Today's Scripture Reading (November 10, 2024): Exodus 10
Richard II (1367-1400)
ascended to the throne of England when he was only ten years old. As a
child, various advisors and counsellors made decisions for him during the first
part of his reign. But, beginning with the Peasant's Revolt in 1381, the now fourteen-year-old
King started to emerge, placing his stamp on his reign. It might have been that
the children of England empowered Richard as they saw someone their own age,
and thus sharing their worldview, on the throne of the nation. The first years
of Richard went reasonably well. But trouble was on the horizon.
That trouble seemed to arrive
as Richard stopped trusting his advisors. Disagreeing with their advice,
Richard became a Tyrant who made his own decisions. He had his perceived
enemies rounded up and executed or exiled in the latter portion of his reign.
As a result, his list of enemies multiplied as the King grew older.
Contemporary historians argue
about the mental state of Richard II, with some arguing that the King was
bipolar and others saying he had a narcissistic personality. Still, others
maintain that none of this is true; Richard simply believed in the throne's
power and his ability to do whatever he wanted to do, something that would not
have been unusual during this era of history.
But the result of the King's
behavior is something else about which historians argue. We know that Richard
believed in his absolute power and that there was no need, now that he was of
age, for him to listen to his advisors. But
Richard's behavior became so offensive to Parliament that Richard was deposed
in 1399. At first, his successor, Henry Bolingbroke, who reigned as Henry V,
agreed to let Richard live. The two were first cousins and had been childhood
friends. But it soon became apparent that as long as he lived, Richard would
provide a figurehead to those who wanted to restore him to the throne. It also
seems that Henry couldn't give the order to have Richard killed. As a result,
Richard II died in captivity of neglect and starvation less than a year after
his removal from the English throne. Henry V had a much healthier relationship
with Parliament, and observers have to wonder if Richard's story would have
been much different if he had built a better relationship with Parliament and
his advisors. Maybe he would have been a much better ruler if his pride hadn't
gotten in the way and he had been able to take into account the advice of his
counselors.
It is something that could definitely
be said about Pharaoh in the days of Moses. The ruler's advisors and officials
saw something to which Pharaoh's pride had blinded him. The cost was mounting,
and if all the slaves needed was time for worship, maybe it was time to give
in. But that was something Pharaoh couldn't do, and his lack of perspective was
starting to cost the empire dearly.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading:
Exodus 11
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