I will intercede with the LORD for you.”...When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them.
...Then Samuel took a sucking lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him...The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way...Then Samuel took a stone and set it up...He named it EBENEZER, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” I Samuel 7:1-12
...Then Samuel took a sucking lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel’s behalf, and the LORD answered him...The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way...Then Samuel took a stone and set it up...He named it EBENEZER, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” I Samuel 7:1-12
The compassion of God never ceases to amaze me! It does not matter how far we have strayed from Him; genuine repentance will always result in an outpouring of divine grace.
The Israelites were living in idolatry and God had allowed the Philistines to subdue and defeat them. Samuel asked for national repentance and the whole nation responded. The Israelites recommitted themselves and “served the LORD only.”
The result was that God heard the cry of a destitute nation and routed their enemies right before their eyes. Samuel set up a stone of remembrance and called it Ebenezer.
Ebenezer means: “Stone of Help.” In times of destitution, we call upon God for help. But I wonder how often we take time to set up Ebenezers to remind us of how far God has helped us!
Visual objects are great reminders of memorable times of divine intervention in our lives. Jacob set up a stone of remembrance at Bethel to remind him of the blessings of God and his vow to give a tithe of all his blessings back to God.
Ebenezers point us to the source of our help and provision:The Almighty God.
Ebenezers help to keep us continually grateful. Ebenezers keep us focused on God and not our own strength and abilities.
May God send you help in your time of need and may your life be marked with many Ebenezers.
The Israelites were living in idolatry and God had allowed the Philistines to subdue and defeat them. Samuel asked for national repentance and the whole nation responded. The Israelites recommitted themselves and “served the LORD only.”
The result was that God heard the cry of a destitute nation and routed their enemies right before their eyes. Samuel set up a stone of remembrance and called it Ebenezer.
Ebenezer means: “Stone of Help.” In times of destitution, we call upon God for help. But I wonder how often we take time to set up Ebenezers to remind us of how far God has helped us!
Visual objects are great reminders of memorable times of divine intervention in our lives. Jacob set up a stone of remembrance at Bethel to remind him of the blessings of God and his vow to give a tithe of all his blessings back to God.
Ebenezers point us to the source of our help and provision:The Almighty God.
Ebenezers help to keep us continually grateful. Ebenezers keep us focused on God and not our own strength and abilities.
May God send you help in your time of need and may your life be marked with many Ebenezers.
Prayer: Lord, please help me never to forget how far you have brought me. Help me to take time to set up Ebenezers to remind me that you are “my Stone of help.” Amen.