By Shawn Smith
There’s a lot we can learn from the success and failures of the life of David, says Michael Iskander, who plays the titular character in HOUSE OF DAVID.
“It’s so amazing to know that even King David himself, he experienced exhaust in his spirit and his spirit was destroyed,” Iskander said. “Basically, he was brought down to his knees. And I think a lot of times for us, we experience those moments where there is nothing, but then God will come and there will be a small light that will continue to grow and grow and flourish.”
The 2026 Movieguide® Grace Award For Television winner drew parallels to Christ by sharing Psalm 22, which is in part repeated by Jesus on the cross.
“‘My God, my God. Why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me from the words of my groaning?’” the actor read. “‘O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel, and you our fathers trusted.’”
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That verse serves as a reminder that Christ shares in our sufferings, Iskander reminded viewers.
“[F]rom that, like, God reaches out and just touches our heart and lets us know that, ‘Hey, I too suffered on the cross. I am with you in your pain,'” the 24-year-old said. “’I won’t take you out of it, but I’m going to give you the power to get through it.'”
We can look to David as an example of faith — even in our sin, God is gracious, the Egypt-born actor and singer pointed out.
“David, I think, is one of the best biblical examples of someone who was chosen by God and yet fell so hard to a point where, I think nobody, nobody would imagine that God would have any forgiveness for this man, and yet, David’s repentant heart and his love for God shows us that, you know, there is no limit to God’s mercy,” he said, referring to David’s affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband Uriah.
“You know, Christ raised the bar for us. He said, if you look at a woman lustfully, you’ve committed adultery in your heart. If you’re angry with your brother in your heart, you’re guilty of murder,” Iskander added. “And so those same sins that David is guilty of, we’re all guilty of. And so you know he is that proof for us and a reminder to us to seek forgiveness, to seek reconciliation with Christ, and that through him, we know how far God can reach. We know how far he’s able to transform somebody and bring them back home.”
The second season of HOUSE OF DAVID premiered on Prime Video on March 27 and follows David after he defeated Goliath in Season 1 and the decline of King Saul’s reign.
“Season 1 was the story of David the shepherd. Season 2 is David the warrior, so we knew there was going to be more battle,” director Jon Gunn said.
In addition to epic battles, the series will develop the relationship between between Mychal and David and his friendship with Jonathan, who Gunn argues is the “most famous friendship in the Bible.”
“The other core relationship was Jonathan, [which is] a fascinating friendship, And such a beautiful heart that Jonathan had to say, ‘I believe that God has anointed David, and therefore I’m going to train the man who is going to take the throne from me to be the leader that God wants him to be,'” Gunn added.
We pray that the HOUSE OF DAVID series will continue to inspire people’s faith and will lead the way for more faith-inspired stories.
Read Next: HOUSE OF DAVID 202: “A Journey Home”
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