Revelation 7:9-10 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great
multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud
voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto
the Lamb.
Have you ever heard how the Karen people of Burma were prepared
for the gospel? This unique people's history reveals how the Lord had
sovereignly preserved, in their traditions, their yearning for
the one true God.
For centuries, the Karen people rejected the teachings of
Buddhism and spiritism and clung to their ancient understanding of the true
God, whom they called "Y'wa", suggesting the influence of the Hebrew,
"Yahweh". Karen traditions also point to Adam and Eve and their
fall, in the garden of Eden. According to the tradition, because
of transgressions, they fell from grace. An ancient poem powerfully
expresses their hope and expectation of redemption:
"O children and grandchildren! If we repent of our sins, and
cease to do evil--restraining our passions--and pray to Y'wa, he
will have mercy on us again. If Y'wa does not have mercy on us,
there is no other one who can. He who saves us is the only one -
Y'wa."
Their stories relate how they negligently lost the ancient books
of Y'wa, and were now anxiously awaiting the "white men", who would restore
the ancient books to them.
Another Karen poem is virtually "prophetic":
"The sons of Y'wa, the white foreigners, obtained the words of
Y'wa. The white foreigners, the children of Y'wa, obtained the words of
Y'wa anciently."
In the late 1800's Christian missionaries
arrived in Burma bringing the gospel of Yeshua (Jesus). Their
message was overwhelmingly received! Today a majority of the Karen people
are believers, because God had prepared their hearts to receive the message
over hundreds of years. The Karen waited expectantly for the "white man's"
message of redemption from "Y'wa", and "Y'wa" proved faithful to reach and
redeem these Burmese tribes, in His time.
As we continue to share the good news,
let's remember that the Lord initiates the work of redemption -- and that
we need to stay focused on the job at hand, and continue to
labor in the harvest fields. The seed we've
planted in patience, will soon bear fruit; so let
us not grow weary in well doing, for we shall
reap if we faint not! (
George, Baht Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah)
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