He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen. They performed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham. (Psalm 105:26-27)
He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish. (Psalm 105:29)
He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish. (Psalm 105:29)
The Lord God told Moses why He hardened Pharaoh's heart; "And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” (Exodus 7:3-5) The Lord God was going to make Himself know as JEHOVAH through out the land of Egypt and the world.
The first signs and wonders in the land of Egypt was about to begin. So the Lord said to Moses: “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear! Thus says the Lord: “By this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river.”’” (Exodus 7:14-18)
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’” And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (Exodus 7:19-21)
This was a major problem, the water being turned to blood. The water supply in Egypt, just as in most places today, is very important to the environmental sustainability of the society. "Ancient Egypt was, as it is today, a land of total extremes from the arid desert landscape to the narrow ribbon of very fertile land surrounding its lifeblood the River Nile." (read "The Importance of the River Nile in Ancient Egypt Civilization") Yet, the Lord God chose to strike their "lifeblood" by turning the waters into blood as His first sign and wonder to show the Egyptians that He is the Lord. God doesn't just do things randomly for no reason.
Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river. (Exodus 7:22-25)
Just as he had done during Moses and Aaron's last meeting with him, Pharaoh called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. ... And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as theLord had said. (Exodus 7:11-13) So God allowed Pharaoh's magicians to be able to do a similar miracle again, but we will see as the plagues continue if they will be able to continue mocking God...
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