Donald W. Parry
Moses: Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ
Donald W. Parry, “Moses: Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ,” in The Jesus Christ Focused Old Testament: Making Sense of a Monumental Book (Springville, UT: Book of Mormon Central, 2022), 88–89.
Moses’s life and mission paralleled the future life and mission of Jesus Christ to the point that many scriptural references also make it clear that Moses was a type of Jesus Christ. For example, Deuteronomy 18:15 and 17–19 reads, “The lord thy God will raise up unto thee [Moses] a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. . . . And the lord said unto me, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” Christ is the promised prophet of this passage (see Acts 3:20–23).
Moses the Begotten. Moses’s name is etymologically related to the Egyptian words mes and mesu, meaning “child” or “son.”[1] This links Moses to Jesus Christ who is designated Son—son of Abraham, Son of God, Son of the Highest, Son of the Living God, Son of the Most High God, and only begotten Son.
Moses the Deliverer. As a type of Jesus Christ, Moses delivered the Israelites from their Egyptian bondage (Ex. 3:1–12). The lord told Moses, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians. . . . Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (Ex. 3:7–8, 10). Jesus, too, is our Deliverer, and as Moses delivered his people with a temporal salvation, Jesus delivers us with an eternal salvation. Many other parallels are set forth in the chart.
Moses: Type and Shadow of Jesus Christ
Moses | Jesus |
|---|---|
The king of Egypt attempted to slay the infant Moses (Ex. 1:15–22). | King Herod attempted to slay the infant Jesus (Matt. 2:7–11, 17–18). |
Born under remarkable circumstances (Ex. 2:1–16). | Born under remarkable circumstances (Luke 1:27–38). |
Performed signs and miracles (Ex. 4:28–31). | Performed many signs (John 20:30). |
Fasted forty days and forty nights (Ex. 34:28; Deut. 9:9, 18). | Fasted forty days and forty nights (Matt. 4:2). |
Served as a mediator between Israel and God (Ex. 20:19–22). | Serves as the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5). |
Controlled the sea (Ex. 14:21). | Controlled the sea (Matt. 8:26). |
Aided by twelve tribal leaders and seventy men (Ex. 24:1, 9; Num. 1:4; 7:10–88; 11:16–17, 24–25; 17:2–9; Deut. 1:23). | Aided by twelve Apostles and seventy men (Matt. 10:1–7; Mark 3:14–19; Luke 6:13–16; 10:1–27). |
Sent from God (Ex. 3:1–12). | The “Father hath sent [Jesus]” (John 6:57). |
Through miraculous means, produced food for the people (Ex. 16:2–22). | Through miraculous means, produced food for the people (Matt. 14:15–21; 15:33–38; Mark 6:36–44; Luke 9:12–17; John 6:5–13). |
Delivered Israel from Egypt’s bondage (Ex. 3:1–12; 12; 14). | Delivers humans from sin’s bondage (2 Cor. 1:10). |
King of Jeshurun (Deut. 33:5). | King (Matt. 21:5). |
Teacher (Deut. 4:5). | Teacher (Matt. 5:1–2). |
Prophet (Deut. 18:15–19). | Prophet (Deut. 18:15, 18). |
Lawgiver (Ex. 31:18). | Lawgiver (Isa. 33:22; John 1:17). |
“Moses was faithful in all his house” (Heb. 3:2). | Jesus was “faithful to him that appointed him” (Heb. 3:2). |
Performed great wonders and signs (Ex. 14:21–31). | “Many other signs truly did Jesus” (John 20:30). |