Estimated reading time: about 9-10 minutes
Exodus 7:20 Moshe and Aharon did exactly what Adonai had ordered. He raised the staff and, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, struck the water in the river; and all the water in the river was turned into blood. 21 The fish in the river died, and the river stank so badly that the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
The Nile River was Egypt’s pride. Its economy, agriculture, and worship revolved around it. When God turned the water to blood, He was striking at the very heart of Egypt’s security. Their source of life became a stench of death.
On the surface, this plague appears to be a very big deal -- and it was. But of all ten plagues, this one in particular would need to be one with the lowest possible impact. Why? I personally operate under the understanding that Abba uses the least extreme measures to bring us to repentance. Meaning, of all the plagues, the turning of the Nile to blood would be the most merciful of the ten. If we stand back and look, it does in fact have broad reach but (as we’ll see) this is more of a warning than a truly life-altering event.
Before we unpack all of this, though, let’s consider for a moment why this was all happening to begin with.
The ten plagues were not random acts of destruction; they were deliberate judgments against Egypt’s gods and spiritual system. YHVH Himself says:
Exodus 12:12 “For that night, I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals; and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt; I am YHVH.”
It seems that if you want someone’s attention, the way into their lives is through their gods. You can explain, make appeals, and reason all you want but, at the end of the day, you’ll find that most people will simply nod in agreement (or fight you) then revert right back into the ways they have chosen. This is why we continue to entertain our addictions even though we know it isn’t good. It’s also why we eat the things we know we shouldn’t eat. Or do the things we know we shouldn’t do.
Reasoning is unreasonable.
It turns out the only way in is through the god that governs that area of our minds and hearts. So how are we actually set free? The gods we serve must give way to the One True God in order for us to finally give up the control we so desperately crave.
Ultimately, the question we must then answer is this: what ARE our gods?
This is the question Abba answered for the Egyptians. It’s what He answered for the Children of Israel. More than that, it’s what He is trying to answer for us. But before we attempt to address the gods in our own lives, let’s go back to the story of the Egyptians and try to gain some breadth of understanding as to what gods are created to do.
The interesting thing about gods is that they are so commonplace in the culture that one rarely can even detect there is a problem with them. Under the guise of many names, the same gods appear in nearly every culture for all of time to some degree or another. People seem to have no problem whatsoever relying on things they believe control (or have control over) their very lives. We’ll explore this in an intimate way here in a bit, but for now let’s watch how this works in the lives of the ancient Egyptians. You know, those people.
The Egyptian pantheon included over 2000 gods. It seemed they had one for anything you can imagine. All of life’s causes and effects lie in the hands of some powerful being, and all you have to do is satisfy those gods in hopes that you find favor. Give a little so you can get a little. Or if you’re ambitious, give a lot to get a lot. Simple equation for a good life, right?
This reality was not limited to the spiritual crowd alone. People of all walks of life subscribed to these gods -- businessmen, doctors, merchants, farmers, academics, and so on. While each person indeed must stand and give an account for their misguided allegiance, it wasn’t these folks that had the true authority to enslave an entire nation. Sure, their opinion mattered, but all of them submitted to one man. That man was Pharaoh.
And he was presented with a decision that had an incredibly broad impact on the lives of all who lived under his authority.
To be fair, there was nothing really unique about Pharaoh from the perspective of his leadership. Countless kings and leaders over time have comfortably projected their arrogance and seemingly indestructible reign over all the land for all the earth to see. This wasn't viewed as odd in any manner whatsoever. In fact, someone without these traits may more easily be viewed as an incompetent and weak leader, as opposed to a mighty and fearless king.
Pride is almost a requirement for those in these positions, and it’s expected for these fearless leaders to watch out for the nation they have been tasked with leading and protecting. So Pharaoh’s decision to protect the natural born Egyptians wasn’t really all that much out of line. (note: We see this exact same thing playing out in the United States right now.)
What then was the problem?
The true issue is that Pharaoh got in the way of a covenantal agreement established a few hundred years earlier with Abram. Of course, this new Pharaoh knew nothing of Joseph which meant he knew nothing of Abraham, so he likely had no way of knowing what pool he was standing in. But he was neck-deep nonetheless. Knowing this, Abba sends Moses and Aharon to offer up an invitation to let His covenant partner come out and visit with Him:
Exodus 5:1 After that, Moshe and Aharon came and said to Pharaoh, “Here is what YHVH, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they can celebrate a festival in the desert to honor me.’” 2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who is YHVH that I should obey when he says to let Isra’el go? I don’t know YHVH, and I also won’t let Isra’el go.” 3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the desert, so that we can sacrifice to YHVH our God. Otherwise, he may strike us with a plague or with the sword.”
