Several weeks ago my wife, Bekah, and I showed our boys the animated classic, The Prince of Egypt. The movie, which was released by DreamWorks in 1998, is a musical drama that tells the Exodus story as seen through the eyes of the main character, Moses. Discerning viewers will notice numerous inconsistencies between the story as presented in the movie and scripture. However, the movie remains a personal favorite as a beautiful and carefully crafted depiction of the Exodus, which strikes a mindful balance between rigidly faithful and creatively accessible storytelling. To this day, I tear up several times throughout the movie as I marvel at the true story this movie captures in a surprisingly emotional way. It’s hard to imagine a major production company releasing anything like it today. The movie opens with a montage depicting the plight of the enslaved Hebrews set to song. Under the weight of backbreaking labor, the people cry out in song as they plead with God singing, “Deliver us!” The filmmakers skillfully utilize both song and illustration to set the tone for a heart-wrenching epic. My youngest son, Judah (3) preferred to sing along to the catchy songs while my oldest, Noah (5), was gripped by the story from the beginning. As the film reached its climax, the plagues, he leaned in. As we reached the moment in the movie, which depicts this week’s passage, I could tell he was confused. Moses 17
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