Saved From Hanging

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, Nov. 30.

Eighteen-year-old Musa Ali fled from his hometown in East Africa after his father and brothers tried to kill him.

They didn’t want Musa to become a Christian, so they beat him badly.

In a new city, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor gave Musa some work and a place to stay. He suggested that Musa study theology and consider becoming a pastor.

“But I don’t know English,” Musa protested. “I can’t learn it in one day.”

“You can do it,” the pastor said. “No one is born speaking English.”

Musa decided to first learn about Jesus in his own language, Arabic.

As he studied, he gave his heart to Jesus and was baptized. Then he got married.

On his honeymoon, he was arrested.

Musa and his bride decided to stay at home for their honeymoon because they had no money to travel.

Just a few days after the wedding, police officers pounded on the door and hauled Musa off to the police station.

“Musa Ali, you’re a Christian, right?” a senior police officer asked Musa at the police station.

Without waiting for a reply, he snarled, “You will die in three days.”

“Yes, I will die, but I will be happy,” Musa said.

The senior police officer thought Musa had gone mad.

“Who would be happy to die?” he asked.

He sent Musa to a prison cell.

Musa was alone for the first day. But then another prisoner was placed in his cell. The new prisoner asked Musa why he was in prison and, when he learned that Musa was a Christian, he tried to persuade Musa to reject Jesus. Musa refused to listen and instead tried to convince the prisoner to become a Christian. Finally, the prisoner shook his head and declared with exasperation, “You’re dangerous!”

The prisoner stood up, opened the cell door, and walked out. At that moment, Musa realized that the prisoner wasn’t actually a prisoner but an undercover police officer trying to convince him to denounce Christ.

Musa waited for the hours to pass for his hanging the next day. He wasn’t afraid. He prayed.

Now it so happens that Musa Ali is a common name in his country, and the city mayor also had a son named Musa Ali. That night, the other Musa Ali got drunk and was arrested.

In the morning, the mayor wanted to see his son. Taking a piece of paper, he wrote, “Bring Musa Ali to me.” The paper was delivered to the prison.

The police read the order and sent for the wrong Musa Ali. Remembering that the Christian Musa Ali was to die that day, they thought that the mayor wanted to see him.

Police officers dropped off a surprised Musa at the mayor’s office.

The mayor was even more surprised when Musa entered the room.

“Who are you?” he said.

“Musa Ali,” Musa said.

“But I didn’t call for you,” the mayor said. “I called for my son.”

Exasperation flashed across his face.

“Are the police waiting for you outside?” he asked.

“No, they left,” Musa said.

The mayor smiled slightly and spoke in a joking tone of voice.

“Fine, just go,” he said. “Go quickly.”

Musa didn’t wait to be told twice. He left.

A short time later, Musa arrived home and hugged his astonished wife. They quickly packed their bags and jumped on the next train out of town. They have never returned.

Musa and his wife have had many more amazing adventures as they have sought to follow God’s will. When Musa was 28 years old, the Adventist Church’s East-Central Africa Division awarded him a scholarship at an Adventist university. Last year, he graduated with a degree in theology and, to his surprise, the ability to speak English.

Today, Musa is 33 years old and works as a missionary, a local Global Mission coordinator, teaching his people that Jesus is God and is coming soon.