A nice, friendly request that carried with it a warning and even included a gigantic “please”. Right here, right now, the Egyptian way of life could have been left alone. Everyone could still wake up, have their coffee, check up on world events, then shove off to the altar of their gods. No harm, no foul. But, of course, that was not the response.
Exodus 5:4 The king of Egypt answered them, “Moshe and Aharon, what do you mean by taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labor! 5 Look!” Pharaoh added, “the population of the land has grown, yet you are trying to have them stop working!”
Nope. No way. Pharaoh was in charge and no unknown mystery god was going to rise up and challenge the well-established pantheon of Egyptian gods. Request denied.
The sad part is that we, as observers who know how this ends, can make appeals to Pharaoh within our own hearts to just listen and let those people go.
“Come on, man! Yeah, your economy may take a brief hit but just go out and buy some legitimate slaves. You are the center of the world’s economy right now and you can easily make this happen. Otherwise, things are going to go downhill in a hurry and you’re going to lose it all anyway.”
Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. But in the moment, you have to consider that you’re dealing with the most powerful man on earth who has the backing of the most powerful gods on earth. No chance he’s going to listen to some backwoods hippies from the desert claiming their mystery god is really the best god, right? You wouldn’t. I wouldn't.
In fact, as we watch this play out in real time, we see that no amount of reasoning would get him to relent. And why would it?
So what could you possibly do when reasoning won’t work? Well, you go after their gods.
God’s call to Moses in Exodus 3 reveals His heart:
Exodus 3:7 7 YHVH said, “I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain. 8 I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that country to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the place of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi.”
God’s purposes were twofold:
People under the oppression of those who wanted their country to continue to be the greatest nation on earth were never meant to dwell under that thumb. Their calling was not to build for the gods of man, they were called to worship the King -- even if that meant living in tents in a dry and weary land. With Abba in their presence, who needed anything else?
If you are married, think about your own covenant partner. If they were being pressed into serving someone else, so much so, that all they had for you was merely fragments of time and intimacy, how would you respond? What would be your heart’s desire? To what length would you go to set them free to come and dwell peacefully and wholly in the tent you’ve prepared in the desert? How badly would you simply want, well, them?
Covenant intimacy runs deep. It’s a thirst that cannot be quenched by accomplishments, excuses, wealth, absence, and so on. It can only be fully met by a face-to-face encounter where those covenant partners lay everything bare and meet in the fiery quietness of the marriage chamber.
The time had come for these two to reconnect. And yet, someone else was in the way.
The repeated message to Pharaoh was:
Exodus 7:16 “YHVH, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you to say: ‘Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the desert.’”
This is no small detail. It wasn’t just about freedom from slavery. It was about freedom for worship. Israel was not called out to wander aimlessly, but to serve YHVH, enter into covenant, and live as His holy nation. This worship was to run so deep that anyone and everyone in Israel’s orbit would experience a life of blessing the world has never known. From this place of worship, all nations would experience the kind of fruit obedience to the God of the universe would produce. Oh, how beautiful it would be! The Bride would do bridely things, and the Bridegroom would be glorified in the eyes of all men!
Sound familiar?
In this same way and for this same purpose, you have been delivered from the clutches of death, not simply to have life for yourself, but to worship YHVH and be His priest in the eyes of all men. It’s for this reason, deliverance comes. And come it will.
It’s in this wake of Abba’s love for His covenant partner that the birth pangs for Egypt are set to begin.
The opening strike of turning the Nile to blood sets the tone. Egypt’s gods and Pharaoh’s pride would be exposed as powerless. The very river that sustained Egypt and was considered its life, instantly became death, while the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob proved Himself faithful to His covenant.
The Exodus story begins not with chaos, but with covenant faithfulness. God remembered His promise to Abraham. He heard the cries of His people. And He sent Moses to confront the greatest empire of the time -- not just to humble Pharaoh, but to make His name known to all nations.
