MISSIO DEI: DAUD MASIH AS NEPALI VERNACULAR GOSPEL SONG WRITERS IN NEPAL IN REFERENCE TO AN EXEGETICAL SURVEY OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH
Introduction
This
paper keeps its focus on the book of Prophet Jeremiah to examine God's
initiative of reaching His people, the Israel and rest of the contemporary
nations through His chosen one, the Prophet Jeremiah in light with the
vernacular Nepali Gospel song writers towards the godly concerns for entire
population of Nepal. This paper will try to understand why and how God kept frequently
urging the kings of Judah and all other nations for His people Israel to bring
ultimately something good out of those difficult situations. Similarly, this
also will deal with the compassionate attempt of those Gospel songwriters who
have demonstrated same urgency in pouring out the words in their writings and
how they were able to relate their works to God's mission of saving every human
being in their neighborhood. According to Prophet Jeremiah, through all
terrible experiences the people of Judah as well as the kings and the leaders
were to face, God would constantly reveal His mercy. And, to communicate His
desired message to the people of Israel and surrounding nations, God chose
Jeremiah as His messenger. There should be an agreement among the Christians
leaders who are active in the mission that the similar zeal and passionate hearts
were developed within those early songwriters of vernacular Nepali. They were
too under the Holy Spirit's influence to see the people in surrounding are lost
as God is concerned as the prophet Jeremiah was. Thus
this paper carefully surveys the entire book of Jeremiah in light of the
Nepalese Gospel song composers (writers) available information on how God has
shown His compassion for the eternal destiny of people, to summon them toward
Himself and save them. This very action of God, here, we have taken as Missio Dei.
"Missio
Dei" is a Latin word, which is translated into Christian theology in
missions as the mission of God. This
is defined as "the sending activity of God with the purpose reconciling to
Himself and bringing into His Kingdom fallen men and women from every people,
nation and tongue."[1]
This is often understood as God sending
someone to intentionally save humanity out of His love for all of His creation.
As taken it's meaning, Missio Dei is God's personal initiative to send (someone
or something) the Prophet. Missio Dei
flows in every section of the book of Jeremiah. The term imparts literary and
theological coherence throughout the book. This is a unifying connection with
the overall themes of Jeremiah's prophecy, his personal sufferings and cries,
and predicting God's judgment over the regions of Israel and surrounding
nations alike. Similarly, the Gospel songwriters consciously or even
unconsciously are used to be the channel of Missio Dei through their obedient
services. The same heart's desire as Jeremiah is reflected in their writing
also. Thus to critically analyze the works of the Gospel song writers would
help one to see how God was/is at work throughout the conversion stories of
fastest growing church in Nepal, which is mainly considered as Missio Dei.
Missio Dei is revealed in Call
of Prophet Jeremiah (Jer.
1:5-11)
God's calling of
Jeremiah as the prophet was to the nations. It is clearly stated in the book
that this initiative was even before his existence, "Before I formed
you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed
you as a prophet to the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5. NIV). According to
this verse, Jeremiah was appointed to be God's messenger to the nations, which
means 'peoples' outside the nation of Israel, peoples in the surrounding
kingdoms, people groups of different ethnicities and the inhabitants in
bordering areas, the Gentiles. Eliminating the prophet's dilemma and all
excuses, God further clarifies the call, "Do not be afraid because of
them; for I am with you to deliver you. Behold, I have put my words in your
mouth... Behold, I have this day set you over the nations and over the
kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and overthrow, to build
and to plant" (Verses 8, 10). These scripture verses obviously present
the desire of God to all the 'nations' – Missio Dei, His sending activities
(here in the context prophet Jeremiah), so he would speak in behalf of God with
extensively warning, rebuking and inviting to the Lord. Here, the Yahweh God repeatedly “sends” (שׁלח)
in order to “speak” (דבר) to different peoples, kingdoms and their leaders.
The Key Messages of Prophet Jeremiah in Nepali
Context
The key idea from
what Jeremiah spoke to the leaders in Judah and rest of the kingdoms can be
summarized in one word as 'restoration'. This tells more about God's intention.
He did not want to bring the judgment to end all through condemnation. Though
these people, as we read the book of Jeremiah, were literally not worthy to be
saved. But God did not intend destruction on them, but He planned for restoration.
