Arguing with God is an extremely bad idea! It’s an argument one simply cannot win. Sadder yet, passing from life to death with an unresolved and ongoing argument with God is eternally lethal – a fate far worse than death.
There are several incidents recorded within the Scriptures that essentially represent arguments between humans and God. Beginning with Adam and Eve, things have never fared well for anyone who violated God’s instructions or in essence argued with God (Genesis 3). Eventually, nearly the entire human race was expunged from the face of the earth in the universal flood in the days of Noah and his family (Genesis 6-8).
Later, not even the Israelites – a favored nation with God – refrained from arguing with God. Notable examples during the 40-year wilderness wandering include: complaints on the western shore of the Red Sea as the Egyptian army neared (Exodus 14:10-12); complaints about the availability of water (Exodus 15:24; 17:2; 20:1-5) and food (Exodus 16:2-3, 12-13); the Golden Calf idol (Exodus 32); profane fire kindled by Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-2); dissension of Aaron and Miriam against Moses (Numbers 12); refusal to enter Canaan and determination to return to Egypt (Numbers 14:1-4); Korah’s rebellion (Numbers 16); Moses’ sin at Kadesh (Numbers 20:10-13); complaints against God that prompted Him to send fiery serpents among the people (Numbers 21:4-9); and fornication and idolatry in Moab (Numbers 25). Failing to follow divine instructions, God responded on one occasion, “…How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws?” (Exodus 16:28 NKJV).
The nation of Israel continued to argue with God even after entering the Promised Land of Canaan. First, there was the memorable sin of Achan (Joshua 7). Generally speaking, Israel failed to complete the conquest of Canaan, which resulted in hundreds of years of reprisals by remaining previous inhabitants (Judges 1:27-36). For over 300 years after entering Canaan, during the time of the Judges, Israel repeatedly wavered between obedience and disobedience toward God, for which cause God allowed the former occupants of Canaan to afflict Israel and to require tribute. The circumstances were no better following the Judges and during the time of the three kings of the united kingdom of Israel. After the split between the ten northern tribes (Israel) and the balance of the nation (Judah), sinful arguments with God (rampant disobedience) led to the conquest of Israel by Assyria (721 B.C.) and the overthrow of Judah by Babylon (587 B.C.).
Though today God may not exact immediate punishment upon disobedient souls, nevertheless, the Judgment is coming to all (Hebrews 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Every act of disobedience, either of commission or of omission (James 4:17), is essentially an unfruitful argument with God. It is going to end badly for everyone who enters into eternity with an unresolved argument with God (i.e., acting out disobedience). “…It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; cf., 1 Peter 4:17).
Whatever divine instructions may be entertained, the choice is always to obey or not to obey. Disobedience of any sort (e.g., ignoring, directly challenging, subtraction from or addition to God’s Word, or any other modification of biblical instruction) amounts to an argument with God. One’s complaint lies not with faithful teachers of God’s Word, but truly complaints to any biblically true proclamation are assaults rather against God Himself. “…What are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord” (Exodus 16:8; cf., 1 Thessalonians 4:8).
If God had asked for my preferences, I would have made some recommendations about what constitutes Christian worship. However, God neither consulted with me nor with any other human prior to stipulating the activities and mindset of Christian worship. Christian worship must be “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). Had God sought my opinion about church organization, Christian doctrine, salvation or a host of other matters, I might have been so brazen and foolish enough to offer a few suggestions. God did not, though, approach me or any other mortal for guidance on these things or on anything else.
The Bible is God’s final, absolute, complete and divinely inspired Word – His verbal communication to mankind. As communication, it was intended to be understood by the original recipients of the various books and epistles that comprise the 66 books of the Bible. Students of the Scriptures today ought to understand no more and no less than what God expected the original addressees to understand. “…No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Finally, in the Christian Age, all humankind must turn to the New Testament for answers regarding Christianity (Romans 7:6; Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14).
Remember, arguing with God is an extremely bad idea! It’s an argument one simply cannot win.
