1 Samuel 7:10-12 Stone of Help!

 ”While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites. The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar. 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.”“ ‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

a. The LORD thundered with a loud thunder: God fought from heaven on behalf of Israel and defeated the Philistines. This was a special work of God because the Israelites heard the same thunder, but only the Philistines became so confused…that they were overcome. God not only sent thunder, He also sent confusion to the Philistines and confidence to Israel.

i. This was the kind of victory Israel hoped for in 1 Samuel 4 when they brought the ark of the covenant into battle. If they had only repented and sought the LORD as they did here, they could have had this kind of victory long ago.

b. Called its name Ebenezer, saying “Thus far the LORD has helped us”: Samuel knew the nation needed to remember this amazing victory, which came to a humble and repentant Israel. The LORD won this battle, not Israel – so he named the stone Ebenezer, meaning “stone of help.”

Stone of Help!

Let’s face it, life throws a lot of punches! But where do we turn when we are down and out for the ten count? Do we turn to the Lord, our Stone of Help or do we seek something to numb the pain? When we humble ourselves before the Lord like the Israelites did in these verses we could also say,

“Thus far the LORD has helped us”!

”But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.“ Deuteronomy‬ ‭4‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

”God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.“ ‭‭Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Seek, find and reach out for him with all your heart ❤️ and with all your soul and He will be your Stone of Help!

Blessings