Serve faithfully
1 Samuel 10:9 – Chapter 12
Initially Saul looks like everything the people would want in a king. Not only is he physically fit for the part, tall and handsome, but he receives the gift of prophecy.
Samuel, though, makes sure the people understand what they were getting into, even writing down the rights and duties of kingship. Sadly, the people paid about as much attention as we pay to the terms and conditions of an online document.
Saul gets off to a good start, winning victory in battle and being publicly proclaimed king. He even shows mercy and humility, sparing the lives of some who had questioned his fitness for the task.
Samuel, now an old man, speaks to the people, reminding them of the fate of their ancestors who had failed to be obedient to God, and again reminding them of the evil they had done by rejecting God as their king and demanding a human king.
However, he says all will go well in spite of that if they continue to serve the Lord with all their heart. “Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”