As Elisha was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Go away, baldy!” 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 boys. 2 Kings 2:23-24
At first glance this looks like a case of pure vengeance against a bunch of kids taunting Elisha. I can understand Elisha being upset, but the penalty enacted was from God. Aren’t we supposed to turn the other cheek?
Elijah was gone. Elisha had just performed a miracle and clearly had become God’s new prophet. These boys, old enough to know, were taking on God’s representative. Not just in mocking his appearance but citing his baldness was disrespectful, shaming, and affront to his authority. To mock him was to mock God. Interestingly, the response from God could also be an indictment, not just on the kids, but on the state of the community.
If you remain hostile toward Me and refuse to listen to Me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children … Leviticus 26:21-22
The severity of God’s judgment is that they were not mocking Elisha, but God Himself.
We don’t have prophets in the same way today, but many of our pastors and leaders work faithfully to teach God’s Word. And we, in fact, as the Church, are the representation to the world of who God is.
I think this passage is a good reminder of how we should give great respect and deference to one another, regardless of whether we line up on every issue. I’m not talking about correcting error or calling out disobedience, but mocking or disrespecting those within the Body that hold opposing views. We are mocking His representation to the world – and He takes it seriously.
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. Galatians 6:7
The church is embattled in division right now and public scorn seems routine. Yet, faithful brothers and sisters, we are called to encourage truth, obedience, and love amongst ourselves. Let us honor and respect one another, as we together are His representatives. Maybe, just maybe, God is using this diversity of thought to accomplish His plan from a variety of perspectives - or even to show the world true unity. Are we up for it?
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
*The Bible on baldness:
The kids, probably late teens or young adults, mocked Elisha’s baldness. Did Elisha have no hair? Maybe. But there are other factors that could have weighed in. To the Israelites, hair was considered a glorious ornament and a bald head, though rare, was a sign of shame. Intentionally shaving it was either a sign of mourning, punishment enacted on the vanquished, or a pagan ritual. Maybe those boys were just referring to his lack of hair since Elijah, his mentor, is described as hairy and this would be a way of demeaning him. But this incident is also near enough after the taking of Elijah into heaven that it’s possible he was in mourning and had shaved his head.
