Today we find ourselves in the time between the celebration of Christmas and the beginning of a New Year. Some of us may not be quite ready to let go of Christmas just yet. Perhaps your decorations are still up. So I will give you today a blend of two holidays, Christmas and New Years.
This Christmas we played a game where you had to give clues to a person with a cell phone pressed against their head. The cell phone had a holiday theme displayed on the screen. The person with the cell phone had to guess what the word or words were based on people screaming clues at them. Nothing more festive than adding chaos to a family gathering.
So today we will begin with some quotes from Christmas and you guess who said or what movie it may have been from. Ready? “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." ~ The Grinch
“You'll shoot your eye out, kid.” - Santa in the Christmas story
“It's a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.” - Clark Griswold
“First we'll make snow angels for two hours, then we'll go ice skating, then we'll eat an entire roll of Toll House cookie dough as fast as we can, and then to finish, we'll snuggle!" - Elf
“Ho, ho, ho.” - Santa
“Bah Humbug” - Ebenezer Scrooge
The last two were really easy, weren’t they? The joy of Santa and the bitterness of Ebenezer Scrooge. Both of there characters are exemplified in two of my favorite Christmas movies; “The Miracle on 34th Street” and “The Christmas Carol.” Now in keeping with our theme today let’s look at “The Christmas Carol.” The main character is Ebenezer Scrooge. His name is quite interesting. Ebenezer is actually a Hebrew name meaning “stone of help” Scrooge was an English variation of a word meaning “to squeeze or press.” Listen to how Charles Dickens, the writer of “The Christmas Carol” describes him.
“Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog days; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.”
Did you notice all the words associated with squeezing? Tight-fisted, clutching, covetous, no generosity, and cold. The two things we learn in the story is that he squeezed his money in a tight fist and he squeezed his heart, suffocating his own soul, with a greedy obsession to gain more.
Yet his first name meant “stone of help.” His first name is only mentioned three times in the story. Once by his deceased partner, Marley, again by his former boss in a vision from a visit with the first ghost, and finally on his tombstone.
If you know the story than you know it takes place on Christmas Eve. Scrooge is visited by four ghosts; his former partner and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.
The Ghost of Christmas Past is the ghost of Scrooge’s past. He shows Scrooge his boyhood. He sees himself as a child and he is happy. He remembers what it was like to have been a joyous young man with hopes and dreams. He learns what is missing in his life. He sees himself alone at school, happy as an apprentice and fiancé, and then dumped. When his fiancé Belle dumps him because he cares more about money than her, Scrooge starts on a long path that led to where he is now.
The Ghost of Christmas Present picks up where Past let off. He wants to teach Scrooge the same lesson. He wants to show him that he can change. The first sprit showed him he was not always this way, and the second one will show him what he’s missing. The second spirit shows him that he is now something of a tyrant and that his behavior makes problems for other people. It also shows him that people can be happy without having as much money as Scrooge wants to have. He takes Scrooge to see how other people act and speak of him. He shows Scrooge the love that the Cratchets have for one another despite having no money. He also sees their need for help for their son, Tiny Tim. Scrooge learns to see the balance between money and family.
The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge what will happen if he continues this path. Scrooge fears him, because he does not want to know what he might become. In his heart, he knows it won’t be good. The third spirit shows him what will happen if he doesn't change his ways. It shows him that his current behavior makes it so that no one loves him or even cares about him. The third ghost shows Scrooge all the non-blessings his choices have allotted him upon his death. He is not missed nor mourned by others. Instead, they express relief and joy at his death. He died alone and miserable. In contrast is Tiny Tim's death. The boy is missed and longed for by his family. Scrooge learns that if he does not change he will be the miserable man in the casket who no one loves or cares about.
Thankfully the story has a happy ending as Scrooge comes to his senses and realizes what is really important in life. And in doing so changes his destination. So even though his name is still associated with being a mean miser, we know he really became an Ebenezer, a stone of help for those around him.
While the Christmas Carol took place in London, our lesson takes place in an area named Mizpah. Mizpah means “watchtower”. It was here where Jacob and his father-in-law, Laban, made a peace treaty with each other. Laban declared
“May the Lord keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this covenant when we are out of each other’s sight. ---- God will see it even if no one else does. He is a witness to this covenant between us.” (Genesis 31:49-50) So Mizpah became a reminder that God’s eyes were ever present on his people.
