Is there only one God?
Ex.7:8-11:10
Is there only one God? Duh?!? I think you know the answer. But this question goes deeper because, church, beloved friends, we have a problem! Polytheism, is on the rise. Jordan Paper, who raised as Jew (with view there is one God), wrote a book in 2005 called “The Deities are Many: A Polytheistic Theology” which Peter Jones say is “the first systematic apologetic for polytheistic theology.” In that book Paper claims polytheism is inherent in human nature, monotheism is recent invention, and arose from one small part of the planet, and pushing mystical experiences with the gods which he claimed he has encountered. Jean Houston, counsellor of Hilary Clinton, wrote “The Passion of Isis and Osiris”, reviving the names of the ancient Egyptian gods. Dick Rauscher wrote and I quote,
The fastest growing western “church communities” are the Wiccan churches of the Celtic Pagans, the Naturalists, the Ecological fundamentalists, and those spiritual communities that are embracing the Eastern spiritual practices embedded in Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism. Interest in Mysticism and Eastern spirituality is endemic in Western culture today.
Next to us, a giant Buddhist monastery is being constructed! Yes, we are living in a time when non-Christian spirituality is on the rise in our Western world and they all say there are many gods.
There was a time in Egypt, in the time of Moses, the setting of the Exodus story, when polytheism was alive and well. Just so you get the picture look at this list of the gods of Egypt (source: touregypt.net)
• Aken Ferryman of the Underworld
• Aker Guardian and Gatekeeper of the Underworld
• Am-Heh - Devourer of Millions
• Ament Greeter of the Dead
• Ammit Devourer of the Wicked
• Amun and Amun-Re The King of the Gods
• Anat Mother of Gods
• Andjety A precursor of Osiris
• Anqet The Embracer, Goddess of Fertility and the Nile at Aswan
• Anubis God of Embalming
• Anuke Goddess of War
• Anuket Goddess of the Nile
• Apep The Great Destroyer
• Arensnuphis Anthropomorphic Nubian Deity
• As Kindly God of the Desert
• Astarte, Warrior Goddess of Canaan
• Aten The Sun Disk and later God
• Atum The All-Father
• Auf (Efu Ra) An aspect of the sun god Ra
• Baal, God of Thunder
• Ba-Pef - The Soul
• Babi - The Dominant Male Baboon God
• Banebdjetet God of Lower Egypt
• Bast Beautiful Cat-Goddess
• Bat - Ancient Cow Goddess
• Benu (Bennu) - The Bird of Creation
• Bes Protector of Childbirth
• Dedwen - Nubian God of Resources
• Denwen - The Fiery Serpent
• The Ennead The Nine Great Osirian Gods
• Fetket - The Sun God’s Butler
• Geb God of the Earth
• Gengen Wer - The Great Honker
• Hapi God of the Nile River
• Hathor Goddess of Music and Dance
• Hatmehyt - The Fish Goddess
• Haurun, The Victorious Herdsman
• Heh and Hauhet Deities of Infinity and Eternity
• Heqet Frog Goddess
• Heret-Kau - She who is Above the Spirits
• Heryshef, Ruler of the Riverbanks
• Heset Goddess of Plenty
• Hetepes-Sekhus - An Eye of Re
• Hike God of Magic and Medicine
• Horus King of the Gods on Earth
• Hu God of the Spoken Word
• Iabet, Cleanser of Re, Personification of the East
• Ihy - The Child God
• Imhotep Lord of Science and Thought
• Ipy (Opet), A Mother of Osiris
• Isis Queen of the Gods
• Iusaas - Creator Goddess
• Kabechet Helper of Anubis
• Kek and Kauket, Deities of Darkness, Obscurity and Night
• Khenmu The Great Potter
• Kherty - Ram-headed God
• Kephri The Great Scarab
• Khonsu God of the Moon
• Maat Lady of Truth and Order
• Mafdet Goddess of Scorpions and Snakes
• Mahaf - The Ferryman
• Mahes The Lord of the Massacre
• Male Child Gods of Egypt
• Mandulis - The Lower Nubian Sun God
• Mehen Defender of the Sun Boat
• Mehet-Weret - Cow Goddess of the Sky
• Menhit Lion-headed War Goddess
• Mertseger Guardian of the Valley of the Kings
• Meskhenet - Goddess of Childbrith
• Mihos - Son of Bastet
• Min God of Fertility
• Montu, Warrior and Solar God
• Mut Grandmother of the Gods
• Nefertem Lord of the Sunrise
