Session 2: When you are disappointed, the LORD is still at work (Psalm 74)
Summary: Approximately one third of the Psalms are prayers of lament. These psalms express disappointment, frustration, and even anger over God’s apparent inaction. They essentially ask, “If God is good and he’s all powerful, why does he choose to stand by when evil happens? If nothing is impossible for God, why at times does he seem to do nothing?”
Background: Asaph, an eyewitness to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC, wrote Psalm 74 to express both his frustration at God as well as his hope for future deliverance. With the fall of the city, the desecration of the temple, and the majority of the population in exile, it seemed like the end of the Jewish people. For details on these historical events, read Jeremiah 39:1-10; 52:1-30; 2 Kings 25:1-26; 2 Chronicles 36:15-23, and the book of Lamentations.
Opening Questions:
When was the last time you experienced disappointment with God? When did he fail to do something that you thought he should?
When you consider the horrors of war, the evil of human trafficking, or the latest mass shooting, who do you blame?
Do you know anyone who has walked away from God because of their disappointment in him?
Study Questions:
What crisis of faith did the destruction of the temple and their exile in Babylon bring to the Jewish people?
What promises had God made to the Jewish people that now seemed to be broken?
If God is so powerful, why didn’t he save his people from their enemies this time like he did in the past?
Psalm 79 is a companion to Psalm 74, emphasizing the human toll of this national trauma. What stands out in Asaph’s description of the carnage in that psalm?
Why do you think the Babylonians acted as they did? How do you think they felt about this event?
Is the psalmist concerned with God’s reputation (vs. 10)? Why?
What does the psalmist want God to do with his hands (vs. 11)?
Which verse represents the turning point in the psalm?
In verses 12-17, the psalmist looks to the past to give meaning to the present. What past events does he focus on? How are they relevant to his current situation?
What language in verses 13-14 makes you think of Jesus?
Taking the long view of history, what positive things resulted from the Jewish exile in Babylon?
Application Questions:
Have you ever felt like God has been angry at you? Forgotten you? Ignored you?
Have you ever had a crisis of faith like the psalmist? Has it been resolved? How?
Do you find it difficult to speak honestly with God? What are you afraid of?
What does creation reveal about the nature of God? How can this bring us comfort when we are struggling with chaos in our lives?
What monsters would you like God to crush in your life right now?
As you kayak down the river of life, how can you trust that God knows what’s around the bend?
Other psalms expressing disappointment: 13, 22, 39, 44, 60, 77, 79, 88, 102, 137
