GO843
Life Coach In Between Jobs
They weren't babies, it's essentially a weird translation but the words used "qatan na'ar" or "little children" describes people young in age, stature, importance or status. There's several accounts in the Bible that describes "qatan" like Jacob's youngest son Benjamin and even Saul, so based on the scriptural evidence they weren't exactly children. Na'ar is also used several times throughout the Bible like Absalom when he was leading a civil war and Joseph when he was 17, so "little children" describes someone who may be young and immature not actual children or babies.
First, we have to understand the context: Elisha was traveling to Bethel, which was a city that was rife with idol worship but still contained God fearing people and if we know anything about God, worshipping false idols is like public enemy number one. Elijah was just taken up by God and delivered him to heaven with a whirlwind so it was on Elisha to deliver Israel, but he hadn't yet established enough credibility with his people.
Elisha's mission was to rescue people from their sinful ways and their evil practices so that God would be exalted above all. As Elisha approached Bethel 42 "little children" came out and mocked Elisha telling him "go up bald head, go up bald head".
Having a bald head back then was considered a blemish among the Israelites. Telling Elisha to "go up" meant they were old enough to understand the events around them. This was in reference to Elijah being taken up to heaven, and again this city worshipped idols so they were testing God's authority. It was more about challenging God than it was about Elisha's being mocked since God had just appointed him to take Elijah's place.
You don't play with God and publicly He showed them and everyone who beared witness (no pun) that His message was very serious. Additionally, their false idols who they worshipped above God failed to protect them.
Yeah, I wasn't calling the people that got killed in that story babies...Was responding to 2 separate points...But however you slice it, killing 42 people(who I would imagine went to hell) over jokes you set them up to make seems petty in my human eyes...He coulda just come down and been like "Yo, that's my guy right there, chill"...Bible God be flexin man....