EBEN-EZER.

148

and began to serve the Lord. | prayed too, and asked for forgive-
Samuel called them to Mizpeh, and | ness, and cried, “ We have sinned
there he prayed for them: and they against the Lord.”

 

et ee ee

XOIX.

pf BEN-

4|HEN the Philistines heard
\| that the Israelites were
/| gathered together at Miz-
} peh, they went there to

fight against them. The
Israelites were very much fright-
ened when they heard that their
enemies were coming, and they
went for help to their kind friend
Samuel. But the Israelites knew
that Samuel himself had not power
to save them: God alone could de-
liver them ; so they said to Samuel,
“Pray for us to God; ask him to
save us from the Philistines.” Then
Samuel took a lamb, and offered it
up in faith, as a sacrifice to God,
and prayed unto the Lord; and
the Lord heard him. But did the
Philistines come to Mizpeh? Yes;
while Samuel was offering the sacri-
fice, he looked up and saw the
enemies coming nearer and nearer,
and making ready for battle. Was
he frightened? No, because he
_ trusted in God; he knew God had
power to deliver His people; and
when he remembered that, Samuel
could not fear. The Israelites did
not fight the Philistines, but God
Himself fought, and conquered
them. How? Not with swords,
nor spears, nor arrows: He sent a

 

 

 

EZER.

great thunderstorm, and frightened
the Philistines, and they fled; and
the Israelites followed, and killed
them in great numbers.

When the Philistines were con-
quered, Samuel took a great stone,
and set it up near Mizpeh. Why?
Because he wished all Israel to re-
member God’s kindness to them in
saving them from their enemics.
When, in future years, the Israelites
should look upon that stone, they
would think, “ Here God was merci-
ful to us, and delivered us from
our cruel enemies, the Philistines.”
Samuel gave the stone a name; he
called it Eben-ezer, which means,
“the stone of help? Why did Sa-
muel call the stone, a stone of help?
“ Because,” he said, “hitherto hath
the Lord helped us.” The Philis-
tines were all gone; they did not
again come to trouble and frighten
the Israelites; and Samuel and the
people were right to thank and
praise God for all His mercies.

Let us remember that God is our ~
help. He has taken care of us in
past years; and we must ask Him
to take care of us in all our future
years too, and to bring us safely at
last to Heaven.