Did God send bears to kill youths?

[Kostilaks]

I think in the Bible, God send bears to kill or attack youths because they mocked a prophet. Why?

 

[solid_core]

I think in the Bible, God send bears to kill or attack youths because they mocked a prophet. Why?

Because they mocked a prophet.

 

[GOD Shines Forth!]

He isn’t fond of disrespect? Old Jezebel swore she was going to see Elijah dead and looked what happened to her! One of the goriest deaths ever recorded in Scripture.

 

[Tra Phull]

After Elijah was gone, Elisha got mocked, and the bear incident occurred. Elisha got men up on a high place to cast down Jezebel. Dogs ate her body.

 

[Not David]

They were probably vandals who were mocking Elijah's disappearance.

 

[Kostilaks]

how can someone believe that someone is from God? if someone was lying that he is a prophet,nowdays, would not others mock him? I know it is not good to mock but did youths knew that he was a real prophet?

 

[Going_Nowhere]

In case anyone is wondering, here are the verses the OP is referencing.

2 Kings 2:23-24 King James Version (KJV)
23 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.

24 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.

 

[Not David]

how can someone believe that someone is from God? if someone was lying that he is a prophet,nowdays, would not others mock him? I know it is not good to mock but did youths knew that he was a real prophet?

If you see Elisha's life, you will see he was a true prophet.

 

[GOD Shines Forth!]

After Elijah was gone, Elisha got mocked, and the bear incident occurred. Elisha got men up on a high place to cast down Jezebel. Dogs ate her body.

Yes. I see it as Elisha wrapping up loose ends. Elijah suffered because of that wicked woman.

 

[joshua 1 9]

I think in the Bible, God send bears to kill or attack youths because they mocked a prophet. Why?

The Bible does not say the bears killed the youth.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

"tore to pieces" bodies are hard to keep on living !

2 Kings 2:23-24 Amplified Bible (AMP)
23 Then Elisha went up from Jericho to a]">[a]Bethel. On the way, young boys came out of the city and mocked him and said to him, “Go up, you b]">[b]baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” 24 When he turned around and looked at them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore to pieces forty-two of the boys.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Kings 2:23 Many people in Bethel participated in pagan worship and regarded the prophets of God with contempt.
2. 2 Kings 2:23 This refers to a bald space on the back of the head, which was probably shaved by prophets as a symbol of their sacred separation from ordinary life. So it appears that the boys were not only ridiculing Elisha’s baldness, but his prophetic office as well.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

2 Kings 2:23-24 The Message (MSG)
23 Another time, Elisha was on his way to Bethel and some little kids came out from the town and taunted him, “What’s up, old baldhead! Out of our way, skinhead!”

24 Elisha turned, took one look at them, and cursed them in the name of God.

Two bears charged out of the underbrush and knocked them about, ripping them limb from limb—forty-two children in all!

The Message (MSG)

 

[joshua 1 9]

and tare forty and two children of them.

The question is: what is the word: "tare" in the origional Hebrew. What exactly did the bear do to the children? What this means is the bear sent 42 children going in 42 different directions. The bear scattered the children. None of them were actually injured or harmed. Other then perhaps their ego and pride. They were humbled before God.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

2 Kings 2:24 Commentaries: When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.

"And tare forty and two children of them. It is not said how far the lads were injured, whether fatally or not. But the punishment, whatever its severity, came from God, not from the prophet, and we may be sure was just."

 

[Tra Phull]

Elijah was driven to despair at times by Jezebel.

Ellisha did indeed clear up loose ends by ending Jezebel.

Elisha was mocked by the kids for being bald.
Whether the 42 kids died or not, I don't know, but 2 bears were loosed on the youths, maybe they all were torn to pieces, maybe they just ran off.

 

[joshua 1 9]

I think in the Bible, God send bears to kill or attack youths because they mocked a prophet. Why?

There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. The word we are looking at in this story in Hebrew is וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה wat·tə·ḇaq·qa‘·nāh. This word is made up of 7 of those 22 letters or symbols in the Hebrew. IF we study all of the letters in this word we see the whole plan of God's salvation. The Bible starts off: In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. Here in the story of the Prophet and the 42 children we see a separation between Heaven and Earth. We know that Jesus went to Calvary to resolve this issue. He had to die and rise up again. We need to die to self to be made Holy and Right before God. The translators could not begin to translate this word because hidden or contained in this word is God's whole plan of salvation. In and through Jesus. We all know how the little children mock God and the people God sends to help them. Yet God continues to be patient to do a work of salvation in their life. To give them life. If people want to take the time to study these 7 Hebrew letters we can see God's plan for these children and the work Jesus wants to do in their lives. So that they can be right and holy before God. There are short teachings on YouTube for each of the letters we find in this word: וַתְּבַקַּ֣עְנָה wat·tə·ḇaq·qa‘·nāh

 

[com7fy8]

God send bears to kill or attack youths because they mocked a prophet. Why?

In the Law of Moses, it is given that if anyone speaks against God, this is a capital offense.

And speaking against God's prophet is speaking against God.

The wages of sin is death.

God using the bears shows God stands up for His servants.

But Jesus says for us to pray for those who are against us. Even if we don't see consequences come upon evil people, we know God is for us. And, actually, if we truly love the enemies we pray for, we feel God is blessing us by having mercy on and blessing enemies. After all, we prayed for them > "for", not against

So, then, why didn't Elisha pray for those people? That was before Jesus, I understand. Much in the early scripture is meant to show us how things would be and where people would be, without Jesus.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So, then, why didn't Elisha pray for those people? That was before Jesus, I understand.

Yet even Jesus did not pray for the world, but only for those the Father had given Him.
Also, as written,
there is <a> sin that leads to death, "I do not say to pray for those sin<s>"
but
there is <a> sin that leads not to death "pray for those" (or "it is permitted to pray for those" ) ...

The prophets who were faithful and obedient often brought God's Word of JUDGMENT , not mercy, on people, whether they were Israel (God's Chosen people), or another people, however often, I don't remember.

 

[com7fy8]

Jesus did not pray for the world

He says this while praying as recorded in John 17 where He claims what is for believers.

But > He also prayed,

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (in Luke 23:34)

And He says to pray for enemies. And our Apostle Paul says "first of all" to pray for all people > 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

But not all get blessed with the same result. @Kostilaks > Those people cursing Elisha could have been blessed, by dying so they would not get into much worse trouble and judgment. Also . . . if they were killed or a number of them were . . . God could have been blessing others, by removing those cursing people so they would not mess up other people and their lives.

 

[sea5763]

nvm