than any other people, their land being covered with temples; and each town had its guardian god and temple, to which some animal was sacred, and which temple supported a large body of priests. According to the historian John Lord, the hold the priests had on the people was similar to that of the priests of Christendom during the Dark Ages.c

25. What may well be said to have been the most repulsive and degrading feature of Egypt’s religion?

²⁵ The most repulsive and degrading thing about the religion of these Egyptians was their animal worship. A cat, any stray alley cat, was prized more highly than a human. A foreigner, who accidentally had killed a cat, was literally torn to pieces by an infuriated mob. The Apis bulls were worshiped as gods themselves, because gods were believed actually to dwell in them. These bulls were kept in lavish temples and at death were buried in gigantic costly coffins while all Egypt mourned. Among other animals held sacred were the crocodile, the oxyrhyncus fish and the ichneumon fly. Of some animals, such as the cat, all were held sacred; of others, only certain ones, such as bulls having certain markings.

26. How was Egypt’s Pharaoh viewed?

²⁶ Looming up prominently in Egypt’s religion was also her ruler Pharaoh. Concerning him we are told:d “Pharaoh himself was one of the gods, and a central figure in his subjects’ lives. Each reigning king was at once the incarnate Horus, falcon sky-god, and Horus . . . the rightful heir upon the throne of his father Osiris. Egypt’s well-being was directly associated with that of the king. . . . Each king was the successor to the whole line of royal ancestors, stretching back beyond the historic human dynasties . . . to the dynasties of the gods themselves upon earth, and at death each king joined that august company,” in the minds of the Egyptians!

27. Why did Jehovah tolerate Egypt’s false worship and oppression for so long?

²⁷ This, then, was the Egypt that held Israel in bondage and to which Moses was being sent. It truly consisted of “vessels of wrath made fit for destruction.” (Rom. 9:17-22) Yet the Great Potter permitted it to continue as a great world power. Why? For the sake of his great name. Besides, had he not foretold that Abraham’s seed would be afflicted four hundred years? So until that time was up, Egypt was permitted to oppress God’s chosen people.—Gen. 15:13.

28, 29. Why was all Egypt allowed to suffer for Pharaoh’s stubbornness?

²⁸ As we examine the record, we find that it features the Great Potter’s dealings with one man, Pharaoh. Since this is so, it may well be asked, why should an entire nation suffer on account of one man? Why? For more than one good reason. For one thing, Pharaoh alone could not have oppressed the nation of Israel nor defied Jehovah. That took a mighty organization; and so all who supported Pharaoh in his God-defying and oppressive measures became parties to his crimes. More than that, did not a “vast mixed company” of non-Israelites leave Egypt and march to freedom with the Israelites? (Ex. 12:38) Surely. So none may ascribe injustice to the Great Potter, Jehovah God.

²⁹ More than that, the Scriptures show that there is such a thing as community responsibility. Thus in ancient Israel the older men of a city had to take certain action to absolve their city from bloodguilt in the case of an unsolved murder, for the entire city was held responsible. (Deut. 21:1-9) For the same reason the entire tribe of Benjamin was adjudged guilty for refusing to surrender the good-for-nothing men of Gibeah who had abused to the death a certain Levite’s concubine. (Judg. 20:8-48) In fact, such responsibility is recognized even in modern times; an example being the way West Germany, though now democratic, has voluntarily chosen to indemnify the Jews and other victims of Nazi persecution.

30, 31. Of what interest and importance are the events in connection with the ten plagues for us today?

³⁰ The Scriptural account of how the Great Potter dealt with his vessels back there in the days of Moses is of the greatest interest and importance to us today. A consideration of it will increase our appreciation of the wisdom, justice, power and love of the Great Potter, Jehovah God. It will also drive home to us the importance of being submissive to Him, of letting ourselves be guided by his Word, his holy spirit and by his visible instrument, his earthly channel of communication. For who can withstand his express will?

³¹ And further, it will help to strengthen our faith greatly, for we will find that these events have a parallel in our day. Finally, it will help all Christian ministers to get an increased appreciation of their own preaching commission, for theirs is the privilege to have a share in pouring out the modern plagues upon modern Egypt, including Babylon the Great. Surely, these reasons should cause us to want to pursue this subject further with the keenest interest!

The Great Potter Molds Human Vessels

“I am Jehovah, and there is no one else. Forming light and creating darkness, making peace and creating calamity, I, Jehovah, am doing all these things.”—Isa 45:6, 7.

1. For whom does Jehovah create light and peace? For whom, darkness and calamity? Why?

JEHOVAH God as the Great Potter has the right to deal with his creatures according to his sovereign will. As he sees fit, he forms light and makes peace and creates darkness and calamity, even as we read at Isaiah 45:7. For the righteous he appoints light and peace, even as we read: “Light itself has flashed up for the righteous one.” “Abundant peace belongs to those loving your law.” But for the wicked, Jehovah creates darkness and calamity: “The way of the wicked ones is like the gloom.” “He will rain down upon the wicked ones traps, fire and sulphur.”—Ps. 97:11; 119:165; Prov. 4:19; Ps. 11:6.

2. Besides sending the sunshine and rain upon the good and bad, what else has Jehovah at times seen fit to send disobedient ones, as seen by what example?

² The Great Potter gave a striking example of doing these things in the ten plagues he sent upon ancient Egypt in the days of Moses, in particular the last seven plagues. However, just as Jehovah sends the sunshine and the rain upon the wicked as well as the good, so, conversely, at times it has served His sovereign purpose to send calamity or evil upon his own people, when disobedient, as well as upon his foes, and so we find that back there his people Israel also suffered from the first three plagues.—Matt. 5:45.

3, 4. (a) How do the plagues that came upon Egypt further underscore the role of Jehovah as the Great Potter? (b) Why should we be interested in the record of them?

³ The effect that these plagues had upon