The incredible work of Moses and Aaron contains valuable lessons of brotherly love for sure, and naturally, apart from twins, the dynamic of big brother and little brother, even though the age difference is only three year. There is also profound respect interchangeability.  God tells Moses, the “God to Pharaoh”, to carry out an action and he passes it to Aaron, who, despite being designated by God as the speaker or prophet, does it without skipping a beat. At the time that Yahweh defined the brothers’ roles there were chains to break and new roads to pave and it is better to value the slices this period offers as truly topnotch, instead of the usual downgrading of pre-Messianic issues. The dynamic, as defined in Exodus 7:1 is without precedent and seems to be predict nothing about the kingdom age or the later prophetic age in Israel-Judah, and nothing about the apostolic age. So, with a closer look at the teamwork it may be possible to see to what extent Christians can relate to a man being as [my emphasis] God and to what extent followers of Moses and Mohammed, for example, can relate to such a person having his brother as his spokesmen or prophet.  Such is the nature of the teamwork Yahweh announced in Exodus 7:1.

The text of Exodus 7:1b in Hebrew r@eh natattika elohim l@par`oh w@aharon aḥîkā yihyeh n@be’eka should underline their relationship as long as Egypt’s king is in the picture.

“…See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.”

Exodus 7:1, NASB

The God and the prophet

These two brothers were to understand their respective roles: (a) God to Pharaoh and (b) spokesman (prophet) to the God to Pharaoh, and we should too, because if it is written we have reason to believe that its meaning is at least partially uncloaked (Deut 29:29). Before the announcement in Exodus 7:1 Moses and Aaron had already been introduced to the Israelite leadership. Their first joint action – assembling the elders – was to establish the pair in the eyes of the Israelite leadership, well ahead of the God and prophet assignment. Aaron was not just a talker. He was, with Moses, tasked with providing signs – miracles – for the Israelites to see.

“and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people.”

Exodus 4:30, NASB

Acts of Moses and Aaron

With Pharaoh and the Egyptian army way off in the rearview mirror the people lose focus and consider replacing their leadership with a “head” to which Moses and Aaron respond with a show of their absolute surrender. They fall on their faces, the epitome of the servant.

“Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.” (Numbers 14:5, NASB)

This readiness to return is in stark contrast to their expression of faith and when they had “heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction. At that time, the Israelites had bowed low and worshiped (Exodus 4:31, NASB).

The prophet at work

In the build up to the monumental Passover and Exodus Aaron is on the job. Every time the pair appears before Pharaoh there is a task assigned to Aaron beside talking. It was said that John the Baptist was recognized as a prophet (Matthew 14:5, Mark 11:32, Luke 20:6), and with no evidence that he had performed a single miracle (based on the public perception) (John 10:41), the one who followed John affirmed that there was going to be one sign for the population of the time (Matthew 12:39).

The team on the job

• Together they assembled the elders
• Aaron recited what Moses had told him (Exodus 4:30)
• Aaron’s rod on display as superior (Exodus 7:9-12)
• Moses passes the bloody Nile instruction to Aaron (Exodus 7:15-19)
• Aaron is given the assignment for the froggy plague (Exodus 8:5-6)
• Aaron is instrumental in the plague of gnats (Exodus 8:16-17)
• Moses tells Pharaoh what is next: pestilence on Egyptian livestock (Exodus 9:1-7)
• Instructions to the pair performed by Moses (Exodus 9:8-11)
• Moses receives and performs the hail plague instructions (Exodus 9:22-25)
• Moses receives and executes the sign to end the hail plague (Exodus 9:29, 33)
• Aaron fashions a god (an elohim), builds an altar in front of it, proclaims a feast and oversees a sacrificial event (Exodus 32:1-6)

These acts may be the subject of scientific investigation, speculation and disgust (especially the last one) but we will have to set aside the fact that these are not fables constructed by succeeding generations. They are told by the concurrent generation. It really is incredible that modern prophets want people to believe their absolutely uncorroborated stories of signs, and to make matters worse, they more often than not are not dealing with something that is a legitimate message from God, and more to the point, signs unrelated to the gifts of the Risen Christ.

Signs and the message

It is no wonder then that when asked to explain the golden calf Aaron gave an account that was shaped by the supernatural, that is, something that one had simply better believe. Who told us explicitly that a man died and rose from the dead as redeemer and why do we believe? The new Testament witnesses told us, with the rare exception being James to whom the Risen Lord apparently made special a appearance. The Risen Lord appeared to Mary, then to Peter, then the Twelve, then to five hundred believers, then to James, then to all the apostles, then to Paul. Many believers who think of themselves as leaders think they can simply claim that the Risen Lord has appeared to them as Moses (Exodus 3:2,) without the fallout (4:1, 5) and the very public and “on demand” signs of the plagues. The claims of Risen Lord appearance do not at all conform. Moses’ face shone then faded (2 Corinthians 3:13), and all believers enjoy the light of Yeshua’s face as an unfading treasure, even though we are not yet glorified.

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB

Who really needs a God-opposite-the- slavedriver and/or a prophet with signs as the Lord provided for the Exodus and the Journey out of Bondage when each of us has a personal inheritance from the Risen Lord? Thanks to God, the brothers never came to blows and each departs this life, each having accepted God’s call and approbation (Hebrews 5:4, 9:4, Exodus 3:3, 10) – with what really matters, faith – with exceptional honours (Numbers 20:29, Deuteronomy 34:5-6).