Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we again turn this afternoon to 2 Kings chapter 2, and we pick up after the reading of the account in Jericho of Elisha's first miracle that we looked at this morning. Well, not necessarily his first miracle. The first miracle, of course, was taking that mantle and casting it on the Jordan and there having the Jordan waters parched. But then as he comes to the city anointed by God and the mouthpiece of God, then he does a powerful miracle of healing the waters of Jericho. And we pick up our reading there in verse 23. And 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 tore 50 and two children of them. And he went from thence to Mount Carmel and from thence he returned to Samaria. A solemn passage. A solemn passage. Two different cities. Jericho, one who is under the curse of God and should never have been built, receives the mercy of God. And the second city, Bethel, which once knew the presence of God and the protection and the power of God, now under the curse of God with its children torn in pieces. Well, what's the point of all of this? Well, the first point is this. The Word of God is not always received with gladness. Many times success is going to be met with opposition. The second point is this, that the Word of God is a two-edged sword. It's quick, it's powerful, and it is indeed a two-edged sword. The Word of God is both a saver of life unto life as it was in Jericho, but also a saver of death unto death for those who do not believe. The warning signs are always also evident in Scripture. God is just and holy as well as merciful and gracious. He's faithful to His Word. Elisha here, as a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, again, as I talked about this morning, is so evident when we compare this to John 2. If you have your Bibles open, I invite you, turn to John 2 with me. There in John 2, Jesus is also beginning His earthly ministry. He's called the disciples, and now He's going to Galilee. And there in Galilee, what does he do? He goes to the marriage. We all know what happens at that marriage, right? They ran out of wine. They have no wine. And so they come to Jesus. His mother especially comes to Him. And he says to her, woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour has not yet come. And she's wanting him to make wine. And she says, well, she just tells the servants, whatever he says, just do it. And there were set there six water pots of stone after the manner of purifying of the juice. containing two or three first skins of peace. And Jesus said to him, fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he says, draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bear it. And he tasted the water that had been made wine. Water was turned into wine. Think about Jericho and the waters being healed. Jesus turning water here into wine. But then what happens? He goes down to Capernaum. The Passover is at hand. And Jesus goes up to Jerusalem in verse 13. And what does He find in His temple? In the house of God. In His house. His dwelling place. What's happening? There were changers. Changing money. And corrupting the house and worship of God. What does He do? He takes this scourge of small cords and he drives them out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen and poured out the changers' money and overthrew the temples and said unto them that sold doves, take these things hence. Make not my father's house a house of merchandise. And what does his disciples remember? They remember that it was written The zeal of thine house has eaten me up. I'll compare that to what's happening in the ministry in the life of Elisha. He's come to Jericho. Water's healed. He says, Jesus, water turned into wine. He comes to Bethel, which would be the house of God. And he has children coming out of the city, So as we look at this, remember what's happened to Jesus as well as Elisha. The zeal of my house, the worship of God has eaten me up. It has filled me with passion for the justice and holiness of God. Well, let's look at that in the theme, Elisha's God is not mocked. Beware of the bears. There's a big warning sign here as we're traveling to Bethel. Beware of bears. And we're going to see, first of all, this location that we need to beware of the bears. Secondly, the occasion. And thirdly, the curse. Elisha's God is not mocked. Beware of the bears. At this location, Bethel. Bethel. Bethel means the house of God. Bethel has a long history throughout the Old Testament. Bethel is where Abraham first pitched his tent when he came into the promised land we find in Genesis chapter 12. This was the grand entrance for Abraham. God's promise coming true. I'm going to give you a land and an inheritance. And Jacob. Jacob. He also, in Genesis 28, comes to this place Bethel. And there, seeking to escape, he comes to Bethel and he recognizes and meets God as he were ascending and descending on this ladder and ministering to Him. And he remembers this place as Bethel, the place where he meets God, the house of God. Where's the word? Heaven was brought to earth. And Jacob was able to witness heaven. See, Bethel is a place of God's promises. It's a place of God's protecting power. It's a place of His presence. It's a place where God is to be honored and to be worshiped for all of His covenant mercies extended to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And as Israel now has corrupted this house of God, Israel has become apostate. