Ebenezer Stone

This is an embarrassing confession for me. However, it is made in the hopes it will help others. Recently, I caught myself singing the phrase, “Here I raise my Ebenezer…” as we sang together at church. Then, it dawned on me. I had no idea what I was singing!

I thought to myself, “Who was this Ebenezer guy? Was his last name Scrooge? What does this have to do with praising God?” Well, there are answers to these questions and it has nothing to do with Charles Dickens or fairy tales.

In the popular song, “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing” the beautiful phrase is found in the second stanza. “Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by Thy help I’ve come; And I hope by Thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home.” Yet, it is only a meaningful phrase if one understands it.

In the Old Testament, the last judge’s name was Samuel. He faced the daunting task of leading an Israelite nation that was wishy-washy and fearful of surrounding nations. Yet, Samuel reminds them, “If you return to the Lord...He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3).

The Israelites admit their sin, pray, make offerings for sin and war with the powerful Philistines. 1 Samuel 7:11 informs us the Israelites were victorious in battle. Verse 12 then records the momentous occasion saying, “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.'”

The meaning of the stone’s name reveals the meaning of the second stanza in “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The meaning is, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Has God helped you so far in your life? He can continue to help you into eternity. Let us not be faithless, wishy-washy or cold in our love for Him. As Christians, we are not motivated by flags, national monuments, or Ebenezer stones but by the blood shed on the cross. Still, let us raise our Ebenezer together as we recall God’s love for us and “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2).

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