Tackling Tough Questions: How To Explain God To Your Jewish Child

Tackling Tough Questions: How To Explain God To Your Jewish Child

Tackling Tough Questions: How To Explain God To Your Jewish Child

Rachel sat on the couch, sipping her coffee, watching her seven-year-old son, Eli, play with his toy dinosaurs. It was a quiet morning, the calm before the usual whirlwind of their family’s daily life. But Rachel had a feeling that today was going to be different. Eli had been asking deeper questions lately—questions about life, about purpose, and especially about God.

It was inevitable, she knew. Every parent faces that moment when their child, with wide-eyed innocence, asks a question so profound it leaves even the most prepared adult at a loss for words. Rachel had grown up in a traditional Jewish home and now, as a Messianic Jewish mother, she had a deep love for HaShem, the Torah, and Yeshua. But how could she communicate these eternal truths to her curious son in a way that made sense to him?

As she reflected on her own journey of faith, she remembered the importance of fostering a child's understanding of God as both personal and transcendent—a balance of awe and intimacy. Eli’s questions would be complex, but they would also be genuine, born from the same place of wonder that made him ask how airplanes fly or why the ocean is salty.

Her husband, David, walked into the room, catching the thoughtful look on Rachel’s face. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You’re thinking about Eli’s questions, aren’t you?”

Rachel smiled. “He’s asking a lot lately. I want to give him answers that don’t just satisfy his curiosity but also plant seeds of faith. It’s not easy to explain God to a child.”

David nodded. “We’ll do it together. We can help him understand HaShem in a way that’s real, while allowing him to explore his own relationship with God.”

1. Answering the First Question: "Who is God?"

That evening, after tucking Eli into bed, Rachel sat beside him, ready for the nightly routine of questions. Sure enough, Eli’s eyes grew serious, and he asked the question Rachel had anticipated: “Mommy, who is God? Where does He live?”

Rachel paused, knowing this was a pivotal moment. “Eli, God is everywhere. He’s the one who made the whole world, from the trees outside to the stars in the sky. He made you and me, too.”

Eli frowned slightly. “But if He made everything, why can’t I see Him?”

Rachel smiled gently. “That’s a great question. Even though we can’t see God with our eyes, we can feel Him in our hearts. Have you ever felt really loved or really safe, like when we’re all together on Shabbat?”

Eli nodded, his eyes lighting up with understanding.

“That feeling,” Rachel continued, “is a little glimpse of God. He’s always with us, even though we can’t see Him. He’s in the love we share and in the beauty of the world around us. And you can talk to Him anytime, because He listens to you.”

David joined the conversation, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Eli, do you remember the story of Abraham?” he asked, referring to one of Eli’s favorite Torah tales. “Abraham couldn’t see God either, but he trusted Him. He believed that even though he couldn’t see God with his eyes, God was guiding him.”

Eli’s eyes widened. “So, God talks to us like He talked to Abraham?”

“Yes,” Rachel answered, “but not always in the same way. Sometimes God speaks to us through the Torah, through Yeshua’s teachings, or even through our hearts when we feel something really strong. You just have to be willing to listen.”

Lesson for Parents: 

When explaining who God is to your child, focus on the balance between the tangible and the abstract. Children often want concrete answers, but God’s nature is beyond what we can see or touch. Emphasize God’s presence in their lives through love, beauty, and the experiences they cherish. Relating God’s actions to stories they already know can help anchor their understanding in something familiar.

2. Tackling the Big One: "Why Do Bad Things Happen if God is Good?"

It wasn’t long before Eli’s questions grew more challenging. One afternoon, after watching a sad news story on television, Eli turned to his parents, confusion in his eyes.

“If God is good, why do bad things happen?” he asked. “Why are people hurt or sad?”

Rachel felt her heart ache at the weight of her son’s question. She had asked herself the same thing many times over the years. David stepped in, sensing the complexity of the moment.

“Eli,” he began, “that’s a hard question. Even adults wonder why bad things happen. But one thing we know for sure is that God doesn’t cause those bad things to happen. People make choices, and sometimes they choose to do things that hurt others. But God is still with us when things go wrong.”

Rachel added, “Do you remember how Yeshua healed people and showed kindness to those who were suffering? God sent Yeshua to help us understand that even when things are hard, we can trust that He’s still working for good.”

Eli looked down, processing the idea. “So, God is with us even when we’re sad?”

“Yes,” Rachel said. “And He gives us the strength to get through those tough times. He also gives us each other. That’s why it’s important to show kindness and help others, especially when they’re hurting. We can be part of the good that God is doing in the world.”

Lesson for Parents: 

When children ask why bad things happen, it’s important to acknowledge the difficulty of the question. Be honest that it’s a question people have struggled with for centuries. Emphasize that God is present in moments of pain and suffering and that He calls us to respond with love and kindness, following Yeshua’s example.

3. Explaining the Mystery of Faith: "How Do We Know God is Real?"

One evening, Eli surprised his parents with another tough question as they lit the Shabbat candles.

“How do we know God is real? I’ve never seen Him.”

David took a deep breath. He had wrestled with the same question in his youth. “That’s a question of faith, Eli. Faith means trusting in something even when we can’t see it. You’ve never seen the wind, right?”

Eli shook his head.

“But you can feel the wind when it blows, and you can see what it does to the leaves and the trees,” David continued. “God is like that. We may not see Him, but we can feel Him in our hearts, and we can see the way He works in the world.”

