We are in still in chapter seven of Exodus. Our word for today is used the most in our chapter, 15 times. יְאֹר Nile, stream, river, branches and canals of the Lower Nile. It is used 65 times in the Old Testament. Let’s look at all the times it is used in our chapter. Exodus 7:15, 17-21, 24-25 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the הַיְאֹ֑ר Nile to meet him… Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the בַּיְאֹ֖ר Nile, and it shall turn into blood.”’” And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their יְאֹרֵיהֶ֣ם canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’” Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded...and struck the water in the בַּיְאֹ֔ר Nile, and all the water in the בַּיְאֹ֖ר Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the בַּיְאֹ֥ר Nile died, and the הַיְאֹ֔ר Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the הַיְאֹ֑ר Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. The other chapter in the Bible where our word is used a lot is in the context of God bringing judgment on Egypt once again. This chapter in Ezekiel shows how valuable the Nile was in brining life to the people of Egypt. Ezekiel 29:3-5, 9-10; 30:12 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lies in the midst of his יְאֹרָ֑יו streams, that says, ‘My יְאֹרִ֖י Nile is my own; I made it for myself.’ I will put hooks in your jaws, and make the fish of your יְאֹרֶ֖יךָ streams stick to your scales... And I will cast you out into the wilderness, you and all the fish of your יְאֹרֶ֔יךָ streams; you shall fall on the open field, and not be brought together or gathered.
Rivers are essential for life. Water in rivers are running that is they are not stagnant but flowing another way to describe running water is living water because it is not polluted by stagnation. Because the Nile river brought life to the people of Egypt in a literal way they began to worship it as one of their many gods. YHWH the I AM ever existing eternal reality true God is attacking the Egyptians main false god that they worshiped. Blood is associated with death so the true God is turning the false god of the Nile associated with life into death by turning its life giving resource into blood a symbol of death. It is interesting that in Psalm 78 we find this event referenced. Psalms were songs that God’s people, including the early church, would use to worship God. So part of their worship was this phrase. Psalm 78:44 He turned their יְאֹרֵיהֶ֑ם river into blood; they could not drink from their streams.
The very fact that God would attack our idols shows that he loves us and wants us to let go of what cannot give us life. God attacked what the Egyptians were putting their trust in to give them life will only end in death. The Nile was not the source of life it was God the true God himself that gave the river to the Egyptians to provide for them. He alone is to be worshiped. The good news is that God himself is the one who not only is the true source of life but he is eager to give it to us. This is why Jesus called himself the living water. John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 7:37-38 Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
