Questions from child re: bible?

[Rachelle]

I'm not sure how to handle questions about the bible stories in LHTH.
My son keeps asking questions like whether people died when the Israelites came into the country? What about the not killing commandment? Were the people (or first born sons or whatever) all bad ones?
How do I answer these questions?

[crlacey]

We have always explained that God commanded us not to murder (as in man thought up the idea to kill). But we also are to obey God since he knows best. So if God commands killing, than the people obeyed. And here is a verse we use to help that thought:
Isaiah 55:9 (New International Version)
"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."

My kids have always been ok with this explanation. Though maybe someone else has a better one for both of us.

[Daisy]

The commandment is, "Thou shalt not murder." Quite a bit different than not killing. Even Jewish law had provisions for "capital punishment."

I've always explained it to my children this way. All of us are guilty of sin. We break the law of God. The wages of sin is death. Essentially, we all deserve to die. In OT times, the sacrificial system was put into place by God in which he would "overlook" our sin. The Jews followed this sacrificial system. Others in the world, regardless of how "good" they may have been were still law breakers and deserving of death. God is just though and must judge sin, otherwise he isn't God. In the OT, we see the harshness of a world where no man is good enough and no animal sacrifice is good enough to bring man back into permanent communion with God.

It contrasts wonderfully with the NT and the redemption story. God sent his son to become perfect sacrifice. Though man is still a law breaker and still unable to keep the law perfectly, he no longer has to offer sacrifice after sacrifice. Christ's death and resurrection became the perfect "once for all time" sacrifice. Those who accept and believe this are saved from the wages of sin (death). Those who reject this will like all the other unbelievers in Scripture suffer eternal torment.

So I usually say something like this..."Wow, that does seem really harsh, but God has told us that the wages of sin is death. These people did not believe in the promise of the Messiah. They choose to follow their own way that leads to death. God is just and must punish sin. Aren't you glad that God sent his son to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin? Because we believe that we don't have to suffer that same punishment for our sin."

[Carrie]

These are terrific, Biblical responses to those tough questions!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ladies!

Blessings,
Carrie

[funkmomma71]

We discussed this very topic in church last weekend, here's what our Elder had to say in regards to this... the people the Isrealites were commanded to kill had over 400 years to repent and turn back to God and heard about what God was doing for Isrealites in the desert and freeing them from Egypt. This was evidenced by Rahab the harlot, who hid the Isrealite spies because she knew what God had done for them and acknowledged Him as GOD, she and her family were spared. If Rahab knew of the Isrealite God and trusted Him, then the other people has that chance also. Their destruction is not much different then the unbeliever who is condemned to hell, the Heavens declare His Majesty and only fools deny Him.

[my3sons]

I just have to say, reading this, that isn't this exactly why we homeschool?!? To be able to answer our dc's questions like this is such a blessing. Even if we at first don't have all of the answers, the Bible does, and we can go to it for help. Thanks for the question and the responses here - it does my heart good to see how God is working in homes and hearts through the use of HOD.

In Christ,
Julie