1 Samuel 15:24

I have sinned. Prior to Samuel’s announcement that God had rejected Saul as king (v. 23), Saul stoutly defended his course of action. Only when sentence was pronounced and the penalty became known was he willing to admit erring from the divine command. Saul failed to manifest the evidence of a changed life that accompanies “godly sorrow”; his was “the sorrow of the world” (2 Cor. 7:9-11). It was not the sincere desire to do right that impelled this admission, but the fear of forfeiting his kingdom. It was only when confronted with this prospect that he feigned repentance, with the objective of saving, if possible, his position as king. Human praise meant more to him than divine approval.