The Role of Aaron in the Exodus

By: Rev. Scott Armstrong

Recently I’ve been thinking about the difference between Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership before, during, and after the infamous Golden Calf incident. Maybe I will need to write an article in the coming days on that topic.

For now, that subject caused me to examine in the first 12 chapters of Exodus the relationship of the brothers to each other and the role of Aaron in the deliverance of the Israelites from Pharaoh and Egypt. Hollywood’s movies (and almost every sermon I have heard or given on the exodus) depict Moses boldly telling Pharaoh again and again to “Let my people go.” It would seem from our versions of the story that Aaron stayed back in his tent relaxing. Here are several observations after examining the text again carefully:

1. Miriam, Aaron, and Moses were together with their mother for the first few years of Moses’ life (until he had been nursed or “had grown older” – 2:10). Aaron was three years older than Moses (7:7).

2. At the end of Moses’ call (4:13-17) is when God gets exasperated at Moses’ complaints and excuses and says that Aaron will “speak to the people for” Moses. Notable are several things that occur as a result:

• God is the one who brings Aaron up as an imperfect “solution” to Moses’ lack of confidence. Having Aaron as a mouthpiece was not originally Moses’ idea.
• God does not take away Moses’ speaking role, even with his brother at his side. Moses “shall speak to him and put words in his mouth,” and “I will help BOTH of you speak…” In fact, it is plain that even with the Aaron-speaks-for-Moses arrangement, Moses is the God-ordained leader of Israel: “It will be as if he (Aaron) were your mouth and as if you were God to him.”

3. Aaron is convened by God to meet Moses in the desert, and then they TOGETHER meet with all the elders. However, Aaron is the one who speaks (what God had said to Moses) – 4:27-31

4. Exodus 6:13-27 makes clear three times that God spoke to Moses and Aaron together and told them to order Pharaoh to let the Israelties go.

5. Moses and Aaron go together to see Pharaoh the first time (5:1, 4) resulting in them both being complained at and cursed by the Israelite foremen (5:20-21). The “gathering straw” consequence drives MOSES to prayer and seeking God’s will, but we never see Aaron did the same (5:22 – 6:12).

6. Aaron is placed as mouthpiece for Moses again (or it could be a recapitulation of chapter 4’s narrative) in 6:28 – 7:7.

7. Aaron and his staff are essential in the first encounters with Pharaoh (chapters 7 + 8), which Moses and Aaron do together. This includes the staff becoming a snake and the Plagues of Blood, Frogs, and Gnats.

8. Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron together to stop the Plague of Flies (8:25) and Plague of Hail (9:27). The implication is that Aaron was there at the start of those ones, too, although the text says the word came to Moses.

9. Aaron is not mentioned in the Plague on Livestock (9:1-7), Plague of Darkness (10:21-29), or Plague on the Firstborn (11:1-9).

10. Aaron DOES go with Moses and is essential in the Plague of Boils (9:8-12) and Plague of Locusts (10:1-20).

11. The writer of Exodus (Moses?) is clear as the Passover is about to take place that BOTH performed all these miracles (11:10), and that the word regarding Passover came to BOTH of them (12:1). Also, Pharaoh finally summons BOTH to tell them to leave immediately after the firstborn are killed (12:31). And BOTH of them are given the Passover instructions/restrictions (12:43, 50).

Conclusions:

—Aaron was way more involved in the exodus than many of us have thought.

—Moses was still the voice and leader (it does not appear that Aaron truly SPOKE as much as Moses did. His staff was needed, etc.). Moses seeks the Lord’s face and talks to Pharaoh and also talks to the elders of Israel.

–Moses lacked confidence and, thus, needed Aaron more toward the start of the plagues. Yet, it is possible that he grew in his faith and calling as God’s leader through the process, so much so that he relied on his brother much less as the first Passover approached (and beyond).

—If, as traditionally thought (although debated by many scholars), Moses wrote the Pentateuch, could Aaron’s role in the Israelite’s deliverance be at all downplayed by his brother in the light of later mis-steps by Aaron? It seems odd that both brothers would go to Pharaoh before and after almost every plague, and that only Moses would speak…

I’m sure I did not cover everything. What else do you notice when you read the first 12 chapters of Exodus? What other conclusions regarding Aaron and Moses would you draw out of this text?