He went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head, go up, thou bald head.
And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
2 Kings 2:23-24
Dear Children,
Did you ever see a bear? Perhaps not. There are no wild bears in this country now. There are some kept at circuses and zoos, but there are none loose in the woods and fields. So perhaps you have never seen a bear.
A bear is a large, shaggy, wild animal, with great teeth and claws, and is very strong. It will kill sheep, and lambs, and calves, and goats, and eat them. It will sometimes even attack men, women or children. She-bears that have little cubs are particularly fierce and cruel. How thankful we ought to be, that we can walk about in England without fear of being caught by a bear!
Now I am going to tell you a story about a good man, two bears and some children. It is a story out of the Bible, and so you may be sure that it is all true. Stories in other books are often only “make-believe,” and tell us things that never really happened. Stories out of the Bible, you must always remember are true, every word. Never forget that!
Once upon a time, many hundreds of years ago, there lived a good man whose name was Elisha. He was at first servant to a famous prophet of God named Elijah. After Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, Elisha was appointed to be prophet in his place. From that time to his death he was a very great and a very useful man. He did many miracles. He used to go up and down the land of Israel, teaching people how to serve God, and reproving sinners. In some places he kept up schools, called “schools of the prophets.” In this way he became famous all over the country. All people knew Elisha, and all good people loved him.
One day, not long after Elijah had been taken up to heaven, Elisha went to a place called Bethel, where there was a school. I dare say he went to see how the school was getting on, and whether it was doing any good. All schools need looking after and examining; and it does them good to be examined. It is only bad boys and girls who dislike being asked what they have learned.
Now as this good old man Elisha got near Bethel, a very sad thing happened. A great number of little children came out of the town, and behaved extremely badly. They began to mock Elisha, and called him names. Instead of respecting him, and bowing to him, like good children, they made fun of him, and said silly things. “Go up, thou bald head,” they cried, “go up, thou bald head.” They called him “bald head,” I have no doubt, because the good prophet was bald with age, and had no hairs on his head. They said, “Go up,” I suspect, because his master Elijah had lately gone up to heaven, as everybody knew. And they meant that Elisha had better go away after his master, and not trouble them any more with his teaching. It was as much as saying, “Be off and begone! It is high time for you to go up, as well as your master.”
Just think for a moment how wicked these children were! They lived in a town where they might have learned better things. There was a school of prophets at Bethel. But I am afraid they had not used their opportunities, and had loved play better than lessons. They had no business to mock Elisha, and treat him so badly. He had done them no harm, and had never been unkind to them. He was a good man, and one who was their best friend.
Above all, they ought not to have said, “Go up, and get away.” They ought rather to have said, “Stay with us, and teach us the way to heaven.” Truly it is sad to see to what lengths of wickedness even little children may go. It is sad to see how corrupt boys and girls can become, and what naughty things they will say, even when they should know better!
But what did Elisha do when these children behaved so badly? We are told that he “turned back and looked on them” with sorrow and displeasure. They had probably often done the same thing before. It had become a habit with them which could not be cured. The time had come when they must be punished.
We are then told that “he cursed them in the name of the Lord.” That does not mean, you may be sure, that Elisha flew into a passion, and swore at the children as some bad old men might have done. He was not the man to do that! It only means that he solemnly pronounced God’s anger and displeasure against them. He gravely told them, “in the name of the Lord,” that God would certainly punish them, and that it was his duty as God’s servant to say so. No, indeed! Elisha did not speak in passion or ill-temper just as a judge is not angry with the prisoner when he sentences him to be put in prison. When Elisha pronounced God’s curse on these wicked children, he did it as God’s appointed servant, firmly and faithfully, but in sorrow. God told him, no doubt, what to do, and like an obedient servant, he did it.
And what happened as soon as Elisha had spoken? At once there came out of a wood close by, two she-bears, which rushed upon these wicked children, tearing and killing all they caught.
