Christians: Can you please explain this verse? Click for details.?

Question

2 kings 2:23-24

Seriously!! Do you believe this to be true?

Answer 1

You can go through the Bible and find all kinds of hideous things -- done by god's armies, his prophets, or himself; and in each case church people will make excuses for it.

You pick a good example.

The list of crap they will justify is endless.

Answer 2

Your question intrigued me. Personally i am at outs with the Christian faith anyway but decided to try to find an explanation. I looked and looked, but only one so far has any explanation is the one listed below. Seems most people take it that the boys were ripped up. This has to be an allegory. The boys are deriding Elijah as well as Elisha when they say "go up" because Elijah went up in a chariot of fire. So apparently they did not believe Elijah went up like this. Bears symbolize evil. Hard to believe boys would stand around and wait for a mauling. It was also against tradition to treat a visitor this way, especially a prophet and learned person. It seems like a warning that people or countries who do not raise their children up with respect and learning, become torn apart and lose their connection with society. Well that's a big jump for an explanation. It is an old story told to illustrate something, what i cannot really say, but it is not a blow by blow newspaper account of a bad day with bad bears.

Answer 3

A thing to note here is that the ancient Hebrew word translated youths here means young men in a very broad sense. This term applied to Joseph when he was 39, to Absalom as an adult, and to Solomon when he was 20. The idea behind the words, “Go up” was that Elisha should go up to heaven like Elijah did. It mocked Elisha, his mentor Elijah, and the God they served. Since forty-two of the guys were struck by the bears, the group may have been quite large and therefore dangerously out of control. Elisha may have needed miraculous intervention to escape.

Answer 4

Elijah was just taken up bodily by a whirlwind in a chariot of fire to heaven. The lads were mocking and testing Elisha, his son and successor, wanting him to "go up" as Elijah did. Elisha cursed them in the name of of the Lord. Two female bears came out and killed 42 of them.

These lads mocked and scoffed a messenger of God. Elisha cursed them because of it and God agreed. Neither His messenger or His Word were to be mocked or scoffed. The wicked were put to shame, and some were killed because of their unbelief.

The Creator can do whatever He wishes with His creation. A father disciplines however He see fit, it is His right. Who are we to say it is wrong? If God has shown Himself to act this way towards those who mock and scoff His messengers and His Word and are unbelievers, shouldn't we reconsider what we do? Those who mock and scoff here on YA R&S are close to being cursed for the same reason. Do you think He will ignore the blasphemies and abuses? God is not only about love and compassion... He is also all about righteousness and justice too.

Answer 5

Church people will tell you it's okay for the bears to tear the children to pieces.

Anything in the Bible is okay with them, if they question anything in there they are in danger of being exiled to Hell after they die.

Answer 6

For those who do not know the passage, it talks of Elisha who shaved his head bald and walked in the ancient town of Bethel were he was mocked by several young boys. Two female bears came out of the woods and devoured the boys.

I believe the interpetation of this is symbolic in nature. I believe the bears represent the boys hate and bigotry. When hate an bigotry are present, it can be all consuming. It will "devour" your very soul.

Answer 7

In a nutshell - don't mess with God's annointed or there will be consequences

there came forth little children out of the city--that is, the idolatrous, or infidel young men of the place, who affecting to disbelieve the report of his master's translation, sarcastically urged him to follow in the glorious career.

bald head--an epithet of contempt in the East, applied to a person even with a bushy head of hair. The appalling judgment that befell them was God's interference to uphold his newly invested prophet.

Cursed them in the name of the Lord; this was intended to show God as the protector of his people and the punisher of idolatry.

V. 24. Cursed them-Nor was this punishment too great for the offence, if it be considered, that their mocking proceeded from a great malignity of mind against God; that they mocked not only a man, and an ancient man, whose very age commanded reverence; and a prophet; but even God himself, and that glorious work of God, the assumption of Elijah into heaven; that they might be guilty of many other heinous crimes, which God and the prophet knew; and were guilty of idolatry, which by God's law deserved death; that the idolatrous parents were punished in their children; and that, if any of these children were more innocent, God might have mercy upon their souls, and then this death was not a misery, but a real blessing to them, that they were taken away from that education which was most likely to expose them not only to temporal, but eternal destruction. In the name-Not from any revengeful passion, but by the motion of God's Spirit, and by God's command and commission. God did this, partly, for the terror and caution of all other idolaters and prophane persons who abounded in that place; partly, to vindicate the honour, and maintain the authority of his prophets; and particularly, of Elisha, now especially, in the beginning of his sacred ministry. Children-This Hebrew word signifies not only young children, but also those who are grown up to maturity,

Answer 8

It is talking about children who should have respected the prophet and at least respected their elder, who mocked him instead. Judgment was swift back then, and as a deterrent, the children were instantly punished.

Answer 9

Why is it such sport for some people to mock those who believe in God? My feeling is, it's fear; they feel no fulfillment(or at least, no more than comes from a joint, an overly large meal, a shot of whiskey, or an orgasm) in their lives, so they mock those who do have fulfillment, in Christ, to feel better. How sad.

Answer 10

Yes, I believe it. Looks like everyone else gave you a good explanation. Don't mock God.