Today sees the release of Testament: The Story of Moses on the streaming service Netflix. In three episodes lasting around one hour and 30 minutes, viewers are taken on the ancient prophet's journey through life, encountering his many trials and tribulations.
After the success of The Chosen, faith-based series seem to be becoming increasingly popular with viewers. And with good reason. While the Bible and its teachings might be ancient, they apply to modern days in sometimes surprising ways. And this is particularly the case of Moses, the man who led the Israelites out of slavery.
What is particular to this series is that the docudrama not only plays out the life of Moses, it also brings in opinions from leading theologians from the three monotheist religions, as well as experts in Egyptology and other relevant areas of research. And through the life of Moses and the commentary we can get an understanding of how such an ancient character from the Bible is particularly relevant today.
The original social justice warrior
In the series Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn pointed out how "social justice began with Moses." While living in the Pharaoh's palace, Moses beat a taskmaster to death for his treatment of a Hebrew slave. Although murder is never condoned, and Moses struggled with his actions, standing up for the weak is always an admirable quality.
Today, more than ever, it seems that social justice is a concern for many. Moses relied on God's guidance in helping him contend with the inequalities he had to deal with, and that's always a great example to follow.
A man who admired a woman's strength
We often consider that women were treated as being inferior to their husbands in times gone by. However, Moses dispels this thought. Another strong character in the series is Zipporah, the wife of Moses. She is portrayed as an equally strong spouse, supporting and guiding her husband through his various battles. What can be seen is that Moses leaned on his wife and gave her a voice. He admired the way she was a with her unwavering moral compass, and an impressive sense of justice.
Along with his wife, Moses also turned to his biological mother Jochebed, his adoptive mother Bithiah, the daughter of the Pharaoh, and his sister Miriam. He trusted their opinions and in return they helped him become the man God had destined him to be.
A man of many identities
As Jonathan Kirsch pointed out, Moses had to contend with being a man of many identities. He was born a Hebrew, grew up as an Egyptian Prince, became an outlaw, leading him to become a humble shepherd. He also had a Midianite father-in-law, and as God's messenger, liberated the Israelites. That's a lot for one person!
Today our families have become richer, often with diverse cultures in the mix. Many people have parents from different countries, social backgrounds, and even different religions. And economically our lives can change dramatically over the years, as we no longer hold the same job throughout our careers and change is constant.
In this case Moses truly represents the modern man thousands of years after his death.
Everyone has a flaw
Pastor Tom Kang explains that through the series we can see that everyone has a flaw. "God who specializes in taken broken things and not just fixing them but repurposing them for something greater." With Moses as an example to look up to, this notion brings hope to everyone that we can all have a greater purpose to serve, even if we feel inadequate for the job.
