Elisha and the Youths (2 Kings 2:23-24)

The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Kill Brats - "From there Elisha went up to Bethel.  While he was on his way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him.  "Go up baldhead," they shouted, "go up baldhead!"  The prophet turned and saw them, and he cursed them in the name of the Lord.  Then two shebears came out of the woods and tore forty two of the children to pieces."  (2 Kings 2:23-24 NAB)

Let us examine the story of Elisha's journey to Bethel.  You can read the full chapter here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings+2&version=NIV

            Before examining this particular story, it would be helpful to get an overview of the events that preceded it.  Elisha was a prophet who lived during the time of the split monarchies of Judah and Israel.  He was the successor to Elijah, one of the great prophets of God (1 Kings 19:19-21).  After the death of King Ahaziah of Israel, Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, and Elisha witnessed it (2 Kings 2:1-12).  After that event, Elisha became God's prophet for 60 years (circa 892-832 BCE), and did many miracles.

            In this passage, Elisha was confronted by a large group of young men while he was on his way to Bethel.  It is important to understand that there have been many mistranslations in this passage: the Hebrew root word used is na'ar, which is most often used to describe a young man between the age of 12 and 30 [1][2] (see also Genesis 34:19, 41:12; 1 Kings 20:14-15).  The youths involved were not small boys; they were young men in their teens or twenties.

            The taunting that the young men gave Elisha was not just teasing.  It was a threatening act, designed to intimidate him.  The fact that 42 of them were killed by bears demonstrates how many of them there were; most likely a crowd of more than 50 ganging up on Elisha.  When they said, "Go up, you baldhead!", they were mocking him in two ways.  First, they were mocking the miracle of Elijah being taken up to heaven in a whirlwind not long before.  They were challenging Elisha to "go up" as Elijah had done, suggesting that they did not believe in the miracle of Elijah's disappearance, and daring Elisha to go up in the same way that Elijah had.  Second, their taunt "baldhead" was a slur against Elisha - there are several suggested meanings, that a prophet of that time signified his/her separation to God by shaving their head, that a leper in that time period had a shaved head and was considered a despised outcast [2], or used as a general term of contempt.  In any case, their verbal attack was designed to mock Elisha and his status as God's prophet.

            Essentially, the youths were challenging Elisha's authority as a prophet, and in insulting Elisha, were insulting the God who anointed him.  Had there not been immediate and swift action against the youths, the people would have had justifiable reason to question Elisha's call to prophecy and his status as God's messenger.  God saw the youths' rebellion, disrespect and utter contempt for him, and he responded by taking their lives.  In doing so, he was issuing a clear warning to anyone who would dare mock their Creator and King, and the prophets that he sent.       

             

References

[1]  Gesenius's Lexicon, Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (translated by Samuel P. Tregelles), 1847

[2] The Case For Faith, Lee Strobel, 2000.  Pgs. 122-124.

The Sabbath (Exodus 31:12-17)

The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Kill People For Working on the Sabbath - "The LORD then gave these further instructions to Moses: 'Tell the people of Israel to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you forever.  It helps you to remember that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.  Yes, keep the Sabbath day, for it is holy.  Anyone who desecrates it must die; anyone who works on that day will be cut off from the community.  Work six days only, but the seventh day must be a day of total rest.  I repeat: Because the LORD considers it a holy day, anyone who works on the Sabbath must be put to death.'"  (Exodus 31:12-15 NLT)

            The Sabbath was God's gift to the Israelites, and part of his lasting covenant with them.  It was a reminder to the people that God was in their midst.  Just as he created the earth in six days and then rested (Genesis 2:2-3), the Israelites were commanded to work six days in the week and then rest on the seventh day (Exodus 20:8-11).  The Sabbath was also instituted to remind them of the Lord saving them from slavery in Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15).

