“Saul died for his unfaithfulness to the LORD because he did not keep the LORD’s word.  He even consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the LORD.  So the LORD put him to death and turned kingdom over to David son of Jesse” (1 Chr 10:13-14).

Saul was not just an ordinary citizen, but was the LORD’s anointed in a covenant with the LORD to lead Israel.  Yet he lead with wickedness, jealousy, and evil.  When he was in dire need, he didn’t consult the LORD but consulted a medium.

It wasn’t just for this one incident that Saul died, but that was the culmination of a heart that had rejected God.  And when the very leader, the LORD’s specifically anointed, persist in evil and ultimately does more evil than those around him, God brought judgment through the Philistines.

It was Saul who could’ve been great and had his name resound their the centuries, but because he walked in evil, he was removed.  God did not just abandon Israel because of Saul, but raised up another leader.  The kingdom was then handed over to David, son of Jesse.

There are several important things to glean here.  First, when we are in leadership, anointed by the Lord, our actions and where we place our faith are held at higher levels of accountability.  It is no small thing and should not be treated as such.

Secondly, God in His kindness will accomplish his purposes with or without us.  So many times we read in Scripture of those God has chosen because they had the capability of doing great things–Jeroboam, Saul, etc..  But they took that power and leadership ability and served themselves instead of serving God and the people.  When someone persists in doing evil, God will remove them and raise up another.