Biblical Christianity is No Hollywood Movie

I find it fascinating to see how the heroes of the Bible were portrayed in those epic Bible movies of the 50s. Richard Burton in the Robe or Victor Mature as Samson. Yul Brenner as Solomon or Charlton Heston as Moses. Hollywood seemed to have a template about how people living in biblical times acted and how the great men of faith in both the Old and New Testaments carried themselves. They always stood out from others in the crowd, had a righteous countenance, and always seemed serious and careful never to show a smile. The viewers were always left with the impression these men always did what was right and only upset the evil rulers trying to keep God's People down.

I suppose it was great for those big, epic movies but when you read the actual account of things in the Bible, you come away not recognizing the men, or story, you saw on the screen.

According to Exodus 4:10, Moses was insecure about how he spoke. Almost arguing with God about His call to deliver the Children of Israel, he said "O my Lord, I am not eloquent ...: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue". Doesn't exactly describe Charlton Heston. Contrary to Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Saul of Tarsus, the great New Testament author and apostle to the Gentiles is said to have had a speech problem as well, along with nagging health problems (we're not certain, however, because everywhere Paul taught and ministered he was determined to speak only of "Christ and Him crucified").

Many of the great men of the Bible were outright scoundrels, men you wouldn't want to associate with personally or professionally, much less spiritually. Sexual immorality, drunkenness, idolatry, witchcraft, murder, extortion, running ponzi-schemes, lying - these are things perpetrated by the likes of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Samson, Solomon, Peter, and Paul. All were unlike the lost around them - until God touched them with His plan for them.

One thing those movies did was to make it appear all those characters were so much more holy and closer to God than you and I could ever hope to be; that we could never have the relationship with God they had. But when we read the actual accounts, and see the same human failings in them that we have, we can be encouraged in the fact God doesn't call the perfect and flawless to do His work. He calls the weak, the unpopular, and the average to execute, in the spirit realm, strength and deliverance.

Of course we are talking about grace in the form of Christ paying the penalty on our behalf. It doesn't look as glamorous as a big Hollywood movie when we realize everything we think we are as Christians has little to nothing to do with us, but at the same time its comforting to know God's Ways and thoughts are so much higher than anything we, or a fat Hollywood budget, can even begin to imagine!