After the Israelites refused to listen to Samuel’s warnings about a king, Samuel anointed Saul as Israel’s first king. As predicted, much of Saul’s reign was disastrous. Because he refused to obey God, Samuel confronted Saul and told him of God’s plans to choose another king to replace him, “But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command” (1 Samuel 13:14). After David was anointed by Samuel, there was a period of preparation before he actually realized his calling. His battle with Goliath, the giant, was an integral part of that preparation.