Netflix’s New Docuseries on Moses Highlights His Inner Life, Struggles With Obeying God’s Commands

Rabbi Rachel Adelman points to the fact that Moses named his first son, “Gershom,” meaning “foreigner” as an indication of his “sense of not belonging.” In Exodus 2:22, after he names Gershom, Moses says, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

The series also portrays the challenges of following God even when we don’t understand his decisions. At one point an Israelite asks Moses: If God is almighty, why does he not save his people immediately? 

At another point, God tells Moses that Pharaoh will not let the Israelites go after the death of the livestock, and the reason is that God plans to harden Pharaoh’s heart. Moses is confused. He asks God why he would not instead soften Pharaoh’s heart and have Pharaoh let the people go. 

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Later, Moses tells God “life became wretched” after he obeyed him and confronted Pharaoh.

Yet the series also shows Moses’ persistent faith in God. He obeys God without hesitation in leading the Israelites out of Egypt and toward the sea, even though Aaron says that direction will take them to a dead end.

When the Egyptians block the way back and the Israelites express fear at walking between the walls of water, Moses points to the pillar God has placed between the Israelites and Egyptians and points to the parted sea, telling the people both are evidence of God’s power. “You must have faith,” Moses says. 

‘Story of Moses’ Expert Interviews

The input of the different experts interviewed in the docuseries also enriches the story. One interesting topic is the significance of the 10 plagues, which are direct attacks on the gods of Egypt. One expert says it is possible the Egyptians saw the Hebrew God as weak because his people were enslaved and that the Nile turning to blood could signify Hapi, the god of the Nile, being slain or injured. 

Another interviewee says that the plague of darkness was an “assault on Ra” (the sun god). Because the Egyptians didn’t understand where the sun went at night, the sun disappearing during the daytime was scary to them, particularly since darkness represented the underworld.

Christian viewers will likely also appreciate the times when the Christian interviewees draw attention to the gospel. In his input on the death of the firstborn, Tom Kang, lead pastor of NewStory Church in Los Angeles. explains that the blood of the lamb that protected the Israelites is a picture of the blood of Jesus that saves those who trust in him. “For Christianity, this is a foreshadowing of the New Testament and Jesus Christ,” he says. “And it’s only by his blood that you’re gonna be saved.”