Upamanyu Biswas
Prime Video’s ‘House of David’ tells the story of David, a young shepherd boy who is treated as an outcast within his family. When the reigning king of Israel, Saul, is rejected by the Lord’s prophet, Samuel, the latter must embark on a quest to anoint a new king to lead Israel in the face of new dangers appearing over the horizon. As such, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of David, an unlikely teenager who spends his days looking after sheep and dreaming of a life devoted to a higher ideal. The show’s first three episodes highlight David’s humble beginnings while laying the foundation for the precarious political situation engulfing Israel. With King Saul losing his grip over reality, enemies start encircling the United Monarchy, hastening a need for David’s ascendancy and realization of his true destiny. SPOILERS AHEAD.
David and the Lion
The story begins with a brief look into the life of David, who spends his time taking care of sheep in the remote regions of Bethlehem. During an outing with the herd, David runs into the notorious lion that roams the land nearby. It kills three of his sheep and leaves one injured. David rescues it and hides from the predatory animal. When he returns home to his brothers and sisters, he is reprimanded for not keeping his eyes on the sheep more vigilantly. His brothers treat him as an outcast, while David himself has his eyes set on greater things than just spending his days tending to sheep. His father, Jesse, reminds him of his duties and tells him to steer clear of the lion in the future. The lion has had a long history with Jesse’s kin, and in particular, David. It turns out the creature killed his mother, Nitzavet, who sacrificed herself to save her son’s life.
In another part of Israel, King Saul of the Benjamin family, the revered and respected leader of the United Monarchy, annihilates the last of the Amalekites, a dangerous enemy led by the witch-king Agag. His son Jonathan also plays a big role in the battle. Despite coming from a small tribe, Saul was anointed king of Israel by Samuel, the gifted prophet who preaches the word of God. According to Samuel, God wishes for Saul to destroy the Amalekites, kill their leader Agag, and not take their land for personal gain. However, Saul breaks God’s words on almost all fronts. He has Agag chained and displayed to the public as a form of humiliation. He also splits up the lands belonging to the Amalekites and their properties among his subjects. Jonathan is unhappy with his father turning his back on Samuel’s decree, but Saul says that he has no choice in the matter.
Meanwhile, David and his father realize that the lion has returned to prey on Jesse’s family. David hears his sister Avva scream for help and rushes to her aid. He and Jesse arrive to find out that the lion is prowling around the vicinity. Although they manage to drive it away, David decides to follow it against his father’s wishes. He treks into the dark parts of the land, eventually discovering its lair. Showing no hesitation, he goes into the cave, seeking out his mortal enemy. After a long period of searching, David eventually stumbles upon the lion and engages in a battle with the beast. It rages for a while, and David gets scratched in the process. However, he manages to come out of the ordeal alive and slays the lion that has haunted him for years. He collects its claw and leaves it with Avva as a keepsake.
King Saul Breaks His Oath and Faces the Consequences
While reveling in the glory of defeating the Amalekites, King Saul welcomes the lord-prophet Samuel to the party. The others in the tent are overjoyed at Saul’s ability to unify Israel and bring prosperity to the land. However, his recent decision to humiliate Agag and use the Amalekite properties to deepen the coffers of the kingdom has enraged God. Samuel arrives to relay these words in front of the audience gathered. Saul is displeased by the public nature of the announcement and instead takes Samuel to a private chamber where they continue their discussion. There, Samuel makes it clear to Saul that he has been rejected by God, and he no longer has the favor of the all-knowing and all-powerful entity. His prideful and overconfident tactics have led him astray from the path of humility and obedience to the Creator.
Subsequently, Samuel curses Saul with mental visions and proceeds outside to behead Agag. Saul is left gagging on nightmarish hallucinations and visions as his family gathers around him. He wakes up in his palace later, where he is treated by his daughters. In the throne room, Jonathan wonders what Samuel told his father that night that led to his mental deterioration. He suspects something must have gone awry between the king and the lord-prophet, though he cannot guess what, as Saul’s dynasty is well-respected all around Israel. The king reverts back to his normal self and tries to assure his family that he is still capable of ruling the land as the all-powerful king. However, by night, he suffers nightmares about his family’s future, all instigated by Samuel’s curse. It leads to him acting up in real life as well.
During one of his nightmare visions, Saul accidentally kills one of the palace’s trusted servants. It horrifies him and worries his family to no end. Queen Ahinoam tries to allay fears by getting ahead of the problem and pre-planning it in advance. She knows about Samuel’s premonition and orders Abner, the house guard, to find out who Samuel wishes to enthrone as king next and slay that person before the chance emerges. She also gets in touch with a priestess of Baal, someone who practices dark magic, to take away the curse laid upon King Saul. The woman explains to the Ahinoam that the curse is too powerful to be removed entirely. Instead, it has to be deflected via a ritual. Subsequently, Ahinoam assures her son Jonathan that everything is fine and that he will take over as king once his father recovers and restores the glory of the Benjamin family.
Samuel Searches For a New King as Enemies Gather Strength
After Samuel curses King Saul and explains God’s reasons for rejecting him, he embarks on a journey to find the new king of Israel. The search is vaguely described despite his many communes with God. However, he learns that the new leader of the people can be found somewhere in Bethlehem with the Tribe of Judah. Meanwhile, David and his brothers put on a show at the royal wedding where the daughters of King Saul show up. David also has a fortuitous interaction with one of them, sparking jealousy in one of the royal guards, Joab. The following morning, David and his brother Eliab head out to Baal Hatzor, a border village of Bethlehem, where giants have reportedly attacked. Eliab takes him there to discourage David’s desire to join the army under King Saul.
However, while walking through the village ruins, David and Eliab realize that an unknown enemy has taken residence within the village – the Philistine King Achish. He corners David in one of the buildings and questions him about his loyalties. Eventually, David flees the complex with help from Eliab. The two subsequently fight their way out of the village while Achish’s forces surround them from all sides. They almost make it to safety before Achish lets loose an arrow that goes straight through Eliab’s back. Despite being a fatal wound, David carries his brother out of danger and takes him back to Jesse’s house. His father treats Eliab, closing the wound on his back. At the same time, Jesse reprimands David for not being obedient to him. Meanwhile, Achish travels to the Valley of Giants to broker a deal with the Giants.
Soon after, Samuel arrives in the little shire to meet with Jesse. God’s premonitions have led him to Bethlehem, where he suspects the new king of Israel resides. He searches amongst Jesse’s kin for the destined leader. However, Jesse decides to only call his legitimate sons, keeping David out of the affair entirely. Samuel catches on to Jesse’s deception and orders him to call David as well. Once the boy arrives, Samuel touches his forehead, which shocks both of them. He has a vision of David’s great future and how he will bring Israel prosperity. Samuel finds the entire thing funny, stating that God sees more than just the outer appearance of people, as David is not very impressive or warrior-like on the outside. Samuel announces to the entire family that David has been anointed as the new king of Israel, successor to Saul, thereby beginning his long and arduous journey.
Read More: Best Christian Movies on Netflix
You must be logged in to post a comment.