Special Movies
When I was a kid, we only had three network tv channels to choose from. Well, correction, from which my Dad chose from. Each year, there were three special movies that we would watch as a family. It seems like The Wizard of Oz was broadcasted in the fall, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was broadcasted around Thanksgiving and during Passover week, we’d watch The Ten Commandments.
As a young child, I was taught the Exodus story and, in some ways, I struggle even to this day to distinguish the Biblical details from the rich cinematic experience by the Cecile B. DeMille movie. Speaking of which, If you are interested in the DeMille movie, it was actually the second movie he made about the Ten Commandments. The first movie was a silent black and white movie that had a more brief ten commandment portion and a second story about a modern application (modern for the time it was made).
Anyway, I think I figured out as a young teenager that there was a connection between the timing of the Exodus story and the crucifixion of our Lord. However, I only understood the overlap as occurring during the celebration of Passover week. As I have gotten older and meandering on my faith walk, I’ve started seeing other overlapping concepts between the two stories (by the way, I’m struggling using the term “story” and not something more formal like “historical timeline”).
For example, the next thing I figured out was the parallel between the sacrificial lamb’s blood on the door frame protecting the Israelis from the angel of death and Christ’s atoning blood shed for our sins and to protect us from spiritual death from God.
It came on again last night as it has yearly during my life and I saw something else. Moses, as portrayed by Heston, was asked by the Pharoah if he was the deliverer foretold around his birth that drove Pharoah to kill the male babies. His reply was he wasn’t that person but would if he could. He went on to add that it would take an army to free the Israeli slaves. For whatever reason, this hit me right upside the head. The Israeli’s then and the Israelites in Jesus’ time were looking for a military conqueror more akin to Joshua. They were either blindsided or in denial that God would use individuals that were not military conquerors to achieve his plan.
“When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’ And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” - Exodus 3:4-6, 11-22 ESV
God has a plan that I’m increasing accepting has little to do with my expectations and time frames. I will put my faith and trust in God. He came through the Son and saved me from eternal separation and damnation and I will devote my life to his plans.
One of these days, I will do the research to gather all the situations mentioned in the Bible where God uses unexpected people or commands actions that seem the opposite of what a person would think (turn the other cheek, for example).
