Exodus 7

God’s instructions to Moses and Aaron (vs. 1-7)—They were to go and speak to Pharaoh “all that I command you” (v. 2). Because of Moses’ repeated complaint that he could not speak well (4:10; 6:30), Aaron would be his “prophet” (v. 1). The Lord would give Moses His word, who would then tell Aaron what to say. As He had already told them, Pharaoh’s heart would be hard and the Lord would bring the children of Israel out of Egypt through His power (v. 4). The repetition of this message by Jehovah to Moses indicates the latter’s still-weak faith. But he would grow. And he was obedient (v. 6). The section ends by giving us Aaron and Moses’ ages—Aaron was 83 and Moses was 80.

The first miracle (vs. 8-13)—Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. Their conversation was not recorded, but in obedience to the Lord’s command, Aaron cast down his rod and it became a serpent (v. 10). Yet Pharaoh’s “magicians” (v. 11) were able, by some sleight of hand, to duplicate the feat. Aaron’s “rod” swallowed up the magicians’ rods, but Pharaoh wasn’t convinced; his “heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the LORD had said” (v. 13).

The first plague--water into blood (vs. 14-25)—The Lord then commanded Aaron to stretch out his rod “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.” (v. 19). Aaron did so, and the Lord’s word was fulfilled: “All the waters that were in the river turned to blood” (v. 20). The fish died, the river stank, and the Egyptians couldn’t drink the water (v. 21). But once again, the Egyptian magicians were able to replicate what Aaron had done, no doubt through some trickery or enchantment. Those guys were good, folks, don’t think they weren’t. A relevant question is, if Aaron turned all the water of Egypt into blood, where did the magicians get water to do the same thing? Verse 24 probably provides the answer: “All the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river.” Aaron’s miracle obviously did not include subterranean water. And almost surely the magicians did not produce real blood as God had done through Aaron. But if they came up with some red, fetid, stinking liquid it would accomplish the same purpose. Because his magicians were largely able to do the same thing that Aaron had done, Pharaoh once again “did not heed them” (v. 22). He could not see the difference yet between a true miracle and an operational counterfeit. The condition of Egypt’s waters lasted seven days (v. 25).