Healing Waters and Curses

2 Kings 2:19-25 

    19 Then the men of the city said to Elisha, "Please notice, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren."
    20 And he said, "Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it." So they brought it to him. 21 Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, "Thus says the LORD: 'I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.'" 22 So the water remains healed to this day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke.
    23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!"
    24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the LORD. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.  25 Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Elisha was still in Jericho after his master Elijah had been caught up to be with the LORD.  The people there informed him that water was not palatable and not much could grow there in the barren soil.  What Elisha did then was to mix salt in a bowl of water and pour it in the source of the spring, promising safe water and fruitful crops once more.  This was more than a chemical science experiment, for no explanation of salt in water can make sense of this - it was a miraculous event in which the LORD used the prophet to demonstrate the pat he was acting in His power as Elijah before him.  These were healing waters from the Lord.  The second part of this passage shows that the LORD honors His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 for His people of faith of believing Abraham.  He blesses outsiders who are not of faith who bless His children, but He also curses those who curse His own.  That is what happened here; those ungodly young people who mocked the prophet received a curse of the LORD by the mouth of Elisha and were subsequently attacked and killed by creations from the Garden of Eden, the bears.  They were all His creations, but those rejecting Him and His messenger, a descendant physically and spiritually of Abraham, paid the price for their mocking rejection as surely as Cain was cursed.  Even so, we who are descendants by faith culminated in Christ are also protected in eternity when the LORD will enact vengeance and retribution of judgment in His righteousness (Revelation 6:10).  In our patient endurance we possess our souls in Christ now and forever. The healing waters of the river flowing through New Jerusalem with trees of healing (Revelation 22:2) will likewise reflect His purifying and spiritual of His people from this present evil and suffering.  There will be no more tears of sadness in His presence!  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!