THE BIBLE: Dutiful David. Really??

     At the time of year when kings go to war, King David remains in his palace in "unaccustomed"... idleness. He stands on his balcony, as an epic survivor of Israel's gritty, bloody, years-long, pseudo-consolidation. Anointed King Saul would share neither palace nor kingship with anointed David. David hid and endured, and finally ruled solely and safely in Jerusalem.
     
     THE BIBLE chronicles David's life in blended, inexact event order, but cause-and-effect are nonetheless displayed. Dredging into thorough detail is wisely avoided (the entire Bible, with too much detail, is enormous and would lose viewers like myself).

Shepherd Boy David

     Artistic liberties seem well-tooled, as shepherd-boy David survives and thrives life-threatening attacks from all avenues, including jealous King Saul. Bravo to THE BIBLE and Saul's actor... his envy-essence was portrayed masterfully.

David displays the head of Goliath

     THE BIBLE's David seems comfortable with duty and danger. The adrenaline rush of battle is draining... yet exhilarating. What is left for Dutiful David, who has achieved all that God anointed him to do... to DO??? King David dutifully wishes to construct a lavish temple for God, but God commands temple-building duty be passed to his son.

     David's idle thoughts turn to a stunning bathing beauty. He follows his vulnerable heart... to even greater danger... he steals a man's wife... Bathsheba. I wish that at this critical point, after David's sins against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah, the directors would have included the prophet's word picture. That pivotal sheep parable is what re-opened David's softened, shepherd-boy heart, and it might have changed my David-review.

     Yes, I agree that David is a doer, and that he is dutiful as well. But he is also an emotional man, and THE BIBLE lessens that element. After David cuts Saul's robe in the cave, his interaction with Saul is mechanical; when Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle, David erupts at the smiling messenger, but he too quickly by-passes sorrow to kingship thinking. Even during the soap opera, Days of Bathsheba, he seems uncomfortably calculating rather than passionate.

     I will end today's blog with a question: Is THE BIBLE's David-essence solely dutiful? Or, does the dutiful essence overpower the non-verbal cues of "A man-after-God's-own-Heart"???
    
     This Sunday at 7:00 p.m. The BIBLE Part III will air on The History Channel. I look forward to watching it.