At the movies: Dune Part 2

In "Dune", the main character of Paul Atreides is portrayed as the prophesied savior who will bring change to the universe. This parallels the Bible and Jesus, the promised Messiah expected to save his people by bringing in his kingdom and rule. Explore the themes of Messiah and what it means to expect someone to come to save us.

Series Intro

Welcome to a RiverLife tradition—our annual “At the Movies” series, where we look at biblical themes in this year’s biggest movies.

For the next four weeks, we’re going to look at:

• Dune: Part 2

• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

• Inside Out 2

• Deadpool & Wolverine

In each one, we’ll talk about the issues they explore and the solutions they present, and along the way, discover together some of God’s truth for our lives. (Yes, even in Deadpool.)

DUNE INTRO

Let’s start with Dune: Part 2. This is the second of three movies based on Frank Herbert's classic 1965 book Dune, which many consider one of the best science fiction novels of all time.

Let’s watch the trailer.

It seems like a typical story of a reluctant hero leading a revolution against an evil empire. A classic messiah story.

But, according to its author, Dune is decidedly anti-Messiah. It’s not a hero story. It’s a cautionary tale about hero worship and the blind support of charismatic leaders.

In a 1979 interview, Frank Herbert said,

“The bottom line of the Dune trilogy is ‘beware of heroes.’ Much better rely on your own judgment and your own mistakes.” One of the most famous lines in the original book is: “No more terrible disaster could befall your people than for them to fall into the hands of a Hero.”

Dune Summary

Dune is a complex story set on a desert planet called Arrakis, also known as Dune. The planet contains a valuable resource called "spice," making it a target for control by different factions.

The main character is Paul Atreides, played by Timotheé Chalamet, who is the son of a Duke and might be the prophesied Messiah by the native people of Arrakis, the Fremen.

Part One ends with a brutal attack on the House of Atreides, forcing Paul and his mother to flee into the desert, where they meet the Fremen. As Paul gains a following and is seen by some as a Messiah figure, he transforms from a reluctant hero to an emerging leader.

This transformation leads to him gaining followers and calling for a holy war against their oppressors. He also exhibits more extreme behavior, particularly towards his mother and his love interest, Chani, played by Zendaya.

Through the character of Paul Atreides, the story explores author Frank Herbert's warning about following a Messiah.

Bible – King Rehoboam

A story like Dune has a lot to say for the Christian, especially because our religion is centered around a Messiah. Should we heed Frank Herbert’s warnings about the dangers of following any hero, and does that include Jesus as well?

While the Bible doesn’t explicitly portray any bad Messiahs, it tells many stories of bad kings. Today, we will examine one of them [5] —King Rehoboam. You heard about him in today’s Scripture reading from 1 Kings 12.

Here’s some background. The kings of Israel went: Saul, David, Solomon, and then his son Rehoboam. He ruled for 17 years, around 1,000 B.C. He is best known for causing a rebellion that led to the kingdom's split into northern Israel and southern Judah. This thrusted the countries into rebellion, disobedience, and war.

How did all this happen?

The passage begins with “all Isreal” wanting to make Rehoboam their king. Why? He was the son of the great Solomon and the natural successor to the throne. All Israel was behind him. It’s like the clips from the trailer of Paul Atreides being cheered on by huge crowds.

But then, the past catches up with Rehoboam. His father, Solomon, had treated the northern Israelites very poorly. He taxed them heavily and instituted forced labor to build his grand temple.

When the North heard that there was a new king, they sent a representative named Jeroboam to meet with him. (I know, Jeroboam and Rehoboam. I’ll channel my inner Chander Bing – “Could you make it more confusing?!?”)

So, representative Jeroboam said to King Rehoboam, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” (1 Kings 12:4)

Wisely, King Rehoboam sought counsel from others. Foolishly, he listened to the wrong crowd. He chose pride and power over people.

First, he went to the elders who had served under his father, King Solomon, and asked for their advice.

“They replied, ‘If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.’” (1 Kings 12:7)

But the Bible says that he rejected the elder’s advice and went to the young men, the guys he grew up with, and asked them.

The young men who had grown up with him replied, “They have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’” (1 Kings 12:10-11)

This reminds me of how, in Dune 2, Paul Atreides’ ascension to power is not accidental. He’s actually been manipulated by the Bene Gesserit, a powerful, religious sect of women, who some call witches, that includes his mother. In some ways, Paul is a willing participant, and in other ways, he’s a pawn of the voices around him. Not unlike King Rehoboam.

Not surprisingly, such a harsh response from the King does not go over well. Northern Israel broke off from southern Judah, and they were a divided nation for 500 years. The Bible says that Rehoboam eventually “abandoned the ways of God and all Israel with him.” (2 Chron. 12:1)

This is the case with every bad hero—they eventually make it about themselves. For Paul Atreides, he was driven by anger and revenge against the House of Harkonnen for killing his people. For King Rehoboam, it was insecurity and fear of appearing weak that escalated into civil war.

Application – Bad Messiahs

Author Frank Herbert argues that it’s bad to follow ANY hero, messiah, or savior. And there’s some truth in that. There are a lot of bad messiahs out there, and they aren’t all people.

A "messiah" is someone or something you rely on for hope, salvation, or purpose—whether a person, idea, or thing believed to have the power to save you from difficulties or lead you to a better life.

For example, money can become a messiah if you believe it provides you status and security. I political candidate can become a messiah if you believe they’ll save your country. Even marriage, kids, education, health, or pleasure can all become messiahs if they take a defining role in your life.

And then the obvious: you can make Jesus your Messiah if you believe what the Bible says about him.

If you believe Frank Herbert, all these are bad; there are no good messiahs. Why would he believe this?

History shows that messiahs usually end up demanding their followers either fight for them or sacrifice to them.

A political messiah will expect you to fight the other side. A money messiah can cost you your family or your integrity. A family messiah might demand unwise or unhealthy sacrifices.

The list goes on, but the core idea is that bad messiahs take more than they give.

Application – The JESUS Question

If every messiah will eventually call you to fight or sacrifice, is Frank Herbert right? Are there no good Messiahs? What about Jesus? The Bible does include a lot of fighting and sacrificing.

Another quote from Frank Herbert unintentionally answers this question.

“Don't give over all of your critical faculties to people in power, no matter how admirable those people may appear to be. Beneath the hero's façade, you will find a human being who makes human mistakes. Enormous problems arise when human mistakes are made on the grand scale available to a superhero.”

Jesus is different because he wasn’t just human. He repeatedly claimed to be God, acted like God, and proved it by resurrecting from the dead. No other messiah figure in history has ever made that claim and supported it.

While other messiahs demand that you fight for them or sacrifice to them, Jesus is different.

• Jesus never called His followers to fight. He consistently advocated for peace and non-violence.

• Jesus calls us to sacrifice for others, not to Him. His death on the cross was the ultimate act of self-sacrifice.

• Jesus prioritizes servanthood over power. True greatness comes from serving, not being served.

• Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. He had no interest in political power, military strength, or a good reputation.

• Jesus wasn’t in it for himself. His teachings focus on forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation, not personal gain.

Jesus is the only messiah you could truly trust. In a world of messiahs that take, Jesus stands apart as the ultimate giver. Jesus conquers hearts, not kingdoms. He guides with peace, not power. He leads with love, not force.

Be careful who or what you choose as your messiah. Because your messiahs will determine your destiny. And, other than Jesus, everything else will only disappoint.