What’s the first question that you would ask God if you met him?

[tonychanyt]

I would not ask the Almighty God anything. I would just bow down and worship.

God allowed Satan to test Job's faith by taking away his possessions and children (Job 1:13-19). Job got tired of arguing with his friends and wished that God would show up explain himself in 23:

3 O, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

Then God showed up. Instead of explaining himself, He challenged Job in 38:

1 The LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2 “Who is this who obscures My counsel by words without knowledge**?** 3 Now brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall inform Me.

He blasted Job with 51 questions. The last one was in 40:

1 And the LORD said to Job: 2“Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty**?** Let him who argues with God give an answer.”

Job didn't dare ask God, "Why did all those bad things happen to me? Please explain to me and to my friends."

3 Then Job answered the Lord: 4 “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. 5 I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.”

Job humbled himself and shut his mouth. That's the first thing he did. The second thing he did was in Job 42:

5 My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job despised himself and repented in ashes.

An hour earlier, Job wished to question God. When God showed up, he didn't dare ask God anything, and I wouldn't either. God's wisdom is infinite, while ours is finite. He does not owe anyone an explanation. I'd trust his justice, whatever he does.

Job wanted to question God, but when God showed up, God questioned Job. In the end, Job didn't dare ask, and God didn't explain why either. In general, does God owe us an explanation?

No. He is the creator and sustainer of all things. As such, his actions, decisions, and purposes transcend human understanding.

Isaiah 55:

8 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. 9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’

Explanations are not always possible or necessary.

Deuteronomy 29:

29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever.

God reveals certain information to mankind, but not necessarily the reasons behind it.

Romans 8:

28 We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Paul urged us to trust God with faith, even when we don't understand the reasons.

Are we entitled to an explanation from God?

From a theological standpoint, God does not owe us an explanation because he is sovereign, transcendent, and under no obligation to justify himself to his creation. However, as a loving and relational God, He often chooses to reveal aspects of his will and character, inviting us into deeper trust and understanding. Faith involves embracing both the known and the unknown, trusting that God’s wisdom surpasses our own, even when explanations remain elusive.

 

[Mark Quayle]

I would not ask the Almighty God anything. I would just bow down and worship.

Job wished that job would show up in 23:


Then God showed up. The first thing Job said was in 40:


Job humbled himself and shut his mouth.

The second thing he did was in Job 42:


Job despised himself and repented in ashes.

Job wished to question God. When God did show up, Job didn't ask God anything. I wouldn't either.

You're right about that! If the question is just some hypothetical and not about "when we go on to Glory", then it is a bogus question, though it may be fun to consider. Your comments also bring to mind something I used to say to my relatives when we had a sort of debate via email going on, that our questions are never quite honest, assuming things that are not so, and about us and not him. Also reminds me of what I have mentioned here before, what CS Lewis said in 'Till We Have Faces, "...the babble we think we mean".

But if all it means is "What is the most urgent question you have right now?", then I have about a hundred from which I can't choose a favorite. Maybe, "But, WHY would you do this?" (i.e. the gospel). But that includes all sorts of implied questions, like, "What is love?" and "What is infinity" etc.

Ha! It makes an odd sense that 'All truth includes every truth', and any true answer from God would of necessity include the meaning and principles etc ontology of EVERY thing that anything is. Not possible in this life, except by the witness of the Spirit of God. As one little 10-year-old girl said in Sunday School, one day, "Of course you can't see God! If you could, he wouldn't be God!"

 

[Ted-01]

I might ask: "So what the heck is your name, actually?" (haha, j/j)

That's a good question Tony... I hadn't really thought of it before.