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Begin wherever your curiosity leads. The studies will be here when you’re ready. When I shared my first Matthew study on Facebook today, I mentioned that I planned to post daily, though I might not share every post on Facebook. As I continue setting up this blog, I’ve realized that what matters most to me is making my past studies available for anyone who wants to explore them. For now, I’ll be adding posts to my heart’s content as I work through those studies. Some days that may mean one post; other days it may mean several. I’ll continue reading through and preparing each one before sharing it. There is no need to keep up with everything as it appears. This blog is becoming a place you can browse at your own pace—begin with a book, a question, or a study that interests you, and follow from there. The Bible Books page gathers studies by book, while Study Threads helps connect topics that travel through more than one book. The labels on individual posts also bring related material to...
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4. Ten Commandments: Moses— “As God to Pharaoh”

As we continue the God’s Image study through the first commandment, Moses gives us an example worth examining closely.

We have been considering how Scripture uses titles and how the relationships surrounding them help us understand their meaning. Within Exodus itself, YHWH (יהוה) assigns Moses a role described with the word God.

What does that appointment mean? The passage gives us more than the title alone.

“I Have Made Thee”

“And Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”
— Exodus 7:1, ASV

I want to notice who speaks, who receives the appointment, and toward whom the role is exercised.

Jehovah appoints Moses. Moses stands in this position toward Pharaoh. Aaron serves as Moses’ prophet.

The relationship remains visible even as Moses is described as God to Pharaoh. His position comes from the One speaking to him.

For me, this is a clear example of why we need to examine a title together with the role and authority attached to it.

The Words Moses Must Speak

The next verse explains the assignment: Moses must communicate everything Jehovah commands, and Aaron must speak to Pharaoh concerning Israel’s release. Exodus 7:2

Moses receives the message. Aaron conveys it. The command originates with Jehovah.

That helps me understand what it means for Moses to occupy this role. He represents the authority of the One who appointed him, and his responsibility is to communicate what he has been given.

The wording does not erase the distinction between them. It shows how they are related within the assignment.

Aaron as a Mouth

Exodus 4 describes a related arrangement:

“and he will become as a mouth for you, and you will become as God to him.”
— Exodus 4:16, LSB

Here, the relationship concerns Moses and Aaron.

The preceding verse instructs Moses to give Aaron the words to speak and promises divine help with both men’s speech. Aaron’s role as a mouth makes the representation easier to see: he speaks on behalf of another.

I notice that the passage explains the roles through their relationship. Moses and Aaron remain distinct, while the words pass through them in an appointed order.

That is why the small phrases matter: to Pharaoh, to him, and for you. They help identify what each person is doing and in relation to whom.

Who Is to Be Known?

Later in the same passage, Jehovah says:

“And the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah”
— Exodus 7:5, ASV

Moses’ appointment serves that purpose. Through what follows, the Egyptians are to recognize Jehovah.

This helps me keep the representative and the Source in view together. Moses has an important role, and the work carried out through him directs attention to the One who sent him.

In my understanding, faithful representation preserves that relationship. The authority received continues to point back to its giver.

Bringing This Beside Jesus’ Role

In the previous post, we considered Jesus’ received authority and his place as Son over the house.

Hebrews itself brings Moses and Christ into comparison. It describes Moses as a faithful servant within the house and Christ as Son over it. Their faithfulness is compared while their positions remain distinct. Hebrews 3:1–6

The Moses passage gives me a concrete example of God-language being used within an appointed relationship. When I bring it beside the passages about Jesus, I am following that question of role and authority.

Each passage still needs to describe its own subject. Moses’ assignment helps us ask more precise questions; Jesus’ particular position must be examined through what Scripture says about him.

Returning to Love and the First Commandment

This remains part of our examination of having no other gods before Jehovah.

For me, Moses’ example shows why honoring someone appointed by God requires understanding the appointment. We need to recognize both the responsibility given and the One who gives it.

Jesus’ answer in Matthew 22:37–40 continues to guide this study: wholehearted love for God and love for our neighbor, with the Law and the Prophets depending on those two commandments.

I understand following the commandments as a way that love takes shape in our lives. Putting God first includes respecting His authority and the relationships He establishes. Loving people includes truthfulness and faithfulness in whatever responsibility we carry toward them.

This also brings us back to the God’s Image study. When I consider representing God, I want to examine how faithfully my words and conduct reflect what I have received.

Moses’ appointment gives us another reason to slow down, read the surrounding words, and honor the roles for what they are.

Threads to Follow

  • “I have made thee”: The One who appoints and the person appointed.

  • “To Pharaoh” and “to him”: Understanding a role through its particular relationship.

  • Aaron as a mouth: Receiving and faithfully communicating another’s words.

  • Knowing Jehovah: The purpose served by Moses’ assignment.

  • Moses and Christ: Comparing faithfulness while preserving their distinct positions.

  • Love expressed through obedience: Keeping Matthew 22:37–40 beside the first commandment.

The books were opened…

🌿 By Maria Emilia

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