By James Wilson
I
have nothing but the highest respect for storytellers. I am one myself. The film, Exodus: Gods and Kings, develops an
interesting premise. It depicts Moses as a dedicated atheist who is unmasked as
a closet Jew and himself shocked to discover his real origins. He is exiled after attempts made on his life
by Pharoah; upon his return from the burning bush and a boy representing God he
leads an insurgency. Failure moves him
to let God free his people. God wins in
the end and Moses comes to faith. He
exhorts his people to live on faith alone hereafter. My problem is it is only a story, and a
stolen one at that.
Storytellers
should let imagination soar anywhere it wants to go. But to take an existing story, recast it to
suit ones’ prejudices, and palm it off as the authentic version is both
fraudulent and arrogant. The result is
usually sub-par on multiple levels.
Exodus
defies logic when it depicts the Hebrew people as having the faith Moses lacks;
their collective witness leads their leader to recognize God and to follow
Him. Liberation movements have never
worked that way and – of course – the authentic story in Scripture has it the
other way around – the way it would have to be to work. Pharoah’s repeated attempts to kill Moses
while negotiating with this man he believes invincible make no sense and – of
course – the real story expresses Pharoah’s impotent rage, fueled by fear of a
man clearly backed by a mighty God. The
film defies common sense when the unbelieving Moses offers unquestioning
acceptance and grudging obedience to a vindictive little boy who claims to be
an incarnation of the very God in whom Moses does not believe.
Ridley
Scott justifies his abuse of scripture in an interview prior to release. He says only an atheist can storybook God
objectively; atheists alone insist on a story that works. Why someone ignorant of God is less biased
than a person who knows Him personally is beyond me. But Scott’s ignorance explains the cruel
hatred of this God toward the Egyptians who displease Him. The Bible account – rooted in personal
relationship with God – declares God’s desire to save even the Egyptians if
they but humble themselves.
His
objectivity falls flat again as we see the whole conflict beginning. Pharoah – who with Moses believes they are
brothers at the outset – unquestioningly
believes the corrupt official that Moses is Hebrew. His hostility is rooted in a prophecy by an
Egyptian priestess he scorns that the one saving his life in battle will one
day usurp his throne. When Moses saves
his life in battle it is all over but the shouting. Really?
This “objective” story does not work.
Truth
to tell, the Bible’s rendition of the story works quite well on every
level. We find a man raised as Egyptian
royalty due to the intervention of a daughter to the older Pharoah – everybody
knows where he comes from but he is treated as an exception so long as he lives
as an exception. Schooled in the
arrogance of ancient aristocracy he expects to be welcomed as a liberator after
killing an Egyptian he sees mistreating a Hebrew. When the people do not bow to him and he
fears exposure into the bargain he flees into the desert. Arriving in Midian he takes a wife and
settles down to raising his family and his flock of sheep. Shocked by an encounter with God in a burning
bush that will not consume itself, he finds every excuse he can to avoid the
calling from God on his life. With help
from his brother, Aaron, to compensate for his speech impediment he returns to
Egypt, warns Pharoah repeatedly to let his people go before each plague comes,
and ultimately delivers the Ten Commandments to the people in the face of their
idolatry in the Sinai Desert. Frankly,
it is a much more coherent story than the knockoff we are offered by Ridley
Scott. It depicts God as He is – loving
and committed to sinners.
I
am not telling anyone to see or ignore this movie. It has its points and it is reasonably good
entertainment. There is even reason to
wonder if Moses – in the gradual relaxation of his militant atheism and journey
to a clearly reality-based faith – is a kind of surrogate for the producer/director’s
own search for the really real. But
whether readers see the film or not, read the real story. Compare it to the knockoff. Think on it.
Pray on it. There is pure gold in
the real thing.
James A. Wilson is the author of Living
As Ambassadors of Relationships and The
Holy Spirit and the End Times – available at local bookstores or by e-mailing
him at
praynorthstate@charter.net
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