A Psalm that will change your life — Psalm 90

Christian Life
  • Psalm 90 starts out as one of the most depressing scriptures:
  • "You live 70 yrs and die. If you live to 80 it will just be pain, and so on…"
  • But by an extraordinary twist, which you need the handout to really see, everything is turned on its head.
  • Make sure you view the handout here: bibl.ca/pdf/Psalm90-text.pdf

 

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Please open the handout showing this passage by Clicking here,
or download the PDF of the page here.

  • I’m so encouraged by this Psalm.
  • To start with it seemed difficult to understand. Very negative and discouraging.
  • We’ll see why it’s actually the opposite

Psalm 90:1–2

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God

  1. Lord, you have been our dwelling place
          through generation to generation.
  2. Before the mountains were born,
          or you had formed the earth
    from everlasting to everlasting
          you are God.

So far so good. No problems with that.

Isaac Watts

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Addressed to God “you”.

Psalm 90:3–6

  1. You turn man back to dust
          and say “Return, O children of man.”
  2. For a thousand years in your eyes
          is like yesterday that went by
                or like a watch period in the night.
  3. You sweep them away to death’s sleep
          They are like the new grass grown up in the morning
  4. In the morning it is fresh and grows up,
          by the evening it is withered and dry.
  • Here is the problem:
    Can an infinite God really care about mankind?
    We are at opposite ends of the spectrum of strength!
  • Do you ever feel like this about God?
  • v.7 starts with “we” and begins to tell our story
    • If you thought the first few verses were not that encouraging...

Psalm 90:7–11

  1. Yes, we are consumed by your anger,
          and by your wrath we are terrified.
  2. You have set our iniquities before you,
          our secret sins in the light of your presence.
  3. All our days pass away under your wrath,
          we finish our years with a moan.
  4. The length of our days is seventy years,
          or if we have strength, eighty;
    yet their best is but trouble and oppression;
          for they quickly pass and we fly away.
  5. Who knows the strength of your anger
          and your fury is what causes fear.
  • I think the “we” here is talking about humanity in general, not believers as we’ll see in a minute.
    • Or more specifically about humanity in rebellion against God
    • The generation that Moses led out of Egypt and that died in the wilderness.
    • Moses had literally seen people consumed by God’s anger.
  • But Moses had such an intimate relationship with God
    • His face shone
    • Exo 33:11 “the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
    • Deu 34:10 “And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,”
    • Received the title “servant of the Lord” which was almost unique in his day
    • Although we know he sinned, he wasn’t defined by v.8
  • So this does not represent Moses’ experience.
    • v.7. Moses is not terrified and actually argues very strongly with God.
  • I have translated v.9 literally “moan” (some translations put in “sigh”)
  • So what is the answer?
    There is a central verse that changes everything

Psalm 90:12

  1. Teach us to count our days aright,
          that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
  2. Relent O Lord, How long?
          and have compassion on your servants!
  • Please look at the handout
  • red: time:
    • God’s relationship with time
    • Contrast with our relationship with time in a very negative way
    • central statement about numbering our days (not counting days, but handing every day over one by one to God)

Anger turned to Compassion

  1. Who knows the strength of your anger
          and your fury is what causes fear.
  2.       Teach us to count our days aright,
          that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
  3. Relent O Lord, How long?
      and have compassion on your servants!
  • v.13 matches v.11. This is the turning point Compassion
    • New element introduced
  • Looks at the words in v.11: Anger, fear, fury
    • Contrasting idea in v.13? Compassion
    • That is the answer to anger

Psalm 90:9–15

  1. All our days pass away under your wrath,
    we finish our years with a moan.
  2. The length of our days is seventy years,
    or if we have strength, eighty;
    yet their best is but trouble and oppression;
    for they quickly pass and we fly away.
  3. Who knows the strength of your anger
          and your fury is what causes fear.
  4.       Teach us to count our days aright,
          that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
  5. Relent O Lord, How long?
      and have compassion on your servants!
  6. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that
    we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days.
  7. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
  • v. 9–10 look at what it says about our days and years
    • What does it say in v.9–10
    • What does it say in v.14–15
    • Compared with the person who is struggling to survive to 70, and if they get to 80 it is 10 years of misery.
    • Turned v.9–10 upside down!!
    • This could be someone’s story when they are saved.
      • Maybe it is your story and you are only half way through
      • You haven’t yet encountered God’s compassion?
      • We accept from God his purpose for our days. We count them out for him.
      • The good news is that as you surrender your days to him, he will welcome you into the second half of this Psalm
    • but v.14–15 —are they just “trouble free?” —singing!
    • see “days and years”
    • Days and years of... (supply words for each group)
  • So why is there is difference?
    • God’s love and compassion to us
  • Chesed “unfailing love” What does it mean?
    • loyal love that will not let you go.
    • has you in such a firm grasp
    • This is what causes the singing and the gladness Doesn’t it make you want to sing!
  • v.16. (green) How does it relate to v. 8?
    • Rather than concentrate on what we’ve done, he’s going to show us what he’s done.
    • It’s like you have done something wrong and are about to be punished and the person says
      “Let’s not look at what you have done wrong, let’s look at this gift I’m about to give you”
      • Not just forgiving, but replacing negative with positive!
    • This is pure grace!
    • Could be law vs. grace
  • v.17 (dark red) How does it relate to v.7? (without looking at the r.h.column)
    • This is the pinnacle of the Psalm
      • Smashed down replaced with being built up
    • God is not just “not destroying us”, but actually making our lives significant!
    • This is not just answering v.7, but v.1–6 as well—the problem of our time vs God’s time
    • Even though I am the God of eternity, and your lives are gone in a flash, I am going to make what you do count for eternity!
      • Isn’t that amazing!
      • Life may be short, but you actually count to God,
  • How does this relate to us?

Our Response to v.12:/

Teach us to count our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

  • Bring to God what you would like him to establish in your life
    • count it out to him
    • measuring them out to him
    • offer it to him
  • Two kinds of lives
    1. Living every moment for ourselves
    2. Joyfully allowing God to define how our days are spent
  • Maybe you have a dream for what you want to do with your life?
    • Can you give that to God and allow him to define it?
    • And in return he will make what you do count for eternity
    • Rest in his compassion, and his unfailing love
  • When you wake up in the morning, instead of saying
    • I don’t know how I’m going to get through today, it’s going to be a terrible day
    • I have a God who has unfailing love for me, and I’m going to live this day in the light of his love

Psalm 90:14–17

  1. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
          that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days.
  2. May your deeds be shown to your servants,
          and your splendour to their children.
  3. May the delight of the Lord our God rest upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands for us,
          yes, establish the work of our hands.