Rachel chimed in, “When we see people helping each other, when we feel loved, when we see something beautiful in nature—that’s how we know God is real. And when we read the Torah and learn about Yeshua, we see how God has been with His people for thousands of years.”

Eli thought about it for a moment, then asked, “So, faith is like believing even if I can’t see everything?”

“That’s right,” David said, smiling. “Faith is believing in what we know to be true in our hearts, even when our eyes can’t see it.”

Lesson for Parents: 

When children ask how we know God is real, explain the concept of faith in simple, relatable terms. Use examples from everyday life—like feeling the wind or seeing the effects of kindness—to help them understand that God’s presence is often felt in ways that go beyond sight. Encourage them to trust their hearts and the wisdom of the Torah and the teachings of Yeshua as guides.

4. Building a Personal Connection: "Can I Talk to God?"

Eli’s questions began to take a more personal turn as he grew more curious about his relationship with God. One evening, after a family prayer, he asked, “Can I talk to God? Will He hear me?”

Rachel smiled. This was the question she had been waiting for. “Yes, Eli, you can talk to God anytime. That’s what prayer is. God is always listening, whether you speak out loud or just talk to Him in your heart.”

“But what do I say?” Eli asked, a little unsure.

“You can say anything you want,” Rachel reassured him. “You can thank God for the good things in your life, ask for help when you’re scared or worried, or even just tell Him about your day. God cares about everything in your life, big or small.”

David added, “You know, Yeshua taught us that God is like a loving father. Just like you can talk to me and Mommy, you can talk to God, too. He loves hearing from you.”

Eli’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Can I pray before I go to sleep tonight?”

“Of course,” Rachel said, feeling her heart swell with joy.

That night, Eli whispered his first personal prayer, thanking God for his family and asking for good dreams. Rachel and David exchanged a smile, knowing that Eli had taken his first step toward a personal relationship with HaShem.

Lesson for Parents: 

Encourage your child to talk to God in their own way. Prayer doesn’t have to be formal or scripted—it can be as simple as a conversation with a friend. By helping your child see that God is always listening and that they can speak to Him anytime, you foster a sense of intimacy and trust in their relationship with HaShem.

5. Cultivating a Sense of Wonder: "Is God Everywhere?"

As the seasons changed and the family spent more time outdoors, Eli’s questions about God continued to evolve as he explored the world around him. On one particularly sunny afternoon, as the family hiked through a nearby nature trail, Eli gazed up at the towering trees and asked, “Is God everywhere? Even here?”

Rachel smiled, recognizing the depth of the question. She knelt beside him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder as they both looked up at the vast sky above. “Yes, Eli. God is everywhere. He’s in the trees, in the wind, in the birds you hear singing. The Torah tells us that HaShem created the heavens and the earth. Everything you see and experience is a reflection of His handiwork.”

Eli’s face lit up with wonder. “Even the flowers?”

Rachel nodded. “Especially the flowers. Every beautiful thing in nature is a reminder that God is present all around us. That’s why we say blessings when we see something beautiful, like a rainbow or when we eat the fruits of the earth.”

David chimed in, pointing to a stream that meandered through the woods. “Do you remember how the psalmist says in Psalm 19:1, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands’? Every part of creation points back to God’s majesty. So, yes, God is with us here, in this moment, and wherever we go.”

Eli ran ahead, filled with excitement, as he began to see the world through new eyes. Every rustling leaf, every chirping bird became a sign of God’s presence, and his connection to the divine deepened with each step.

As they walked, Rachel felt a sense of peace. Moments like these weren’t just about answering questions—they were about cultivating a sense of awe and wonder in her child’s heart, teaching him to see the world as a place filled with God’s presence.

Lesson for Parents: 

Encourage your children to experience God’s presence in the natural world. Whether it’s a walk through the park or a moment of stillness under the stars, remind them that HaShem’s handiwork is everywhere. By connecting their sense of wonder to God’s creation, you help them see the world as a place filled with divine purpose and beauty.

Conclusion: A Journey of Faith and Discovery

Over the months, as Eli’s questions continued, Rachel and David realized that explaining God to a child isn’t about having all the perfect answers—it’s about fostering a relationship between the child and their Creator. The journey was as much about exploration as it was about education. Each question was an opportunity to teach Eli not just who God is, but how He is experienced in everyday life.

For Messianic Jewish parents, this journey is one of great importance. It’s about grounding children in the rich tradition of their Jewish faith while helping them understand the teachings of Yeshua. It’s about answering their questions with love, patience, and wisdom, and giving them the tools to seek God on their own.

As Rachel and David reflected on their experience with Eli, they felt a deep sense of gratitude. They hadn’t just answered questions—they had nurtured a lifelong relationship between their son and HaShem. And as Eli continued to grow, so too would his understanding of God, shaped by the foundational conversations they had started in his early years.

For every Messianic Jewish parent, the road may be filled with tough questions, but it’s also filled with profound moments of connection, where faith becomes real for both parent and child. The key is to journey together, embracing each question as a precious opportunity to draw closer to the One who created it all.

Final Lesson for Parents: 

When your child asks tough questions about God, view it as a beautiful opportunity to guide them on their faith journey. Encourage them to explore, to wonder, and to speak to God in their own way. And remember, it’s not about having all the answers, but about walking beside them as they discover the beauty of HaShem’s presence in their lives.

In these moments, the seeds of faith are planted, and with time, they will grow into something beautiful and enduring.