Moses not disqualified because of diffidence. But Moses showed diffidence, arguing that he was unable to speak fluently. Here was a changed Moses, quite different from the one who had, of his own accord, offered himself as Israel’s deliverer 40 years earlier. He continued to remonstrate with Jehovah, finally asking Jehovah to excuse him from the task. Although this aroused God’s anger, he did not reject Moses but provided Moses’ brother Aaron as a mouthpiece. Thus, as Moses was representative for God, so Moses became as “God” to Aaron, who spoke representatively for him. In the ensuing meeting with the older men of Israel and the encounters with Pharaoh, it appears that God gave Moses the instructions and commands and Moses, in turn, relayed them to Aaron, so that Aaron did the actual speaking before Pharaoh (a successor of the Pharaoh from whom Moses had fled 40 years previously). (Ex 2:23; 4:10-17) Later, Jehovah spoke of Aaron as Moses’ “prophet,” meaning that, as Moses was God’s prophet, directed by him, so Aaron should be directed by Moses. Also, Moses was told that he was being made “God to Pharaoh,” that is, given divine power and authority over Pharaoh, so that there was now no need to be afraid of the king of Egypt.​—Ex 7:1, 2.

Though reproving him, God did not cancel Moses’ assignment because of his reluctance to take up the tremendous task as deliverer of Israel. Moses had not demurred because of old age, even though he was 80. Forty years later, at the age of 120 years, Moses still had full vigor and alertness. (De 34:7) During his 40 years in Midian, Moses had had much time to meditate, and he had come to see the mistake he had made in trying to deliver the Hebrews on his own initiative. He now realized his own inadequacy. And after this long time, detached from all public affairs, it was doubtless quite a shock to be suddenly offered this role.

Later the Bible tells us: “The man Moses was by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” (Nu 12:3) As a meek person, he recognized that he was a mere human, with imperfections and weaknesses. He did not push himself forward as Israel’s invincible leader. He expressed, not fear of Pharaoh, but an acute awareness of his own limitations.

Courage and faith required to face Pharaoh. It was only in the strength of Jehovah and due to the operation of his spirit upon them that Moses and Aaron proved equal to the task set before them. Picture the court of Pharaoh, the king of the undisputed world power of that time. Here was unparalleled splendor, the haughty Pharaoh, supposed to be a god himself, surrounded by his advisers, military commanders, guards, and slaves. Moreover, there were the religious leaders, the magic-practicing priests, chief among Moses’ opposers. These men were, aside from Pharaoh himself, the most powerful men in the realm. All this impressive array was aligned to back up Pharaoh in support of the gods of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh, not once, but many times, Pharaoh’s heart getting harder each time, because he was determined to keep his valuable Hebrew slaves under his domination. In fact, after announcing the eighth plague, Moses and Aaron were driven out from before Pharaoh, and after the ninth plague they were ordered not to try to see Pharaoh’s face again on pain of death.​—Ex 10:11, 28.

With these things in mind, it becomes most understandable that Moses repeatedly appealed to Jehovah for assurance and strength. But it must be noted that he never failed to carry out to the letter what Jehovah commanded. He never diminished one word of that which Jehovah gave him to tell Pharaoh, and Moses’ leadership was such that, at the time of the tenth plague, “all the sons of Israel did just as Jehovah had commanded Moses and Aaron. They did just so.” (Ex 12:50) Moses is held before Christians as an example of outstanding faith. The apostle Paul says of him: “By faith he left Egypt, but not fearing the anger of the king, for he continued steadfast as seeing the One who is invisible.”​—Heb 11:27.

Before the tenth plague, Moses was privileged to institute the Passover. (Ex 12:1-16) At the Red Sea, Moses had to face further complaints of the people, who appeared trapped and about to be slaughtered. But he expressed the faith of a true leader under Jehovah’s mighty hand, assuring Israel that Jehovah would destroy the pursuing Egyptian army. In this crisis he apparently called out to Jehovah, for God said to him: “Why do you keep crying out to me?” Then God commanded Moses to lift up his rod and stretch his hand out over the sea and split it apart. (Ex 14:10-18)

A fitting mediator. Moses went up Mount Horeb several times, remaining on two occasions for periods of 40 days and nights. (Ex 24:18; 34:28) After the first of these occasions he returned with two stone tablets “written on by God’s finger,” containing “the Ten Words” or Ten Commandments, the basic laws of the Law covenant. (Ex 31:18; De 4:13) On this first occasion Moses showed himself to be fittingly qualified as mediator between Jehovah and Israel and leader of this great nation of perhaps three million or more. When Moses was in the mountain, Jehovah informed him that the people had turned to idolatry and Jehovah said: “Now let me be, that my anger may blaze against them and I may exterminate them, and let me make you into a great nation.” Moses’ immediate reply revealed that the sanctification of Jehovah’s name was the thing of primary importance to him​—that he was completely unselfish and did not desire fame for himself. He asked nothing for himself but, rather, showed concern for Jehovah’s name that He had recently exalted by the Red Sea miracle, and regard for God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jehovah, in approval of Moses’ plea, spared the people. Here it is seen that Jehovah regarded Moses as satisfactorily filling his mediatorial role and that He respected the arrangement through which he had appointed Moses to that office. Thus, Jehovah “began to feel regret over the evil that he had spoken of doing to his people”​—that is, because of altered circumstances, he changed his attitude regarding bringing evil upon them.​—Ex 32:7-14.

