“Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how the foolish scoff you all day.”
– Psalm 74:22
So Psalm 74:22 was an interesting follow up to Psalm 73, which we prayed through yesterday. So Psalm 73 talked about the prosperity of the wicked and the Psalmist found refuge, comfort in the fact that he could be near God, that we are near God. He loves us and leads us and guides us. And then when you get to Psalm 74 and you see a similar depiction of the injustice of the world, the prosperity of the wicked, and specifically, even the prosperity of those who scoff at God. The success, so to speak, in the world of people who mock God, who are enemies of God, and who hurt God’s people in different ways.
God, we pray that you would cause your name to be glorified.
This Verse Reminds Us to Call Out For God’s Justice
And in this Psalm we hear this theme, verse 22 really encapsulates it. Arise, O God, defend your cause. Remember how the foolish scoff at you all the day. In other words, yes, it is right in a Psalm 73 kind of way, just to find refuge in God, personally, in a world where the wicked prosper in different ways. And it is good to call out to God for him to show his justice and him to show his glory and him to show his righteous rule and reign in the world to bring an end to injustice, to bring an end to scoffing at his name, to bring an end, ultimately, to injustice in the world.
Psalm 74:22: A Call Out to God
And so we pray right now with the Psalmist in Psalm 74, and it feels bold to pray this, but this is what the Bible is teaching us to pray, how the Bible is teaching us to pray. We pray right now, O God, arise. Arise, and defend your cause. Show your glory. We pray, O God, this is how Jesus who taught us to pray. Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be your name. Cause people to know your name as holy. Your name that is scoffed and mocked. We pray that you would cause your name to be revered and feared, glorified among more and more people around us and the places where we live and work, in the cities where we are.
Asking God to Show His Glory
So God, we pray that you would cause your name to be glorified, honored, revered, feared, and not mocked. In Metro Washington, DC, where I live. In the country, where I live. The United States, and all the different places where we’re living right now, we’re just substituting those names of cities and communities, causes your name to be glorified we pray. And we pray for this among the Southern Oromo people in Somalia.
So God, cause your name to be glorified, hallowed there, we pray. Arise, O God caused your name to be glorified in Somalia. We pray for that, O God. God, we pray that you would bring an end to injustice. God that you would stop it. And we think about injustice around the world, oppression around the world. God, we pray that you would stop it. That you would defend your cause, show your justice again. Jesus, this is how you taught us to pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed, be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May it be so. Your justice be done. Your righteousness be made known. And your righteous rule be implemented.
Asking God to Help Us to Carry Out Justice
So God, we pray for this. We ask for this. And even as we pray for this, God, you remind us of your word to your people. What do you require of us? That we do justice and we love mercy and walk humbly with you. So God, help us to do that in our lives, to the extent with which we are able, God, to reflect your cause even as we pray. O God arise. Rise up our God and defend your cause and silence the foolish who scoff at you and that the world may know your glory. We pray Psalm 74:22 in Jesus’ name today. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
