Please read this passage before reading this homily.
Why did God reject Saul? Samuel says it was because of disobedience, because he did not do things the way God wanted him to do them. Samuel accuses Saul of not acting like a king, that h looked down upon himself and his power. He seems to have been a mediocre leader of his army. According to some scholars, Saul had acted more like one of the judges of old and not like a king with a strong centralized government.
We have more information about David. David could both fight in battles and let others take the lead at times. David did set up a centralized government with Jerusalem as its base. David’s sins are well-known, his affair with Uriah’s wife and his indirect killing of her husband. David also had problems controlling his sons. Would we have more information about Saul if he had reigned long as king? We do not know.
This passage does have important things to say about obedience to the Lord. Sacrificing can become routine, but obedience demands a person give up personal desires to do someone else’s will. Divination, asking wisdom of pagan gods is giving idolatrous honor to a non-god. Presumption is assuming a power we may not have and going behind a superior’s back, which is like a rebellion.
What I draw from this is that God wants all of us for himself so that we can find true and genuine happiness in the only one who can give us true happiness.