I remember seeing Spy Kids in theaters as a kid. Yes, I’ve probably aged (or ‘young’d) myself here, but hear me out. That movie was magnificent to my eight-year-old eyes. I left the theater ready to become a ninja-spy hybrid, replaying every scene in my head, desperate to learn everything about espionage. Was the movie objectively that good? Probably not. But it sparked something in me: a hunger to go deeper, to understand the world behind what I’d just seen on screen.
Maybe it wasn’t Spy Kids for you. Maybe it was Star Wars or more recently, Argo or some other film that left you completely captivated. You know the feeling I’m describing: you walk out of the theater and immediately want more. You replay scenes in your mind. You google the backstory. You want to understand what you just witnessed on a deeper level.
Why am I sharing this? Because the David movie hits theaters today, December 19th. It’s an animated film for all ages from Angel Studios, and it’s absolutely stunning. Even better? Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365, served as a consultant on it. His research into the life of King David actually made it into the film.
Here’s what I know will happen: You’re going to see this movie. You’re going to be moved by David’s story. And, you’re going to want to know more. You’re going to have questions about what you saw, about what the movie couldn’t include, about the deeper meaning behind David’s choices and struggles.
That’s exactly why Rabbi Weisz just released a new three-part Bible Plus course called “Who Is King David?” I just finished watching it, and I wanted to give you a taste of what makes this course so compelling.
What Made David Different?
When young David arrived at the battlefield where Goliath was taunting Israel’s army, he heard something completely different from what every seasoned warrior heard. Saul’s soldiers viewed the Philistine’s provocation as a military and political challenge to the nation of Israel. They saw an impossible tactical problem: a giant in bronze armor with an iron spear, undefeated in single combat.
But David heard a spiritual crisis.
That single question revealed David’s revolutionary worldview. From his perspective, the nation of Israel wasn’t primarily a political entity or a military force. Israel was above all a manifestation of divine Providence. The life of the nation was inextricably linked to and sustained by the God of Israel Himself.
This is why David’s name in Hebrew is so fitting. David comes from the root dalet-vav-dalet, which means “beloved.” The Hebrew word dod means beloved, and David was truly beloved by God. Scripture calls him “a man after God’s own heart”.
But the feeling was mutual. David was first and foremost a man who was always thinking about God, talking to God, singing to God, praising God. As he would later write in Psalms:
Saul saw a military problem requiring a military solution. David saw a spiritual challenge that could only be met through faith in the God of Israel. When David finally confronted Goliath, he didn’t rely on superior weaponry or military tactics. In fact, the Bible minimizes David’s weapons. Standing before the giant, David declared with absolute confidence:
David transformed that moment of national military crisis into an opportunity for religious inspiration, turning the hearts of the people toward the God of Israel.
The Difference Between Survival and Mission
Here’s what struck me most as I previewed the course: David understood something that separated him from every other leader in Israel’s history. He recognized that Israel’s ultimate purpose transcended political survival and material prosperity.
Think about what Saul accomplished. He united the tribes, established the monarchy, created political legitimacy, and achieved military security. These were monumental achievements. Israel finally had a body, a political structure that could stand among the nations.
But David breathed a soul into that body.
This pattern appears throughout Scripture. In Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, the bones first come together, then they’re covered with flesh, and only then do they receive the breath of life. Saul built the body. David breathed the neshama, the soul, into it. He established spiritual vitality, divine connection, and recognition of Israel’s sacred purpose.
The course explains how David’s years in exile (running from cave to cave, never knowing if today would be his last) produced the prayer book of humanity. David’s Psalms express the full range of human emotion in relationship with the divine, from the depths of despair to the heights of joy, from feelings of abandonment to experiences of God’s intimate presence.
Why This Matters Now
When you see the David movie, you’ll witness the drama of his life: the victory over Goliath, the flight from Saul, the establishment of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But there’s so much the movie can’t show. The theological significance. The Hebrew wordplay. The ways David’s choices established patterns that still shape Israel and the world today.
This isn’t just ancient history. It’s the story of how a nation moves from mere survival to spiritual mission. It’s about understanding that true greatness isn’t measured by military victories or political achievements, but by the spiritual foundations we establish for future generations.
David was beloved by God not because he was perfect (he made serious mistakes) but because his heart was always oriented toward God. He never lost sight of what mattered most: Israel’s relationship with God and its ultimate purpose as a light to the nations.
The David course on Bible Plus goes deep into these themes, taught from Israel and rooted in the Hebrew text. It’s everything the movie will make you want to know, waiting for you the moment you leave the theater.
Bible Plus is our online learning platform with hundreds of hours of Bible study in small, bite-sized lessons. Study David and many other Biblical characters and books of the Bible, learn at your own pace, and enjoy new courses added monthly, all starting at just $5 a month when you subscribe annually. Start Learning Today!
