The nation had thrown their lot in with Saul, anointing him as their King to give them military success against the powerful nations around them. but as we have seen, Saul had been a failure and the nation was suffering as a result. But God had anointed a future King, one after His own heart. In this famous story, the future King David steps onto the national stage and shows the people, and the rejected King Saul, where true hope lies.