I watched the movie "Exodus: Gods and Kings" this week. It's described as a "Biblically-inspired epic fantasy" by Wikipedia. At least they are honest about it. It's "Biblically-inspired" but NOT Biblically accurate. These movies, and I'm referring to other so called "Biblically-inspired" movies such as "Noah" and "Left Behind," leave a disturbing sense of foreboding judgment due to the tampering with the inerrant Word of God, the Bible.
Two striking inaccuracies from Exodus are: the character of Moses and the depiction of the crossing of the Red Sea.
It seemed throughout the entire movie that Moses was NEVER on-board with God and his plan. He never bought in. He never experienced the life transformation that God brings a person through (burning bush for Moses), in preparation to use mightily for His glory and purpose. We become His vessel as we submit to His Lordship.
The crossing of the Red sea was just inaccurate. It was a miracle and not the result of some earthquake producing resulting in a tsunami. They crossed over on "dry land" and didn't wade into waist-deep water. Moses was not consumed by the returning waves either. He LED the people to freedom. The waters that returned killed everyone who were still in the seabed. He wouldn't have survived.
The problem I have with these movies is the tolerance that they are creating in the minds of people. It began with "The DaVinci Code" years ago. They encourage people to think outside the pages of the Bible. To say, "maybe it could have happened that way" and then ultimately, "well, who knows how it happened!" "No one knows" And it boils down to the atheist agenda of believing and accepting anything you want. Truth is diluted to the point of no longer being recognized.
I hesitate to try to interpret some verses in the Bible, due to their connection with judgment, but as I watched Exodus: Gods and Kings my mind drifted to Revelation where John wrote:
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19 ESV)It may be fine to fill in storylines with your imagination as to how events could have happened historically ("Son of God," "A.D."), but don't straight-out change the facts that are already in place. The Bible is history and NOT fiction. I think it should be treated that way. Write a fictional story if you like. Make it into a movie even. But don't mix it with the Bible nor call it a "Biblically-inspired fantasy." Biblical fantasy is a contradiction in terms. Same as truth and a lie.
