Original subtitles

Previously on "david, king of israel..."

The lord has torn the kingdom of israel from you today

And given it to someone else better than you.

I defy the ranks of israel.

Give me a man and let us fight each other!

The whole world will know that there is a god in israel!

David is tens of thousands...

My king?

What more can he get?

King saul, you have nothing to fear from me!

Please, tell me how to help you?

Saul has killed his thousands and david his tens of thousand.

My king!

What more can he get...

But the kingdom!

To quote king lear,

"o, that way madness lies..."

And there is no doubt king saul is going mad.

I'm zachary levi, and welcome back to "david, king of israel."

In just a few short years, david, the young giant-killer,

Has become a hero to the people of israel.

Following his victory over goliath,

King saul granted david command over 1000 men,

And david led the troops in their campaigns.

The lord is with him,

And david has great success in everything that he does.

As his fame grows,

God's spirit departs from saul.

The king, consumed with jealousy and fear,

Plots against david.

Saul was a really great man at the beginning of his career

And he really did the job

Of bringing the people together

And leading them to victory

And showing strength.

And that itself, you know, made him a very important leader

And a very noble leader at the time.

His fatal flaw, of course,

Was that he had faith in god, he believed in god...

God is not on his lips all the time,

And he thinks he knows better.

Saul becomes a mixture of light and dark.

He is, on the one hand, someone

Whose fears fester.

Whose envy gets the better of him.

But there is a part of saul

That still loves david.

The complexity and tragedy of saul

Lies in the split at the center of his soul.

After david killed goliath,

Saul at first promises him his eldest daughter, merab,

But she was secretly engaged to another man.

Then saul learns that his secod daughter, princess michal,

Has fallen madly in love with david,

And so, saul sets a trap for david,

Using michal as the bait.

And now you have a second opportunity

To become my son-in-law.

It is no small matter to become the king's son-in-law.

I'm only a poor man, I cannot afford the dowry of a princess.

My son, I'm not asking for a dowry of gold

Or livestock or precious objects.

There's only one price I require for the bride.

Report to me in the morning with arms in hand.

I have a mission for you,

To avenge my enemies.

And with victory,

The hand of my daughter,

Princess michal.

Of course... My king.

Good!

I will aid david and rally his divisions.

No, no! You, and the division, are to stay.

David and his men are sufficient.

No more.

Saul sends david on a mission o attack the fortress of shaaria.

It's a philistine hold-out on the border of israel,

Where the surviving enemy has taken shelter

After the battle of david and goliath.

David is to kill 100 philistines, circumcize them,

And deliver their foreskins to the king.

It sounds like a suicide mission.

David and his band of warriors against a stronghold

Of thousands of well-armed philistine soldiers.

But david's loyalty to king saul is fierce.

And even more important, his faith in god... Absolute.

David leads his men to the philistine fortress

That rises up on the far end of the valley of elah,

A garrison occupied by hundreds

Of well-armed philistine soldiers.

There are times in history

Where a smaller unit

Was able to defeat a defensive position.

David, he attracted some of the elite warriors

From saul's circle.

They became his core of trusted men.

Those three were the delta force of their time.

They were gifted from god to do his work.

And once they were able to get close enough,

They'd use speed and violence.

Speed and violence is the thing that overwhelms your enemy.

It is god who arms me with strength

And makes my way perfect.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.

He enables me to stand on the heights.

He trains my hands for battle.

My arms can bend a bow of bronze.

You give me your shield of victory

And your right hand sustains me.

You stoop down to make me great.

Go, go, go!

As they attack, david's faith in god emboldens the three.

They are unstoppable.

Fear and chaos rip through the philistine ranks

As they struggle to gain the upper hand.

There is to be no mercy on this day of battle.

Victory is given to david.

The fortress falls to david's sling and sword.

David turns saul's suicide mission

Into yet another glorious victory.

In winning the hand of princess michal,

And becoming the son-in-law to king saul,

David moves one step closer to becoming king

And fulfilling god's will.

