Ebenezer
"Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I've come." - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Robert Robinson
Thousands of Christians sing this line in church, but I wonder how many are blindly singing the word "Ebenezer," without fully understanding its context.
Ebenezer: n. commemoration of divine assistance; a stone of help
The word is derived from 1 Samuel 7:12 when Samuel acknowledges God's intervention in their battle with and victory over the Philistines.
It was especially gracious of God to help Israel during this time because they had just recently lost the ark of the covenant to the Philistines.
They only received it back when the Philistines saw that their idol Dagon was being continually knocked down its face before the ark of the LORD when they had the audacity to place them in the same room together, as though each was equally worthy of their honor.
When the Philistines became aware of God's harsh hand toward them, only then did they release the ark.
Even in the midst of Israel's big flop, God remained faithful to His beloved people. (This is a common occurrence throughout the Old Testament... and all of human history. Praise God for the Gospel! He loves us in spite of ourselves.)
If you've ever wondered what moved the author to write such a beautiful hymn, you can read more about his life here.
The word is derived from 1 Samuel 7:12 when Samuel acknowledges God's intervention in their battle with and victory over the Philistines.
It was especially gracious of God to help Israel during this time because they had just recently lost the ark of the covenant to the Philistines.
They only received it back when the Philistines saw that their idol Dagon was being continually knocked down its face before the ark of the LORD when they had the audacity to place them in the same room together, as though each was equally worthy of their honor.
When the Philistines became aware of God's harsh hand toward them, only then did they release the ark.
Even in the midst of Israel's big flop, God remained faithful to His beloved people. (This is a common occurrence throughout the Old Testament... and all of human history. Praise God for the Gospel! He loves us in spite of ourselves.)
"Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the LORD has helped us.' "
You can listen to a reading of the passage here.
The author of the hymn raises his Ebenezer, his commemoration of divine assistance, as a tribute to God's saving grace, similarly to Samuel's proclamation after God graciously helped them conquer their enemies.
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