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A River of Death, A Fountain of Life

Sunday, May 2, 2021
Pastor Jojo Ma

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Exodus 7:14-24

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed." 17 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 Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."'" 19 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 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.'" 20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.

The Nile was their very life and worship…and the God of the Hebrews aimed his bow directly at it. Yahweh was not going to play games with idolatry and false worship. He wanted Pharaoh and the Egyptians to clearly know this one truth: “I am the LORD.”

I.          From Water to Blood [vv14-18]
II.        From Prosperity to Suffering [vv19-21]
III.       From a River to a Fountain [vv22-24]

I.         From Water to Blood [vv14-18]
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed." 17 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 Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."

Ex 3:20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it.

When God says something, commands something, it’s we who must obey or disobey, it’s not God who counteroffers or changes His mind. And this is the same for the gospel of Jesus Christ to this lost world: God has sent His only Son to live, die, and rise for sinners. God calls on people all over the world to repent and believe.

Acts 17:30 …He commands all people everywhere to repent.

16 And you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed."

1 Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

This is the great example of unbelief: a hard heart, not listening to God, refusing to give God glory. That about sums up the spirit of this age and the unbelieving world.

15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. 

17 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 Nile, and it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."

God proved His sovereign Lordship in Scripture both through acts of judgment (e.g., plagues) and acts of mercy (e.g., healing).

II.        From Prosperity to Suffering [vv19-21]
19 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 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.'" 20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

Ex 12:12 …and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.

19 …and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.

For modern-day Americans and ancient Egyptians, we have different names for our idols but really the same gods.

If God brought utter devstation to our economy, no water and no food, suffering like we’ve never experienced, He would do it for the same reason He did it to the Egyptians: that this country would know that He alone is the LORD. Everything else are worthless idols.

III.      From a River to a Fountain [vv22-24]
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. 

They don’t have that ability because Satan doesn’t have that ability. He can only twist and distort and counterfeit, he can only do false signs and wonders, he can’t create or innovate or undo what God does.

2,000 years ago, there was another flowing of blood, a fountain filled with blood, from the veins of God’s only Son.

The book of Exodus teaches us many great truths, but one of the most important is one we saw this morning: Idols cannot save us, only Jesus can, only that fountain filled with blood.