The world is busy, but the Christmas season has always been a time of drawing us aside to revisit our favorite holiday traditions -from skiing to sledding and to adding that extra pound of something delicious. And, in a sense, there is no better story than Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol,” to portray the tenuous hope many feel across the world in this season when our expectations traditionally shine their best. Ebenezer Scrooge and Christ always come to the forefront of Western thought when the season for hope and giving weigh in on our priorities, even though our current generation may have forgotten both. As I thought about our world, this Christmas, I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit Ebenezer and a gift of three simple words that you can use all year, and be blesssed! EBENEZER, THUNDER and HEROES.
Like today’s world, the classic Ebenezer Scrooge was a man of great monetary wealth but greater spiritual poverty. He simply had no time for God or people, yet his soul was bankrupt and on the verge of an irreversible dark eternity. But of the many traps and bondages Ebenezer Scrooge found himself in perhaps the hardest to overcome was his trap of self-sufficiency.
Recently my wife, Jeannette, and I faced a series of unprecedented emotional, physical and spiritual challenges. On some days we did our best just to weather the storm. On other days we sank under the crashing waves of pressure and not until a few weeks ago did we finally managed to rediscover how to trust, obey and count on God’s help in our time of need. To our surprise, we found our greatest comfort in the life of the ancient prophet/judge Samuel; and in rediscovering Samuel we also discovered the true meaning behind Ebenezer.
EBENEZER
Peering back into the life of Samuel one discovers the making of a God appointed hero. In his lifetime, much like out present world, ancient Israel had degraded to a place of divine intervention on a national scale. Israel had all but turned its back on God and as a result, for twenty years Israel suffered at the hands of oppressive overlords. Despite this God was still grooming a hero and what we may feel is too late for us, because of our circumstances, is seldom too late for God.
We can all attest to experiencing the pains of misfortune because we did not discern the times, live in His presence or seek His glory. And while those pains leave wounds and reminders, God in His omnipotence, prepares a way of escape for those we will seek Him with all their heart, mind and soul. As it was with Samuel, and ancient Israel, His grace continues to groom heroes and cultivate His message in their hearts. In fact the ancient message of Samuel is eternally relevant: It is time to serve the Lord, alone! It is time to humble, seek, pray and turn so that He may visit us, again, in a time of desperation and trouble. Furthermore it is time we come to know this grace-filled and merciful God as our Ebenezer.
What a wonderful word. It may be that Charles Dickens used it on purpose. What a gift again today: Ebenezer: Our Stone of Help wrapped in eternal certainty. For those who are willing to look beyond the frustrations of a season of giving and receiving, we can learn to appreciate Christmas even more, because there is always more from our “Stone” that we first envision.
Preceding Samuel’s introduction of Ebenezer Israel was in despair and growing danger seemed poised to overtake them. Yet Samuel’s words continued to ring true by saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone.”
In response to Samuel’s instruction Israel finally obeyed and positioned their lives, and walk, in perfect alignment with God once again. But just as Israel made their first steps towards faithfulness we read their enemies arrived, on cue, with the intention of sowing doubt, division, fear and retreat from their faithful return back to God. Earlier in this same account we discover all we need to know about Israel, and therefore ourselves, as well as the tactics of our enemy, “When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine rulers came to attack Israel. The Israelites heard ⌊about the Philistine plan⌋ and were afraid of them. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t turn a deaf ear to us! Don’t stop crying to the Lord our God for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!”[1]
During a time of stress, we often resort to complaining, “I’ll be glad when its over.” But the lessons we learn from this Biblical account reminds us the answer to our stress in our lives, and in our world, is to continue to call on God in a time of trouble and to relax in His purposes and His unexpected plans. This truth leads us to our second “gift.”
THUNDER
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1 Samuel 7: 10-13: “While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel. On that day the Lord thundered loudly at the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel. 11 Israel’s soldiers left Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and killed them as far as Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel took a rock and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer [Rock of Help] and said, “Until now the Lord has helped us.” 13 The power of the Philistines was crushed, so they didn’t come into Israel’s territory again. The Lord restrained the Philistines as long as Samuel lived. 14 [2]
No sooner had Israel recommitted to serving the Lord, alone, the Philistines were on the attack and genuine fear gripped at the courage of the men of Israel. Fear is such a simple word and yet it remains a powerful influence in our lives. Fear can rob our peace, sleep, passion, love and hope while also managing to paralyze us and open the door for a multitude of lies to flood our lives. Fear is what was clawing at the hearts of Israel and this same fear has the ability to interfere with us when we are trying to make our way toward God. Fear is what clutched at the heart of Ebenezer Scrooge when he came face to face with his past, present and future. Yet, while fear may stall many we need only return to the faithfulness of God to be reminded if we run to the Lord, and trust in Him, He will do a great and mighty work on behalf of His faithful. God’s thundering exclamation is a mighty expression that not only causes the enemies of God to stumble, but also gives courage to the panicked, stricken and afraid.
HEROES
Our final “gift” is revealed in the beauty of transformation. The lives of the once fear-filled men of Israel had now turned heroic. But it was not an overnight change. Israel’s transformation was years in the making and even started with Samuel whose entire life was being groomed for such a critical turning point in Israel’s history. But what was responsible to the transformation from fearful to courageous and unfaithful to faithful? Was it just in a man? No. What had changed was Israel’s heart.
Through turning back to the Lord in obedience and serving Him alone, courage became gift of Ebenezer. Like Israel we should take great courage in the powerful chain of events we can expect when we turn our hearts back to God and joyfully serve Him alone. God is always looking for an opportunity to thunder in behalf of those who love Him. God is always looking to raise up a hero that will serve Him with all they have and God is always looking to redeem the stumbling and fearful by giving them His Spirit and victory. God is always looking for an opportunity to give us a reason to lay an EBENEZER (a rock of remembrance of His help) for His glory.
In a sense, the Christmas story has the same handprint as Samuel’s story. Across the globe Christians return to the simple, life changing reality of Emmanuel “God with us” in the form of the infant child, Jesus. To a creation that had lost its way, an unlikely Hero was given, in unlikely circumstances, to an unlikely, simple girl and unimportant people. It may have seemed relatively insignificant for Samuel to establish a memorial stone named Ebenezer (stone of help) after the victory of Israel over their enemies. But this small “stone of help” was as profound as God in flesh wrapped in swaddling clothes. Samuel reminded Israel God was the source of their help during their critical moments and Jesus birth likewise reminds us He is the Everlasting Stone of this evidence throughout the year. In Ebenezer, Israel, and we, are reminded that He is always on the side of the person who loves Him with everything.
Ebenezer Scrooge lived long enough to discover the gift of redemption. Scrooge learned he truly had something to fear…a cold and heartless world without the love and compassion of genuine family. A world without Jesus is as unforgiving and unloving as Scrooges’ bleak existence. But once we, like Scrooge, find the true meaning of purpose, life and destiny our fear prisons become broken and our circumstances are alleviated in the thunderous and compassionate mercy of God. At the close of “A Christmas Carol” Scrooge becomes an Ebenezer for many in need, and in Christ’s glorious birth He reminds everyone of the lasting truth He is the answer to our needs today. To experience the lasting joy and hope of this Christmas season turn your heart to serve the Lord alone, and let your New Year’s resolution be: This year I will expect the THUNDER of God in my circumstances!
Merry Christmas! – JOSHUA-PAUL
[1] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (1 Sa 7:7–8). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.
[2] GOD’S WORD Translation. (1995). (1 Sa 7:10–14). Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group.