Literally speaking, an Ebenezer is a "stone of help," or a reminder of God’s Real, Holy Presence and Divine aid. Spiritually and theologically speaking, an Ebenezer can be nearly anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help: Those things which serve as reminders of God’s love, His Goodness, God’s real Presence, and God’s assistance are "Ebenezers.“ or ‘Help Monument’.

1. Machrie Moor
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The
Lord
Our
Ebenezer
Pastor Oyewole O. Sarumi
Pastoral Leadership Academy
Email: tlstrategies@gmail.com
http://placademy.org
Pastor Oyewole O. Sarumi

2. Machrie Moor
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Pastor Oyewole O. Sarumi

3. Machrie Moor
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Hymn: Come, Thou Fount of every blessing

4. Machrie Moor
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Opening Scriptures: I Sam.7:3-15
• Samuel took a large stone and placed it between the towns of
Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer—”the stone of
help”—for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!” —
1 Samuel 7:12 [NLT]
• Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and
Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, "Thus far the
LORD has helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12 NRSV)
• Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah
and Shen. He named it "Ebenezer" (Rock of Help), saying, "This
marks the place where God helped us." (1 Samuel 7:12 MSG)

5. Machrie Moor
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Introduction
• It was common practice in Old Testament days to signify occurrences
of historical and spiritual significance by memorializing them in the
names given to places or people. The idea was that names had
meaning and the meanings told a story.
• Most of us are familiar with the name “Ebenezer” because of the
character Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’s novella ’A Christmas
Carol’.
• Because of that story, the name “Ebenezer” has taken on the
connotation of miserliness and a lack of charity—although, to be fair,
Ebenezer Scrooge did become a changed man at the end of the
story.
• Actually, the name “Ebenezer” comes from the Bible.

6. Machrie Moor
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• Two examples of memorializing names in the Bible are in I
Samuel are:
• Ichabod – the name of Eli’s grandson born at a significant
lowpoint in the history of the Hebrews of that time – a point of
loss, reversal, unfaithfulness, and judgement when their
enemies defeated them in battle and captured the Ark of the
Covenant. God had not left them, but they had left Him.
• Ebenezer – the name Samuel gives to a rock he sets up after
The Ark is recovered, the historic enemies of the Hebrews
(Philistines) are repulsed, and a period of peace and safety is
inaugurated.

7. Machrie Moor
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• In 1 Samuel 4:1-11 and 5:1, the Ebenezer is strangely identified
with a particular site, about four miles south of Gilgal, where
the Israelites were twice defeated by the Philistines and the Ark
of the Covenant was stolen.
• These battles took place, however, before the site was actually
named Ebenezer.
• The two battles mentioned in 1 Samuel 4 and 5 took place at
Ebenezer, but some time before it was so-named. The site
wasn’t named Ebenezer until after the Israelites finally defeated
the Philistines, and took back the Ark of the Covenant.

8. Machrie Moor
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The Story - From Ichabod to Ebenezer I
• This was one of the darkest periods in the history of the nation
of Israel. During this time, one of the fiercest enemies of the
Jews, the Philistines, drew up in battle array against Israel,
near Ebenezer.
• As the battle spread, Israel was defeated and about four
thousand men were killed on the battlefield, and the elders of
Israel could not understand what was going on.
• They could not understand that the spiritual decline of the
nation was forfeiting the protection and victory of Jehovah
God.

9. Machrie Moor
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• To try to remedy the situation, the elders of Israel sent for the Ark of
the Covenant, which was stationed at Shiloh. When the Ark of the
Covenant came into the camp of the Israelites, they all shouted until
the earth resounded or rang. But, they were placing their
confidence in the magic of the Ark, rather than the majesty of the
Almighty who resided above the Ark.
• The Israelites did not understand that the Ark of the Covenant
could not be used as a good luck charm or magical object. The Ark
of the Covenant, where God dwelled over the wings of the
cherubim, contained the promises of Jehovah God. God had given
conditional promises to Israel. Since she had not kept the
conditions, which were a part of the covenant, this broke the
covenant and God, brought Israel under the curses of the covenant,
and God was not obligated to answer her prayers.

