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What is the significance of 1 Samuel 13:13–14?

Because of Saul’s rebellion, Samuel tells him, “The Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever but now your kingdom will not continue.”

The biblical narrative depicting God’s dealings with Saul up to this point is predicated on the assumption that God intended to establish Saul’s descendants as the permanent heir to the throne of Israel. He would have followed through with this if Saul had not fallen. If the classical view of divine foreknowledge is correct, however, God couldn’t really have planned on permanently establishing Saul’s throne, for he would have eternally foreknown that this wouldn’t happen.

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