1 Samuel 7:1 – 17 “Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.
And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.
Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.
Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”
When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him. As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car. Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer (stone of help), saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites.
So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places. Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.”
Holiness is catching! As long as corrupt Eli was judging Israel, the Israelites were worshiping all kinds of gods. But when Samuel assumed the position of judge, things began to change. The ark remained in the house of Abinadab at Keriath – Jearim for twenty years with Abinadab’s son Eleazar guarding it. During that time, God began moving in the hearts of the Israelites, and they began longing for righteousness. When scripture tells us that the Israelites “mourned and sought after the Lord,” we need to fully appreciate what this means. For the Israelites, mourning was a formal process, often lasting months. Men and women would weep, they would refuse to eat flavorful food, and they would even wear clothing made of rough material and smear ashes on themselves as a sign of grief. The Israelites began praying and earnestly asking for God to move in their lives.
Once it was obvious that the Israelites really were serious about longing for revival, Samuel advised them to get rid of all their idols and to stop sacrificing to fetishes and to prepare their hearts so that the Lord could bless them. Amazingly, the Israelites obeyed! The Israelite society was sick, and the Israelites were sick and tired of being sick and tired. Samuel called the Israelites to a place called Mizpah, where they worshiped, fasted, confessed their sins, and offered sacrifices. Why did the Israelites pour water out on the ground? Water was a precious commodity and the Israelites wanted to make sure God knew that they were serious about their repentance. When the Israelites fasted, they not only abstained from food but also from drinking water, pouring it out as a drink offering instead.
The name “Mizpah” means “watchtower,” and the ancient site was a little north of Jerusalem on the loftiest hill in the vicinity. Mizpah was the place where Jacob and Laban set up a pile of stones as a symbol of their agreement. Now Samuel is worshiping and sacrificing at this holy place. When the Philistines realized that the Israelites had congregated at Mizpah, they thought attacking them would be easy. Wrong! The Philistines attacked just as Samuel was making the animal sacrifice and crying out to the Lord. The Lord answered Samuel in a voice of thunder, terrifying the Philistines, and encouraging the Israelites, who then thoroughly trounced the Philistines. In honor of this victory, Samuel erected a standing stone that he called “Ebenezer,” meaning “stone of help.” This victory was so overwhelming that the Israelites gained back the territory they had lost to the Philistines. For the rest of Samuel’s life, the Philistines stayed at home, leaving the Israelites alone. Evidently, the Amorites also got word of the way the Lord had moved and they too remained peaceful. While Samuel lived, the Israelites followed the Lord and the Lord kept His promises to them.
APPLICATION: Who or what is your Ebenezer? Have there been any times in your life when God has done something so magnificent, so incredible, that you can readily go back to that date? For some of us, it might be the day we got married. For others, it might be a day when God spared our lives.
One of our dateline Ebenezers is a certain date in the spring of 2019. It was a rainy afternoon in Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana, and my husband and our friend J.K. were driving up one of the main roads. Suddenly, a huge Benz cargo lorry from Burkina Faso crossed the center line, side – swiping our vehicle, turning it on its side, and sending it careening across a deep gutter on the opposite side of the road. Miraculously, neither my husband nor our friend was seriously injured, although the lorry was a total wreck. We attribute their survival to three things: they were going slowly, they both were wearing seatbelts, and God’s hand of mercy protected them.
Sometimes an Ebenezer might be a person whose influence has been so significant that your encounter with them has been life – changing. Your Ebenezer might be a father, a mother, a beloved teacher, a pastor, or even a co – worker.
Each of us has the potential to serve as an Ebenezer for others, many times without realizing it. We have a friend whom God delivered from drugs and alcohol. That friend credits our influence as playing an important part in her salvation, even though we ourselves were totally oblivious to any influence we might have had on her. May God empower each of us so that in the time of someone else’s need, we will be able to serve as their Ebenezer!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that others are watching and to be faithful to You in the little things that make up our daily lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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