The new major motion picture Exodus: Gods and Kings from Fox directed by noted atheist Ridley Scott and Moses-antagonist star Christian Bale has a lot of families wondering about the new movie. Can a movie directed by an atheist correctly capture what Christians believe to be God’s divine salvation of His people from the second book of the Bible? Can God be depicted as speaking through a child? Can Bale, who has publicly stated that Moses seems “schizophrenic” or worse, accurately portray the Lord’s chosen servant? And how can we pass up an opportunity to see the plagues of Exodus 7 – 11 on the big screen, when God’s judgment of unbelieving Egypt is prime for CGI effects?!
To help parents make the decision whether our kids or families should consume this Hollywood fare, here are a few resources for you to consider:
Review of Exodus at Plugged In
The ministry of Focus on the Family reviews movies with regards to positive elements, profanity, sexual/mature themes, and other negative content so that parents can be informed of what their kids are seeing. You can find their review of the movie here. Summary: Exodus could be watched by a mature individual who understands they are not watching a cinematic portrayal of the Bible.
Hardhearted Over Exodus? | Christianity Today
The writers at Christianity Today assume that – due to the deficiencies in the movie, American evangelicals will be suspicious of the movie. (That alone is a telling observation!) But before we completely dismiss the movie, CT gives ten reasons to think twice about the show. Summary: “Rather than bashing another not-perfectly-biblical Bible movie, what if we praised its beauty? What if instead of issuing nitpicky complaints as the theological police, Christians extended compassion and thanks as the people of God, grateful to see parts of the Bible’s story told on screen?”
“Can An Atheist Make A Good Bible Movie?” | TGC
Brett McCracken attempts to guide Christians to think biblically when seeing a movie. After all, a movie is a work of art, he says, rather than a biblical biopic. Summary: Let us go to the movies as Christians, critically thinking in ways that would honor the most creative of all, the Lord God.
It is obvious that our film under question is not a faithful, blow-by-blow account of Scripture. If that is what you’re looking, we must look elsewhere. But if your kids are mature enough to carefully discern where truth is, and you want to appreciate the movie as entertainment, there are options for Spirit-led Christians. So whether you see Exodus and have a careful discussion with what was right and what was wrong, or whether you decide that is not something your family needs to see, make sure that “whatever we do” (I Corinthians 10:31) is for the glory of Christ!
We will be using the following songs and passages from the Word of God in our corporate gathering this Lord’s Day. Please prayerfully use these resources to prepare your hearts to “come into His gates with thanksgiving and enter His courts with praise” (Psalm 100:4).
Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church 