Exodus 7:14–25 - The First Plague
The Waters of Egypt Turned to Blood
Introduction
The first plague upon Egypt was far more than an environmental disaster. It was a public demonstration of the authority of the LORD before Pharaoh, his servants, and the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh had previously asked:
Exodus 5:2 KJV
“Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”
That question becomes important for understanding the plagues.
Pharaoh said, “I know not the LORD.”
God's answer throughout the Exodus account is that Pharaoh, Egypt, Israel, and the surrounding nations would come to know that He is the LORD.
The first plague begins that public demonstration.
Historical and Biblical Context
Israel had lived under Egyptian oppression. God heard their cry and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The LORD called Moses and sent him to Pharaoh with a command:
“Let my people go.”
Pharaoh repeatedly resisted.
Before the plagues began, God explained what He was about to do.
Exodus 7:5 KJV
“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.”
Therefore, the plagues must be understood within the larger purpose of Exodus:
God was revealing Himself as the LORD and delivering His covenant people from bondage.
Exodus 7:16 — Let My People Go
“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...”
God identifies Israel as:
“my people.”
Egypt had enslaved them.
Pharaoh exercised political authority over them.
But ultimately Israel belonged to God.
The purpose of their deliverance was also clearly stated:
“that they may serve me.”
God was not merely bringing Israel out of Egypt.
He was bringing Israel unto Himself.
Deliverance had a purpose.
They were being freed from bondage so that they could worship and serve the LORD.
This principle continues throughout Scripture.
God does not merely deliver His people from something.
He delivers them unto Himself.
Exodus 7:17 — “In This Thou Shalt Know That I Am the LORD”
“Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD...”
This statement explains the theological meaning of the plague.
The central issue was:
Who is LORD?
Pharaoh had refused to acknowledge the God of Israel.
Now God would demonstrate His authority.
The plague was therefore not simply punishment.
It was revelation through judgment.
God was making Himself known.
The Nile and the Life of Egypt
The Nile was essential to ancient Egyptian civilization.
Egypt depended heavily upon the Nile for water, agriculture, transportation, fishing, and the fertility of the surrounding land.
This makes the first plague especially significant.
God struck something upon which Egyptian society depended for life and prosperity.
The river could not protect Egypt.
Pharaoh could not protect the river.
Egypt's religious system could not prevent the judgment.
The LORD demonstrated authority over the waters themselves.
Exodus 7:17 — The Waters Become Blood
“...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.”
The judgment was unmistakable.
The same river upon which Egypt depended became a source of death rather than life.
This creates a striking reversal.
What normally sustained life became unusable.
What normally supplied water became blood.
What normally contained living fish became filled with death.
God was demonstrating that creation itself remains under His authority.
Exodus 7:18 — The Fish Die
“And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.”
The effects of the plague spread quickly.
The fish died.
The river stank.
The water became undrinkable.
The judgment affected everyday life throughout Egypt.
This was not merely something Pharaoh could observe from the safety of his palace.
The consequences reached the people.
Sinful leadership can have consequences far beyond the person who refuses God.
Pharaoh's hardness affected an entire nation.
Exodus 7:19 — Throughout All the Land
God commanded Aaron:
“Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt...”
The verse continues by naming:
streams,
rivers,
ponds,
pools of water,
vessels of wood,
vessels of stone.
The judgment was comprehensive.
Pharaoh could not simply move to another water source and escape what God had spoken.
The plague demonstrated the reach of God's authority.
Exodus 7:20 — Moses and Aaron Obeyed
“And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded...”
This small statement is extremely important.
Moses and Aaron did not invent the plague.
They did not act according to their own authority.
They obeyed the command of God.
The rod was visible.
Moses and Aaron were visible.
But the power belonged to God.
This is an important principle for ministry.
The servant obeys.
God performs His word.
Was the First Plague a Judgment Against the Gods of Egypt?
Later in Exodus, God makes an important statement.
Exodus 12:12 KJV
“...and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.”
Numbers also looks back upon the Exodus and says:
Numbers 33:4 KJV
“...upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.”
Therefore, Scripture itself connects the judgments upon Egypt with judgment against Egypt's gods.
Ancient Egyptian religion associated the Nile and its fertility with several divine figures and religious ideas. However, Scripture does not explicitly say in Exodus 7 that the first plague was directed against one particular named Egyptian deity.
For that reason, we should make the distinction carefully.