10. Machrie Moor
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• Nevertheless, the Philistines who were frightened by the history of the Ark
of the Covenant, fought valiantly. In so doing, Israel was defeated; great
slaughter ensued; thirty thousand Israeli soldiers were killed; the Ark of
God was captured; and the priestly sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were
killed. When the report from the battlefield reached Eli, he fell off of his
seat and broke his neck and died—because he was old and heavy. When
Phinehas’ wife heard the news, she died in childbirth. But, before she died
she named the child Ichabod: “the glory of the Lord has departed.”
• But, the Ark of the Covenant was a snare or curse to the Philistines, so
they eventually returned it to the men of Beth-shemesh. It was also a
snare to them, so they sent it to the men of Kiriath-jearim, and they
consecrated Eleazar, the son of Abinadab, to keep the Ark. Subsequently,
the Ark remained at Kiriath-jearim for twenty years, and the people of
Israel lamented after the Lord.
The Story - From Ichabod to Ebenezer II

11. Machrie Moor
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The Story - From Ichabod to Ebenezer III
• In the passage of our text, Samuel, one of the greatest men of God in the
Old Testament, the last of the Judges and the first of the Prophets, is
seeking to bring about a revival in Israel. In so doing, he spoke to the
Israelites in vs.3 about the things that would bring revival. Those things
included:
• Returning to the Lord with all of their heart;
• Removing the foreign gods from among them;
• Directing their hearts to the Lord; and
• Serving Jehovah God alone.
• These four things basically constitute repentance, and Samuel promised
that God would bring deliverance when there was true repentance. So, the
Israelites met the conditions for repentance and for deliverance. Now, in
the process of meeting the conditions, Samuel had them gather together
at Mizpah that he might pray for them.

12. Machrie Moor
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• It was during this time of repentance and renewal that the enemy
attacked: “While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the
Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle” (1 Samuel 7:10). The
Israelites went out to do battle against the invaders, and God sent
them supernatural help: “That day the LORD thundered with loud
thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that
they were routed before the Israelites” (verse 10).
• Israel’s victory over the Philistines was decisive. Several cities the
Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, and it was a long
time before the Philistines tried to invade Israel again (1 Samuel
7:13–14). To commemorate the divine victory, “Samuel took a stone
and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,
saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us’” (verse 12).
The Story - From Ichabod to Ebenezer IV

13. Machrie Moor
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"What is an Ebenezer”?
• The word "Ebenezer" comes from Hebrew and is actually two
words pronounced together: Even Haazer.
• It is usually transliterated as a proper name by dropping the
definite article (Ha) from the Hebrew word for "help" (Ezer) and
putting it together with the Hebrew word for "stone" (Even) to
create: "Ebenezer."
• The etymological roots of the word, thus defined, should
demonstrate that an "Ebenezer" is, literally, a "Stone of Help.“ So,
Ebenezer means “The Stone of The help.”

14. Machrie Moor
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Excursion on Names related to HELP
• Eliezer is composed of two words el = God and ezer = help and
means in essence "God is his help." Eliezer is found 15 times in
Scripture describing 11 individuals, but the two most definitive
description are in Genesis and Exodus: The name of Abraham
servant, and one of Moses’ two sons by Zipporah [Gen.24:1,
Exo. 18:4]
• Eliezer (from 'el = God or 'eli = my God + 'ezer = help) means
"God is help", "my God is help", "God of help“.
• EBENEZER - STONE OF HELP
• Ebenezer is derived from two words, eben = stone
and ezer = help and thus means "stone of The Help."

15. Machrie Moor
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Eben-haezer or Ebenezer
• The name Eben-haezer doesn't simply mean Stone Of Help.
• According to NOBSE Study Bible Name List, Jones' Dictionary of
Old Testament Proper Names, it means Stone Of The Help.
• Eben-haezer didn't commemorate getting help in general
• Eben-haezer didn't commemorate even the help that God gave.
• Eben-haezer commemorated the help that God is.