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, has brought Israel into sin. And as the kingdom was divided between Jeroboam and Rehoboam, after the days of Solomon, then Jeroboam wanted to syncretize the worship of God through these calves in Bethel and Dan. And so Jeroboam didn't want to do away necessarily with the worship of Jehovah the God of Israel, but he wanted to bring that worship into Israel closer to him so he didn't have to go to Jerusalem any longer to worship God. And so he wanted to set up these representations of who God was in these calves in Bethel and Dan. And so people could go and worship God there. And what did that lead to? It led to Bethel no longer being Bethel, the house of God, but even translated many times in Scripture such as Hosea 4 and 10, where Bethel becomes Beth-Avon. Beth-Avon. The house of vanity. The house of idolatry. The house of wickedness. It's a play on words. Bethel to Beth-Avon. Notice Hosea 4 verse 15. Though you Israel play the harlot, let not Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-Avon, nor swear oath as the Lord lives. For Israel is a stubborn, she's like a stubborn calf. Those calves that were in Bethel and Dan. Turn them to idol worship. And Hosea 10, verse 5, the glory of the Lord has departed from Bethel and she's become Bath-Avon, a house of emptiness, of wickedness, of idolatry. This apostasy that began with Jeroboam seeking to syncretize the worship of God with idolatry. turned into this vortex of complete idolatry and emptiness. Let's not just think about Israel. What about us today? The compromise of God's true worship This thinking that we can synchronize the things of the world and bring the things of the world into the very worship of God, and worship God according to what we think would work best in our own human wisdom, in our own ingenuity, and to have a man-centered, man-desired, man's feelings stirred up by man-centered worship. It takes the place of comedy, mocking and irreverence and flippancy in worship, where it's seeking to tickle the ears and the interests of men in their own humanity. And the impact of seeking to syncretize this worship of God with man-centered worship has a serious impact, not only on us, as a congregation, but also especially on our children and young people. Let's just hold this thought. This is the location, Bethel, which has emptied itself of God and now becomes the house of vanity. How quickly churches can also do the same thing. being emptied of God to become a house of vanity. Man-centered, man-glorified worship. This is the location that we are to be aware of. There's signs, when you see this, there's signs everywhere. Beware of the bears. Beware of the bears. Let's think about the occasion. This is an occasion where Elisha is traveling up to Bethel. He's going from Jericho to Bethel. Signs are there, beware of the bears. But Elisha knew this territory well. Elisha and Elijah had just taken this trip probably only a week or so before as they were traveling from Gilgal to Bethel and then from Bethel to Jericho. And they would come to Gilgal and then to Bethel and to Jericho. And Elijah's... The sons of the prophets there would come up to Elisha and whisper in his ear, Elisha, do you know that the Lord is going to take Elijah up? He's going to take him away from you. And Elisha would say, I know, I know, shh, just don't talk about it. And they're ministering in these cities on the way to the Jordan and then ultimately to Elijah's departure into heaven. And now, Elisha's coming back. He's coming back across the Jordan. And he does great things in Jericho. The waters are healed. The city is saved. And it's amazing what has just transpired in Jericho. And you can only imagine Elisha so filled with excitement, thanking God for his power and for his glorious salvation for Jericho, and thinking, oh, by the time I get to Bethel, the house of God, and all those prophets who were there who we ministered to only a couple weeks ago, how excited they were and how passionate they were. Oh, what would God do then in Bethel, the very house of God? If He did such great things in Jericho, what will then He do in Bethel? What a dramatic turn of events as He's turning up the road, coming up to Bethel, and the children are coming out of the city, young people. What a welcoming party there is. As they cry out to Him, Go up, Thou bald head! Go up, Thou bald head! Is this what Elisha would have expected? I doubt it. These were very likely young boys, young men, actually, who were probably between 15 and 20 years old. They were mocking Elisha. Go up, thou bald head. This isn't just telling someone, hey, you don't look good because you're old and you're bald. This isn't mocking him for not having hair. This is scorning Elisha in a persecuting way. This is the same kind of language that you find in Genesis chapter 21 when Abraham and Sarah had Ishmael through Hagar. And then Sarah becomes pregnant and she has Isaac. And then Isaac and Ishmael, they grow up and Ishmael mocks Isaac. And God tells Abraham, you have to do away with this bond, you have to do away with Ishmael, because he's mocking the promisee, Isaac. And so, this is the same words that are used here when Elisha is mocked by these children, by these young people. And in a certain sense, they're telling him. Now, how much they would have known about Elijah going up? The news traveled fast through those prophets. And they even kind of had a hint of this before even as they were traveling through because these sons of the prophets, don't you know, don't you know, Elisha? Elijah's going away. And now these young people have heard all of these stories and they're coming out and they're saying, Elisha, We heard that the mantle that you took from Elijah has