Psalms of Lament

Psalms of Lament

(From Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M., Bible.org]

Psalm 90 deals with the dark side of life, one we don’t like to focus on. …Just as we find it difficult to look into the brightness of the sun’s rays, we find it equally unpleasant to dwell on the dark side of life. Psalm 90 tells us there is a place for pessimism, a very important lesson to learn. Notice, as well, that even in its somber thoughts, God is described as Israel’s dwelling place. Psalm 90 is unique in that it is the only psalm attributed to Moses. ... As such it makes a unique contribution in what it tells us about Moses himself, something we do not see anywhere else. In verses 1-10 we see the problem which I refer to as “Man’s Plight.” In verses 11-17 I see “Man’s Petition,” which Moses expresses for us to God, enabling us to deal with the dark side of life.

Man’s Plight (90:1-10)

Verses 1 and 2 depict the greatness of God as Israel’s dwelling place. … Moses, the author of this psalm, is a man without a country, a fugitive from Egypt, and he died without entering Canaan. Israel also was a people without a country. The Israelites had not yet possessed the land of Canaan when this Psalm was written. Therefore one would expect Moses to have described the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, as Israel’s dwelling place. Yet Moses knew that ultimately man’s dwelling is not a place but a Person. It is God who is our Dwelling Place and in Him we find security, safety, and peace. God is described this way throughout all generations (v. 1). Literally the text reads “in generation and generation,” or as the Berkeley Version translates it, “in successive generations.”139

When Moses came on the scene of history a number of generations had already existed, beginning with Abraham (or should I say Adam?). It is therefore fitting that he said “from one generation to the next God has been our dwelling place.” This verse speaks historically of Israel’s experience with God as her dwelling place. It also speaks prophetically of Israel’s future security. In verse 2 God’s eternity is emphatically described. While God has proven to be Israel’s dwelling place throughout the generations of her existence, verse 2 assures Israel that her security is as lasting as God’s existence. He is from everlasting to everlasting. Israel’s dwelling place is God and God is eternal. Therefore Israel has a dwelling place that is both certain and continuous. …The first two verses provide the backdrop against which Moses contrasts man’s finiteness and limitations in verses 3-6. In verse 3 we read, “You turn men back to dust, saying, ‘Return to dust, O sons of men.’”

In the remainder of verse 5 and verse 6 Moses uses the image of grass to portray the brevity of earthly life. The figure of grass is a poetic description common in the Bible depicting man’s state (cf. Ps. 37:2; Isa. 40:6ff.; 1 Pet. 1:23-25). Each new generation sprouts up like grass in the early morning; no matter how long it survives, ultimately it perishes. …Notice in verses 3-6 that the shortness of man’s life is not only contrasted to the eternity of God, but it is caused by God. Moses did not say that man, in and of himself, passes away; man returns to dust because it is God who said, “Return to dust, O sons of Adam” (v. 3). Moses proceeds to contrast man’s sinfulness with God’s righteousness in verses 7-10. Man’s life is “short and sour” because we are sinners living under the righteous judgment of God: “We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence” (v. 7).

God is fully aware of our sin and the shortness of life is a proof of this. Even those secret sins, the sins which we do not ourselves perceive or which we have successfully rationalized, are evident before an all-knowing and righteous God. Not only is life shortened by sin, it is also soured by pain and sadness: All our days pass away under your wrath; We finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; Yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, For they quickly pass, and we fly away (vv. 9-10). Here is the grim reality of life. Life is marked by limitations, toil and suffering.
Man’s Petition (90:11-17)

Man’s petition is for wisdom. The first aspect of the wisdom for which man petitions God in verse 11 is the wisdom to acknowledge the righteousness and the holiness of God. I believe that when Moses requests God to “teach us to number our days aright,” he asks that God would enable men to see life as it is and man as he is. Numbering our days involves seeing life as God has described it. We must acknowledge that God is eternal and man is mortal; God is righteous and man is sinful. …We must acknowledge and understand is the holiness and righteousness of God. Only then will we correctly perceive our own sinful condition.

Second, verse 12 teaches us that we must live our life in the light of its limits. We must “number our days.” Most of us in dealing with life tend to focus either on the past or the future. Young people usually focus on the future looking forward to the “good life.” Older folks reminisce about the past knowing the future is shorter and less certain. We reluctantly focus on the present. Verse 12 states that since life has its limits and is so short, we do not have any assurance of tomorrow nor do we dare waste today. We must live wisely, understanding life’s limitations and its brevity. God has given us the ability to serve Him for a season. We do not know about tomorrow. We should not presume upon an uncertain future and thus procrastinate with respect to our present obligations.

Moses’ first petition in verses 11 and 12 is that God will change us, giving us the wisdom to discern life as it is, to see the righteousness of God, the shortness of life, and to live our lives in the light of life’s limitations. Moses makes a second request in verses 13-17. He petitions God to change this life and remove its limitations. Most of us would agree with this request, but our problem is that we want God to change this life without confronting the issues presented in verses 11 and 12. We don’t want to persevere and endure through difficulties; we want a life of ease so we don’t have to change ourselves. Moses prays for God to change life only after he has asked for the grace to live in this life, as God has given it.