And what better way to begin than by destroying a few high-profile idols.
The Nile was of critical importance in the lives of all Egyptians. It was literally the source of all good things in everyone’s everyday life. If you’re trying to wrap your head around just how important this was, simply compare it to what we consider the source of our joy and peace: the economy. Listen and you will hear these exact words spoken as a benchmark to how well you should expect your life to get along. If the economy is good, then so is your life. And if the economy is bad? Well, you had best buckle up.
What is it that causes the economy to fluctuate as it does? Well, it’s kind of a mystery that has people dedicate their lives to simply understanding it. Of course, they can’t. But that does not stop the worship. In fact, it causes them to dig in even deeper. A godless society may view the Federal Reserve Chair, strength of the dollar, trade policies, and diplomatic relations as the sources of economic control, but if you seriously inspect this thoroughly you may see worship and faith show up at scale. Of course, not worship of YHVH, and certainly not faith in the One who provides bread from heaven, living water from the Rock, and a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, but worship and faith nonetheless. Worship of and faith in the gods of the culture.
Just like the “economy”, the Nile was an outside source that brought life to an entire nation. Due to the seemingly erratic behavior of this natural beast, an appeasement of gods made perfect sense. Oddly enough, on a base level, it appears as though man realizes his actions influence the things around him. As such, serving and sacrificing to these gods wasn’t crazy at all.
These people weren’t simply ignorant and blind idolaters. They had background, they had reasoning, they had a mission. Life depended upon it. Since nothing good just exists, there has to be a reason things happen. Ironically, and in stark contrast to a godless society, in a god-based culture it’s clear to see there must be gods that managed the water levels, the supply of food within it, and the current that brought merchants safely to its shores. And if they wanted these to remain at satisfactory levels, they had to be sure the gods were happy.
Who were these gods?
Hapi was the god who personified the Nile itself -- the river’s flooding, fertility, and life-giving power. The annual inundation of the Nile was vital to Egypt’s agriculture, and Hapi was depicted as a pot-bellied figure with plants or offerings, symbolizing nourishment. Egyptians believed Hapi controlled the river’s cycles and sustained Egypt’s prosperity. The plague of blood struck at the very heart of his supposed domain: instead of life-giving waters, the Nile stank of death.
Khnum was an ancient creator-god, often depicted with a ram’s head. He was thought to guard the source of the Nile and control its flow. Egyptians believed Khnum fashioned human beings on his potter’s wheel, giving life through the waters of the river. Turning the Nile to blood undermined Khnum’s role as both guardian and giver of life, showing he had no power to protect Egypt’s source of survival.
Osiris, god of the afterlife and resurrection, was one of the most revered deities in Egypt. Myths described the Nile as his bloodstream, carrying the essence of life through Egypt’s land. By striking the river, God was striking Osiris himself -- proving that Egypt’s god of life and rebirth was powerless to preserve life.
---
The first plague wasn’t just an environmental disaster; it was a direct confrontation with Egypt’s theology. By turning the Nile to blood, YHVH showed that Hapi could not sustain, Khnum could not protect, and Osiris could not give life.
God will expose false sources of life. The Egyptians trusted in the Nile and when the judgment came, the very thing that sustained Egypt became undrinkable. This plague reminds us that anything we exalt above God -- whether wealth, comfort, influence, or even our own strength -- will ultimately turn bitter if it is not surrendered to Him.
As is often the case, a counterfeit usually sits in front of what is real. So what’s real?
It was the closing day of the Fall Feast of Sukkot when Yeshua stood in the Temple and cried out:
John 7:37 Now on the last day of the festival, Hoshana Rabbah, Yeshua stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking! 38 Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!” 39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who trusted in him were to receive later — the Spirit had not yet been given, because Yeshua had not yet been glorified.)
Trust in other gods is what makes sure I’m taken care of. Sure, if it rains for you it rains for your neighbor too -- even if you hate him, even if they hate your god. But your neighbor is not the reason you are trusting in that god. Me first, and if that sorry excuse for a neighbor benefits, so be it.
What Yeshua is saying here is profound. Pay attention to His words: Trust in Him and life will flow from you. Contrast this with the whole idea behind the worship of these other gods: Trust in them means you want life to flow towards you. This pits the world of gods vs the God of the universe, and placement of your trust in one of them either means you get blessed OR someone else gets blessed.
