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1 Samuel 15:35 (BSB)
And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
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Scripture quotations (main text) are from the Berean Study Bible (BSB), © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), ©2001 by Crossway, is used for comparison and word study only.
Bible Copyright & Permissions“And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.” — 1 Samuel 15:35
In this moment, you can feel the weight of sadness. Samuel, the prophet, is heartbroken over Saul, the king he once anointed. It’s like losing a close friend; the grief is palpable. And on top of that, God Himself is reflecting on His decision to make Saul king. This isn’t just a story about leadership; it’s a deep, emotional moment where both Samuel and God are grappling with regret and loss. It shouts that leadership can have profound impacts, not just on nations but on personal relationships too.
The book of 1 Samuel is traditionally attributed to the prophet Samuel, but it’s likely that others contributed too, like the prophet Nathan and even Gad. They wanted to record the story of Israel's transition from judges to kings, showcasing the good, the bad, and the ugly. Including this detail about Samuel's grief over Saul highlights the personal cost of leadership. It reminds us that the choices we make can deeply affect others, and the person behind the words is someone who felt those emotions intensely.
This story unfolds in ancient Israel, a time when the nation was trying to find its identity and strength among surrounding enemies. It was roughly 1000 years before Jesus walked the earth. The people were yearning for strong leadership after years of being led by judges. This context matters because it shows how crucial the role of a king was seen as a source of hope and guidance. When Saul failed, it wasn’t just a personal disappointment but a national crisis, echoing through the lives of everyone in Israel.
This verse resonates deeply today because it speaks to the reality of disappointment and regret. We all have moments when decisions we’ve made, or those made by others, don’t turn out as we hoped. It reminds you that even in leadership, whether at work, in relationships, or within yourself, mistakes happen. It’s okay to feel grief over those failures. It encourages you to reflect on your choices and their impact, reinforcing that it's never too late to seek a better path or make amends.
Take a moment this week to think about a decision you’ve made that didn’t turn out well. Instead of dwelling on regret, consider what you can learn from it. Maybe you can reach out to someone you’ve hurt or even write down your feelings to process them. Use this time to reflect on how your choices affect others, and think about what positive changes you can make moving forward. It’s all about growth and learning, just like Samuel had to do.
To understand how we got here, we need to step back a bit. Earlier in this chapter, God tells Samuel that Saul has messed up big time by disobeying commands meant to guide him as king. This isn’t just a bad day at work; it’s a breach of trust that affects everyone in Israel. After Samuel delivers the hard news to Saul, he leaves, knowing he won’t see him again, marking a painful turning point. This verse captures that heart-wrenching moment of farewell and the heavy emotional fallout that comes from broken leadership. It’s a dramatic crescendo in their relationship and sets the stage for what’s next in the story.
What decision in your life right now makes you feel a sense of regret, and how can you turn that feeling into a learning opportunity?
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