My Kid Asked: “Why Does God Tell People to Kill in the Old Testament?”

The situation: Your child read about Noah’s flood, the plagues of Egypt, or the conquest of Canaan — and is genuinely disturbed. “That sounds like a war crime, Mom.” They’re not wrong to feel uncomfortable, and your answer needs to be honest, not dismissive.

🗣️ 3 Dinner Table Talking Points

1. “The ancient world was brutally violent — and God was pushing it toward justice.”

“3,000 years ago, every nation practiced things we’d consider horrific — child sacrifice, slavery, brutal warfare. The cultures around Israel burned children alive as offerings to their gods. God wasn’t introducing violence into a peaceful world — He was working within a violent world, step by step, to move people toward justice, mercy, and eventually the teachings of Jesus.”

2. “The Bible records what happened — it doesn’t always approve of it.”

“Not everything recorded in the Bible is endorsed by the Bible. The Bible includes stories of murder, betrayal, lying, and war — because it’s honest about human history. Sometimes it’s showing us how far humanity had fallen, not how God wants things to be. C.S. Lewis called the harsh parts ‘the growing pains of a developing revelation.‘“

3. “The story doesn’t end in the Old Testament — it ends with Jesus.”

“If you only read the first half of a story, you might misunderstand the author. The Old Testament shows a world in crisis. The New Testament shows God’s answer — Jesus, who said ‘love your enemies’ and ‘turn the other cheek.’ Christians believe God was always heading toward mercy; the OT shows the messy, honest journey to get there.”

👦 For Elementary Kids (Ages 5–10)

• You probably don’t need to bring up the hardest passages proactively. If they ask:
• “A long, long time ago, the world was very different and very dangerous. God was teaching people, step by step, how to be kind and fair. It took a long time, like learning anything important does.”
• “The most important thing to know is that God’s plan always ends with love. That’s why He sent Jesus.”
• Redirect to character: “The Bible is honest about the hard stuff because it’s not trying to trick you. A book that only told happy stories wouldn’t be telling the truth about the world.”

🧑 For Teens (Ages 11–17)

• Don’t dodge it: “You’re right that these passages are disturbing. Serious scholars have wrestled with them for centuries.”
• Paul Copan’s framework (Is God a Moral Monster?):
  • Ancient warfare language was often hyperbolic — “utterly destroy” was military rhetoric (like saying “we destroyed them” in a football game). Archaeological evidence shows Canaanite cities were largely military outposts, not civilian towns.
  • The Canaanite culture practiced child sacrifice (burning children alive to Molech) for centuries. God’s judgment was against these practices, not random cruelty.
  • OT laws were progressive for their time — limiting warfare, protecting women, regulating (and eventually undermining) slavery.
• Progressive revelation: “God met humanity where it was and moved it forward. The destination was always the Sermon on the Mount.”
• The honest answer: “I don’t think we can fully justify every passage to modern sensibilities — and that’s okay. Wrestling with hard texts is part of honest faith, not a threat to it.”

📚 Go Deeper

• Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster? — the best single book on OT ethics
• John H. Walton, The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest — archaeological and literary context
• C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms — how Lewis handled difficult OT passages

From NexusFaith — educated faith, not blind faith.