EBEN-EZER
Thus far the Lord has lead us (1 Samuel 7:12)
THE SOURCE OF MY INSPIRATION: I have heard about the word ―Eben-ezer,‖ also, I
have couple of friends bearing the name ―Eben-ezer,‖ but I received the inspiration to do a
thorough study on this subject after the 150 Minutes of Prayer & Praise---an in-reach revival
program of the Men of Peace held in Nyanya on November 04. 2017. When I saw the beautiful
lessons therein, I knew God was leading me somewhere.
OBJECTIVES
(1) To inspire your heart to be grateful to God unconditionally (whether good or bad), one
of the major sins holding the contemporary Christians is ―ungratefulness.‖ The sin of the world
today is the sin that brought destruction upon Israel. Ingratitude to God {COL 302.2} Romans
8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who
are the called according to His purpose. (NKJV)
(2) To challenge you to recall the marvelous works God has done for you in the past: One
sure way of overcoming the sin of ingratitude is: ―To look back, and recall how good God has
been to you in the past.‖ It has ever proven worthwhile to reflect on God’s marvelous work, it
brings to mind the reality of the existence of God; it encourages and boosts our morale to face
our present and future challenges. Ellen White portrays the same scenario in Steps to Christ, p.
125, she says, ―Let us look to the monumental pillars [and] reminders of what the Lord has done
to comfort us and to save us from the hand of the destroyer. Let us keep fresh in our memory all
the tender mercies that God has shown us,--the tears He has wiped away, the pains He has
soothed, the anxieties removed, the fears dispelled, the wants supplied, the blessings bestowed,-thus strengthening ourselves for all that is before us through the remainder of our pilgrimage.‖ –
Steps to Christ, page 125.
(3) To challenge you to develop the habit of keeping reminders of God’s goodness in your
life: The human mind is prone to forget things easily; therefore, beyond committing things to
memory, it is important to keep physical reminders, to always bring to mind God’s goodness in
our lives. For instance, the Israelites of old had it as culture to keep a monumental object as a
reminder to every miraculous act that God performed for them. Few examples will suffice:
Genesis 28:18-19: Jacob picks up the stone that he had put at his head, sets it up as a pillar, and
poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had
been Luz previously. (Jacob had dreamt and saw the angels ascending & descending, and God
spoke to Jacob in this place. Therefore, he sets the stone up as a reminder). God talked with
Jacob again when he came to a place called Padan Aram, (Genesis 35:9) and so Jacob sets
another monument (Genesis 35:14). Talking with God was such a wonderful experience that
Jacob could not afford not to immortalize it. Joshua 4:6, 7, 9: Joshua sets up twelve stones in the
midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the Ark of the Covenant
stood; and they are there to this day. These monuments were to remind them of God’s MIGHTY
POWER, they were to be lesson objects through which the next generation will learn about God.
(cf., Deut. 27:2, 3) Joshua 4:7: And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel
forever.‖ Friends, it is in order to keep physical reminders of every miracle God performed for
you, it will be beneficial to you and the generation to come.
(4) To remind you that Ebenezer could be a reminder of ―Total and complete victory or defeat.‖
In other words, when God’s children live in harmony with the word of God they shall be
victorious, but when they live in sin, they will be defeated. This is the sum total of the message
of eben-ezer.
MEANING OF EBEN-EZER: Eben-Ezer (‫אבן‬
) The Hebrew word ―Eben-Ezer‖ (or rather:
Eben-haezer) appears three times in the Bible (1 Samuel 4:1 & 5:1; 7:12), and it was used in
two different ways: (a) EBEN-EZER AS LOCATION: It was used as a location and appears to
apply to two separate locations: 1 Samuel 4:1: And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now
Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the
Philistines encamped in Aphek. (Ebenezer is the name of the location where the Israelites
camped for the battle with the Philistines). 1 Samuel 5:1: Then the Philistines took the ark of
God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod (location from where the Philistines brought the
ark).
SIN BROUGHT THE TOTAL DEFEAT AT EBEN-EZER: It is a well-known concept in the
Bible that righteousness exalts while sin brings defeat. Proverbs 14:34: Righteousness exalts a
nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Sometimes, the sin of an individual, a family may
cause a great havoc to the people of God (cf., Joshua 7:1—Israel suffered for Achan’s sin)

PRAYER: Lord may I not die because of someone else’s sin!
