What does "should He be told" teach about God's omniscience and our speech? Verse Under Consideration Job 37:20: “Will He be told that I want to speak? Would a man ask to be swallowed up?” What the Phrase Means • “Will He be told” is a rhetorical question. • It assumes the impossibility of informing God of anything He doesn’t already know. • Elihu’s point: attempting to brief God is both presumptuous and dangerous (“Would a man ask to be swallowed up?”). Truths About God’s Omniscience • God already possesses perfect knowledge (Job 37:16; Psalm 147:5). • No one can add to His understanding (Isaiah 40:13-14; Romans 11:34). • Every word, thought, and motive is fully open before Him (Psalm 139:1-4; Hebrews 4:13). • Because His knowledge is exhaustive, He never needs an adviser, update, or clarification. Lessons for Our Speech • Guard against presumption. Talking as though God needs our counsel betrays a lack of reverence (Ecclesiastes 5:2). • Embrace humility. Recognize that our wisest course is to listen before we speak (James 1:19). • Speak fewer, weightier words. “When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). • Remember accountability. “I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken” (Matthew 12:36). • Let prayer be honest surrender, not instruction. We present requests, but we do not tutor God (Philippians 4:6-7). Putting It into Practice • Before speaking—especially in prayer or teaching—pause and recall that God already knows the full situation. • Replace wordy explanations with simple trust: “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10). • Cultivate awe: meditate on passages that highlight God’s knowledge (Isaiah 46:9-10; Psalm 33:13-15). • Use speech to confess His greatness, not to advise Him. This aligns our hearts with the truth implicit in “should He be told.” |
    |