also parted the waters. We've heard what has happened in Jericho. You just go up, you bald head. You go up with your master. Go up to heaven. If God is true and His Word is true, and that mantle has any power, Elisha, you just take that mantle and go up to Elijah and to God and to be with Him. Then we will believe. then certainly God is dwelling in Bethel. Otherwise, we don't believe. It could be what's going through their minds. Just go up with Him, you baldhead. And maybe they're even thinking. Elisha, if you would just go up with Elijah, then we wouldn't have to listen to you any longer. We wouldn't have to listen to this Word of God. You know, our parents actually didn't like Elijah either. And he confronted those false prophets and Baal and these idols of the calves and Bethel and Dan. And so we really don't want you here. You're not welcome here. Just go away. Go up. Go away. These were young people. They didn't want to hear God's Word. They didn't want to change their worship. They didn't want to be humbled before God as Jericho was. They didn't want to come to Him in repentance and turn to Him in faith and serve the Lord. No, they wanted none of that. They wanted to set the servant of the Lord, Elisha, in his place and make sure he knew his place. Elisha, we are in control here. And we can control our own worship and we want a man-centered, idolatrous worship. And so they're intimidating, seeking to intimidate this man of God through the fear of man and his own popularity. And they're mocking him. And they're mocking his persecution. Oh, my dear friends, don't sit in the seat of the scornful as we find in Psalm 1. But blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sits in the paths of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Oh, their way is destruction. And history continues to repeat itself and repeat itself through Joseph being mocked, and David being mocked, and Elisha being mocked, and Jeremiah being mocked, and eventually Jesus Himself being mocked and ridiculed. Oh, don't just stand idly by as God's Word is undermined and mocked and the worship of God is made of no effect. God will not be mocked. Beware of the bears. And on this occasion, it's like it highlights it. And we too need to remember We need to remember the truths of God's Word. We need to reflect on our own desires so often for a man-centered, entertaining type of worship. I remember when I was farming, in my farming years, I would often listen to Dr. David Jeremiah in the tractor and his radio ministry. And one day, I still remember it. It had an impact on me. He had to use the illustration of in his town ministerial, there were many ministers who would gather together from all different types of churches. And these ministers would gather together. And he was saying, they began to ask me, David, how do you get people to come to church twice on a Sunday? What do you do to get them to come twice? Your parking lot's full morning and evening. He says, well, I preach God's Word. They said, no, but what do you do to get them into church? Do you have choirs? Do you have certain kinds of presentations? Do you show them some films? What do you do to get them into church and to be engaged? What's your secret? He says, I preach the Word of God. Yeah, we know you preach the Word of God, David, but what gets them to come to listen to that Word of God? You don't get it. I preach the Word. We need to remember that. The Word of God is what's at stake in this passage. That mantle that Elisha has received is given to him to go to Jericho for a savor of life. He's now coming to Bethel to be a savor of death. We preach the Word. Our service is not to focus on playing video clips or trying to drive a point home through entertainment or entertaining even through musicians. I recognize there's all kinds of worship wars out there. But let us never forget that the preaching of God's Word needs to be brought faithfully and clearly and be the center point, center place and have a center place in our worship. Let us never seek to undermine it. You can think about these young people, these young men who grew up in homes, homes where parents were mocking Elijah. They would sit down at the dinner table and you can see them sitting there saying, you know that pastor Elijah, And they would roast him as they're eating their pastor's roast, as it were. They'd be roasting the pastor. That man is so heavy in his theology. He talks about sin so much. And he never, ah, he's just so discouraging. And as they're roasting Elijah in front of their sons, Their sons grow up with this animosity to the Word of God and to Elijah. And there, now they have this opportunity. Elijah's taken up, and Elisha's coming to town. We're going to set this Elisha in his place. Oh, what I'm trying to illustrate here, oh, be careful what you say at your dinner tables about the Word of God. I'm not saying the pastors bring the Word of God perfectly. But never, ever underestimate and never underappreciate the Word of God as it's brought forth faithfully through your Pastor Brian. And seek to lift it up even if it was a terrible sermon. We have those too as pastors. It just doesn't always go like you wanted it to. Just felt so alone. But never forget the Word of God has come. A word of God is what's powerful and quick and sharp, even as a two-edged sword. Lift it up where it's good for your children to see and to know that you value it and you treasure it. It's the most important and valuable of the riches that you have been given in all of your life. It's the power of God to salvation. Because the warning signs are there when we