Why the Bible Is Hollywood's Favorite Book
Posted: by
04/10/2013
Robert J. Morgan
~
Movie makers
are getting religion faster than drunks at a tent revival. The success
of "The Bible" on the History Channel is paving the way for an
impressive array of upcoming films lining up like chariots for their
spin through the theaters. Moses is coming to life
in two movie adaptations. Steven Spielberg will reportedly produce one
of them, and Christian Bale will star in the other.
~
Russell
Crowe's "Noah" will flood theaters next year. Brad Pitt reportedly has
the staring role in "Pontius Pilate" unless he washes his hands of it.
Ben Kingsley will become King Herod in "Mary, Mother of Christ." Taylor
Lautner will kill Goliath with a small stone on the big screen,
presumably at twilight.
Sony
is developing a horror flick about Cain and Abel, with Will Smith in
the director's chair. Nicolas Cage is headed for tribulation in "Left
Behind," a movie about the Second Coming of Christ. Randy LaHaye's
"Resurrection" is due out next year, along with another film, "The
Resurrection of the Christ." Also coming next year
from Sony is "Heaven is for Real." Between releases you can test your
biblical literacy with "The American Bible Challenge," the biggest hit
in the history of The Game Show Network.
Suddenly
the Bible is Hollywood's favorite book. Running low on superheroes and
serial killers, Tinseltown has discovered what Cecil B. DeMille knew
long ago -- there's no book like the Bible and no stories like those
within its pages.
Well
frankly, my dear, you'd be better off skipping the movies and reading
the Book. There's a reason the Bible is history's bestseller. Its
stories are honest, its truths are real, its words are personal, and its
message is eternal. I'm not against biblical epics on the silver screen
-- I've seen my share of them, starting with "The Ten
Commandments" when I was a child -- but I prefer the printed version.
Consider
the Bible's remarkable unity. Though written over a period of 1,400
years by more than 40 authors from all walks of life, in three languages
and on three continents, covering hundreds of controversial subjects,
the Bible's consistency of teaching is sublime.
In
its first three chapters we learn of the creation of heaven and earth; a
populated paradise filled with gold, and with a river running through
it; unbroken fellowship between the Creator and His creation; a foe who
spoils the place; ensuing death and tears; and the promise of a Redeemer
to make things right.
~
In
the
last three chapters of the Bible, we have the creation of a new heaven
and earth; a populated paradise filled with gold, with a river running
through it; unbroken fellowship between the Creator and His creation; a
defeated foe; the banishing of death and tears; and the triumph of a
Redeemer who made things right.
~
Between
these first and last pages is an unbroken story of grace featuring the
greatest person in history -- Jesus Christ -- who is described as
thoroughly in the Old Testament as He is in the New. The 66 books of the
Bible fit marvelously together as one cohesive story, with an
appropriate beginning, a logical ending, a consistent theme, and a
central character around which every part revolves.
Throughout
the Bible this character is pictured
as the Lamb of God. In Genesis 3, a slain animal provided covering for
Adam and Eve. In Genesis 4, Abel commemorated the sacrifice by offering a
lamb to the Lord. In Genesis 22, we're told God would provide a lamb as
a sacrifice for sin. In Exodus, the blood of the Passover lamb shielded
the Israelites from death. In Leviticus, this lamb was described as
spotless and blameless. Isaiah pictured the coming Messiah as a lamb to
be slain. John the Baptist introduced Christ to the masses, saying:
"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." Simon
Peter said we are redeemed by "the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or defect." And in the book of Revelation the heavenly
host sings, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive glory."
~
Years
ago in my book, "Beyond Reasonable Doubt," I suggested an experiment.
On my shelves is
a set of the Harvard Classics, comprising some of the greatest books
ever written. Suppose I took 10 of them, written by different writers
living at different times. Say I excerpted pages from them on one or two
subjects and spliced the extracts together. Do you think I'd have a
unified volume with plot and plan, scheme and theme, unity and design --
all in full agreement?
~
No,
I'd have an anthology at best, a conglomeration at worst. Yet when you
read the Bible, it's as though a master author were behind every page
bringing unity to the whole and creating a story that is as ageless as
the spinning globe and as deep as the human heart. Well, there is such
an Author, for all Scripture was given by inspiration of God.
~
My
friend Johannes Schröder told me
about his grandfather, Helmut Schröder, who was imprisoned for his faith
in a Siberian camp in the days of the Soviet Union. There Helmut met a
young murderer, whose mother sent him packages from time to time. Each
delivery contained a page torn from a book written in German. Since the
fellow couldn't read German, he was tempted to use the pages to roll
cigarettes; but he simply couldn't desecrate anything coming from his
mother's hand, so the pages were set aside. He didn't know his mother
was tearing apart her German Bible and smuggling them to him.
The
murderer kept the pages safe until he met Helmut, who reassembled them
and translated their meaning. The power of that Book transformed the
lives of the young prisoner and his fellow inmates. It changed them into
new people, forgiven, hopeful, and eager to share the message with
others. This precious
prison Bible now belongs to the Schröder family, and they reverence it
as God's Word that brought light to a very dark place.
That's
the kind of story Hollywood can never equal. The greatest special
effects in history aren't the ones on the big screen, but the ones
wrought in the human heart whenever and wherever the Bible is read, from
here to eternity.
~
