What's Your Ebenezer?

"And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us." 1 Samuel 7:11-12

There's a peculiar line in the classic hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" that many of us probably never even realized was there. It's in the second stanza, and it says, "Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I've come; And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home."

In 1 Samuel 7:12, we are told that Samuel set up a memorial stone and called it Ebenezer, saying, "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us." That stone was a reminder to the Israelites of God's faithfulness and might. It was set up so that no matter what situation they were in, they would be able to think back to their defeat of the Philistines in which God was faithful to deliver them.

This practice of setting up stones or making an altar was common among the Israelite people, starting with Jacob (whose name was later changed to Israel), when he had the dream about the ladder reaching up to heaven. "And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it" (Gen. 28:18). And when the children of Israel later crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land, God commanded them to take out twelve stones from the midst of the river, "that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever" (Josh. 4:6-7).

What reminders do you have of God's faithfulness in your life? It may be a picture, a song, a quote, a powerful verse from the Bible that really spoke to your heart during a difficult time. Whatever it is, keep it at hand so that when you are discouraged, facing temptation, struggling against sin, disappointed, or doubting, you can not only use it to recall how God has blessed and helped you, but you can also lean on it and look forward with hope to His future faithfulness and deliverance. And just as important, make it visible to others and share the meaning of it with your children, your friends, and whoever sees it and asks you about it. God is glorified by the Ebenezers we set up in our life.

Perhaps the greatest "Ebenezer" for Christians is found in the cross of Calvary. This object symbolizes the greatest help that the Lord God provided for us, as His sinful creation. It stands as the ultimate Ebenezer for all mankind to see and be reminded of the love of God in sending His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins. There was no other way for us to attain salvation - not by our works, our power, our "good" deeds or our fulfilling of the law. The rest of the second verse of "Come Thou Fount" says, "Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand'ring from the fold of God; He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood."

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Copyright © 2021, Mark Varga, All rights reserved.