CWFI Devotional Bible Guide: Aaron Lesson 7

Exodus 7:14-25 The First Plague: The River Nile to Blood

A. The LORD spoke to Moses, "The king is stubborn and he will refuse to let my people go. When dawn arrives the king will go to the Nile River. I want you to meet him by the river and take your rod that became a snake. Say to him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you. He said, 'Let my people go so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But still you haven't listened.' The LORD says: This is how you will know that I am the LORD. The Nile River will be smitten with the rod in my hand, and the river will turn to blood. The fish in the Nile will die and the river will stink. The Egyptian people will not be able to drink from the river."

B. (Note: Aaron is eighty-three and Moses is eighty years old when they began speaking before Pharaoh.)

C. (Note: Remember the Nile River is the source of the Egyptian wealth. The interpretation of the rod to the Nile, and the Nile to blood is a strike to the financial backbone of the Egyptians. The source of their income is fixing to be cut off. Let God's people go.)

D. (Note: Consider that the River Nile turning to blood if the first plague against the Egyptian people because of the stubbornness of their king. Mind you the people of Egypt were enjoying their livelihood and didn't know the LORD of the Hebrews were speaking to them through Moses, Aaron, rods, blood, and the Nile River. Instead they wondered why the curses? and sought answers from the gods? What the Egyptian king didn't understand that the Nile River is natural flowing river. River means to flow naturally. God created that river flow and allows it to flow. The Hebrew names for Nile River are Sunseritt Nilah meaning a dark blue. Shichov meaning black. The Nile River has seven branches and is believed to be the longest river in the world. The River Nile flows from south to north into the Mediterranean Sea. The Annual rise of the Nile is noticed in April.)

E. Verse 19 The LORD said to Moses, "Have Aaron: Take the rod in your hand and stretch your hand over the Egyptian streams, canals, ponds, and pools of water, so that they may turn to blood; so that blood will be throughout all the land of Egypt, both in the vessels of wood and stones. Moses and Aaron obeyed, in front of the king and his officers. Blood was found everywhere in Egypt. The fish died in the Nile and the river stank. The Egyptians could not drink the water. But the magicians of Egypt copycatted the same curse upon the Egyptian people and it made Pharaoh's heart stubborn. (Note: As long as Pharaoh could control the circumstance he was looked upon as a god, despite the people's suffering.)

F. The king turned into his palace and refused to respect what Moses and Aaron had done. The Egyptians could not drink from the Nile, they dug along the riverside looking for fresh water. One week passed and Pharaoh hadn't pleaded for any relief and his people suffered. (Note: Let the LORD's people worship their King and the Nile will be fresh again.)