Here I raise My EbenezerHere I raise My Ebenezer : PhrasesMeaning: For Christians to remember to rely on the Lord; to remind God's people how He delivered Israel in their time of trouble. Example: Here I raise mine Ebenezer : hither by thy help I'm come : and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Origin: This phrase is the beginning of the second verse of Robert Robinson's hymn, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (1758) (see above Example). In the Bible, 1 Samuel Chapters 4 through 7, a series of battles occurs between the Israelites and the Philistines. In an attempt to defeat the Philistines, the Israelites took the ark of the covenant into battle as a sort of good luck charm. To their anguish, the Philistines captured the ark and took it back to their pagan temple. God then sent plagues upon the Philistines and caused the idol of their god Dagon to fall over on its face. Fearing God, the Philistines sent the ark back to the Israelites. Samuel offered sacrifices to God so that when the Philistines approached, God thundered with a great thunder. In the confusion that followed, the Israelites soundly defeated the Philistines. As a reminder of the great victory God gave to Israel, Samuel took a great stone and raised it as a memorial. As he raised it, he called the name of it Ebenezer (or stone of help). Whenever the Israelites looked at the stone, they would remember how God had helped them. The exact site of the stone is unknown today. Phrases Index
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