WHEN DAVID BRAINERD went to preach to the Indians, in the early days of our country, away back in 1744, he could not talk to them in their own language. He lived with them, ate their food and did his best to talk to them, but it was a long time before they could understand him. He had his own wigwam and fried his own cakes made with Indian meal. He slept on a bundle of straw and was often very lonely.
Brainerd had to speak to them through an interpreter, one of their own who knew English and who could tell his Indian friends in their own language what Brainerd was saying. The poor Indians were not a very happy folk, I’m afraid. They had learned nothing of the good and much of the bad from their white neighbors on the Delaware. Mr. Brainerd could find no Christian Indian who knew English so he had to take what he could find.
The name of the man he found was Moses Tinda Tautamy. Moses had been a drunkard but when he served as interpreter for David Brainerd he kept sober. However, he was not interested in the sermons and prayers which he translated for his own people, and took little interest in Brainerd’s efforts to make them understand the gospel.
One day, however, Mr. Brainerd was preaching to an audience of white people and Moses was present. Moses did not need to translate on this occasion so had nothing to do but to listen. And he did listen. The next day he talked about the sermon to the missionary, who spoke to him of the love of God in sending Jesus into this world to die for sinners, and also of judgment to come. Then Moses began to pray.
It took a long while for that sermon to bear fruit, but in the end the fruit ripened. Moses was not strong and one night when he was sick in his own wigwam he was afraid and could not sleep. He thought he was trying to climb a steep, steep mountain up to heaven. The way was covered with thorns and he could find no path. He tried again and again, but always slipped back. He found he could make no progress and there was none near to help. He was ready to give up when he thought he heard a voice speaking to him quite plainly. It said, “There is hope; there is hope.” Then it seemed as if Jesus came and he found the path and soon he had entered into the place of rest and peace.
That was the turning point in Moses’ life. He had found rest and peace in Jesus who had come to put away all his sins by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross of Calvary. The Saviour had won Moses’ heart. If the Lord would do that for a poor Indian, then from henceforth Moses’ desire would be to do something for Him. Moses became more than an interpreter; he became a true helper to his loved master, David Brainerd, and a missionary himself. When Mr. Brainerd spoke to the Indians, the interpreter put his own heart, his own love and his own faith into the words, and the Indians knew that Moses was a new man. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).
That was the beginning of a wave of blessing among the poor Indians. After that, many of them came confessing their sins and turned to the Lord, who is the Saviour of all that trust in Him for salvation.
Dear young reader, have you come to Him yet? Are you “born again?” You know, our hearts, away from Christ, are no better than that of the poor Indian. Think of so many of the poor Indians already born into the kingdom of God, and you still outside in your sins!
Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.... Ye must be born again.” John 3:3, 5, 73Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7).
ML-05/26/1963