The prophet Jeremiah is known as 'weeping' prophet, and his weeping was to show
his compassion for the people who would not come back to God and left
themselves onto the wrath of the Lord, which was ultimate consequence of their
own evil doings. Through the Biblical-missional point of view, Nepal was lost.
There was no hope for anyone who tried to live as religious as they could, but
their every attempt would bear no fruits for them. Their all efforts living as
religious person could not save them from eternal condemnation and hell. But
how they could come to the point of putting their trust in Christ unless God
Himself would not initiate to send His servants to this country? According to
the Bible, anyone without believing in Christ is lost, no one could do more
that Christ did to save him or herself. So God called the missionaries from
overseas as well as from south India and some others from Nepali speaking
churches in Darjeeling. Their call can be compared with God's call to prophet Jonah
for His mission to Nineveh. Jeremiah's zeal was to demonstrate God's heart
toward the disobeying people that God still reacts to their walks of life. Similarly,
the songwriters have not failed to reveal this truth from God. The minimum
content of their writings is to present the whole truth about life, her very
existence, purpose and destination, and clearly draw them toward God's eternal
purpose with their responses through confession, repentance and faith in
Christ.
In this light
of God's active work in or through a person, it is not easy to tell whether the
work of Gospel song writing is a lifelong call from God. But, believing in
God's sovereign purpose and plan, any Christian would say that this can be a
short-term or temporal calling from God or at least it is the strong leading of
the Holy Spirit. Their appeal presents how much they care for the audience they
are targeting to. Their arguments build upon a compelling invitation and sense
of urgency so that all of the reader would say 'yes' to God and have the
experience of new life in Jesus Christ.
Progressing Steps of Missio Dei in the
Book of Jeremiah
Jeremiah was called to
be the prophet to "the nations” who must go wherever
Yahweh sends him (1:4–10). Even though his ministry primarily consists in
Jerusalem, preaching among his own people, it seems that he did not went out to
those kingdoms against which he was prophesying to (Jer. 1:11–19). He acts as
God's spokesman and warns the people in the nation of Judah (chapters 2—6,
21—29 and 40—45). He brings a lawsuit against the unfaithful ones, pleads and
threatens, so they would turn to God. He also brings light an adversary
theology (chapters 7—11) particularly unusual to the people of Israel, stunning
message to his audience that God would mightily use the Gentile nations to
invade Judah so they would be the witness to them in times to come. Jeremiah
realizes that he was going to be deceitfully executed and struggles with the
plot, and yet continues his prophetic role (Chapter 12—20). But good news he
receives from God is that all will be redeemed and restored, and God always
protects His faithful ones (chapters 30—39). Yet, an explicit shift from the
particular nation of Judah to the universal horizon of the nations seems to
occur only in the oracles against the nations (chapters 46–51). And, the climax
scenario of the prophetic message of Jeremiah concludes with a strict warning
that the unfaithfulness causes destruction (chapter 52).
Chiasmic Outline of the
Book of Jeremiah[2]
A God's compelling message to Jeremiah –
chapter 1
B Disaster
may fall upon the unfaithful – chapter 2-10
C Stories of different kingdoms – chapter 11-20
D Prophet's dispute with the kings –
chapter 21-29
E The Message of comfort – chapter 30-33
D1 Prophet's Dispute with the kings –
chapter 34-38
C1 Stories of Sacked city Jerusalem and her
fall – chapter 39-45
B1 Disaster
may fall upon Gentiles kingdoms – chapter 46-51
A1 Afterwards – concluding remarks – chapter
52
Some Key Verses depicting Missio Dei[3]
1:5 “Before
I formed you in the belly, I knew you. Before you came forth out of the womb, I
sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (V 1:5; context
1:4-11)
3:17 At
that time they shall call Jerusalem ‘The throne of Yahweh;’ and all the nations
shall be gathered to it, to the name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem. Neither shall
they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
3:19 “But
I said, ‘How I would put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land,
a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me
“My Father,” and shall not turn away from following me’ (context 3:18-20)
4:2 … and you shall swear, ‘As Yahweh
lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless
themselves in him, and in him shall they glory” (context 4:1-3)
4:16 “Tell
the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far
country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah (context 4:15-17)
6:18 therefore,
hear, you nations, and know, congregation, what is among them.
10:7 Who
should not fear you, King of the nations? For it belongs to you; because among
all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none
like you (context 10:6-8).
10:10 But
Yahweh is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his
wrath the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to withstand his
indignation.
