Psalm 74 gives us a model for making an argument to God that is based in His law, His character and works, and His promises. When we come to God in this way, we honor Him with our faith and find hope as we’re reminded of His faithfulness.

How to Argue with God

We often hear the psalms described as models for prayer and lament. They teach us how to offer God the praise he is due and how to express our thanksgiving for the many ways he provides and cares for his people. They show us how to pour out our hearts to God, bringing our sadness, worry, and distress to our loving heavenly Father in times of grief, uncertainty, and struggle.

They also teach us how to argue with God. At first glance, that probably doesn’t sound quite right. Wouldn’t it be irreverent to argue with God? Isn’t our job to follow his commands and accept his sovereign plans? It certainly could be irreverent to argue with God, depending on the posture of our hearts and the nature of our argument. And ultimately, yes, we submit to his lordship and walk in obedience.

But Psalm 74 shows us that there is an appropriate way to bring an argument to God that honors him and expresses our faith.

We often have a negative association with the word “argument.” It might bring to mind a child disrespectfully pushing back on a parent’s instruction or a heated exchange with a co-worker about the best direction for a project. But as we consider the idea of bringing an argument to God, it’s more helpful to think of a courtroom. Attorneys present an argument—a set of reasons—based on law and precedent, and they try to convince a judge to make a particular ruling on behalf of their client. Attorneys may present their arguments with passion and urgency so long as they maintain respect for the judge’s authority.

In Psalm 74, we find a similar scenario. Asaph is writing a corporate lament on behalf of God’s people who have suffered great losses at the hands of enemy invaders. While in many psalms of lament we find the psalmist asking God for comfort, in this psalm, Asaph is asking God for judgment and deliverance. He lays out his argument in 3 sections.

First, Asaph presents the problem to God with great passion and detail. “Oh God, why do you cast us off forever?” he asks in verse 1. “Remember your congregation…Remember Mount Zion,” he pleads (Ps. 74:2). God’s people feel forgotten. They have watched as an enemy destroyed the temple, breaking down its carved wood with hatchets and hammers (Ps. 74:6), setting the sanctuary on fire, “bringing it down to the ground” (Ps. 74:7), and “profan[ing] the dwelling place of [God’s] name” (Ps. 74:7).

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