Think what an awful shock that must have been! How dreadfully frightened these children must have felt! How sorry and ashamed of themselves they must have felt! But with many it was too late. Before they could get within the walls of Bethel the bears had caught and killed no less than forty-two little children. Forty two little boys and girls that night never came home to Bethel alive. Forty two little funerals took place next day! Many children, I hope, got home safe and were not hurt. But I am sure they would never forget what they had seen. They would remember the two bears as long as they lived.
Now, dear children, this is a sad story. But it is a very useful and instructive one. Like everything else in the Bible, it was written for your good. It teaches lessons which boys and girls ought never to forget. Let me tell you what those lessons are:
(1) Learn, for one thing, that God takes notice of what children do.
He took notice of the “little children” at Bethel, and punished them for their wickedness. Remember, I beg of you, that God has not changed. He is still the same. He is every day taking notice of you.
I believe some people think that it does not matter how children behave, because God only notices grown-up men and women. This is a very great mistake. The eyes of God are upon boys and girls, and He marks all they do. When they do right He is pleased, and when they do wrong He is displeased. Dear children, never forget this.
Let no one make you think that you are too young to serve God, and that you may safely wait till you are men and women. This is not true. It is never too soon to serve God. As soon as you know right from wrong, you are old enough to begin taking the right way. As soon as you are old enough to be punished for doing wrong, you are old enough to give your heart to God, and to follow Christ. The child that is old enough to be chastised for swearing and telling lies, is not too young to be taught to pray and read the Bible. The child that is big enough to displease God, is also big enough to please Him. The child that is old enough to be tempted by the devil, is not too young to have the grace of the Holy Spirit in his heart.
Children, however little and young you are, God is always noticing you. He notices how you behave at home, how you behave at school, and how you behave at play. He notices whether you say your prayers or not, and how you say them. He notices whether you mind what your mother tells you, and how you behave when out of your mother’s sight. He notices whether you are greedy, selfish, cross, or tell lies, or take what is not your own. In short, there is nothing about children that God does not notice.
I read in the Bible, that when little Ishmael was almost dead with thirst in the wilderness, “God heard the voice of the lad” (Gen. 21:17). Remember that, He listened to the child’s prayer. I read, that when Samuel was only a little boy, God spoke to him (1 Sam. 3:10). I read that when Abijah, the child of Jeroboam, was sick and dying, God said by the mouth of His prophet, “in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel” (1 Kings 14:13). Children, these things were written for your learning.
Now I will give you a piece of advice. Say to yourselves every morning when you get up, “God sees me. Let me live as in God’s sight.” God is always looking at what you do, and hearing what you say. All is put down in His great books, and all must be reckoned for at the last day. It is written in the Bible, “Even a child is known by his doings” (Prov. 20:11).
(2) Learn, for another thing, that it is very wrong to mock good people, and despise their faith.
The little children of Bethel mocked at Elisha, and called him “bald-head.” Because of this they were terribly punished.
As long as you live, make it a rule never to mock a Christian or their faith. This is one of the wickedest things you can do. It is pleasant to see boys and girls merry and happy. Youth is the time for laughter. But take care never to mock anyone belonging to God.
Some boys and girls, I am sorry to say, are very thoughtless about this. They think it clever to make fun of those who read their Bibles, and say their prayers, and keep the Sunday properly, and listen to what is said at church. They laugh at other boys and girls who listen to what their mothers say. They try to lead them astray. Some are so wicked, that when they see other children trying to do what pleases God, they will point their fingers at them, and shout out, “There goes a little saint.”
Now all this is very wrong, and offends God exceedingly. There sits One in heaven who sees these wicked children, and when He sees them he is greatly displeased. We cannot wonder if such children end up in trouble, or turn out badly. All who despise God’s people, despise God Himself. It is written, “Them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed” (1 Sam. 2:30).
