On Stones and Alters

A lot of the times in the Bible, when the people of Israel witnessed the Lord do something amazing, the Lord would either command them to build an alter, as a means of remembrance for how the Lord worked in their lives. There are many examples, but one example I can think of is 1 Samuel 7.

To describe what had happened, the Philistines had taken the Ark of the Covenant, and Israel rebelled from God, indulging in foreign false gods. It had taken 20 years for Israel to FINALLY be reconciled to God. (We haven't heard this story before *cough**cough* 40 years in the wilderness in Exodus... ANYWAYS!!)

In order to reconcile the Israelite people to God, Samuel gathers the people in a place called Mizpah. They offer water sacrifices and fast and pray and the whole lot. Who hears about this? The Philistines. And it is a GREAT opportunity for them to try and take captive the Israelite people, so they start trekking to Mizpah too! After a lot of prayer, a sacrifice from Samuel on behalf of the people, the Lord intervenes:

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a]and called its name Ebenezer;[b] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. {1 Samuel 7:12&13}

It is interesting in this case that Ebenezer in Hebrew means "stone of help" ("Eben" meaning "stone" and "Ezer" meaning "help"), because that is LITERALLY what the Lord did at Mizpah. He helped the Israelite people by defeating the Philistines. The Old Testament has NUMEROUS accounts of people building monuments and alters because the Lord was a "stone of help" to the people.

So. What does that have to do with me?

Personally, I think of two instances where there has been the imagery of stones and alters have been monumental for me. I hope you don't mine me sharing them with you.

Let's flash back to August 2014. It was the last month of the summer at Elim Lodge, where I had worked for 4 years. I had come from probably the most challenging year spiritually, mentally and emotionally. I was drained from living in Kingston for a whole year, and I was left with more questions as to what was going to happen in the future. 

My dear friend, Brent, did a devotion that was based in Joshua 4,  where he talked about the Israelite people collecting stones and building an alter to the Lord. He had posed the question: "What is your stone to put on the alter before God?" and it has stuck with me ever since. (Honestly, I'm gonna have to ask him about it and see if he remembers the devotion or not!) 

Fast forward to this past weekend, 5 years later. The Lord has graciously delivered me from the struggles I had endured at 19, I am married to a wonderful man of God, and we are living in a new city helping out with the youth group at our church. We had a youth retreat up at Conestoga Bible Camp, and during the Saturday afternoon of this retreat, we had a bit of free time, so some of the teens decided to walk out to the a humongous boulder in the middle of the drained river that was right outside the lodge we would always gather at. I'm not kidding! It was RIGHT in the middle of this river! 

After taking the above photo, I was reminded of the devotion my friend Brent talking about. "What is your stone?" 

Well, I'm claiming the one that is literally in the middle of this frozen river! 

 It was such a simple reminder and such a revelation that it was not in my strength that I was able to arrive to this place of comfort and peace, this ability to serve these youth, but it was my Saviour that led me to this place. What a wonderful peace we can have, as we can put our faith in the Rock of our Salvation! 

"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to youwhen my heart is faint.Lead me to the rockthat is higher than I, for you have been my refuge..."{Psalm 61: 1-3a} 

The view from the rock! :) 

Sources:

1. Desiring God: "Here I Raise My Ebeneezer: The Inspiration From 'Come Thou Fount'" 
2. 1 Samuel 7
3. Joshua 4
4. Psalm 61