By The Editor
The Mocking of the Children
“Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head”
“And Elisha 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.”
THIS old-world story of the prophet Elisha returning with his heart full of sorrow at the loss of Elijah, and being mocked by the children as he went, has a wonderful significance for the days in which we live.
Elijah had been taken to heaven in a chariot and horses, and as he went up his mantle fell upon Elisha. Elisha was a servant of the living God, and had important work to do for God. As he passed upon his way, children followed him out of the city and mocked him, saying, “Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.” These “young lads” were mocking at the rapture of Elijah, and were telling his successor as they mocked him to follow Elijah to heaven. Judgment swift and certain came upon the mockers: Elisha turned back, looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. God’s instrument of judgment (two she bears) came out of the wood and tare forty-two children.
One of the greatest characteristics of these last days is the insubordination and disobedience of children. Disobedience to parents is placed among the awful sins enumerated in Romans 1:3030Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, (Romans 1:30). In Exodus 20:1212Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (Exodus 20:12) is the command, “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” “We live in a day when we need to lay emphasis upon this command of God. This is a day of disrespect for parents. A day in which children think they know more than father and mother, in which children think of father and mother as old fogies, in which children speak of their father as the ‘governor,’ and their mother as the ‘old woman,’ As far as respect for parents is concerned, we have fallen upon evil days; but I want to say that this is the first commandment of promise, and the blessing of God attends the son or daughter who obeys it, but the curse of God rests upon the child who disobeys it. You may be a father or mother yourself, but unless you render respect to father and mother, you will break this commandment.”
The following solemn incident will show the terrible consequences that follow young men or maidens mocking the servants of God.