Theme Of The Book Of Exodus

The Book of Exodus speaks to many themes and many events important to Christianity. One theme which reigns very important in showing the power of God and the love he had for his people is the Parting of The Red Sea. This story occurs in Exodus 13:17-14:31 and examines the main theme of liberation in Exodus while showing the strength of the covenant between God and Moses and the true power of God in freeing his people. In order to express these themes the Bible contains various conversations between God and Moses, as well as small details which help to emphasise the love God had for his people. However, the Bible can be difficult to read and take in, therefore like many books today, Hollywood has created various movies and interpretations of …show more content…
They had a covenant which meant that they had a strong bond that was to be unbreakable and contained high standards of faith. Even though God does speak to Moses in the movie when Moses parts the Red Sea, in Exodus God also speaks to Moses when telling him to “…stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen” (14:26). Collins remind us that “Moses again stretches out his hand and causes the waters to return on the pursuing Egyptians” (Collins 70). This makes it appear as though there was no communication or connection between God and Moses which was far from the case. The movie continues to show Moses’s distrust in God when he has a very shocked expression at the extent of His power. When God brings down the fire to block the Egyptians, Moses’s facial expression showed a high amount of shock and disbelief that God could do something like that. Lastly Moses never reassures the people that their God is there for them. “Moses replies by challenging Israel to respond to God’s plan.” (Childs 226). Moses constantly reassures the people of their doubt letting them know that their God is there to fight for them and will not abandon them. This part is completely omitted from the movie and while it could be said that it is beneficial to not include their doubt, it is what gives way for Moses to express God’s power and love for his …show more content…
In the Bible it says “… and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.”(Exodus 14:10), but not once in The Prince Of Egypt do they call out to God. They either exhibit signs of fear that they will not make it or a sign of dependency on Moses, but a connection between God and his people is forgotten. The Bible also mentions that Moses takes the bones of Joseph with him and according to Smith, “For an Israelite audience these bones would have evoked the connection of the Shechem sanctuary with the patriarchs Joseph and Jacob.” (751) This would have emphasised their relationship and covenant, but in order to make it short and easier to take in, this detail about the bones of Joseph is also completely left out. Another point which takes away from their relationship is how much work God put into helping his people escape. A final point which disregards God’s relationship with his people, is the lack of mentioning that it is God’s people. According to Collins, the story of the red sea should “…give concrete expression to the belief that YHWH had rescued his people and overthrown the Egyptians.” (70). In the movie Moses’s wife says to him “Look, look at your people Moses. They are free.” This minimises the relationship between God and his people and that it is truly God’s people and God’s doing. In the end of the Bible it explicitly mentions that the people believed in God and feared him.