Articles
Ebenezer - 1 Sam. 7
Thus far the LORD has helped us
We are now finishing up the reading of the period of the Judges. It has been a very rocky and depressing history of Israel. Being God's chosen people to bring about the Messiah, having God as their God to guide, provide, and protect them, having a special law of God to teach them how to conduct themselves, all of this seems to have had little effect as generation after generation forsakes the Lord and goes its own way. Now, with the leadership of Eli and his wicked sons we begin to understand that the people's trust must be in God and not in men. With the capturing of the ark, we see that such trust in even the 'things' of God is not the same as trust in God.
Samuel begins to lead the people but calls them not to follow him, but to turn to the LORD with all of the heart. He instructs them to return to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” (1Sam. 7:3).
As they turn to God, God indeed delivers them from the Philistines (7:10). At that point, Samuel makes a point about trust in the LORD by setting up a stone of remembrance, which he named Ebenezer. This is translated as meaning "Thus far the LORD has helped us". When they trusted in themselves, everyman doing what seemed right to himself, their life was a disaster. When they put their trust in men like Eli, they were left disappointed. When they put their trust in things, even religious things devoted unto the LORD, they found no help. When the learn to put their trust in the LORD, to put away their thoughts and the false gods of this world, and to confess and forsake their sins, THEN they prosper by the work of the LORD.
Thus we yet today sing of this lesson: "Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I've come; And I hope by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home"*. God is the fount of every blessing. God is deserving of our complete love, trust, and service. God is the source of our salvation and the basis of our hope. Let us lean upon the LORD and not men, things, or self. Hugh DeLong
*Verse 2 of O Thou Fount Of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson, Hymns For Worship, #420.
