20TH OCTOBER

HATRED FOR SIN

“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.”

(2 Kings 2:24)

Just after Elisha received the mantle of Elijah, he parted the river with the mantle and healed the bad water and barren ground in the city of Jericho. On his way to Bethel, some young men jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” He turned around, looked at them and cursed them.

This story puzzled me for a while till I searched to understand why Prophet Elisha who had just witnessed great miracles and received a great anointing from a mighty God should use it to harm “little boys” just because they jeered at him. I found out that these were not little boys who were mischievously making fun of Elisha’s bald head but a mob of young men from Bethel, the religious centre of idolatry in the northern kingdom.

Does that bring to mind what happens with cult groups in some of our tertiary institutions? The young jeered at the prophet in callous defiance of God’s power and the miracles that had just taken place. It was a show of extreme disrespect for God’s message and messenger, Elisha. Elisha refused to be tolerant of sin. He cursed them. God chose the punishment and the young men perished.

God may not release instant judgement for such acts in this dispensation of grace but violent acts of mobs, disrespect for God and unbelief are still dangerous.  Unbelief keeps us from enjoying a relationship with God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It keeps us from experiencing the fullness of the promises of God; and worst of all, it prevents us from receiving the free gift of salvation which saves us from perishing eternally.

ACTION: Decide not to hide or condone sin but to speak out against it (Ephesians 5:11).

PRAYER: Fill me with courage, dear Lord, to condemn and not tolerant sin in any form.