March 27, 2025 - Good Morning! It’s Thursday, March 27.
First of all, let me say thank you to all the faithful readers who reached out yesterday with celebratory messages on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Daily Devotions. I appreciate your encouragement, and I’m blessed that these little thoughts have been a blessing to you.
And now... the first devotion of Year Six!
A new king was crowned in Egypt around this time of year in 198 B.C, - about two hundred years before Bethlehem. Ptolemy V was just thirteen years old, and, in his honor, a message of praise was etched into a stone, transcribed three times using three languages - Ancient Greek, Egyptian cursive, and hieroglyphics. After several centuries, the young king was forgotten, and his stone disappeared. Then, in 1779, Napoleon conquered Egypt, and his soldiers, while building a fort, discovered the ancient stone, near a little town named Rosetta.
By that time, the meaning of hieroglyphics had faded into the past. Linguists had long attempted to decipher them, but with very little success. But with the Rosetta Stone, they had the key that would unlock the mystery. The hieroglyphics could be compared to the better known texts in Greek and Egyptian cursive. The door had been opened to understanding 3000 years of Egyptian culture. It remains one of the greatest discoveries in history.
Speaking of stones with writing etched on them, this leads us to an intriguing question. What language was used to write the Ten Commandments? Historians know, that at the time of Moses (1500 B.C.), the Hebrew alphabet did not yet exist. We also know that Moses was raised in the royal court, a prince of Egypt, and would have certainly been taught to read and write the Egyptian language. The Israelites had lived in Egypt for over 400 years, so it is safe to assume that they were familiar with the language, as well. And so, it is quite possible that the tablets that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai were filled with those little picture symbols - hieroglyphics.
But, this is a theory that will never be proven, since the actual Ten Commandments have been lost to history. We cannot go to the British Museum in London and view them - as we can the Rosetta Stone. But, we can be thankful that those ancient words have been preserved in His Word, and in our native language. Thankful that the Ten Commandments continue to be our spiritual Rosetta Stone - guiding us to God.
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
