Topical Bible: The Bear: The Natural Man

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In biblical symbolism, the bear often represents brute strength, ferocity, and the untamed aspects of nature. This imagery is used to convey the characteristics of the "natural man," who is driven by base instincts and desires, in contrast to the spiritual man who seeks to align with God's will.

Biblical References:

1. 2 Kings 2:23-24 : "From there, Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. 'Get out of here, baldy!' they said. 'Get out of here, baldy!' He turned around, looked at them, and called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys." This passage illustrates the bear as an instrument of divine judgment, emphasizing the consequences of disrespect and irreverence towards God's appointed prophets.

2. Daniel 7:5 : "And behold, another beast appeared, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. So it was told, ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’" In Daniel's vision, the bear symbolizes a kingdom characterized by its voracious and destructive nature, often interpreted as the Medo-Persian Empire. This imagery underscores the bear's association with the natural man's inclination towards aggression and conquest.

3. 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 and tyrannical nature of a wicked ruler, highlighting the dangers of unchecked power and the natural man's propensity for domination and exploitation.

Symbolism and Interpretation:

The bear, as a symbol of the natural man, reflects the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. The natural man, in biblical terms, is one who lives according to the desires of the flesh, often characterized by impulsiveness, aggression, and a lack of spiritual discernment. This is contrasted with the spiritual man, who seeks to live in accordance with the Holy Spirit and the teachings of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:14 : "The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." This verse highlights the limitations of the natural man, who is unable to comprehend spiritual truths without divine intervention.

Romans 8:5-8 : "Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God." This passage further elaborates on the dichotomy between the natural and spiritual man, with the bear serving as a fitting representation of the former's inherent hostility towards God.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, bears were known for their strength and unpredictability, making them a fitting symbol for the untamed aspects of human nature. The bear's presence in biblical narratives serves as a reminder of the potential for chaos and destruction when the natural man is left unchecked.

The bear's symbolism extends beyond mere physical strength to encompass the broader theme of the struggle between the flesh and the spirit. In this context, the bear represents the challenges faced by believers in overcoming their natural inclinations and striving towards spiritual maturity.

Conclusion:

The bear, as a representation of the natural man, serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing battle between the flesh and the spirit. Through the lens of biblical symbolism, the bear challenges believers to recognize and overcome their own natural inclinations, seeking instead to live in accordance with the Spirit and the teachings of Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 11:7
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Religion a Weariness to the Natural Man.
... turn away, and I wish you calmly to think the matter over, and bear me witness ... Truly
it is a weariness to the natural man to serve God humbly and in obscurity ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon ii religion a weariness.htm

The True Doctrine of God the Creator the Heretics Pretended to a ...
... you are to see through those laws, you would be equally impotent to bear the rays ...
Now, if from the very first "the natural man, not receiving the things of the ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter ii the true doctrine of.htm

The True Excellence of Man.
... From man, when he reduces him to a state of slavery ... study, produces in the philosopher
gnostic alacrity, so that he is easily able to bear natural death, which ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter iii the true excellence of.htm

Preface.
... a more alarming address to the corrupt natural heart, than ... upon disobedience, and
that every mortal man has disobeyed ... shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall ...
//christianbookshelf.org/shedd/sermons to the natural man/preface.htm

"For they that are after the Flesh do Mind the Things of the Flesh ...
... this is the righteous judgment of God upon man, that he ... in affection or conversation,
as the natural instincts of ... of the flesh, we are not able to bear much of ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xvii for they that.htm

Article I: of God.
... a depravity or corruption in the nature of man, but only ... born of a bond-woman are
slaves, and bear this condition without any natural blemish, but ...
/.../melanchthon/the apology of the augsburg confession/part 1 article i of.htm

The Faculty of Faith.
... This natural consciousness is the representation of his sinful existence ... of the soul;
for when a man ceases to ... of a tree to blossom and bear fruit: apparently ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxviii the faculty of faith.htm

John Chapter xvi. 12, 13 (Continued).
... were the very things which the apostles could not then bear, and as ... these also,
"Comparing spiritual things with spiritual: but the natural man perceiveth not ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xcvii john chapter xvi.htm

Original Sin
... 9. So far we bear the image of the devil, and tread in his steps. ... he is not guilty:
I mean love of the world; which is now as natural to every man, as to ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 44 original sin.htm

On Religion; the Natural and Divine Life; and the Exemplification ...
... weight and pressure that he was to bear, which, being so ... these: "Judas, betrayest
thou the Son of man with a ... dead to all the pleasures of the natural life, it ...
/.../scougal/the life of god in the soul of man/part i on religion the.htm