God rejected Saul long ago (chapter 15), but only now does death overtake Saul and his reign come to an end. This resembles what happened to Adam, who did not die “on that very day”—the day of the fall—but lived another 930 years. Why does this happen; why is God’s decision not carried out at once? There may be different answers. First, God does not dwell in time, and for Him the decision and its fulfillment are one and the same moment. Second, His purpose is not to punish a person immediately, so that the person understands nothing, but to give him an opportunity to see where his sin leads. This takes time, although a person may still see nothing during that time. Of course, we do not know what Saul managed to understand, but it is telling that throughout these chapters, from chapter 15 through chapter 31, he remembers God less and less often; even at the very moment before his death, he turns not to Him but to his armor-bearer, entrusting his life to him. When the armor-bearer refuses to run the king through, Saul takes his own life, once again violating God’s will. If a person does not humble his pride through repentance, it consumes him entirely and carries him into eternal darkness.