I used to wince when publicists sent me faith-based films or TV to preview. Almost always, the genre’s reputation—cheaply made, cheesy, preachy—proved well deserved.
But in recent years, the genre’s quality has vastly improved. I’m increasingly delighted to praise quality offerings—not because they’re not awful but because they’re genuinely praiseworthy.
Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine) has been part of an emerging renaissance of faith-based film and TV. It’s a welcome trend that also includes his brother Andrew, Jon Gunn (Jesus Revolution), and Dallas Jenkins (The Chosen). Still, when I heard that Erwin’s new Wonder Project studio was kicking off with a Prime Video series about David, decades of low expectations had me fearful. Would Amazon inflict a Rings of Power–style spectacle on the sacred biblical texts? Would Erwin’s storytelling talents get subsumed beneath the corporate formulas of a major streamer? Narratively, would God be relegated to a supporting character in favor of the juicy human drama of Scripture’s most Shakespearean soap opera saga?
Having previewed all eight episodes of House of David season 1, I can say with relief that my fears were (mostly) allayed by a narrative that exceeded my expectations.
Strength That’s Also a Vulnerability
Fans of The Chosen will find much to like in House of David, even as those inclined to dislike The Chosen will probably dislike House of David for the same reasons.
What works for both shows is the long-form, multiseason television show canvas, which gives iconic biblical characters breathing room to be rendered in textured brushstrokes rather than flannelgraph one-dimensionality. Amazon, which this month announced its exclusive streaming rights to The Chosen’s new season, clearly recognizes that this multiseason show format—more than the compressed limitations of a feature film—is a winning recipe for biblical material to go deeper and wider on screen.
But the flip side of this strength is a vulnerability that exposes these shows to frequent critique. How do you create relatable, fleshed-out characters out of people only mentioned in a few verses of biblical text? You have to speculate. And how do you fill in the narrative gaps in a way that’s plausible, compelling, and not contradictory to what is in Scripture? It’s a tough balance to strike, but Erwin’s House of David does a commendable job of being both narratively interesting and biblically faithful.
Narrative Focus
Season 1 narrates the biblical saga of David (Michael Iskander) from his shepherd-boy beginnings in Bethlehem to his rise as a beloved court musician for King Saul (Ali Suliman) and ultimately to his underdog confrontation with Goliath (Martyn Ford). Along the way, we see iconic moments like David fighting a lion and being selected and anointed by the prophet Samuel (Stephen Lang).
Samuel is the thematic and spiritual heart of the show, and Lang’s performance elevates every scene he’s in. As God’s mouthpiece, Samuel delivers both words of rebuke to Saul—who disobeys God by not completely wiping out the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15)—and words of prophetic encouragement to David, the Lord’s anointed.
Samuel is the thematic and spiritual heart of the show, and Lang’s performance elevates every scene he’s in.
Samuel continually directs characters—and the audience—to heed God’s white-hot holiness. In keeping with Scripture’s emphasis, House of David assesses the relative heroism of characters based largely on their posture toward God. The heroes have a healthy reverence and humility before God—trusting and obeying him more than they follow their own hearts. The villains are those inclined to sideline God’s authority and esteem themselves more highly than they ought.
One early scene illustrates this theme. After defeating the Amalekites, Saul sets up a memorial on a mountain to, he says, “the greatness of our house and the glory of Israel.” His virtuous son Jonathan is there, and he corrects his father: The monument should be dedicated to “the greatness of God.” Saul then replies, “Our greatness is his greatness.” It’s a line that conveys Saul’s half-hearted devotion to God and the insidious pride that will be his downfall.
Cast Highlights
Israeli actor Suliman is well cast as Saul. He infuses the conflicted, mentally unwell king with volatile complexity and inner turmoil as he struggles to retain his crown rather than defer to God’s authority. Most of us can see in Saul a bit of our own reluctance to fully cede control over our lives to God.
It took me some time to warm up to Iskander as the warrior-poet David. At first, Iskander (an Egyptian-born stage actor in his first major screen role) felt too scrawny and artsy: believable as a bard but less so as a battle-winning, lion-slaying warrior. But then Scripture’s own words (uttered by Samuel in the show) reminded me: “The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). One of the key takeaways from David’s arc in Scripture—as with so many other people God chooses to use—is that he’s not a likely leader by all appearances. His ascent speaks to God’s glory, not David’s.
One highlight from Iskander’s performance (and the series generally) is the rendering of David’s music: numerous moments of him singing prayers and psalms (in Hebrew) as he strums a lyre. A standout scene shows David singing “The Song of Moses” (Deut. 32:1–43) for Saul and his family, bringing them to tears. Iskander uses his own musical talents in these scenes, and the effect is beautifully authentic.
Occasional Missteps
Though I liked season 1 overall, a few episodes felt uneven, likely because the episodic scripts were helmed by various screenwriters with differing degrees of biblical knowledge and faith devotion.
Some elements of the narrative come across as a bit anachronistic. The burgeoning romance between David and Mychal (Indy Lewis), for example, occasionally feels like a Hallmark rendering of Romeo and Juliet. And there are a few cringey moments when “Believe in yourself!” values of contemporary Western individualism seep into an ancient Near-Eastern context where they would’ve been alien. At one point, Saul gives what feels like a contemporary American college commencement speech to David:
All is possible. You can be anything, no matter where you start. And do not let the words of any one man take your destiny from you. It’s yours. Hold on to it tight.
In another scene, David echoes this seize-your-destiny mantra when Mychal tells him, “David, there is a difference between desire and duty. My future is not mine to decide!” David responds, “That is true only if you believe it.”
In these moments, the show feels like it misconstrues David’s ascent as a “You can do anything!” hero narrative that celebrates expressive individualism and humanity’s self-willed achievement more than God’s greatness. The vibes occasionally evoke a giant-slaying prosperity gospel, where the accent isn’t on God’s glory as much as on what we can conquer on the coattails of his power and blessing.
Grounded in God’s Glory
Thankfully, these scenes are exceptions in the series, not the norm.
Especially when Samuel shows up—as in a memorable scene where he reminds David of Joshua’s encounter with the commander of the Lord’s army (Josh. 5:13–15)—House of David is grounded in God’s transcendent glory and amazing grace. Though various characters are tempted to leverage God’s power for their own glory, the show ultimately highlights the folly of this. God isn’t our cheerleader or cosmic ATM. He is “remove your sandals in my presence” holy and worthy of worship, obedience, and undivided devotion. As one character remarks, the question men should ask isn’t “Is God for us?” but “Are we for God?”
Every house—the house of Saul, the house of David, your house, and my house—will rise or fall on this question. Choose this day whom you will serve. Will we respond as Joshua did? “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (24:14–15). I hope so. And I hope House of David’s writers and creatives, in season 2 and beyond, keep answering in this way too.
“The Most Practical and Engaging Book on Christian Living Apart from the Bible”
“If you’re going to read just one book on Christian living and how the gospel can be applied in your life, let this be your book.”—Elisa dos Santos, Amazon reviewer.
In this book, seasoned church planter Jeff Vanderstelt argues that you need to become “gospel fluent”—to think about your life through the truth of the gospel and rehearse it to yourself and others.
We’re delighted to offer the Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life ebook (Crossway) to you for FREE today. Click this link to get instant access to a resource that will help you apply the gospel more confidently to every area of your life.
