I've been watching the new NBC show Kings. It's a modern day re-telling of the story of David and Saul from the bible. It's such a great story, and I guess I'm just shocked that someone on a national network had the idea to do it. Unfortunately I may be the one of the only people watching it so we'll see how long it stays on the air. I feel like they've done a good job modernizing the story. For example when David faced Goliath instead of being a giant, Goliath is an enemy tank that David destroys while saving the kings son. The story of David's life is really one of my favorites from the bible. I love watching the show because it reminds me of David's humanness. The bible says that David was a man after God's own heart. But he was far from perfect...in fact David screwed up a lot! He was a murderer, he had an affair with a married woman, and he did lots of other stupid stuff. It was David's AUTHENTIC PASSION for God that truly set him apart. It can be easy to read the bible and forget that these were REAL people. So it's been cool to watch the show with that perspective.
They've taken a few liberties with the story that I don't love. One of the biggest is that they've turned Jonathan into a jerk! Jonathan (who in the TV show I think they're calling Jack) is King Saul's son, and eventually he and David become best friends. The cool thing about Jonathan is that even though he should be next in line for the throne, when he realizes that God is going to make David king, he's steps aside gladly. I love the story of David and Jonathan's friendship. It's all about loyalty and integrity. Right now they're playing Jonathan (or Jack) as the spoiled, conniving son of the king.
If you didn't see the first episode, go check it out on
hulu.com (my new obsession!)
