When David Brainerd went to preach to the American Indians in 1744, he could not talk to them in their own language. He lived with them, ate the same food and did his best to talk to them, but could not.
“How then,” you ask, “could he tell them of God’s love if he did not know their language?”
Well, until he could speak to them in the Indian language he used an interpreter. An interpreter is someone who listens to what you say in your language and tells it to others in the language they can understand. We read of Joseph speaking through an interpreter in Gen. 42:2323And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. (Genesis 42:23). The Indians among whom David Brainerd worked had never heard of the “One true God.” They still worshipped many gods. They had learned very little but wickedness from their white neighbors in the Delaware Valley. The only Indian he could find who could speak English at all was Tinda Taamy, a thief and a drunkard.
Tinda Tautamy did try to remain sober while acting as interpreter for David. He was not, however, interested in the gospel of God’s grace which he heard and translated to his own people. He was very unfit for his work and took little interest in making the Indians understand God’s message to them.
One day Mr. Brainerd was speaking to an audience of English men and women. Tinda Tautamy was there but was not needed to translate, and had nothing to do but listen. And he did listen. The Holy Spirit used the message Mr. Braird was bringing to those unsaved English-speaking people to exercise the conscience of that poor Indian. He became deeply convicted of sin and its consequences, and for many days was greatly burdened knowing that he needed to be saved. One night in a fitful sleep he dreamed that 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 no one near to help. He was ready to give up when he thought he heard a voice speaking to him quite plainly, “There is hope; there is hope; but you must come My way.” He awakened and immediately knelt down and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour confessing his sins, and the burden was lifted and he had rest and peace. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9).)
After that Tinda Tautamy was more than an interpreter. He was active and zealous in telling others about his Saviour. When David Brainerd spoke to the Indians about salvation in Jesus Christ, Tinda Tautamy would put his own heart and his own faith and love that he now had into the words. The Indians who listened, knowing what kind of a sinful man he had been, knew now that Tinda was a new man in Christ. “Therefore 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).)
Each one of us, like Tinda Taamy, is an interpreter. If we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, our lives as well as our mouths should be telling others about Him. Are we telling the story well or do we sometimes cause others to misinterpret it? Is our daily walk that which would speak to others that we belong to Christ. “Ye are our epistle... known and read of all men.” (2 Cor. 3:22Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: (2 Corinthians 3:2).)
ML-04/06/1980