Verbalise the Obvious Answer to Scripture’s Questions

In Scripture one often comes across a “rhetorical question”. It is a question stated in such a way that the answer is so obvious, that you might as well write the question as a statement. For example, if two siblings are fighting in a room and the father comes in, he might well say “Are you two fighting?” to which no answer really needs to be given. Or he could turn the question into a half-statement-half-question to make it a little more obvious what the answer is, namely “You two are fighting, are you not?”, or he could simply say “You two are fighting!”. We understand naturally that all three sayings are really equally clear, but the form of a question is helpful to get an admission from the two children.

Likewise the Lord often gives us such questions in Scripture where a statement would have done just fine, but as a question we are forced to make an admission of sorts. Do not read such questions too quickly simply because the answer is so obvious. Take time to mutter the answer! Such questions are guides for our thinking that are well worth responding to audibly.

Here are some of the famous rhetorical questions from God to us with a verbalised (yes, go ahead and read the following out loud!) answers.

Is anything too hard for the LORD?

Genesis 18:14

—”No, LORD, nothing is too hard for You!”

Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’?

Job 38:35

—”No Lord, only you can do that!”

Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?

Isaiah 50:2

—”No, Lord, you hand is not too short, You can most certainly redeem, for You have all power to save”

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

—”Nobody, absolutely nobody can possibly be against us if God is for us!”

Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?

Romans 9:20

—”God, I am just a human creature and will never backchat again!”

Keep your eyes open to many such questions in the Scripture, and give in to the attempt of Scripture to get an answer from you admitting the obvious truth revealed in the question.