I Need Your Help!!
Posted by toddhelmkamp on October 27, 2007
Dear Readers,
A young lady who was one of my Sunday School students for several years (she is in her first year at Taylor University, Fort Wayne now) has asked her Dear Teacher (that’s me) a question, and he is stumped (I pause here for the cries of astonishment that someone as learn-ed as I could be stumped).
Here is her question: “Exodus 7:14-24 - in verse 20 it says, “[Moses] struck the nile, and *all* the water was changed into blood.” then the magicians did the same thing…so how did they change water into blood if all the water was already blood? where did they get the water so they could change it into blood?”
So, any ideas?
October 27, 2007 at 8:52 am
I’m not a trained theologian as you know, so I’d welcome help from others. But it doesn’t seem to me that there’s an order to events here. It seems to me that all the water was turned to blood as described in detail in the passage, but that Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened because his magicians were known to be capable of the same.
I’m reading from the ESV and in verse 22 it says “But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts”. There is no word “then” to imply an order of events. I think it is just a statement that turning water into blood was something the magicians were known to be capable of as well (though probably not on the same scale).
If you have a Hebrew study aid to hand then that may help to understand the exact meaning of the original text. However, I tend to find that word-for-word translations such as the ESV, NASB and KJV are usually trustworthy in this sense.
Hope that helps. That’s how it seems to me. But maybe someone more learned in the original text can shed more light?
October 27, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Todd,
That is a great question. Many times we Christians come up with defenses that sound almost as ridiculous as the defenses of those from other religions.
I am currently engrossed in studying Islam, and I find the defenses for some of their teaching very incredible. But then, we Christians also have our defenses for some miracles or stories that sound absurd.
1. A man rising from the dead after 3 days.
2. A man walking on water.
3. A man feeding 5,000 with a few fragments.
4. A man defeating 1,000 men in battle singlehanded!
5. A whole army going blind, etc.
Mark’s opinion above could be correct. It could also be that they turned the water into blood that came from the freshly dug wells, of vs. 24.
As in any religion, there has to be an element of faith. There are problems with every religion’s Scriptures and defenses (even Christianity’s). If the element of faith is removed, there is no religion that would be able to stand.
October 27, 2007 at 8:42 pm
From the practical perspective: What difference does it make?
After thinking - I realize the value in this, but my very first thought was, “Who cares?”
October 29, 2007 at 7:42 am
Thanks to Pastor Chet and Mark for their thoughtful answers!
@Adam: I can see your point, but will you please comment and tell us why you changed your mind?
October 30, 2007 at 5:56 am
I like Chet’s suggestion too!
Either way, the point of the passage remains. Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened because he found a way to explain away the work of God - at least enough to sooth his conscience a little and to justify his hardness of heart!
Thanks for asking great questions