“. . . and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.”[1] It seems that the dire moral circumstances
under the leadership of Eli and the capture of the Ark has awakened a
conscience within Israel. The exact meaning of the verb “lamented” in Hebrew is
uncertain, but verse 3 seems to indicate a willingness of the people to return
to the Lord. So Samuel, who has been silent for some 20 years says, "If you are returning to the Lord with
all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you
and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you
out of the hand of the Philistines”” (1 Samuel 7:3, ESV).
The result is a positive: “So the people of Israel put
away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only” (1 Samuel 7:4, ESV). The people gathered at Mizpah, fasted and
prayed, confessing their sin. This
gathering awakened the interest of the Philistines. Fear struck the heart of
the Israelites. Samuel prayed, sacrificing
to the Lord in intercession. “As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering,
the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a
mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion,
and they were defeated before Israel” (1 Samuel 7:10, ESV).
In 1 Samuel 7:12 (ESV) we read,
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah
and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”
The word Ebenezer
literally means stone of help. It
is from the noun אבן ('eben), stone, and the verb עזר (azar),
to help or support. Samuel was giving thanks to God as did the psalmist who
wrote, “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life”
(Psalm 54:4, ESV). It’s a name that
Jesus will apply to the Holy Spirit: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your
remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26, ESV). It is also
given in creation to wives: “Then the Lord
God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a
helper [עֵזֶר
ezer] fit for him””
(Genesis 2:18, ESV). The Hebrew word
carries it with the idea of military support, a protector and even one who is a
restrainer.
John Calvin believes that many of us Christians give assent
to the truth that God is our Helper, “yet there is scarcely one among a hundred
who is fully persuaded that God alone can afford him sufficient help. That man
has attained a high rank among the faithful, who, resting satisfied in God,
never ceases to entertain a lively hope, even when he finds no help
upon earth.”[2] Martin Luther thought well of God his Helper
as he penned the words to “A Mighty Fortress”:
A mighty fortress is
our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need that hath us now overtaken.
The old evil foe now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight; on Earth is not his equal.
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
A mighty fortress is our God, a trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need that hath us now overtaken.
The old evil foe now means deadly woe; deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight; on Earth is not his equal.
Our text says, “Then
Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name
Ebenezer.”[3]
The stone Samuel named Ebenezer was a memorial, an aide memoire, to
assist Israel to remember this great truth. We are perhaps much like Israel, prone
to forget. Spurgeon noted: “We would wish that the impression should
be permanent, such as would only terminate with our lives; we would wish to see
erected some standing memorial of the loving kindness of the Lord, which should
declare his goodness, and bespeak our gratitude.”[4]
How you and I will set up our “stone of remembrance”, whether
it be a diary entry, a journal, some artifact or reminder is a personal
decision. It does seem worthwhile to do
so and in times of difficulty and times of peril, we can remember that “till now God
has been our Helper.”
For the remainder of Samuel’s life, the Philistines did not
attack, lost cities were restored and there was peace. He set up a place of
worship at Ramah and spent his time as a “circuit-riding preacher”. He would travel to Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah,
and return once again to Ramah, serving God’s people.
[1] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 7:2). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
[3] The Holy Bible:
English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 7:12). Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Bibles.
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