The Right to Arm Bears

In the book of 2^nd Kings 2, we have one of the most unusual, violent and curious passages in scripture. It involves the prophet Elisha siccing a couple of bears on some kids that were mocking his bald head.

As a guy that is a little light on top that has been around some surly kids, I can feel for the guy. But seriously a bear attack? On kids? What is going on?

….young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!" 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.

2^nd Kings 2:23-25

It might help to explore the passage a bit more. The baldhead statement: This was an identifying mark of the prophet as opposed to Elijah who was hairy (1st Kings 1:8) a jab to say you are not him. The taunt to go up: Elijah has just been taken into heaven by the Lord a sight seen by Elisha but not fully accepted by everyone (2^nd Kings 2:16-18). The lads: it is a general term that might be better said as teenagers or young men.

So if I said a large gang of teenager surrounded the prophet mocking his claim and telling him to die and God sends protection in the form of bears to defend him, it sounds a whole lot better, doesn’t it?

Still, the question is why? Why did these young men face such violent ends? I wonder if it doesn’t just show us the times in that day. The leadership was corrupt. Religion was fluid. The people were fickle. Evil abounded. Violence was everywhere. People had sunk to terrible depths. There seemed to be little care for others.

Is it any wonder that such times would make people callous to God and his prophet? Could it be God was showing the people thru this dramatic act that there was a need to change?

In our world today, we see some of the same atrocities and attitudes. Everyone seems to have their spin on the causes and the actions. But could it be that God is just letting us reap a bit of what we have been sowing over the last few generations? Our children are showing what happened when you remove God from our lives and allow evil in. These events are not special punishments to anyone, but they are a call to repent (Luke13:1-5).

Wickedness, evil, violence, callousness, vitriol, and corruption have plagued mankind in all ages. The solution isn’t in ourselves, in better laws, bigger armies; it is listening to God.

It should take a slaughter to make us see we are not in a right state. Instead of questioning Him maybe we need to be listening to Him?

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