Because of sin Israel suffered a total and complete defeat in the battle with the Philistines and
four thousands soldiers were killed (1 Sam. 4:2), after the first defeat with the loss of four
thousand soldiers, the elders and the people sent for the ark of God from Shiloh; it suggests that
Eben-Ezer may be close to Shiloh (I Sam. 4:3, 4) Note: The ark was a symbol of God’s presence
in the midst of His people. Joshua 6:6-9, Israel marched around the city of Jericho with the ark,
and because God was with them, they were victorious. But in this case, this act was not
sanctioned by God. Even after Israel brought in the ark of God into the battle field, the
Philistines attacked them a second time and defeated Israel again, and this time, there was a great
slaughter, thirty thousand foot soldiers were slaughtered (1 Samuel 4:10). The ark of God was
captured, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas died (1 Samuel 4:11) Eli, at nine eight died a
painful death (I Sam. 4:18) Phinehas' wife, had a pain induced labor, when she heard the news
that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead. (I Sam.
4:19) The glory of God departed from Israel (1 Sam. 4:21). It has NEVER been nor will it
EVER be a good experience for the glory of God to depart from a people/someone. PRAY THIS
PRAYER: LORD, MAY YOUR GLORY NEVER DEPART FROM MY LIFE. Amen. 1
Corinthians 15:57: But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Cor. 2:14)
Can you speculate Israel’s disappointment that even with the ark of God—which symbolizes
God’s presence yet they were defeated? The ark was an ordinary acacia wood, it is the presence
of God in the ark that makes it powerful object. What was expected of Israel was to repent and
reconcile with God? What they needed was repentance and not the ark?
APPLICATION: Unbeknown to many of us, we still repeat this mistake till date, we sin against
God; we device human strategy as to attract God’s presence—You start doing good works,
sponsor evangelism, and the likes yet you shy away from your known sins and look for other
ways to make up. Hear this! There is no other way to reconcile with God other than
acknowledging your sin, confessing and repenting from it.
(b). EBEN-EZER AS A MONUMENTAL STONE: The second usage of Eben-ezer is derived
from the name itself, Ebenezer (or rather Eben-haezer) consists of three elements (’eben-noun;
ha-definite article; ezer-verb). The first part of the name is the noun ‫'( אבן‬eben), meaning ―stone,‖
it refers to the memorial stone which Samuel erected between Mizpah and Shen when the Lord
granted Israel victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 7:12); Samuel named the stone Ebenezer
and said, ―Thus far YHWH has helped us.‖ Eben-Ezer, this time refers to the memorial stone
erected by Samuel in Commemoration of the total victory that God granted Israel in a battle that
once ended in total defeat. On this very battle-field, twenty years before, the Philistines had
massacred the Israelites, This stone was to be a perpetual reminder of the GREAT VICTORY
against the Philistines.
The second element of the word is the verb
('azar), means to help, support. Note: the
inclusion of the definite article will warrant the name Eben-haezer to be literally translated as
―Stone of the help.‖ It does not mean simply mean ―Stone Of Help‖ (NOBSE Study Bible Name
List, Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names), but it means Stone Of The Help, which
in Hebrew denotes an emphasized specification. Eben-haezer commemorated the help that God
is. God is that HELP. The word ’ezer is also used in the Bible to portray God as a help(er) to
those in need.

Psalm 33:20- Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and shield.

Psalm 146:5 Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD
his God.

Exodus 18:4: and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, "The God of my father has been
my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh")
Eben-ezer stirs a mixed feeling in the heart of an Israelite, as the location of COMEPLETE &
TOTAL defeat and as a stone of reminder of God’s TOTAL VICTORY. There is a powerful
message here for a contemporary Christian, and that is, ―If sin has caused you to be defeated,
when you reconcile with God, He will cause you to overcome where you have been defeated.‖
An important aspect of this study includes: to find out the factors responsible for Israel’s
defeat/victory. As earlier mentioned, Israel was defeated because of sin. Much of the sins were
committed by the house of Eli, or the sons of the priest. They were called sons of Belial---sons
without worth. These were their sins:
Desecration of the order of priesthood: 1 Samuel 2:12-17: Now the sons of Eli were corrupt;
they did not know the LORD. Vs. 17: Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before
the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.(NKJV)
Immorality in the house of God: 1 Samuel 2:22---Now Eli was very old; and he heard
everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door
of the tabernacle of meeting. (NKJV)
Wrong use of God’s sacrifice & Offering: 1 Samuel 2:28-36: Did I not choose him out of all the
tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod
before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of
Israel made by fire? Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded
in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of
all the offerings of Israel My people?' Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: 'I said indeed that
your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.' But now the LORD says:
'Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be
lightly esteemed.
