Last week, we pondered the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” That second verse has a word that is not very well known—other than singing it in this hymn. 

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come.

So what is an “Ebenezer” anyway? Well, it’s both a place and a thing. Let’s dig in.

During Samuel’s day in the Old Testament, the Philistines where marching north all the way up to Ebenezer, the place where many Israelites lived. The Philistines stormed in and killed 4,000 of them in one day.

The Israelites questioned why God had brought defeat on them. They decided to bring the ark of the covenant from Shiloh to Ebenezer, feeling that the ark would protect them.

When the ark came into the camp, all Israel raised such a shout that the ground shook. Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, the Philistines were afraid. I Samuel 4:5-7

The Philistines began wringing their hands, sure they were in big trouble. They remembered the reports of how the Egyptians had been struck with the plagues and were fearful of the God of Israel. But the Philistine leaders led a powerful pep talk and the men bravely fought, killing 30,000 Israelite foot soldiers.

Not only that, the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant. We’re talking big-time defeat for the Israelites! This became a monumental lesson for the them. The ark was a reminder of God’s presence, but they had made it a substitute for God Himself, depending on the thing rather than God.

It reminds me how lightly we often “use” prayer promises. Perhaps a friend has a concern and we slip into auto-pilot to say, “I’ll pray for you,” as though that is a good luck charm. Perhaps we utter a few words to God so  we can say we have done it, honoring the statement but not the God of prayer. Or perhaps we think we are “protected” if we just go to church regularly, thinking a building is the key rather than the God of the building. Insert any number of “ark idols” that might apply.

Samuel helped the Israelites understand. The people mourned and sought after the Lord. They rid themselves of their foreign idols; they fasted, confessed their sin, and continually called out to the Lord. 

Meanwhile, every time the Philistines took the newly acquired ark to a town, the people there were afflicted with tumors. They finally realized that this ark was not a good thing for them. Unbeknownst to the Israelites, God was working in the background. 

Perhaps you’ve experienced this as well. You are in the midst of a challenging time, only to discover that God has been at work in the background performing one of His God incidents.

Well, next week we’ll see how God honors their humility which causes Samuel to raise an “Ebenezer.” 

~ Joyce ~