            So why was capital punishment prescribed for breaking the Sabbath?  Since God made the Sabbath a holy day, to break his commandment of resting on the Sabbath was a serious offence.  Working on the Sabbath was considered an act of blatant defiance and rebellion, as grave as an act of high treason.  It was a deliberate denial of God's sovereignty, his leadership and his authority.  Worse than that, it showed utter contempt to the one who saved the Israelites from perpetual slavery in Egypt.  It was considered an act of rebellion and ingratitude.

             Again, it is important to note that capital punishment commands such as these were given specifically to the nation of Israel during the time period and culture of the Ancient Near East.  The capital punishments prescribed do not apply in our time period and culture (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:24-26).

Rules Concerning The Tabernacle (Numbers 1:48-51)

The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Kill Anyone Who Approaches The Tabernacle - "For the LORD had said to Moses, 'Exempt the tribe of Levi from the census; do not include them when you count the rest of the Israelites.  You must put the Levites in charge of the Tabernacle of the Covenant, along with its furnishings and equipment.  They must carry the Tabernacle and its equipment as you travel, and they must care for it and camp around it.  Whenever the Tabernacle is moved, the Levites will take it down and set it up again.  Anyone else who goes too near the Tabernacle will be executed.'"  (Numbers 1:48-51 NLT)

            Why would capital punishment be prescribed for a non-Levite person who went near the Tabernacle?  The Tabernacle was constructed as the literal dwelling place of God while he was in the desert with the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land of Canaan (Exodus 25:8, 22; 40:34-38; Numbers 7:89; 9:15-23).  As such, it was considered the holiest of places.  When the glory of the Lord initially filled the Tabernacle, not even Moses could approach it (Exodus 40:35).

            The presence of God is extremely powerful.  God told Moses, "'I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence...But,' he said, 'you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live'" (Exodus 33:19-20, NIV).  The powerful and holy presence of God is too much for any mortal creature to withstand.

            God set the people of the tribe of Levi apart to serve as his priests and those who served at the Tabernacle (Numbers 18; Deuteronomy 18:1-8).  However, even the Levites who were not descendants of Aaron could not go into the inner sanctuary, or they would die (Numbers 18:1-7).  Also, only the high priest had access to the place called the Most Holy Place inside the sanctuary, where the Ark of the Covenant was located, and even then he could only enter once a year during the Day of Atonement, and had to make careful preparations beforehand (Exodus 26:33-34; Leviticus 16). 

            In light of all this, the command not to approach the Tabernacle was a very serious one.  This is why those who disobeyed the commandment were ordered to be executed.  In this day and age, we are able to come into the presence of God because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews chapter 9).

A Blasphemer Put To Death (Leviticus 24:10-23)

The following quote is taken from evilbible.com:

"Death For Blasphemy - "One day a man who had an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father got into a fight with one of the Israelite men.  During the fight, this son of an Israelite woman blasphemed the LORD's name.  So the man was brought to Moses for judgment.  His mother's name was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.  They put the man in custody until the LORD's will in the matter should become clear.  Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard him to lay their hands on his head.  Then let the entire community stone him to death.  Say to the people of Israel: Those who blaspheme God will suffer the consequences of their guilt and be punished.  Anyone who blasphemes the LORD's name must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel.  Any Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the LORD's name will surely die."  (Leviticus 24:10-16 NLT)  

Let's examine the story of Shelomith's son.  You can read the full chapter here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2024&version=NIV

            This event took place when the Israelites were on their way to the land of Canaan, being led by God out of slavery in Egypt.  God was giving the Israelites the Law.  He had already warned them against blasphemy of his name (Exodus 20:7; 22:28).  Dictionary.com defines blasphemy as "to speak impiously or irreverently of; to speak evil of; slander; abuse" [1].  To blaspheme God is to speak about him with contempt, often in a slanderous way. 

            The text is unclear as to exactly what Shelomith's son said.  What we do know is that he used the name of God in an irreverent and contemptuous manner in front of witnesses.  In the Ancient Near East, a name had more power than often ascribed to names in our time period and culture.  A name revealed the character of the person, or in this case, of God.  Shelomith's son sought to damage the reputation of God by misusing his name.

