|
A Christian responds to the invitation of a co-worker and visits his church. The guest fancies himself as well informed and discerning. He thoroughly enjoys the worship and enthusiastically joins in singing familiar Scripture choruses. The fellowship’s pastor announces that the introduction to his sermon will be a special performance by a Fijian member of the congregation.
A taped recording amplifies rapid clicks and tonks from the drumming of a hallowed-out palm trunk. A huge, dark-skinned brother catapults on to the platform dancing a Fijian hooka war dance. With bared feet and chest, his sole coverings are a Polynesian-style loin wrap and the sword that he brandishes. The warrior rhythmically stomps his feet and slaps his upper-torso with his underarms. He alternates between emitting threatening grunts and sticking his tongue out from a grimaced face. All the while he plunges and swings the sword heavenward signaling contemptuous indignation for an invisible enemy. It’s his interpretation of believers’ spiritual warfare against spirits of wickedness in the heavens.
At this point, the visitor becomes uncomfortable and turns to his friend and expresses that he is grieved in his spirit. He whispers that he feels that the exhibition has attracted demonic entities that will stifle God’s good intentions for the service.
The man in this scenario entertains an attitude that is commonly held among believers. Unwittingly, it condescendingly implies that the traditions of select cultures are inherently good and those of others are inherently evil. Such predisposes that the histories of white European/American people are less sin-stained than aboriginal societies. It reckons primitive cultures devoid of biblical moral and family values and anything that hints of redemption through the Triune God of Christianity. The prideful assertion is, “If the heathen intend to follow Christ, they must relinquish their heritage and adopt mine.”
Seekers
This mindset is defied by the findings of anthropologists, archeologists and the Word of God. The purpose of this article is to give you samplings of the truths of redemption that God has imbedded into cultures. My goal is to demonstrate the mercy of God on those who are yet un-reached by the Gospel in its fullness. You will see strong evidence that the teachings of Rom 2:2-16 are accurate: The people of every society have inklings of the Law of God written in their hearts/consciences. Those who persevere in following the dictates of conscience and its kind gestures demonstrate that they are seeking honor, glory, immortality and eternal life.
It is evident that just as God prepared the Gospel for all, He prepares all to receive it. Signs that point to the need of salvation and the availability of God’s mercy are sprinkled in the traditions and customs of every nation. Such familiarizes those who have never heard the Gospel with concepts that are foundationally akin to it. This enables salvation’s massage to resonate within them as truth when they hear it preached by Ambassadors of Christ (1Ti 2:4; Mat 2:1-2; Act 14:16-17; Rom 1:18-20) . Starting from familiar grounds that honor people’s cultural heritages increases potentials for success.
For All
Every people group has ancient roots of monotheism. Many share concepts of a Trinity. The ancient Middle East’s Canaanites and Phoenicians called the Most High God El-Elyon. The present-day nations of Eastern Asia that perpetuate Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism worshipped one God before those concepts evolved.
- China – Dependant on the sector of residence and tribal identity, the title of the Supreme God could be either of the following: Shang Ti, the Lord of Heaven or Tien Ju, the Master of Heaven
- Korea – Hananim, the Great One
- India - Dependant on the sector of residence and tribal identity, the title of the Supreme God could be one of the following: Pathian, the Holy Father; Chepo-Thuru, the God who sustains everything; or Thakur-Jiu, the Genuine God.
Wise Apostle
When Paul made reference to the idol of the Unknown God on Athens’s Mars Hill, he was launching from an event in the city’s antiquity (Act 17:23-34) . It foreshadowed the atoning sacrifice of the Lamb of God on Calvary’s cross
Hundreds of years prior to the advent of Christ a devastating plague hit Athens. In an attempt to quench it, the civil authorities sent for the heathen prophet Epimenides. He gave them some curious instructions. A herd of sheep was to be fasted for three days. Afterward, the sheep were to be turned loose on the grassy slopes of Mars Hill. Any sheep that refused to eat was sacrificed on an altar erected to the Unknown God at the site where it was found. The plague ended the following day.
China
Present-day China is a hotbed of evangelism. It was not always so. It was a formidable task for its first Western missionaries to overcome the objections of those from a culture that was in many ways more advanced than European culture. The breakthrough came when an astute missionary discovered something exciting hidden in the ideograph writing system of the Chinese.
The ideograph for the word righteous contains an upper and a lower symbol. A lamb is over the symbol for the personal pronoun for I. Three crosses, with a taller one in the middle, depict the word for acquittal, as from a crime. The messages of the mission took on a new enthusiasm. The Lamb over you makes you righteous and eternally acquits you of all sins.
