Warrior of Jesus Posted June 20, 2016 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 14 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 266 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 197 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/27/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 05/10/1995 Share Posted June 20, 2016 2 Kings 23-24 23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. Why did Elisha curse the boys just because they insulted him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serving Posted June 20, 2016 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 22 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 934 Content Per Day: 0.26 Reputation: 905 Days Won: 2 Joined: 09/05/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/14/1969 Share Posted June 20, 2016 8 hours ago, Warrior of Jesus said: 2 Kings 23-24 23 From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24 He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. Why did Elisha curse the boys just because they insulted him? Don't forget that young men were also called boys in those times, they were likely teenagers quite aware of right and wrong. Now Bethel was full of idolaters which is why the prophets planted themselves there to the resistance of the idolaters who hated God's word .. these young men not only mocked Elisha, but by extension were mocking (rejecting) the God who Elisha represented, the people of Bethel would ALL KNOW who the prophets of God were, and those idolaters would greatly despise these men of God AND their message .. and one other thing, to mock another's person (baldness or deformities) was considered quite an insult indeed in olden times, so add that with their dislike of God's teachings, and that adds up to one big insult requiring equal consequences .. death. Don't forget, they weren't just mocking Elisha, they were mocking God by extension too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
missmuffet Posted June 20, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 34 Topic Count: 1,992 Topics Per Day: 0.48 Content Count: 48,690 Content Per Day: 11.77 Reputation: 30,343 Days Won: 226 Joined: 01/11/2013 Status: Offline Share Posted June 20, 2016 Question: "Why did the Prophet Elisha curse the “youths” for making fun of his baldness (2 Kings 2:23-24)?" Answer: There are a few key issues we must understand in regards to this account of the youths cursing Elisha. The text reads, “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ they said. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.” It seems unbelievable that God would cause two bears to maul a group of children for making fun of a man for being bald. First, the King James Version has done us a disservice by translated the term as “children.” The Hebrew word can refer to children, but rather more specifically means "young men." The NIV, quoted here, uses the word “youths.” Second, the fact that the bears mauled 42 of the youths indicates that there were more than 42 youths involved. This was not a small group of children making fun of a bald man. Rather, it was a large demonstration of young men who assembled for the purpose of mocking a prophet of God. Third, the mocking of “go on up, you baldhead,” is more than making fun of baldness. The baldness of Elisha referred to here may be: 1) natural loss of hair; 2) a shaved head denoting his separation to the prophetic office; or more likely, 3) an epithet of scorn and contempt, Elisha not being literally bald. The phrase “go up” likely was a reference to Elijah, Elisha’s mentor, being taken up to Heaven earlier in 2 Kings chapter 2:11-12. These youths were sarcastically taunting and insulting the Lord’s prophet by telling him to repeat Elijah’s translation. In summary, 2 Kings 2:23-24 is not an account of God mauling young children for making fun of a bald man. Rather, it is a record of an insulting demonstration against God’s prophet by a large group of young men. Because these young people of about 20 years of age or older (the same term is used of Solomon in 1 Kings 3:7) so despised the prophet of the Lord, Elisha called upon the Lord to deal with the rebels as He saw fit. The Lord’s punishment was the mauling of 42 of them by two female bears. The penalty was clearly justified, for to ridicule Elisha was to ridicule the Lord Himself. The seriousness of the crime was indicated by the seriousness of the punishment. The appalling judgment was God’s warning to all who would scorn the prophets of the Lord. http://www.gotquestions.org/Elisha-baldhead.