Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings is a lot like Moses in Exodus. Both Moses and Aragorn were in self-imposed exile, trying to escape dark pasts. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn is heir to a throne. But his rightful throne was tarnished by the power-hungry legacy of his ancestor, King Isildur. When asked why he's afraid of his forefather's legacy, Aragorn says, "The same blood flows in my veins—the same weakness." He fears the past will repeat itself. But Aragorn does eventually overcome the shadow of the past. He rises up, becomes king, and delivers his people from the forces of darkness.
In Exodus 2, Moses also exiles himself, but because of his own past. He killed an Egyptian he had witnessed beating an Israelite. In Exodus 3, God speaks to Moses and tells him to return to Egypt and deliver the Israelites out of Pharaoh's hand. Moses is afraid. Like Aragorn, his past weakens him. He seems to try any excuse he can think of not to go, but like Aragorn, he eventually overcomes his fears and delivers his people from bondage.
Once again, a flawed human becomes a great hero—thanks only to God. In fact, all of these great stories point out the basic truth - that we all have flaws to contend with, but they also point to another truth. With God working in us, we too can overcome and be heroes.
Dawn Milward
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