16. Machrie Moor
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Memorial Day is Personal to Many
What is a memorial?
• MEMO'RIAL, n. “That which preserves the memory of
something; any thing that serves to keep in memory.”
• A monument is a memorial of a deceased person, or of an
event.
• The Lord's supper is a memorial of the death and sufferings
of Christ. (Webster’s 1828)

17. Machrie Moor
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God is the Stone or Rock of Israel.
• We know that God is the Stone or Rock of Israel. The Bible
refers to Him as such on a number of occasions:
• Deuteronomy 32:4, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are
just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright
is He.”
• Deuteronomy 32:15, “But Jeshurun (i.e. Israel) grew fat and kicked--you
are grown fat, thick, and sleek--then he forsook God who made him,
and scorned the Rock of his salvation.”
• Deuteronomy 32:18, “You neglected the Rock who begot you, and
forgot the God who gave you birth.”
• David uses this name in: 2 Samuel 23:3, “The God of Israel
said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me…”

18. Machrie Moor
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(Scotland),
How People Seek For Help
• Man based on its constitution, though a spirit, is a neutral being
• To achieve in this life, man needs power that is great than his.
• So, a recourse is usually made to the higher powers who can
help.
• Man when confronted with life challenges seeks help from 4
sources:
• Self - use of brain, brawn, beauty and body.
• Other people - connections, relationship, bloodline
• Devil or its agents – for its magical quick fixes.
• God

19. Machrie Moor
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The 3 Ways God helps us
•There are 3 ways God can help a man:
•Angelic visitation;
•God appointed help man; and
•God Himself showing up.

20. Machrie Moor
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HELP – Through Angelic Visitation
God created the angels for many purposes, including guiding,
protecting, helping, encouraging and strengthening us:
• Lot, wife and daughters - Genesis 19:15-17
• Joseph and pregnant Mary - Matthew 1:20
• Elijah when frustrated and pursued by Jezebel - 1 Kings 19:7
• The 3 Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace - Daniel 3:25
• 185k Assyrian soldiers killed one night - Isaiah 37:36
• Going before and moved around Israelites - Exodus 14:19
• Released Peter from jail – Acts 12:6-11

21. Machrie Moor
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HELP – Through God-appointed Man
• God can and do appoint or delegate man to help another man
in time of need:
• The Butler told Pharaoh about Joseph – Gen.41:9-14
• Jonathan and Ahimaaz helped David - II Sam.15:35,36, 16:17-21
• David helped Mephiboseth – II Sam.9:1-13.
• God stirred up king Cyrus to re-build Jerusalem temple – Ezra 1
• A Gentile builds a Jewish synagogue - Luke 7:1-10
• A little boy offered Jesus his meagre lunch - Matthew 14:14-21
• Only the Philippi Christians supported Paul. Philippians 4:15-16

22. Machrie Moor
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HELP – Through God Intervening Himself
• Instead of God sending angels or man to help, He can come down
himself to intervene:
• God came down to help Blind Bartimaeus – Mk.10:42-52
• He rescued the Israelites form Egyptian servitude- Exo.3:7-8
• He fought against the Philistine at Ebenezer – I Sam.7:12-15
• Asa was helped to defeat one million army – I Chro.14:1-15
Those who feel the lack of God’s working should cry out to Him to
come down in power to make His name known.
God brings down the proud, but He helps those who are helpless,
who depend on His deliverance.

23. Machrie Moor
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How is Jesus like a Rock?
• But, how is Jesus like a rock?
• Jesus is stable like a rock is stable. He does not jump around from
place to place; you know where you can find him.
• Jesus is solid like a rock is solid. He is a sure foundation. You can put
all of your weight upon Him and He will sustain you.
• Jesus is unchanging like a rock is unchanging. He is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. Although He may change His mind, He
never changes in character.
• Jesus is not just the Rock; He is “The Rock of The Help.” Jesus is “The
Rock of many specific incidences of where we have received His help,
because Jesus is “Help” personified.

24. Machrie Moor
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WHERE IS YOUR EBENEZER?
• Literally speaking, an Ebenezer is a "stone of help," or a reminder of
God’s Real, Holy Presence and Divine aid.
• Spiritually and theologically speaking, an Ebenezer can be nearly
anything that reminds us of God’s presence and help:
• the Bible;
• the Sacramental Elements;
• a cross;
• a picture;
• a fellow believer;
• a hymn.
• Those things which serve as reminders of God’s love, His Goodness,
God’s real Presence, and God’s assistance are "Ebenezers.“ or ‘Help
Monument’.

