The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind. -1 Samuel 15: 28b & 29, NIV
“Um...Yes, he did.” The farmer pointed his way to the hoarde of animals that crossed in front of his noses. Horse scat mixed with cow scat. A couple of royal soldiers cooking in a stew. “Moohs” and “Baahs” running around the village —and no, the place is not fertile enough to feed all of them.
Samuel scratched his head. It was impossible! How could he!? Was he blind? Was he damp? Was he dumb —okay, perhaps he was that dumb. Dumb enough to almost kill his own son by a dumb vow. Dumb enough to make alliances to people he already knew were off-limits. Maybe he was horribly dumb.
Samuel saw him on top of the hill, graciously touching his belly, looking haughtily at the plunder he accumulated by waging holy war. Samuel, of course, was upset.
“Samuel!”, he emphatically said, “I have done the Lord's work!”
“Well, then, why do I hear bleating sheep and mooing cows?”
“Um...Um...Uh...” Saul stuttered. If he were gago...but he wasn't!
“I am sorry, but I can't stand for this. He called you being small in your own eyes to lead a stubborn nation. And you trample ME!?!?”
“Uh...Eh...I'm sorry, I didn't meant--”
“Stop talking, it's God's turn!” Samuel looked at his surroundings, and he saw the priestly guards sacrificing the unknown anathema. The Lord whispered, “Say this: Do I want sacrifices from disobedience, or answers from idolatry? Because you have rejected me, I will reject you!”
Samuel's heart sunk. What little conscience faded away from Saul's soul returned. He felt sorry, genuinely sorry. Sorry that the transition's not going to be pretty. Sorry that he won't have power anymore. Sorry that he will lose his prime seats on High Holy Days.
“But, Samuel, wait!”, he begged. “Please, stay and worship with me! Please, stay--”
Rip! Rip! Samuel's robe was torn. “The Lord's words are irreversible: He shan't change His mind like we do. Your kingdom has been torn from your hands; leave from this place, that God has already chosen someone with His own heart.”
In shame, Saul ran with streaming tears in his face. At the end of a hill, an evil spirit was waiting for him. In another end, Samuel asked for his sackcloth and shut the door of the holy temple. And in the heavens, God already had the name of the next person in the palm of His hand.