• Nehebkau, the God who Joined the Ka to the Body
• Nekhbet Goddess of the Power of Kings
• Neith Goddess of War and Funerals
• Nephthys Lady of the Wings
• Nun and Naunet Gods of Chaos and Water
• Nut Goddess of the Firmament
• The Ogdoad The Primordial Creation Gods
• Onuris The War God
• Osiris Lord of the Dead
• Pakhet The Strength of Woman
• Panebtawy - The Child God
• Peteese and Pihor - Brother Gods
• Ptah The Creator
• Qadesh - Goddess of Esctasy and Sexual Pleasure
• Re (Ra) The Sun God
• Renenutet Goddess of the Harvest
• Reshep - The Syrian War God
• Sah and Sopdet (Sothis) The Astral God and Goddess
• Satet Goddess of the Inundation
• Satis Guardian of the Borders
• Sebiumeker - Meroitic God of Procreation
• Sefkhet-Abwy - Goddess of Writing and Temple Libraries
• Seker The Resurrected Osiris
• Sekhmet The Eye of Ra
• Sepa - Centipede God
• Serapis the Composit God
• Serqet (Selkis) Scorpion Goddess
• Seshat Goddess of writing, measurements
• Set God of Evil
• Shay - Personified Destiny
• Shesmetet - Leonine Goddess
• Shesmu Demon god of the Win Press
• Shu God of the Air and Sky
• Sia - The Perceptive Mind
• Sobek Guard of the Gods
• Sons of Horus Gods of the Viscera and the Canopic Jars
• Sopedu - The Border Patrol God
• Ta-Bitjet - A Wife of Horus
• Tasenetnofret - The Good Sister
• Taweret Goddess Demoness of Birth
• Tayet - Goddess of Weaving
• Tefnut Goddess of Moisture
• Tatenen - "Father of Gods" and the God of the Rising Earth
• Thoth God of Wisdom
• Wadj Wer - The Pregnant God
• Wadjet The Serpent Goddess
• Weneg - Ancient Son of Re
• Wepwawet (Upuaut) The Opener of the Ways
• Wosret - Goddess of Thebes
• Yah - Another Moon God
• Yamm - God of the Sea
If there are so many gods, why should the people in Moses time think there is only one God? That’s a question that the text is confronting. It is a question for our day too. Just walk down No. 5 Road, gotta be blind to not see all sorts of gods being worshipped. But how can there be only one God, when there are so many others? It’d be better to cover all the bases, just in case, right? That’s what I did when I was a kid... seem like a logical thing to do. Why go for just McDonalds, when there is burger king, harveys, a & w, and why not go for variety not just burgers KFC, church’s chicken, chubby chicken etc?
As we can see what we encounter today is not new, it is as old as the time when Moses was around. Let’s explore that question by going to the Bible in Ex. 7:8-11:10.
Let’s read 7:7 first... Make a note of the ages of Moses and Aaron, 80 and 83! Here we have two old guys who should be cashing in their RRSPs , retiring and golfing in some swanky resort, going to a showdown with Pharaoh and his tech-team of their best of the best wise men, sorcerers, magicians and his formidable army of professional soldiers and the many gods of Egypt. Do the math, is this a fair fight? If it were me in that situation, I certainly would be saying to God, “wait a minute... 2 old guys versus all of Egyptian might and technology, let me out of here, or put me in a slow boat to China” which was exactly what Moses tried to do. Moses objected to God’s call 5 times! God Himself was not too pleased with Moses resistance. Got to take into account, Moses is not the most impressive assertive leader type guy as well, who admittedly speaks with “faltering lips” (6:30) and who did not pass the test of leadership in his early years with Pharaoh’s court and with the Israelites who said “you are not the boss of me”! The Bible in Numbers 12 speaks of him as a humble man who got pushed around by Aaron and Miriam, his two older siblings. We also know he also had a hard time saying “no” to people in Ex.18 that he got exhausted hearing people complain about this and that. This mouse of a man, with his brother 3 years older than he is, with no body armor, except a staff, which is not a spear, or a lance, or some impressive intimidating weapon but an oversized stick, went to Pharaoh to demand “let God’s people go”. What are the odds of getting squashed like a bug?
