TOPIC — Ebenezer: Thus Far The Lord Has Helped Us

READ: 1 Samuel 7:7-17 (NKJV)

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.
8. So 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.
11. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.
12. Then Samuel took a stone and set [it] up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
13. So 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. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16. He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
17. But he always returned to Ramah, for his home [was] there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.