Miriam, Naomi,Esther, and theWisdomWoman - Essay Example

Religious Studies Comparisons between Hebrew religious scriptures and movies on the same theme April-May Contents/Comparisons No.ThemeScriptureMovie1Innocent sufferingBook of JobBruce Almighty2Ideology of creationGenesis 1-11, 12-50Contact3LiberationExodusThe Prince of Egypt4BewildernessNumbers?5Wisdom WomenProverbs 1-8, 9? 1. The Problem of Innocent Suffering The Book of Job addresses the important problem of innocent suffering, i.e. why righteous people also suffer. This paper discusses this and then draws some similarities between the problem of innocent suffering as expressed in the Book of Job and the movie Bruce Almighty.

Job relates his suffering in detail in chapters 26 to 31. His words indicate a deep resentment, and as Elihu points out at the beginning of chapter 32, Job makes himself out to be righteous at the same time. God did not remain silent during Jobs suffering (33:14) however, as He was still using the medium of dreams, but Job was clearly desperate when he uttered, "I am innocent, but God denies me justice" (34:5). The Hebrew word is actually closer to the meaning of righteous than innocent. Elihu therefore explained that God does not do evil and only brings upon people what their conduct deserves (34:10-11).

Further, he points out that people cry out under oppression to plead for relief yet they fail to turn to God (35:9-10). Elihu then reassures Job that God does not despise men (36:5) and "He does not take his eyes off the righteous" (36:7). The gist of Elihus talk is that obeying God is necessary so that people can then spend the rest of their years in prosperity and contentment (36:11). In effect, his attempt is to extol God in the eyes of Job and proclaim Gods magnificence "beyond our understanding" (36:26).

A more open response from God himself was given in the whirlwind (38-41) after He rebukes Job for expressing words without knowledge (38:2). In the film Bruce Almighty, the problem of suffering is brought out when Sharri asks Jeff why there is so much pain in the world given that God is so gracious. Dan is even more skeptical of Gods very existence as a result of the suffering he sees. A point is made that to be God, you cannot mess with freewill. In response, Sherri asks Jeff how love and freewill relates to the pain and suffering present in the world.

This explains the problem of suffering, as was experienced by Job, by highlighting the real purpose of men and their suffering. Gods perspective is that He desires to have a loving relationship with his creatures. Thus, the problem of suffering is linked directly with this desire because it is the separation that actually causes suffering. Moreover, as long as freewill exists, so too will suffering.Both the Book of Job and the movie are similar in presenting characters who question the goodness of God amid the suffering they see in the world and their own lives, and presents numerous points to explain why this happens in their own way.

We should keep in mind also, that the Book of Job is part of the Hebrew wisdom literature so there is a deeper wisdom to why the innocent or righteous also have to endure suffering in this world. To understand this is the main purpose of relating the story of Job so that readers can eliminate erroneous concepts of suffering and instead strengthen their relationship with God. The movie also does a good job of making such points clear during the conversations between the main characters.Works CitedThe New International Version Study Bible.

Zondervan Publishing House. 1985.Bruce Almighty (Movie). Directed by Tom Shadyac. 2003.2. The Ideology of CreationGenesis 1-11 contains the opening verses of the holy Bible. It begins with an account of the dawn of the creation of this world and the various life forms dwelling upon it (1-2). Genesis literally means ‘beginning’, so it is therefore pertinent that this chapter, and indeed the entire holy Bible should begin with accounts of the creation. This is the origin that precedes and leads to all the other events related in the holy Bible so it is appropriate for it to be mentioned first.

In contrast, Genesis 12-50 builds upon this information concentrating on the history of the Hebrews and the tribes of Israel. Genesis 1-11 does however describe the early generations of Adam, Noah and Noah’s sons besides the initial creation account. A large part of this portion of Genesis is covered by the story of the great deluge, and this is related from God’s own perspective (6-9). Other major events covered are the fall of Adam and Eve (3-5), and the construction of the tower of Babel after the confusion of languages (11).

Genesis 12-50 then continues with descriptions of further descendents from Terah through to Joseph. The main characters are the prophets Abraham (12-15 onwards), Isaac (21 onwards), Jacob (27-36), and Joseph (37-50). This long line of prophets beginning with Adam comprises of the ancestors of the entire human race. The style of narrative in both divisions of the book of Genesis is similar. The division only reflects the subject matter. All the stories contained in the book of Genesis help to articulate a Hebraic ideology of creation by describing in detail how God created everything.