don't. Beware of the bears. Because on this occasion, we see a curse, don't we? Go up, thou bald head. Go up, thou bald head. What does Elisha do? Elisha, he turns back. You see this youth group behind him crying out, go up thou bald head, go up thou bald head. And you can see Elisha turn to them. You can almost see Jesus here, can't you? Turning and looking at Peter. Elisha stops, he turns, and he looks on them. He has compassion on them. These are covenant children of God. These are His people who He's brought into the land of Israel. These are the people who He's privileged. These are the people who He's given His Word and His presence and His power to. These are young people. And His heart goes out to them. How can you be crying out and mocking the Word of God, God Himself? And He turns in compassion and He looks on them. But it doesn't have the effect of Jesus' look that it had on Peter. They continue to cry out instead of going out and weeping bitterly. And they're crying out all the louder, Go up, thou bald head! Go up, thou bald head! And he turned back and looked on them. You can imagine what a look that would have been. Maybe you as a son have seen that look from your dad. You continue to push it, and to push it, and to push it a little longer, and a little farther, and finally your dad, he stops, and he turns, and he looks at you. My son, if that didn't stop you, You might have wished it did. And he turned back and he looked at them. And he cursed them in the name of the Lord. Well, what is Elijah's frame of mind here? I think of Jesus again in John chapter two. As he comes into the temple, the dwelling place of God, the house of God, and he sees the corrupt worship that's there, and he takes this whip of cords and he chases out the money changers, and what does he say? What does his disciples say as they remember what was written? The zeal of thine house has eaten me up. This is the heart of Elijah. Yes, he's a prophet like Jesus with compassion. I would have extended mercy to all of these young people if they would have fell on their knees and wept bitterly over their sin. But they didn't. And there he turns unto them because of the zeal of the house of God that has eaten him up. And his passion for the glory and the justice and the holiness of God He curses them. He curses them. And curses them in the name of the Lord. The name of the Lord. You've got to remember what the Old Testament says about this in Leviticus 24. Then you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, whoever curses his God shall bear his sin, and whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall surely stone him, and the stranger as well as him who is born in the land, when he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death. And then in chapter 26, verse 22 in Leviticus, he says, I will send wild beasts among you which shall rob you of your children, destroy your livestock and make you few in number, and your highways shall be desolate. The curse of God, the judgment of God is His covenant promises as well as His mercy. He will devour your children. And the curse is given in the name of the Lord. And these two she bears, these female bears, come out of the woods and tore up 42 ewes. This is an area that's known for ferocious bears. And these weren't just normal bears. These were female bears. out in the woods, and you come across a bear, and it's a female bear, and especially if there's you and the bear and cubs on the other side, and you're right in the middle, you better be careful. Female bears are the most ferocious. I can't say with certainty that there were only 42 ewes there, young people. I can't say with certainty that they were all killed. But I believe we can safely say so. The text in Leviticus reminds us that they were worthy of death. They were mocking God. They were blaspheming God. They were blaspheming His Word. And the very word tor or being mauled, it means to be ripped apart and to be severed, as it were, from limb to limb. And, you know, I don't think you read here that any survive. Because what did Elisha do after they're mauled and tore apart? He goes from there and returns, goes to Mount Carmel and then to Samaria. If some of them would have been alive, he would have certainly been helping them, right? The whole point of this is, this is a youth group outing that had gone very, very bad. Beware of the bears. This is a great warning to us. God's judgments in his curse is just as certain as his mercy and his grace. And we need to recognize, as I said this morning, when God's work is done God's way, God's blessing will rest upon it many times in Jericho. But when God's work is done God's way, and it's mocked and discredited, it leads to God's judgment. God is faithful to his word. He is not mocked, and he will and does come in judgment. How are you receiving the Gospel? That very power of God to salvation as we heard of this morning. Are you receiving it with gladness? Are you receiving it and believing it? Because if we aren't, we will go down that slippery slope to despising it. and even wanting to do away with it. I would say that it's not only here, and I've focused on this so far, that this sign, beware of the bears, is a great warning. But I would also like to propose at the end of this sermon that this sign, beware of the bears, is a great encouragement as well. Pastor, what do you mean by being a great encouragement? You see, when God's work is done God's way, God will bless it. He will bless it in Jericho and He will bless it in Bethel. And God's work and God's name is being glorified both in Jericho and in Bethel. And