Works of Arthur Pink: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha: 06-Third Miracle - Two Avenging Bears
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Works of Arthur Pink: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha: 06-Third Miracle - Two Avenging Bears
TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Gleanings From Elisha (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 06-Third Miracle - Two Avenging Bears
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THIRD MIRACLE-TWO AVENGING BEARS
Chapter 6
"And He Went Up From Thence unto Beth-el: 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 tare forty and
two children of them" (2Ki_2:23-24).
First, the Connection of the Miracle
In seeking to give an exposition of this miracle let us observe its
connection. It will be noted that our passage opens with the word "And."
Since there is nothing meaningless in Scripture, it should be duly
pondered. It evidently suggests that we should observe the relation
between what we find here and that which immediately precedes. The
context records the wonders which God wrought through Elisha at the
Jordan and at Jericho. Thus the truth which is here pointed to by the
conjunction is plain: when the servant has been used by his Master he
must expect to encounter the opposition of the enemy.
There is an important if unpalatable truth illustrated here, one which
the minister of Christ does well to take to heart if he would be in some
measure prepared for and fortified against bitter disappointment. After a
period of blessing and success, he must expect sore trials. After he has
witnessed the power of God attending his efforts he may count upon
experiencing something of the rage and power of Satan; for nothing
infuriates the devil so much as beholding his victims delivered from
spiritual death and set free. Elisha has been favored both at the Jordan
and at Jericho, but here at Bethel he hears the hiss of the serpent and
the roaring of the lion against him. Yes, the minister of the gospel is
fully aware of this principle and even often reminds his hearers of it.
He knows it was the case with his Master; for after the Spirit of God had
descended upon Him and the Father had testified to His pleasure in Him,
He was at once led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. Yet
how quickly is this forgotten when he himself is called to pass through
this contrasting experience.
It is one thing to know this truth theoretically, and it is quite another
to have a personal acquaintance with it. The servant of Christ is
informed that the smile of heaven upon his labors will arouse the enmity
of his great adversary, yet how often is he taken quite unaware when the
storm of opposition bursts upon him! It ought not to be so, but so often
it is. "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try
you" (1Pe_4:12). Various indeed are the ups and downs which are
encountered by those who labor in the Christian vineyard. What a striking
contrast is here presented to our view! At Jericho Elisha is received
with respect, the young prophets render obeisance to him, and the men of
the city seek his help. Here at Bethel he is contemptuously ridiculed by
the children. At Jericho, the city of the curse, he is an instrument of
blessing; at Bethel, which signifies "the house of God" and where
blessing might therefore be expected, he solemnly pronounces a curse upon
those who mock him.
Second, the Occasion of the Miracle
The insulting of God's servant occasioned this miracle. As Elisha was
approaching Bethel, "there came forth little children out of the city and
mocked him." Upon reading this incident it is probable that some will be
inclined to say that it seems that children then were much like what they
are now-wild, rude, lawless, totally lacking in respect for their
seniors. From this analogy the conclusion will be drawn: therefore we
should not be surprised nor unduly shocked at the present-day delinquency
of some of our youth. But such a conclusion is entirely unwarranted. It
is true there is "nothing new under the sun" and that fallen human nature
has been the same in every age. But it is not true that the tide of evil
has always flowed uniformly and that each generation has witnessed more
or less the same appalling conduct which now stigmatizes the young in
every part of the world. No, very far from it.
When there was an ungrieved Spirit in the churches, the restraining hand
of God was held upon the baser passions of mankind. That restraint
operated largely through parental control-moral training in the home,
wholesome instruction and discipline in the school, and adequate
punishment of young offenders by the state. But when the Spirit of God is
"grieved" and "quenched" by the churches, the restraining hand of the
Lord is removed, and there is a fearful moral aftermath in all sections
of the community. When the divine law is thrown out by the pulpit, there
inevitably follows a breakdown of law and order in the social realm,
which is what we are now witnessing all over the so-called civilized
world. That was the case to a considerable extent twenty-five years ago;
and as the further an object rolls down hill the swifter becomes its
momentum, so the moral deterioration of our generation has proceeded
apace. As the majority of parents were godless and lawless, it is not to
be wondered at that we now behold such reprehensible conduct in their
offspring.
Older readers can recall the time when juveniles who were guilty of
theft, wanton destruction of property, and cruelty to animals were
sternly rebuked and punished for their wrong doing. But a few years later
such conduct began to be condoned, and "boys will be boys" was used to
gloss over a multitude of sins. So, far from being shocked, many parents
were pleased and regarded their erring offspring as smart, precocious,
and cute. Educational authorities and psychologists insisted that
children must not be suppressed and repressed but "directed." These
professionals prated about the evils inflicted on the child's character
by "inhibitions," and corporal punishment was banished from the schools.
