Egypt and Its Needs by W. H. Wakeham

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 10, 1903

Egypt and Its Needs

By W. H. Wakeham

W. H. WAKEHAM

“In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the Lord because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a Saviour, and a great One, and he shall deliver them. And the Lord shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the Lord in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the Lord, and perform it.” Isa. 19: 19–21.

Whatever application this scripture may have had to events in ages past, it is certainly a source of great encouragement to those who are working in Egypt to-day. The people of this country will not be left without a witness to Jehovah, the God who made the heavens and the earth. “An altar to the Lord” has been raised “in the midst of the land,” and “a pillar at the border thereof.” Egypt is now hearing of a Saviour who can deliver the people from the oppression of sin. But a much greater and more perfect manifestation of him will be seen in the near future; “for Jehovah shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day.” The light of the third angel’s message will yet shine with undimmed luster in the “land of Ham.”

We have been in this country less than three months; but we have already seen many omens that indicate clearly that Egypt is a land of opportunity,—opportunity in many ways, but especially for the third angel’s message.

Egypt is awakening from the darkness of sin, and its consequent superstition, which for centuries has hung like a pall over the far-famed valley of the Nile. The supreme indifference of Mohammedan fatalism is breaking; and on many eager lips the question is forming, “Is it God’s will?” And we are so glad of the blessed privilege of telling them that Jehovah “doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men;” that he takes no pleasure in death, but that the gospel of Jesus Christ is “the power of God unto salvation” from sin and from all its baleful effects.

No part of present truth is more necessary to the Egyptians than the principles of healthful living which God has given us. And just now there is a special awakening throughout all Egypt on the question of sanitary reforms. The cholera scourge of last year has been an emphatic lesson, which only the most obtuse can fail to appreciate. The world’s medical congress which recently convened in Cairo gave evidence of the widespread and earnest attention these matters are receiving throughout the country. Most positive evidence is given that the river Nile, almost the only source of water supply in Egypt, is the principal medium of cholera infection. Tannah, the only city in Egypt that gets its water from wells, is the only city that was not ravaged by that fatal disease. This will appear more remarkable when it is known that Tannah is the third largest city in Egypt, and that the cholera raged in all the cities and villages around it. Thirty-four thousand human victims to the reign of filth in six months, has begun to open the eyes of Mohammedans even to the fact that the Koran enjoins cleanliness. What an opportune time for those who

know the truth to carry to the people the pure, health-giving, life-saving principles of the Bible!

The native papers as well as the European press in Cairo and in Alexandria are agitating the question of how to prevent, or at least to control, the ravages of contagious diseases. One of the leading French papers of this city is ably advocating vegetarian principles. Its editor has visited our ‘Vegetarian Pension,’ and has given it very favorable mention in his paper. In a short interview with him, he expressed his willingness to co-operate with us in lifting up the standard of sanitary reform. Literature on the subject of healthful living would be welcomed now in Egypt as never before. Our American, English, German, and French health journals are gladly taken and read by many; and much more could be done in this direction if we had a good, energetic, consecrated canvasser, who could give his time to this branch of the work. He should, however, to be of the most use, understand English and French, or English, French, and German. Will not some one who reads these lines volunteer for this work in this country?

But a much greater need in this field is health literature in the Arabic tongue. About seven eighths of the population of Egypt speak that language. An Arabic health journal should be started as soon as we have money to print it, and men to push its sale among the natives. The latter we hope to develop here in the field. Health books, I am assured, would meet with a ready sale among the well-to-do natives. There is absolutely nothing of that kind in the Arabic language. We are getting out a small tract on the principles of healthful living as taught in the Bible, but we should have a bound book. The country is ripe for such a work. The devil has strongly entrenched himself here. The tobacco habit is almost universal among all nationalities, men, women, and children being addicted to its use. Intemperance of every kind abounds. But we are assured that where sin abounds, grace doth much more abound; and these conditions simply give opportunity for the mighty manifestation of the power of God.

I have been holding a series of Bible studies with a class of intelligent young men, mostly Copts, employees of the government. These young men read English some, sufficient for me to work with them without the aid of an interpreter. We have been studying with them the gospel as revealed in Genesis, and the readiness with which they give assent to the truth is encouraging indeed. Many of these have been educated in the ‘American Mission’ schools (Presbyterian), and are nominally Christian. We trust seeds of truth are being sown that will bear fruit in due time. We are planning to start a church school for the children soon, as there seems to be a demand for it. Our resources, physical and financial, are taxed to the utmost to fill all these opportunities. I am planning to go next week to Luxor to engage in labor with our native minister, Elder Awada, for the natives.

By the blessing of God, I and my family have had usually good health since coming here. Egypt has a splendid climate, especially in winter. And from what I am told by those who know, the summers are not at all intolerable. We all desire to be remembered at a throne of grace by the many readers of the REVIEW.

Cairo, Egypt.