Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Thoughts On the New ‘Noah’ Movie

Psalms 119:53  Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.

Noah is the least biblical biblical film ever made.”  - Darren Aronofsky, producer of Noah.

There has been a lot said and written about the new Noah movie.  Astonishingly, and yet not, there are those in the professing Christian community that are approving or excusing this film.

Since other people have already written some useful observations about the film, I’m not going to write my own discussion of the film itself.  Here are some links with a few comments and quotes for your consideration. 

[Disclaimer on all versions other than the Authorized KJV, and some content.]

Ken Ham: The Unbiblical Noah Is a Fable of a Film 

Best quote:

“Ultimately, there is barely a hint of biblical fidelity in this film. It is an unbiblical, pagan film from its start. It opens, ‘In the beginning there was nothing.’ The Bible opens, ‘In the beginning God.’ That difference helps sum up the problem I have with the film. The Bible is about the true God of creation; the movie does not present the true God of the Bible.”

Good point:

“It is hard to fathom why some Christian leaders have recommended this movie. Some of them argue that it can be used for evangelistic purposes. However, it grossly distorts the Genesis account of the creation and the flood and totally denigrates the godly character of the Noah of the Bible. In good conscience, we can’t encourage this strategy of evangelism.”

My thought – You don’t need to see this vile film in order to “discuss it knowledgably with those who have seen it.”  You do need to be completely familiar with the true account of Noah as found in Scripture, and you need to be able to discuss why the true account exemplifies our salvation in Christ.  (See Genesis 5:29 - chapter 9 and 1 Peter 3 and
2 Peter 2.) 

 

I’m a Christian and I think ‘Noah’ deserves a four star review

Don’t let the title fool you.  The conclusion isn’t how it sounds. :-)  This article is a little rough and the author is a Roman Catholic (meaning he’s not truly a “Christian” unless he believes by faith without the works required by Catholic tradition), but he gives us a pretty clear outline of the film’s content which is very informative.  If you want to know what is in the film, read this.  (Definite disclaimers here on the source, some content, and his remarks about The Passion of the Christ.)

Best quote:

“It’s true that it might be a bit difficult to discern the ‘message’ in a film so filled with explosions (the Bad Guys have bazookas, naturally), monsters, and infanticide, but any supposed Christian ‘leader’ ought to try a little harder. Pay a little closer attention. If you do, you’ll see a tale that entirely perverts the nature of God, while flipping sin and immorality on its head.

“Aside from a brief glimpse of something that appeared to be either rape or cannibalism, wickedness is portrayed as mostly a matter of eating meat and mining the earth for resources. Noah — a righteous man in the Bible — is stripped of his righteousness in favor of obsessiveness. God is stripped of any characteristics at all, apart from vindictiveness.”

My thought – Sometimes the truth needs to be said, folks.  Anyone who would watch this movie and then get offended at blunt writing like this, well…I have no words.

Isaiah 5:20-21  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Romans 1:22-25  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man…Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie

Noah and Other Biblical Adaptations – by my friend Jo Louise.

Best quote:

“I do not like or have any interest[...] in watching adaptations of the bible. The Word of God is the Truth and should never be altered for entertainment or sheer pleasure. Altering God's words is to say that we think as humans we could have done a better job. That God's words are not good enough for us.”

My thought – This is an excellent point!  Proverbs 30:5-6  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.  There is a tendency these days to handle the word of God lightly and to ignore the fact that words have meaning, and that includes every word in God’s Book.  Revelation 22:18-19  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Reinterpreting scripture through film becomes a perilous thing, and when a self-proclaimed atheist does the job, why would Christians even want to see the results?  That one stymies me.

As my sister-in-law pointed out, this movie is wickedness and the Bible says, …God is angry with the wicked every day.  Psalms 7:11 (That’s probably not one of the verses you’ll hear being quoted by the “Christian leaders” who are justifying this film.)

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, in speaking of the man of sin tells us,  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Do you love the truth?  Do you believe the truth?  Do you have pleasure in unrighteousness?  Please consider carefully.

The right way:

Psalms 119:14-16  I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Psalms 119:128  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

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