Samuel, the man of God, comes before the people to publically pass the torch on to Saul as the new ruler of the people of Israel. He stands before the people and asks them to declare if he has ever wronged them or defrauded them or let them down in any way, which is a challenging thing for a leader to do before their people. The people respond and say that Samuel has not wronged them at any time. By this public challenge Samuel confirmed that he was passing on a good legacy to Saul and that if the nation went downhill from their it was not Samuels fault. He declares to them all the righteous acts that the Lord has done to them how He brought them out of Egypt, raised up judges to rule over them and taught them discipline through affliction. He recalls the events that effected the nation of Israel right up to the battle with Nahash in the previous chapter and shows the people the big picture of how the Lord has been faithful to them.