It’s a comical picture, isn’t it? It gets even more comical. Let me show ya... read with me starting from Ex.7:8
8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, ’Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ’Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake."
10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.
Can you just see Aaron, 83 year old man, shaking in his sandals, in front of the nerve-racking Pharaoh and his officials, got to be sweating bullets in the Egyptian heat, then throwing a stick with apprehension as far as he can, probably wasn’t a world-record breaking throw from an old man, more like a girly man throw, maybe a few inches. Well, as we know, Aaron’s big stick miraculously turned into a snake or as the original Hebrew word render it “dragon, serpent, sea monster.” Now that’s a pretty big animal. Not some little garden snake you find in Richmond backyards. I can just imagine it causing quite a ruckus, everyone there hiking up their designer Egyptian skirts and screaming like little girls! Meanwhile, the two old guys who knew what was coming, acting really cool, like it was no big deal, going “yeah God!”! What happened next. Read on 7:11
11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
Well what do ya know Pharaoh ordered his magicians to do the same. And so right left and center, they duplicated the feat, throwing down their staffs, swish here there, clang. And more little girls’ screams could be heard. What a scene -Snakes on the plane, Egyptian style, with Egyptian curse words filling the air. The comedy continues when out of nowhere Aaron’s staff gobbled up all the snakes of the Egyptians like it was a vacuum on steroids. What a sight! It’s funny when you think about it or just kinda gross if you are an animal lover.
This was the first showdown ,the first sign, a preview of God’s absolute mastery and power over Egypt and the powers that they represent. You’d think Pharaoh would be logical and say “wow, that’s like dangerous and powerful stuff, let me arrange for the moving truck for the Israelites and maybe I can get some airmiles out of it but NO.... his heart became hard, no way he’s giving up without a fight! Continue from Ex.7:14...
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ’The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. 17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD : With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ "
19 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, ’Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs’-and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars."
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.
25 Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.
You have to laugh... see Pharaoh in those 7 days absolutely powerless, the most powerful guy in town, all he could do was act like a stubborn little kid who refuses to eat his vegetables, who got sent to his room, actually he went to his home, sulking instead of yielding (v.22). And the comedy continues - all the Egyptians digging along the Nile just to get some water and oooh the stink!! Instead of the Israelites sweating under the sun doing the work, it was the Egyptians on their knees, digging, in the stink for 7 days, in the heat as well!!
Take note that the sign of the staff turned into a snake (7:11) , the first plague of blood (7:22) and the second, the frogs (8:7), you’ll see the Egyptian magicians had no problems duplicating what the two old guys did by God’s Word. But Read how the Bible carefully says by what means the magicians were able to duplicate the signs “by their secret arts” . Then look in Ex.8:16-19
16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, ’Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals.
19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.
The plague of gnats, (trans, lice) was a huge revelation to the magicians of their limited abilities. That phrase the Bible used “by their secret arts” tell us that it was not supernatural godlike power, but by their secret tricks of their craft. Just like today’s magicians, we would go ooh and aah through their secret tricks of their craft, so it was then, it was fake, trickery, sleight of hand stuff. But by the third plague, these Egyptian magicians realize they were out of their league. Ever wondered why the magicians could not figure out how to duplicate the plague of the gnats?
A Christian magician, Dan Korem, showed me, it is quite possible to catch snakes and later make them appear, use red dye to turn water to blood, and to catch frogs and produce them on demand. It is quite another thing to produce on demand and in big numbers gnats or lice that’ll fly around and make life miserable for you. It is absolutely impossible to catch these insects and keep them alive long enough to make them appear on demand.
No wonder, the Bible says in Ex.8:18 “when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.” Try catching those little bugs, and soon as you grasp them, they are squashed! No wonder they were stumped! NO wonder they say in v.19” this is the finger of God!” They realize this is a supernatural work, a truly God-thing.
The magicians were defeated soundly by God! This was another major rear-end kicking, the forces of Egypt were humiliated... they could not even produce a simpler life form out of thin air but the God who made the heavens and the earth had no problems.
Russell Grigg’s article on the ten plagues carefully noted that the following gods of Egypt may have been targeted by the ten plagues:
1. God turned the Nile River and all the water throughout Egypt into blood causing the fish to die, showing the impotence of the god of the Nile Hapi and Osiris, god of the underworld. The dead fish would have discredited the fish goddess, Hathmehyt.
