Saul said, Bring here the burnt offering to me, and the peace-offerings. He offered the burnt offering.
Saul’s punishment may appear excessively severe at first. However, the king of Israel was the Lord’s lieutenant. Any disobedience to his Commander-in-Chief was an act of insubordination that threatened the whole administrative organization of God’s kingdom on earth. Saul failed to perceive his place and responsibility under God. Contrast King Hezekiah’s appropriate behavior in a similar situation in 2 Chronicles 29:25. Saul assumed more authority than was his. For this reason God would not establish a dynasty for him (cf. 1 Samuel 24:21). Had he obeyed on this occasion, God would have placed Saul’s descendants on his throne for at least one generation, if not more (1 Samuel 13:13; cf. 1 Kings 11:38). Perhaps Saul’s descendants would have reigned in a parallel kingdom with the king from Judah. [Note: J. Dwight Pentecost, Thy Kingdom Come, p. 139; Youngblood, p. 657.] Now Saul’s son would not succeed him. Eventually God would have raised up a king from the tribe of Judah even if Saul had followed the Lord faithfully (Genesis 49:10). That king probably would have been David.