The movie ‘Contact’ is based on Carl Sagan’s book of the same title. The opening scenes show glimpses of the universe. The central character Ellie has a need to seek for the truth. Ellie hears the same remarks in reply to her question of whether life exists elsewhere in the Universe. On the first occasion as a child, her father tells her “Well, if there wasn’t, it’d be an awful waste of space.” Later as an adult, during her discussions with the pastor Palmer Joss, in whom she confides because of their close relationship, she observes the countless stars in the sky saying that even if a tiny proportion of them supported life, then there must be other civilizations in existence.

In response, Palmer Joss responds with the same line said by her father. The third occasion is when she finds herself using the same words to a class of children. However, the gist of the movie is to support the idea of creation based on thinking along scientific lines, and as the same scientists who erroneously believe that man descended from apes.There is no need for such a skeptical approach when God gives clear and unambiguous details of the creation in the book of Genesis. On the other hand, rational thinkers should do better by extending their thoughts to contemplate on the Creator, who is the source of all that they marvel at.

Science plays its role but its limitations should also be acknowledged. Moreover, it should not be pit against religion. The domain of faith cannot be analysed in the same way. The right approach is to begin with a firm belief in the creation as almighty God describes. This sets the foundation for the rest of the biblical teachings.As a comparison, there is little if any similarity between the movie and the Bible. Both are for completely different audiences. Whereas the movie suffers from the weakness of doubt and lack of faith, the book of Genesis is for those who already acknowledge the Creator and wish to develop a relationship with Him instead of wasting their time pondering whether God even exists.

This is reflected in the openings of the movie and the book as well. Whereas ‘Contact’ only shows some material things that have been created in outer space, Genesis mentions much more in detail, in the order they were created, and from the perspective of the creator Himself.Works CitedThe New International Version Study Bible. Zondervan Publishing House. 1985.Contact (Movie). Directed by Robert Zemeckis. 1997.3. Hebraic ideology of LiberationThe movie ‘The Prince of Egypt’ is an animation that attempts to portray the Exodus story in an enjoyable and faithful manner despite the subject matter being related to the suffering of the Jewish race.

However, I shall show that in doing so, this movie fails to capture the real events accurately. The main reason for this could be due to the fact that in making the film, the producers consulted people from various professional and religions backgrounds so the Hebrew version of events became diluted. We shall begin first with the main focus on comparing Moses’ activities in Egypt and Sinai as told in the book of Exodus and how these activities helped shape a Hebraic ideology of liberation.The account in Exodus is one of Israel’s liberation from bondage, and it is prophet Moses who is the central figure that led the Israelites out of Egypt into Sinai.

It therefore covers three distinct stages: the period in Egypt, in the wilderness and at Mt. Sinai. While in Egypt, Moses after being brought up has to contend with the pharaoh and is engaged in a struggle to free his people. In contrast, his role in Sinai is completely different; he now has to lead his people who have been freed and has to guide them further so that they can begin their new lives. It is at Mt. Sinai that Moses relates the Ten Commandments to the Israelites just given to him by God almighty for the purpose of fulfilling their covenant (19-20).

It is here that he is also greatly disappointed after all the struggle he had been through, to see his nation astray and worshipping the golden calf instead of the God who saved them (32). Later, after rectifying their idolatry and sinfulness, Moses becomes preoccupied with the construction of the holy tabernacle (36:8). The most serious lacking in the film is not faithfully depicting Israel’s struggle to obey God amid the worldly concerns. Another notable discrepancy with the holy Bible is identifying Pharaoh’s wife as the one who finds baby Moses inside the casket floating in the river Nile instead of his daughter, which is according to the Muslim version of events.

In addition, the character Zipporah enters Moses’ life much earlier than in the holy Bible, the accidental killing of the Egyptian master who beat a Jew takes place before many witnesses rather than a few (2:11-12), the incident at the well with Zipporah also differs, the taking off of shoes before going into the burning bush is again an inclusion from the Muslim version, etc.In short, this movie is a disappointment. For appreciating the Hebraic ideology of liberation, it is necessary to read the true and detailed version of events in the book of Exodus.

This captures not only what happened but also gives a stronger impression of the essence of the story, which is about liberation, and is therefore able to inspire other oppressed people. The movie ‘The Ten Commandments’ in comparison is more faithful to the Hebrew version of events and in portraying the Hebraic ideology of liberation as is the Book of Exodus itself as the most authoritative source.Works CitedThe New International Version Study Bible. Zondervan Publishing House. 1985.The Prince of Egypt (Movie).

