Monday, June 25, 2012

Written for Hollywood

Covenant of War, by Cliff Graham, is the second book in the Lion of War series. It appears to me to be written more with an eye to winning Hollywood contracts than faithfully portraying the lives of David and his mighty men who turned the hearts of a nation to heartfelt devotion to God for generations to come.

Graham warns readers that his novel is filled with violence and justifies it for two reasons. First, he says his novel is no more violent than Scripture itself. While Scripture does refer to many violent events, it is not filled with near as much graphic detail as Graham's novel. I personally find the graphic detail repulsive. Second, he suggests that the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that soldiers experience after battle may explain David's destructive decisions later in life. Scripture, however, explains his later actions as moral failure, not reaction to war trauma.

Graham also warns his readers that his novel includes scenes of sexual temptation. It was troubling to me that Graham leads the reader to believe that one of the heroes, Eleazar, visited a prostitute early in the book (p. 71) and then waits until Eleazar was dying at the end of the book (p. 330) to reveal that he had fled the prostitute's tent at the last moment. Throughout the book, Eleazar appears to be a hypocrite.

Graham writes primarily about David's mighty men, about whom we know very little. We know a great deal more about David, and he is a different person than the David in Graham's story. According to Scripture, David was 37 at the time he became king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:4-5), not 30 as Graham says (p. 98). Scripture shows David to be a deeply spiritual person with strong moral character. He maintained his integrity in Saul's court despite being surrounded by intrigue. He refused to avenge himself on Saul even when he had opportunity. He did not allow his men to steal from those among whom they lived. He was moral because he was spiritual having a deep faith and trust in God. Graham portrays David as a man whose spirituality failed to give him moral strength.

Scripture shows David to be a compassionate leader. He was a shepherd of God's people. He defended the weak, bound up the wounds of the injured, and gave refreshment to the weary. He gave refuge to those who were discouraged, discontented, and in debt (1 Samuel 22:2). He protected a priest who escaped Saul's massacre of the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22:20 ff.). Graham gives the impression that David's men were ruffians and outlaws. They may have been outcasts, but they were not outlaws.

Furthermore, David's men were not unruly and undisciplined as Graham suggests. Scripture portrays David as a strong, organized leader. Those who joined him at Adullam were not trained soldiers. They were men who were discouraged and in debt. They were afraid to take up arms against Philistine marauders, but David transformed them into an effective military force, probably with the help of some brave, and God-fearing soldiers from Gad and Benjamin whom he made officers (1 Chronicles 12:8-18). Before long, they saved Keilah from Philistine marauders and were protecting Judah's southern border from desert tribes. David did not permit his men to be divisive and insisted that all from the greatest to the least be appreciated (1 Samuel 30:22-25). Benaiah, captain of David's bodyguard and an army officer, was a priest (1 Chronicles 27:5-6). His closest advisers were the prophet Gad and the priest Abiathar (1 Samuel 22:5; 23:9). Prophets and priests continued to fill key positions throughout his reign to ensure adherence to the law (e.g. 1 Chronicles 26:29-32).

Finally, Scripture says that the northern tribes had been wanting to make David their king before Abner suggested it (2 Samuel 3:17-18; 5:1-2). While there may be some indication of tribal rivalries in Scripture, there is no suggestion of the deep suspicions and mistrust of David which Graham pictures.

Graham's book is a work of fiction. It may make a script for a Hollywood movie, but it is neither historical nor Biblical.  I rate the book as a one out of five.

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