Whispering Danny, Rudy Ross and I discuss Exodus 12.11-13 on YouTube today. Rudy and Danny bring humor and insight into this important passage.
Verse 12 is the focus of my article today.
God told Moses, “I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord” (Exodus 12.12).
Not only was the 10th plague a judgment on Egyptian society. It was a statement that the God of the enslaved Hebrews was the One and Only God of the universe.
Egyptian culture was influenced by many gods. A quick look at the five most influential gods will reveal something about Egyptian beliefs.
(1) Ra was the sun god and one of the most important deities. He represented the sun’s power and was believed to govern creation, light, and life.
(2) Osiris was the god of the afterlife, resurrection, and fertility. He was considered the ruler of the underworld and the judge of the deceased.
(3) Isis was the goddess of magic, fertility, and motherhood. She was venerated as a protective deity and a powerful sorceress.
(4) Horus was the god of the sky, kingship, and protection. He was considered the son of Isis and Osiris and was believed to be the rightful ruler of Egypt.
(5) Set (Seth) was associated with chaos, desert, storms, and foreign lands. He was both feared and respected as a powerful and unpredictable force.
Common Traits
The Egyptian gods and all human idols have something in common. They are a magnification or a “bigger than life” version of important aspects of creation – light, life, death, fertility, power, and chaos.
Humans give their idols the reverence reserved for a deity. At the same time, humans devise ways to manipulate idols to fulfill human desires.
What an ironic and tragic combination of manipulation and reverence that we give to the gods of our own making!
If God allowed humans to deceive themselves and worship the works of their hands without his intervention, he would not be the God we know and love.
God used plagues in Egypt to reveal the essential difference between a real God and idols made by humans.
God’s action revealed to Egyptian people and their gods the absolute truth of his name, “I am the Lord” (verse 12).
God’s name is the expression of his nature and character.
Isaiah’s Message
Isaiah connected the sacred name of God with the fact that Jehovah is the Creator.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it,
for why should my name be profaned?
My glory I will not give to another.
Listen to me, O Jacob,
and Israel, whom I called:
I am he; I am the first,
and I am the last.
My hand laid the foundation of the earth,
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they stand at attention. (Isaiah 48.11-13)
Why should we listen to God and obey his directions? Because he alone can say “I am he.”
Humans can say, “He is!,” but we can not say “I am.” The same truth applies to the gods of the Egyptians or of modern America.
God is the Creator and the best choice we can make is to worship and serve him.
No doubt, Isaiah had in mind Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush and the revelation of the divine name.
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3.14).
Hallowed Be Your Name
The first request in the Lord’s Prayer is, “May your name be revered as holy” (Matthew 6.9). God’s reputation, character, and nature are bound up in his name.
When we pray “Hallowed be Your name,” we are asking that God’s reputation, character, and nature be placed in a category all his own.
He is the One and Only Being who is the Creator of the universe. He is I AM and there is no one who is his rival.
Hosea recognized a danger in religion. Humans can parrot the right words, but think the wrong thoughts.
Hosea told the Hebrews that God was determined to correct their lack of reverence for his name.
On that day, says the Lord, you will call me “my husband,” and no longer will you call me “my Baal” (Hosea 2.16).
God brought correction to the Hebrews in Hosea’s day because they were saying, “Jehovah,” but thinking “Baal” at the same time. This is similar to worshiping God and money or a nation at the same time.
God Intervenes
God acts in history, whether it is Egyptian slavery or Babylonian oppression, or Americanized religion, to show humans and the gods they serve that he alone is God.
I hope these thoughts bring greater clarity to the times when we pray “Hallowed be Your Name” in the Lord’s Prayer.
Let’s determine to worship and serve God with a whole heart.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and Whispering Danny join me to discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 