Way back in Genesis, God promised that he would send a king to destroy evil and bless the nations. The king would come from the line of Judah (and he would be the lion of Judah!). Jesus was this lion king from Judah’s line. But before we get to King Jesus, we start with King Saul. Saul wasn’t a great king, because he wasn’t always a good man. And he wasn’t who God had in mind when he thought of the right king for Israel. This is why, when Israel demanded a king, the Lord said, “They have rejected me from being king over them” (1 Sam. 8:7). They wanted a king that was just like all the other nations: a powerful man who was like a god, someone who would rule them in his own strength. They wanted a great king instead of our great God! Well, God gave them what they wanted. Let’s see what happens, and let’s see how God brings about his good plan even through Israel’s bad decision.