The tradition of “zeal” is part of the freedom story. Young Saul learned that story early on, that it was God’s people against the rest of the world, the nations, the goyim, and the goyim usually won. There were brief flashes of glorious history: David beating the Philistines, Solomon teaching wisdom to the whole world. That’s how it was supposed to be. But clinging to this story meant struggling to retain hope in the face of experience.
