Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
1 Samuel 13:1 places what follows early in Saul's reign, when a crisis with the Philistines tested whether he would obey God and wait for Samuel. Together with the next verse it records his reduction of the army after the assembly at Gilgal, keeping two thousand men with himself at Michmash and one thousand with Jonathan at Gibeah while sending the rest home. Dismissing most of the force was a serious mistake, since the confidence gained from its recent victory could have been used to strike Israel's enemies. In that setting Saul impatiently offered sacrifice contrary to God's directions, and Samuel told him that obedience would have established his kingdom, but that because of his disobedience his kingdom would not continue.
1 Samuel 13:1 places what follows early in Saul's reign, when a crisis with the Philistines tested whether he would obey God and wait for Samuel. Together with the next verse it records his reduction of the army after the assembly at Gilgal, keeping two thousand men with himself at Michmash and one thousand with Jonathan at Gibeah while sending the rest home. Dismissing most of the force was a serious mistake, since the confidence gained from its recent victory could have been used to strike Israel's enemies. In that setting Saul impatiently offered sacrifice contrary to God's directions, and Samuel told him that obedience would have established his kingdom, but that because of his disobedience his kingdom would not continue.