Today the parent who acts according to Pro_13:24, 19:18, 22:15, and
23:14 will not only be called a brute by his neighbors, but is likely to
be summoned before the courts for cruelty; and instead of supporting him
the magistrate will probably censure him. The present permissive
treatment of children is not normal but abnormal. What is recorded in our
passage occurred in the days of Israel's degeneracy! Child delinquency is
one of the plain marks of a time of apostasy. It was so then; it is so
now.
Third, the Location of the Miracle
As with the former miracles, the place where this one happened also
throws much light upon that which occasioned it. Originally Bethel was
called "the house of God" (Gen_28:16-19), but now it had become a
habitation of the devil, one of the principal seats of Israel's idolatry.
It was here that Jeroboam had set up one of the calves. Afraid that he
might not be able to retain his hold upon those who had revolted from
Rehoboam, especially if they should go up to Jerusalem and offer
sacrifices in the temple, he "made two calves of gold, and said unto
them. It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O
Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the
one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan . . . And he made an house of
high places and made priests of the lowest of the people which were not
of the sons of Levi. And Jeroboam ordained a feast for the eighth month,
on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah,
and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the
calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high
places which he had made" (1Ki_12:28-29, 31-33).
Thus it will be seen that, far from Bethel being a place which basked in
the sunshine of Jehovah's favor, it was one upon which His frown now
rested. Its inhabitants were no ordinary people, but high rebels against
the Lord, openly defying Him to His face, guilty of the most fearful
abominations. This it was which constituted the dark background of the
scene that is here before us. This accounts for the severity of the
judgment which fell upon the youngest of its inhabitants; this explains
why these children conducted themselves as they did. What occurred here
was far more than the silly prank of innocent children; it was the
manifestation of an inveterate hatred of the true God and His faithful
servant. Israel's worship of Baal was far more heinous than the idolatry
of the Canaanites, for it had the additional and awful guilt of apostasy.
And apostates are always the fiercest persecutors of those who cleave to
the truth, for the very fidelity of the latter is a witness against and a
condemnation of those who have forsaken it.
Fourth, the Awfulness of the Miracle
The fearful doom which overtook those children must be considered in the
light of the enormity of their offense. Our degenerate generation has
witnessed so much condoning of the greatest enormities that it may find
it difficult to perceive how this punishment fitted the crime. The
character of God has been so misrepresented by the pulpit, His claims so
little pressed, the position occupied by His servants so imperfectly
apprehended, that there must be a returning to the solemn teaching of
Holy Writ if this incident is to be viewed in its proper perspective. God
had said, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (Ps.
105:15). They are His messengers, His accredited representatives, His
appointed ambassadors, and an insult done to them is regarded by God as
an insult against Himself. Said Christ to His ministers, "He that
receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that
sent me" (Mat_10:40); conversely, he that despises and rejects the
one sent forth by Christ, despises and rejects Him. How little is this
realized today! The curse of God now rests on many a place where His
ministers were mocked.
"And we 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." After the vain search which had
been made for Elijah (2Ki_2:17), it is likely that some inkling of
his supernatural rapture was conveyed to the prophets at Jericho, and
from them to their brethren at Bethel (2Ki_2:3). Hence we may
conclude that his remarkable translation had been noised abroad-received
with skepticism and ridicule by the inhabitants of Bethel. In their
unbelief they would mock at it. Today apostate leaders of Christendom do
not believe that the Lord Jesus actually rose again from the dead and
that He ascended to heaven in a real physical body, and they make fun of
the Christian's hope of his Lord's return and of being caught up to meet
Him in the air (1Th_4:16-17). Thus in saying, "Go up, thou bald
head," the children were, in all probability, scoffing at the tidings of
Elijah's translation-scoffs put into their mouths by their elders.
Thomas Scott says,
They had heard that Elijah was "gone up to heaven" and they insultingly
bade Elisha follow him, that they might be rid of him also, and they
reviled him for the baldness of his head. Thus they united the crimes of
abusing him for a supposed bodily infirmity, contemptuous behavior
towards a venerable person, and enmity against him as the prophet of God.
The sin therefore of these children was very heinous: yet the greater
guilt was chargeable on their parents, and their fate was a severe rebuke
and awful warning to them.
How true it is that "the curse causeless shall not come" (Pro_26:2).
"And he turned back and looked on them," which indicates he acted calmly,
and not on the spur of the moment. "And he cursed them in the name of the
LORD," not out of personal spite, but to vindicate his insulted Master.
Had Elisha sinned in cursing these children, divine providence would have
prevented it. This was a fair warning from God of the awful judgment
about to come upon Israel for their sins.
