God had made provision for kings to rule His people in the Mosaic Law (Deut. 17:14-20; cf. Gen. 1:26-28; 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10). The request in itself was not what displeased Samuel and God. It was the reason they wanted a king that was bad. On the one hand it expressed dissatisfaction with God's present method of providing leadership through judges (v. 7). On the other it verbalized a desire to be "like all the nations"(v. 5). God's purpose for Israel was that it be different from the nations, superior to them, and a lesson for them (Exod. 19:5-6). The Israelites had requested a different form of government during Gideon's judgeship (Judg. 8:22-23), so this was not the first time the people had voiced this desire. God saw this demand as one more instance of apostasy that had marked the Israelites since the Exodus. He acceded to their request as He had done many times before--by providing manna, quail, and water in the wilderness, for example. However, He mixed judgment with His grace.94
"The rejection of Samuel was the rejection of godly leadership; the choice of Saul was the choice of ungodly leadership. In many ways Saul was the foil for the godly David, just as the sons of Eli were a foil for Samuel."95
Samuel experienced rejection by the people he led just as Moses, Jesus Christ, and so many of God's faithful servants have throughout history (cf. Luke 19:14).96
