RAISING MY EBENEZER

 

(Excerpted from The Unfaithful Bride & The Faithful Groom, a book by Neil Cullan McKinlay & D. Rudi Schwartz)

Raising Our Ebenezer!

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Hither by Thy help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.[1] 

If we may be permitted to, as it were, “kill two birds with the one stone” (no pun intended), in the hymn quoted above, Robert Robinson would have us sing, “Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’ve come”. Raising an Ebenezer (as mentioned elsewhere in this book), is in reference to the Israelite practice of placing stones of help, stones of remembrance, stones of testimony, witnesses to great events in history, i.e., God’s mighty works, such as Israel’s crossing the River Jordan to enter the Promised Land (Josh. 4:1-7; 19-24, Judg. 3:19, 26). Spiritual songs, like these stones, are reminders, historical landmarks, to us of His mighty works. Yes, setting stones and singing songs has long been the practice of God’s Church. For, even in the beginning the angels sang when God laid the earth’s corner stone (Job 38:6-7).

Of Jesus at His Triumphal Entry, we are told that “the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!’ And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, ‘Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out’” (Luke 19:37-40). Whether stones of help or hymns of praise, we must not remove reminders of the mighty works of God done in the Church’s past. Therefore, psalms and old hymns need to be included as part of the contemporary bride of Christ’s repertoire, lest we forget by Whose help we have come hither. In the ancient, the old, and the new, we must continue to raise our Ebenezer.

The hymnbook of the Church has never been canonised. New songs can and should be added to the praise repertoire. And there are indeed new songs that remind us of our sinfulness and frailty. Every time I sing “In Christ alone” my heart melts but it is also strengthened at these words,

 

In Christ alone, who took on flesh

Fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness

Scorned by the ones He came to save

’Til on that cross, as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin, on Him, was laid

Here, in the death of Christ, I live

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of Hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

’Til He returns or calls me home

Here, in the power of Christ, I’ll stand[2]

 

The composers of the song above brilliantly follows in the footsteps of the Psalms to teach us,

By faith, our fathers roamed the earth

With the power of His promise in their hearts

Of a holy city built by God’s own hand –

A place where peace and justice reign.

By faith, the church was called to go

In the power of the Spirit to the lost

To deliver captives and to preach good news,

In every corner of the earth.[3]

God Himself has raised an Ebenezer, the Ebenezer, the Rock, Jesus Christ: “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isa. 28:16). “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12).

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[1] Robert Robinson, (1735-90), Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. (Ebenezer  ”stone of help”).

[2] Stuart Townend & Keith Getty, In Christ alone, (Music and Lyrics: Copyright © 2001 Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com)( https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/in-christ-alone/).

[3] Stuart Townend , Keith Getty & Kristyn Getty, By Faith, (Music and Lyrics Copyright © 2009 Getty Music Publishing (BMI) (Adm by SongSolutions info@songsolutions.org) and Thankyou Music (Adm. by CapitolCMGPublishing.com excl. UK & Europe, adm. by Integrity Music, part of the David C Cook family, songs@integritymusic.com) (https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/by-faith/)