25:9 behold,
I will send and take all the families of the north, says Yahweh, and I will
send to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against
this land, and against its inhabitants, and against all these nations around;
and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing,
and perpetual desolations (also in 27:11)
25:11 This
whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall
serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
25:13 I
will bring on that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even
all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the
nations.
25:14 For
many nations and great kings shall make bondservants of them, even of them; and
I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of
their hands.
25:15 For
thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, to me: take this cup of the wine of wrath
at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it.
25:17 Then
took I the cup at Yahweh’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, to whom
Yahweh had sent me.
27:7 All
the nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the time of
his own land come: and then many nations and great kings shall make him their
bondservant.
29:14 I
will be found by you, says Yahweh, and I will turn again your captivity, and I
will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have
driven you, says Yahweh; and I will bring you again to the place from where I
caused you to be carried away captive.
30:11 For
I am with you, says Yahweh, to save you: for I will make a full end of all the
nations where I have scattered you, but I will not make a full end of you; but
I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.
33:9 This
city shall be to me for a name of joy, for a praise and for a glory, before all
the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do to them, and
shall fear and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I procure to
it.
49:14 I
have heard news from Yahweh, and an ambassador is sent among the nations…
50:2 Declare
among the nations and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and don’t
conceal: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is disappointed, Merodach is dismayed; her images
are disappointed, her idols are dismayed (context whole chapter 50).
Tone of the Gospel Message
to the two different worlds
Though it is
entirely none comparable the time and context of the two different mouth piece
for God. The time and context of the prophet Jeremiah was vastly different than
the Gospel songwriters in our times and context. But both serve the same eternal
God, who is in control of everything. Jeremiah's calling (Jeremiah 1:5) is the
conformation that everyone is set before God's notice. God knows not only the
prophet Jeremiah, but also everyone, even before they have come into existence
as human being. And God alone sets a date for all and everything so to live or
die. The truth is that God is in control over all and everything in all
eternity. In His predestined time, according to Jeremiah 3:17, all nations from
every corners of the earth shall gather in the Name of Yahweh (in Jerusalem)
and every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus Christ and every tongue will
confess He is the Lord and Savior (Philippians 2:10-11). The gospel tract writers have been constantly
singing the same tone with Prophet Jeremiah that "Yahweh God is the true
God, He is the living God, and an everlasting King; at His wrath the earth
trembles and the nations are not able to withstand in indignation"
(Jeremiah 10:10). Thus the Gospel message is to present an open invitation to
all, and the consequences would vary on how the people would treat to the
message and the messengers. There is reward in accepting the message, but there
is inescapable destiny for those who never heed them. God's promises would
follow them who pay the attention to it and embrace the truth with compete and
submissive following Christ as their Lord and Savior. God shows that He is
determined to restore all who are predestined to be His own people as written
in Jeremiah 30:11, "For I am with you", says Yahweh, "to save
you: for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have scattered you,
but I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and
will in no way leave you unpunished."
The
Nepali Vernacular Gospel Song-Writers in carrying the Missio Dei
As discussed above, the work of song
writing, production and distribution should be taken as major work in relation
to mission. Though the literacy rate was seemingly too low in Nepal, the Gospel
songs become the chief means in evangelism. The pioneer missionaries and church
planters took Gospel song. Songs were used even prior to the sharing good news or
testimony of conversion stories. There are many songs published in Nepali
Christian Hymnal, and at first 73 out of 126 songs were translated from English
to Nepal language.[4]
And it is interesting to note that all of the songs in Nepali were written in
evangelistic flavor. Some of the songs are still sung by Nepali churches
whenever it comes to proclaim the Gospel. Later songwriters in vernacular
Nepali follow the same notion of spreading good news to every parts of the
country through singing. From the early entry of the Gospel in the country, the
songs in nature mainly fall into two categories. The following points are the
brief description about the songs included Samdan's Nepali Khristiya Bhajan
(Christian Hymnal published by Samdan[5]:
a. Inspirational
towards of Worship – Most of them are translated from English or other language
of early missionaries. These are theologically sound on making God all
powerful, sovereign and ultimate destiny of the whole creation, thus the
listener would be encouraged and drawn to the God in attitude of offering all
adoration and worship to Him. They tell who God is and how a man could seek His
face in all devotions. They describe God's attributes and somehow compel a
person to acknowledge His and surrender to Him.
b. Gospel Songs – These
songs are to tell who Christ is. The message of these songs ranges from
creation to consummation, from garden to city and from beginning to the end. In
simple term and tone they clearly present the entire story of the Bible, original
plan of the creation, fall of humanity and God's restoration stories through
His sending mission or Missio Dei. These songs are written in the context of
the audience to somehow address their felt needs, and guide them to the
fulfillment of real needs of life.
