the prince of egypt

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Providing a link does not necessarily imply that an organization is
affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The Prince of Egypt

Dreamworks
PG

The days leading up to Easter and the Easter season are perfect times for movie-based youth programming. One terrific video for taking on a specific biblical theme is the animated feature The Prince of Egypt. Much-acclaimed for its striking animation and soundtrack, this film should not be overlooked for what it can bring to the church as an entryway to a central story of our faith.

The movie begins with the haunting cries of the enslaved Israelites: "Elohim, hear us in this hour. Deliver us!" What unfolds in the next 99 minutes is the story of their deliverance. The film takes viewers into Egypt, where Israel is enslaved, and moves quickly to the tender scene of baby Moses being placed in a reed basket for his own deliverance. It ends with Moses, many years later, coming down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments. The intervening scenes focus on the Exodus, "the preeminent narrative of God’s Hebrew people: their deliverance from oppression." (Gail Ramshaw, Words Around the Fire, page 26.)

The church would do well to take young people into this story more fully than with a simple classroom lesson—the force of the movie’s scenes, the scale and drama of its story, greatly enhance one’s understanding of both Israel’s bondage and God’s setting them free. We can make further connections as a church into the ways in which God delivers us also from those things which bind us—classically named: sin, death and the power of the Evil One.

Before viewing the video, get young people to read the stories of Moses as found in Exodus (1:1-15:21). It might be helpful to divide the scenes and ask individuals to read small portions of the text, so that there is an investment in the text and a curiosity in each reader. This will be especially helpful when the students begin to notice scenes in the movie that are not part of the biblical account. Such observation will give youth ministers the opportunity to explain "midrash" (From the Hebrew daras, meaning "to examine") and invite a new level of reflection on the Bible. Once there has been some sharing of the story as recorded in Exodus, enjoy the film and get ready for some good discussion.

Discussion questions

When Moses’ mother places him in the basket and sets him off, there is a dramatic scene of raging waters and danger. Besides being exciting animation, why do you think the producers expanded the scene (Exodus 2:1-4) in this way?
Think about the relationship between the "brothers" Rameses and Moses. Remember the scenes of the chariot race or of their apology to Pharaoh. Think about how they encouraged each other after the scolding when Pharaoh said, "One weak link can break the chain of a mighty dynasty." What did you notice in the movie’s depiction of them that is nowhere to be found in Scripture? Did it give you a different understanding of Moses? Did the meaning of this change when you consider the story of Moses asking Pharaoh to "Let my people go"?
After Miriam tells Moses, "God saved you to be our deliverer" he goes home and wonders about her words; he sees the hieroglyphics in a new way--his imagination animates them and Moses sees for the first time Egypt’s persecution of the Israel people. Are there moments your own situation has blinded you to other people’s suffering? Has someone’s words or an experience then helped you to see things differently? Discuss issues of injustice and consider how you might be able to address them once you understand situations more fully.
Consider the scene where Moses kills the man. Discuss the difference in how this was portrayed in the movie compared to how it is told in Scripture (Exodus 2:11-15). Why might the movie makers have made these changes?
Remember the movie’s depiction of when Moses gets to Midian and sings with Jethro? The song asks, "How do you judge what a man is worth?" What might Moses’ answer have been before he left the palace? How about after he married Zipporah and became a shepherd? (Reminder: the song’s refrain is that one should "look at your life through heaven’s eyes".) How do you judge someone’s worth?
When Moses encounters God in the burning bush, what releases him from his fear?
Moses tells Zipporah that he can see her family has hopes, dreams and a future with a promise of dignity–all things that "his people" (the Israelites) do not have. He wants to give them that and thus begins his mission to get Pharaoh, his brother Rameses, to let the people go. But the response is "I won’t let them go AND I will double the workload!" Talk about these concepts of what Moses is hoping for and what he gets for Israel.
No matter how bad things got, there was a refrain in the movie that is in agreement with Scripture, voiced by Moses: "The one thing Pharaoh cannot take away is your faith–Believe!" Discuss how believing in God’s saving ways can get people through difficulty. The movie’s hit song "When you Believe" is tied to this message. Get a copy of the lyrics and discuss them.
Talk about the tenth plague and how you felt when reading or watching it.
Consider the scene when the Egyptian army is bearing down on the Israelites and the sea is ahead of them. What do you think made Moses wade into the water and raise the staff? What emotions (other than wonder at the miracle) might have stirred in the Israelites when the sea parted?
Think also of the final scenes where Rameses is on the rock weeping and Moses is saying "Goodbye, brother." What divided the two of them? What motivated Rameses? What motivated Moses?
Finally, discuss what message of deliverance the church proclaims today when it retells the story of the Exodus. Where are we in this story of God’s saving ways? How is the deliverance of Israel paralleled in our own Christian life?

As with anything, feel free to adapt this guide to your own situation. Enjoy the film, enjoy the discussion and enjoy one another. And remember, the first word and the last word is always, “God Loves You.”

Need to keep up with what movies are out there? Check these Web sites. Please note that some links will take you off of the ELCA site. Providing a link does not necessarily imply that an organization is affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Rotten Tomatoes (upcoming movies)
Crosswalk.com (film review archive)
Internet Movie Database (reviews, searchable database, upcoming movies)
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Permission to reproduce for local use. Copyright © 2005 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELCA Youth Ministries. 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2447. To offer your comments or responses, e-mail: rod.boriack@elca.org.