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Exodus 7:17-18

17          Yahweh says, “In this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold: I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

18          The fish that are in the river will die and the river will become foul. The Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the river.”’”

Plague #1: Water Turned to Blood

The first of the ten plagues: the waters of Egypt will be turned to blood. The fish will die. The river will smell. The Egyptians will be forced to drink this water and face the consequences of what that will look like. All because Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to Yahweh’s messengers and release the Israelites from the freedom of captivity. What happened? How did this affect their society? Let’s talk about that.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: When you read about these plagues, I encourage you to imagine what you would feel like if this happened to you. How would you feel about your water supply turning into blood? Do you feel like this is literal or does it represent something deeper?

Disrupting the Flow of Life

Regarding the plagues, this was a direct challenge to the Egyptian pantheon, specifically targeting the gods associated with the Nile. The staff/rod was a symbol of authority and divine power. Moses’ staff represented God intervening in human affairs. The Nile was the heart-and-soul of Egypt, key to their agriculture, economy, and religion. Striking the Nile was a direct assault against the foundation of the Egyptian life and their gods. The water turning to blood was a massive sign of judgment.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: The blood turning to water disrupted the Egyptians’ life in all capacities. Was there a recent event that disrupted your life? If so, how did it disrupt it and how did you overcome it?

Stay Open to God’s Plans

Again, this was the result of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. Pharaoh did not want to commit to Yahweh’s command given through Moses and Aaron. It’s a reminder to us that we should remain open and responsive to the direction that God leads us through. Pharaoh was resistance to true justice. He thought it would be helpful to his people nation to keep the Israelites oppressed. This teaches that we could cling to systems that benefit us at the expense of others. Often when this happens to us, we focus on the tangible results that could come from it and how it would benefit us in the short term. God’s eternal path is something that lasts, well, for eternity. His commands and guidance not only ensure that our lives are secure and guaranteed for our generations, but his commands through our hands and feet. It may lead us to do something that’s uncomfortable and outside of our normal actions, but God’s ways are greater than everything that we are doing and can do. We must not harden our hearts to his commands but be open and responsive to see how we can use the gifts and talents He gifted to us. His ways further the Kingdom of God and allows more people to hear the great news of the Gospel.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: Have you ever avoided something you know God called you to do because it made you feel uncomfortable? What was that task and why did you avoid it?

The Smelly Effects of Sin

As mentioned earlier, the Nile River was key to the Egyptian life. Fish were a staple to the Egyptian life, and their death would deliver a significant blow to both the economy and daily sustenance. The stench from the fish dying would have been unbearable. It’s a constant reminder to the Egyptians of their helplessness against the God of Israel. The inability to drink the water would have created crisis and panic for the Egyptians. What this represented was the spiritual thirst that can only be satisfied through the living water of Jesus.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: The effects of sin seem to follow each of us in many ways. What are some consequences of your sin that still follow you around?

The Cleansing Effect of Christ

Just as the Nile’s pollution rendered it undrinkable, sin pollutes our lives. We need the cleansing power of Jesus to overcome this. This reminds me of the acts of Baptism today. When we are submerged under the water (or the baptismal method that is more common for you), our sinful behavior is washed away. It is shed off our old selves so that when we come back up out of the water. We are born again, through the waters of Christ, and can begin our lives as a child of God. We will also find ourselves with a constant thirst and hunger for learning about God, His ways, and His ultimate goal for humanity. Through our constant acts of prayer, worship, and studying Scripture – we’ll find the source that will satisfy our thirst and give us enough strength to go out and do everything that He calls us to do. We’ll find our satisfaction through the ways that we can be His hands and feet in the world and bring the Good News of Jesus to those around us. We may still see the consequences of our sinful behavior as well, but we are not that person anymore. We are made anew. We can own our past behavior and the consequences that come with it, but that stays behind us. We are in the present with our new selves. If we sin again, we need to make sure we repent so we don’t backslide to that person that we once were. To repent means to ask for forgiveness from our sinful behavior and turn back to the ways of God. We find ourselves rinsed off through the eternal forgiveness that Christ’s sacrifice gifts us.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: The power of Baptism is unlike anything we can experience in our secular world today. What was your baptism like? How did change your view of God and your Christian journey?