Kish lost his donkeys and sent Saul and one of the servants to search for them. They searched through Ephraim, Shalishah, Shaalim, Benjamin, and Zuph and did not find them. On a tip from his servant, he went to Samuel, coincidentally on a day of sacrifice. The LORD revealed he was to be king, so Samuel set him at the head of the hall and gave him the leg. (1 Samuel 9:1-24)
Samuel anointed Saul and gave him three signs - two men by Rachel's tomb will tell him his father worries for him, not the donkeys, now.Then 3 men going up to God at Bethel will offer him bread. Then at Gibeath-Elohim, he will prophesy with a group of prophets and receive the Spirit of the Lord. Then he is to go to Gilgal to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings with Samuel. The townspeople asked, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" when they saw him. He didn't share any of this with Kish, though. (1 Samuel 10:1-16)
Samuel announced him at Mizpah, but he hid in the baggage until the LORD found him. Samuel defined the rights and duties of the kingship and sent Saul home. Some men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him, while worthless fellows brought him no present. (1 Samuel 10:17-27)
Saul's first victory
Nahash the Ammonite sought to besiege and disgrace Jabesh-gilead, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he cut up a yoke of oxen and sent the pieces throughout Israel as a threat to summon troops. He and 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 Judeans cut down and scattered the Ammonites. (1 Samuel 11)
The people were to put to death Saul's dissenters, but Saul disallowed it for the LORD had worked salvation in Israel. Then Samuel brought everyone down to Gilgal to make Saul king before the LORD, with peace offerings and rejoicing. (1 Samuel 11:12-15)
Saul breaks the LORD's command
Saul and 2,000 men camped in Michmash and Bethel, while Jonathan and a thousand were in Gibeah. Jonathan defeated the Philistine garrison at Geba. Israel joined Saul at Gilgal, and 30,000 Philistine chariots and 6,000 horsemen and troops encamped in Michmash. (1 Samuel 13:1-7)
Saul waited the seven days Samuel appointed then offered the sacrifices himself. As he finished, Samuel arrived and informed him he forfeit his throne to someone else for his disobedience. Saul and 600 Israelites camped in Geba with no proper weapons apart from Saul's and Jonathan's, while the Philistines camped in Michmash. (1 Samuel 13:8-22)
He fought against all his enemies on every side - Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, the Amalekites, and the Philistines. (1 Samuel 14:47-48)
Saul's watchmen saw the Philistines in a panic, so Saul called for a count and discovered the absence of his son and his armor-bearer. He called for Ahijah to bring the ark of God, but as they were talking, the panic became so great he rushed the men into battle with such victory that defectors and Israelites in hiding rallied to his side, chasing the Philistines past Beth-aven. The LORD saved Israel. (1 Samuel 14:16-23)
He made an oath to curse anyone who eats before he is avenged in the evening. His men encountered a forest with honey on the floor but abstained to the point of being faint. They struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, then his men hastened to eat spoils with the blood. He was informed, so he built his first altar to the LORD to prevent them from sinning further. (1 Samuel 14:24-35)
Then Saul willed to plunder the Philistines, but when Ahijah suggested he consult God, He was silent. He was going to kill whomever whose sin stood in the way. The lot fell to Saul and Jonathan, and the people of Israel were innocent. Then it fell to Jonathan. (1 Samuel 14:36-...)
Samuel told Saul the LORD wanted him to destroy Amalek and all their livestock. He summoned his forces to Telaim and, after warning the Kenites to flee, Saul and two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur. He captured Agag alive and let the people keep the best livestock for slaughter.
He set up a monument for himself and went to Gilgal where Samuel criticized him. Samuel refused to worship with him, so Saul seized his robe and tore it. "The LORD has torn the kingdom from you." They parted ways, and Saul returned to Gibeah and did not see Samuel again. The LORD regretted he made Saul king. (1 Samuel 15)