In the verses of 1 Samuel 7, we read of a time when the nation of Israel faced a very serious trial indeed.  In the chapters leading up to this portion, we see that Israel had been serving false gods, and God had allowed an enemy, the Philistines, to push their way into Israel and to occupy several cities.  At least 20 years previous to the time of this account in chapter 7, Israel had been badly defeated in a battle with these Philistines.  Instead of seeking God’s deliverance from their enemies, the children of Israel had come up with their own solution; they called for and had brought up into their camp the ark of the covenant.  This had not at all been God’s will for them, and things certainly didn’t work out the way the people thought they would. The Israelites apparently had felt that with the ark in their camp, they would be invincible before their enemies.  How shocking it must have been for the Israelites to discover their error that day–when the battle was rejoined, Israel suffered its worst defeat ever—not only was their army routed, and the sons of Eli killed, but the ark itself fell into Philistine hands.  God did ultimately send the ark back to Israel, but even so, the Philistines pretty much dominated Israel for the intervening years. 

Now, as we begin 1 Samuel 7, we read that the hearts of the people were finally changing.  We read, “And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.  And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve Him only: and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only,” (1 Samuel 7: 2-4).

The hearts of the children of Israel were finally ready to repent and seek the Lord, and God raised up a faithful man to lead his people.  Notice the order of events: “And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.  And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh,” (1 Samuel 7:5-6).

Samuel called all the people together at Mizpeh for prayer and fasting, and the people poured out water before the LORD as a sign of their repentance, and they confessed their sins.  So, the purpose of this meeting was for the people to get right with God; but, the lords of the philistines looked upon this gathering with great concern.  To them, it must have appeared to have been a military threat, perhaps a concentration of forces as a prelude to rebellion; and, whatever it was, the lords of the Philistines were determined to put a stop to it. 

You may have noticed that in this world that we live in, when the people of God publicly set out to serve the Lord, there is often strong opposition. So, we see that at the very time of Israel’s re-commitment to the Lord, the Philistines gathered up in force and marched on Mizpeh, determined to deal with the threat.  The news of this well equipped, organized army advancing on their position struck fear into the hearts of the Israelites who were not at all expecting battle at that point.  We read in verse 7, “And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.”  God’s people were afraid, but this time, the children of Israel looked to the Lord for their deliverance.  We see them calling on Samuel to pray diligently for them, and this he did.  What happened after that was nothing short of amazing!  “And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.  And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.  And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar,” (verses 9-11).

I have no doubt that the sight of this hostile force advancing on Mizpeh was frightening in the extreme for the children of Israel.  Israel had gathered to seek the Lord, and I doubt they had made any preparations at all for war with the Philistine army.  The outcome could only be disastrous, at least as viewed through the eyes of the flesh!  But, Israel called upon the name of the Lord, and that is always the difference for the child of God!  God intervened in a miraculous way, taking the battle entirely out of the hands of His people.  He caused a thundering that sent the once proud and mighty Philistines into a panic driven retreat.  The men of Israel then came out of their camps and pursued the hostile army which was fleeing in confusion, destroying by degrees what had appeared to be the overwhelming power of the Philistines, and throwing off their yoke.  What a grand victory, and it was all the Lord’s!  Who could have predicted such an outcome?  But, with God, all things are possible.  We read in Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” 

Now, in the aftermath of this great victory, an event took place near Mizpeh that I think we should take note of.  We read in verse 12, “Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”  That name “Ebenezer” means “rock of help,” and Samuel set up a stone as a reminder that here in this place, the Lord had delivered His people.  But, the language Samuel used was “hitherto hath the LORD helped us”.  The Lord not only helped His people at Mizpeh, but had been helping them all along the way thus far; and if He was with His people up to that time, certainly He would be with them in the future!  Now, there is something  wonderful here, I think,  for the children of God of all generations; this is something for you and for me, my dear Christian friend.  God’s care for His people is not just at one point in time, past or present; it is on-going over the years, and this fact is true for those who are His children, despite our circumstances.  Looking at a time When God intervened in our lives in a personal and powerful way, like naming the stone Ebenezer, serves to remind us of His on-going care for us.

Dear Christian friend, do you not have an “Ebenezer” that you can look back upon?  Isn’t there some time in your past that you can recall, where the Lord reached out to you personally in your hour of need in such a way that there could be no mistaking His intervention?  What an exciting thing to witness the Lord’s hand reaching out to you in a personal way!  You might well declare as Samuel of old, “hitherto hath the LORD helped us”!  we do well to remember the faithfulness of the Lord in our own lives.  But, even if you can’t point to such a time in your recent memory, you can know from His Word that God cares for His own, and He is faithful, come what may.  Jeremiah knew well the difficult times that Judah had before them with their coming captivity and deportation, yet he, by the Spirit of God, could speak confidently of the good things that God had in mind for His people.  He could put the people in remembrance of the everlasting kindness and faithfulness of God: “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him.  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD,” (Lamentations 3:22-26).

Perhaps you are experiencing some great challenge just now, or perhaps you have some dreaded issue weighing on your mind–some troubling event which lies somewhere on the road before you.  Perhaps you see ominous clouds forming on your horizon, foretelling of a great storm through which you must pass at length.  Remember, our Lord can easily deal with the storms of this world as we read in Psalm 107: 29, ”He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still”.  And, my dear Christian friend, whatever your path, you do not walk alone, “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” (Hebrews 13:5).  And again, we read: “…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,” (Matthew 28:20). Are you troubled in your spirit by what is before you?  Our Lord Jesus will take away that fear and replace it with peace: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” (John 14: 27).  My dear friend, it is my prayer that all who read these words have trusted Christ as your Savior.  If that is so, then be of good cheer, and hold fast His Word which will encourage your souls: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God,” (Psalm 43:5).  On the other hand, if you have not yet trusted in Christ for salvation, I pray that you  hear His loving call right where you are, and believe on Him just now: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” (Matthew 11:28).