Saul comes to an ignominious end. Having heard from the conjured spirit of Samuel that his kingship would end badly, for he had disobeyed and displeased God, Saul was thrown into deep despair. The Philistines renewed their hostilities with Saul and his army, re-engaging them in a battle that ended in the death of Saul and his sons. Once badly wounded, Saul fell on his own sword rather than suffer indignity at the hands of the Philistine army. In death, his corpse was desecrated by the Philistines, and the book ends with the Philistines triumphant. In what is to me an odd sidelight, if I am reading correctly, David offered to go into battle with the Philistines against Saul and his army--but the Philistine lords rejected his offer.
Let me return one more time to a sentiment I expressed in an earlier post: I find Saul a very sympathetic figure despite his many faults. He is complex, for sure. More so, to my mind, than any character so far in the Old Testament. He is a father who loves his sons, and even loves his "adopted" son, David. He is a leader who loves his people. He feels things deeply. He admires the holy man, Samuel, who taught him the ways of the Lord. And he seeks to serve God. But he is also small-minded and petulant and jealous. He is willful and violent and egotistical. He is, in short, a man. He loses his himself in disobedience and egotism, and he cannot find his way back to God. Looking over Saul's life makes me sad.
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