Idolatry: 1 Samuel 7:3: Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to
the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among
you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from
the hand of the Philistines." (cf., vs. 4)
God’s proposed reaction (1 Sam. 2:31-36): 31Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your
arm and the arm of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32And
you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And
there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33But any of your men whom I do not cut off
from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your
house shall die in the flower of their age. 34Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon
your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.
35
Then I will
raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My
mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36And it shall
come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece
of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, "Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I
may eat a piece of bread." (NKJV)
1 Samuel 3:11: Then the LORD said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which
both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I
have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13For I have told him that I will judge
his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he
did not restrain them. 14And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's
house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever." EMPHASIS: The defeat at Ebenezer probably would have been a fulfillment of God’s Judgment. Israel needed to put away sin
from the midst of them before engaging the philistines in a battle. Reconciliation with God is the
first step to victory.
WHAT NECESSITATED ISRAEL’S VICTORY?
1 Samuel 7:3: Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD
with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and
prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of
the Philistines." 4So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the
LORD only. (TRUE & TOTAL TURN AROUND) 5And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to
Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew
water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have
sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
(Acknowledgment of sin---no cover-ups, they said, ―We have sinned against the Lord‖)
ISRAEL & PHILISTINE IN ANOTHER BATTLE
1 Samuel 7:7: Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at
Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard
of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease
to cry out to the LORD our God for us that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines."
9
And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then
Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.
10
Now as Samuel was
offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD
thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were
overcome before Israel. 11And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines,
and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. (Philistines came hoping that it was business as
usual but little did they realized that Israel had received a special auction from the lord)
Though unprepared for battle, the Israelites seized the weapons of the slaughtered Philistines
and pursued the fleeing host to Beth-car. This signal victory was gained upon the very field
where, twenty years before, Israel had been smitten before the Philistines, the priests slain, and
the ark of God taken. For nations as well as for individuals, the path of obedience to God is the
path of safety and happiness, while that of transgression leads only to disaster and defeat. The
Philistines were now so completely subdued that they surrendered the strongholds which had
been taken from Israel and refrained from acts of hostility for many years. Other nations
followed this example, and the Israelites enjoyed peace until the close of Samuel's sole
administration. {PP 591.1}
APPLICATION: First, while their defeat was as a result of sin and God’s remedial judgment on
them, their victory came because they acknowledged their sins, and made a TOTAL U-TURN.
Victory comes from the Lord. When the Lord has already won a battle; HE uses us only as
instruments to accomplish His work. Ebenezer carries the idea of COMPLETE AND TOTAL
VICTORY OR DEFEAT. The stone was to constantly remind them of the help (GOD), while
Israel jubilated over God’s victory against the Philistines, no doubt, they would have
remembered how they were defeated twenty years back by the Philistines because of sin. When
we live a righteous life we conquer all battles but when we live a life of sin, we are conquered (1
Sam. 4:2, 10)
Second, their victory was in answer to the prayer of Samuel: 1 Samuel 7:9: And Samuel took a
suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to
the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. (NKJV) 2 Chronicles 20:20: So they rose
early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out,
Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the
LORD your God and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall
prosper."(NKJV) James 5:16: Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another,
that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Ezekiel
22:30: So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before
Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. (NKJV) EMPHASIS:
Till date, God avails situations through the prayers of those who have dedicated their lives to
God.
Third, reconciliation with God brings restoration. Thus, Ebenezer is a message of restoration: 1
Samuel 7:13: 13So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory
of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14
Then
the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath;
and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Joel 2:25: "So I will restore to
you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust,
And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. (NKJV) When we denounce sin
and live right, God will now restore to us all that sin/Satan has taken from us.
Four, reconciliation with God brings peace. Ebenezer is a message of peace: 1 Samuel 7:14--Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. (NKJV) Proverbs 16:7: When a man's
ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (NKJV)
Brethren, when we live a righteous life, God’s presence will abide with us, and we shall be
victorious in all the battles of life. If we are defeated because of sin, we can still overcome by
reconciling with God. We should not downplay the prayer of God’s people. And after God has
done a wonderful work for us, we should always remember thus far the LORD has led us.
Therefore, I challenge you today to develop the culture of immortalizing the wonderful works of
God in your life, use these monuments as object lesson to teach your children, generation after
generation about the true God. Remain in God’s care. Amen.
COMMITMENT: LORD JESUS! Reconcile me to yourself, forgive me, restore me, and grant
me victory where I have been defeated in the past. Help me to ever remember thus far
YAHWEH has led me in Jesus name! Amen!