2. Swarms of frogs came out of the Nile covering the land and infesting Egyptian houses which showed God’s superiority over Heqet, the goddess of frogs and Isis, a fertility goddess. Again, the magicians replicated the plague but were powerless to reverse it.
3. God turned the dust into lice which irritated the skin of the Egyptians and their animals. This could be viewed as an attack on Kheper and the other earth gods. The magicians could not duplicate this plague and told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:19).
4. Swarms of flies poured over the land and into houses throughout Egypt. Again, Kheper was the targeted god. From this point forward, the magicians did not even try to replicate God’s plagues.
5. God decimated the Egyptians’ livestock, horses, camels and other animals with a pestilence, or murrain, which denigrated the power of Apis, the sacred bull god, as well as Mnevis, Hathor and Isis.
6. The Egyptians and their animals were afflicted with festering boils. Even the magicians were incapacitated which demonstrated God’s power over Imhotep, Hike and Thoth, gods of healing and magic.
7. God sent “the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt” (Exodus 9:18) which beat down plants, stripped the trees bare and denigrated the powers of Nut, Shu and Tefnet, who controlled the weather.
8. Egypt was covered by swarms of locust. Everything that survived the hail was destroyed constituting an attack upon Seth, the god of crops.
9. Three days of pitch-black darkness covered Egypt which was a clear attack against Ra, the sun god, and the other sky gods such as Horus, Khepi, Mut, Nut and Seker.
10. All of the firstborn sons of Egypt, including Pharaoh’s, died. Pharaoh was viewed as a god himself so this tragedy was an affront to his own divinity.
Let’s summarize here... two old guys and their one God versus the whole glory and might of Egypt with all their armor, might, hi –tech military power, plus magic and the entire phalanx of Egyptian gods? Is this a fair fight? How can two old guys with a stick and one God win over that? Is this a fair fight?
God, the Great I am, who says he’ll be with Moses, directly and very deliberately took aim the gods of Egypt and showed the world, when it comes to the god question – it is not even a question, it is a statement and a bold one at that - there is only one God. Do the math of one!! One God and 2 old guys won big time! No need to figure which of the gods you offended, there is only one and He is offended when others try to steal his glory away from him. If this team of 2 old guys won, would it not prove, there is really only one God? But just as Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, many people’s heart would not yield. Will your heart yield to God?
In Acts 17, in the context of pluralistic Athens, where many gods are worshiped, the apostle Paul stood up in front of a learned crowd, who tried to cover all their spiritual bases, just like I did when I was young, worship all the gods with the all you can eat buffet style approach, and boldly spoke about the one supreme God...
22Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
24"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28’For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ’We are his offspring.’
29"Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
Is there only one God? Paul bravely spoke to crowd that practices polytheism yes. And the proof is in the one who rose from the dead, Jesus, the God who made heaven and earth!
Implications:
1. Stand firm! Just as Moses, Paul preached there is one God in a world that believes in many gods– we too today must preach there is one God, and He is personal and powerful! Uphold it in the rising tide of pluralistic polytheistic world. Don’t believe this world’s propaganda and allow them to pull the wool over your eyes. Be of good courage and stand as Moses did and as Paul did.
Why? Because there is good reason to. Egyptian magicians knew it – “this is the finger of God!” Every one of the Egyptian gods had no power over the God Moses and Aaron spoke for and spoke of. For us too, it is not for lack of proof, Jesus risen from the dead, empty tomb... only one who came back from the grave!
2. Expect a dog fight! Not popular, not politically correct! Expect to suffer for the truth. We get an incomplete theology, when we preach everything is rosy gospel. Did Moses and Aaron had an easy time? Did Paul? Finally did Jesus, who was nailed to the cross by his enemies? There will be trouble or opposition from unyielding hearts ... just like Pharaoh who’ll fight tooth and nail, our enemy the devil will not yield as well! In Acts 17:32-33
32When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." 33At that, Paul left the Council. 34A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.
Yes, we may win a few people over, some may ask more questions but don’t expect many instant conversions or myriads of people to have warm feelings over your stand. Even God did not over turn a heart that has turned hard.
Which leads me to ask...
3. Is your heart turning numb, harder, or are you encourage in your struggle to keep fighting for the truth? Folks, we preached Christ crucified, but Jesus is risen! There is only one God! Will you reach out in your heart today to the God who will rescue you, who will by His mighty hand deliver you and bless you?
