The Bible Miniseries Review: Part 3

After three weeks of watching The Bible, I have a much better understanding of what to expect. The first thing I learned was that I couldn’t have my youngest child watch the series. It is simply too violent (see the TV14 rating). However, the violence in Episode 3 was certainly biblical.  Reading the accounts of the Fall of Jerusalem in the Bible brings out the horror of what happened. Watching a kid gnaw the gristle off a human bone, however, was more realism than I needed. It is certainly biblical, but the power of visual imagery shouldn’t be underestimated.

Secondly, I have learned that the producers do not shy away from showing a biblical miracle as a miracle. They don’t try to downplay the miracle or suggest that it has a natural explanation. No, they show the miracle and let it stand. That is a refreshingly different perspective than anything else I have watched on TV. There is no equivocation; there is no pseudo-science. They simply show men in a fiery furnace protected by God from the flames. They show Daniel surrounded by slavering beasts but kept safe by his Lord.

Thirdly, they are not afraid to use artistic license. They dramatize scenes; they write dialog that “could have been”; they change accounts to match popular perceptions. Many of their additions, I appreciated. For example, the scene where Mary is attacked by the townspeople because of her pregnancy is not biblical. But it really helped expand my appreciation for the social trouble that Mary took on when she said to the angel, “May it be to me as you have said.” We do know that in John 8:41—thirty years later—Mary’s pregnancy was still the subject of ridicule.

So, I have appreciated the miniseries in that it drives me back into the Bible to ask, “Is that how it happened? What made the producers of the series make that decision?” It has given me the chance to look at many familiar biblical stories from an entirely new point of view.

Use this opportunity to read each of these biblical accounts this week by using our reading guide.

Comments on various segments

The segment on the Fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar reminded me of the horror of war and the terrible effects of Israel’s rejection of the covenant. God’s prophets had been warning the people and the kings for generations. I appreciated their depiction of Jeremiah and his yoke (see Jeremiah 27) and the persecution he bore throughout his ministry.

I had never before thought about the age of Zedekiah’s sons. The producers depicted them as 6-10 years old. Turns out, this isn’t dramatization. Zedekiah assumed the throne of Judah at age 21 and reigned for 11 years. His children would have been young. It really struck me. I could have lived without watching Nebuchadnezzar crush his eyes. But, of course, that is exactly what happened. His sons’ death was the last thing he ever saw. Nebuchadnezzar didn’t kill him, but made Zedekiah live with the memory while he was dragged in chains to Babylon.

The fiery furnace

No, they didn’t make the furnace big enough. No, they didn’t make it hot enough. No, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t throw in the torch or burn his hand. But I really liked two parts of their depiction. First, when the whole crowd of people bowed down, and only Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were left standing and praying the Psalms. It reminded me what a lonely road witnesses for the truth often walk. The second scene was where the one “like a son of the gods” who appeared in the flames. The look on Daniel’s face showed it all: they were seeing a heavenly being come to protect God’s people.

Daniel

The series made much of Daniel, and rightly so. Remember that Daniel became chief of the magi, and after the writing on the wall (Daniel 5), he became the third highest ruler in the whole kingdom.  God did make Nebuchadnezzar wild (Daniel 4), and Cyrus was foretold.

One discrepancy that you will note in reading your Bibles is that the Bible says that Darius the Mede was the king who threw Daniel into the lions’ den, but the miniseries called him Cyrus. Darius the Mede does not appear in the secular histories, and so there is much speculation about his identity. Some possibilities include: he was the general who took Babylon or he was the governor appointed by Cyrus to rule in Babylon. Or, as the miniseries did, you can take Darius as another name for Cyrus (though that is the hardest, since Cyrus isn’t a Mede, but a Persian).
Every day you did searches viagra soft tablet online , all your waking moments surrounded it. But this dosing increasing process should not be done by your personal. http://donssite.com/family-day-at-the-beach.htm buy viagra uk On the other hand, the remaining section said they had variety of propecia side effects such as fatigue or dizziness, swelling on the feet and hand, irritation levitra pills from canada and redness on the scalp, rapid heartbeat and some other conditions as well. This often leaves continue reading address buy cialis canada the viewer uncertain of what to feel.

The birth of Jesus

The annunciation scene differed greatly from what I had painted in my mind over the years. But they plainly confessed the virgin birth of Jesus, and that was refreshing. They clearly portrayed him as the messiah, which is even better.

Watching the birth scene made me marvel again that the Lord of the universe would condescend to be born of a woman, born in a barn, born on top of straw—for me, for me.

Of course the magi did not come on Christmas Eve. I can only imagine that the producers tried to match popular perceptions rather than the biblical account. No, Herod didn’t search for the child on Christmas Eve. They might have conflated these events simply because of time constraints, but it presented an inaccurate chronology. I really enjoyed, however, seeing the interaction of the magi and Herod, and between the magi and Jesus. When they all bowed down and worshipped the child, the look on Mary and Joseph’s face said it all. They were still coming to grips with what God had done.

The ministry of Jesus

It was exciting to see the New Testament portion of the series and I found much of it to be very enjoyable. One section I was disappointed in was the baptism of Jesus. They captured the hesitation of John and the encouragement of Jesus, but they missed the whole point of Jesus’ baptism when they failed to include the Father’s voice and the spirit’s descent.

The portion of the Temptation of Christ that I thought was best happened when Satan said, “I will give you the world if you bow down and worship me.” The interplay of scenes of triumph and scenes of death—Pilate bestowing a garland or a crown of thorns, washing his feet or nailing them—really captured the specific nature of that temptation. Satan was tempting Jesus to skip the cross and go right to the crown. This scene showed the depth of Jesus’ love for you: he knew what choice he was making, and he made it anyway.

I am looking forward to the rest of the series and the way it is leading my family into the scriptures to act like the Bereans (Acts 17:11) and see if what they say and show is true to Scripture. You can do the same by using our reading guide.

For a printable version of this review click here.

What did you think of The Bible Miniseries: Part Three? Join the The Bible–Bread for Beggars Discussion Group to share your thoughts and questions.

Download this week’s reading guide: Reading Guide Week 2–March 17.

Be sure to check out more The Bible Miniseries: Resources.