Peru
During the 15 th Century there was an Incan ruler named Pachacutec. He built the holy city of Machu Picchu to pursue his studies of his kingdom’s religious history. Inti, the sun god was venerated as the Inca’s chief deity. Pachacutec discovered that there was a supreme God that pre-dated the sun god. It was Viracocha, the creator of all things. As Pachacutec meditated, thoughts came to him about Viracocha that are reminiscent of the Triune God of the Bible.
- He is supreme and uncreated
- He does not need the satisfaction of a consort
- He manifest Himself as a trinity
- He is surrounded by angelic warriors and archangels
- He created all peoples by His word and orders their years and nourishes them
- He warms His people through His son Punchao who brings peace and order
- Punchao pities men’s wretchedness by absolving them of sin and He enables them to combat their evil tendencies
Hawaii
Around 395 AD, significant numbers of a seafaring society left the region of Havah that was located on the northern borders of the Persian Gulf. The travelers took their Trinitarian monotheistic faith with them. Some dropped off in New Zealand and became the Maoris. Others migrated further eastward and become Tahitians and Hawaiians. They landed in Hawaii in 400 AD. Hawaii means little or new Havah.
The Tahitians degenerated into the polytheistic Kapu curse system. They exported it to Hawaii in 13 th Century. Prior to that, the Hawaiians maintained allegiances to Io, the triune god and ruler over all gods; to his son Io-matua; and to his spirit Ono. The attributes of Io’s divine son are similar to those revealed in the Scriptures in reference to the pre-incarnate Son of God.
- Io-matua-kore, the one who has no parents
- Io-matua, the parent of all living things
- Io-mata-ngaro, the one whose face is hidden
- Io-te-watora, the source of all life
- Io-mata-wa, the god of love
- Aloha was originally spoken as a blessing conveying, “May the spirit of Io’s son be upon you”.
The Hawaiians possessed stories of significant holy people that parallel the biblical accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and a fellow whom you might recognize.
- Nu’u was known as Nu’u pule, praying Nu’u
- Nu’u kahuuna, sacrificing Nu’u.
- The Maoris called him Nu’ku, god of the rainbows.
- Nu’u, his wife Lili’noe and their three sons and their wives built a large canoe with a chief’s house on top. They loaded a pair of every species of animal into the canoe to preserve them from a great tsunami. They sent out a raven to see when the flood had ended.
- In addition, the Hawaiians built walled enclosures that served as sanctuary refuges for those fleeing punishment for crimes. Jews under the Law of Moses scattered cities throughout Israel for the same purpose.
In 1809 a New England sea captain adopted a native teenager named Henry Opukaha’ia and took him to America. He converted to Christianity and translated the Book of Genesis into his mother tongue. After graduating from Yale, he did itinerant ministry. He passionately pleaded with the New Englanders to send missionaries to Hawaii to rescue his nation from the Kapu system and its veneration of the volcano goddess Pele.
Three days prior to the arrival of the first group of missionaries in 1820, a Hawaiian shaman went on a fast. His decision was to abstain from food until someone came who would liberate his people from the curses and superstitions of Pele. Through his influence the islanders welcomed the Gospel message. By 1853, 96% of the aboriginal population was Christian. King Kapi’olani rebuked and renounced the goddess Pele on behalf of the entire nation. Unfortunately, latter generations of missionaries were more interested in harvesting the treasures of the islands than they were in harvesting souls. Subsequently, many of the native population reverted to polytheism.
Burma
It is possible that Adoniram Judson was one of the many people touched by Henry Opukaha’ia’s impassioned pleas for the evangelization of people of color. Judson landed in Burma in 1817, but had no converts for seven years.
His strategy was to reach the inhabitants of Rangoon before venturing out to small villages. The Karen tribesmen from jungle villages passed by his home each day going to and from work. Unbeknownst to him, the songs that he heard them singing in their native dialect were actually hymns extolling the glories of God. He later learned that many of their songs contained the following biblical themes:
- The supreme god Y’wa formed the world originally. He appointed food and drink. Mu-kaw-lee deceived two persons. He caused them to eat the fruit of the tree of trials. They became subject to sickness, aging and death.
- At the appointed time Y’wa will come. Dead tress will blossom and flower again. Y’wa will bring the sacred mountain of Thau-thee. Let us ascend and worship. Good persons shall go to the silver city. Righteous persons shall dwell in the new city. Persons who believe their father and mother shall enjoy the golden palace. When the Karen King arrives there will be neither rich nor poor.
