Psalms 90

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.

Psalm 90, attributed to Moses, opens by declaring God as the eternal dwelling place of all generations, existing before creation itself. It starkly contrasts God's timelessness with the brevity of human life, likening a thousand years in God's sight to a mere day or a watch in the night, and man to grass that flourishes and quickly withers. The psalm attributes human suffering and mortality to God's anger, stemming from acknowledged iniquities and secret sins. It notes the typical human lifespan of seventy or eighty years, characterized by labor and sorrow, emphasizing how quickly life passes. The psalmist then earnestly prays for wisdom to understand the brevity of life, for God's mercy to satisfy them early, and for gladness to counterbalance past afflictions. The prayer concludes with a request for God's work and glory to be manifest and for the divine establishment of their endeavors.

Psalm 90, a profound prayer attributed to Moses, commences by extolling the Lord as the eternal dwelling place and refuge for all generations, asserting His existence from everlasting to everlasting, prior to the formation of the earth and the world. It then shifts to a somber reflection on human mortality, emphasizing God's power to turn man to destruction and call them to return to dust. The psalmist highlights the vast disparity between divine and human perceptions of time, stating that a thousand years in God's sight are but as yesterday or a watch in the night, underscoring humanity's transient nature. Man's life is depicted as fleeting, carried away like a flood, a sleep, or like grass that flourishes in the morning but is cut down and withers by evening. The psalm attributes this human frailty and suffering to God's anger and wrath, acknowledging that human iniquities, even secret sins, are laid bare before Him. Consequently, all days are spent under divine displeasure, and years pass away like a quickly told tale. The typical human lifespan is noted as seventy years, or eighty by reason of strength, yet even these years are characterized by labor and sorrow, swiftly ending as life flies away. Acknowledging the incomprehensible power of God's anger, the psalmist earnestly prays for divine instruction to number their days, thereby applying their hearts to wisdom. The prayer continues with a fervent plea for God to return and show compassion to His servants, asking for early satisfaction with His mercy to ensure lifelong joy and gladness. The psalmist desires to be made glad in proportion to the days of affliction and years of evil experienced. Finally, the psalm concludes with a petition for God's work and glory to be made manifest to His servants and their children, and for the beauty of the Lord to be upon them, establishing and prospering the work of their hands.