Fifth, the Ethics of the Miracle
The passage before us is one which infidels have been quick to seize
upon, and lamentable indeed have been many of the answers returned to
them. But the Word has survived every opposition of its enemies and all
the puerile apologies of its weak-kneed friends. Nor are the Scriptures
in any danger whatever in this skeptical and blatant age. Being the Word
of God, they contain nothing which His servants have any need to be
ashamed of, nothing which requires any explaining away. It is not our
province to sit in judgment upon Holy Writ: our part is to tremble before
it (Isa_66:2) knowing that one day we shall be judged by it (John
12:48). As Jehovah was able to look after the sacred ark without the help
of any of His creatures (2Sa_6:6-7), so His truth is in need of no
carnal assistance from us. It is to be received without question and
believed in with all our hearts. It is to be preached and proclaimed in
its entirety without hesitation or reservation.
Certain so-called Christian apologists have replied to the taunts of
infidels by a process of what is termed "toning down" the passage,
arguing that it was not little children but young men who were cursed by
the prophet and torn to pieces by the bears: but such an effeminate
explanation is as senseless as it is needless. We quite agree with Thomas
Scott when he says,
Some learned men have endeavored to prove that these offenders were not
young children but grown-up persons, and no doubt the word rendered
"children" is often used in that sense. The addition, however of the word
"little" seems to clearly evince they were not men, but young boys who
had been brought up in idolatry and taught to despise the prophets of the
Lord.
Others roundly condemn Elisha, saying he should have meekly endured their
taunts in silence and that he sinned grievously in cursing them. It is
sufficient to point out that his Master deemed otherwise. Instead of
rebuking His servant, He sent the bears to fulfill his curse, and there
is no appeal against His decision.
Some Bible teachers have asserted mistakenly that this drastic punishment
was necessary because the Old Testament period was governed by the law,
but that under New Testament grace, this would not warrant immediate
judgment. Let such teachers remember that Ananias and Sapphira fell dead
as soon as they sinned against the Holy Spirit (Acts 5).
God is even now giving the most awe-inspiring and wide-reaching proof of
His wrath against those who flout His Law, visiting the earth with sorer
judgments than any He has sent since the days of Noah! The New Testament
equally with the Old teaches "it is a righteous thing with God to
recompense tribulation to them that trouble you" (2Th_1:6). In the
incident before us, God was righteously visiting the sins of the fathers
upon the children, as He was by the death of their children also smiting
the parents in their tenderest parts. At almost the end of the Old
Testament era we read that Israel "mocked the messengers of God, and
despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD
arose against his people, till there was no remedy" (2Ch_36:16).
Here at Bethel God was giving a warning, a sample of His coming wrath,
unless they reformed their ways and treated His servants better.
Sixth, the Meaning of the Miracle
At first glance it certainly appears that there can be no parallel
between the above action of Elisha and that which should characterize the
servants of Christ, and many are likely to conclude that it can only be
by a wide stretch of imagination or a flagrant wresting of this incident
that it can be made to yield anything pertinent for this age. But it must
be remembered that we are not looking for a literal counterpart but
rather a spiritual application. Viewing it thus, our type is solemnly
accurate. Ministers of the gospel are "unto God a sweet savor of Christ,
in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the
savor of death unto death; and to the other the savor of life unto life"
(2Co_2:14-15). Certainly the evangelist has no warrant to anathamatize
any who oppose him, but he can point out that they are accursed of God
who love not Christ and who obey not His law (1Co_16:22; Galatians
3:10).
Seventh, the Sequel of the Miracle
This is recorded in the closing verse of 2 Kings 2. "And he went from
thence to mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria." In the
violent death of those children as the outcome of Elisha's malediction,
we behold the estating of the prophet's divine authority, the sign of his
extraordinary office, and the fulfillment of the prediction that he
should "slay" (1Ki_19:17)! After his unpleasant experience at Bethel,
the prophet went to Carmel, which had been the scene of Elijah's grand
testimony to a prayer-answering God (1 Kings 18). By heading for the
mount this servant of God intimated his need for the renewing of his
strength by communion with the Most High and by meditation upon His
holiness and power. Samaria was the country where the apostate portion of
Israel dwelt, and by going there, Elisha manifested his readiness to be
used of his Master as He saw fit in that dark and difficult field of
labor.
There is only space left for us to barely mention some of the more
outstanding lessons to be drawn from this solemn incident. First, "Behold
therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Rom_11:22): if the previous
miracle exemplified His "goodness," certainly this one demonstrated His
"severity," and the one is as truly a divine perfection as the other!
Second, the words as well as actions of children, even "little children,"
are noticed by God! (Pro_20:11). They should be informed of this and
warned against showing disrespect to God's servants.
Third, what must have been the grief of those parents when they beheld
the mangled bodies of their little ones! But how much greater the anguish
of parents in the day of judgment when they witness the everlasting
condemnation of their offspring if it has been occasioned by their own
negligence and evil example.