It’s only the beginning, but something’s definitely cooking with these well-known kings of Israel. Let’s see how this first season ends…

YEARS AGO

Saul’s face fell.

Of all the declarations that Samuel made, the one about him being rejected as king was the hardest one to take. He was barely two years in, and although he had not wanted this at the start, he had come to like being king. His family was already wealthy, but kingship was a generational inheritance, and he wanted his son to have the crown after him. He put his ego aside and fell at Samuel’s feet.

“I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

Samuel, with all his years of walking with the Lord, knew that that would be a horrible idea.

“I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

Samuel, still very upset, turned to leave. Saul tried to grab his leg, but then he caught the hem of Samuel’s robe, and it tore. Samuel looked at the torn hem, and then he looked at Saul.

“The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind. For He is not a human being, that He should change His mind.”

*****

YEARS LATER

“What did you just say?”

“I said, you are that man.”

“Nathan, what do you mean?”

“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.”

David was hit with the shock of his life at those words. He thought he had dealt with his Uriah problem, but God had apparently been displeased with him. For the first time, he realized just how much he had forgotten about God in all of this. He had allowed the crown to go to his head.

Nathan continued his tirade. “Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own. Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes, I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.”

*****

YEARS AGO

Even though he knew the finality of Samuel’s words, Saul grabbed Samuel’s leg anyway, hoping his last request would be granted.

“Samuel, I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.”

Calming down, Samuel agreed to go with him. So they went back together, and Saul worshipped God once they arrived. Meanwhile, Samuel had one final task to accomplish.

“Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.”

The men brought Agag to Samuel. Somehow, Agag looked relieved. The man must have thought he was going to stay alive because it was the prophet, rather than the king, who had called for him. But when he saw Samuel take a sword from one of the men, his relief suddenly turned into horror.

“As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women.”

Samuel jabbed the sword into the heart of Agag, and then without a second of remorse, took out the bloody sword and handed it over to the man whose it was.

That day was the last time Saul and Samuel ever saw each other.

******

YEARS LATER

David’s silence was an indication of the sombre mood he was in. The gravity of his actions had finally dawned on him, and he finally understood just how much trouble he had brought on himself.

“I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan delivered the rest of his message.

“The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

David bowed his head in shame as Nathan took his leave, disappointed at himself. He was relieved that God had spared his life, but the punishment that had been spoken was as bad as death for a king. Nathan had barely left when a maiden rushed in.

“Your Highness, your son is ill!”

******

Seven days had passed, and David remained in sackcloth, fasting for his child. He had laid on the floor all seven days, hoping that the Lord would reverse His word and spare the innocent child. The elders in his house had tried to get him to eat with them, but he would not hear of it.

The servants slowly gathered right outside his chamber, and he could hear them murmuring eventually. He wasn’t exactly paying attention to them, but some of their words streamed through.

“…He wouldn’t listen to us…”

“…How can we now tell him the child…”

“…He may… desperate.”

None of it made sense to him, but this was the one day out of all the days where the servants gathered outside his chamber and were scared to enter. He put two and two together quite fast.

“Is the child dead?”

No one responded.

“All of you, get in here.”

One by one, the servants entered the room. Their faces told him everything he needed to know.

“Is the child dead?”

They managed to work up the courage to answer him. “Yes, he is dead.”

David nodded. Then he breathed a sigh and got up. At first, the servants were worried, but then they saw him going to wash. Then he changed his clothes and went out.

*****

EPILOGUE: THE HEIRS

“Your Highness, Bathsheba is calling for you.”

Nathan had come to see David just as the maiden came with the message. After the previous son had died, David got Bathsheba pregnant once again, and she had just delivered the baby.

“Let her know that I will be there shortly.”

The maiden left. As David rose to go to Bathsheba, Nathan spoke up.

“Your Highness, the Lord loves this child. He wants you to name him Jedidiah.”

David smiled from a warm heart. “Very well, but I will also name him Solomon.”

Nathan nodded, and then commented. “So you have Amnon, Kileab, Absalom, Adonijah, and now Solomon. Five boys, all of whom could inherit the throne one day.”

Ahhh, so these are the heirs! Oh boy, you know what this means – a race for the throne! Five sons in contention to become the next king of Israel – who’s gonna win? You probably already know, but this journey is gonna be one to remember!

Buckle up for Season 2, coz that’s where the real drama begins!