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7. The other side. On the north side of the Valley of Jezreel were the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun, and part of the tribe of Issachar. East of the Jordan were the half tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Gad. By occupying the valleys of Esdraelon, Jezreel, and Jordan, the Philistines had made a complete line of cleavage through the center of Israel’s domain. The people who had so loudly demanded a king now had opportunity to view the results of their decision. In the face of such an ignominious defeat, they were made to realize how much better it would have been to await the word of the Lord than to run ahead of Him. Royalty and commoners alike were sharers in the woes that now had come.

A survey of Saul’s inglorious reign shows that whereas Samuel’s administration of law had been helpful, Saul’s was the reverse. Under his rule there had been no such things as security of life or property. Freedom from foreign aggression and strength of international relationships were unheard of. Through the hard lesson of experience, Israel had to learn the futility of placing in power a king who was mainly concerned with the enrichment of his own home and the enforcement of his arbitrary desires. The people had erred in judgment; Saul had erred in executive wisdom.