Elisha And The Murderous Bears

In the early years of my pastoral ministry I was called to comfort a young family whose 3-yr. old had fallen into an open cistern and drowned. I was not well prepared for the task. I still remember the tears and anguish of that young couple as they berated themselves for their negligence.

Many questions arise at the death of a child besides guilt. One that keeps coming up is this. Why did God do it? Or why did God allow this to happen? What does the Bible have to say about this? Is God indeed behind the death of some children?

There are numerous stories in the Bible about children dying before their parents. Along with those stories there are many questions about why God permitted or even commanded these deaths. Were I to look at all the stories one by one we'd be at it for the next several months. Instead I'll look at but a few examples that will aid us in interpreting the others and provide some answers to these frightening questions.

For today let's look at Elisha and the murderous bears!

He went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!"

And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys   (2 Kings 2:23-25). 

Forty-two small boys torn to shreds by two bear sows! How terribly frightening. How do you explain this? An act of God? Nature gone awry? First some background.

Elisha ('God saves' in Hebr.) was God's chosen successor to the great prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19:8-21). After being called to follow Elijah, Elisha went with the prophet to the eastern side of the Jordan river where Elijah was suddenly separated from him by chariots and horses of fire and caught up into heaven in a whirlwind. As he was lifted up, Elijah dropped his mantle, confirming Elisha's call to be his successor. With that cloak Elisha parted the waters of the river and walked back over. The sons of the prophets who saw all this affirmed God's choice, saying, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." Shortly afterwards Elisha miraculously turned the bad water of Jericho into good with a new bowl of salt, further confirming God's choice (2 Kings 2:1-22).

Now to the text.

Elisha was God's chosen prophet. The choice was confirmed by the other prophets and by the miracle of turning bad water into water sweet and useful. Like Moses and Aaron of old, Elisha spoke for the LORD. His words were God's words (Exodus 7:1-2; Deuteronomy 18:18-19). To mock and revile him was to mock and revile the LORD whose representative he was.

Who were these "small boys"? The Hebrew words (qatan na'ar) can refer to small boys, but may even refer to young men of about twenty (Genesis 34:19) or servants (2 Kings 5:20). The NKJV and the NIV calls them 'youths', the ASV 'young lads'. They could well have been a gang of teenagers. We all know how they can be when out of control.

What was this about calling him "you bald head"? The prophet Isaiah speaks God's curse upon the haughty daughters of Zion with their outstretched necks, wanton eyes, mincing about, tinkling with their feet. They will loose their fine anklets, headbands, crescents, pendants, bracelets, scarves, headdresses, amulets, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets, signet and nose rings, festal robes, mantles, cloaks, handbags, mirrors, linen garments, turbans, veils, perfume, wavy hair and rich robes.  Instead the women will rot, be forced to wear sackcloth, and be branded as slaves with heads shaved bald. This was to be God's curse upon their prideful unbelief, greed and disobedience (Isaiah 3:14-26).

In that sense, these boys were not merely mocking Elisha for having a bald head—we don't even know that he did. They were calling down a curse upon him, asking God to turn him into a slave with a shaved head.

And beyond that they cried, "Go up, go up!" They had heard about this Elijah flying up to heaven. "OK, old baldy, let's see you do it. Up, up and away, like smoke into the air (Genesis 19:28). Fly, baby, fly if you can! You're a prophet after all and prophets are supermen who can fly. Go for it. Up, up and away!"

With their japes they joined the people who had mocked the LORD God during the ministry of Elijah. Perhaps you know the story of how Elijah confronted and destroyed the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-46). Mockery of the LORD and taking His name in vain was widespread in those days, as it is in ours. This story was but another example of it by the youth of Jericho. They were not merely mocking a man. They were making fun of the LORD Himself and they needed to know the consequences of this blasphemy. This was serious business. They and their families must learn that there is no other God and that by such sacrilege they invite His wrath down upon them (Deut. 5:11).

