Rhetorical Questions

Are you familiar with rhetorical questions? They are questions in which the answer is so obvious that the question doesn’t actually need to be answered; the answer is implied by the question. An example of a rhetorical question would be, “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?” There is also this classic one from the Bible: “Oh death, where is your victory? Oh grave, where is your sting (I Corinthians 15:55)?” 

Parents are notorious for asking rhetorical questions: “Do you want me to pull this car over?” “Do you want a spanking?” “Do you think I’m joking?” “Do you think money grows on trees?” “What do I look like—a bank?” Children know that the only answer is to either say no or else just be quiet. I’ve never heard of a child saying yes when asked if he needed a spanking. 

We understand that rhetorical questions are not intended to be answered, but if you ever do venture an answer to one, you better get the answer right. One of the few times I have seen a rhetorical question answered is in the book of Jonah. Near the end of the story God’s wayward prophet is having a private pity party because the gourd that was giving him shade spoiled overnight because of a worm that the Lord prepared for the occasion. Jonah is miserable. He should have been on cloud nine because he had just preached the gospel in Nineveh and more than 120,000 people believed his message and repented of their sins. God spared the city from destruction because their faith was sincere. 

Jonah was furious that God forgave them, and he was sad because a plant died. God hit him with a rhetorical question that was meant to make him think. He asked, “Do you do well to be angry over a gourd(4:9)?” Classic rhetorical question. This is supposed to be the part where Jonah’s head drops in shame. He ponders for a moment, and then says, “You’re right God. Of course not. Man, my priorities are out of whack.” But that isn’t what he says at all. Jonah answers God’s rhetorical question, and he gets the answer wrong by saying, “I do well to be angry, even unto death.” In other words, “Yes God, I’m angry enough to die!” 

Rhetorical questions aren’t supposed to be answered, and they certainly aren’t supposed to be answered wrong. I believe Jonah gave us this humorous story to help make a memorable point. As Jonah prayed from inside the belly of the great fish, “Salvation belongs to the Lord (2:9).” It is God’s job to save sinners, and it is our job to help sinners make the choice to seek salvation. We can lose sight of that when life gets in the way. We may let little things get under our skin and then get us down. When we get down we can throw ourselves a pity party, and then we stop doing the important things God has called us to do. 

God just may use His Holy Spirit to challenge our priorities. If He does, I hope you do a better job than Jonah. Do you really want to make that same mistake?