God's servant is blessed in Jericho when we see God's salvation, and he's blessed in Bethel when he sees God's judgment. His Word doesn't return to him empty. He accomplished what he has in it for his purpose. What an encouragement that is. What an encouragement that is to preach the Gospel. What an encouragement that is for you to share the Gospel. Yes, it might have the effect in Jericho. It might have the effect of Bethel. You don't know. And for you, it's not for you to worry about what effect it will have. Because God will have His perfect effect. And He will protect His servants. He will protect in Elisha. Isn't that an encouragement? Elisha is coming here into Satan's den, as it were, in Bethel. Because he has corrupted the house of God. And as he comes there, God protects him with these bears. God is protecting His servant. Have you thought of this account in that way? Then you take encouragement. Ah, beware of the bears. Be aware of the bears. They are your protecting agents given from God to His servants. That's also true. This is also what they should have thought of in Jesus' day. As Jesus Himself was mocked and despised. as they spit on Him, and smote Him, and crowned Him with thorns, and brought Him to the cross of Golgotha, and said unto Him, If You be the Christ, come down from the cross, and then we will believe. They mocked Him and ridiculed Him. as they laugh at him and mock him, thinking it's funny when Jesus is coming under the very curse of God. He's calling for Elijah when he cries out, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? They're mocking him. And Jesus stops in His love, in His mercy. And He goes as a lamb, as a sheep is silent to its death. And He gives Himself without even opening His mouth. He could have opened His mouth and cursed. the whole world. But His mouth is silent as He bears the sins of His people. This is our Savior who was judged by the ferocious wrath of God that we deserved. All the while, people are mocking with this same Jesus who was mocked. And who is mocked when we reject His Gospel and we spurn His Word and we trample on the blood of Jesus Christ. This same Jesus rose the third day, breaking the bounds of death and ever lives at the right hand of God and had over all things exalted, given all authority both in heaven and upon earth. Oh, then the mockers will bend the knee and confess to the glory of God that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The One whom they have mocked is the Ruler of over all things. The One whom they have mocked created the very mountains that they are crying out to fall on them. God has the last words and He is not mocked. What an encouragement that is for those who bring the gospel and know the power of the gospel and to know the certainty that God will be glorified and we will be glorified with Him forever. Isn't it absolutely astounding to turn to Revelation chapter 19 and to think about what the saints are singing and praising God for in heaven. There in Revelation 19, you read these words after these things, after that great fall of the greatest mocker of all, Babylon. And Babylon is fallen, and how deeply she's fallen, and how badly she's fallen. Heaven is praising God, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous are His judgments. His judgments. For He has judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand. And again they said, Hallelujah! And her smoke rose up forever and ever. They're praising God from whom all judgment flows. Because God, as a holy and a just God, will do righteously to avenge the blood of His saints. to avenge the blood of His dear Son in whom these mockers have blasphemed." What encouraging words. God's judgment is certain. And we can hear that at the very same time that Jesus turns unto us and He looks at us. And He says, what about you? And what about Me? And He looks on us with compassion and love and wants us to think about what the Word of God has had for an effect on us. He looks and he says, just like he looks at Peter, will you also deny me? Peter, he went out. He wept bitterly and was restored as a servant of the Lord. What would it be for you? Two cities, Jericho and Bethel. You too have been blessed with the Word of God. You have the same passion of elation of Jesus. The zeal for the house of the Lord has eaten me up. A zeal to love Him and to serve Him and a zeal a zeal to know that God will be glorified in all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, we give you thanks for this opportunity to turn again to your word. To see the truths that are contained in it. And to beware of the bears. To beware that you are a God who is not mocked. and to be aware that you are a God who is gloriously righteous and perfect in all of your judgments. Your ways are past finding out. We worship you. Lord, I pray and plead with you this afternoon that you would richly bless this dear congregation. Bless them through the ministry of your word here. that you would not be mocked. Especially blessing them through your servant Brian who brings your word to them day by day, week by week. We give thanks for bringing him back through time in the Philippines and rest. And we pray, Lord, that you would add your blessing to him day by day, week by week. And may your word go forth with power, conviction, saving to the uttermost all who come to you in faith and repentance. We pray your blessing upon him and his dear wife and family among us. We ask, Lord, that you would now go with us as we depart from this place, that you would crown this day with your benediction, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.