Out of 752 songs in the recently published hymnal book from Samdan
Publication, there are 576 songs bear the content of Gospel in direct words and
the singer of any of these song summons his or her listener to the faith in
Christ. This shows that enough weight is given in writing Gospel songs. These
Gospel songs have systematically presented a clear message for their audience
so they would learn and accept the truth about life. Upon critically viewing
this fact one should come into realization that God is at His work. He
inspires, guides and bestows the needed wisdom to His servants as He did to the
Prophets in the Old Testament time, and to the Gospel or Letter writers in the
New Testament. Following the same spirit of Ganga Prasad, others also started
writing Gospel songs, which are now being sung by the church at present. Among
the early contributors of the Gospel song were late pastors David Mukhiya, Tir
Bahadur Dewan, Daud Masih and Debusigh Dahal.[6] All of them have passed away, but they have
contributed a tremendous list of Gospel song to the church of Nepal in their
lifetimes. Similarly, Reshamraj Paudel, D.R. Thulung, Loknath Manaen, Salon
Karthak are other names who are the living testimony of the passion to bring
Missio Dei among Nepalese people. They are carrying the same zeal as of the
pioneers did, and they are contributing in writing Gospel song in Nepali
vernacular. The following paragraphs will highlight on the contribution of the
chief contributors.
It is said that late pastors David Mukhiya and Debusigh Dahal compose
many songs in the Hymnal book. But, there is no proof of which are actually
written by whom. Also, there some songs composed by Tir Bahadur. And among these names, Daud Masish's name is
taken for granted. There are hundreds of gospel songs included in the Nepali
hymnal, which were composed by Daud Masih.[7] He was a good song composer and amazing singer
but he seldom wrote any song. Loknath Manaen, the publisher of Samdan
Publication says that Daud was a devoted evangelist. He was a polio victim
since his childhood and seemed to be physically unfit, but he was a challenge
to his contemporaneous.
Daud Masih (1921-2000) was from Gandharba tribe, also called Gaine, one
of the untouchables whose traditional profession was an itinerary singer.
Traditionally, Gaines were used to serve as entertainers the high status
people, and besides that they were the one who served as a bridge of
information from elite class to the lowest class of the society or vice versa. They
were considered the messengers to news through their singing. Sometimes, the courageous
Gaine would compose and sing songs to the public exposing the unjust,
discrimination and power abuses of the rulers and powerful. Thus usually they
were highly appreciated by the ordinary people in far remote villages. Daud
Masih's came to the Lord during his fled from his hometown to Nautuna a
bordering town near Sunouli in Uttar Pradesh, India. He accepted Christ while
he was admitted at Duncan Hospital in Raxoul due to compelling help and
prayerful life testimony of the missionaries. After that life-transforming
experience, he devoted himself for the Gospel.[8] He
served as one of the key evangelists with Nepal Evangelistic Band, which was
initiated by western missionaries. He would make himself available for any
opportunity to go out and share Christ's name. Right after political change in
Nepal, a group of missionaries entered Nepal seeking humanitarian service
opportunities in the country, and Daud was among those early comers. The
government of Nepal allowed them to start a medical service in Pokhara in 1952,
where Daud passionately preached the gospel through locally composed songs, and
the following years he and his team were given grace to start a church in
Ramghat, Pokhara, which is the first evangelical Nepali church. Daud associated
the pastor to that new church. He pastored Ramghat church for about 4 years
after David Mukhiya, and was invited to pastor Amppipal church in Gorkha
district where he served for 8 years. Then in later years of his life he was
credited as senior pastor to Naya Gaun church for more than 20 years. But he never
believed to remain confined within the church walls. His calling was not to
stay in one place as a resident pastor, but roam around as an itinerant
evangelist. So he did, he reached most of the unreached villages and peoples
travelling most of the districts by his own feet. His original name was
Dilasigh Gandharba; perhaps a missionary gave him this new name because of his
talent in singing and playing Sarangi (traditional Nepali version of violin).
