• Zimbabwe
    1985 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • “TIE HIM TO A TREE AND LET HIM DIE”

      It was just after he attended one of these special elders’ meetings that Jeremiah Chesa, a brother well up in years, had quite an experience. Brother Chesa lives in a rural area. He related:

      “A band of soldiers took me from my home at night into the bush; then I was asked, ‘Where were you on Saturday and Sunday?’ I told them I had gone to a religious meeting. ‘Do you know, old man, that this is the end of your life? We have already killed people more special than you, a poor dog.’ They then shouted, ‘Let us kill him!’

      “However, one of them said, ‘Rather, let us tie his hands and legs to a tree and leave him there to die on his own.’ After getting a rope, they then said, ‘Tell us now what you choose​—to die or to stop worshiping your God.’

      “‘Frankly,’ I said, ‘I do not want to cheat you by saying I am going to quit worshiping. I worship day and night.’

      “Angered at this, someone shouted, ‘Tie him to a tree and let him die there!’ So I spent the whole night tied to a tree.”

      The next day, around noon, a hunter happened to pass by and saw Brother Chesa tied to the tree. Although the hunter was shocked and a bit fearful at what he saw, this man did have the courage to release our brother, who then made his way home. But what next? Brother Chesa’s story continues:

      “A few days later the soldiers came to my house and wanted to know how I had got free from the tree. They took me into the bush and asked who had released me. I said my reply was in the Bible at Psalm 146:5-7. Orders were given for this scripture to be read.

      “Five persons who were ordered to reread the passage were beaten because the leaders thought they were not reading it correctly. It was interesting to listen to their conversation. ‘Who actually released him?’ ‘We had better leave him alone and let him go.’ ‘You are lucky, old man.’”

      What was it that suddenly changed the minds of these would-be killers? The scripture they read says in part: “Happy is the one . . . whose hope is in Jehovah his God . . . Jehovah is releasing those who are bound.” Brother Chesa went back home a free man.