When elisha heard this, he turned and pronounced a curse on them, and two shebears came out of the wood and mauled 42 of the young men. He is an interlude stuffed in the middle of the stories of the kings. In other words, they are stating they want elisha gone. These youths were sarcastically taunting and insulting the lords prophet by telling him to repeat elijahs translation. I will use the term disciples for this group had all been told that this was elijahs last day on. Bethel the center of jeroboams idolatrous worship 1ki 12. He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the lord. No, not two princes by the spin doctorsthat hypnotic, catchy earworm from 1993. Elisha, little children, and the bears answers in genesis. This book is the sequel to 1 and 2 samuel and begins by tracing solomons rise to kingship after the death of david.
And there came forth two she bears out of the wood. The goal of these books is not primarily historical but rather prophetic. And there came forth two shebears out of the wood, and tare forty and two lads of them. The video uses some objectionable language, features violence as, of course, does the biblical text. May 16, 2016 an atheist reads the 2nd book of kings. Knowhy otl29a what should we make of the story of elisha.
Elisha turned around, glared at them, and cursed them in the name of the lord. In the middle of the books of the kings remember that 1 and 2 samuel, as well as 1 and 2 kings, are all part of one big book1,2,3, and 4 kings we get the story of elijah. I will use the term disciples for this group had all been told that this was elijah s last day on earth. Elijah, being greatly pleased with the constancy of elishas affection and attendance, bade him ask what he should do for him, what blessing he should leave him at.
Sep 12, 2016 as a meaty novel of ideas and as a psychological multigenerational saga two she bears is a natural choice for book groups and is strongly recommended to a wide readership. Well, this is no sermon, so we arent under such constraints. The phrase go up likely was a reference to elijah, elisha s mentor, being taken up to heaven earlier in 2 kings chapter 2. And elisha said unto him, as the lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, i will not leave thee. Yet reading the bible, the miracles of jesus dont seem too out of the ordinary. Lets see what we can say about the story of elisha and the bears. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. The book of 1 kings was likely written between 560 and 540 b. What should we make of the story of elisha and the bears. New living translation elisha turned around and looked at them, and he cursed them. Elishas activity as successor to elijah commences about 917 b. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the lord. Jul 22, 2015 here we take a look at the weird passage in 2 kings 2 where the prophet elisha curses a group of boys and bears come out of the woods to attack them.
Elijah makes his will, and leaves elisha his heir, now anointing him to be prophet in his room, more than when he cast his mantle upon him, 1 ki. We had been gone through the story of elijah and the prophets of baal during the week and so one of the kids asked why elijah had ordered the prophets be killed after the episode involving. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and. It would take a little doing for people to think of elisha as the father of the prophets, rather than as the servant of elijah. This is an oddity, because of course elijah isnt a king. Here we take a look at the weird passage in 2 kings 2 where the prophet elisha curses a group of boys and bears come out of the woods to attack them.
And turning back, he saw them, and put a curse on them in the name of the lord. John whiteford talks about the incident near bethel, when st. Local tradition places the site of this story near the town of deir dibwan and is called, the lair of the two bears, about 1. Melachim ii ii kings chapter 2 tanakh online torah. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them. David cooper is the author of two poetry ebooks, glued to the sky and jfk. Why did the prophet elisha curse the youths for making. Apr 20, 2010 well, it is no coincidence that elijah commands the fire from heaven 2 kings 1.
It was in the gift of elijah to grant his supernatural powers to his companion and protege, elisha. Dec 05, 2015 elisha again demonstrates that he bears the spirit of elijah, which is the spirit of yahweh, for he can call out bears from the forest as readily as elijah can call out fire from heaven to consume the soldiers of ahaziah. Lines of fire, the translator of little promises by rachel eshed, a journalist at. The prophet elisha and bears attacking boys youtube. The bible story of elijah is found in the old testament, in the first book of kings chapters 17 and 18. They had been governed by kings for numerous years and several of these kings had been evil. A popular handbook on bible difficulties wheaton, ill victor books, 1992.
