Why, when Moses was instructed in Exodus 4:9 to take water from the Nile and pour it on the dry land to become blood, does Exodus 7:17 tell us he struck the Nile with his rod and the water became blood?
There is a difference in the instructions God gave Moses at the burning bush and what He tells Pharaoh when he strikes the waters in the river and it becomes blood.
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Asked January 20 2015
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Linda Hobart
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Cindy Jennings
In Ex 4:9, God is convincing Moses of what He could/would do to convince Pharaoh to 'let His people go." He was giving His signs to Moses. There was no need for ALL of the water to turn to blood with this demonstration. At this point, Moses was pretty reluctant to confront Pharaoh. However, in Ex 7:17, God was demonstrating His power to Pharaoh through Moses so the act was much more dramatic (although, of course, Pharaoh wasn't convinced). So view Ex 4:9 almost as a rehearsal, if you will, to give Moses the confidence that God would have his back when he faced down Pharaoh with the plagues whereas Ex 7:17 was the real deal and a demonstration to the Egyptians of just who and what God is.
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