Exodus 7
God will harden Pharaoh’s heart
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Watch as I establish you like a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron as your spokesman. You must relay everything I command you, and your brother Aaron must tell Pharaoh to release Israel’s descendants from that land. But I will stiffen Pharaoh’s heart so I can multiply my signals and my phenomena throughout the country of Egypt. When Pharaoh doesn’t listen to you, I’ll put my hand on Egypt and unleash my army—my people, Israel’s descendants—from the country of Egypt by using intense judgments. When I extend my hand on Egypt and release Israel’s descendants from their midst, the Egyptians will know that I am the Existing One.”
So Moses and Aaron followed the Existing One’s orders. Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
God turns staff into a snake & so do Egyptians
The Existing One told Aaron and Moses,
“When Pharaoh tells you to produce a phenomenon, tell Aaron to take his staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh so that it will become a snake.”
So Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh and did what the Existing One had told them. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a snake. Then Pharaoh summoned Egypt’s skilled witchcrafters and mages, and they did the same with their enchantments. Man threw his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up man’s staff. Yet Pharaoh’s heart was stiffened, and he didn’t listen to them, just like the Existing One had said.
God turns Nile into blood
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Pharaoh’s heart is unbending. He refuses to release the people. Approach Pharaoh at dawn as he goes to the water, by positioning yourselves to meet him on the bank of the Nile. Take the staff that transformed into a snake, and tell him that the Existing One, the Hebrews’ God sent you with this message:
‘Release my people so they can work for me in the uninhabited land. You haven’t yet, so this is how you’ll know that I am the Existing One: watch as I strike Nile’s water with the staff in my hand, and it will transform to blood. Its fish will die, the Nile will emit a foul stench, and the Egyptians won’t be able to drink from it.’”
Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Tell Aaron to take his staff and stretch out his hand over Egypt’s waters: over their rivers, streams, pools, and all their reservoirs so that they’ll become blood. Then there will be blood all throughout the country of Egypt, both in their wooden containers and their stone containers.”
So Moses and Aaron followed the Existing One’s instructions. He lifted up the staff and slapped the Nile with it as Pharaoh and his servants were watching, and all its water transformed into blood. Its fish died, the Nile smelled awful, and the Egyptians couldn’t drink from it. There was blood all throughout the entire country. But Egypt’s mages did the same thing with their enchantments. Pharaoh’s heart became even stiffer, and he didn’t listen to them just like the Existing One had said. Then Pharaoh turned around and went back into his home without even letting it bother him.
So the Egyptians searched for drinking water all along the Nile but couldn’t find any. Seven days went by since the Existing One had struck the Nile.