Daughter's questions about God

[bornagain2011]

I am worried about my 10 year old daughter.

I was reading the Bible to her tonight, and she had a lot of questions. She wanted to know why God was going to kill all those people at the end and send them to hell, why not send Satan to hell and free everyone else? Why did God create people to send to the lake of fire? She was very upset and crying. She said "God kills people".

I tried to answer the best I could by telling her that's why we share the Gospel, and in the end they know they are choosing to not follow God. They made their choice. I explained how God is a perfect judge, and He he has to punish sin etc. I turned the topic to the promises God has in store for us, the new Heaven and Earth etc.

But I'm worried about her. She sounds like her dad and other atheists who are angry at God. I told her to be careful about her thoughts because I don't want her being mad at Him. Her and her sister were just at their dad's house for a week. I feel like he is slowly coming around,  but it's still really worldly over there.

Does anyone had any advice about how I can talk to my girls about God's justice? And how I can answer these questions for her? Thank you. 

[Justin Adams]

Your daughter has great questions. One of them is about 'God killing people'. This is really all about who will He want in His kingdom, because all the previous people He sent to try to get folk to understand Him were either killed by bad men or were failures in bringing His message of love and care. So he came Himself to put it all right.

Because some of His Holy Ones sinned, they taught mankind how to better destroy themselves. (Gen 6.) The apostles constantly warn about this in much of their writings. When Adam gave away the keys to the kingdom, Gen 3, he lost the relationship with God he once had and the Nacash (throne guardian devil figure) became the legitimate ruler of the earth.

So God became a man and did the job of Redemption Himself by allowing bad people to kill Him on the cross. The resurrection then showed His absolute power was once again reestablished on the earth and that He had conquered death and so the previous path most people were on was halted if they would believe in Him as their Saviour. Yeshua said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven". Yeshua atoned for people going the wrong way by this Gift of His own sinless body. He thus brought to nought that work of darkness. His shed blood on the Mercy Seat now allows us to approach the throne of God directly and submit our prayers and worship.

So it is really about bad spirits killing people and Yahweh becoming Yeshua (Ya is Salvation) to get us out of the mess we have created. All we have to do to be saved is BELIEVE and be LOYAL to Yeshua (Jesus), and God does the rest. John 3:16.

When Yeshua came He put to right the 'fall' the 'angelic disobedience' and the 'scattering at Babel'. So now even the territorial spirits Yahweh initially put over the 70 nations (Psalm 82) and (Deut 32) have had their authority rescinded. "They will die like men" for the way they hurt and misled and abused God's creation.

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom @bornagain2011

Tricky situation.  I hope you allow me to offer advice and weigh it up accordingly.

First of all, it is good for a child to have the fear of God, which is sorely missing in most Christians today, unfortunately.  That said, the should not be fear that God is unjust or unfair.  

Whilst you are telling your daughter the truth about salvation, it also seems a bit inappropriate to address this issue until the coming of age. I hope you don't mind me saying that, I mean it in gentleness.  

Some adults even struggle with the concept of salvation and fairness, so how much more a 10 year old - who will have no concept of the depths of sin and being born in it?  Personally, I think it would be better to teach her about the Messiah's teachings, the wise words of the Bible, and historical events (without making them 'cartoony').

Nevertheless, the subject has been addressed, so how best to explain it to her so that her heart isn't overly troubled about it.  I would suggest something like the following:

God is coming to live with us on Earth, in a huge palace in a huge city, which comes down from heaven - made of gold and every precious stone - shining with every colour and some colours we've never even seen before!  In that city will be fun, celebrations and amazing presents for everyone.  You'll be able to do amazing things there and everyone will be very happy and super kind to each other.  When the city arrives, God's Son will come to collect all those he has invited to come to live in the wonderful city.  He collects all those who have prayed to him and followed his good ways.  However, the other people, who didn't like God's Son or didn't even believe in Him, weren't allowed to go to the city - as they would only cause trouble there and upset everyone else with their rude and selfish behaviour.  So, there were those inside the city - enjoying a life full of joy, fun and excitement- and those outside the city - who preferred to act behave badly and selfishly.

