“Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” Psalm 68: 31.
The promises of God’s Word are sure and shall be fulfilled in the Lord’s good time. His purposes are from eternity and cannot be thwarted. To men it may appear that the fulfilment of some of the predictions of Scripture are taking long to be fulfilled. However that is only how it seems to men. We are to remember that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.
We may take the promise regarding Ethiopia as applicable to Africa as a whole, of which Ethiopia is a part. Long did the nations of Africa lie under the blight of heathenism until the Saviour appeared as a light to lighten the Gentiles as well as the glory of His people Israel. Northern Africa was to receive the gospel as well as the nations of Europe. Christianity for a time took hold of the nations in the north of Africa including the nation of Ethiopia, as well as other lands. With the rise of Mohammedanism and its spread over the nations bordering the Mediterranean the light of Christianity was to be eclipsed and the cruel reign of the religion of the false prophet prevail. The darkness of night descended on that Continent as a result. What of the promise of God’s Word — that Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God? How long the might was to continue until in the 19th Century the opening up of Africa led to the spread of the Gospel to many parts of that Continent. For a time it appeared as though the fulfilment of the promise had come. But declension set in and in many instances the true gospel ceased to be preached. A man-made religion took its place, Romanism spread abroad and false sects multiplied, bringing their delusions with them and ensnaring the souls of many. A
night of spiritual darkness has again fallen over the Continent of Africa except in those places where the light of the gospel still prevails. Yet the present darkness in Africa is not like the gross darkness which prevails now in many of the countries of Europe where the gospel has been rejected by millions of souls.
In the light of the present situation what hope can there be that light shall yet break in glorious splendour on Africa? To the natural eye it would appear that there is no hope. Things must progressively grow worse until total darkness prevails. Not so to the eye of faith, for the eye of faith looks to the promise and to the certainty of the fulfilment of the promise. The One who cannot lie has declared it, therefore it must surely come to pass that Ethiopia to God shall soon stretch out her hands. But how is it to come about? The Lord gives the answer in His Word — “not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” It is not in the power of man to bring about this great change but it is in the power of God to effect it. His glory is bound up with the fulfilment of His promises, therefore none of them shall ever fall to the ground. Consequently this is sure and certain that Ethiopia to God shall soon stretch out her hands.
What a glorious day that shall be when the Spirit shall be poured out from on High and Africa shall receive pentecostal showers of blessing — not the delusions of a false pentecostalism but a true outpouring of the Spirit of God upon the nations of that extensive Continent. How will it be known? The Lord alone will be exalted in that day and sin will hide its face for very shame. Then shall be fulfilled the promise — that men shall be blessed in Him and all nations shall call Him blessed. Christ then shall have dominion in Africa from the east to the west and from the north to the south. The oppression to which the African nations have been subject will be done away with, and Africa will rise to glorious splendour as a jewel in Christ’s crown. He must reign until all His enemies are made His footstool.
In the light of these things, what is to be our response? Pray, pray, pray for Africa, for its peoples, its tribes and nations that light would break on sin-darkened hearts, giving the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Pray, pray, pray for pastors to be raised up, men after God’s own heart who will feed the people with knowledge and understanding. Plead, plead, plead for the fulfilment of the promise that Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands to God. Who can tell but you shall have an answer in peace and see the fulfilment of the promise even in your own day?