Psalms90

Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses, contrasts God's eternal nature with humanity's fleeting existence. It laments the brevity of life, often consumed by divine wrath due to sin, and acknowledges that human lifespan is short and full of sorrow. The psalm concludes with a plea for God's mercy, wisdom to number one's days, and the establishment of their labor.

God, Our Eternal Refuge

1
Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations. ​
2
Before the mountains were born, before you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. ​

The Brevity of Human Life

3
You turn man to destruction, saying, “Return, you children of men.” ​
4
For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night. ​
5
You sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout like new grass.
6
In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By evening, it is withered and dry.

Mortality as a Consequence of Sin

7
For we are consumed in your anger. We are troubled in your wrath. ​
8
You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. ​
9
For all our days have passed away in your wrath. We bring our years to an end as a sigh. ​
10
The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away. ​
11
Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?

A Prayer for Wisdom and Mercy

12
So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. ​
13
Relent, LORD! How long? Have compassion on your servants! ​
14
Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen evil. ​
16
Let your work appear to your servants; your glory to their children. ​
17
Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands. ​

Study Notes for Psalms 90

Verse 1

The attribution to Moses is unique (the only Psalm attributed to him) and lends historical context, likely reflecting the mortality and judgment experienced by the Israelites during the forty years of wilderness wandering (cf. Numbers 14).

Verse 2

This verse emphasizes God's absolute eternality ('from everlasting to everlasting'), establishing a theological contrast with the temporal weakness and mortality of humanity that is developed throughout the rest of the psalm.

Verse 3

The phrase 'Return, ye children of men' connects directly to the curse of Genesis 3:19, highlighting God’s sovereign power to recall humanity to the dust from which it came.

Verse 4

This famous comparison illustrates the vast gulf between God's timeless perspective and limited human chronology; a thousand years is merely a fleeting moment in the scope of eternity (cf. 2 Peter 3:8).

Verse 7

The Psalmist attributes the pain and brevity of life not merely to natural mortality but specifically to the community's experience of God's active judgment and wrath against their sin.

Verse 8

The idea that God sets 'secret sins in the light' underscores His comprehensive knowledge and righteousness, suggesting that hidden transgressions contribute fully to the communal suffering and judgment.

Verse 9

Spending years 'as a tale that is told' (or a sigh/whisper) emphasizes how quickly and insubstantially human life passes when viewed in retrospect under the shadow of divine judgment.

Verse 10

Seventy or eighty years represents the typical lifespan. This may reference the shortened life expectancy instituted after the judgment on the wilderness generation, whose lives were limited by divine decree.

Verse 12

This crucial verse is the hinge of the Psalm, moving from lament to petition. To 'number our days' means to recognize their finite nature, leading to the practical application of seeking true wisdom (living rightly before God).

Verse 13

'Return, O LORD, how long?' is a classic element of lament Psalms, pleading for God to end the current period of affliction and to show compassion ('repent thee') toward His servants.

Verse 15

This request asks for proportional restoration: the duration of future joy and gladness should match the length of affliction and evil previously experienced under God's judgment.

Verse 16

The prayer asks that the current generation ('thy servants') may witness God's saving power ('thy work') and that this glory be successfully transmitted to the next generation ('their children').

Verse 17

The 'beauty of the LORD' (often translated as favor or grace) is sought to rest upon the people, ensuring that their daily labor ('the work of our hands') is fruitful, meaningful, and enduring.

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