Rhetorical questions can be powerful, when used right. They can pose a question to which there is no exact or complete answer, or they can indirectly bring up a point that is so obvious it doesn't need to be stated. Either way, the rhetorical question remains unanswered.
In the book of Job, chapters thirty-eight through forty are almost entirely composed of a list of rhetorical questions, with a few in the beginning of forty-one, too. I have just put the first few of God's rhetorical questions here, but there are many more he asks Job. All of these are used to remind Job that he has no right to question or judge God. These questions serve to emphasize God's power, wisdom, and authority over everything.
We, as Job, have no right to question God's sovereignty either. God is God, the rightful Ruler of everything in existence, natural or supernatural. Nothing is beyond God's control; nothing is hidden from God; nothing is greater than God. Whenever we have hard times in our life or we see something that seems unjust, our fleshly minds tend to ask, "Why, God? Why would You do something like that? How could You allow that?" But we have no right to ask that. God is God, the almighty King of kings, the ultimate Authority, and He can do whatever He wants. He intrinsically has the right to reign simply because of who He is. This should instill both great fear and hope within us.
In light of God's magnificence, we are nothing. He is so much greater than anyone can ever come close to imagining. This should cause every one of us to humble ourselves before Him and admit how small and sinful we are. We should respect and revere God, and this is what He desires. Whenever tough times come along, we shouldn't question God and become bitter. We should accept what He has put in our lives and ask for His help through it all, ask for His grace to get through it, ask what it is God wants us to learn from this experience, and ask God to draw us closer to Him through it. In fact, the Bible says we should always rejoice (Philippians 4:4) and that we should give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Fail a test? Rejoice and give thanks. Lose your job? Rejoice and give thanks. No matter what happens, rejoice in the Lord, not in your circumstances, and give thanks, because God is always good. And that's where the hope comes in.
God is perfect. God is righteous. God is holy. If you have Him as your Savior, He is always with you. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). That means whatever we go through, we have the Creator and Ruler of the universe at our side! How wonderful is that? And Romans 8:28 gives us the glorious promise that, if we love God, He is working everything to our good. No matter what is going on in your life, if you're His child, God is working it to your benefit. He loves you unconditionally, more than you can understand, and He will never do anything wrong to anyone. God is perfectly just. Everything He does is right and moral, no matter how we view it. This should comfort us. Who better to have running every event that ever has or ever will happen in the universe? Who better to have ruling the entirety of existence than One who is perfect, just, righteous, holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, eternal, who never makes a mistake and is never off timing? That sounds pretty good to me.
There are many things to be gleaned from God's rhetorical questions, but this is what the Lord directed me to write. I encourage you to make time and read through these chapters yourself, thinking on how great and wonderful our God is. Try to learn everything you can about Him. And that's another great thing. There are volumes to learn about God, but no matter how long we live and how much we devote ourselves to the task, we will never learn everything about Him. When we get to Heaven, there will still be much, much more to learn about and experience from our wonderful Lord and Savior.
But for now, take comfort in the fact that the God who controls every atom of existence (and whatever makes up the supernatural side of existence) is a God who loves you. Respect His authority; don't question His actions or allowances. We should humble ourselves as Job did after being asked these questions. "I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not" (Job 42:2, 3).
Thank You, Lord, for controlling the universe and my life!
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