THE PLAGUE OF BLOOD

To convince hard-hearted Pharoah to release the Hebrew slaves, God planned a series of miracles that would cause increasing levels of distress, pain, and destruction.

The first of the ten miracles was the plague of blood.

God instructed Moses, “Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When you see him walking out to the water, stand ready to meet him by the bank of the Nile. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake. Tell him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But so far you have not listened. This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I am about to strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood. The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it” (Exodus 7:14–18).

The Nile River, with its headwaters deep in central Africa, was the primary source of life for the Egyptian population. Its water transformed the desert into rich and productive agricultural land. Annually, as the floodwaters spilled over the river’s banks, a fresh layer of rich topsoil was deposited in the lowlands. Consequently, grains, vegetables, and fruits grew abundantly. Pasture-lands grew lush and green, so livestock flourished.

The Nile was worshipped! It was a god! It brought life to the Egyptians.

God’s first plague attacked Egypt’s prized River as He demonstrated His omnipotence over the Egyptian’s river-god. The life-giving Nile became a source of death. The fish died. The water reeked of death. The once-fresh water was undrinkable.

But notice God’s redemptive purposes and plan. As this first plague was announced, God said, “Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I am about to strike the water.”

Even as God was punishing Pharoah and his people, He was inviting them to turn to Him in repentance and obedience. I believe that God would have ceased the plagues if Egypt had repented as Ninevah had when the prophet Jonah preached there. Ninevah repented and “God relented” (Jonah 3:10).

But Egypt and their Pharoah didn’t repent. They gritted their teeth and seethed in anger against Israel and her God. So, God sent another plague…

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).