So the wrath came as they had dared God to give them. Elisha turned and cursed them in the name of the LORD and the LORD sent the bear sows out upon them. Surely there were many others gathered at the time, others who fled the frightful beasts, but these 42 lads did die in the malay.

This story, like so many others in the Bible, reminds us sinners that we must all one day stand before the judgment seat of God to give account of our lives, deeds and words. This story, like others, calls us all, little boys and girls, young or old men and women, to turn from our sinful ways, to fall before our God to beg for His mercy and forgiveness. To such there is always good news. We have an Advocate who pleads on our behalf before the throne of God and even now speaks to us forgiveness, life and hope (1 John 2:1-2).

Rebel Son And Grieving Father

We're looking stories from Holy Scripture that tell us about the grieving of parents over the death of children. One such is the story of Absalom, son of King David, born in Hebron of Maacah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur (2 Samuel 3-18 and 1 Chronicles 3:2). Maacah was one of David's six wives, women he married while at war with the house of Saul, Israel's first king. David married most of those women so he might establish political alliances. The anonymous writer of that history makes no direct judgments upon this practice. The history tells it all.

David's family history is filled with hate, war, murder, adultery, lies, intrigue, rebellion and political maneuvering. What amazes me each time I look at it is the patience, mercy and forgiveness of the LORD God who chose David to lead these people. Ultimately, the story brings us to an out and out rebellion against David, led by Absalom and Absalom's death during the final battle (2 Samuel 18:1-19:15). Absalom's pillar (2 Sam. 18:18) can be found in the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem to this day.

Lets look at a few details.

Absalom had himself crowned king. He mounted an army of thousands from the north to overthrow David. David's thousands met them in the oak and fir forest of Ephraim, east of the Jordan river, on the north bank of the river Jabbok and near the city of Mahanaim (two camps in Hebrew) in Gilead. It was here that Jacob had a vision of angels (Genesis 32:2) and gave the place its name. Here also was where David had set up temporary headquarters after Absalom's army had driven him from Jerusalem.

David's men defeated the Israelite army that day. Some 20,000 are reported to have died. ". . . and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword" (2 Sam. 18:8). Absalom, known for his beautiful long hair, fled on his mule. But as he rode through the woods his hair became tangled, trapping him in the branches of a great oak. Acting against David's direct command, Joab, David's commander, together with ten of his armor-bearers, caught up to Absalom and killed him. They threw his body into a pit and covered it with stones. At the news of his death Absalom's army scattered and fled.

A Cushite messenger made it to David with the terrible news. David asked, "Is it well with the young man Absalom?" The Cushite replied, "May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man." At that, David was overwhelmed with grief. How often have parents made similar laments upon hearing of their child's death. David cried over and over, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

David continued to lament his son's death so strongly that his victorious army returned to camp as if they had been defeated. Finally Joab, fearing a worse rebellion, forced David to show himself to his people and resume his leadership. We hear no more in this history about David's grieving for Absalom.

There was more to David's grief than the death of his son. Through his own lust and folly David had earlier lost an illegitimate son after his affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12). Though that son had died shortly after birth, David was assured that the LORD had taken the baby to Himself in heaven. But Absalom—for him only hell awaited. David was the LORD's anointed king and in rebelling Absalom had rejected the LORD. Little wonder that David sobbed and cried at the news of his son's death.

Not only had Absalom gone to hell, David must bear great guilt for leading him in that direction. Contrary to God's clear plan for marriage, David had taken many wives and concubines. Absalom's mother was one such. David had played the game of thrones with Saul—and won. Besides all that, David was a murderer. He had arranged for the death of Bathsheba's husband and then taken her for yet another of his many wives. What a model for his children! David had failed as a father.

