Exodus 7 A Plague of Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn, and he still refuses to let the people go. 15 So go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes down to the river. Stand on the bank of the Nile and meet him there. Be sure to take along the staff that turned into a snake. 16 Then announce to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, “Let my people go, so they can worship me in the wilderness.” Until now, you have refused to listen to him. 17 So this is what the Lord says: “I will show you that I am the Lord.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood. 18 The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.’”
19 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt—all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.’”
20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood! 21 The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn’t drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. 22 But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted. 23 Pharaoh returned to his palace and put the whole thing out of his mind. 24 Then all the Egyptians dug along the riverbank to find drinking water, for they couldn’t drink the water from the Nile. 25 Seven days passed from the time the Lord struck the Nile.
First, God has humiliated the court magicians and the deities they worship. Now God turns His attention to the River Nile. God knows that the Nile is of utmost importance in the religion and culture of Egypt. Just as Pharaoh is about to take his morning bath in the Nile, Moses and Aaron show up, striking the water and causing the water to become blood. Although there are some people who choose to believe that the Nile becomes full of fine red dust, that belief insults the intelligence of the Egyptians. Certainly, these people know blood when they see it!
An internet summary informs us: Ancient Egyptians held the Nile River in profound reverence, viewing it as a divine entity essential to their civilization.
Religious Significance
- The Nile was considered a gift from the gods, symbolizing life and fertility.
- It was integral to the concept of Ma’at, representing cosmic order and balance.
Cultural Impact
- The river influenced agricultural practices, enabling the growth of crops essential for sustenance.
- It was celebrated in rituals, art, and mythology, often depicted as a source of life.
Spiritual Beliefs
- The waters of the Nile were seen as the breath of the gods, embodying creation and the cycle of life and death.
- Myths surrounding the Nile connected humanity to the divine, reinforcing its sacred status.
The website https://egyptmythology.com/the-sacredness-of-the-nile-in-ancient-egyptian-religion/ gives the following information: In ancient Egyptian mythology, the Nile was not just a physical entity but was personified as a divine force. The river was considered a manifestation of the god Hapi, who represented fertility, abundance, and the annual flooding that brought life to the land.
Key deities associated with the Nile include:
- Hapi: The god of the annual flooding, depicted as a well-fed man with a green or blue skin tone, symbolizing fertility and abundance.
- Osiris: The god of the afterlife, associated with resurrection and fertility, whose myth often intertwined with the cycles of the Nile.
- Khnum: The creator god, believed to mold human beings from the clay of the Nile.
IV. Rituals and Worship Related to the Nile
The ancient Egyptians held numerous festivals and rituals to honor the Nile and its deities, particularly during the inundation period. These events were marked by joy and gratitude for the life-giving waters.
Major religious festivals included:
- The Wepet Renpet: The Festival of the Opening of the Year, celebrating the arrival of the floodwaters.
- The Inundation Festival: A celebration of the Nile’s flooding, featuring processions, music, and offerings to Hapi.
Practices and offerings made to honor the Nile involved:
- Offering food and flowers at riverbanks.
- Creating small boat models to sail on the Nile as offerings.
- Prayers and rituals performed by priests to invoke blessings for a bountiful harvest.
V. The Nile in Ancient Egyptian Cosmology
The Nile also played a significant role in ancient Egyptian cosmology and creation myths. It was often viewed as a source of life and continuity, essential for both physical sustenance and spiritual renewal.
In creation myths, the Nile represented:
- The primordial waters from which all life emerged.
- A connection between the heavens and the earth, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
The Nile’s waters were seen as a bridge between the mortal realm and the divine, reinforcing its sacred status in the cultural psyche of ancient Egyptians.
While the magicians somehow manage to replicate changing fresh water into blood, they can’t change blood back into fresh water. Now the Egyptians are stuck with digging new wells to get water for drinking and bathing. Moses and Aaron are shocked and impressed, for they have obeyed but even they have been unsure what would happen when that staff would strike the water. While the Egyptians are panic-stricken, Moses and Aaron are encouraged; certainly, a God who can turn the entire Nile River into blood can do what He wants. The brothers enjoy the peace of realizing that God is far more powerful than they have thought.
Sometimes we don’t enjoy the encouragement we might because we fail to notice what God is doing in and around us. We beg God to do a work in us and yet when He does, we don’t realize what has happened. Not sure if God is really working in your situation? Just remember those two old guys standing there by the River Nile with their jaws dropping in shock while looking at that bloody water. The same God who turned the Nile to blood can still work in your life.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to remember that You never change and that You are still demonstrating Your unlimited power. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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