THE DANGER IN DISRESPECT

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

From there Elisha went up to Bethel.

As he was walking along the road, some youths came out of the town and jeered at him. "Go on up, you baldhead!" they said. "Go on up, you baldhead!" 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 youths. And he went on to Mount Carmel and from there returned to Samaria.

2 Kings 2:23-25

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

One of the worst things a person can do to another is insult or disrespect them purposely. For words used in certain ways are just as dangerous when wielded as a weapon…and can often permanently injure or scar their victims. Just ask anyone who has been verbally abused in their lives.

So what does God think about verbal abuse…about contemptuous words spoken toward another…about mockery and ridicule and derision?

One thing is certain as we look at today’s passage. He doesn’t like any of it.

For as Elisha, God’s chosen messenger, is along the road to Bethel, we read where “some youths came out of the town and jeered at him” saying, "Go on up, you baldhead!" to him twice.

Now, two things were evident in their words.

First, they knew who they were talking to. In other words, they knew Elisha was a representative of the Lord and he had taken the place of Elijah. We know this because they told Elisha to “Go on up…”. That is, to leave and go up into heaven as Elijah had done. And they put an exclamation on their rude words by resorting to name calling…referring to Elisha as “you baldhead”.

Question: Have you ever called someone a name that was meant to be less than complimentary?

If so, this scripture lesson is speaking to you.

The second thing we know is that the youths had no problem raining derogatory words on a person who was representing the Lord. In other words, they didn’t have anymore respect for the Lord than they did for Elisha.

This happens all the time today as people decide to put down and judge others who serve Him. Persecution is as alive and well today as it was in the earliest days of the bible. And God doesn’t like anymore today than He did then.

So what happened next that let us know how God feels about this kind of sinful behavior?

Well, we read where Elisha, after hearing the youth’s insults, “turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord”. And right after that moment, “two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths”. And we don’t hear anymore words from them. God had silenced their wicked lips.

So next time you feel compelled to speak badly about another, particularly someone who is a person of the Lord, think about the bears coming out of the woods and carrying out God’s judgment on the youths.

What might he use to correct you?

I think it would be better to not have to find out.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com