It would be in this place that Joshua would have a great victory over every kingdom surrounding them. It was the home town of Jephthah who would lead the Israelites in a great victory against their enemy. It would be the scene of a bloody civil war involving Israel and the rebellious tribe of Benjamin that would lead to the death of every woman, child, and all but 600 men from that tribe. It would be a place of compassion where God, moved through forgiveness, replenished women to those 600 so that the tribe of Benjamin would not cease to exist. It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge in the time they were ruled by judges. It was a place rich in history of God’s presence.
As we begin reading about Samuel in the book bearing his name we discover that Israel is preparing for war against the Philistines. To insure victory they turn from God’s guidance and decide to depend on their own wisdom. Since God’s presence seems to be in the Ark of the Covenant they decide to take the ark with them. In doing so they elevated the container above the substance. They were soundly defeated, 30,000 soldiers were killed, and the ark was captured. After 7 months, due to unexplained plaques among the Philistines, the ark was returned.
Although the Israelites had the ark they were missing the presence of God. Twenty years would pass under the oppressive rule of the Philistines until the people finally cried out.
1 Samuel 7: 3-12 “Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, ‘If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.’ So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.
Then Samuel told them, ‘Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.’ So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)
When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. ‘Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!’ they begged Samuel. So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.
Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way.
Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah (Shen). He named it Ebenezer (which means ‘the stone of help’), for he said, ‘Up to this point the Lord has helped us!’”
Now we face our New Year. How can this story help us as we begin our journey into 2015? What can we glean from their experience of facing difficulty?
1) Count solely on God this year
1 Samuel 7:3 “Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, ‘If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.’”
In the lives of Israel the Philistines were a people who constantly waged war against God’s people. In our lives it is temptation and sin that we battle. As Paul said “I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” (Romans 7: 18-19) Then we find ourselves living a year of guilt and regret. But if we turn to Jesus, He will deliver us.
In turning to him though we must release those things we are depending on to relieve our guilt and regret. People will not make us feel better about ourselves. Money will not replace regrets. These things are but temporary. Like Scrooge what are you clutching to find your peace? Is it your money, unwilling to give anything to support God‘s ministry? Is it your heart, unwilling to surrender it completely to him? In order to live a peace filled life this year we must surrender it all to him.
2) Count on God to come through this year.
1 Samuel 7:10 “Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them.”
The Philistines heard they were gathering and decided to attack before things got out of hand. The Israelites ceremonially purified the land with water but the Philistines kept coming. They spent a day of fasting and confessing their sins but the Philistines kept coming. They turned to Samuel to plead on their behalf but the Philistines kept coming. And JUST AS. Let that set a moment. JUST AS.
We have to understand that God will come through for us on his timetable. Why? To be sure that He receives the glory for what is done. There are times when He wants us to be sweating bullets. There are times He wants us to be desperate.
A lot of the memories we have are traumatic. Something happened in our life that changed everything. Sometimes we see God at work with a victory over our circumstances. Other times we think He has abandoned us. But He will always come through even if we don’t see it or feel it.
My brother died when I was 15. His death led to us moving south. My life changed 180 degrees. I became an introvert. I began identifying with “Charlie Brown.”, a total loser. I had mishap after mishap in my life. But now I have a wonderful wife. I just had a great Christmas with three great children and their spouses and seven grandkids. I am a blessed man, who is who I am because I lost my brother and it set me on this course. God will come through in every circumstance if we trust him and if we are obedient to him.
How about Scrooge? Would it have made an impact on his life for the ghostly visits any sooner? Probably not. It was the realization that he was in his final year that led him to make choices. You might say JUST AS he saw his life slipping away he unclenched his fist around his wealth and his heart.
3) Count on God to be your Ebenezer this year.
1 Samuel 7:12 “Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah (Shen). He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
Approach this year differently. Let’s not look ahead to what God is going to do this year. Reality is, we don’t know what lies ahead this year. There could be financial increase or loss of job. There could be extraordinary health or a sudden illness. There could be new life or sudden death.
All we have is our Ebenezer, our stone of help. All we have are mile markers to look back on and say “Up to this point the Lord has helped us.” There is no reason to believe we can’t say that tomorrow, next week, next month, or this time next year.
Ebenezer Scrooge had four ghostly visitors to help him turn his life around him. I think the one that really began melting his heart was the Ghost of Christmas past. There he saw what he once was and what could have been.
This year when you hit low points, and there will be low points, look at your Ebenezer and recall all the times God has been there as your helper. If you don’t see any perhaps it is due to your relationship with him. Perhaps you haven’t repented of your sins and cast aside your idols. Perhaps you haven’t trusted him. If so, like Scrooge, today can be a new beginning for you.
Look to the markers in your life and know your Helper is with you.