This is an incredible presentation.
What would those listening be thinking about this? Would they really be eager to sign up so that others would benefit? In a time of a weighty Roman occupation and a strict spiritual oppression, I’m not sure too many people were overly concerned about the well-being of everyone else. Sure, in times of plenty it’s easy to be caring and benevolent. But when things are hard? Well…
This bold statement by Yeshua is putting tremendous responsibility on the follower. Not only do you have to trust in the real God but you also have to trust they are doing the same in order for you to be blessed. You see this tension in marriage all the time. We are called to serve our spouses whether or not they serve us in return. We are to be ushering life into their lives even if they never lift a finger for us. Sounds all spiritual and noble until months or even years pass with no measurable benefit landing in your own life. It’s easy to become hardened and cynical in the wake of this epic disappointment.
No sir, this is not a fluffy invitation into a good life. It’s an invitation into a fulfilling life. It’s an invitation into a priestly life. Serving, serving, serving. With no guarantee anyone will serve you. But that’s ok because you have someone greater pouring His life out upon you. Of course, this only works if you truly believe it.
More than that, a time is coming, and in fact may already be upon us, where hope and faith in the Nile gets turned on its head. Revelation 16 warns of a future judgment where rivers and seas again turn to blood. Just as in Egypt, God will show the world that no earthly source can provide salvation. Only those who trust in the Lamb will find living water even in times of global shaking.
Are you prepared for this?
Two rivers have been set before you: a river that carries the stench of death and the river of Living Waters.
While any believer worth their salt will boldly claim to live off of the Living Waters, we must be willing to confront the draw of what we assume is the source of life. Oftentimes, we teeter between the two by assuming our spiritual lives are governed by the Living Waters while our physical lives are in fact, governed by the Nile.
This confusion as to the true source of life is what causes most of us to tumble in a mountain of excuses and justification. Sadly, this is somewhat normal. The Children of Israel struggled to fully let go of the illusion of a “good” life:
Numbers 11:4 Next, the mixed crowd that was with them grew greedy for an easier life; while the people of Isra’el, for their part, also renewed their weeping and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt — it cost us nothing! — and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, the garlic! 6 But now we’re withering away, we have nothing to look at but this man.”
No one is immune. To be fair, the draw and influence of those worldly things is simply too great. It’s easy to sit back and cast judgment against Pharaoh (and all of the Egyptians for that matter) but perhaps we should first remove the plank from our own eye. Let’s go back to those gods connected with the Nile and see how they manage to reappear in the lives of us here today.
Hapi was the embodiment of the Nile’s fertility and prosperity, controlling its annual flood.
Modern Equivalent: Economic security and material prosperity. We look to careers, paychecks, and investments as if they were the “river” that sustains us. When money flows, life feels stable; when it dries up, fear rises. Hapi’s spirit lives on in trusting money instead of God. You may even call this mammon.
Ram-headed creator god, said to shape life on his potter’s wheel and guard the source of the Nile.
Modern Equivalent: The idol of self-determination and control. We assume we can “craft” our lives, destinies, and even identities through willpower, technology, or self-help. Khnum’s shadow is the belief that human mastery can secure the source of life.
God of life, death, and resurrection; the Nile was seen as his bloodstream, nourishing Egypt.
Modern Equivalent: The idol of “eternal life” apart from God. Today this looks like our obsession with longevity, anti-aging, medical innovation, or legacy-building. It’s the idea that we can overcome death through science, memory, or human achievement. Osiris’ principle still tempts us: to seek life apart from the Giver of life.
---
Each plague reminds us that what people once worshiped in stone, we now worship in subtler but equally powerful forms. When we cling to our own sources instead of God, we walk in the same spirit. Repentance begins by naming our false rivers and choosing to let them go.
Sounds easy, right?
One of the biggest challenges in facing idols lies in the fact that what they represent is usually real.
For example, there is nothing inherently wrong with working and providing a comfortable lifestyle for your family. Of course, the level of comfort could come into question but at its core, there is nothing wrong here. There is also nothing wrong with growing and gaining mastery in whatever wedge Abba has placed you in (or you placed yourself in). Furthermore, a full life of good health, as well as an impactful legacy are all godly things.
