Exodus, Gods and Kings – a review

Enjoy the film, but if you want the real facts about Moses and the Exodus, go to Scripture. The film does include Biblical names like Moses, Israelites, Egypt and Pharaoh; it has the Israelites as slaves in ancient Egypt with the pyramids and temples, the plagues, the Passover and the passage through the Red Sea. That is the only way it resembles the Bible. There is nothing about Moses’ close relationship with God and the glorious work of the Almighty on behalf of His people.

The producer

According to Wikipedia, the producer, Scott Ridley, said in 2013 that he was an atheist. So he does not believe in the Bible or the God of the Bible. One would hardly expect a true ‘Biblical epic’ from him. Why would he glorify God who through the Exodus fulfilled His promise made hundreds of years earlier to Abraham? God said to Moses, ‘I have come down to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians….’ ¹  The leading and power of God would rescue them, not a little boy.

What was the Moses of the Bible like?

• He was a man of faith.²
• He had intimate contact with God.³
• He was a humble man.⁴
• He was a type of Jesus who would free people from slavery to sin.⁵ This is repeated in the New Testament, since it is so important, “For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything He tells you.'” ⁶   

By depicting Moses different from his Bible character, Mr Ridley subtly insults Jesus. This can be expected from his non-belief in the Bible.

• In the film Moses, as the leader, teaches the slaves to use weapons against the Egyptians. In the Bible God saved them miraculously.
• In the Bible Moses and Aaron visit Pharaoh repeatedly in the name of the Lord, to demand the release of God’s people.  In the film Aaron scarcely features.
• God is depicted as a boy with queer mannerism and saying, ‘I am.’ What an insult to the Almighty!
• The reason for the very important Passover is never explained.  The significance is that Jesus would be our Passover Lamb (His Blood on the doorposts of our hearts will save us from eternal judgement). ⁷

What does one learn from the film? Acts 7:38 gives the answer, ‘He (Moses) was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.’  Those ‘living words,’ the Bible, are still a terror to the devil. He still does everything he can to indoctrinate the world that they are just idle words, not powerful and life changing.

Scott Ridley gave us a good film, but nothing that has to do with God’s glory and brilliance as depicted in the Bible.

References

1. Exodus 3:8a
2. Hebrews 11:24-28
3. Numbers 12:7-8
4. Numbers 12:3
5. Deuteronomy 18:18
6. Acts 3:22
7. 1 Corinthians 5:7b