Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. The duration of the first plague — seven days — carries the same weight as the seven days of creation and the seven days of Passover. The number seven in Hebrew narrative signals completeness. The plague ran its full course; Egypt experienced seven days of blood, stench, and thirst before the next act began. The waiting is part of the judgment: time to reflect, time to respond, time to acknowledge what has happened and change course. 2 Peter 3:9 says God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish. The seven days after the Nile turned to blood were seven days of invitation — would Pharaoh ask Moses to pray? Would he acknowledge the God who had spoken? He did not. The patience of God expressed in the interval becomes the measure of Pharaoh's culpability. He had seven days and did not use them.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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