8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

The Problem
If God is omniscient, why does he ask questions as if he does not know something?

The Answer
Questions are used not only retrieving information, but as a rhetorical device and for administering comfort and a sense of care.

As a rhetorical advice, questions may trap one into admitting information in order to reveal integrity and convict. Consider a trial. The prosecutor will often ask the defendant questions of which the answer is already known in order to force the defendant to admit information.

As a comforter, a question may offer a sense of love and caring in that there is a personal, affectionate desire to know what is wrong with a person, though it may be obvious, in their own words. Consider a girl who gets off the phone after a painful breakup with someone she loved. Her mother may be fully aware of what just happened, yet she holds her daughter and sincerely asks, "What's the matter, dear?" The daughter is given an opportunity to pour out her feelings.

The following is a list of such problem passages.
Genesis 4:6,9; Genesis 16:8; Genesis 18:9; Genesis 18:17; Genesis 21:17; Genesis 32:27,29; Exodus 4:2; Exodus 10:3; Exodus 14:15; Numbers 12:8; Joshua 7:10; Judges 2:2; Judges 13:18; 1 Samuel 2:29; Isaiah 6:8; 1 Kings 19:9,13; Ezekiel 37:3; Jonah 4:4; Acts 9:4

Another interesting stipulation: If skeptics wish to critique God's omniscience, they must abandon their claims that God's foreknowledge negates free will, since God no longer has perfect foreknowledge.

Bible Apologetics Index