The Heathen King's Challenge — The Missionary Must Meet It — The Miraculous Deliverance
Acting on no mere impulse of his own, but under the direction of the Spirit, Elijah prayed God for the rain which should assure the people of Israel that Jehovah and not Baal was the true God and the Giver of every good gift. Some years ago, on the African Kongo, a missionary band was driven to ask the God of Elijah for another such sign.
We Would Not Command the Lord
It is not that the human agent can command the Lord, or expect the Almighty to act upon man's suggestion. That would be merest presumption. Faith must always say with the Author of faith, “Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done.” But ofttimes, in the conflict of truth and error in the dark places of the earth, the missionary has been put where the Spirit of God manifestly indicated the preferring of requests for divine interventions which would show to darkened minds that there is indeed a living God in the heavens who can do things on earth.
“Elijah prayed God for the rain which should assure the people of Israel that Jehovah and not Baal was the true God.”
The Heathen Danced for Rain
In her book, “On the Kongo,” Mrs. Fanny E. Guinness tells of a time of threatening famine in the villages. The rainy season was passing, but there was no rain. The missionary one evening heard unusual drum-beating in the villages.
“He asked what it meant, and was told that the people were to assemble that night and dance for rain.”
“The missionary said to the lad, ‘But you know that will not bring rain, don’t you?’”
“O, yes, teacher, it will.”
“Nonsense! How can beating a drum and dancing make the rain fall? If God wants it to rain, it will, but not otherwise.”
“Ah, well, teacher, you will see. Just notice now if it does not rain before to-morrow morning.”
Even the Mission Boys Under the Spell
Everything looked dark to the missionary. Even the mission boys were under the spell of primitive superstition. “O God,” groaned the missionary, “forbid that Thy rain should fall in apparent response to the invocation of devils.” That night passed, and many nights; still no rain fell. Suspicion grew, in the native minds, that the missionary was driving away the rain god. What the missionary had said to the school lad came to the ears of the king, who sent word that the people believed the missionary was responsible for the withholding of rain.
The Heathen King Challenges
“The missionary replied that it was not he, but the people themselves.”
“How was that?”
“Just this way: God owns all the clouds, for He made them. Season by season He has sent the rain to you unasked, and you have had plenty to eat in all your towns. But who among you have ever once thanked Him? Instead of doing that, you have done that which He abominates, in praising and thanking your rain fetish.”
“What then shall we do, white man?”
“Here was a most practical question. How ought it to be answered? There seemed to be but one way, and that to take up the challenge of the heathen chief in God’s name.”
“‘Tell Kangampaka,’ replied the missionary, ‘to appoint a day for all the people to come together, and wait upon God to give them rain; and if they come to Him with sincere hearts, and put away their fetishes, He will hear them.’”
The King Appoints To-morrow
“The answer came back very soon: ‘The words of the white man are good. The king appoints to-morrow.’”
“The morrow came, and the people flocked in large numbers to the little church, which was full to overflowing. Chiefs and people from all the adjacent towns were there. After some exhortation, prayer was offered, and the people dispersed.”
“All through the rest of that day, the missionaries agonized in prayer to God; and toward evening the answer seemed to be at hand, for thick, black clouds rolled overhead, but, alas, dispersed again.”
Their Prayers Were Answered
“It was a sore trial of faith; but still they prayed on, and gave the Lord no rest. Through that night, they watched and prayed; and before dawn of the next day, the clouds came overhead again, and this time did not disperse until a glorious, refreshing shower had fallen upon the thirsty land.”
But material mercies alone are insufficient. There must be instruction of the mind in divine things by the word of God, and conviction of soul. It was not long until the rain dances were on again in the villages. But many hearts had received a conviction of the true God; and the missionaries, in their isolation and helplessness before the walls of heathen superstition, knew that God, in their extremity, had sent them a sign that He was within sound of their cry, to help and to deliver. W. A. S.
