After the terrible battlefield loss to the Philistines, a man from the tribe of Binyamin runs to Shilo to deliver the news to Eli. Rashi reports a tradition that this man was none other than Shaul, who would later be selected as the first king of Israel. This is significant, as leaders of Israel are often military men. For example, Avraham (see Genesis 14, which describes the war he fought to save his nephew Lot), Moshe (see Numbers 21, where he leads Israel in battle against Sihon and Og) and Yehoshua were all spiritual and military figures. Fighting just wars is an imperative, and it is the responsibility of the Israelite leader to lead his troops into battle. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the first king of Israel is also a soldier.