THE WISDOM OF GOD IN HIDING HIS
KNOWLEDGE TO TEST MAN'S FAITH
Dearly beloved, when God asks questions, definitely He aims to teach us important things such as:
1. When God asked Adam "Where are you?" and asked Cain "Where is your brother? (Genesis 3: 9 , 4: 9) In reality, He, being God knew, but simply wanted to give Adam and Cain the opportunity to confess their sins and seek forgiveness.
2.And when God asked Abraham to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering, He just wanted to prove Two important things:
a. To show how loving God should be in full obedience.
b. To set a resemblance for what He was going to do in the fullness of time offering His Only begotten Son on the same Mount of Mariah (the old name of Calvary or Golgotha, for the Salvation of Mankind. (Genesis 22:2 & Heb. 11:17-19 & 2 Chronic . 3:1) and John3:16. Definitely God blessed Abraham for his love and full obedience.
3. When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman to give Him water at the well, He just wanted to fulfill His Father's will and bring the attention of that Samaritan to discover His real identity especially when He revealed to her His knowledge of her sinful life, through which He brought the Samaritans to Salvation. We all know He needed and needs nothing from anyone, He is the Giver of Life and every good gift.
4. When Jesus the incarnate God asked Phillip how they will feed the multitudes in the wilderness, God has a perfect solution for everything. He simply wanted to see if Phillip's solution would involve Him?
5. When Jesus said to the Canaanite woman. "It is not right to take
the children's bread and toss it to the dogs, "He wanted to show how great was the faith of that foreign Canaanite woman and shame the Jews who did not believe in Him despite their knowledge of what all of their prophets spoke of Him. Jesus cares like no other. He said, "Though the mother may forget, I will not forget you"! (Isaih 49:15). God simply wanted to test (or rather honor) the woman's faith in His love, compassion, and healing power, as He said, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desired". (Matthew 15: 21- 28).
6. As He did when He slept while the ship was about to collapse in the storm (Matt.8:24). It is important for us to know that Jesus in the body was exactly like us in everything EXCEPT SIN.
Jesus while in His humanity He became drowsy and slept and in His divinity He silence the winds and the raging sea. Thus He proved His dual natures.
7.Sometimes ,by His wisdom, being God, He plans to strongly establish the faith of His followers in Him as God, He delayed His visit to Bethany until His Friend Lazarus had been dead for four days. He did it as such, so that all who witnessed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead after four days, including Lazarus himself, would believe that He was God in the flesh who had and always has power over death in addition to the power of healing and that He is the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn.11:25).
8.As well He did so when He asked, "Who touched Me?", Knowing very well it was the woman with an issue of blood, in order to magnify her faith. .
9. On the way to Emmaus He joined the two confused disciples and walked with them inquiring about what they were talking about. Their eyes were blocked from knowing Him. They thought He was perfect stranger from Jerusalem and did not know what happened in it lately about Jesus. Then He explained to them all what was written about the resurrected Jesus. When they reached Emmaus they invited Him to stay with them that night. And when He broke the bread their eyes were opened and they knew Him. Then they went back to Jerusalem testifying His true resurrection.
10. He did so too with Peter when He asked him three times if he loved Him, knowing very well that Peter would eventually die for Him (Jn.21).
There are many other Biblical examples where God simply hides His knowledge, in order to test, teach, sometimes rebuke, expose, purify and eventually reward and bless those around Him.