Why did God kill these innocent children?

Question

According to the Book of Exodus, God killed the firstborn male Egyptian children and babies as a way to convince Pharaoh to set the Israelites free.

Exodus 12:29 says:
"And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt"

But God, being all-powerful, could have easily found a less-murderous way to get freedom for the Israelites. So why did he kill all of these innocent babies and children when it wasn't necessary?

Answer 1

the bible.

pretty sick and twisted, isn't it?

inspired by a god?? NOT!

(wait 'til you get to the part where he mass-murders everyone on a planetary scale with a flood!!)

Answer 2

Why read just one verse of Exodus, the whole chapter is based on the Israelites and the Egyptians belief in God. God gave instructions to the people and the Egyptians disobeyed. The passover had to be the most auspicious time before the birth of Christ. Sometimes trying to understand why certain events took place at those times is difficult enough. Explaining or defending your faith is even tougher.

Answer 3

First of all God knows so much more than we do, he can see every path that every choice may take us on. To say that he could have done something different would be like saying you know better than God. My daughter sometimes doesn't understand the choices I make for her cause she doesn't have the wisdom or life expirience that I have. We don't have Gods wisdom or expirience, so that is where faith comes in.
In our society death is such a horrible thing. To the Lord, it is just a passage way to heaven. Our bodies are just housing our souls and our life is just a temporary place till we get to heaven. While the death of a child may sound horrible, to the Lord having those babies die meant possibly just bringing them home. We all have to die someday, it is how is goes. Death isn't torture, just something that happens. The Bible doens't say that God tormented the children, just that he took the earthly life from them. The Bible says he took the first born, it didn't neccissarily mean that they were all babies. It goes on to say that some were grown men. It wasn't like hewas out to kill children, just the first borns. It happens that some probably were babies, but then they would have been innocent and would have gone straight to heaven, no harm done. If you Love God and have faith in him, then through prayer you can understand his motives and love through stories like this.

Answer 4

Don't you get it everything is part of God's grand plan. In that story God repeatedly hardened pharaoh's heart. After doing this in Exodus 10:27 he said I have one plague more Exodus 11:1.
That one plague more was stated in Exodus 11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

Notice it wasn't just the first born children that this God killed. It was the animals too. Why does God hate children an animals? This God is just a sick tyrant!

Answer 5

Hello Billybww.. :)

Do you not remember when Moses was born and the "Pharaoh" had all the first born sons killed and Pharaoh's sister found Moses in the stream an raised him as her own son..

The Pharaoh made the choice not to believe..the children would have been spared..if the Pharoah had really cared for the children why did he not make the correct choice..after all he had seen the Great Works of the Lord..

We all make choices in our lives..we either listen and do what is right..or we take the other road.. :(

I say this in Love.. :)

In Jesus Most Precious Name..
With Love..In Christ.. :)

Answer 6

I agree with THA's answer. Pharaoh was resonsible for the deaths of all the firstborn of both the Egyptians and the animals. He was given ample warning that would have kept all of them alive, but he refused to acknowledge or pay heed to the warnings.
Many lose their lives during natural disasters because they refuse to leave their homes or possessions behind, even though they know it could cost them their lives. Who do people tend to blame for these deaths---none other than God, who had nothing to do with their stubborn refusal to listen. Satan the Devil is to blame for all mankind's problems, not God.

Answer 7

--HOW innocent were those children? AND would they have remained innocent under Pharoah?

--WHO REALLY had the RESPONSIBILITIY for their deaths?

---ANS. When someone comes to a family and warns the head of the house, you and your 10 INNOCENT children need to leave your house because the dam broke and your house is right in the path of the water.

----IF THE FATHER refuses to leave--WHO SHOULD be blamed the man who came with the warning because he did not drag the father & the children from the house OR the father WHO did not heed the warning?

-----WHAT DID Jehovah God do with the previous 9 plagues? DID HE not use them as proof of the reality of the final plague? WHO THEN KILLED THOSE CHILDREN?

--COULD THEIR deaths been averted?

--DID PHAROAH kill all those innocent children?

Answer 8

Two things you need to know.. God used great miracles to get Pharaoh to let the people go, still he didn't. Next all of mankind belong to God by right of creation. He has the right to do with us as He wills just as a potter has the right to break every pot he had made... Jim

Answer 9

HOW DID PHAROAH KILL THESE INFANT MALE SONS OF ISRAELITES

Exo.1:15,16;22; Herod killing all up to age two. Matt.2:16;

I BELIEVE THE BIBLE

I believe the bible is fact, is truth, it is exact,
That violence did last, to end with Noah in an ark,
It is meant to tell us how evil does rule to death,
From Abraham, to Lot and Job, see land pirate acts.

Also Sodom and Gomorrah not even ten for a land law,
God's angels aren't safe to visit lawlessness so raw,
They merely survive as nomads upon land pirates soil,
Until all 70 in family, end up in Egyptian's turmoil.

At the time of Moses,all infant males are to be slain,
His parents come up with a plan that works to save him,
By the time he is age 80, Pharoah has no heir to reign,
Guess he learned how it felt, when he was killing them.

Noah in ark year 1656, now 857 years later heirs flee,
At 897 years, the land pirates land, is all they see,
They are to destroy 7 nations & Promised Land is free,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses & Joshua be.

A Priest line, a king line, the judges, all are family,
From the 12 tribes of Jacob, past 4 generations to see,
Judges 11:26; 301 years is 1198, land not trouble free,
Now Eli, Samuel, Saul to king David who brings peace.

So heir Solomon at 1Ki.6:1;480 years a temple to be,
He had 36 years to die 1413 after Noah, and 997 BCE
The 18 Judah kings end in 391 years, no temple to see,
All land is desolate and captive to Babylon Empire #3,

At 1804 years after Noah, All rebuilt by Cyrus decree,
Past 1874. Daniel 633-533, O.T. 39 books, done 443 BCE
Soon the owner of the universe amid land pirates to see,
A simple man named Jesus has no freedom here in speach.

All that he owns is clamed by Satan, Romans and priest,
He is crucified, resurrected & ascends to God's presents,
To wait until Satan & 1/3 angels cast down as enemies,
Prepares place for raised & caught up at last day as his.

To be with him at his coming and he reigns 1000 years,
The heavenly resurrects those earthly to have no tears,
All is made new & perfect & the perfect have no fears,
A new heaven & new earth is paradise, all forever his.

Answer 10

If you read ALL of chapter 12 you'd know that God was going to kill the first born of any of the houses that did not participate in passover. God knows because they marked the blood from the animals over the door frames.

This is another reason why God sent Jesus; to forgive us for our sins. No man could possibly live up to God's standards (as we see in many passages of the old testament).

Answer 11

to show that he can do anything he didn't want to kill them but God does things for a reason . He knows the future and he knew this would have to do that in order to Let his people go.