Exodus: Spoilers and Lessons

Isn’t it fitting that the Year of Bible Movies should close out—or should I say exit—with the movie Exodus? Think about it—we’ve had Son of God, Heaven is For Real, and Noah (which I personally think missed the boat)—and now the epic of epics hits the big screen—the story of Moses.

You know Moses—right?

Chosen by God to lead a nation of Hebrew slaves out of bondage and cruel slavery, and tasked with standing up to the most powerful man on earth.

Of course, the most powerful man on earth isn’t going to let his no cost work force go, so God has to do a little convincing in the form of plagues. And as you remember, Pharaoh & Company come out on the losing end of a fight with the Almighty.

And that’s basically the way the story goes in Exodus: Gods and Kings, except for a few notable (and semi-spoiler) exceptions.

1. God is portrayed as a pre-adolescent child with a high pitched voice. Apparently there was more than just a burning bush, there was also an 11 year old kid who we all need to take seriously, because, you know, he’s GOD.
2. Moses is an unbeliever until he gets conked on the head.
3. “God” apparently decides the fate of nations by the roll of a dice. And I mean that literally—He literally rolls some dice to figure out what to do with Egypt.
4. Hebrew and Egyptian roles alike are played by white guys wearing a lifetime supply of self-tanning products.

Other than that, Exodus does a great job of being faithful to the major elements contained in one of the most adventurous and powerful narratives in the Bible and the Ridley Scott-led special effects leave every other Bible movie on the Egyptian dust.

But more important than the faithfulness of the story to the Biblical account or even the special effects are the lessons we can learn from this great man of God. So if or when you invest several hours imbibing in the Exodus epic, let these concepts plague you in a good way…

1) Anyone—and I mean ANYONE—can be called by God.  Moses was a stuttering murderer with a monster temper issue. I have my issues, and so do you, that’s why “God selected the common and the castoff, whatever lacks status, so He could invalidate the claims of those who think those things are significant” (1 Corinthians 1:28). Moses was called to lead people out of slavery, and we are called to help our friends and family escape the bondage of sin.

2) No one—and I mean NO ONE—can stand in the way of God’s purpose. No “gods” or kings, no parents or bullies, no teachers or coaches or enemies, not even Satan himself can get in our way when God is with us.  His power and purpose reside in His presence and passion for His people, which is summed up in this fantastic promise:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

Everyone who desires to make an impact for Jesus Christ will face a crossroads of some type where a decision must be made.  For Moses, it was a period of isolation that ended when God supernaturally appeared to Him in a burning bush.  After encountering God in an intensely personal way, we learn this about Moses:

It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible (Hebrews 11:24-27).

May we all keep our eyes on the invisible God as He leads us to accomplish His purpose through THE Cause of Christ and make disciples who make disciples!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

Exodus: Gods and Kings opens the door for some great spiritual conversations with your friends.  Ask your friends to go see the movie with you this month, and go out to coffee afterwards to talk about whatever God leads you to discuss.

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Dear God, thank you being our Deliverer and Shepherd.  Help us to be bold and fulfill the calling You have placed on our lives.  Give us vision to trust in Your power and presence. In Jesus’ name.

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:7. The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away.

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