Rejection of Saul

Saul began to struggle with pride as the first king of Israel. Saul's decision to follow his own desires did not in the least thwart God's eternal purpose, but it did provide an opportunity for God to demonstrate His long—suffering, in permitting Saul to remain king. In this story Saul does not follow the instructions of God. Samuel was so disappointed and perplexed that he sought the Lord with all his heart to learn the way out of the deplorable situation.

With an apparent show of great respect, Saul waited expectantly to receive Samuel's commendation. Like men all through the course of history, Saul was ready to believe that he had carried out the commission given him, merely by performing that part of it that was agreeable to him. He had made a foray against the traditional enemies of Israel, and had returned with Agag as proof of the accomplishment of his mission. The victory monument erected in Carmel is evidence of his self—satisfaction. Like Saul of Tarsus, Saul the son of Kish had no doubt come to believe that acts of his own choosing were performed in harmony with God's will. But here, of course, similarity between the two ends, for the one knew the will of God and did it not, but the other acted in ignorance (1 Tim. 1:13).

When Samuel confronted Saul for not destroying everything as God commanded, Saul made excuses. Like Adam and Eve, Saul sought to blame someone else. Would not the people now have been as loyal to Saul's command to destroy everything belonging to the Amalekites as they had been previously in abstaining from food on the day they put the Philistines to rout (ch. 14:24)? For anyone of Saul's nature and intelligence to seek refuge in such an excuse is clear evidence of spiritual breakdown.

Saul failed in this great final test of character. Even Samuel, who had spent the night in prayer to God on Saul's behalf, that the sentence of rejection might be reversed was filled with indignation when he saw the evidence of Saul's rebellion. Because Saul had forsaken the Lord, Heaven abandoned him to the course of his own choosing and Samuel, for his part, "came no more to see Saul until the day of his death" (v. 35). Saul had completely disqualified himself as king by submitting to the desires of the people, by laying upon them the blame for his own wrong decision, and by seeking to assume to himself honor that in fact belonged to God.

Reluctant as Samuel may have been in the first place to give Israel a king, once the king had been selected, Samuel remained loyal to him in spite of his mistakes. To Samuel, as later to David, Saul was "the Lord's anointed" (ch. 24:10). Samuel's grief over the course Saul had chosen is evidence of the sincerity of Samuel's solicitude for him.