He cursed them in the name of the lord and two, she bears came out of the woods and tore 40 two of im not going to call on the course of the lord on landry, but keeping my eye on you so immediately preceding that story in second kings to is the famous story of elijah being taken up in fire and the same way that michael preach yesterday about. Elijah, elisha, and the sons of the prophets the prototype for disciples. Why did the prophet elisha curse the youths for making fun. In case you havent just finished 1 kings, and arent already breaking out in a hot sweat, what with your fevered eagerness to start in on 2 kings, well recap a few things about the two books of kings, as a whole.
But elisha said, as surely as the lord lives and as you live, i will not leave you. God had taken elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind right before elishas eyes and promised to give him a double portion of elijahs spirit. These youths were sarcastically taunting and insulting the lords prophet by telling him to repeat elijah s translation. Many years ago, i had an atheist question me on the passage in 2 kings 2.
Like elijah in 1 kings who also appears in the first two chapters of the sequel, the prophet elisha is one of the major heroes of 2 kings, and we suppose you could say he lives by the same motto as kanye west in his present day lyrics. Why did god send shebears to tare kids in 2 kings 2 23. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and harassed him, chanting, go up, baldy. Wasnt elisha being cruel when he sent those bears against those children who were teasing him about being bald in 2 kings 2. Its been awhile since the last installment of this series lots more to come, but this one should be fairly straightforward. May 01, 2010 its been awhile since the last installment of this series lots more to come, but this one should be fairly straightforward.
There is a more reasonable explanation for the violent event than simply removing things from their context and imagining that elisha simple used a couple bears to kill some children who were mocking him. Elisha, from the time he joined elijah, did prophetic work in israel during the reigns of kings ahab, ahaziah, jehoram, jehu, and on into the reign of. As elisha was walking from jericho to bethel, some little children saw him and mocked him, saying. Joe rogan makes fun of biblical stories in episode 1084 of his podcast. Elisha had told the truth about elijah, but the people did not believe him. The account of the 42 young men torn apart by two shebears is an importantalbeit tragicpart of gods agenda to teach the israelites to heed elisha. Despite this plot, the story doesnt make it into childrens bibles, as the children get mauled by the bears after mocking elisha. But elisha replied, as the lord lives and as your soul lives, i will not leave you. Aug 05, 2014 in the middle of the books of the kings remember that 1 and 2 samuel, as well as 1 and 2 kings, are all part of one big book1,2,3, and 4 kings we get the story of elijah. But elisha said, as surely as the lord lives and as you live, i. Notice the text does not say the bears killed or ate the gang of lads, only that they were. God had taken elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind right before elishas eyes and promised to give him a double portion of elijah s spirit.
Summary of the books of kings the story of the bible. Then two shebears came out of the woods and tore fortytwo of the boys to pieces. The tradition is that it was written by the prophet jeremiah. The second book of kings describes elisha as the disciple and successor to elijah. Why did god kill 42 lads merely for saying elisha was bald.
Introduction 23 then he went up from there to bethel. Elijahs story begins by introducing the state of affairs for the people of israel. First of all, go up is probably a reference to elisha s predecessor, elijah, ascending to heaven 2 kings 2. Jan 02, 2020 the phrase go up likely was a reference to elijah, elishas mentor, being taken up to heaven earlier in 2 kings chapter 2. Elisha again demonstrates that he bears the spirit of elijah, which is the spirit of yahweh, for he can call out bears from the forest as readily as elijah can call out fire from heaven to consume the soldiers of ahaziah. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled fortytwo of the boys. Elijah served as head prophet, and elisha worked closely with him, being known as the one who poured out water upon the hands of elijah when elijah washed his hands. Book of kings elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven 2 kings 2 and it came to pass, when the lord would take up elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that elijah went with elisha from gilgal. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled 42 of the children. One of my favorites is the famous shebear incident of 2 kings 2. Jan 05, 2014 elisha and the two bears retooned, v2 duration. Elisha and the prophets know that elijah is to be translatedelijah divides the waters of the. First of all, go up is probably a reference to elishas predecessor, elijah, ascending to heaven 2 kings 2. Explaining elisha and the she bears to joe rogan and douglas.
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