"Kings" - a modern take on an old story

The following is a post I made at another blog. It entails a show that substantially reflects the biblical story of David and Saul. If you have seen it I would be interested in your feedback. If you haven't, give it a try.


I watched the first 2 episodes of “Kings”—a new drama on Sundays at 8:00 on NBC. The commercials intrigued me because I thought it recast America as a monarchy instead of a democracy. So I was interested to see how the writers pictured such a world. However, my assumptions about the background of the show were completely wrong. Rather, it is a modernization of the biblical Saul and David story found in 1 and 2 Samuel. I figured this out immediately as there were many allusions to the biblical story—some overt and some more subtle. Here are a few:

The main city with a New York skyline was Shiloh
The king was named Silas (Saul); the young upstart was named David Shepherd; the king’s daughter and David’s love interest was named Michelle (Michal); the Prophet was named Reverend Samuels
An early scene saw David going up against a tank whose model was named “Goliath”

Others could be listed, but you get the point. A more subtle allusion revolved around the anointing of the Spirit. In the biblical narrative, the Spirit is on Saul and then leaves him and rests on David. In the show the Spirit is symbolized by butterflies that come and settle like a crown on the actors’ heads. I thought this was an interesting and profound appropriation.

No matter how many parallels and allusions are included, many modernizations of classics end up falling flat. However, I put this “Kings” one on the level of Romeo + Juliet (1996) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. One aspect that sets this show apart from other attempts to modernize ancient stories is the clever mix of modern and ancient language. While Romeo + Juliet tried to keep much of Shakespeare’s language, “Kings” uses modern English while sprinkling in some “spiritualized” language. For example, when Reverend Samuels denounces the king he says, “I bring a message. Since you have cast aside the word of the Lord he has cast you aside as king. He grants you no more favors. He protects what you love no longer. God wishes a man after his own heart. You have none.”

Through the first 2 episodes they have done a pretty good job of conveying the original storyline without too much fabrication or plot twisting. However, I wonder if they can keep it up without too many contrived stories. One problem I have is with the portrayal of the king’s son, Jack (Jonathan in the biblical account). In the TV edition he resents David, while the biblical account shows a man, who though he should resent David, loves him and accepts David’s ascension to the throne. Unless a plot line makes them best buddies, it will be a pretty significant divergence from the original.

As I said, my biggest fear is the writers turning this story into something it is not, or choosing to show one side of the characters over against another. But if they do, they will be in good company since the Biblical writers do the same thing. 1 and 2 Samuel tell all the dirty secrets of David, while Chronicles cleans up his history and presents a more pristine “man after God’s own heart.”

I don’t know where this series is going, but I like it thus far and recommend you give it a try. You can watch the first three episodes on the NBC website.

A Holiday Worth Celebrating

An important holiday came and went with little fanfare. On March 12th, 515 BCE (2524 years ago) the Bible records the following from Ezra 6:14-16:

So the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of the prophet Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished their building by command of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus, Darius, and King Artaxerxes of Persia; and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. The people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.

There are cards for sweetest day, secretary’s day, boss’s day, Arbor Day and every other day one could imagine. And yet, I found no “Second Temple Completion” cards. It is no surprise since few people in the modern world keep a lunar calendar or have any clue in what solar month “Adar” falls. Add to that the location of this story in a book that is rarely read, even by Christians and you have a holiday that is no longer celebrated.

I can only imagine the joy that was felt by this rag tag group of exiles who had returned to their homeland for the purpose or reinstating worship of their god Yahweh. They went from refuges to restored people. And all of it was through because of the command (will) of God. God used a pagan nation to not simply allow this great occasion, but to pay for it. God used prophets and other faithful followers to encourage the rebuilding. And God used the very people whom he had exiled to restore the people once again. It is quite an amazing story.

Now, I don’t propose making a big to-do about it every year, but I would like to point out a spiritual application. We need to regularly celebrate God’s successes in our lives. We need to celebrate restoration. We need to celebrate what God has done and is currently doing in our lives in and the lives of those we know. These regular remembrances help organize and focus our year, bringing out the joy that God has bestowed upon our lives. They may not make for catchy Hallmark cards and they may not sell a lot of candy and such. But they are integral in fully realizing the exiled places from which God has returned us.

hope

^{1 Corinthians 15:17}And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

If no one else has any real hope for resurrection either, why would we be pitied even more than they? Unless, the cost of discipleship is only worth it if there will be resurrection?