“And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning;... And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness... In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die.”
Now begins the great struggle, and awful wonders and terrible judgments fall on the land of Egypt. The ten plagues which followed were particularly suited in the wisdom of God to humble Egypt. There was not only an affliction on the land, and on the people, with increasing intensity; but there was a solemn contest between Jehovah and the gods of Egypt. We read therefore, “Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am JEHOVAH.” Exodus 12:1212For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. (Exodus 12:12). The plagues were calculated to smite them in what constituted their religion. They even boasted in the river Nile which they supposed to be the great earthly emblem of God. Nothing in all Egypt was of more value than the water which came from the Nile. Without it, the land would lie waste and life could not be sustained. It was the source of life and refreshment to Egypt and its people, but its waters were to be turned into blood, the symbol of death and judgment.
Not only was the water of the river involved, but the Lord commanded: “Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds and upon all their pools of water... that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both int vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.” verse 19. Aaron “lifted up the rod, smote the waters that were in the river... and all the waters ... .were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.”
So it was that the very river in which they had such pride became loathsome to the Egyptians. “And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them;... and Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.”
For seven days the river and the waters of the land were polluted—an ever-present reminder to the Egyptians that Israel’s God was a God of power and was working for His people.
We see in this miracle a picture of God’s coming judgment on all this world’s vanity and folly. The world’s waters—its entertainments, allurements, its diversions and achievements — can never bring lasting satisfaction to thirsty souls, and in the end it will meet with God’s complete judgment.
What a contrast is “the water of life” which the Lord Jesus gives, that which quenches the thirst of every soul who owns Him as his Saviour. He alone could say, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst.” John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14).
ML 10/06/1968