God repents. Meaningless.
In this passage we see clearly that Saul had rejected the Lord in lieu of obeying the voice of his people out of fear. God we know is omniscient and knows completely the past, present and surely the future. He forsaw that Saul was to disobey him eventually. Yet God chose to make him king, in His wise wisdom. Eventually the Lord himself said that he regretted his decision. He repented of his decision. Yet God was said (v29) not to repent like a man! When a person regrets his decision, does he not feel despair? Does he not feel frustration that things does not go his way? Yet we know fully and clearly that God is sovereign. Nothing will happen unless he wills it. If He does not put it place to happen, it will not happen. If He wills it, it cannot be stopped. Hence, Saul's disobedience, just like Juda's betrayal, was preordained and preplanned by God, from start to finish. Even David's adultery with Bathsheba was preordained (so that you can have solomon, for example). All this was done so that God's glory may show. Ultimately, what God brings to pass, good or bad, is done such that God is most glorified. So does it make sense that God regrets the very thing he ordains? Is God frustrated by some human action? No. God cannot be frustrated. God is perfectly happy at the end state even when he does express regret or grief. Because whatever event that causes God to grief or regret was decided by him as well! He put it into place! He allowed it to happen! So we ask: Is God a schizophenic? Is He of 2 minds? Not if you know that God has 2 Wills. Revealed and secret will. This means that whatever is spelled out is his revealed desires, i.e. what pleases him and what does not. This is important to spell out the Law, which is used to condemn. On the other side, is his secret will, which is what he will put into motion such that God is ultimately glorified. it involves the death of the wicked and the hardening of their hearts. So in the revealed will, we have God stating that He desires the salvation of all men. [John 3:16 etc], yet on the other hand, his secret will condemns many and saves few so that His grace may be shown. Going back to the analogy of Saul, God in his secret will condemned Saul to destruction, and allowed Saul to disobey God. Yet, we know full well and obviously that God desires that His commands are all followed, as spelt in his revealed will, as i quote God: 1 Samuel 15:22 Hence we finally make sense of the profound statement: '29And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.' God does not repent like a man due to his perfect knowledge of the future, God also does not desire like one too: we desire the wrong things, we get frustrated. God desires in full knowledge of the future that some may not come to pass (cause he will simply not let it), and does not get frustrated obviously. An application for us would be that God's commands today are not only commands written in black and white, but God is also desirous and sincere about wanting us following it. One of the commands is the gospel message, which God is hence absolutely sincere and desiring of. The answer from verse 29 is very clear: God does not repent like a man. Other versions give 'regret' and 'change his mind' as synonyms. So what is the profoundness of this statement?
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.