Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Kings 2:23-25 (New International Version)

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. ²⁵ And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

It seems that Elisha was bald. We aren’t told that elsewhere in text, but some “youths” from Bethel certainly thought he was bald. They came out of town and poked fun or ridiculed Elisha about his baldness.

Elisha didn’t wash out their mouths with soap, or give them a stern lecture about respect for their elders. Instead, he

called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD

as a result

two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths

Several things here, first there were at least forty two of these youths ridiculing Elisha. Forty two! This wasn’t a few misbehaving kids. It was more like a mob of young, strong men.

Second, Elisha called down a “curse” on them. I’m not sure what this means. At one time Jesus “cursed” a fig tree and it died. We don’t use this kind of “curse” these days, not in our “modern” world.” It seems this is more in line with a  judgment from God. God, through the prophets like Elisha, often spoke of the consequences of disobedience.

Finally, we have the bears. There are places in the Old Testament where God threatens to have wild animals come and do the things that wild animals do. This is one case where that happened.

This (hi)story seems harsh to me today. Surely Elisha could have taught the youths a lesson, and everyone walk away happy and better for the experience. That wasn’t the case here. Elisha lived in a different place and a different time. I am happy to live in my time under the grace of God. I’m not wary of bears coming out of the woods to maul us.