Read an Excerpt
1001 Bible Questions Kids Ask
By Sarah Krueger
Zondervan
Copyright © 2012 Zonderkidz
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-72515-2
Chapter One
Old Testament
Genesis
1. Did God really create the universe? (1) (Creation, God's Power)
Even though Christians have a wide range of opinions about the beginning of the universe, all can agree that God was the Creator. He created a perfect universe filled with stars and planets, and a perfect earth filled with an amazing variety of plants and animals.
2. Were the six days of creation actual 24-hour days? (1:5) (Creation, Time)
They could have been 24-hour days, or they could have been longer periods of time because the sun wasn't created until the fourth day.
3. Why did God rest on the seventh day? (2:2–3) (Creation, Sabbath)
He rested to set one day apart as holy because his creation work was finished.
4. What does the creation story teach us about our responsibility to the environment? (2) (Creation, Nature)
God first created Adam and "put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). Christians should care for the environment not just for the sake of future generations, but as part of their obedient service to God.
5. Where was the Garden of Eden? (2:8, 10–14) (Biblical Places)
Many people think Eden was probably in what is now the country of Iraq.
6. Why did God make the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? (2:9) (Free Will, Sin)
God wanted his people to choose him freely. He gave humans the gift of free will; but unfortunately, they chose to disobey God.
7. Is it bad to know about good and evil? (2:17) (Sin)
Knowing evil means experiencing it. God was testing their obedience. When they experienced evil, Adam and Eve brought sin and death into the world.
8. If God knew Adam and Eve were going to sin, why did he give them the choice to obey or not? (3) (Free Will, Sin)
God wanted his creatures and all of creation to be completely devoted to him and to serve him perfectly. In order for that to happen, Adam and Eve had to have the ability to choose; but unfortunately, they made the wrong decision.
9. If Eve was the one who talked to the serpent, isn't she responsible for the fall? (3:6) (Guilt, Sin)
It seems from verse six that Adam was with Eve. If he wasn't there, then he made the decision to disobey without the pressure from the serpent. He is just as guilty as she is.
10. Was it okay to marry two women? (4:19) (Ancient Practices, Marriage)
Having more than one wife was common in ancient times, but it goes against God's original plan for marriage.
11. How could people live such long lives? (5:5–32) (Age)
God's original plan was that people would live forever.
12. Why did God destroy other creatures besides humans with the flood? (6:7) (Animals, Sin)
Human sin had contaminated everything God had made.
13. Is there a difference between a boat and an ark? (6:14) (Differences)
An ark is much bigger than your average boat. The ark was about 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high.
14. Did the flood cover the entire earth or was it more local? (7) (God's Power, Punishment)
There are two opinions about the extent of the flood. The language in chapters 6–9 suggests that the flood was universal. Others think that a local, limited flood would have been enough to accomplish God's purpose of destroying all of the wicked people, while saving Noah and his family. In either case, the flood was a historical event that God used to punish the wicked and save those who believed in him.
15. Where are the mountains of Ararat? (8:4) (Biblical Places)
This mountain range was north of Mesopotamia and east of modern Turkey.
16. Why did Noah send out a dove? (8:8–12) (God's Presence)
The raven he sent out first did not give him a clear answer. The dove eats only vegetation, so it could better tell Noah that land had reappeared.
17. Why is an olive leaf special? (8:11) (Nature, Symbols)
Olive trees grow at lower elevations, and the fresh leaf told Noah that the water had receded enough for olive trees to grow again.
18. Why did God promise to never again destroy all living things? (8:2–22) (Forgiveness, Promises)
God was pleased with Noah's sacrifice, showing forgiveness and grace for life on earth.
19. Why are there so many rules in the Bible about what we can and can't eat? (9:3) (Food, The Law)
While you're welcome to eat whatever you want to, God set out specific dietary rules in order to give us guidelines about what is healthy to eat.
20. Why is God's judgment on a murderer so severe? (9:5–6) (Judgment, Life, Murder, Sin)
God created human beings in his own image, so human life is sacred.
21. Why was the rainbow so important? (9:12–16) (Promises)
God wanted to remind people that his promise still stands and that he will never again destroy the world with a flood.
22. Why are these lists of names included in the Bible? (10:1–32) (Family, Names)
Genealogies record people's history and show how families were connected to the community. Many family trees in the Bible point forward and backward—forward to Jesus and backward to the people from whom he descended.
2. Why did God make people begin to speak different languages? (11) (Languages)
God caused the people to speak different languages so they would be forced to separate themselves into different groups with different languages. This also meant that people would spread out into different parts of the earth, which was part of God's plan for the world.
24. Why did Abram let Lot choose his land first? (13:9, 14–17) (Promises)
Abram remembered God's promise that all land would eventually come to Abram and his descendants. So Abram placed his confidence in God by giving Lot the first choice.
25. Why did God compare Abram's offspring to the dust of the earth? (13:16) (Promises)
God promised that the number of Abram's descendants would be so large that they would be hard to count.
26. Why is Abram called the Hebrew? (14:13) (Names)
Abram, the father of the Hebrew people, is the first person in the Bible to be called a Hebrew.
27. Why did Abram choose a servant to be his heir? (15:2) (Ancient Practices)
In ancient times, a childless man could adopt a servant as his heir.
28. Why did God wait four generations before giving Abram's descendants the land? (15:16) (Waiting)
God wanted the Amorites, who lived in the land, to have plenty of time to repent of their sins.
29. Who was the angel of the Lord? (16:7) (Angels)
The angel was God's messenger, and some believe it was the human form in which God appeared to his people.
30. Why did God change Abram's name to Abraham? (17:5) (Ancient Practices, Names)
In ancient Hebrew culture, names signified a person's status and could be changed as one's status changed. Abraham means "father of many."
13. What is circumcision? (17:10) (Jewish Practices)
Circumcision is a procedure in which the foreskin of the penis is removed, usually on the eighth day after birth. It was a sign of the covenant with God.
32. How did God appear to Abraham? (18:1) (God's Power, Talking to God)
God appeared to Abraham in dreams or visions. Other times God spoke to him or took on a physical body.
33. Is anything too hard for God? (18:14) (God's Power)
No. God is all-powerful, and he can accomplish his will even if it doesn't seem possible to us.
34. Does God forgive us when we fall back into an old habit? (20:2) (Forgiveness, Sin)
Even people who have strong faith can experience times of weakness when they don't put all their trust in God. God will always forgive us if we ask, but he wants us to rely on him during hard times.
35. Why did Abraham lie about his wife again? (20:2) (Lying, Sin)
Abraham was trying to get out of a difficult situation on his own rather than relying on God.
36. Why did God tell Abraham to sacrifice his son? (22:1) (Faith, Obedience, Sacrifices)
God was giving Abraham an extremely difficult test to confirm his faith and prove his commitment to God.
37. Why did Abraham want Isaac to marry a relative? (24:3–4) (Ancient Practices, Marriage)
Abraham wanted Isaac to marry within his own clan—not someone who worshiped false gods.
38. Why is the story repeated here? (24:34–49) (The Bible)
This part of the story is repeated to stress God's role in the events.
39. How did the marriage become legal? (24:67) (Ancient Practices, Marriage)
The marriage became legal after the two families agreed to the marriage.
40. What is a concubine? (25:6) (Ancient Practices, Meanings)
A concubine is like a second wife who is more of a servant. Her primary purpose was to bear children.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 1001 Bible Questions Kids Ask by Sarah Krueger Copyright © 2012 by Zonderkidz. Excerpted by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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