I had a conversation with a friend the other day about questioning some of the areas of scripture that are complicated, and she asked me if I think it is wrong to ponder on these things. I think it depends upon your posture. God made us to be thinking people. He is big enough to “handle” any of our mere human inquisitions. He told us to ask. “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and he door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7: 7-8). And so, we should seek. But “ask” in this context implies a level of reverence. The Greek, aiteo is associated with our English words, beg, crave, and desire. So, the posture when asking is deference—not arrogance. It is worth noting that just before Jesus directs us to ask and seek, He warns us about giving what “is holy to dogs” who will “tear you to pieces” (Matthew 7:6). Again—posture is the key.
Those who seek to disprove scripture or disparage what is holy do not fear God. They have no wisdom. They don’t even have the very beginning of wisdom for, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7). In their arrogant search for a truth that will agree with their own prideful preconceptions, they actually “suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse” (Romans 1: 18b-20). And because these people do not fear God and give Him the reverence He is due, they are caught in a spiral of their own worthless thoughts, imploring Creator God to deliver them over to the desires of their own hearts—self-righteousness over humility—the chaos of trying to bend truth to their wills over the peace of accepting the saving love of Jesus.
But those who fear God and approach His throne in humility need not fear asking Him for answers because their posture is ready to receive deep truths that He reveals as they humbly seek, motivated only to love and understand Him more. He may allow them to understand His revealed character on a deeper level by providing succinct answers, or He may allow them to understand the mysteries of His holiness on a deeper level by giving them peace to trust Him with details that are too much for us to understand this side of heaven. Either way, He will answer. And either way, the believer will have peace.