It is bitter indeed when parents learn that a child has died while rebelling against them, their life styles and their religious beliefs. For instance, you may know, as do I, of children caught up in the drug culture who committed suicide or were murdered by their peers or killed in an automobile accident. Bitter and unending is the pain when a parent realizes that this child will never be with them again, even in heaven. Bitter and unending is their pain when they realize that their parenting contributed to this rebellion and eternal death. 

What remains for such grieving parents? Only the confession of sins given to us by David in Psalm 51:1-12.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

As David, this notorious sinner, was forgiven, so also may parents caught up in such grief. To them Jesus also says, " I have borne your grief and carried your sorrows. I was afflicted by God and pierced upon the cross for your transgressions, crushed for your iniquities. And now I bring you peace. With My wounds—and only with my wounds—are you healed. But you are and so rest in my peace, for I plead for you and all your family before the throne of my Father in heaven" (Isaiah 53:1-12). 

Children Are Not Supposed To Die

One fall, back when I was a student at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, five of us rode together from Minnesota back to the apartment we shared. It was a hot, muggy afternoon when we arrived. Someone suggested that we go swimming in the Missouri River. I merely went along for the drive, because I had never learned how to swim. When we arrived at a park along the river everyone except me dove in and began to swim around, splashing and laughing in the refreshing coolness. I puddled along the bank and watched.

Suddenly I heard David cry out something. He was maybe twenty-five feet out into the river in deep water. For a time he seemed to splash and thrash and then his head disappeared. I screamed at the others, "David, David, he went under! Help him!"

I remember feeling so very, very helpless. There was no boat, no lifeguard, no rope to throw to him, nothing. Vic and Wayne swam out to where he was last seen and began diving down, searching, hoping, but he was gone. We never saw him again until the police divers pulled his drowned body from the river.

David was from southern Minnesota. The next week those of us who had witnessed his drowning made the sad journey back from Missouri to Minnesota to attend his funeral. David's parents and his mother in particular were devastated by his death. For years after she kept his room exactly the way it was before he died. She could not let him go.

Many have said that the death of a child causes the most intense grief known. David was not supposed to die. He was well on his way to becoming a pastor. Suddenly that dream was all ripped away and with his death a part of David's mother and father also died. For a long time after they were disoriented and confused. Like so many parents they were forced to confront something extremely painful. They needed to deal with the overwhelming pain of his death and move on, but how? They also needed to keep his memory present. How can you do both?

When a child dies parents face a wide variety of issues as they deal with their grief. The process of grieving is complex. Though we all must grieve in our own way, the process of grieving will always include the so-called 7 stages of grief. These do not happen in a particular order and you may cycle back to any one of them again and again.

1. Shock and denial - It didn't happen. It couldn't have. This is a way to protect yourself from being totally overwhelmed, even though you're not consciously aware of why you feel this way. 
2. Pain and guilt - The pain is unbelievably deep and seemingly unbearable. Why did  I or why didn't I? . . . The temptation is to drown your sorrows and escape the pain with alcohol or drugs. 
3. Anger and bargaining - Others are at fault. Why me? If only I had . . . Oh, God, bring her back and I'll never . . . But that doesn't work either. What can I do? What?!
4. Depression and loneliness - Especially as you reflect on what has really happened. And then your friends try to talk you out of feeling so down. But you need time, time to yourself, time to focus on the past, to feel empty and to despair. 
5. The upward turn - Ever so slowly things become a little better, more organized. Your depression begins to lift. But even then you may drift back to an earlier stage. 
6. Reconstruction and moving on - Maybe, maybe you can deal with life without your child. Oh, you do not want to, but you must, somehow you must move on without him. 
7. Acceptance and hope - You begin to accept the reality. It happened. I can't change that, but he is in the hands of Jesus. We will meet again. My life will never, ever be the same, but I see now that there is a way forward. 

David's death touched each one of us in a different way, but none of us grieved in the way that David's parents did. In my next postings I'd like to look at some examples of parents grieving as recorded in the pages of Scripture and see what the Holy Spirit has to tell us about how to deal with this most painful reality.