This strikes fear into the heart of saul.

Father, david has brought you a gift.

Thanks be to god.

The philistine fortress has fallen.

The king had demanded 100 philistine foreskins.

Against all odds, david presents him with 200.

The stakes in the troubled relationship

Between david and saul had been raised even higher.

What is it?

You've been thrown into this strange game

Between your father and me.

How do you fare?

I'm with my beloved.

Nothing else matters.

While david enjoys married life under king saul's roof,

The philistines continue to push at israel's borders

In retaliation for their humiliating defeats.

Again and again, saul orders his son-in-law to risk his life

To defend israel, and david answers that call

Every single time.

David is someone who had his flaws.

He seems occasionally

To have been a bit impulsive.

But david is a man of deep, deep faith,

Of deep honesty and humility.

He's not looking for recognition,

He's not looking for honor.

Honor is thrust upon him.

And I think that's a huge contrast between him and saul.

David shows

What it means to make god

A part of every aspect of your life

And to ultimately eschew arrogance

And see your own achievements

As a gift of god.

David. David, wake up!

He needs you!

He is troubled. Please, go play for the king.

Do not worry. I will not rest until he is at peace.

Return to your sleep.

Despite king saul's obvious hostility

Towards his son-in-law,

David continues to feel a loyalty to the king,

Who is still the lord's appointed.

The lyre, we learn from ancient texts,

Was actually used in exorcisms.

So, when humans had a despondent spirit,

They were troubled,

The lyre was the instrument of choice

To try to bring peace of mind to them.

David has tens of thousands...

There! Did you hear that?

Get prince jonathan and princess michal.

They do not stop.

They do not leave me!

No! Stop!

Father?

Father.

Father, come.

Please, my king, you need rest. Let us help you to your bed.

No! This is where I belong.

Here.

Not anywhere else.

His music is no longer working.

He is no longer useful to me.

What do they call him?

"david, the giant-slayer."

"the beloved."

"the defender of israel."

I call him what he really is.

A "traitor" who lusts for my throne!

Father please, you lack sleep, you're not yourself.

Of course, I am myself!

I sent you on those missions not for victory.

Your name would be elevated above my own.

A shepherd boy above my name,

Me, the king of israel!

My king!

You live in my house.

You eat from my table.

You bed my daughter!

My king? Once again, I ask, what have I done to grieve you?

It's not what you did, it's what you didn't do!

I sent you not for victory,

-But to die! -No!

I'll pin david to the wall!

No, father! Stop! No!

-I'll pin him to the wall! -Don't!

Father, stop! Please.

Through so many biblical stories, we see how envy

Destroys relationships and leads to tragic events.

You saw his eyes.

If you don't escape tonight, you'll be dead by morning.

Just for a time.

Until he's himself once again.

Just for a time.

If he asks tomorrow where you are, I will tell him you're ill.

David, you must go far from here.

Princess!

Out the window! The back way is clear.

Your chevel.

-Do not forget about me. -I will not.

Princess!

Princess!

What is it!

My husband is ill and you are disturbing his rest.

I am sorry to bother you, princess.

The king has summoned david.

You can tell the king that david is ill.

David!

Father, please. Father, please!

How could you betray me...

And help my enemy to escape?

I had to.

He threatened to kill me if I did not help him.

I think for david, he just kept asking god for a door.

What is the answer? There's got to be a step forward.

Just keep helping me to step in the right direction.

Now a fugitive on the run,

David flees east to the town of ramah,

To seek counsel and refuge from the prophet samuel.

David!

The prophet welcomes the exhausted fugitive

Warmly into his home.

But soon, saul's informants tell the king

That the prophet has sheltered david

And once again, david must run.

Desperate and alone, david seeks out prince jonathan for help.

And so the two friends meet in secret.

Even though david is now on the run,

The king still expects his son-in-law to attend the feast

To celebrate the new moon.

But david knows that saul will have him killed if he shows up.