What Scripture explicitly tells us: God executed judgment upon Egypt and its gods.
What historical background helps us understand: the Nile had enormous economic, cultural, and religious importance in Egypt.
The primary biblical message remains unmistakable:
The LORD alone is God.
Pharaoh's Magicians
Exodus 7:22 KJV
“And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened...”
This raises an important question.
If Egypt desperately needed clean water, why reproduce something resembling the judgment instead of reversing it?
The magicians could not remove God's plague.
They could not restore the Nile.
They could not deliver Egypt.
Their imitation did not equal God's sovereign power.
And Pharaoh used what he saw as another reason not to humble himself before God.
Pharaoh Hardened His Heart
One of the major themes throughout the plague narratives is the hardness of Pharaoh's heart.
God demonstrated His power repeatedly, yet Pharaoh continued resisting.
Miraculous evidence does not automatically produce repentance.
A person can witness the works of God and still refuse to submit to Him.
The deeper issue was not a lack of evidence.
It was Pharaoh's unwillingness to yield.
The Nile, Blood, and an Earlier Crime
There is also a sobering narrative connection within Exodus.
Earlier, Pharaoh commanded that Hebrew sons be cast into the river.
Exodus 1:22 KJV
“Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river...”
The Nile had therefore already been associated in the Exodus narrative with Pharaoh's murderous oppression.
Later, its waters are turned to blood.
Scripture does not explicitly state in Exodus 7 that the plague occurred because Hebrew infants had been thrown into the Nile, so we should not claim more than the text says.
Nevertheless, the literary connection is striking:
The river connected with Egypt's oppression now becomes the location of divine judgment.
The Greater Conflict
The Exodus account is not fundamentally Moses versus Pharaoh.
Nor is it merely Israel versus Egypt.
The greater issue is the sovereignty of the LORD.
Pharaoh asks:
“Who is the LORD?”
God answers through His mighty acts:
“I am the LORD.”
This declaration runs throughout Exodus.
Exodus 6:6 KJV
“I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians...”
Exodus 7:5 KJV
“And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD...”
Exodus 7:17 KJV
“In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD...”
The Exodus is therefore a revelation of God's name, authority, covenant faithfulness, judgment, and saving power.
What Can We Learn From the First Plague?
The first plague teaches several important truths.
God rules over creation.
The waters obey Him.
God hears the cries of the oppressed.
Israel's suffering had not been forgotten.
God confronts false objects of trust.
Egypt could not depend upon its power, resources, ruler, or religious system to withstand the LORD.
God's Word will accomplish His purpose.
Pharaoh's resistance could delay his obedience, but it could not overthrow God's plan.
Deliverance has a purpose.
God said, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”
Hardness of heart is dangerous.
Repeated resistance to truth does not make the truth disappear.
Personal Application
There are times when people place their security in the very things that appear most dependable—money, position, government, possessions, relationships, education, influence, or human ability.
Egypt depended upon the Nile.
But the first plague demonstrated that creation cannot become a substitute for the Creator.
I must therefore ask myself:
What am I trusting besides God?
Has something God provided gradually become something I depend upon more than the God who provided it?
The blessing must never replace the Blesser.
The creation must never replace the Creator.
And when God delivers me from something, I must remember that freedom is not merely freedom from bondage.
It is freedom to serve God.
Reflection Questions
Why did God repeatedly tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go”?
What does the phrase “that they may serve me” teach about the purpose of deliverance?
Why was striking the waters of Egypt so significant?
What did God mean by “In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD”?
What does Exodus 12:12 reveal about God's judgment against the gods of Egypt?
Why were Pharaoh's magicians unable to solve Egypt's real problem?
How did Pharaoh respond when confronted with God's power?
What things can people depend upon today instead of depending upon God?
Has God delivered me from something that I need to remember?
Am I using the freedom God has given me to serve Him?
Closing Prayer
Father, You alone are the LORD. You rule over heaven and earth, and nothing in creation is outside Your authority.
Teach me not to place my confidence in possessions, resources, people, institutions, or anything else that can change. Let my trust remain in You.
Thank You for being the God who sees, hears, remembers His covenant, and delivers. When You bring me out of bondage, help me remember that You have called me to serve You.
Keep my heart tender before Your Word. Deliver me from pride, stubbornness, and every attitude that would cause me to resist Your instruction.
May my life declare that You alone are God.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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