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warrior of Jesus Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 6 Topic Count: 14 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 266 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 197 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/27/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 05/10/1995 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 Thank you Serving and bopeep1909 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIC Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 13 Topic Count: 34 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 2,443 Content Per Day: 0.83 Reputation: 2,643 Days Won: 3 Joined: 05/02/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 08/11/1989 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Moreover that was the time of the Old Covenant. The concept of grace was absent then. Grace came into the world with Christ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serving Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 22 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 934 Content Per Day: 0.26 Reputation: 905 Days Won: 2 Joined: 09/05/2014 Status: Offline Birthday: 10/14/1969 Share Posted June 21, 2016 17 hours ago, Warrior of Jesus said: Thank you Serving and bopeep1909 No probs brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Gator Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member * Followers: 8 Topic Count: 91 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 10,596 Content Per Day: 3.67 Reputation: 2,743 Days Won: 25 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 On 6/20/2016 at 3:19 PM, bopeep1909 said: Question: "Why did the Prophet Elisha curse the “youths” for making fun of his baldness (2 Kings 2:23-24)?" Answer: There are a few key issues we must understand in regards to this account of the youths cursing Elisha. The text reads, “From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ they said. ‘Go on up, you baldhead!’ He turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.” It seems unbelievable that God would cause two bears to maul a group of children for making fun of a man for being bald. First, the King James Version has done us a disservice by translated the term as “children.” The Hebrew word can refer to children, but rather more specifically means "young men." The NIV, quoted here, uses the word “youths.” Second, the fact that the bears mauled 42 of the youths indicates that there were more than 42 youths involved. This was not a small group of children making fun of a bald man. Rather, it was a large demonstration of young men who assembled for the purpose of mocking a prophet of God. Third, the mocking of “go on up, you baldhead,” is more than making fun of baldness. The baldness of Elisha referred to here may be: 1) natural loss of hair; 2) a shaved head denoting his separation to the prophetic office; or more likely, 3) an epithet of scorn and contempt, Elisha not being literally bald. The phrase “go up” likely was a reference to Elijah, Elisha’s mentor, being taken up to Heaven earlier in 2 Kings chapter 2:11-12. These youths were sarcastically taunting and insulting the Lord’s prophet by telling him to repeat Elijah’s translation. In summary, 2 Kings 2:23-24 is not an account of God mauling young children for making fun of a bald man. Rather, it is a record of an insulting demonstration against God’s prophet by a large group of young men. Because these young people of about 20 years of age or older (the same term is used of Solomon in 1 Kings 3:7) so despised the prophet of the Lord, Elisha called upon the Lord to deal with the rebels as He saw fit. The Lord’s punishment was the mauling of 42 of them by two female bears. The penalty was clearly justified, for to ridicule Elisha was to ridicule the Lord Himself. The seriousness of the crime was indicated by the seriousness of the punishment. The appalling judgment was God’s warning to all who would scorn the prophets of the Lord. http://www.gotquestions.org/Elisha-baldhead.html Even with all this rationale, it still seems a very harsh punishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 134 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 8,142 Content Per Day: 2.34 Reputation: 6,612 Days Won: 20 Joined: 11/02/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 10 hours ago, SIC said: Moreover that was the time of the Old Covenant. The concept of grace was absent then. Grace came into the world with Christ Grace was always there, but not applied as long as the Law was valid. The one who cursed his father or mother was to be put to death, and perhaps this was an extension of that, since Elisha was a spiritual father to his people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member Followers: 16 Topic Count: 134 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 8,142 Content Per Day: 2.34 Reputation: 6,612 Days Won: 20 Joined: 11/02/2014 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 1 hour ago, Out of the Shadows said: Even with all this rationale, it still seems a very harsh punishment. Many sins in the OT were punishable with death, to illustrate that the wages of sin are death. Israel was a theocracy even when there were kings in office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running Gator Posted June 21, 2016 Group: Royal Member * Followers: 8 Topic Count: 91 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 10,596 Content Per Day: 3.67 Reputation: 2,743 Days Won: 25 Joined: 06/16/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted June 21, 2016 3 minutes ago, Ezra said: Many sins in the OT were punishable with death, to illustrate that the wages of sin are death. Israel was a theocracy even when there were kings in office. I do understand that, still seems harsh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts