Exodus 7:14 – 21 | Scripture teaches us in Matthew 5:17, that Jesus Christ came into this world to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Which should mean, that whatever the Lord did, which was recorded in the New Testament, should be referred in the Old Testament. I believe that Exodus 7 provides a glimpse of the depth of this truth.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. – Matthew 5:17
Egypt & The World
Exodus 7 is the beginning of the ten plagues which the Lord will throw upon the land of Egypt. In the Scripture, Egypt, is compared to the world. And, we the believers, are saved out of the world, in this context, the Israelite’s are saved out of Egypt.
In the very first commandment, the Lord refers Himself as the One who has delivered Israel out of Egypt, and in the book of Acts, Peter points to the first commandment, and calls out that the Lord has now redeemed us from this perverse world through His Only Son Jesus Christ.
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage – Exodus 20:2
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” – Acts 2:40
The First Plague
The first plague is water turning into blood, water which is the source of life which should be a blessing is turned into blood, and becomes unusable to the people of Egypt.
As New Testament believers, we should be able to understand that the water is referred to the cleansing work of the Word of God.
That HE might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, – Ephesians 5:26
This water, the word of God, which should bring life, brings death to the Egyptians. This is a warning which the LORD gives to the Egyptians on the coming judgement when the Word of God is rejected.
The Wrath of God & The Grace of God
The same is applicable to the people of the world today, when they reject the word of God, and the Only way provided to mankind through the Cross, the judgement of God will be thrown upon the people, and we read all about this in the book of Revelation.
But within these plagues, and within the wrath of God, we also see the grace of God. The Egyptians who saw the water turned into blood now know without a doubt that the God of the Hebrews has command over nature, and He is indeed the One true God. Now, they have a choice. Accept the fact that HE is GOD, and submit to HIM, or continue to reject HIM and live in rebellion.
Our God is a longsuffering God. He makes Egypt go through ten plagues, and each plague was severe than the previous one giving the people more and more opportunities to receive the One true GOD.
That which Judges
The Water, the Word of God when rejected becomes a curse. Scripture teaches us that it is the Word of God which will judge the people.
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. – John 12:48.
But Scripture also teaches us that it is the Word of God which will bless us, sanctify us, and leads us to a stronger relationship with God. When did the Word of God turn into a blessing for a believer?
The First Miracle & The First Plague
We read about the very first miracle Jesus Christ did in the book of John chapter 2, the Lord Jesus Christ is in the wedding feast, and He turns water into wine. The Word of God, which was turned into blood, which became a curse, will now be turned into wine, a blessing, through Christ, through His death, and His resurrection.
The plague of water turning into blood was the first plague, and the first miracle of the Lord is water turning into wine. Scripture wants us to clearly understand this link between the first plague and the first miracle. The Gospel of John records explicitly that this was the first miracle of Jesus Christ.
This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. – John 2:11
When the Lord asks Aaron to stretch out his hand over the rivers of Egypt, the Lord adds a statement that the water stored in stone and wood will also be turned into blood. In the book of John, we will read that the Lord turned water stored in stone into wine, again pointing back to the first plague.
And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone’ – Exodus 7:19(b)
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. – John 2:6
Jesus Christ – the Word of God
The Word of God is perfect and is given so that the man of God may be complete (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But this Word will be a curse for those who reject the Only Way which was provided through the cross. And this is the same Word of God which will become a blessing through Christ. .
Without Christ, the Word is a curse, with Christ we receive Grace and blessings, and life eternal.
We will see similar parallel’s running through the book of Exodus, and the Gospel of John, for it is the same author (Holy Spirit), and all Scripture will point to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Noel Kingsley