Directed by Simon Wells, Brenda Chapman and Steve Hickner. 1998.4. Hebraic Ideology of Bewilderness and ExileMost of the events in the Book of Numbers takes place while the Israelites remain for forty years in the wilderness, in exile. The Hebrew title ‘Bemidbar’ is more revealing of the contents because it refers to the period they spent ‘in the desert’. Its central theme is to remind people of their purpose in relation to God. The book also emphasises the role played by Moses in being the spokesperson for God.

The first chapter deals with the census of the Israelites, hence the name ‘Numbers’. This involved a count of all males by name who were over the age of twenty and able to serve in the army (1:3), excluding the Levites, who were instead given exclusive charge of the holy Tabernacle (1:47-53). During their days in the wilderness, the tribal camps were arranged or ‘purified’ (2), the priestly blessing was described to them (6:22-27), offerings were made at the holy Tabernacle (7), the lamps were set up (8), the celebration of Passover was appointed (9), the silver trumpets were made for calling the community (10), and so on.

Eventually, the land of Canaan was explored and given to the Israelites (13), a land of milk and honey (13:27), but they were ungrateful and held God in contempt. It is then that God sealed their fate by declaring that except for Caleb and his descendents, no one else would see the promised land (14:21-24). To the rest, he said, “Not one of you will enter the land” (14:30). In response, those who disobeyed God decided to go themselves to the high hill country (14:40), and they were killed there by its inhabitants (14:45).

The journeys of the remaining Israelites later took them to Moab (21) and here they defeated those who obstructed their path. However, some Israelites fell into immorality and started worshipping idols, so a plague befell upon them (25). A second census was then taken after the plague (26:1-2) to reorganize Israel, and land was allotted to each as inheritance (26: 52-53). Further offerings were prescribed (28), a number of sacrifices were defined (29), and vows were taken (30). They were also tasked to take vengeance on the Midianites (31).

The entire time spent in the wilderness can be separated into a number of stages, as done in chapter 33 towards the end of the book of Numbers. Besides relating the history of this period, the bewilderness also has parallels to the inner spiritual journey towards God. It reflects what happens when people are distant from God figuratively, and the loneliness and other suffering they have to endure as a result. It is also a story of hope for those who are obedient and show patience.The film +++Works Cited5.

Miriam, Naomi, Esther and the Wisdom WomanThe Book of Proverbs contains numerous words on the subject of wisdom and virtue. These are given in the form of parables and mostly deal with human morality. These are extra writings of the holy Bible besides the material on the law and the prophets contained in the earlier books. Their purpose is “for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (1:4). This is based on the fear of the Lord as the foundation of knowledge (1:7), which is the very first piece of wisdom mentioned in the book.

The fear is better interpreted as meaning faith and trust. The benefits of learning from these wise sayings are likened to wearing a garland that graces the head and a chain that adorns the neck (1:9).Although not explicit, the wisdom contained in the Book of Proverbs is personified as a woman or having a feminine quality. This is apparent from the following verse: “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares, at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech” (1:20-21).

There are further usages of the feminine pronouns in chapter 9. The very Hebrew and Greek words for wisdom, namely chokhmah and sophia respectively, are also of a feminine gender. The sayings themselves are attributable to various people who were regarded as wise including the prophets Solomon and Joseph and other wise men who were not prophets.The first nine proverbs together form a distinct division of the Book of Proverbs. Beyond these, the originators of the proverbs are mentioned but not for these, although there are indications that they might belong to the prophet Joseph.

These deal with exhortations to embrace wisdom; warnings against enticement (1:8-19) and rejecting wisdom (1: 20-33), present the moral (2) and other benefits of wisdom (3), show that wisdom is supreme (4), in addition, they warn against adultery (5), against folly (6), against adulteresses (7), describe the call of wisdom (8), and compare the invitations of both wisdom with folly (9).The ‘Wisdom Woman’ refers to the calling of wisdom whereas the ‘Foreign Woman’ is the one who invites towards folly.

The two are distinguished clearly in chapter 9. Both are described as having ‘houses’ in a figurative sense, and call out from on high. The Wisdom Woman invites those who lack judgment (9:4) to come and eat the meat she has prepared, set out on a table along with wine (9:2,5) and requests them to leave their simple ways and “walk in the way of understanding” (9:6). She stresses the beginning of wisdom as the fear of the Lord and understanding as knowledge of the Holy One (9:10). The reward is mentioned as the prolonging of life (9:11).

The Foreign Woman, who is “undisciplined and without knowledge” (9:13) calls out to the same, “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” However, in reality, only the dead are there and “her guests are in the depths of the grave” (9:18).In the film ‘???’, Miriam, Naomi and Esther portrayWorks Cited