Photo and Commentary ©2025 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Give them credit, the ancient Egyptians worked hard at making sure their bases were covered. They had a god for every possible situation, and some, such as Thoth, served multiple roles. Thoth was often depicted as a man with the head of the sacred ibis. Upon him fell the responsibility of maintaining the stability of the universe, and should he have any time left over he was to arbitrate in disputes between the other gods, encourage writing and the development of science, as well as judging the dead. It appears as though he had a full plate.
Should you see a silhouette of the White Ibis coming in to roost at their communal resting place after a long day of doing whatever ibis do, the image created by its long downward curving bill would be a close parallel to the image of Thoth. Unfortunately for the Egyptians, Thoth really had no power, even less than the ibis after which he was stylized. Each year a sizable portion of their eggs are destroyed by extremely high tides which ruin their nests. Between 1989 and 1990 as a result of Hurricane Hugo, a colony in South Carolina plummeted from 10,000 to zero as freshwater foraging areas were inundated with salt water.
We also worship a God who is responsible for maintaining the universe and serves as the final judge, not only of the dead but also of the living. But unlike the busy Egyptian deity, we were made in Jehovah’s very image. Luke expresses it this way: “For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28 NIV) In other words, everything we are, the totality of our existence, is caught up in who God is. No wonder He never sleeps.