25. Machrie Moor
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Journaling your Ebenezer [Help Monument]
• Many times in the bible a stone or a pile of stones has been used as
a reminder of how God has helped someone. The stories of Noah,
Joshua, Jacob, and Samuel are just a few.
• I usually write down things that I prayed on and ask God for.
Sometime, when I reviewed my journals at the end of every year,
what I see are monumental! How God has answered my prayers. This
shows God was faithful to answer my prayers. This my prayer journal
is a type of Ebenezer stone. An Ebenezer stone is anything that
reminds us of how God has helped us.
• When you go home today, please start journaling the goodness of
God in your life, family and friends, and you’ll find some special
stones. Kindly put them in a special place to remind you of God’s
faithfulness, His mercy in His forgiveness, and how He is always there
to help you.

26. Machrie Moor
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• Spurgeon said; “You have, perhaps, heard of the old woman
who said she had so many Ebenezers, that they formed a wall
on both sides of her all her journey through life. Each of us
should be able to say the same. “Hitherto hath the Lord helped
us”: it is indeed a great wall of memorials of the lovingkindness
of God.”
• I hope that this day our souls may suggest unto themselves
some way in which we may record the Lord’s mighty deeds,
and hand down to coming generations our testimony of His
faithfulness and of His truth.

27. Machrie Moor
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“Hitherto hath the Lord helped us”:
• Samuel didn’t just set up a stone and name it “Ebenezer”, he had
some words to go along with the name. He said: “Thus far the Lord
has helped us.”
• Let’s examine the phrase “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us”.
• Different translations rendered ‘hitherto’ as ‘thus far’, ‘up to this
point’, ‘till now’, ‘until now’.
• There are three perspectives to this statement. Those perspectives
are:
• past;
• present; and
• future.

28. Machrie Moor
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The Past Perspective
• When Samuel said, “Thus far the Lord has helped us,” the
statement hearkened back to all of the great victories that God
had worked in Israel’s history.
• This statement reminds us of all the victories of history.
• Neither time nor human frailty would allow us to list all of those
victories.
• However, we ought to proclaim, “Thus far the Lord has helped
us,” in honour of those victories.
• We can list victories that God has done for you in the past.

29. Machrie Moor
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The Present Perspective
• Not only had God wrought many victories for them in the near
and distant past, but also they were presently standing in
victory.
• Right now you are standing in some present victory. Maybe you
can’t think of a present victory, then think about it like our
spiritual ancestors used to sing:
• Just another day that the Lord has kept me.
• Just another day that the Lord has kept me.
• He has kept me from all evil; with my mind stayed on Him.
• Just another day that the Lord has kept me.
• That is a present victory!!!

30. Machrie Moor
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The Future Perspective
• But the statement entails more than the past and the present, as it
intimates the future. If He had helped them this far, i.e. in the past and in
the present, wouldn’t He help them in the future?
• Isn’t the future also intimated here for us? “Thus far the Lord has helped
us.” We have counted upon him in the past, He is active in the present,
and His promises should cause us to depend upon Him for the future.
• I don’t believe that He has brought us this far to leave us. Somebody said:
• He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.
• He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown.
• He didn’t build a home in us to move away.
• He didn’t lift us up to let us down.
• Somebody say, “Ebenezer!” “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

31. Machrie Moor
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The Outcome of this Battle
• What was the outcome of this battle and miraculous victory at
Mizpah?
• “So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory
of Israel; the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the
days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel
were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered
their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also
between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:13-14 NRSV)
• The Philistines did not come within the border of Israel anymore.
• Through this victory, which was obtained by the miraculous help of
God, the Philistines were so humbled, that they no more invaded the
territory of Israel, i.e. with lasting success, as they had done before
(Keil & Delitszch]

32. Machrie Moor
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The Philistines lost a lot of their power.
• The Philistines lost a lot of their power.
• The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of
Samuel. God continued to fight for Israel against her enemies.
• They regained territory that they had lost to the Philistines.
• The territory was delivered from the hand of the Philistines.
• This brought about peace with other enemies.

