“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.” (1Samuel 7:12)
Samuel the prophet judged the people of Israel for their idol worship. He gathered them at Mizpeh to pray for them. But while they were there the Philistines heard where they were and came against them. But Scripture says that the Lord thundered so loud that the Philistines were defeated even before engaging with the Israelites. And the Israelites were able to defeat them. (1Samuel 7:3-11) It was then that Samuel memorialized God’s help with a stone.
Laying a stone or stones was a way to remember what the Lord had done and it also pinned that place as an important place. There are several times in the Bible when stones were laid for a remembrance. In Genesis Jacob placed a stone where God had spoken to him. (Genesis 35:14) Joshua also had stones placed for a memorial when the Israelites crossed the Jordan (Joshua 4:8) in obedience to the commandment Moses had given the people. (Deuteronomy 27:1-8) It was a very significant practice in Jewish culture. In America we have Plymouth Rock. It’s memorialized as the place the first pilgrims on the Mayflower stepped on America and has become a tourist attraction, even though it’s not thoroughly verified to be the exact place or the exact stone.
God Himself has set up a sign of remembrance of His covenant with Noah by placing a rainbow in the sky to commemorate His promise never to flood the earth again. (Genesis 9:11-17) And Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper for the church as a remembrance of the new covenant ratified by His death and resurrection. (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:14-20) Paul wrote: “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come.” (1Corinthians 11:23-26) And so the church remembers the Lord’s sacrifice in the Lord’s Supper.
Do we set up a sign of remembrances of the Lord’s help? I think we rely on our memories which are not very reliable. Our memories were not reliable then and are not even now which was the reason for the signs of remembrances. But we do have the Holy Spirit now and He brings to our remembrance the things of the Lord. “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26) We can also count on Him to help us remember all the things the Lord has done for us. There are things we are not even aware of that the Lord has orchestrated for our good and benefit. And the Lord has done these things and will continue to do these things for us because of His love for us.
When things are not going well, it’s good to remember how the Lord has helped us. He did not help us one time to abandon us the next. He is faithful and continues to be our help. “But the Lord is faithful, Who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” (2Thessalonians 3:3) In those difficult times, it’s good to remember how the Lord has brought us through and thankfully depend on Him to bring us through again. And then like Samuel we can place a stone of remembrance, but in our minds and say, “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”
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