Questions:

What is heaven then?

That is where God is resting at the moment, until He comes to live with us.  It will be a brilliant surprise when He comes and He'll bring many many gifts for those coming into the city.

What is hell then?

Hell is outside the city.  It's a place for all the poorly behaved people to live because the don't want to live in the beautiful city.  Crazy, no?  God invited them, and so did His Son, many many times.  But they refused to listen to him and accept his invite! Because they knew that, if they went in, they could no longer act wickedly to everyone else, and steal from them, hurt them and be rude to everyone.  And they preferred to do that than act kindly and lovingly.

Why doesn't God forgive them then so we can all live in the city?

God wants to forgive them and have them come into the city.  But some people refused to be forgiven and turn their back to God saying "we don't want you!".  Some people even convinced themselves that God doesn't even exist!  They say "How do we know he is in heaven! He might not be! So let's be cruel to each other and steal things!"  So, when God arrives, he hasn't prepared a home for them in the city, because he knows they would prefer to live outside and be cruel.

Hopefully some of the above gives you some ideas on how to approach it.  The concept being "all are invited to go to the Great Party but only those who want to go are collected by the Bus", rather than "some go to heaven, some go to hell".  The latter is too abrupt and without explanation as to why.  It can seem random, unreasonable and even unfair to children and adults if they don't consider the "Invite & Response" scenario.  

Would you being doing your daughter a disservice in not explaining Hell to her?  No, I don't think so.  That can come later when she is ready for more truth.  But ultimately, all everyone needs to know is that some will get to go to the City and others will not.  So, we shouldn't focus our time on what "life" looks like outside the City, but rather get cited in thinking what it will be like inside.

May Yahweh guide you on this matter and aid you in explaining it clearly to your daughter. 

Love & Shalom

[JohnD]

5 hours ago, bornagain2011 said:

I am worried about my 10 year old daughter.

I was reading the Bible to her tonight, and she had a lot of questions. She wanted to know why God was going to kill all those people at the end and send them to hell, why not send Satan to hell and free everyone else? Why did God create people to send to the lake of fire? She was very upset and crying. She said "God kills people".

I tried to answer the best I could by telling her that's why we share the Gospel, and in the end they know they are choosing to not follow God. They made their choice. I explained how God is a perfect judge, and He he has to punish sin etc. I turned the topic to the promises God has in store for us, the new Heaven and Earth etc.

But I'm worried about her. She sounds like her dad and other atheists who are angry at God. I told her to be careful about her thoughts because I don't want her being mad at Him. Her and her sister were just at their dad's house for a week. I feel like he is slowly coming around,  but it's still really worldly over there.

Does anyone had any advice about how I can talk to my girls about God's justice? And how I can answer these questions for her? Thank you. 

Hence the effectiveness of divide and conquer. {sigh}

Up until I read where your daughter's concerns originated, I thought you have a real problem on your hands.

Because even if she's young, she needs an answer.

She may still need it as much as ever (now that Daddy planted it in her reasoning).

God can break through these dams / log jams of reason... but it usually takes something drastic (on his part not ours)

to get people searching for truth in such a way that they are open to the big picture.

Lesson to us all (parents / adults around children) ← don't project on them the uncertainties or anger we have about anything.

Teach them the love of God right from wrong etc.

But preaching / teaching one's own views to a child is a very serious thing and I believe we are going to be held more responsible for it / or the lack of it

(usually out of convenience) that we did not speak out against the smut children are exposed to in the modern society... etc.

God gives us life. Science does not explain the miracle of creation and life... it only observes its existence.

God gives us choice. Everyone cries out for the ability to choose. No one wants the responsibility to choose.

For there to be right the flip side is there has to be a wrong or else there is nothing to choose between.

Hope this helps.

God be with you!

[enoob57]

5 hours ago, bornagain2011 said:

She wanted to know why God was going to kill all those people at the end and send them to hell, why not send Satan to hell and free everyone else?

