Got Your Nose

<p>&ldquo;Why are the statues&rsquo; noses broken?&rdquo; That&rsquo;s the number one question visitors ask Edward Bleiberg, curator of Egyptian art at the Brooklyn Museum.</p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Bleiberg can&rsquo;t blame it on normal wear and tear; even two-dimensional painted figures are missing noses. He surmises that such destruction must have been intentional. Enemies meant to kill Egypt&rsquo;s gods. It&rsquo;s as if they were playing a game of &ldquo;got your nose&rdquo; with them. Invading armies broke off the noses of these idols so they couldn&rsquo;t breathe.</p> <p><em>Really? That&rsquo;s all it took?</em> With gods like this, Pharaoh should have known he was in trouble. Yes, he had an army and the allegiance of a whole nation. The Hebrews were weary slaves led by a timid fugitive named Moses. But Israel had the living God, and Pharaoh&rsquo;s gods were pretenders. Ten plagues later, their imaginary lives were snuffed out.</p> <p>Israel celebrated their victory with the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when they ate bread without yeast for a week (Exodus 12:17; 13:7&ndash;9). Yeast symbolizes sin, and God wanted his people to remember their rescued lives belong entirely to Him.</p> <p>Our Father says to idols, &ldquo;Got your nose,&rdquo; and to His children, &ldquo;Got your life.&rdquo; Serve the God who gives you breath, and rest in His loving arms.</p>