When Samuel became the spiritual leader in Israel, he urged the people to put their sins behind them and turn to the Lord with all their hearts and to serve the Lord only. The people obeyed Samuel and a great spiritual revival and reformation came upon them as they confessed their sins to the Lord. While they were gathered together the Philistines attacked them. The people and Samuel cried out to the Lord and He answered them by causing so much loud thunder that the Philistines became confused. The Israelites pursued them and chased them away. Samuel took a stone and placed it between the children of Israel and the Philistines. He called the stone Ebenezer saying, "this far the Lord has helped us."
Ebenezer literally means Stone of help. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures God is referred to as a Stone or a Rock. Moses said, "He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He." In the psalms David cried out, "Thou art my Rock and my fortress, therefore for Thy name's sake lead me, and guide me."
Is God your rock fortress, to surround you when troubles come against you? When people talk badly about you do you allow God to be your Rock fortress so that their words do not affect you? In another psalm David said, "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." When your life becomes overwhelmed with responsibilities or problems do you get worried or do you trust in God to raise you above the storms of this life?
Another psalm praises the Lord saying, "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." We can sing praises to the Lord through even the hardest times because He is our Ebenezer, our stone of help. He is the Rock of our salvation.
