As the story of the life of Samuel continues, Israel faces a dark and difficult period. The priestly leadership of the past under Eli is no more after his death upon hearing of the loss of the Ark and the death of his sons. The Ark of the Covenant, although quickly returned by the Philistines is unable to be returned to its place in the Tabernacle until after the people have rid themselves of false gods. When the people are ready to repent, Samuel leads them in a collective act of worship and repentance at Mizpah. The neighboring Philistines interpret this gathering as a prelude to war and attack. God's people call upon Samuel to pray for deliverance, but the question on everyone's mind is: Has God forgiven us or are we about to receive the punishment for our sins at the hand of the enemy?
God, in his mercy, has already accepted their repentance and protects his people by "thundering" that day, driving the Philistine army away in panic. To commemorate this victory, Samuel places a memorial stone, "Ebenezer" (in Hebrew: "stone of help") to show how far the LORD was willing to go to help his people. The stone will serve as a reminder to this generation and a teaching tool for future generations to obey the LORD and rely upon his deliverance.
In our own society, we too must put away our false gods of money, power, fame, illicit sex, and a host of others in order to fully devote ourselves to God. We could also benefit from memorials of our own, celebrating what God has done through us and for us. After such victories, we too, like Samuel, must return to the everyday business of shepherding God's people and doing the work of the Lord.
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