How do you feel about God striking down little children for calling Elisha bald (see below)?

Question

If you don't believe me read this:

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. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tore forty and two children of them (2 Kings 2:23-24).

Answer 1

LOL!!! reminds me of when Muslims killed each other over a Cartoon and said that Allah commanded them to do so.
The Jews of old used God as a cover for all their evil doings; maybe it wasn't two bears that killed the children but two armies of armed Jews.

Answer 2

2 Chronicles 36:16
16 But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

Proverbs 20:11
11 Even a child is known by his actions,
by whether his conduct is pure and right.

Galatians 6:7
7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

When it comes to your dealings with God, there are some things that you just should not do. Nobody, not even children are exempt to the point that they can place themselvs before the LORD as it relates to His will and position of authority.

Exodus 20:3
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.

Everyone has an appointed time to die, some sooner than others. The fact that children die young is not new. What these young people did was clearly wrong. If they didn't know any better, their parents should have, and should have taught them to act with more respect. If not for the the phrophet, for God. Remember what is said about the sins of the father being visited on the generations to come. Remember also the words of Jesus concerning what we hold as important.

Matthew 10:37
37"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me....

When we view the things of this world in terms of this world, we form the view that this world wants us to form. This world is uner the direction of the prince of the air. We must keep in mind that we are in this world but not of it.

1 John 2:15
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Satan is a cleaver enemy. He takes our good intentions and beliefes to turn us from the truth. Without realizing that we have steped off the path of righteousness, we run further from it untill we become lost and don't understand how we got so far gone. Study the WORD for the WORD of GOD is HIS TRUTH.

In the end how we feel about it won't matter. What will matter is how willfully we obey.

P.S. It might help you to know that in the passage that you sighted, refering to little children, it most likely didn't mean little children at all. The hebrew word used in the passage also refers to young men. (ketannim) It refers to those not yet old men but having grown to maturity and therefor having full knoledge of their actions.

Matt.

Answer 3

Who, What is to say that these words are the truth?

How many languages was this text translated through in order for these words to appear?


Years ago, when the first electronic 'translators' were developed, they took the phrase: 'The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,' and had it translate to Russian. They then decided to take the now Russian words and translate them into English. What they received was, 'The alcohol is ready, but the meat is bad.'

It does not prove anything, of course, but neither does much translated words you provide here as statements, let alone evidence, of The Truth.

People, like you, have an axe to grind, you have a story to sell, you have your own agenda and will use the words of any ancient written words in an attempt to make it.

You are no different, no better nor worse than an other individual who uses the religion to hide behind and as a convenient hook on which to hang your argument - and one you fail to make here.

I trust that you find a more interesting and peaceful time in which to live.

Regards.
Sash

Answer 4

"They bade him "go up," reflecting on the taking up of Elijah into heaven. The prophet acted by Divine impulse. If the Holy Spirit had not directed Elisha's solemn curse, the providence of God would not have followed it with judgment. The Lord must be glorified as a righteous God who hates sin, and will reckon for it.

Let young persons be afraid of speaking wicked words, for God notices what they say. Let them not mock at any for defects in mind or body; especially it is at their peril, if they scoff at any for well doing. Let parents that would have comfort in their children, train them up well, and do their utmost betimes to drive out the foolishness that is bound up in their hearts. And what will be the anguish of those parents, at the day of judgment, who witness the everlasting condemnation of their offspring, occasioned by their own bad example, carelessness, or wicked teaching!" - Matthew Henry

Don't mess with God's prophets. - Pearly Gator

Answer 5

You really haven't read it properly have you? These 'little children' were all in their twenties or so. The word translated children is the word for 'youth'.

It's a different word used for infant or young child. These were youths. They were anywhere between fourteen and twenty nine years old. Most likely in their twenties.

Not every word translated into english was correctly translated. And words have changed their meaning since. Really you should rightly divide the word before you let loose with it.

Answer 6

This helps us understand the children are not born innocent. And everyone is responsible for their own actions.

These children were not just calling Elisha bald, but were wishing Elisha be taken away as was Elijah.

So God did to them what they wanted God to do to Elisha.

Answer 7

It is part of the curse. That is why the phrase fear the lord is in the bible 135 time.

By the way the earliest translation of this passage the "little children" are called young lads.

Answer 8

surely, 2 lady bears MAULED them. You stated that your self, through quoting verse 24. They were quite disrespectful, and God warns us now to not despise or mock His prophets: see 2 Chronicles 20:20, a million Thessalonians 5:19-21 and the scripture you merely quoted. i do not see something about age or demise in there although.

Answer 9

From how people actually talked and wrote back then, you are just reading the "G" rated version, thus it is justified for God to have cast judgement.

He also said vengence belongs only to me, I will recompense.

Answer 10

Who am I to second guess God.