Similarities Between Moses and Peter

When you think about it, there are some really interesting similarities between Moses and Peter....

Moses leader of God’s people                      Peter leader of God’s people

Both were part of a brother "team" of God's leaders: 

       Moses and Aaron  
       Peter and Andrew

Both had brothers who sought after them when God called: 

       Aaron sought Moses at Mt. Horeb's desert  
       Andrew went to find Peter (John 1: 41)

Both "shepherds" of God's people:

       Moses shepherd for forty years watching father-in-laws sheep.

       Peter a fisherman called to become shepherd of Christians. ("Feed my sheep.")

Both had a miracle associated with their introduction to God: 

       Miraculous fire in burning bush  
Called with miraculous catch of fish

Both had a miraculous fire associated with their call to lead God's people: 

      Called by angel in burning bush  
Tongues of fire come upon him

Both called to go before secular leaders in behalf of God's people:

       Called to go before Pharaoh  
       Witness before governors and kings (Matt. 10:18)

Both recoiled from God's presence at first: 

      Moses said, "Who am I, that I should go before Pharaoh?"  (Ex. 3: 11)  

      Peter fell at Jesus feet and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8)

Both men represented God to the people and the world: 

      God told Moses that Aaron, "will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were   your mouth and as if you were God to him." And, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.' "(Ex. 4: 16; 7:1) 

God told Peter, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven." (Matt. 16:18, 19)

Both calls were in the context of understanding who God was, the "I AM." 

      Moses asked God's name and He responded, "I AM, who I AM."

      Jesus asked Peter "Who do you say that I AM?" And Peter's answer proved he understood who Christ was. Both were given authority upon the name of the Great I AM. 

After being commissioned, both were immediately rebuked: 

      God sought after Moses to kill him. (Ex. 4: 24)  
Peter was called Satan. (Matt. 16: 23)

Both were given "The Rock": 

      Moses was given the rock in the form of the Ten Commandments, the written Word of God and the Old Covenant. The law was written in stone and given to Moses to implement. 

      Peter was given the title "The Rock" and his authority was in his own flesh. The law was in the church, in humans. 

Both were given the authority to bind and loose doctrine:

      Moses loosened the divorce laws (Matt. 19:8)           
      Peter was given keys. (Matt. 16: 19)

Both publicly betrayed God: 

       Moses by hitting the rock   
       Peter by denying Him three times

Both were given the ability to perform signs and wonders!

It is very interesting to note that these two great leaders of God's people actually met each other while Jesus was on earth. During the Transfiguration, Moses came and stood beside Jesus while Peter looked on. On one side was Moses representing God's people and the Old Covenant and on the other Peter representing God's people the New Covenant. And there is Jesus bringing them together in the middle. Jesus as the center of both men and both covenants!  [Mark 9:2-8pp -- Lk 9:28-36 9:2-13pp -- Mt 17:1-13]