Psalm 90 compares the eternity of God with the fleeting nature of life and asks for God to show favor on us.
Book 4
The Psalms are divided into 4 books. Psalm 90 is the first psalm in Book 4. Book 4 responds to the anguish of Book 3 by reminding us that the Lord is still in control.
Psalm 90 functions as a transition from Book 3 to Book 4. The psalm begins with a focus on the eternal nature of God, then picks up the theme of suffering from Book 3 and ends by asking for God's favor. The next psalm, Psalm 91, takes up the theme of the favor of God.
Structure
The psalm can be divided into three sections, each with its own meaningful center, plus a meaningful center for the psalm as a whole.
Section 1 (Psalm 90:1-6) highlights the brevity of our lives. The meaningful center of the first section is found in Psalm 91:3b, "and say, 'Return, O children of man!'” Our life lasts for a short time and then God returns us to the dust.
Section 2 (Psalm 90:7-12) focuses on the wrath of God. The meaningful center of the 2nd section is found at Psalm 91:10a-b, "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty". We only have 80 years to live and those are spent under the wrath of God.
Section 3 (Psalm 90:13-17) The meaningful center of the 3rd section is Psalm 90:15b, "and for as many years as we have seen evil." The psalmist begs God to make him glad for as many years as he has experienced pain.
The meaningful center of the psalm as a whole is found in Psalm 90:9b, "we bring our years to an end like a sigh." Life is short and painful.
There is one 1 line spoken by God, Psalm 91:3b, "and say, 'Return, O children of man!'”, and 1 one line spoken about God, "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us," all of the rest is a prayer to God. These two lines contrast the wrath of God and the favor of God.
The author of the psalm is Moses. It is interesting to note that he says our days are 70 to 80 years, but he lived to the age of 120 years! Moses experiences an unusually long life because of God's favor!
You Are Everlasting
Psalm 90:1-2
Moses begins by declaring that we "dwell" in God. Our lives are lived under the watchful eye of God. Our lives begin and end by the hand of God and our lives are sustained by God.
In contrast, God is eternal. He existed before anything existed and His life will never end.
Life Is Fleeting
Psalm 90:3-6
Moses continues to contrast God's eternal nature and man's brief life. At a word from God, our lives come to an end and we return to the dust. But to God, a thousand years is only like a day or even part of an evening.
In comparison, our lives seem like a brief moment, like a dream that quickly fades away.
You Hate Our Sin
Psalm 90:7-8
Verse 7 begins the second section of the psalm. This section focuses on the wrath of God.
In Genesis 3 Moses wrote about the fall of humanity and the curse of God. We suffer death because of our sins and our short lives are lived under the curse God placed on humanity.
All of our sins are seen by God - we have no secret sins with God. Our lives are always lived under His watch.
We Feel Your Wrath
Psalm 90:9-10
Moses continues to paint a dour image of our existence. Our brief life is spent in toil and trouble. It may last for 70 or 80 years but that time flies by quickly and is full of pain.
Teach Us Wisdom
Psalm 90:11-12
God is worthy of our fear. We cannot withstand His anger. So what should we do?
Moses calls out to God, "Teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." There is wisdom in recognizing that we have only a short time to live. We should not waste our lives chasing after things that do not matter in the end. Instead, we should focus on living a life that is pleasing to God so that we can live in the favor of God.
How am I using my short time on earth? Am I seeking God's favor? Have I accepted His generous gift of salvation through Christ?
How Long?
Psalm 90:13-14
In the third section of the psalm, Moses moves from talking about God's wrath to pleading for his favor.
Verse 13 appears to be written in direct contrast to verse 3. In verse 3 God "returns" man to the dust. In verse 13 Moses asks God to "return" and have pity on His servants. We deserve the wrath of God and the punishment of death (Romans 6:23) but we also know that God is loving and merciful. God's gift of eternal life is available for those who believe.
Moses pleads for God's pity, not God's wrath. Our only hope for joy in this life is through the love of God and His mercy to us.
Show Us Your Favor
Psalm 90:15-17
Verse 15 begins with this request, "Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us". If you have been going through a long time of affliction, verses 15-17 are a great prayer to quote back to God. One of the ways I like to read a psalm is to pray the psalm back to God in my own words. There is comfort and hope in these words.
The psalm ends with a request for God to show us favor and establish the work of our hands. Interestingly, it appears that Moses received his prayer request. He spent 40 years in Midian separate from God's people and then received another 40 years to serve God leading His people.
Application
Life is short and is full of pain. We live under the curse of sin. So what can we do?
- We can "count our days" and not waste them.
- We can experience the mercy and love of God and His favor by faith in Jesus.
- We can ask God to redeem our life and give us as many good days as we have experienced bad.
This post is part of a series on the Psalms.
by Jerry Wyrick, President of Worship Arts Conservatory