Ebenezer: "thus far the LORD has helped us"

• Today we gather here to rejoice together in Him as we look back to what God has done in and through us in this past ... years

• A lot has happened since then. People came and went. Lots of joys, successes as well as disppointment, discouragement and tears.

• Looking back to what God has done, it's only by His grace and faithfulness to His people in this nation and to us as His servants that we've been able to witness His works among us.

• Our obedience to the calling matters. We're not chosen because we have qualities others don’t. but because simply god chose us and we respond/obey.

○ We have our flaws. We're not perfect and that's what makes God's grace even more obvious. It keeps us humble. It keeps us stay on the ground.

Indeed it has been God's hands in everything that has happened during the last ... years… whether we like it or not.

"Till now the LORD has helped us."

1 Samuel 7:12(NLT)

Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

Ва Самуил як сангро гирифта, дар миёни Мисфо ва Шен гузошт, ва онро Эбен‐Эзер номида, гуфт: «То ин ҷо Худованд ба мо мадад кард». - 1 Подшоҳон 7:12

"Ebenezer". The word ebenezer did not always connote "thus far the LORD has helped us". Prior to the moment described in 1 Sam7, ie. 1Sam4, Israelites encountered totally different experience with Ebenezer (a different Ebenezer). It's a symbol of a total defeat and humiliation. The event that led to the loss of God's glory in Israel (Ichabod).

1 Sam 4-7

The ark of the Covenant - from God's presence to talisman - Ichabod "where is the glory?" - God's glory has departed from Israel - When the idea of "glory" is detached from "GOD". People want "glory" or "power" without "GOD".

The first Ebenezer (4.1)

Ва каломи Самуил ба тамоми Исроил расид. Ва Исроил ба муқобили фалиштиён ба ҷанг баромаданд, ва назди Эбен‐Эзер ӯрду заданд; ва фалиштиён дар Афеқ ҷойгир шуданд. ‭‭1 Подшоҳон‬ ‭4:1

• The day the Israelites treated God as some kind of talisman and going to war without Him - relying & trusting in themselves.

○ "Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated?"

‭1 Подшоҳон‬ ‭4:3‬

Ва қавм ба ӯрдугоҳ омаданд; ва пирони Исроил гуфтанд: «Чаро Худованд имрӯз моро пеши фалиштиён шикаст дод? Пас, сандуқи аҳди Худовандро назди худ биёрем, ва он андаруни мо дохил шуда, моро аз дасти душманонамон наҷот хоҳад дод».

§ The solution to this question was to bring the ark of covenant (сандуқи аҳди Худованд)to the battle. They thought God & His power is with the ark and the defeat (мағлубият)had nothing to do with them as a nation and their relationship with God, whose presence was represented in that ark.

○ They went to the battle with the trust in the ark NOT the God whose presence the ark represented.

The second Ebenezer (7.12) -

• In chapter 7, over 20 years passed since the Israel's defeat from the Philistine

• v2- Israel lamented after the LORD. - тамоми хонадони Исроил Худовандро ёд карданд

○ other translation: "lamented after GOD - аз паси Худо нола карданд

• Imagine: living for years under the remembrance of the defeat -

○ embarrassment (хиҷолат) & humiliation (таҳқир)

○ even worse: feeling being abandoned by God (эҳсоси аз ҷониби Худо партофташуда) тарк кардашуда

Ва Самуил ба тамоми хонадони Исроил сухан ронда, гуфт: «Агар шумо бо тамоми дили худ сӯи Худованд руҷӯъ намуда, худоёни бегона ва Аштораҳоро аз миёни худ дур созед, ва дилҳои худро моил гардонида, танҳо Ӯро ибодат намоед, Ӯ шуморо аз дасти фалиштиён раҳо хоҳад кард». ‭‭1 Подшоҳон‬ ‭7:3‬

• Way in witnessing the deliverance of God:

○ returning to God with all our heart

○ put away foreign gods among us (our reliance toward human effort) дур кардан

○ direct our heart to the LORD & serve Him only

○ руҷӯъ кардан: to turn

○ раҳо кардан: to deliver/release

‭‭1 Подшоҳон‬ ‭7:12‬ ‭KM92‬‬

Ва Самуил як сангро гирифта, дар миёни Мисфо ва Шен гузошт, ва онро Эбен‐Эзер номида, гуфт: «То ин ҷо Худованд ба мо мадад кард».

• Маънои аслии Эбен-эзер: сангии мадад

• Ebenezer is the reminder (ёдоварӣ) of...

○ God's faithfulness, mercy, lovingkindness - grace to His people, in the midst of fear, difficulty, oppression (зулм) and opposition (мухолифат).

○ What kind of attitude we need to have before God as we live and serve Him

○ Israel returning to God (ба сӯи Худованд руҷӯъ кардан)

○ put away their reliance on foreign gods (такя ба худоёни бегона-ро дур кардан)

○ direct their heart to God (дили худро ба сӯи Худо равона кардан)

• The day Israel returned to GOD, He delivered them from the hand of Philistine.

What is your ebenezer?

What does your Ebenezer remind you of?

defeat and humiliation?

Your success & achievement?

God’s faithfulness, mercy & lovingkindness?

We can pretend that our achievement & success is God’s doing in our life, but our heart attitude can still be like Israelites when they were in another Ebenezer as described in chapter 4.

As we remember what God has done in our life, test our heart before Him: Have I meant it when I said “Thus far the LORD has helped us”?

I pray that today will be your "ebenezer" that will keep reminding you of God's faithfulness, grace & mercy, as well as of your commitment to Him (ӯхдадориатон ба Худо) in serving (ибодат/хизмат) and relying (такя/таваккал) upon Him continuously.