Moses movies, an unbelieving nation, and the faithfulness of God

We all know the classic 1956 Charlton Heston adaptation of the movie "The Ten Commandments." It was epic for its time. One of the most financially significant movies of all time, and earned a spot in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

But what about "The Ten Commandments: the Musical"? Or the more recent 2006 remake of "The Ten Commandments"?
Typically, any type of movie that is based on a historical Biblical account is not going to be portrayed accurately by the movie-makers. This Christmas break, my aunt and I decided to watch parts of the later two of these movies. It was interesting to see how the accounts were told by the actors and what was Biblically accurate and what was not.

*(However, I cannot evaluate the musical version of this account, because it was too ridiculous to finish!)

Things that I enjoyed from the movie:
- They seemed to present a historically accurate account of Moses and the nation of Israel. There were references to Joseph, and the reason for Israel to be in Egypt in the first place.
- There was a lot of stress on what the man Moses was going through emotionally throughout his being raised in the palace of Pharaoh, leaving Egypt, living in the desert, and being called by God to be the human element that God used to free His people from slavery.
- They showed to be the rebellious and stiff-necked people that the Bible ascribes to them.

Things I didn't like about the movie:
- They down-played the revelation from God to Moses.
- They didn't emphasize God's promise to be with the Israelites as He led them out of Egypt to the promised land.
- They brought out things like Moses telling the people in one scene that all they had to do was trust in God, and the next he was saying that now that God had delivered them from Egypt, THEY were responsible to go from there.
- They explained the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness as some sort of test that God was making the nation pass before entering the promised land.

The result:
After watching some good and not so good re-tellings of a great Bible story, I wanted to go back through the Bible and see what it said for itself. As I surveyed through the very familiar passages, I was struck again with the character of God and His plan unfolding to His chosen people.
Here is a quick summary of what I learned:

God's promises to His chosen people

Exodus 2:24 - God hears the groaning of the Israelites in Egypt

Ex. 3:5-22 - ENTER MOSES, God speaks directly to Moses through the burning bush

I AM the God of your fathers,

I have seen the affliction

I know their sufferings

I have come down to deliver them

I have seen the oppression

I will send you (Moses) to Pharaoh

I will be with you (Moses)

I have sent you (Moses)

I AM WHO I AM

I have observed what was done in Egypt

I promise I will bring you out

I will do wonders in Egypt

Ex. 4 - The Lord gives Moses the signs that show Pharaoh that he was sent by the One True God.

Ex. 6:2-8 - I AM the Lord your God!

Ex. 7:1-5 - I AM the Lord (all people shall know this. How? the 10 plagues)

purpose: Ex. 10:1-2 - that you may know that I am the Lord.

Ex. 12:51 - "that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts." Moses told the people to remember, always remember, what the Lord had done for them!

Ex. 13:18, 21 - The Lord led the people...the Lord went before them.

Ex. 14:4, 13-14, 17-18, 25, 30-31 - the Lord fights for His people so that they may know that He is the Lord!

People grumble...after 3 days! (Ex. 15:22) = I am the Lord your healer (vs. 26)

no food (Ex. 16:2) = the Lord gave them bread from heaven (vs. 4)

no water (Ex. 17:2) = the Lord gave them water from a rock (vs. 5)

Israel defeats the Amalekites (Ex. 17:15-16) = the Lord is my banner

Ex. 19:4-6 - Moses goes up to God on the mountain

Ex. 20-31 - the Lord gives Moses the Law as the regulations of righteous living for a called out people, and a nation of priests (which righteousness comes by faith!)

the people made a golden calf as a god when Moses didn't come down from the mountain for many days (Ex 32:1-10) = Moses intercedes for the people

Ex. 33:1-3 - God commands the people to go to the promised land:

I will send an angel before you

I will drive out your enemies

I will not go up among you, but before you--because of your stiff necks

Ex. 33:9-11 - the Lord spoke to Moses face to face

Ex. 33:12-23 - Moses asks to be shown God's ways so that he may know Him to find favor in His sight. The Lord said: My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.

Ex. 34 - the Lord allows Moses to remake the tablets of stone (the first ones being broken on the golden idol)

Ex 35-40 - Moses and Israel set to making the tabernacle as God commanded them. Israel was obeying the voice of the Lord.

Ex. 40: 34-38 - the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle

"Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud (God's glory/presence) was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out."

The cloud of the Lord was before them by day and by night (!) throughout ALL their journeys!

God never failed in any of His promises to Moses or to the people of Israel. And what is cool to be reminded of (or at least I love the reminder) is that the same God who spoke to a man through a burning/yet not burning bush, who caused terrible plagues to totally ravish a whole country, who opened the Red Sea to be crossed, who sent bread from heaven, who provided water from a rock, who defeated all their enemies...is still my God!