6. Explain how your God can be "Just and Merciful" in light of Exodus 20:5.52.
Explain why your "Just and Merciful" God sent bears to kill forty-two (42) children
who called his prophet Elisha/Elijah/Elija "baldhead/baldheaded" (See 2 Kings 2:23-24).
2006-07-26 16:00:44 · 8 answers · asked by monchichie2005 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
23 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!" 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 youths.
2006-07-26 16:09:31 · update #1
You know if you read the bible you can read it your self it is there. Just because I am not christian I have one given to me by my mom and dad when I was young and when I read this question last night I read the chapter that was in.
2006-07-26 16:11:48 · update #2
Hey I just asked the question that I found on a site I do not have any anamosity toward what your GOD has done I just want to see the answers that these questions would get. There is nothing wrong with that. Blessed Be
an it harm none, do what ye will
2006-07-26 16:26:01 · update #3
Good question. Provocative. Is the Bible to believed literally? Is it metaphor and poetry or raw data? Do we need preachers to interpret the Bible or can we read it and take it literally, word for word?
2006-07-26 16:23:10 · answer #1 · answered by valcus43 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The word that is translated "little children" in the king James Version means young young as compared to old, and could mean young man, as a servant or one fit to go out to battle.
The mention of the she bears gives some the idea that these 42 were a set of unlucky young men who were employed in the wood , destroying the whelps of these same she bears (Religion 302 third edition)
In my mind I believe that the Prophet may have been trying to warn them of impending danger and the advice was not only not heeded but was scoffed at and ridiculed. ( that is just my idea not written in any book that I know of)
2006-07-26 23:35:00 · answer #2 · answered by saintrose 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is not playing church.
He gives authority and power to His Prophets.
Those 42 children were never taught by their parents to respect God's Prophet, therefore they thought it lightly to mock God's Prophet, and because of their parents negligence, they lost their lives.
A great lesson was taught there for all generations:
Teach your children not to mock the people and things of God.
In the first place, Elisha cursed those children.
He got angry and cursed those children and God backed him up.
Whether he was wrong to curse them is between him and God but the whole point here is to recognize the point that
is being made here by this example that took place, and that is, do not make fun of God or His Prophets.
And if you are simply looking up Scriptures that speak of His judgments, why not balance them with Scriptures that show His Grace and Mercy?
2006-07-26 23:21:12 · answer #3 · answered by Joja 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First we need to determine which God we are talking about here. Are you referring to the real God, the unconditionally loving God who we are all a part of? This is the one Jesus was talking about when he said the kingdom of God is within you. The one who is our dearest friend and closest companion.
Or are we talking about the angry little judgmental God that lives on some far off cloud called heaven. The one who seems to be more concerned with our errors than he is with our successes? You know the egocentric needy little God that always wants people to worship him. The one who is always unavailable because he is only a fantasy? You need to specify if you want a real answer.
2006-07-26 23:02:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is relatively simple. You are alive today because of God's mercy. He could have destroyed the world a long time ago, but chose to give us the opportunity to repent and to become obedient to him.
God's justice can not allow sin to be unpunished. However when we repent and ask for forgiveness, his mercy places our punishment on Jesus who died for our sins.
2006-07-26 23:24:56 · answer #5 · answered by Marty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to serve as a warning to others that the man of God is to be treated with respect at all times.
2006-07-26 23:03:50 · answer #6 · answered by gray3278 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God is a god and he doesn't need our approval for his actions, nor is he responsible for explaining himself...
It would be like President Bush seeking my approval for fighting
terrorism... God knows things that we don't know and acts accordingly... He doesn't need to run it by us first...
2006-07-26 23:19:28 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is always more to the story than the obvious.
2006-07-26 23:03:55 · answer #8 · answered by Molly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