As we continue our investigation of The Bible series, we turn our attention to the next two installments: "Exodus" and "Homeland." Between these two, we cover Bible history from the end of Abraham's life to the beginning of the reign of Saul over Israel. Not to be redundant, but we admit the impossibility of covering large blocks of history in so few minutes. We expect that some things will be left out of the survey. That said, I admit a personal disappointment when the first segment opened and there was no Joseph; he is a personal hero of mine. There is a little background on Moses and the story opens when he is a younger man in Egyptian hierarchy. The series depicts tension between Moses and Pharaoh's son, even to the point that the two battle each other with weapons. The young heir of Pharaoh exclaims "he's not one of us. You should never have let her keep him." Moses is surprised, suggesting that he was unaware of his roots until this point. However, the Bible reveals that Moses was a respected leader in Egypt (Acts 7:22) and that he knew his Hebrew heritage (Exo. 2:11). You will notice a number of variations like this from the Biblical story. Perhaps the one good thing to come out of this part of the series is the depiction of burden on the Israelites. The flogging of the workers is probably no where near as hard as it was, but the mind is stirred to ponder what they did endure for so many years. 

     The plagues do not receive very much attention, just images of each flashed on the screen. They are presented in proper order, which is appreciated. After each, Pharaoh screams "No," to emphasize the hardening of his heart. The last plague depicts only the death of firstborn sons, whereas the real plague was much more extensive--death to every firstborn, both of people and animals (Exo. 12:29), except in houses properly marked. Still we are bound to meditate on the gravity of that plague on Egyptian society and especially on the heart of Pharaoh. In the exodus from Egypt, the most impressive part of the segment is the portrayal of the Red Sea crossing. We are treated to visual effects that remind us of the power of God displayed in the walls of water, making a safe passage for the Israelites. What must that have really looked like?

     "Homeland" opens forty years later, when Joshua is leading the people in the conquest of Canaan. Moses is already out of the picture and Joshua sends spies into Jericho. The Bible suggests that Rahab willingly housed the spies (Josh. 2:1-2), whereas the series depicts them breaking and entering her house by force. Holding a knife to the throat of Rahab's son makes for good television, but there is nothing to suggest as much in the Bible. You will be pleased to learn that the marching orders given to Joshua are as you read in Scripture. 

     The last segment jumps to the period of the judges, focusing only on Samson. The death of his first wife is portrayed accurately (Judg. 15:6), as well as his subsequent passion for Delilah (Judg. 16:4). However, the Bible shows that Samsom did not immediately tell Delilah of his Nazarite vow and in the series he tells the first time she asks. Also, Samson is heard saying at one point "everyone must do what they think is right." If we are careful, we will find this was the   cause of Israel's problems and not the solution. The judges were dispatched by God to fight the effects of this attitude. Samson is never on record saying this. 

    Again we are finding that such a condensing of the Bible's story comes at the price of omissions. Some of your favorite stories during this period will not be found in the t.v. series, and those that are presented will have some changes from what you find in the Bible. The real benefit of these two parts comes to us in word pictures. We find it difficult to envision the Ancient Near East, and this series may help promote the imagery that stands behind real events. ~ David B. Smith