They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away. – 2 Samuel 4:6

Today's Scripture Reading (June 21, 2025): 2 Samuel 4

Albert Frederick Arthur George was born on December 14, 1895. Unfortunately, the date, December 14, was the anniversary of the day that his grandfather died. Grandpa had passed away on December 14, 1861. The result was that as the child was born, the family was unsure how -Grandma, who was still alive, would react. Grandpa's name had been Albert, and Grandma had never gotten over the loss of her husband, even though by the time the baby was born, Grandpa Albert had been gone for thirty-four years. Then, someone suggested that maybe Grandma's mood would be improved if the newborn's parents decided to name the child Albert. Mom and Dad, or George and Mary, agreed. The baby was named Albert, and Grandma was informed of the news. It worked, and Grandma received the news and wrote back to the proud parents. "I am all impatience to see the new one, born on such a sad day but rather more dear to me, especially as he will be called by that dear name which is a byword for all that is great and good."

None of this would be significant except that Grandma was Queen Victoria, and the parents of the young Albert were King George V and Queen Mary of Teck. Young Albert was the second male child to be born, so in popular language, he was "The Spare" and was unlikely ever to become King of the United Kingdom, which would be left to his older brother. Edward. So, Albert grew up, he had a stammer and was not a very public person. But that was okay because it was his brother who was destined to be King. George V passed away on January 20, 1936, and Albert's older brother Edward became King Edward VIII. But his reign didn't last long; within a year, Edward VIII abdicated the throne, and Albert became someone he never considered he would be: a king. Albert also found himself at a crossroads. This stammering, shy man could step up and become the King that the nation needed, or he could ignore his responsibilities and become someone less.

Albert decided to restore the confidence of the people in the monarchy by taking the Regnal name that matched his father, George V. Grandma might have been excited to see a King Albert take the throne if she were still alive, but the nation needed the steady hand of his father, so Albert became King George VI. I think George VI was precisely the King the planet required as the world went to war. George VI and his Queen Elizabeth, the one most of us remember as "the Queen Mother," were instrumental in consoling the people as World War II progressed, often visiting bombed-out areas of London to help those who had been hurt. However, Albert's on-hand approach was not a foregone conclusion, as Edward VIII left the throne behind. It was a reign that Albert had begun to prepare for as soon as he realized he would be King. Albert seemed to know that the world needed and deserved a consequential King as the complications of the twentieth century progressed.

Ish-bosheth, a surviving son of Saul, rose to the throne of Israel after his father's death, but he found himself in conflict with the Tribe of Judah, which had crowned David as their King. For two years, the battle raged until Abner, the leader of Ish-bosheth's army, was killed in battle. At the death of Abner, it seemed that Ish-bosheth had lost confidence in his ability to win against David. That loss of confidence was fatal.

Two of Ish-bosheth's captains, Baanah and Rechab, realized that they would not have the exalted positions they had hoped for in the Kingdom of Ish-bosheth. As a result, they took it upon themselves to murder Ish-bosheth, hoping that King David would reward their service. And so, Ish-bosheth dies at the hands of his supporters, essentially because he is an inadequate King and completely unprepared to do what a King would have to do.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 1