Here I Raise My Ebenezer 1 Samuel 7:1-14

Introduction Have you ever wondered what the song “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing” means by, “Here I raise my Ebenezer”? Do you know what an “ebenezer” is? If you know, then do you know how to “raise your ebenezer”? If not, then we’ll look for answers to both questions in this lesson

Background The story occurs in the days of Samuel Many obstacles have been overcome The exodus from Egypt The wilderness wanderings The conquest of the land The period of the judges God helped Israel through each period Sometimes He punished them But always He helped them In return, the Israelites grumbled, complained, disobeyed, and worshiped idols

Background For 20 years the ark of the covenant has not been part of Israel’s religious life Lost in battle by the sons of Eli Kept by the Philistines for a time Returned to Israel Briefly in Beth Shemesh Then taken to Kirjath Jearim

Ebenezer 1 Sam 7:1-14 “Ebenezer” is Hebrew, means “stone of help” For Samuel it mean that “Thus far the Lord has helped us” The stone was not an idol, not to be worshiped It was a memorial Remembering what God had done to help As a result of their gratitude, God helped subdue the Philistines, and restored lost territory (some lost for 100+ years)

Other “ebenezers” Other men also set up stones as memorials of God’s help (though not called “ebenezer” Jacob in Gen 28:10-22 God granted a vision to the scared and fleeing Jacob Jacob set up his stone pillow as a memorial of God’s promise to help Joshua and Israel (Jos 4:1-7, 19-24) Stones set up as a memorial of God’s help crossing the Jordan and the Red Sea

Raising an ebenezer Not suggesting making stone monuments But I think we can figuratively raise ebenezers (memorials of God’s help) If we don’t remember, then the lessons will be lost to us and the future So how can we raise our ebenezers?

Count your blessings Samuel saw how richly God had blessed them and wanted everyone to remember Is it hard to find things to be thankful for? Acts 14:17 James 1:17 We have more than most in the world We can make a memorial by returning a portion to God, sharing a portion with others in need, doing good work (2 Cor 9:6-8)

Gratitude and Contentment After Samuel raised his ebenezer, he found they could live in peace Gratitude for past blessings brought future blessings and contentment (Col 3:15) We have much to be thankful for (1 Thes 5:16-18) Even for future blessings (Phil 4:6-7)

By Building Up His House Jacob called his stone, Bethel “House of God” A reference to the house of God that would come from his descendants Remember we too are part of God’s house 1 Pet. 2:1-5 We offer spiritual sacrifice (Rom 12:1-2) We build on the foundation (Eph 2:19-22)

By obedience Matt 7:24-27 Only the obedient have built on the rock The disobedient are on the sand Trials will afflict everyone But only the obedient will persevere Obedience is a sign of gratitude, a living ebenezer (Acts 2:41-47) From the day of their conversion their lives and lifestyles changed They lived in the apostles’ doctrine

Instructing future generations We need to look to concrete reference points to show how God has blessed us If we complain about how hard it is to be a Christian, then the next generation will be less likely to choose it If we circumvent the word and go our own way, they will learn to rebel If we show them what God has done for us If we thank God each step of the way Then they may realize they want the same blessings for themselves

Conclusion Each day, let us raise our ebenezer Acknowledge that God has helped us Be grateful and thankful for that help Be content with what He has done Show others, by our words and lives, that we remember