He used this talent to share the good news in every corners of the country. He
could compose songs in local peoples' context and address their felt needs
through the new song in their own local-tribal melody with powerful Gospel
message within it.
Conclusion
More
than any other Old Testament prophet, Jeremiah spoke and acted for the Missio
Dei. His calling as the "prophets to the nations" (Jer. 1:5) has been
constantly exemplified in his book. His prophesies against the leaders in Judah
and the other kings and kingdoms shows God's concern and compassion towards all
human beings on the earth. In his prophecies, God's universal grace and
judgment are expressed equally. This expression through the prophet
prophetically points towards the Salvation for the nations. Jeremiah's
sufferings, cries and admonitions as written in the book were concentrated to
his immediate audience. But they also have to tell exactly the same message to
the unseen future world, to Christ's time in particular, are in vision.
Critically studying Missio Dei in the book of the prophet Jeremiah and
comparing the governing notion of the prophet's life and message with the
dedicated pioneers of the Gospel works in Nepal, there seems a common urge
between the two. Jeremiah spoke in behalf of God, and the Gospel songs writers
did (still doing) the same thing. They are equally inspired by the Holy Spirit,
and intervened by the call of the Lord God.
Like prophet Jeremiah, most of them suffered for the sake of Gospel.
They were beaten, thrown out from the society and imprisoned.
This paper
tried to critically observe the convictions, zeal and never ceasing efforts of
the prophet Jeremiah. Similarly, the life of Daud Masih and his unceasing
efforts towards the work of evangelism through Gospel songs writing is briefly
analyzed in this paper. Daud's life-commitment towards the Missio Dei for Nepal
was an example in the early phase of church history of Nepal. Thus one should acknowledge
the life of a physically week but most outgoing itinerary evangelist, Daud
Masih and some of his contemporaneous who have impacted much to the mission of
Kingdom in the country through their Gospel songs. Just as the prophet
Jeremiah's prophecies about the salvation of the nations become Matthew's
source of revelations about the "rejected prophet" – Lord Jesus
Christ (Matt. 21:13), Daud Masih's compassionate Gospel songs are to be
acknowledged in the church of Nepal.
Selected
Bibliography
Khanal, BP, Amrowali
Kanchho: A Biography of Pastor Tir Bahadur Dewan. Kathmandu, Samdan
Prakashan with ISPCK, 1998.
. ,
Dilasigh Gandharba: A Biography of Pastor
Daud Masih (Unpublished, manuscript)
Ott, Craig, Timothy C. Tennet, and Stephen J. Strauss, Encountering
Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments, and
Contemporary Issues. Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010
Rongong, Adon, et
al. Ajambari Ganga Prasad Pradhan:
Srastaharuko Dristima. Silliguri, Ekta Book House Pvt. Ltd., 2012
Samdan's
Kristiya Bhajan,
Kathmandu, Samdan Publication, 1971 (18th Reprint with additional
songs in 2011).
Online Sources:
[1]Craig Ott,
Timothy C. Tennet, and Stephen J. Strauss, Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical
Developments, and Contemporary Issues. Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2010, pp. xv, xvii.
[2]The outline is taken from http://www.helwys.com/commentary/art_010903/pdfs/jeremiah_sample.pdf (page 20-21) and is
presented with much of modification in terms of God's Mission by the author.
[3]Selected Bible verses are taken from River Bible Online version, downloaded
from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/river-bible/id450108967?mt=12 .
[4]The first Nepali hymnal book was published in
Darjeeling under the leadership of Padri Ganga Prasad Pradhan in 1837. Adon
Rongong et al. in Ajambari Ganga Prasad
Pradhan: Srastaharuko Dristima. Silliguri, Ekta Book House Pvt. Ltd., 2012,
p269.
[5]Samdan's Kristiya Bhajan, Kathmandu, Samdan Publication, 1971 (18th
Reprint with additional songs in 2011).
[6]BP Khanal, Amrowali Kanchho: A Biography of Pastor Tir
Bahadur Dewan. Kathmandu, Samdan Prakashan with ISPCK, 1998. p37.
[7]BP Khanal, Dilasigh Gandharb: A Biography of Pastor Daud
Masih (Unpublished, manuscript, p.3, 47).
[8]BP Khanal, a short
biographic note posted on http://www.worthfinding.com/christian-articles-stories/read.aspx?theSID=1057, taken on June 20, 2013.
Comments