The issue (as always) comes down to the position of your heart. As an example, sacrifices and offerings are good for us to bring -- they show a repentant heart. But when they are made because “that’s what I am supposed/have to do”, it can turn mechanical and your heart gets covered in stone as a result. We have to be diligent in watching over these attitudes that creep in to steal the joy and desire of serving our God. We have to take the time to dig in deep and inspect our motivation behind these things.
Should you work? Yes.
Is your work your source? No.
Should you gain mastery over your domain? Yes.
Should it control you? No.
Should you seek good health? Yes.
Should it push you to vanity? No.
Should you build a legacy? Yes.
Is your family name the goal? No.
Hapi will not bring you money and economic security. Khnum should not be used for self-reliance and control. And Osiris cannot give you life, legacy, or immortality. If you have leaned into any of these to any degree, repent.
Fair warning, though -- If you choose to delay repentance (or not repent at all) be prepared to have this source of life turn to death. Even then, don’t fret. The great news in all of this is that any attack on these gods is a gentle invitation to let them go. Don’t fight it.
Remember, you are being delivered for worship and we cannot bring these gods into the Holy Place of our God.
I’d like to close with a question: If Abba were to cut off your Nile, would you repent of relying on it and turn your trust to Him as your sole source? Most believers would correctly answer with a resounding ‘yes!’ But the even larger question is this: do you need to wait for it to turn to blood in order to do so? I certainly hope not.
I have had several instances throughout my own life where those sources I deemed the most valuable of all were cut off. Life is not easy to navigate during these seasons but they are times that force you into the presence of God. Or it pushes you further away. I’ve lived both. Years of plenty, and many more years of lack. Seemingly random, to be fair. But it wasn’t random at all. It was these changes in outcome that had me wondering whether I had made God mad in some way. Clearly, He has the power to turn these supply lines into a vehicle of desperation so when gears shifted.
I used to think it was some sort of Biblical lottery as to whether I guessed right in my life. If I stumbled into the path of blessing then things were good. If I “missed it” somewhere, then watch out! If there was some way I could walk the dimly lit path He has laid out for me, then I’d be safe and taken care of. But if I strayed, the weight of His judgment would come crashing down.
Both are wrong. This is exactly the heart posture of someone trying to appease a god. Even if it is the God.
Here’s the thing -- I never once considered the fact that it was my idolatry that was the cause of my troubles. I was treating the “thing” as the source of life for me and my family. Academics, university, hefty consulting contracts, judgments -- they all gave me the backing I needed to not only survive but thrive. My own brilliance was the source of life.
Give me a problem and I had the capacity to solve it. All on my very own. This was my Nile. But there was one problem I never even considered -- trust and obedience to the Creator of the Nile.
Abba gave me the ability to problem-solve. But this is not the source of life for me and my family. Looking back, it was seldom Him taking things away as much as me giving them away. I’d give authority over myself to the idol and then ask Him to clean up the mess.
And He did. Not with a magic wand, but by making my gods powerless in my own eyes.
The flow of money, gone. Goodbye, Hapi.
My attempts at self-mastery and control, gone. Goodbye, Khnum.
The hunt for life through any and all avenues I could imagine, gone. Goodbye, Osiris.
Now, I wish I could end here and say that I have graduated fully from these gods, but I don’t think I can. The creeping in returns slowly and subtly, but it returns nonetheless. Sometimes I can catch it, sometimes I can’t. So when the Nile begins to turn, I am presented with a choice: dig in harder or relent.
I am glad to say that my willingness to repent has become easier with each and every passing. But boy, do those gods love to come and visit me from time to time. And I am actually grateful when they do because it pushes me to confront them as they are usually hidden in the dark recesses of my life. I want them gone altogether and there is no better way than for those streams of deceptive life to turn to blood.
And that’s ok because there is a Blood that speaks a better word.
When I repent, this ensures those rivers get filled with Yeshua’s blood. The blood of atonement is then followed by the water of cleansing. This is what prepares me to enter the Holy Place -- that place filled with His Spirit. What on earth could be better than this!
1 John 5:6 He is the one who came by means of water and blood, Yeshua the Messiah — not with water only, but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 There are three witnesses — 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood — and these three are in agreement.
The greatest part of this relenting is that I am then eager to dive head first into intimacy with my Creator. I just need to do this regardless of my circumstances. I should never need false gods to appear for me to want to be with my Bridegroom.
Of course, this is just me. Enough of my story, what about yours?