            Why was capital punishment prescribed for those who blasphemed?  It showed utter contempt and disrespect for God, the Creator of the universe and all living things, and the one who delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.  After all God had done for that man, the man chose to repay God by speaking of him contemptuously and rebelling against his commands.  Such blatant disrespect was as serious as high treason.  This is why Shelomith's son was ordered to be executed.    

            Again, it is important to note that capital punishment commands such as these were given specifically to the nation of Israel during the time period and culture of the Ancient Near East.  All of Scripture, both Old and New Testament, condemns blasphemy; however, the capital punishments prescribed do not apply in our time period and culture (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:24-26).

References

[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/blaspheme?s=t

False Prophets (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 18:20-22; Zechariah 13:3)

The following quotes are taken from evilbible.com: 

"Kill False Prophets - "If a man still prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall say to him, 'You shall not live, because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord.'  When he prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall thrust him through."  (Zechariah 13:3 NAB)

"Suppose there are prophets among you, or those who have dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles,  and the predicted signs or miracles take place.  If the prophets then say, 'Come, let us worship the gods of foreign nations,' do not listen to them.  The LORD your God is testing you to see if you love him with all your heart and soul.  Serve only the LORD your God and fear him alone.  Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.  The false prophets or dreamers who try to lead you astray must be put to death, for they encourage rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of slavery in the land of Egypt.  Since they try to keep you from following the LORD your God, you must execute them to remove the evil from among you."  (Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NLT)

"'But any prophet who claims to give a message from another god or who falsely claims to speak for me must die.'  You may wonder, 'How will we know whether the prophecy is from the LORD or not?'  If the prophet predicts something in the LORD's name and it does not happen, the LORD did not give the message.  That prophet has spoken on his own and need not be feared."  (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 NLT)

            

           The question asked here is: Why was capital punishment prescribed for false prophets?  The severity of the punishment was because of the severity of the crime.  To encourage idolatry (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) or to tell lies in God's name (Zechariah 13:3) was to show utter contempt for God, and was in essence to commit treason. 

            As stated before, idolatry is a very serious sin that God does not take lightly.  He is the Lord and Creator of the universe, and desires that people only worship him.  He warned the Israelites against idol worship on numerous occasions (see Exodus 20:3-6, 23; 23:13, 23-24; 34:17; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-28; 5:7; 6:14-15; 8:19; 12:31; 17:2-7; 27:15; 29:17-18).  In the instance described in Deuteronomy 13, someone who claimed to be a prophet would try to lead the people astray to worship idols or foreign deities.  This was open rebellion against God.  This is why God commanded that the person be executed; otherwise the entire nation would be persuaded to rebel against God and show contempt for the one who freed them from perpetual slavery in Egypt.

            A true prophet was a person who was sent to directly communicate God's message to the people.  False prophets often took advantage of people that they lied to in order to gain advancement and/or wealth for themselves.  It is a very dangerous thing to presume to speak for God, or to tell lies in God's name (Jeremiah chapter 28).  To do so is not only haughty, but breaks God's commandments against idolatry and lying (Exodus 20:3-6, 16; Proverbs 6:16-19).  It also could lead to others straying away from God and rebelling against him.  This is why false prophets were ordered to be executed.

            Again, it is important to note that capital punishment commands such as these were given specifically to the nation of Israel during the time period and culture of the Ancient Near East.  All of Scripture, both Old and New Testament, condemns idolatry and false prophecy; however, the capital punishments prescribed do not apply in our time period and culture (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:24-26).

