After years of defeat, shame, sorrow, and idolatry, the prophet Samuel calls the children of Israel to return to the Lord and forsake their false gods. They gather together at Mizpeh and confessed their sins before God. As a result of their gathering, they were once again faced with their enemy, the Philistines. This time, unlike in chapter 4, the children of Israel turned to the Lord for deliverance – and God delivered them. As a result of this battle, Samuel set a stone before them and called it “Ebenezer”, meaning “The Lord is our helper”. In this message, we are challenged to follow Israel’s footsteps of repentance, dependence, and remembrance.
- Resolution 2012: Raise Your Ebenezer
- January 1, 2012
- 1 Samuel 7:2-14