I read in the Bible that Ishmael was turned out of Abraham’s house because he mocked his little brother Isaac.
St. Paul tells us about this, that “he persecuted him” (Gen. 21:9; Gal. 4:22-23 and 29). At the time when Ishmael did this he was only a boy. But, boy as he was, he was old enough to offend God by mocking, and to bring himself and his mother into great trouble.
Dear children, some of you perhaps have good fathers and mothers, who tell you to read your Bibles and say your prayers. I hope that you never laugh at them behind their backs, and mock at what they tell you about Jesus. Be sure, if you do this, that you commit a great sin. It is written, “The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it” (Prov. 30:17).
(3) Learn, in the last place, that sin is sure to bring sorrow at last.
Sin brought wounds and death on the children of Bethel. It brought weeping and crying to the homes of their parents. If these wicked boys and girls had not displeased God, they would not have been torn apart by the bears. Dear children, as long as you live, you will always see the same thing. Those who will have their own way and run into sin, are sure, sooner or later, to find themselves in trouble. This trouble may not come at once. It may even be kept off for many years. But sooner or later it is sure to come. There is a dreadful hell at last, and those who still go on sowing sin, are sure at last to reap sorrow.
Adam and Eve would eat the forbidden fruit in Eden, and what was the consequence? Sorrow. They were cast out of the garden with shame.The people before the flood ate, and drank despising Noah’s advice about the flood. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. The flood came, and they were all drowned.
The people of Sodom and Gomorrah would go on sinning in spite of Lot’s warnings. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. The fire fell from heaven, and they were all burned.Esau wanted to have the soup, and despised his birthright. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. He sought it afterwards too late, with many tears.
The children of Israel would not obey God’s command, and go up into the land of Canaan, when He commanded them. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. They wandered forty years in the wilderness.
Achan, when Jericho was taken, would not obey the command of Joshua, but took money, and hid it under his tent. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. He was found out, and publicly stoned.
Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve Apostles, would not give his whole heart to Christ, but coveted money, and betrayed his Master. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. The money did him no good, and did not make him happy, and he hanged himself.
Ananias and Sapphira told a great lie to Peter and the Apostles, in order to be thought good, and yet keep hold of their riches at the same time. And what was the consequence? Sorrow. They were both struck dead in one day.
Dear children, remember these things to the end of your lives. The wages of sin is death. The fruit of sin at last is trouble. Those who tell lies, or steal, or break any commandments of God, may not suffer for it at first. But their sin will find them out. Sooner or later, in this world or the next, those that sow sin, like the children of Bethel, are sure to reap sorrow. And now I will finish all I have been saying with three parting pieces of advice. Consider them well, and lay them to heart.
(a) The way to be happy is to be really good in the sight of God. If you go your own way, and follow sin, you are sure to have trouble and sorrow.
(b) If you want to be really good, ask the Lord Jesus Christ to make you good, and to put His Spirit into your hearts. You cannot make yourselves good, I know. Your hearts are too weak, and the world and the devil are too strong. But Jesus Christ can make you good, and is ready and willing to do so. He can give you new hearts, and power to overcome sin.
Then take Jesus Christ for your Shepherd and Friend. Cast your souls upon Him. Jesus, who died on the cross to save us, has a special care for little children. He says:
“I love them that love Me, and those that seek Me early shall find Me.”
“Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God” (Prov. 8:17; Mark 10:14).
(c) If you want to be kept from the evil that is in the world, remember daily that God sees you, and live as in God’s sight. Never mock at good people, or make fun of their faith. Love those most who love God most, and choose for friends those who are God’s friends. Hate sin of all sorts. When sinners entice you, do not consent. Turn away from that which is evil. Hold on to that which is good.
Dear children, if you live in this way, God will bless you, and you will find at last that you have “chosen the good part which cannot be taken from you” (Luke 10:42).
Remember these things, and you will have learned something from the “Two Bears.”
J.C. Ryle
