12 Then Samuel took a stone and set itbetween Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying,
"Thus far the LORD has helped us.‘ - P36
13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stoppedinvading Israel‘s territory. Throughout Samuel‘s lifetime,
the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. - P36
17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his homewas, and there he also held court for Israel. And he builtan altar there to the LORD. - P37
Samuel takes a stone and sets it up between Mizpah and Shen. He names itEbenezer, which means, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." The Philistines aresubdued and stop invading Israel‘s territory. - P37
As Israel‘s leader, Samuel travelsthroughout the land to judge the people, but he always returns to his homein Ramah, where he builds an altar to the Lord. - P37
Israel is able to subdue its enemies and enjoy some respite from war.
To mark the occasion, Samuel sets up a memorial stone and calls it
"Ebenezer" as a testament to God‘s help. - P38
Samuel‘s ministry marks asignificant time in Israel‘s history as it moves from the era of the judgesto that of the monarchy. - P38
Likewise, our own spiritual lives as well as thatof our churches should be marked by different seasons that lead towardgreater maturity. - P38
We should not be dealing with the same sinful ten-dencies that we struggled with when we first met Christ. - P38
Rather, withthe Lord‘s help, we should be growing in our faith and praising God forhow far He has brought us. - P38
Samuel serves the Lord faithfully throughout his life, traveling to allparts of Israel to judge the people while always returning to Ramahas his home base. - P38
The altar he builds points back to a practice of thepatriarchs-Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. - P38
But the true glory days of Israelstill lie in the future, when God‘s presence and the seat of governmentwill be found in one, centralized location in Jerusalem. - P38
While we waitfor the future glory that will be revealed with the second coming of ourresurrected King, we must, like Samuel, faithfully continue our ministry as sojourners
in this world. - P38
We may not witness this glory in ourown lifetimes, but it is the precious hope we hold onto as we perseverein the faith. - P38
Lord Jesus, help me to be faithful to the ministry that You have given me whileI wait for Your glorious return. - P38
May I serve You and Your people with diligence,
even when the task is fraught with difficulty. In Your name, amen. - P38
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