DID JESUS RISE FROM THE DEAD?

²³ From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking up the path, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, chanting, “Go up, baldy! Go up, baldy!” ²⁴ He turned around, looked at them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the children. ²⁵ From there Elisha went to Mount Carmel, and then he returned to Samaria. —2 Kings 2:23-25

1) GOD’S PEOPLE RECEIVE RIDICULE

¹¹ “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. ¹² Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you. —Matthew 5:11-12

• “Beth” = house
• ”el” = God
• ”Bethaven” = house of wickedness

2) GOD IS JUST

Righteousness and justice are the foundation
of your throne;
faithful love and truth go before you. —Psalm 89:14

3) GOD IS SLOW TO ANGER

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. —Numbers 14:18a

⁶ For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath. ¹⁰ For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. ¹¹ And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. —Romans 5:6-11

4) GOD IS SERIOUS

The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation. —Numbers 14:18

¹ Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere understanding by way of reminder, ² so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. ³ Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, ⁴ saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” ⁵ They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water. ⁶ Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded. ⁷ By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. ⁹ The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. ¹¹ Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness ¹² as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming. Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. ¹³ But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace. ¹⁵ Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. —2 Peter 3

5) BALD IS BEAUTIFUL

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. —Colossians 4:6

No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. —Ephesians 4:29

It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person. —Matthew 15:11

Lord, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips. —Psalm 141:3

¹ A gentle answer turns away anger,
but a harsh word stirs up wrath.

² The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive,
but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness. —Proverbs 15:1-2

Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. —Ephesians 5:4

I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. —Matthew 12:36

If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. —James 1:26

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. —Psalm 19:14

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