24/12/2023
"O Lord, you are forever in my thoughts."
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December 23
A Tenor Soloist in Heaven
Scripture: Acts 16:25
The reason for the choice of title for this entry will be evident as one reads the account of Joost Joosten of the Netherlands. The fourteen-year-old lad was singing in the choir of the local Catholic church in his hometown of Goes in the Netherlands, when King Philip II was in the audience. The lyric tenor voice of the youth so attracted the king that he purposed to take the soloist back to Spain with him. The King requested an interview with the lad. Upon hearing of the kingâs interest, young Joost was honored, but when told of the kingâs wishes, the ladâs Dutch pride would not allow it. Asking the kingâs servant to wait a moment, the boy exited by another door and made his way home. He quickly gathered a few belongings, and slipped through the back streets of town to an abandoned boathouse. Joost remained secluded there until he knew that King Philip II had returned to Spain.
Upon hearing of the actions of the youth, the locals looked upon Joost as a hero. He was a good scholar and earnest in his studies. He had an interest in the matters of belief expressed in the Roman, Lutheran, Reformed, and Anabaptist systems of theology. The respect he gained among the citizenry allowed him some freedom to move in various circles, and in the course of time, he crossed the pathway of the Anabaptists. As he listened to the preaching, it became clear to Joost that Christâs atonement was personal, and that he was included. In time, he professed faith in Christ Jesus and was baptized. His life was transformed, and he began to witness publicly. Now, however, he discovered that he lost his heroâs status, and he was roundly criticized. Joostâs clear thinking allowed him to declare and defend his faith. The authorities soon became aware of Joostâs conversion, but they determined to reconvert him to Romanism by debate. After all, he was a youthful hero, and the authorities did not want to lose the respect of the citizens.
When Joost reached his eighteenth birthday, and they had been unable to dissuade him, the officals arrested him in the neighboring city of Veere. King Philip II had renewed the mandate of his father, Charles V, which had been issued on September 25, 1550, against the Anabaptists. The edict called for the death penalty for those proposing Anabaptist doctrines.
Joost had been imprisoned, and at first, inquisitors attempted to cause him to recant by confrontation. At times, such as inquisitorial session would feature four debaters, but their efforts failed. Soon, Joost experienced the other methods used in the Inquisition, as he was placed on the rack and stretched until he would faint. He would be revived with cold water, and as he then suffered excruciating pain, he would again be bombarded with the demands to recant!
A uniquely new method was utilized to break young Joostâs will. Van Braghtâs description is graphic. (1) As young Joost was tied to a chair, jailers would insert what was called a âiron teerlingenâ in the top of his knee. They would drive the long thin rod of metal down through his leg until it came out at his ankle. The jailers who were forced to inflict such injury were themselves physically shaken, but yet the will of Joost could not be moved. Amazingly, all during his imprisonment, while in his cell, Joost would sing to encourage himself and other prisoners. When it became clear that the young hero could not be broken, Joost was condemned to being burned to death. A straw hut was built in the marketplace at Veere where Joost would be sent to glory. Even as he was forced to walk on his bruised legs to the place of ex*****on, Joostâs clear voice rang out with a witness for Christ. As he approached the hut, he sang a favorite hymn: âO Lord, you are forever in my Thoughts.â On the Monday before Christmas, 1560, (2) the hut was ignited and a new tenor voice joined the heavenly choir of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
May we realize in the small vicissitudes of life that we suffer, âIt will be worth it all when we see Jesus.â
DLC (David L. Cummins)
1 Thieleman J. Van Braught, The Martyrâs Mirror (Scottsdale, PA: Herald Press, 1950), 651.
2 Myron S. Augsburger, Faithful Unto Death (Waco, TX: Wood Books, 1978), 64.
