“So [Aaron] shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God” (Exodus 4:16).
An ambassador is an official representative of a government to another nation. Ambassadors often serve as diplomatic agents seeking to protect their citizens from a foreign country, support economic prosperity, and work for peace. The system of ambassadors grew out of the Italian Renaissance as a way to communicate with and protect smaller states in Italy. The practice then spread to Europe.
Today the use of ambassadors is widespread. Often, they live within the country to which they’ve been assigned for long periods of time in order to become acquainted with its culture and people. This builds trust and helps them communicate more effectively in their host country.
When Moses objected to being God’s spokesperson and going to Egypt to free the Hebrews, the Lord designated Aaron as his assistant. In some ways, Aaron was like an ambassador since he was already living in Egypt, was more fluent in speaking the language than Moses, and was better known among the people.
The Bible gives a fascinating description of the relationship between these brothers. God told Moses that Aaron “shall be as a mouth for you.” On the surface, it sounds like Aaron was simply an interpreter. But the Scriptures add, “you shall be to him as God” (Exodus 4:16). Obviously, Moses was not to stand in the place of God. The text simply means that Moses would guide the words of Aaron just as God guided Moses. Aaron was not to represent his own opinions. He was an authorized representative of Moses, who was God’s appointed leader.
The apostle Paul described the work of every Christian as being “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). The purpose of Aaron’s work can be heard in the rest of verse 20, where Paul says it is “as though God were pleading through us.” What a humbling thought—to speak as diplomatic agents of the highest rank for heaven itself.
Lord, may I represent You in all my words and actions. Speak through me today as Your ambassador.
