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A Position Worthy of Respect
2 Kings 2:23
"And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head."
There are certain positions that are worthy of respect. Often we may not like a person who fills a position, but the position itself is worthy of respect. For instance, the leader of a country will be liked by some and despised by others, yet, the position that person holds is worthy of respect. In the verse above, we find that the man of God's position is worthy of respect. Whether or not you like the man of God, you should respect him because of his position. His position is worthy of respect because he is a representative of God. With this in mind, let me give you several thoughts from the story above.
First, God takes the man of God's position seriously. Many have looked at the verse above and questioned why Elisha would call she bears to punish these children for their ridicule of him. What you must understand is that even though Elisha cursed these children, it was God Who sent the she bears. The punishment may seem extreme, but it was God who administered the punishment, and no man should ever question God's punishment. If God sent such severe punishment to children, then He must take the man of God's position seriously. If God takes this position seriously, then you should treat the person who holds this position seriously and with respect.
Second, children should be taught to respect the man of God. The parents of these children should have taught them better. Children often do what their parents teach them by example. These children most likely were only mimicking what they had seen their parents do. You should make it a point in your home to teach your children to respect the man of God. Teach them to address him properly. Teach them not to criticize him. Of course, if you criticize the man of God then you will have a hard time teaching them not to criticize him. Teach your children to respect the man of God by taking care of him. You can do this by letting them give their preacher little gifts. Teach your children to respect the man of God by praying for he and his family on a regular basis. Children should be taught to reverence the position of the man of God.
Third, criticism of God's man should never be entertained. You must be careful not to become a part of a group of people who criticize the man of God. You will notice in the verse above, it was a group of children and not an individual child. Criticism of the man of God often happens in groups. Rarely do you see individuals criticizing the man of God. Therefore, when you are around people who start criticizing the man of God, you should try to stop the criticism or leave, but don't become a part of it. Avoid the groups of people who are known to criticize God's man.
Last, God will punish those who attack the man of God. I have seen many times in my life God's punishment on those who attack the man of God. Some have paid a dear price because of their attack against God's man. God will not let you get by with attacking His man. He will punish you if you become a part of criticizing and attacking the man of God.
Be careful what you say about the man of God. Realize that his position is worthy of respect. If you have been guilty of criticizing and attacking the man of God, then you need to get it right before you face God's punishment. The man of God's position is worthy of respect, be sure that you give it the respect it deserves.