Samuel 7 vs 10-12
(the message)
While Samuel was
offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just
then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the
Philistines. They panicked—mass confusion!—and ran helter-skelter from Israel.
Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left,
to a point just beyond Beth Car. Samuel took a single rock and set it upright
between Mizpah and Shen. He named it "Ebenezer" (Rock of Help),
saying, "This marks the place where God helped us."
What an important
declaration. ‘This marks the place where God has helped us!’ What a faith
builder to look back on our lives and see these points where ‘like a thunder
clap God stepped in.’
I have a book
where I have kept account of everything God did for me last year and there were
points where he really did step in like a thunder clap. How encouraging it is
to look back at what God has done and to build my faith up to believe that he
will continue to step in like a thunderclap when I need him.
I know it is
important to thank God for what he has done for us and to give him the praise
and the glory, when as a family we have prayers answered I always say to the
kids remember to thank God. I want it to be second nature to thank God and for
them not to go to him with a shopping list expecting everything, like they do
to their earthly father!
But I believe
this act of setting our Ebenezer stone is about much more than just thanking
God. It is a declaration in the face of the enemy!
Reading 1 Samuel
7 it seems that when it was all kicking off Samuel was offering the sacrifice
and crying out to God on Israel’s behalf.
Vs 8 They said to
Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that he may rescue
us from the hand of the Philistines.”
They were
panicking and they were scared...remind you of situations in your life? I know
it does me.
I picture Samuel
on his knees praying about the situation, offering the sacrificial lamb keeping
calm and crying out to God. Oh to be more like Samuel than the Israelite's!
It was whilst
Samuel was offering the lamb and crying out to God on Israel’s behalf that God
stepped in.
At the start of
the chapter we see Israel turning back to the Lord and doing away with their
false idols and deciding to only follow God.
Isn’t it true that when we come to God and when we say we need him and
only him and we ask for forgiveness that we see a change? When we come to the
altar and truly sacrifice ourselves, our dreams, hopes and our plans. When we
lay it all out before him and say God no longer can I do this on my own then
BANG he steps in! I know I have certainly found that at points in my life I can
see that connection. Chaos can be reigning all around me and I am trying to
fight it on my own and nothing changes but when I let go and hand it all over
God steps in.
It also helps to
have a Samuel crying out to God on your behalf :-) I have some great friends that
over the years have got on their knees before God and really prayed for me and
my family.
So back to the
chapter...
God steps in like a mighty thunder clap and sends confusion to the
philistines. I think he also gave the Israelite's strength in battle and they
gained the victory. Just like when God steps in for us he gives us the strength to fight
the battle we are in and the tools to succeed.
Samuel knew how
important it was to mark this occasion, to mark the point where Israel turned to
God and God stepped in. He knew how important it was to say 'this marks the
point where the Lord helped us.'
But the chapter
doesn’t end there...
God continued to
be with them and it marked a turning point. From this point on there was peace
and restoration in Samuels lifetime.
vs13-14 ‘So the
Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory.
Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the
Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the
Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel
delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And
there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.’
I wonder about the stuff that's not written.
Did the Israelite's look back at the Ebenezer stone and marvel at what God did?
When trouble came did they panic again or did they look at the place where God
helped them?
Last year I
raised my Ebenezer stone and I often look back and marvel at the time that God
stepped into my situation and gave me the victory and fulfilled his promises.
When we move into
our new house one of the first things we are going to do is place a physical
statue in the garden. An Ebenezer stone. How amazing to sit and look out and
remember ‘This marks the place where God helped us'. When tough times come and
moments of doubt, how brilliant to look and remember ‘this far the lord has
helped us’ and to remember the old saying God hasn’t brought me this far to
leave me.
The other thing
the Ebenezer stone will remind me of is that God stepped in for a reason and
there was a reason I cried to him for his help. And those times where I may be
in danger of stepping back into the driving seat of my life and moving God
over, I will look at that stone and remember God steps in when I step out!
1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.
2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3. O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it
seal it for thy courts above.
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