A Loving Devotion to Producing Zion’s Harps, One Copy Per Year
In many places, during different periods of history—after frequent confiscations of cherished Bibles and Zion’s Harps—believers in Christ Jesus had to depend on a few remaining Bibles and Zion’s Harps for worship and daily readings. The replacement of confiscated, burned, destroyed, or worn-out songbooks in some places was often not possible for extended periods of time. The following story of faith describes such a sad condition, but it also illustrates the undaunted, unbroken spirit of the faithful.
After World War II, parts of Romania were annexed to Russia. The region included several villages with groups of Nazarean believers, who for fifty years, were effectively torn from Elders and fellow brethren of other nearby areas. Brutal persecution followed. Most brothers-in-faith (and even some sisters-in-faith) were banished to horrible concentrations camps and hard labor in Russia’s far-flung, bitterly-cold, northern regions of Siberia.
Along with thousands of others, they were herded into cattle cars (hungry, cold, and desolate) as they were taken by train over thousands of miles in sweltering, overcrowded boxcars. Many never returned to their families. Churches and most earthly possessions were confiscated. Those who were left behind in their villages were forbidden to gather together. If they did, they faced stiff fines, imprisonment, and torturous punishment. Yet, they remained faithful to the Lord, to their faith, and to each other.
As a result of their Biblical faith and obedience to the doctrines of nonresistance, not bearing arms and not swearing oaths, they suffered years of imprisonment, public humiliation, and extended separation from loved ones. Young believers, barely entering early manhood, often found themselves among hardened criminals and murderers in prison. Their lot was a very difficult one.
The scattered little flock, even with most of their men taken away—and in spite of the constant fear of arrest and stiff fines—slowly began to gather to sustain each other and worship in secret, mostly in the middle of the night at varied places. Services and fellowship were so deeply cherished that many walked an hour or two just to attend their secret meetings. Their gatherings usually lasted two or three hours into the night. By the time some of the more distant attendees arrived back home, it was time to leave for work.
They were left with very few precious and often tear-stained Bibles and Zion’s Harps. These books were cherished more than any of their other earthly possessions. Under the best of care, and loving use they slowly wore out. Under severe oppression and forbidden to communicate with believers in other regions, all contacts with former believers were soon lost. Even their existence remained unknown to believers of like mind and faith in surrounding countries. There were occasionally rare opportunities to acquire some Bibles, but their worn-out Zion’s Harps could simply not be replaced.
Even under such hardships, the Lord marvelously provides. Among the few remaining faithful believers, there was a young couple who was unable to have a family of their own. They both loved music and deeply appreciated their worn and torn Zion’s Harp.
Troubled with the bleak prospect of losing even that precious songbook, they devoted themselves to years of meticulously hand-copying Zion’s Harp hymnals. Their tedious task was very slow but rewarding, and much time was devoted to this noble task. However, their production rate of one copy per year could simply not keep up with the increasing demand.
Each Zion’s Harp was therefore lovingly shared by groups of believers, and many members memorized most of the songs with all their verses. To them, the deeply meaningful Zion’s Harp songs remained a cherished source of strength and a spiritually uniting force—of faith, fellowship, and holy living in Christ Jesus.
Stories of Faith and Courage Volume 2, page 111
In many places, during different periods of history—after frequent confiscations of cherished Bibles and Zion’s Harps—believers in Christ Jesus had to depend on a few remaining Bibles and Zion’s Harps for worship and daily readings. The replacement of confiscated, burned, destroyed, or worn-out songbooks in some places was often not possible for extended periods of time. The following story of faith describes such a sad condition, but it also illustrates the undaunted, unbroken spirit of the faithful.
After World War II, parts of Romania were annexed to Russia. The region included several villages with groups of Nazarean believers, who for fifty years, were effectively torn from Elders and fellow brethren of other nearby areas. Brutal persecution followed. Most brothers-in-faith (and even some sisters-in-faith) were banished to horrible concentrations camps and hard labor in Russia’s far-flung, bitterly-cold, northern regions of Siberia.
Along with thousands of others, they were herded into cattle cars (hungry, cold, and desolate) as they were taken by train over thousands of miles in sweltering, overcrowded boxcars. Many never returned to their families. Churches and most earthly possessions were confiscated. Those who were left behind in their villages were forbidden to gather together. If they did, they faced stiff fines, imprisonment, and torturous punishment. Yet, they remained faithful to the Lord, to their faith, and to each other.
As a result of their Biblical faith and obedience to the doctrines of nonresistance, not bearing arms and not swearing oaths, they suffered years of imprisonment, public humiliation, and extended separation from loved ones. Young believers, barely entering early manhood, often found themselves among hardened criminals and murderers in prison. Their lot was a very difficult one.
The scattered little flock, even with most of their men taken away—and in spite of the constant fear of arrest and stiff fines—slowly began to gather to sustain each other and worship in secret, mostly in the middle of the night at varied places. Services and fellowship were so deeply cherished that many walked an hour or two just to attend their secret meetings. Their gatherings usually lasted two or three hours into the night. By the time some of the more distant attendees arrived back home, it was time to leave for work.
They were left with very few precious and often tear-stained Bibles and Zion’s Harps. These books were cherished more than any of their other earthly possessions. Under the best of care, and loving use they slowly wore out. Under severe oppression and forbidden to communicate with believers in other regions, all contacts with former believers were soon lost. Even their existence remained unknown to believers of like mind and faith in surrounding countries. There were occasionally rare opportunities to acquire some Bibles, but their worn-out Zion’s Harps could simply not be replaced.
Even under such hardships, the Lord marvelously provides. Among the few remaining faithful believers, there was a young couple who was unable to have a family of their own. They both loved music and deeply appreciated their worn and torn Zion’s Harp.
Troubled with the bleak prospect of losing even that precious songbook, they devoted themselves to years of meticulously hand-copying Zion’s Harp hymnals. Their tedious task was very slow but rewarding, and much time was devoted to this noble task. However, their production rate of one copy per year could simply not keep up with the increasing demand.
Each Zion’s Harp was therefore lovingly shared by groups of believers, and many members memorized most of the songs with all their verses. To them, the deeply meaningful Zion’s Harp songs remained a cherished source of strength and a spiritually uniting force—of faith, fellowship, and holy living in Christ Jesus.
Stories of Faith and Courage Volume 2, page 111