In the land of Israel was a city called Bethel, and in this city Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, had set up a golden calf for his people to worship instead of the true God. And for long years afterwards the people of Bethel worshiped the golden calf and other idols. They did not love God and they did not teach their children to love him.
But there were other people living near Bethel who loved God. And they wished to see the true religion again planted in their country. So they started a school in the city of Bethel, which they called a “school of the prophets,” like the school down at Jericho. And Elijah used to visit that school. Elisha had been with him the last day when he visited the young men at that place.
Now after Elijah had gone up to heaven in a great whirlwind, Elisha took up the work of the old prophet and went from one place to another, visiting the schools of the prophets and teaching the people of Israel to worship the Lord only. He also carried messages from the Lord to the kings of the land, just as Elijah had done before him. And he had much work to do.
Elisha stayed in Jericho for a while after Elijah was taken from him. And one day the men of that city came to him and said, “You see that our city is built in a pleasant place, but the water that we must drink is not good. It causes much sickness and death.” Elisha told them to bring him a new bottle with some salt in it. And when they did so he took the salt from the new bottle and threw it into the springs where the people went to draw their water. Then he said, “From this time forth there shall be no more deaths caused by these waters, for God has healed them.” And after that day the waters became pure and sweet.
Then Elisha started on his journey north and west to visit the school of the prophets at Bethel. As he came near to the city he met a host of children. Possibly they were going out to the country to have a picnic. They had seen Elisha before, and they remembered that he was the same man who used to come to their city with Elijah to visit the school of the prophets. They had heard that Elijah had gone to heaven in a whirlwind, but they only laughed. They did not believe that people would go to heaven in that way. Their parents were idol-worshipers, who were unfriendly toward the prophets of the true God. And no doubt these children had heard their parents speak unkindly about Elijah and Elisha.
Now the children began to make fun of Elisha. They danced about him and mocked him and cried, “Go up, bald head! go up!” This was very wrong, for no one should make such fun of persons. And they were telling him to go up as Elijah had done, for they did not like to have him visit their city.
Elisha knew these children would never grow up into good men and women. He knew they would worship idols and bring much sorrow to Israel if they should live. So he prayed to God that he would punish them for their wrong-doing. And as he went on his way into the city two hungry bears came out of the woods and caught the wicked children and killed forty-two of them. This was a terrible punishment, but it was God’s way to teach those children who ran away to safety that it is very wrong indeed to make such fun of God’s prophets, or of any one.
After Elisha’s visit at Bethel he went to Mount Carmel, the place where God had so wonderfully answered Elijah’s prayers, and then He went back to Samaria, the capital city of Israel.