33. Machrie Moor
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• The Canaanitish tribes also kept peace with Israel after this victory of
the Israelites over the Philistines, and during the time of Samuel”
(Keil & Delitzsch).
• My prayers is that God will do the same thing for you:
• Secure your borders against your enemies.
• Raise His hand mightily against Satan and your enemies—all of your days.
• Give you back territory that had been lost to the devil.
• Release territory all around you from the hand of the devil.
• Quiet down your enemies.
• Therefore, we ought to set up a memorial here, in time like this and
shout, “Ebenezer!” “Thus far the Lord has helped us!” We ought to
slow down; we ought to stop for a while, and memorialize and
worship God for what He has done and who He is! “Ebenezer”, Thus
far the Lord has helped us!”

34. Machrie Moor
standing stone
(Scotland),
Why Erecting a Stone - Humans are
forgetful
• Samuel was a wise and godly man with a good idea. He
recognized something that’s true about human nature—we’re
forgetful.
• At Ebenezer, Israel could stand next to that big old rock, a
marker-stone and remind themselves, “Yes, we serve a living
and faithful God, whose mercies are everlasting.”
• The Psalmist chapter 103: 1-2 extolled us that ‘we should not
forget God’s benefits that He has given us’.
• You too can be involved in journaling down your victories – they
become your “Ebenezer” offerings for tomorrow.

35. Machrie Moor
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Summary - Some Applications:
• If we want to have God's victory in our lives, we must turn from our
sin to obey God.
• We are insufficient in ourselves to win the battles we face. We need
God.
• God is altogether able to bring us through the times of trouble we
face when we call on Him.
• It is always appropriate to "erect a monument" to the faithfulness of
God - through our testimonies and by our changed lives.
• Remembering that God has "helped us" in the past gives us
confidence that He will help us for the future.

36. Machrie Moor
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Conclusion…1
• Your life is not static like a photograph, but liquid and moving
like a symphony. It has “high highs” and “low lows” – different
movements, if you will agree with me. Your experiences come
and go, combining into the features of a story. God is speaking
through your story and one way to “hear” Him is to name your
life points so you can retain and reference their meaning.
• What is an “Ichabod” moment in your life? A rough ending at
which you felt as if “the Glory left”?
• What is an “Ebenezer” moment in your life? A point at which
you experienced God’s remarkable help and intervention?

37. Machrie Moor
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Conclusion…2
• Beloved, I like to guess that you have experienced several
victories gained by the help of God.
• It is time to acknowledge them and perpetuate their memories
in your heart.
• David waved his ‘Ebenezer’ at King Saul, when there was doubt
about his ability to defeat Goliath (see 1Samuel 17: 33-37).
• Bring out your ‘Ebenezer” and wave them at your challenge.
• God is faithful, if He has done it in this out going year, He will
surely do it again in the coming days. LET’S PRAY!

38. Machrie Moor
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Let Us
PRAY!!!

39. Machrie Moor
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PRAYER ISSUES
• Thank our Heavenly Father for always being there to help us.
• Pray that we will always remember God’s faithfulness and mercy all day
• Lord, I will always remember your faithfulness and the past victories gained through your
help.
• Give thanks to God for the wonderful Ebenezers that God has given us in my life and ministry.
• Thank God for the Church, friends & family -- the many wonderful saints who have upheld
you, daily, with their prayers, their words of encouragement, and their acts of service.
• Pray that each and every one of us be blessed always by the grace and peace of Jesus Christ
through the Ebenezers that God has placed in our lives!
• For a moment, think back over your life. Is there some "Eliezer" event in your life? How did
you respond to God's help? Maybe you did not even recognize it then but in retrospect you
do see His Helping hand. Now, offer a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to your Jehovah 'Ezer,
the LORD your Helper.
• May God grant each of us His grace to "set up memorial stones," stones of remembrance, our
own personal "Ebenezers," ‘Our HELP MONUMENT’ that continually testifies "Hitherto hath
Jehovah Helped me" which serves as a continual reminder of His ever present help in Christ
Jesus!