Hash-m c'viachol considers whether to kill shaul or shmuel. Both have down sides. If shaul is taken then shmuel is not satisfied, if shmuel is taken then people will say he sinned. If shaul isn't taken what will happen to Malchus david that needs to come about. Therefore H' takes shmuel makes him appear older and takes him. The gemarah than brings a pasuk and concludes that shaul lived two and a half yrs. due to shmuel's tephillah. What were these two and a half yrs.? Seemingly they are after this dialouge where H' c'viachol states the problems. Why are these two and a half yrs. not a problem of Ein malchus nogas b'chavertah afilu
ma'alei neimah?
Thank you,
Elazar
The time for the kingship of David had not yet arrived, until those two and a half years had passed. Indeed, if it were not for the Tefilah of Shmuel, Shaul would have died earlier, and there would not have been a king in Yisrael for two and a half years.
Kollel Iyun Hadaf