Thank you for the question on the Egyptian gods, “Why did the Biblical God want to destroy the Egyptian gods if they were only considered demigods?”
The short answer is that the Egyptians believed that their gods/goddesses were the true living deities. No one worships a deity that one doesn’t believe is real.
The Egyptians were at the height of their glory and power. They attributed their victories over their enemies, their wealth and power to their gods and goddesses. The question becomes who is the true and living God: the gods of Egypt or the God of the Israelite. There can be only one Creator God. Thus the question for the Egyptians and the Israelites is this: “Who is the true and living God?”
For one’s consideration, here are some reasons why God wanted the Egyptians and Israelites to know that YHWH is the true living God:
A. YHWH wanted to demonstrated to the Egyptians that he is the only true living God and there are no other gods.
B. YHWH wanted the Egyptians to know that they have been worshiping false deities and that it was he who made and gave them their victories and wealth.
C. YHWH wanted the Egyptians to know that he has been offended by their attributing their victories and wealth to other deities than to him.
D. YHWH wanted the Egyptians to know that he has the power of life and death in his hands, not some other deities.
E. YHWH wanted the Egyptians to know that he is the one who can offer life to those who believe in him.
The Ten Plagues that fell on Egypt demonstrated that the Egyptians deities are man-made and powerless. The Egyptian deities were not able to overturn or disprove the existence of YHWH. Pharaoh said this to Moses, “Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’ ” 2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go” (Exodus 5 – NIV Bible).
YHWH was not one of the gods that the Egyptians believed in or worshiped. YHWH wanted to show that without an army, he could defeat their gods and their army. The death of the firstborn of Egypt dispelled any doubt in their mind as not just one firstborn of Egypt died, but all the firstborn of Egypt died. It was not an accident or coincident that this happened to them while the Israelites escaped the angel of death. The Egyptians came to recognize that the God of Israel, YHWH is greater and mightier than their own deities.
Least one thinks that God is an egomaniac, it is disrespectful to fail to acknowledge the giver and the gift. Wouldn’t it be insulting if that person attributed that he earned it or that someone else gave it to him/her? Wouldn’t one want to let that person know in uncertain terms that it was you who gave that gift to that person? Sure one can overlook it, but what if that person did it every time, again and again. Wouldn’t one say or do something to that person to get his/her attention that it was you who gave him/her all those gifts that s/he received? It is only appropriate to acknowledge the proper giver and gift who is the Creator God. Who do we attribute our successes in our lives?
SUMMARY: The Creator God wanted the Egyptians to know that he is the true and living God who has given them all their successes and wealth and not their deities.
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