So david hopes that the king's own son

Can calm his paranoid father

And convince him to let david return safely.

Tell me what I can do to help, brother.

Tomorrow is the new moon festival.

Once the king sees that I'm not at the festival,

He will ask for me.

Tell him that I'm traveling to bethlehem

For our clan's annual sacrifice.

If he openly lashes out at my absence,

Plead with him.

Attempt to reason with him.

Perhaps before a host of witnesses,

You can get him to honor and reinstate his oath

That he will never have me put to death.

It shall be done, brother.

I swear by the lord, god of israel.

How will I get word from you?

Hide in this field.

If I failed, it's clear that the king's intentions are lethal.

I shall let fly three arrows near the field.

That will be the signal that you must flee with great haste.

You must leave these lands.

There will be nowhere in israel where you will be safe.

I pray that it will never come to that.

As do I.

Now go in peace.

For we have sworn loyalty to each other in the lord's name.

The lord is the witness to a bond between us

And our family forever.

David's loyalty to saul was costly,

And true loyalty does that.

You pay a personal price.

When saul turns against him,

David has all the capacity to take saul out.

He could've led a coupe, he could've assassinated him.

But instead of challenging saul,

He backs away.

Why hasn't the son of jesse come to the meal,

Either yesterday or today?

David earnestly asked to travel to bethlehem

To observe a sacrifice with his family.

He said that if he found favor,

To let him go to be with his brothers.

That is why he is not here.

You foolish boy!

Do you think I don't know

You want him to be king in your place,

Shaming yourself,

And your mother?

As long as the son of jesse is alive,

You'll never be king!

Now go and get him.

So I can kill him.

Why should he be put to death?

What has he done, father?

I refuse to obey your orders this time.

You blind and disloyal boy!

My king!

-My king! -Foolish boy!

Get out! Go!

Obey your king!

Be gone!

Saul's men mobilize to find david.

All that remains is jonathan's signal.

A signal indicating that jonathan has failed

To convince his father to spare david's life.

A warning that david must leave his new wife

And flee from the very king and kingdom

That he risked everything to defend.

A signal

Of three arrows.

It is in hardship

That our characters are shaped and formed and strengthened.

Every leader

Who's been shaped to take on great responsibility

Has to pass the test of injustice.

David was being treated unjustly by saul.

And he had to learn how to respond to that well.

Desperate for food and a weapon to defend himself,

David journeys to the holy village of nob,

Home of the high priest of israel, ahimelech,

And his son, abiathar.

David can only hope that saul's decree over his lie

Has not yet reached this place,

As he plans to deceive the priests for his own survival.

At the same moment,

The king's head shepherd, doeg,

Who's aware of the royal pursuit of david, is in nob,

Collecting sheep for the king's upcoming festival.

He sees david arrive and recognizes an opportuinity

To find favor with king saul.

Why are you alone?

Why is there no one with you?

The king sent me on a mission

And told me no one is to know about it.

My men wait for me elsewhere.

Now, what is there to eat?

I'm in need of some food for my men.

Please, give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.

I have no ordinary bread on hand, however,

There is consecrated bread,

Provided your men have kept themselves from women.

Don't worry.

I never allow my men to be with women when we're on campaign.

My son.

Many of the sacrificial foods are intended to be eaten

Only by the priests in the tabernacle.

You'd have these loaves of bread

That would be taken off on the sabbath,

And which could only be eaten by the priests

Who were in a state of ritual purity.

The priest asked the questions.

He got the answer from david about,

You know, we're all clean, we're all pure.

And he gave david the bread.

From he who brings forth bread from the earth,

By giving us the gift of wheat.

Amen.

Don't you have a sword or spear here?

I haven't brought my sword with me

Because the king's business was urgent.

The sword of goliath the philistine,

Whom you slew in the valley of elah is here.

It's wrapped in cloth behind the ephod.

If you want it, take it.

We have no other swords here.

There is none like it.

Give it to me. Please. But first...

