“Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came.” Samuel saw at once that Saul had violated the clear directions given to him. If Saul had fulfilled the conditions for the promised divine help, the Lord would have worked a marvelous deliverance for Israel, but Saul was so well satisfied with himself that he went out to meet the prophet expecting approval rather than criticism.
Samuel asked, “What have you done?” and Saul offered excuses for taking such liberties. “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
“And Samuel said to Saul, ‘You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people.’ ... Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin.”
Either Israel must cease to be the people of God, or the monarchy and the nation must be governed by divine power. In Israel no monarchy could prosper that did not acknowledge the supreme authority of God in all things.
In this time of trial, Saul’s failure showed that he was unfit to be the representative of God to His people. He would mislead Israel. His will, rather than the will of God, would be the controlling power. Since he had failed, God’s plans must be accomplished by someone else. The government of Israel must be committed to someone who would rule according to the will of Heaven.
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