“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[b] saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15 Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethelto Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places.17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 7.12-17
A few weeks ago, Lane and I visited our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., and it was magnificent. We rode bikes along the National Mall and visited incredible sites like the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and the war memorials, including Arlington Cemetery. The history was awe-inspiring, and the tribute to our nation was moving. The markers, memorials, and monuments honoring the memory of our famous leaders and significant events in U.S. history were truly inspiring.
And speaking of markers, I don’t know the exact size of Samuel’s Ebenezer stone marker to the Lord, but I bet it wasn’t small. Perhaps it was one of the mammoth limestone blocks similar to what we see today at the base of the Western Wall tunnel in Jerusalem. According to one source, the largest stone in the Kotel is 44 feet long and weighs 570 tons. That’s huge!
It’s not the size of the marker that matters, but that the people remembered the Lord’s faithfulness by placing a marker so they could remember God’s goodness to His people. Today, we don’t build modern structures to remember the Lord, but we do so in other ways, such as through worship, singing songs, reciting creeds like the Apostles’ Creed, and preaching sermons about God’s faithfulness. God brought peace upon the land, and the Israelites set up their Ebenezer as a tribute to the Lord.
Today, the Lord is doing remarkable things for His people and His Church. He is saving people daily, delivering us from sin and evil, and restoring us to Himself. The Lord is actively working in and around us so that we might not only enjoy peace but also know His presence. God desires for us to know Him and be in a relationship with Him. This is why we were made and created. Our response is to “mark” this day with acts of love, obedience, and rejoicing in God’s faithfulness.
You might not have the desire or means to build a memorial to the Lord, but you can be a living, breathing remembrance of His grace. Let others know by how you live that God is good and that His love endures forever.
“O Lord God, I am praying for the convening conference for the start of a new denomination that remembers Your name and is restoring Your Church to faithful obedience. Come now, Holy Spirit, and call upon us to be Your people. Help us know Your goodness and be kind to Your Church. Help us live as people who know Your name and experience Your salvation. Find us willing and faithful. Redeem Your land. And we will remember Your love. For You are good and your love endures forever.” Amen