Exodus 7
09 Apr 2026 - Theology
Water Turned to Blood
Exodus 7:1 - “And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”
This verse sets the power struggle for the rest of Exodus. The Lord appoints Moses as His representative (the source), giving him authority over Pharaoh who is considered a god by the Egyptians. Aaron’s role is to act as the spokesperson or prophet for Moses. This is perfect for Moses, who feels inadequate of speech, as it is Aaron who will speak to Pharaoh (2).
Something we have been tracking throughout our reading in Genesis is God’s favor of the younger son. That is not to say He doesn’t love the older son, but there does seem to be special favor given to the younger. This was not normal in ancient times. The blessing and the birthright usually was given to the oldest son in the family.
Exodus 7:7 - “And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.”
Moses was the younger son, three years younger than his brother Aaron. We can thus add him to our list.
- Cain and Abel
- Abram, Nahor, and Haran
- Isaac and Ishmael
- Jacob and Esau
- Joseph and his brothers
- Ephraim and Manasseh
- Moses and Aaron
Water Turned to Blood
Exodus 7:12 - “For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”
Egyptologists have found many “magic rods” used by the magician-priests of Egypt. The rods are square and hollow, with small figures of various animals attached to them.
It doesn’t say Aaron’s snake swallowed up their snakes, but rather that Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. This does not make sense! The story is not about snakes and staffs, it is a story about Powers or Kingdoms. This is a war between God and the Egyptian gods, and the kingdom of righteousness against the kingdom of sin. Therefore, a rod or staff represent a Power.
Notice that Aaron was called to cast down his staff (9-10), but Pharaoh instead had his magicians throw down their staffs (11-12). The staff (Power) is not ours to keep; it does not start and end with us, God is only letting us borrow it.
Exodus 7:13 - “And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.”
“hardened” = chazaq [2388]
- to be strong
- Strengthened (resolve)
- When I do see it and choose to power through
Why does it take God 10 plagues to deliver the people from slavery, instead of just immediately delivering the people?
Exodus 6:7 - “And I will take you [children of Israel] to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye [children of Israel] shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
‘to know’ (Hebr. yada) means to know experientially
So then God is doing this so that the Israelites know from experience that He is the Lord. Is God then going to war against the Egyptians?
Exodus 7:5 - “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”
Here God says He is doing this so the Egyptians will know. Is God then going to war against Pharaoh? We will later read that God also wants Pharaoh to know Him, to know that He is the Lord. God is pursuing even Pharaoh!
God is going to war against Empire, the kingdom of sin. There are two kingdoms, and we can not be a part of both. God is giving the people a choice, will they say no to the Empire of Egypt, and yes to His narrative?
The first plague was to turn all water in Egypt to blood, including in the Nile river, the source of life in Egypt. By doing so, God was proving that He is Lord of creation and more powerful than the Egyptian gods of the Nile.
| Plague | god/s of Egypt | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Water turned to blood | Khnum (guardian of Nile river source) and Hapi (personification of the Nile, fertility god) | Exodus 7 |
Exodus 7:22 - “And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.”
Again, the word used here for “hardened” is chazaq [2388]. There is another word we will come across later when we read that Pharaoh’s heart is hardened.
hardened = kabad or kabed [3513]
- To be heavy
- Hardened
- When I don’t see it for what it is
References:
- The Hebrew - Greek Key Study Bible (KJV Version)
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 18: A Tale of Two Kingdoms
- The BEMA Podcast, Episode 19: A Strengthened Heart
- The Torah Portion-by-Portion by Rabbi Seymour Rossel (2007)
- The Meaning of the Ten Plagues and the Egyptian gods they Defeated
- Magic Rod
- hardened = chazaq