BEWARE OF CRUEL TEASING

In the Book of 2 Kings in the Old Testament we find the story of Elisha being teased by some teen-aged boys, or young men, (not children) as he was nearing Bethel. The text says, “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.”

Matthew Henry comments, “Had the abuse done to Elisha been the first offence of that kind, it is probable that it would not have been so severely punished.
But mocking the messengers of the Lord, and misusing the prophets, was one of the crying sins of Israel. “But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.” (2 Chronicles 36:16)

The bears probably did not kill the young men… just tore the stuffing out of them. The Lord was, and is, opposed to mocking and scoffing his messengers. Not only that, we learn the lesson: Unkind teasing of any sort to anyone can get you hurt in more ways than one.

“Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.” Jesus