The best answer for her 10 year old mind is to explain all that will be in hell is satan who hates God for Who He 'IS' and those who willfully love satan and hate God by denial of Who God 'IS'...  Hell is a created place created for the devil and his angels-
Matt 25:41
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
KJV
where God wills Himself not to be in order to give those there that which they wished for- satan to be their god... 

5 hours ago, bornagain2011 said:

Why did God create people to send to the lake of fire?

God did not create people for the lake of fire...
Matt 25:41
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
KJV
People were created in God's image; so set her before a mirror and ask her to hate that...
The same that God does not hate us for we were created to reflect God in ourselves back to God: sin causes us to not want to give anything back to God but keep it to ourselves yet even though we are in that state of mind God still loves us and does not wish us to want hell...

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
KJV
Explain all that 'IS' belongs to God and to love that apart from God, Who made it, is the ugliness of sin. Tell her to count the things she likes about this life: the tastes of her favorite food, her favorite color, her best friend, her favorite pet, her favorite clothes etc ... then ask her has she thanked God, I mean really thanked Him, for those gifts from Him? Tell her all that are in hell weren't thankful to God for them either!

5 hours ago, bornagain2011 said:

She was very upset and crying. She said "God kills people".

This is the lie of the devil ...

John 8:44

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
KJV

God has murdered no one but took murder for His Own Son in forgiveness of all who murder...

[Billiards Ball]

6 hours ago, bornagain2011 said:

I am worried about my 10 year old daughter.

I was reading the Bible to her tonight, and she had a lot of questions. She wanted to know why God was going to kill all those people at the end and send them to hell, why not send Satan to hell and free everyone else? Why did God create people to send to the lake of fire? She was very upset and crying. She said "God kills people".

I tried to answer the best I could by telling her that's why we share the Gospel, and in the end they know they are choosing to not follow God. They made their choice. I explained how God is a perfect judge, and He he has to punish sin etc. I turned the topic to the promises God has in store for us, the new Heaven and Earth etc.

But I'm worried about her. She sounds like her dad and other atheists who are angry at God. I told her to be careful about her thoughts because I don't want her being mad at Him. Her and her sister were just at their dad's house for a week. I feel like he is slowly coming around,  but it's still really worldly over there.

Does anyone had any advice about how I can talk to my girls about God's justice? And how I can answer these questions for her? Thank you. 

For your young child, it will be more how you live--consistently, gently, lovingly, than what you teach her--but it will help much if you always let her deal with these questions, by asking you whenever she wishes, and by you praying together and separately for answers.

[Justin Adams]

On 4/21/2020 at 1:47 PM, Billiards Ball said:

I am worried about my 10 year old daughter.

The Bible Project. This is something you may watch together.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVpri7vfPPtKUOaqAAjEtZR4C-bO5Y_XQ

 

[Prycejosh1987]

On 4/21/2020 at 6:57 AM, bornagain2011 said:

I am worried about my 10 year old daughter.

I was reading the Bible to her tonight, and she had a lot of questions. She wanted to know why God was going to kill all those people at the end and send them to hell, why not send Satan to hell and free everyone else? Why did God create people to send to the lake of fire? She was very upset and crying. She said "God kills people".

I tried to answer the best I could by telling her that's why we share the Gospel, and in the end they know they are choosing to not follow God. They made their choice. I explained how God is a perfect judge, and He he has to punish sin etc. I turned the topic to the promises God has in store for us, the new Heaven and Earth etc.

But I'm worried about her. She sounds like her dad and other atheists who are angry at God. I told her to be careful about her thoughts because I don't want her being mad at Him. Her and her sister were just at their dad's house for a week. I feel like he is slowly coming around,  but it's still really worldly over there.

Does anyone had any advice about how I can talk to my girls about God's justice? And how I can answer these questions for her? Thank you. 

You said the right things to her, you said to her what i would of said to her. You need to encourage her to read the bible herself. You can then use that time to bond more with her as her mother and also in a spiritual way.