Moses’ zeal for true worship as he served in behalf of God was displayed when he got down from the mountain. Seeing the idolatrous revelers, he threw the tablets down, breaking them, and called for those who would take Jehovah’s side. The tribe of Levi joined Moses, and he commanded them to put to death those engaging in the false worship. This resulted in the slaying of about 3,000 men. Then he returned to Jehovah, acknowledging the people’s great sin, and pleaded: “But now if you will pardon their sin,​—and if not, wipe me out, please, from your book that you have written.” God was not displeased at Moses’ mediatorial plea, but answered: “Whoever has sinned against me, I shall wipe him out of my book.”​—Ex 32:19-33.

Many were the times that Moses represented Jehovah’s side of the covenant, commanding true, clean worship and executing judgment on disobedient ones. More than once he also stood between the nation, or individuals thereof, and their destruction at Jehovah’s hand.​—Nu 12; 14:11-21; 16:20-22, 43-50; 21:7; De 9:18-20.

Unselfishness, Humility, Meekness. Moses’ chief interests were in Jehovah’s name and His people. Consequently he was not one to seek glory or position. When Jehovah’s spirit came upon certain men in the camp and they began to act as prophets, Moses’ assistant Joshua wanted to restrain them, evidently because he felt that they were detracting from Moses’ glory and authority. But Moses replied: “Are you feeling jealous for me? No, I wish that all of Jehovah’s people were prophets, because Jehovah would put his spirit upon them!”​—Nu 11:24-29.

Although he was Jehovah’s appointed leader of the great nation of Israel, Moses was willing to accept counsel from others, particularly when it would be of value to the nation. Shortly after the Israelites left Egypt, Jethro visited Moses, bringing with him Moses’ wife and sons. Jethro observed how hard Moses was working, wearing himself out handling the problems of everyone who came to him. He wisely suggested an orderly arrangement wherein Moses would delegate degrees of responsibility to others, to lighten his load. Moses listened to Jethro’s advice, accepted it, and organized the people into thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, with a chief over each group as a judge. Only the difficult cases were then brought to Moses. It is noteworthy also that Moses, explaining to Jethro what he was doing, said: “In the event that [the people] have a case arise, it must come to me and I must judge between the one party and the other, and I must make known the decisions of the true God and his laws.” In this, Moses indicated that he recognized his duty to judge, not according to his own ideas, but according to Jehovah’s decisions and that, moreover, he had the responsibility to help the people to know and recognize God’s laws.​—Ex 18:5-7, 13-27.

Moses repeatedly pointed to Jehovah, and not himself, as the real Leader. When the people began to complain about food, Moses told them: “Your murmurings are not against us [Moses and Aaron], but against Jehovah.” (Ex 16:3, 6-8) Possibly because Miriam felt her prominence might be eclipsed by the presence of Moses’ wife, she and Aaron jealously and disrespectfully began to speak against Moses and his authority. The record shows that their speech was all the more contemptible because it is at this point that it says: “The man Moses was by far the meekest of all the men who were upon the surface of the ground.” Moses apparently was hesitant to assert himself, meekly enduring the abuse. But Jehovah was incensed at this challenge, which was actually an affront to Jehovah himself. He took up the issue and severely chastised Miriam. Moses’ love for his sister moved him to intercede for her, crying out: “O God, please! Heal her, please!”​—Nu 12:1-15.

Obedience, Waiting Upon Jehovah. Moses waited upon Jehovah. Though he is called Israel’s lawgiver, he recognized that the laws did not originate with him. He was not arbitrary, deciding matters on his own knowledge. In legal cases in which there was no precedent or where he could not discern exactly how to apply the law, he presented the matter to Jehovah to establish a judicial decision. (Le 24:10-16, 23; Nu 15:32-36; 27:1-11) He was careful to carry out instructions. In the intricate work of constructing the tabernacle and making its utensils and the priests’ garments, Moses exercised close oversight. The record reads: “And Moses proceeded to do according to all that Jehovah had commanded him. He did just so.” (Ex 40:16; compare Nu 17:11.) Repeatedly we find other statements that things were done “just as Jehovah had commanded Moses.” (Ex 39:1, 5, 21, 29, 31, 42; 40:19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29) It is good for Christians that he did so, for the apostle Paul points out that these things constituted “a shadow” and an illustration of heavenly things.​—Heb 8:5.