Blogging the Psalms

Blogging the Psalms -- psalm 90

Psalm 90

This is one of two songs attributed to Moses. I suppose I can believe that Moses wrote this very beautiful song. Not only because he was educated in the court of an Egyptian king and those royals would probably have studied poetry, but because the Holy Spirit is an excellent poet and He gives gifts to all His children.

There is no internal evidence in the psalm to conclusively show that Moses wrote it but the author does have an awe of God’s majestic role as an uncreated everlasting always-existing Creator of the universe. The God of this psalm is above space and time and allots and measures man’s days.

There is a deep sense of peace in this psalm, as if the author has seen much in his life and through all his life has seen how small man’s life is compared to God’s. The prayer toward the end of the psalm is for our children to see God’s glory. It sounds like something Moses would have said. A parent or leader who has grown in his knowledge of God to such an extent that he has seen God’s power and glory would want his children and followers to know and understand God as much as he does. Moses would want the descendants of the Israelites to understand that God is indeed their truest dwelling place — not an earthly city but a spiritual city made without human hands. He prays that all who believe in God be satisfied early with God’s mercy, that all the years of affliction be wiped away by God’s blessings. To me that is a good happy life as well. This is something I want for my sons as well. I want them to see his power active in this life and to understand his glory by their faith. 

1{A Prayer of Moses the man of God.} Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

3Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

4For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

6In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

13Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

14O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

15Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

16Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.

17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.