ELISHA IN HIS EARLY MINISTRY – PART 3 – JUDGEMENT FROM GOD – THE BEARS
SERIES – MESSAGES ON ELISHA – HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY Number 5
[A]. THE JUDGEMENT OF THE BEARS
2Kings 2 v 23 [[Then he went up from there to Bethel and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead. Go up, you baldhead!” 2Kings 2:24 When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.]]
We have before us a most difficult passage. It would be nearly impossible in a mixed group in today’s society, to preach on these two verses because you would be severely attacked. Words like “bigoted”, “hateful”, “misguided” and “a god of vengeance” would be howled at you. I don’t expect that from my congregation this morning, but even Christians express concern at this story. Let us try to understand it in the context to which it applies.
Verse 23 starts with Elisha leaving Jericho just after he had cured those bitter, brackish waters (the message last time), and was on his way to Bethel, when a group of youths accosted him mocked him. They threw insults at him in regard to his baldness. They mocked his baldness. Some versions use the phrase, “Go up, baldy!” Elisha cursed them, and two female bears consequently tore up 42 of them. That is the story as it is given to us. Now, what are we to make of it?
* Were the lads not just having fun?
* Is it wrong to joke about a person’s appearance?
* Was not Elisha vindictive to curse the lads?
* What was “Christian” about Elisha’s reaction?
* Should the prophet not have turned the other cheek?
* Isn’t this passage extreme overkill?
Let us try to make some sense of this to satisfy questions and observations outsiders, and even Christians, raise.
Some of the misunderstanding arising from this story is the problem with the wording in the KJV.
Here is the verse in the KJV – [[“And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.”]] It is said in criticism, that it is heartless to curse little children (and it is). In the Gospels, the Lord warned against something similar - Mark 10 v 14 [[but when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me. Do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”]] And this as well - Mark 9 v 42 [[Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if he had been cast into the sea with a heavy millstone hung around his neck.”]] However the words “little children” are not correct. This Hebrew word often signifies children, or young men, as it is used in this following verse and others as well – [[Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”]] (ESV). The very same word was used by Solomon of himself, when he took the throne of Israel after David’s death. It is thought it includes lads of at least 12 to 15 and older. In any case, it is more than probable they were old enough to discern between good and evil as what they were saying, shows. A remark in the Pulpit Commentary says this – “Such mischievous youths are among the chief nuisances of Oriental towns. They waylay the traveller, deride him, jeer him - are keen to remark on any personal defect that he may have, and are merciless in flouting it. They dog his steps, shout out their rude remarks, and sometimes proceed from abusive words to violent acts, as the throwing of sticks, or stones, or mud. On this occasion they only got as far as rude words.”
That brings us to the next point which is the feature they selected with which to mock him. It was his baldness. We assume Elisha was more elderly than young, for baldness is more associated with age, even though some men lose their hair, or start to lose their hair (and women too), in their younger years, even in the late teen years, it can start (consider Prince William). More than two out of three men over the age of 60 have noticeable hair loss. It is related to the male hormone testosterone. Did you know that you lose 50 to 100 strands of hair a day and 250 when you wash your hair? Anyway, don’t worry because Jesus said, (Luke 12 v 7) [[“Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Do not fear. You are of more value than many sparrows.”]] Did you know that August is National Hair Loss Month in some countries? Hereditary hair loss in men (andro-genetic al-o-pecia) is more likely if you have a family history of baldness, especially on both sides of the family. Some men and women are embarrassed about losing their hair and resort to wigs and toupees, but Elisha certainly did not.
In Israel there were attitudes to baldness. In fact the matter was spelled out clearly in the Mosaic Law and this is the best passage for that - Leveticus 13 v 40 [[Now if a man loses the hair of his head, he is bald. He is clean. Lev 13:41 If his head becomes bald at the front and sides, he is bald on the forehead. He is clean. Lev 13:42 If on the bald head or the bald forehead, there occurs a reddish-white infection, it is leprosy breaking out on his bald head or on his bald forehead. Lev 13:43 Then the priest shall look at him and if the swelling of the infection is reddish-white on his bald head or on his bald forehead, like the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body, Lev 13:44 he is a leprous man; he is unclean. The priest shall surely pronounce him unclean. His infection is on his head.]] There was this connection between baldness and leprosy. Also in the Law, prohibitions were in place about voluntary baldness as this verse reveals - Lev 21 v 5 [[“They shall not make any baldness on their heads, nor shave off the edges of their beards, nor make any cuts in their flesh.”]] The reason for that is a shaved head is a symbol of mourning and defeat, and was also a practice of the heathen. Note this verse to show the baldness of defeat - Jeremiah 48 v 37 [[“For every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins.”]]
We return to the Elisha passage. This mocking was a very real insult, a cynical attack on God’s prophet. It was belittling to the man of God. What we need to understand is that the bottom line here, is not so much an attack on Elisha, but on God who established Elisha. He who despises a child of God, that is, a Christian, actually despises God. An attack on a believer today will not result in a mauling by a bear on the guilty party. His judgement goes before him and will be answered at the great white throne. However Elisha operated under the Law and the Law contained blessings and punishments.
Elisha turned to see who the mockers were, and seeing them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. It is at this point where the greatest criticism lies from the skeptics, and where the mocking of unbelievers is most explosive. If Elisha was wrong in his curse, then God would have withheld His hand. It was God who sent the bears. The fact that God executed His judgement, vindicated the prophet. Those who want to argue the case may do so with God, but they will have no case when they are at the judgement bar of God. One has written – “The historian (writer of 2 Kings) expressly asserts, that Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord. To speak in the name of the Lord, is to deliver what He commands; to prophesy in the name of the Lord, is to foretell what he reveals; and to curse in the name of the Lord, is to declare a curse which He is determined to inflict, and has authorised the prophet to denounce: so that in cursing these youth/young men, Elisha acted as a minister of the Supreme Ruler of the world, and by His order foretold the punishment that was going to be inflicted upon these idolaters.”
Elisha turned about and saw in these young men, the malice and evil spirit of their parents and kindred. ‘God and His seer looked through these youths at the parents who had trained the offspring in wickedness, and at all Israel. They were of Bethel, and no doubt associated with the wicked worship established there. Bethel was the chief city of idolatry with the golden calves. This was a time of great apostasy and idolatry and open hostility to God. In that regards, it is not unlike our own times. God is marking out the judgement upon all scoffers and mockers, and you know from my messages and bible studies, we have considered the rise of mockers in the last days of the Church, these very days in which we live. The world mocks and persecutes God’s people at its own peril.
May I say, there is a prophetic element here in this account. These two female bears tore into the lads just as a bear robbed of her cubs would do. We don’t know how many may have been in the original group, or how many were killed out of that group, but 42 suffered injury. It was the sign of Jehovah's anger against those who despised God’s own select prophet and His message. In only another 135 years God again tore into Israel (Samaria) for her sin and mockery of Jehovah. This is prophesied by Hosea - Hosea 13 v 8 [[I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs, and I will tear open their chests. There I will also devour them like a lioness, as a wild beast would tear them. Hos 13 v 9 It is your destruction, O Israel, that you are against Me, against your help.]] Judgement is coming on this world and men need to depart from their mocking and turn to Christ to be saved from the wrath to come. I think it will be a lot worse than a bear attack.
Mankind has offended God, and His judgements hangs over every head, but the only way of deliverance is faith in the Christ who died on Calvary for your sin. Receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour while the opportunity is still here.
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