A Warning Against Idolatry, Part 2

The following quotes are taken from evilbible.com:

"Death to Followers of Other Religions - "Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed."  (Exodus 22:20 NAB)

"Kill Nonbelievers - "They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman."  (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NAB)

"Kill Followers of Other Religions - 1) "If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him.  Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you.  You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.  And all Israel, hearing of this, shall fear and never do such evil as this in your midst."  (Deuteronomy 13:6-11 NAB)

2) "Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden.  When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death."  (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)

            I have already discussed this topic in my earlier article, "A Warning Against Idolatry", so I'm only going to briefly reinstate what was said in that article. 

            The charge of idolatry is a very grievous sin, which God does not take lightly (see Exodus 20:3-6, 23; 23:13, 23-24; 34:17; Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15-28; 5:7; 6:14-15; 8:19; 12:31; 17:2-7; 27:15; 29:17-18).  God warned the Israelites on several occasions that if they committed idolatry, it was a crime that warranted the death penalty.  The Israelites' covenant with God demanded that they worship and serve him only.  They were not supposed to worship other gods or fashion idols for themselves.  God had warned them that if they did these things, it would lead to their destruction: "If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed" (Deuteronomy 8:19, NIV). 

            Why is idolatry considered such a serious crime?  The severity of the judgment, capital punishment, is due to the severity of the sin.  God is the only God, the Lord and creator of all the universe.  When anyone bows down and worships or pays tribute to a false god or idol, they are taking credit away from God and giving it to something undeserving of that credit.  "I am the LORD; that is my name!  I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols" (Isaiah 42:8, NIV).  The crime of idolatry was so serious that it was often referred to as adultery against God (Ezekiel 6:9).

            Again, it is important to note that capital punishment commands such as these were given specifically to the nation of Israel during the time period and culture of the Ancient Near East.  All of Scripture, both Old and New Testament, condemns idolatry; however, the capital punishments prescribed do not apply in our time period and culture (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:24-26).

The Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12, 21:15; Leviticus 20:9; Proverbs 20:20)

The following quotes are taken from evilbible.com:

"Death for Hitting Dad - "Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death."  (Exodus 21:15 NAB)

"Death for Cursing Parents - 1) "If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness."  (Proverbs 20:20 NAB)

2) "All who curse their father or mother must be put to death.  They are guilty of a capital offense."  (Leviticus 20:9 NLT)

           

            Why would capital punishment be prescribed for dishonoring one's parents?  In considering these texts, we must consider what a great responsibility has been placed on parents.  Being a parent entails the enormous tasks of birthing a child, caring for that child's physical needs until they reach adulthood, and raising them to be responsible adults.  Being a good parent requires a great amount of love, sacrifice, time and effort.

            All of Scripture reaffirms God's command to honor and obey one's parents (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20).  God has directly placed our parents in a position of authority over us, and we are directed to respect the position that God has given them. 

            In light of God's command to honor one's parents and also in light of the fact that good parents do so much for their children throughout their lives, it would do parents a great disservice for their children to curse them.  We must also take into account that the meaning of the term "curse" carried a much greater weight in the Ancient Near East than it does in our modern Western culture.  To curse someone meant to call on an outside power to cause them misfortune or harm.  This directly goes against God's command to honor, respect, obey and love our parents.

            In the case of Exodus 21:15, many English translations render the Hebrew word nakah as "to strike" or "to hit".  However, the word can also mean "to kill" [1].  In either case, to strike one's parent or kill them is a direct affront not only to their authority, but to God's, who placed them above the child.  And if, in the opinion of the author of evilbible.com, it is such a terrible thing for capital punishment to be given to someone who cursed, struck or killed their parents, why then is the act of killing a parent not worthy of the death penalty?    

            Again, it is important to note that capital punishment commands such as these were given specifically to the nation of Israel during the time period and culture of the Ancient Near East.  All of Scripture, both Old and New Testament, stresses the importance of honoring one's parents; however, the capital punishments prescribed do not apply in our time period and culture (Romans 6:14; Galatians 3:24-26).

References

[1] Gesenius's Lexicon, Heinrich Friedrich Wilhelm Gesenius (translated by Samuel P. Tregelles), 1847