- O children and grandchildren love Y’wa. Never mention his name lightly. Don’t be fond of quarrelling and disputing, but love one another. Y’wa looks down upon us. If we don’t love each other, it is the same as not loving Y’wa.
Adoniram Judson got his first convert after a kindly judge sentenced a Karen robber who had killed thirty men to be his houseboy. The servant’s name was Ko-Thah-byu. He later became known as the Karen Apostle.
Early in his employment Ko-Thah-byu observed Judson preaching from a black book. He explained to the missionary that his people had a legend that someday a white brother would arrive with a black book that would show them the true way to Y’wa. Subsequently, Judson’s efforts became fruitful.
A Dream
Further inland there was a tribe of headhunters called the Wa. They had the same black book myth as the Karen. They believed that a stranger would come and show them the way back to Siyeh, the ruler of all gods. In recognition of their bondage to animistic evil spirits, they wore woven leather bracelets. They believed that their liberator would give them the truth and would cut the amulets from their wrists.
One night in 1904 the Wa chief, Pu Chan had a spiritual dream. He saw himself and the tribal elders following a pony decked in ceremonial array to a white man who possessed the black book. The next morning the pony was outfitted in its finery. The elders trekked behind it for two hundred miles.
William Young was digging a well for the mission compound. He raised his head and looked upward when he heard excited chatter in an unfamiliar dialect. He was looking into the face of the pony and its fierce appearing companions. He was relieved to see the men smiling. He returned to the village with them. There are photographs of the hundreds of Wa who were baptized as new converts after the amulets were cut from their wrists.
Scapegoat = Scapeboat
According to Lev 16:21, the presiding High Priest of the Old Covenant performed a yearly scapegoat ceremony to absolve the entire Jewish nation of sin. One goat was sacrificed for a blood offering. Another was turned loose to wander in the wilderness after the priest ceremonially laid hands on it to impart the people’s sins. This foreshadowed the single and final sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of man outside of the gates of Jerusalem.
As a new missionary, Dr. Don Richardson observed a similar yearly ceremony among Borneo’s Dyak tribe. Village elders build a small canoe. A lantern is lit at its bow and a live chicken is tied to a pole in its stern. All of the villagers walk down the dock grasping their chests. Upon reaching the boat each says dosaku (my sins) and then open their hands as though dumping their sins into the boat. Another chicken is slain and its blood is sprinkled upon the symbolic pile of sins in the boat. The canoe is then set adrift. Should it come back to shore, the people retain their sins until the next year. If it disappears from sight, their sins are remitted until the following year. Upon hearing about Jesus, the Dyaks readily accepted His single sacrifice for the sins of all for all of eternity.
Beat Goes On
Our God is magnanimous in His mercies. Even though many ignorantly vilify the myths of primitive people as pure paganism, the Lord often vindicates their beliefs. I will close with the story of a Amazon tribe. It had been plagued with a spirit of suicide for hundreds of years. Few members of the tribe lived past the age of forty.
In 1996, the shaman of this tribe was walking through the jungle seeking a toxic herb that he planned to use in taking his own life. Suddenly, a man dressed in a loincloth of the shaman’s tribe appeared in a vision standing in the path before him. The body of the smiling stranger glistened with the colored oils with which tribe members adorned themselves in preparation for festive celebrations.
The visionary figure introduced Himself as Jesus, the Son of the True and Living God. He gently reminded the shaman of a tribal myth. It declared that one-day a stranger would come to the village with a sacred war club and drum that would be used to drive away the spirit of suicide. He instructed the man to return to his village to await the arrival of the long-expected special visitor.
The account of this shaman’s vision of Jesus made its way to New Zealand. A Christian Maori tribesman who had been a witchdoctor in his own village heard the story. For a number of generations, a myth was handed down in his tribe that described how one of its holy men would travel across the seas with a war club and drum to drive a spirit of death from another tribe’s village.
The converted Maori arrived in the Amazon in 1998. He pounded the drum with the war club while chanting a prayer of deliverance through Christ in his native dialect. Though the Amazon tribesmen could not understand what he was saying, the spirit of suicide left them. A missionary who accompanied the Maori led a number of them to Christ. The Amazon shaman later told the New Zealander that the war club and drum that he carried were identical to those that had been described in their myth for generations.
Isn’t God terrific? His benevolent heart continuously beats for mercy upon the teeming masses of humanity. They have historical inklings of the old, old story. They have yet to hear its details in fullness so that it will be their theme in glory.
For further study on this topic, the following books by Dr. Don Richardson are excellent: Eternity in their hearts, Peace Child, and Lords of the Earth.
|
