The book of First Samuel opens with the dawn of Israel’s monarchy under King Saul. The people demanded that the prophet Samuel appoint a king so they could be “like the nations.” God granted their ill-advised request, handing them a king cut from the same cloth as the rulers they envied. Oscar Wilde once quipped, “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.” Fittingly, Saul’s name in Hebrew means “asked for,” as if God said, “Very well, this is what you asked for.”

It’s not that God opposed Israel having a king. In fact, He laid out specific instructions for kingship in Deuteronomy 17:14-16. What He opposed was their motive. They weren’t seeking a king to honor God’s design; they were seeking a king to mirror the nations they were supposed to illuminate. Called to be a light to the Gentiles, they longed instead to look like them. And as Samuel aged and his sons proved unfit for leadership, the people decided it was time to crown a king of their own choosing.

God answered their demand with Saul- a man praised only for his external qualities. In today’s language, he was “tall, dark, and handsome.” In fact, he is the only Israelite in Scripture specifically described as tall. Every other “tall” figure in the Bible is an enemy of God’s people: the Anakim, Goliath, Og of Bashan, the Amorites, and even an Egyptian warrior who stood seven and a half feet. Tragically, Saul would ultimately stand in that same company, not as Israel’s protector, but as an enemy to the very people he was meant to lead.

Circumstances do not rewrite commandments.

Chapters 13-15 of 1 Samuel form what many call the “rejection narrative.” Saul’s downfall can be traced to a single root: disobedience. Given clear instructions, he was to wait for Samuel to offer the lawful sacrifice before going into battle. But Saul refused to wait. He presided over an unlawful sacrifice and crossed a boundary God had drawn in bold lines. Within his disobedience we see three movements which are warnings that remain painfully relevant today.

1. He Ignored the Clear Word of God

Saul knew the command yet set it aside. Men, we cannot overstate the importance of knowing Scripture. In the Word, God’s will is revealed; in obedience, His blessing is found. To knowingly violate His commands is to invite judgment. The Old Testament calls this “sinning with a high hand”, a brazen defiance, like shaking one’s fist at heaven.

2. He Was Driven by Circumstance

Saul watched the Philistines assemble, his own troops scatter, and Samuel delay and panic took the wheel. Fear pushed him into impulsive action. Many men have made the same mistake: pressured by the moment, tempted by an anxious shortcut, they cross lines God has clearly drawn. Circumstances do not rewrite commandments.

3. He Refused Responsibility

When confronted, Saul clung to excuses like a shield. He blamed his soldiers, then Samuel, and ultimately believed he could secure God’s favor through disobedience. Pride blinded him. How different from David, who, when Nathan confronted him, broke open in confession rather than doubling down in deflection.

Saul stands as a portrait of the carnal nature- that inward bent of the human heart. As his story unfolds, he becomes increasingly self-absorbed. And though we who are in Christ have been made new, the old nature still whispers within us. There is, in a very real sense, a Saul in all of us.

From this rejected king, we learn three enduring truths: the necessity of knowing God’s will, the commitment to act upon it, and the humility to confess when we fail. Saul’s story warns us where disobedience leads and invites us to choose a better way.