2 Kings 2:23

Unto Beth-el. Elisha was going back over the way he had taken with Elijah only a short time before. Now the older prophet was gone, but the work he had so nobly begun was still being carried on. The schools of the prophets founded by Samuel and re-established by Elijah after having fallen into a state of decay, continued to function in the training of young men for the work of the Lord. Both Elijah and Elisha saw the importance of these schools in a strong forward movement of the work of God. Without men who were properly trained, the work of reform would be constantly handicapped and little progress could be expected. So Elisha made it his first work to strengthen and encourage these schools, that they might play an effective part in the great work of seeking to establish God’s kingdom of righteousness in the hearts of the children of earth.

Mocked him. Elisha was a prophet of peace with a message of peace. His work was to bring life and gladness to the people of Israel. As he was entering upon this important mission, a number of youth came out of the city of Bethel to make sport of him and to deride his work as a messenger of God.

Go up, thou bald head. The ascension of Elijah had been a most solemn event. God had taken His faithful servant to Himself without permitting him to taste of death. The youth at Bethel had heard of Elijah’s translation, and they made this sacred occasion the subject of taunts and jeers. Elijah was gone, and now they set upon Elisha, derisively calling upon him also to make his ascent and depart from their midst. The young men were inspired by Satan, who was seeking to do what he could to counteract the effect of the solemn event that had occurred and that could not but leave a deep impression upon the people of the land. As Elisha was entering upon his work, Satan was seeking to defeat the plans and purposes of God. If the mockery of these young men had been permitted to pass unnoticed, the work that God intended to do through Elisha would have been greatly retarded, and a victory would have been won for the cause of evil.