Inquire of the lord for me.

Of course.

My son.

As david departs,

He sees that the king's shephed doeg has recognized him.

Another encounter that will have tragic consequences.

With nowhere left to go in the kingdom of israel,

David is forced to seek shelter in the lands of his enemy,

The philistines,

A drastic contrast from his life merely days before.

On the one hand,

The only place where he is safe from saul

Is lodging amongst the enemies of saul.

On the other hand,

As a warrior of israel,

How can the enemies of israel not see him as the enem?

So, david needs to come up with a cover story

That will remove the appearance

Of the threat that he poses

To the king of god.

And here we see again, david's brilliance.

Where?

It shows his own cunning.

It shows how he's developing as a strategist.

That he would go to the very place

Least expected to find him...

The city of goliath, gath.

My attendants tell me that you're david!

The israelite who killed our champion.

The one they make the songs about.

Bah!

Bah!

In the ultimate of ironies, king aschich,

The very king whose army was defeated by david,

Dismisses the giant-killer as a mad man and lets him go.

That's just a genius inspired thing that he did.

He played the fool.

The insane person.

Because at that time,

It was considered bad luck to kill somebody like that.

We know that he was not insane

Because in that situation, he wrote psalm 34.

So, while he's drooling and acting crazy,

He's showing that he's really altogether.

It's quite a remarkable act that he puts on.

This shows his incredible artistic mastery.

And here's what david wrote...

Psalm 34.

The lord hears his people when they call him for help.

He rescues them from all of their troubles.

The lord is close to the broken-hearted.

He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles.

But the lord comes to rescue each time.

It's only in the psalms

That we really see the interiority of a person

In ancient literature.

David highlights

The emotional turbulence of his life.

The psalms expose us to the full gamut of human experience.

But god is there for every single part of it.

After david's narrow escape frm capture from the city of gath,

He heads into the borderlands to seek refuge

In the caves of adullam in the wilderness... Alone.

When david goes to the caves of adullam,

He's going to the borderland really of the philistines.

So, he's kind of got the philistines behind him,

Which kind of protects him,

But he's also in that place that...

You know, in a lot of our fantasy stories that we see,

There's always this enchanted woods

That everyone's afraid to go I.

And that's sort of the caves of adullam.

He's in a dark place.

Not just physically, but spiritually.

He's in the dark night of the soul.

And just like jesus, when he's tempted in the wilderness,

It's a time of testing.

It's a time for him to realize

Whether this is the end of the road for him.

At some point, how real is god in delivering him?

How committed can he remain to god?

-Who speaks? - Sleep.

Show yourself!

Show yourself!

I'll smash your skull and take your life!

Silence!

Enough! Enough!

Enough!

The god who saves me day and night,

I cry out before you.

May my prayer come before you.

Turn your ear to my cry.

For my soul

Is full of trouble.

And my life draws near the grave.

As was often the case when things seemed bleak,

David would turn to prayer in that dark cave.

The prayers that poured from his heart

Are captured in the book of psalms.

Those same psalms have been quoted for thousands of years

By others who were also in anguish,

Also reaching out desperately to god for deliverance.

The chosen one who was anointed to one day be king of israel,

Now lies alone in the mud and in the dark.

Even within the pain and brokenness he's experiencing,

David submits to god's providence and plan

For how the prophecy of his kingship will be fulfilled.

Join me next time

For another episode of david, king of israel .

In our next episode...

They gathered to him every man in distress,

Every man with a creditor,

Every man embittered of spirit,

And he became their leader.

You're going to lead this bunch into battle.

If the lord commands.

My king, I saw david at the holy village of nob.

Then he gave him food and the sword of goliath.

You betray your king!

We will not meet.

Our enemies smell the weakness of our king.

It's time for us to leave this house.

I will not harm god's anointed king of israel.

God will be his judge, not I.

Get off my land!

That thick-headed man is going to get us all killed.

By morning, there will not be one male alive

That belongs to this fat and repulsive man!