Few figures in Jewish scripture are as interesting and well known as David. He is a central actor in the first book of Samuel from the readings of Nevi'im, Prophets. David is so intriguing not just because he begins as a heroic figure but because he is profoundly flawed. His arc is tragic but not without redemption and the symbols manifested in his story are some of the most enduring in all of Jewish thought. David's tale has many things in common with other great stories in history. It's part Lancelot and part Ziggy Stardust, an exciting drama of love, war, family and passion. To fully understand David, we need to start with the very first passages of Shmu'el Aleph, the book of First Samuel.

While First Samuel is certainly mostly concerned with the rise and fall of David, the first several chapters deal with the birth and ascension of the prophet Samuel. Samuel's story is just as important to establishing David as the story of David himself. David was a king selected specifically by God, not by lineage. It's paramount to the foundation of David's legitimacy that the prophet who names him is reliable. Samuel, if anything, is reliable.

David's divine coronation is actually doubly blessed. He is not only named by God, but is named by God through a prophet who is himself a result of divine intervention. Samuel's mother Hannah was, like the matriarch Sarah before her, naturally incapable of having children. It was only after Hannah had a moment of raw emotion in a holy place that she was able to bear Samuel.

Hannah's story is actually a bit comical. She joins her family on their yearly pilgrimage to make a sacrifice with the priest Eli and, after several years of being mocked, finally breaks down in tears at the temple. When Eli finds her she's in such a sorry state that he accuses her of being drunk. After Hannah explains herself, Eli apologizes and wishes her well. Soon after, she and her husband conceive Samuel.

The importance of this story is not only to establish Samuel as a life created specifically by God, but to also depict a priest making a mistake. The story of David is ultimately a story of human imperfection regardless of social status. If priests and kings are fallible then there are some serious implications here for the universality of law.

Later, when young Samuel serves as an assistant to Eli, we learn about Eli's unambiguously sinful sons. This is also important as it establishes a theme in this book of one generation not necessarily reflecting the qualities of its parents. Eli is ostensibly good but his sons are unholy. Even when Eli's attention is called to his sons' behavior, he still does nothing. For this negligence, Eli loses God's favor and therefore credibility as Samuel's teacher. Before Samuel makes his way into the world as a prophet it is made plain that God and only God gives him direction.

Next week we'll look at the chapters of First Samuel that depict the actual naming of David as well as the circumstances contributing to the necessity of his coronation. Until then, Shalom and thanks for reading.