THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
Once again, Saul transgressed by disregarding the Lord’s commands, prompting Samuel to convey a divine message: "You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." Despite Saul's repeated sin, his pleas for forgiveness led him to urge Samuel to accompany him in worshiping the Lord. However, Samuel resolutely responded, "I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." The Faithful One of Israel does not speak falsely or change His mind, for He is not a man who repents. The individual who received this proclamation was king over Israel for forty years, mirroring the reign of David who followed him.
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This divine judgment was heard in the early part of Saul's reign. From this, we can deduce that none of Saul's lineage would inherit the throne thereafter, directing our attention to David’s line, from which the Mediator between God and humanity, Jesus Christ, would arise in the flesh (cf. 1 Tim. 2:5).
In various Latin translations, there is a verse expressed as: the Lord has torn away the kingdom of Israel from you (1 Kings 15:28). However, I have chosen to present the phrase according to the Greek text: the Lord has torn away the kingdom from Israel out of your hand, emphasizing the union of your hand and Israel. In this instance, Samuel represented the people of Israel, who would forfeit their kingdom with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who reigns in the spirit rather than in the flesh—as proclaimed in the New Testament. The mention of “And gave him to your neighbor, your peer” refers to familial ties, as Christ is of Israel by descent, akin to Saul himself.