Communion With the Christ:: Jesus Our Ebenezer

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." 1Sam:7:12.

Many people raised Monuments. It was a common practice in the ancient world to erect stones or alters as a way of recalling great events in the lives of the people or nations. This was often done by the followers of the Great God to be a reminder of the great acts of salvation which occurred in the lives of those who worshiped God.

We can see many of the Old Testament personalities doing this very thing. From Noah building his post flood alter and Abram (Abraham) marking the establishment of covenants and receiving God's promises to he, and to his prodigy. After Jacob awoke from sleep having had his dream of the ladder from Heaven on which the angelic host descended and ascended to and from Earth to Heaven carrying out the will of God, Jacob set up a stone and anointed it calling Bethel. Joshua had an altar of stone placed in the midst of the River Jordan to commemorate Israel's crossing into the Promised Land. These are just some of the examples found in the Sacred Word of God.

These alters and erected stones were there to serve as a reminder of God's acts of salvation in lives of his people.

Victory

The Lord God helped the people of Israel to win a great victory over the Philistines who had been for many years a source of many problems and oppression against the people of Israel.

"The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as below Beth-car. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us. So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel".…1Sam:7:11-13

The Stone of Reminder

That stone which the Prophet Samuel erected was an ongoing memorial and reminder of the victory which the Lord God gave to Israel. This Victory was a great one which may, at some point seemed beyond hope and out of reach, yet now through the workings of the Great God the people of Israel were the recipients of a great blessing of victory.

The Prophet Samuel wanted to ensure that the people of Israel never forgot that this great victory over their oppressors, which they now had been given, was not secured by any power of their own, but through the intervention of the great God who had helped Israel.

To ensure that the people of Israel would not forget that this victory was theirs’ through the power of God. Samuel , took a stone and erected it and anointed it with oil and set it in a place of prominence so that many would see it and that it would be an ongoing reminder of their God's help in the life of Israel.

"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen." 1Sam:7:12a

Ebenezer

This anointed stone which Samuel erected as a reminder and memorial was named Ebenezer, which means: "thus far the Lord has helped us".

"He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." 1Sam:7:12b.

The Prophet Samuel wanted all the people of Israel to remember this truth , that it was God who helped and delivered them and, that , they should never let this slip from their memories, individually nor collectively, being a stone made it stand as an ongoing unchanging reminder of God's saving acts on Israel's behalf.

Jesus Our Ebenezer

Our God has raised up for each and all of us an Ebenezer which stands for all time and eternity as a monument to God's great acts of salvation and deliverance in all of our lives. That eternal monument is his very Son Jesus Christ, who is there eternally as an eternal Ebenezer to show us all that our Salvation and deliverance is accomplished for each and all and any who will but freely receive it by grace alone.

Just as the Children of Israel suffered under the harsh oppression of the Philistines until the Lord God helped them in the day of battle at Mizpah and gave them a great victory, which allowed Israel to be free and delivered from oppression, so our God has helped us and brought us a victory over sin, death, and fear that we need not ever be oppressed again and he has done this all thru Jesus.

"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Rm: 8:2

In and through Jesus we are even now victorious and share in Jesus' own victory even over the grave and death.

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ".1Cor:15:57

Our God, in and through Jesus, has helped us, thus far in life giving us assurance that we are victorious in his very self, that we can face anything knowing that our Lord will help us with his divine assistance.

"So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Heb: 13:6

The Apostolic Church witnessed and testified to the truth that Jesus has come again from the grave, that is raised up from death, and now stands as evidence of God help for all. The Apostles had seen Jesus and knew that he lives, they had looked upon Jesus as the erected Ebenezer as a monument to God saving acts for all humanity and were through the Gospel message telling others of this very truth, that God has helped us.

"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it."Acts:2:32

The Great God speaks to Israel and to all of us theses encouraging words.

"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, "Fear not, I am the one who helps you."Isa:41:13

In the very old Hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" written by Robert Robinson in 1758, speaks of the truth of the divine assistance of God toward us all, is sung about, drawing upon the Scriptural image of the Prophet Samuel erecting the Ebenezer stone who wanted the people of Israel to be ever mindful of God's gracious help in the lives of the nation. Robinson wrote centuries ago.

"Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Here by Thy great help I’ve come;

And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home."

Jesus is there to stand as that eternal monument of the help and the victory over all which would oppress us from which our God has afford deliverance to us all.

Jesus is our eternal Ebenezer to which we might look and be reminded of the help that God has given to each and all. This we should be ever mindful of as we look to Jesus as our Ebenezer.

Copy and paste to hear the hymn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1swXRGHUuC4

Benediction: May we each and all be ever mindful of the help and divine assistance which our Lord has extend unto each and all thru Jesus who is there as our Ebenezer today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.