Ebenezer is a strange word that we encounter in the hymn Come thou fount of every Blessing. Here is the story behind it. The Ark of the Covenant now rested at the house of Abinadab on the hill. Eleazar was consecrated to care for it. During this time, Samuel exhorted the people to return to the Lord, put away their foreign gods and prepare their hearts. Samuel then gathered the people at Mizpah to pray for them. In 1 Samuel 7, we read of the Israelites turning to God, an encounter with their enemy, and God’s intervention on their behalf.
Repentance
When Samuel spoke to the people, they put away their false idols and served only the true God. They came at Samuel’s call to Mizpah where they fasted and confessed their sin.
Encounter with the Enemy
While at Mizpah the enemy came. How often does a test come to prove the work of God in the heart of His people? Gathered there, the lords of the Philistines came against them. Their fear, instead of turning back to the old ways, caused them to call on Samuel to intercede for them.
God’s Intervention
God intervened. When Samuel made an offering there and cried out to God. The Lord answered. He sent a loud thunder which confused the enemy, and the Israelites overcame them. Samuel then built an altar and called it Ebenezer, stating, “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.” Because they returned to God, when the enemy came, God’s power was there to deliver them. Because of Jesus, when our hearts are turned toward God, we call on Abba Father in our fear. Even though our faith may be as small as a grain of mustard seed, He will deliver us as He did the Israelites from the Philistines. These times should be memorialized, to give us something to encourage our feeble memories. In 1 Samuel 7, we read of the Israelites turning to God, an encounter with their enemy, and God’s intervention on their behalf.