In Christmases past Mrs. Griz has sometimes called me Ebenezer, as in Scrooge, because I was hesitant to spend money I didn't have on Christmas gifts the recipients probably didn't need or desire. It may go back to a difference in how we show love. She likes to show love and appreciation by buying and giving gifts. Me, well, little gifts and cards don't mean all that much. I prefer to lend a hand and help out when help is truly needed.
She didn't call me by that name this year. Maybe it was because I felt we could do a little more than in years past -- I saw no ghosts. But I still tried to give something which would be used rather than something which might not be appreciated as much by the recipient as was intended by the giver. But I have to admit I kind of missed being called Ebenezer, even though I don't miss hearing the Scrooge part of the name. Why? Because Ebenezer is a good name -- even a name I'd like to be associated with as much as possible in my life.
Yes, I know there are not a lot of mothers naming their sons (or daughters) Ebenezer, but that's not the fault of the name. It's a really good name which happened to become tarnished by Charles John Huffam Dickens' use of it in "A Christmas Carol."
I'm not sure why he gave the old miser in his 1843 novella the name of Ebenezer Scrooge. Perhaps it was a play on words, combining the good name of Ebenezer with the unbecoming name of Scrooge. At any rate, if he did it unintentionally or intentionally, he still drug the good name of Ebenezer down there in the mud, making most everyone associate the good name of Ebenezer with the less-than-desirable qualities of Scrooge.
Why am I defending the name of Ebenezer? Why would I like to see it disassociated with the name Scrooge and lifted back up to its proper place? Maybe, having been called the name a time or two -- in a loving but misguided way -- I feel sorry for all the Ebenezers out there who have to endure the scorn of being associated with Scrooge. It could be out of sympathy for the churches which are named Ebenezer. I have heard of a church or two named Ebenezer Lutheran Church, though I'm guessing they may have been around and named prior to 1843. Now, when people hear that name, they might assume the church members are all scrooges even though the name implies almost the opposite. And there are also towns and cities in the U.S. with that name, too. Most are now listed as unincorporated towns or communities and one in Georgia is a ghost town -- I wonder why!
So, what does Ebenezer really mean? It comes from two Hebrew words, "eben" and "ezer" -- yes, they look different in Hebrew -- and when combined (אבנעזר), they mean "stone of help." Read 1 Samuel 7:7-12 and see how the name is connected to the LORD God being the "stone of help" for Israel. He answered their prayers and delivered them from the hand of their enemies.
In the hymn, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," written in 1758 by Robert Robinson, are the words "Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I've come...." The words indicate that the LORD God has been our help and brought us thus far in the faith and will keep us until we arrive safely in our eternal home. It kind of reminds me of Philippians 1:6, which says, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Ebenezer is quite a name because it points to the LORD God of the Bible as our help in time of trouble, as the One who brings us safely through the troubles of this life to Himself in heaven. It could even be said to point to Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone upon which the one true church is built (1 Peter 2; Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22).
Truth be known, Ebenezer is anything but a scrooge, for God's Son gave all when He suffered and died upon the cross to redeem us from sin and death and open up for us a place in His eternal kingdom! He is truly our "stone of help."
So, now that you know the real meaning of the name Ebenezer, I hope you'll help lift it out of the mud and disassociate it from Scrooge. Expecting mothers, how about naming your sons Ebenezer? Need a good church name? How about Ebenezer (even if it does sound more Lutheran than Baptist)? Need a place to live? There are some struggling communities out there named Ebenezer than need enough residents to incorporate and build a city prospered by the Lord!
And even if you get called Ebenezer by your wife around Christmas time, smile and be happy. It's a good name and Ebenezer is not really a scrooge at all!
Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the editor.
Editorial on 12/30/2015