Jehovah's Name In The Pacific

The crowd was totally amazed. Newcomers to their Pacific island close their eyes before eating the feast that had been prepared for them. "What are you doing?" the islanders asked. "Thanking God for his gifts, "was the reply. "Where does your God live?" the islanders wanted to know. In heaven, hey were told. "What is his name?" "Jehovah." Does your God eat food?" the islanders asked. "God is spirit," the newcomers replied. " He is not like us; He lives forever. It was He that made the earth, the sky, the sea and all things. He made us."

The Islanders were astounded at these simple truths and asked why these strangers were visiting their island. The reply was simple: " We come to make known to you the true God Jehovah, and His Son Jesus our Saviour."- From Darkness to Light in Polynesia.

Who were these strangers? Present day Witnesses of Jehovah? No? They were two Tahitian teachers, evangelizers, who arrived at the island of Mangaia (in the southern Cook Islands) on June 15,1824. Why did they use the name Jehovah? Was this simply an isolated event? The answer to these questions explains why Jehovah's name is still very important in many Pacific-island cultures.

Next time: God's Name Used Extensively