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    While God was shaping Samuel into an effective prophet and priest for Israel, the people continued to struggle with false gods and with the neighboring Philistines. After a crucial defeat the Israelites were stunned. Believing that God had turned his back on them, the soldiers sent for the Ark of God and had it brought to the camp. As the symbol of God’s presence, they assumed the Ark would surely bring God and his blessing back to them.

    However, during the next battle the Philistines captured the Ark and killed Eli’s sons, the priests who had brought the Ark into battle. The Israelite soldiers who survived the battle ran away in fear, and when the news reached Eli that his sons had been killed and that the Ark had been captured, he fell over dead. It was a dark day for Israel.

Samuel spoke to the whole group of Israel, saying “If you’re turning back to the LORD with all your hearts, you must remove your foreign gods and your idols of Ashtoreth. You must give yourselves fully to the LORD and serve only him. Then he will save you from the Philistines. After this happened Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named the stone Ebenezer, saying, “The LORD has helped us to this point.” 1 SAMUEL 7:3,12

    At first the Philistines rejoiced. After all, they had captured the most holy article in Israel. Believing their god, Dagon, had given them victory, they honored him by placing the Ark in his temple. That proved to be a bad decision. Within forty-eight hours Dagon was mysteriously dismembered. Possessing the Ark brought nothing but disaster to the Philistines. Their false gods were disgraced, the people grew strangely ill, and many died. Fear filled their cities. Finally, to rid themselves of the terrors, they sent the Ark back to Israel.

    For twenty years the Israelites left the Ark in the house of Abinadab as the people mourned and sought the Lord. Inspired by the preaching of Samuel, Israel began a national revival. They tore down their idols and returned humbly to the great God of their forefathers. At Samuel’s request the people gathered in a great assembly at Mizpah to confess their unfaithfulness to God and to seek his favor.

    While the Israelites were rallying for reconciliation, the Philistines were preparing for retaliation. Enemy soldiers swarmed down on the Israelites, ready for battle. God’s people turned to Samuel; God was their only hope. Samuel prayed for rescue, and the all-powerful Warrior God of Israel responded with deafening thunder, sending the Philistines into panic and confusion. The men of Israel pursued them and defeated them.

    When the battle was over, the nation of Israel was profoundly grateful to their God. Samuel set up a monument, an Ebenezer, a “stone of help,” to remind the people of God’s help on that day.

Reflection: The most holy piece in God’s tabernacle was the Ark of God — the symbol of his presence. It wasn’t an idol to be worshiped in place of God or some magical force to be used like a charm. The Philistines, and even the Israelites, had missed the point altogether, and God held them accountable. But when the people confessed their sins and turned back to God, once again he delivered them from their enemies. Just as they needed reminders of God’s intervention, perhaps we also should set up Ebenezers to remind us of the times we have sinned and he has forgiven and rescued us.