As I was reflecting on the battle that Israel is now waging against Hamas in Gaza, my mind was drawn back to an earlier time when Israel was battling the Philistines.

1 Samuel 7:10-14 records this: “And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.”

As you may deduce from the passage above, “ebenezer” means “stone of help”. It was a stone monument which served as a continual reminder to the Israelites as to how God gave them the victory. It is written as one word in the Scriptures, but it is in fact made up of two words – “eben” and “ezer” (pronounced ayt-zer). Stone is “eben” and help is “ezer”. But even though we loosely translate “ezer” as “helper”, it is more than that. In the fulness of its meaning “ezer” means: saviour, rescuer, protector.

That’s why Moses names one of his sons Eliezer – it was to commemorate the God who repeatedly helped Moses and delivered him. “Eli” means “my God” and “ezer” means “help” – my God is my helper. Next time you read the Psalms take notice of how often it speaks of God as a Helper – the One who exercises the divine power of salvation, rescue, and protection.

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