"???" or
Why does God ask questions when He already knows the answers?
God asked a lot of questions in Scripture. This intrigues me. He who has all the answers, asked. Did you ever wonder why?
For instance, the Lord called out to Adam and Eve after they had sinned and hidden from His presence, "Where are you?"
Whenever I've read that portion of Scripture, I've wanted to tattle and call out, "They're hiding behind the blaming bush!"
The bush must really have been a dandy hiding place if our all-knowing, all-seeing God didn't have a clue to their whereabouts. I'm sure it was a big garden, but c'mon, we know God knew. So why did he ask?
The Lord questioned Eve in regard to her disobedience, "What is this you have done?"
Do you actually think God was stumped? I wonder why He didn't just dangle in front of her guilt-ridden face a Polaroid snapshot of her and the enemy dining on fruit flambé'. Or run an instant replay of Adam's eating out of his wife's hand.
I notice God didn't stop asking questions in the garden, but continued throughout Scripture. Curious response from a sovereign God who cannot only tell us what we've done, but also expose the content of our thoughts and hearts. Consider Hagar . . .
Hagar was in trouble. Death was knocking at her door, as well as at her young son's, when the angel of God called to her, "What's the matter with you Hager?"
Isn't it rather obvious, especially for an overseer like an angel? Hager and Ishmael were a couple of crispy critters after crawling in the scorching sun. The only moisture was the boy's tears, and they evaporated before they could drip off his face.
Maybe the angel was wearing shades or was momentarily blinded by the sizzling sun. But wait, something even stranger happened next. Before Hagar could give the angel an update on her ordeal, the angel mapped out her future, answering his own question.
I'm getting more confused. If the inquiring angel knew the answer, why did he ask?
Let's see, we have Eve in arrears while the enemy leers, and Ishmael in tears while Hagar sears. Boy, do I have questions.
The story of Elijah doesn't help. Elijah had a fiery faith until Jezebel doused his flames. Jez Fed-Exed Elijah her plan to snuff him out. Elijah's faith flickered, allowing fear to flame up, and he fled.
We find Elijah headed for high ground in an attempt to control his own destiny. He was pursued not by the enemy but by the questions of God.
"What are you doing here, Elijah?" the Lord probed. Not once but twice, He asked Elijah what He already knew.
Even in the midst of death, God asked questions. We find Ezekiel in a valley of death, meandering among the corpses. The voice of the Lord solicited what sounds like advice from Ezekiel when He asked, "Can these bones live?"
Excuse me, but He who formed our skeletons from the dust of the earth and breathed into mankind the breath of life wasn't sure if the bones could live? Perhaps He misplaced His recipe. Can you hear Him pondering, Was it one part dust to every three breaths, or three parts dust to every one breath?
I think not. I'm the one left pondering.

God sent us His Son, Jesus. The family connection is obvious, because Jesus, our Answer, came asking questions. Like Father, Like Son.
The Lord asked impetuous Peter, "Who do you say that I am?"
Still later He penetrated Peter's heart with the words, "Do you love Me?" Evidently the Lord thought Peter was hard of hearing, because He repeated Himself, "Do you love Me?" Twice I can see, but the Lord pushed Peter a third time. "Do you love Me?"
This loving interrogation left Peter stumped. He responded as we might have, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."
What I hear Peter saying is, "Why are You asking when you know me better than I do?"
If we truly believe the Lord knows us, we must realize these questions have a purpose. And it certainly isn't that the Lord is forgetful and needs us to remind Him. Nor is He stuck and in need of our feeble insight. I think He questions us so we might think - think through our choices, our responsibilities, and our beliefs.
Maybe, if we try to answer some of these questions in regard to our own lives, we will better understand their wisdom:

"Where are you?"
"What's the matter with you?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Who do you say that I am?"
"Do you love me?"
"Do you love me?"
"Do you love me?"

Well, what do you think?

--Author: Patsy Clairmont "Normal Is Just a Setting On Your Dryer"
Women Of Faith Christian Conference

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