Jane H

Not really. As I’ve indicated, I remain unconvinced about its historicity. Sarah Palin might say that a couple of she-bears with cubs, unable to retreat, chose attack as the best form of defence. And she would then point out that their method of dealing with the situation worked. Since I’m unconcerned about where the story lies on the ‘ahistorical folk tale/largely rewritten with a kernel of truth/happened as written’ spectrum, I’ll avoid consideration of the bears motivation.

So if the point isn’t to make a historical record, how does the story function?

I view this as a type of story that occurs over again in the OT and the NT. As I’ve explained, the story isn’t about small boys being punished by a vicious God, by being eaten alive by bears, just for teasing a baldy. It’s about a prophet of God about to be kicked to death by a crowd of teenage thugs, who is rescued by God. It’s functioning as ’lesson’ in how things work. It’s making the same sort of points as David and Goliath, the OT Jews fighting their way into the Holy Land, Jesus on the cross.

“If God is for us, who can be against us”? Those who oppose God might seem to have the power, to be winning, but God will win in the end. Stick with God, and He’ll see you alright. This is a key part of the meta-narrative of the Bible. Nota Bene.

haitu

its funny. no matter how much christians logically explain or try to soften this story, it's still cruel and disgusting. if god wanted to stop any potential threats from those children he could have done ANYTHING. ultimately, christians can believe it literally or metaphorically. win/win for christians. but then again its also sad to see how delusional they are as they defend stuff like this.

Casper

This is exactly how I see it as well. A little bit silly if imagined literally because of some minor incongruencies but cruel vicious and dastardly? I don't quite see it outside of wearing my 20th century "morality goggles". I would not expect a cultural guidebook from the middle east circa 200BCE (or earlier of course) to depict a god as having little warm kittens curled up at his feet while he relaxes in his chair by a cozy fire. What if there were an emergency, would that kind of god be quick to respond? Or would he take a nap?

Life was not easy. Kindness and cruelty are subjective as all get-out. The youths are the villains in this story of God-as-karma-controller. That's it.

spamandham

You've invented all aspects of this redaction. There's nothing in the story that suggests Elisha was being threatened in any way, that he was bald because he was in mourning, that this was an organized gang of thugs, etc.

The simplest explanation for the story, is to act as a reminder to treat the priest class with utmost respect....OR ELSE!

It's a very similar harsh and absurd message as the story about the guy who stumbled while carrying the ark of the covenant, and was instantly smitten by god when he instinctively touched it to keep it from falling.

Impropriety in regard to the instruments of god (including prophets) results in an instant death penalty. That's the message.

YHWH was an violent asshole god, not the loving 'father'/redeemer god of the NT.

Jane H

It’s a story. The bad guys meet a nasty end, as they do in modern films, books and plays. It’s a story about a crowd of thugs who decided to beat up one of God’s people, but who ended up paying for their viciousness. The same meta-narrative reoccurs throughout the Bible. Psalm 62, Moses vs. Egypt, Jesus’ diatribes against the religious authorities.

The bad guys may seem to hold the cards, but they don’t. “When I am weak, then I am strong”. Evil will be sorted out in the end. That’s the thing that this story tells us, and it gets repeated throughout the Bible.

Jane H

In post 27 I explained how the story should be read. You need to engage with the points made there.

Certainly it is an element of the message of the story, that going out of your way to offend YHWH by attacking His people is a mistake, but that is surely implied in the meta-narrative that I have previously mentioned. “Deliver me from my enemies O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me” (Psalm 59:1). There’s plenty of Christians around the world today for whom this is a painfully real prayer.

spamandham

There's nothing there to engage, unless you're wanting me to simply go through each point and say "you just made that up". That's why my initial response to that post was to congratulate you on your creativity.

Inventing things to soften what the text says, is not a valid form of textual criticism.

WishboneDawn

How I view it now remains unchanged from how I viewed it when I was certain I was a Christian...A priest was teased by some kids about his lack of hair, wrote up the story, thundered about it when preaching and bald preists have been loving it ever since. Sometimes a story is just a story.

WishboneDawn

Wait a minute. I already said that in this thread...

Solo

Jane, as someone who studies cognitive patterns in religious narration, I have a great deal difficulty with your reading of the story. There is no indication that I can see that the boys were attacking Elisha or intent on harming him physically. Quite the contrary, Elisha, who is said to be ascending on a path to Bethel, is turning around to acknowledge them and when he sees them he curses them in the name of the Lord. He does not see "hoodies" but boys (at least that is how everyone read it since the Septuagint translators). The perceived harm to Elisha is dignitary in nature, not physical. They boys are mocking Elisha which greatly offends him, as he sees himself the prophet of the Almighty.

The narrative mentation here is intellectually naive and childish (,much as in the story of YHWH hardening Pharaoh's heart to justify his mighty deeds of pestilence upon Egypt). There is just no other way a mature, reasoning individual would read the story. Seeing a murderous intent in the mockers, is a classical example of trying to make the punishment fit the crime.

This may very well be but they are also many Moslems in the world today who would not suffer their prophet being mocked. So which applies in the story of Elisha being teased by little boys ?

Jiri