Topical Bible: The Bear: God in his Judgments

◄ The Bear: God in his Judgments ►

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In the Bible, the bear is often depicted as a symbol of God's judgment and power, reflecting His ability to execute justice and bring about consequences for disobedience. The bear, as a creature of strength and ferocity, serves as a vivid representation of divine retribution and the seriousness of God's decrees.

Biblical References

1. 2 Kings 2:23-24 : One of the most direct references to bears in the context of divine judgment is found in the account of Elisha. As Elisha traveled to Bethel, a group of youths mocked him, saying, "Go up, you baldhead!" In response, Elisha called down a curse in the name of the LORD, and two female bears emerged from the woods, mauling forty-two of the youths. This incident underscores the seriousness with which God regards the respect due to His prophets and the consequences of irreverence.

2. Proverbs 28:15 : "Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people." Here, the bear is used metaphorically to describe the oppressive nature of a wicked ruler. This imagery highlights the destructive power of tyranny and serves as a warning of the chaos and suffering that can result from ungodly leadership.

3. Hosea 13:8 : In this passage, God describes His impending judgment on Israel using the imagery of a bear: "Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them open." This vivid metaphor illustrates the intensity and inevitability of God's judgment against those who have turned away from Him. The bear, in its protective and fierce nature, symbolizes the depth of God's righteous anger against sin and rebellion.

Symbolism and Interpretation

The bear, as a symbol of God's judgment, serves multiple purposes in biblical literature. It conveys the idea of divine retribution that is both powerful and unavoidable. The bear's strength and ferocity are emblematic of the seriousness with which God approaches sin and the lengths to which He will go to uphold His holiness and justice.

In the context of biblical prophecy and wisdom literature, the bear often represents the consequences of turning away from God's commandments. It serves as a reminder of the need for reverence, obedience, and the fear of the Lord. The imagery of the bear in these texts is not merely about physical danger but also about the spiritual peril that comes from disregarding God's will.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the bear as a symbol of God's judgment emphasizes the attributes of God as both just and sovereign. It reflects the biblical truth that God is not indifferent to sin and that His judgments are both righteous and purposeful. The bear's depiction in Scripture serves as a call to repentance and a reminder of the protective nature of God's laws.

In understanding the bear within the biblical narrative, believers are encouraged to recognize the seriousness of God's commands and the reality of His judgments. The bear, as a representation of divine justice, calls for a response of humility, reverence, and a commitment to living in accordance with God's will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Lamentations 3:10
He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Hosea 13:8
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the lobe of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Sermon for the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity
... The rest leave humbly to God, and bear what He ... soul, to the very last tittle, with
humble submission to His will, and acquiescing in His unknown judgments ...
/.../xxii sermon for the twelfth.htm

The Intercourse of God and his Friend
... True friendship is frank, and cannot bear to hide its ... in its bold attribution of
a like feeling to God leads us ... Divine heart, and the sweet reality of his amity ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the intercourse of god and.htm

The True Doctrine of God the Creator the Heretics Pretended to a ...
... you would be equally impotent to bear the rays ... riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ii the true doctrine of.htm

Sky, Earth, and Sea: a Parable of God
... test of a life is its power to bear the light of ... the emblem of the great mountains
of God's righteousness the emblem of the 'mighty deep' of His judgments. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/sky earth and sea a.htm

That we must Avoid all Curiosity, and Humbly Acquiesce in God's ...
... And if charity obliges us to bear so much ... of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God!
How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways! ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter vii that we must.htm

Holy Exercises of Pure Love to God.
... 11. I offer myself, for the love of my God, to bear and suffer all things which
may be to His honour and glory; though no manner of commodity accrue ...
/.../holy exercises of pure love.htm

The Humanity of God
... in God's eyes; not knowing that they bear his image, though ... riches and of the knowledge
and wisdom of God! How wonderful are his judgments, and his ways past ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon ix the humanity of god.htm

How Shall one Make Use of Christ as the Life, when Wrestling with ...
... of, or bear with sin, even in his own children. 2. To make all fear and tremble
before this great and holy God, who is terrible in his judgments, even when ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xxvii how shall one.htm

Departed Saints Fellow Servants with those yet on Earth.
... departed saints who are employed to bear God's messages. ... righteous, and their greater
love to God reconcile them to the execution of his judgments on all ...
/.../sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxvii departed saints fellow.htm

The Great Fruits Produced by the Above-Mentioned Prayer. The ...
... for consolations nor delights, since they bear God Himself within ... in secret within
such souls, for His judgments are beyond ... of prayer, are given by God to the ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter iii the great fruits.htm