OF THE NUMEROUS parts and chapters in the book of Psalm which total 150, Psalm 90 is individually unique among the others. This is the only psalm written not by David nor Asaph, but by Moses. Unless thanks to this psalm, we would probably have been not sure if this great leader of Israel was also a writer of songs, poems, and prayers in the midst of his frustration and pressure heading those over two million stiff-necked people.
Psalm 90 conspicuously describes the sorrow and restlessness of a man before the Holy Lord. This Psalm contains prayers to the eternal God so that He shows His mercy upon His servants constantly living under God's rod of wrath and His deadly threats. In spite of this, the psalmist is indeed an honest person, confessing his sins & weaknesses to the Lord, and has faith that he may appeal to His God who is not only just but is Love Himself.
There are many striking points that have been my personal discovery within this chapter. As early as the first verse, Moses has acknowledged that it is the Lord who becomes his dwelling place throughout generations. In Bahasa Indonesia, the phrase “shady place” or “safe haven” is used. If you’re not indoors and it’s suddenly raining all over, you’ll be rushing off to any dry spot. Either a shady tree, covered bus stop, enclosed train station, or porch of people’s house or shop on the street. These are the sorts of places which personify our Lord in protecting us from the drenching showers of rain or battering wind. Throughout generations means genealogical from great-great- grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on endlessly. The Lord remains unchanged, never dying or finished like man, and consistently stays with us and our lengthy lineage since ages ago, now, and forever more.
From this point, Moses carries on to verse 2 where he declares the presence of pre-existing God prior to the universe, the earth and the mountains being born. The choice adverb of time to highlight the condition is ‘from everlasting to everlasting’. Man does have a beginning (when he/she comes out of their mother’s womb), but will not end (our soul won’t die). God is both beginningless and endless. He is there from everlasting to everlasting, so amazing. As for us, human of flesh and spirit, we’re really only trivial dust (v.3) easily gone at the blow of the wind.
Furthermore Moses’ contemplation brings us to a fact that the life of man spans like a dream just as the grass bud in the morning but wither soon in the afternoon on the same day. Time runs, even flies swiftly to our oblivion. Still fresh in my mind where I was about to enter the very first stage of my campus life with the compulsory Osmaba (new student orientation) program which was apparently a mere “formalised” occasion of the seniors bullying their juniors. But now, I would smile away at the reminiscence of those silly moments more than a decade ago. The human lifetime does travel forward (not in a circular way) so rapidly. Certainly there are lots of sins, old or new, that we have committed. Despite having been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, repented, and received Christ’s grace of forgiveness, we keep falling down the hedious traps of the devil. The prophet Moses openly admits this before God in verse 8. Moses is so fearful of God’s anger and wrath due to his transgressions. In verse 4, it dawns on him that 1000 years in the eyes of God is like a watch in the night. Then in verse 10, he contrasts it with the extent of human life reaching only for 70-80 years! At this point, can we possibly say that the days and years that we have walked past behind were full of significance and spiritual growth? Have we made any progress, in our roles, not merely as the recipient of God’s blessings, but more as the channel of His favors for other people?
Through a God-directed journey of life, Moses spent the entirety of his youth in the all-luxurious and sparkling palace of Pharaoh. During this time he made best use of studying the abundant repository of Egyptian knowledge and science of priceless value. At the second phase, Moses had had to live his life being guided by the Lord of shepherding sheep and goats in the barren desert. For this 40-year period, Moses suffered from loneliness and realised that he was nobody in the face of the mighty Lord (v.7). Which is probably the reason he got it off his chest in verse 9. Upon commencing his third 40-year when he was already 80, God commissioned him to lead the people of Israel out of the slavery in Egypt to go into the Promised Land. Physicallywise from human’s viewpoint, it was just impossible for someone in his eighties to be in charge of such a huge exodus. He was aware of this when he uttered verse 10. Nevertheless he did submit and comply under the authority of his God. In humbleness, he raised a prayer of request in v.12: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
This down-to-earth prayer is so beautiful and has such a deep level of reflections that it grows very famous and becomes a personal favorite of many Christians. Moses was thoughtful that his days would just be “gone with the wind” had he not walked it with the Lord all the way through. This verse implies a kind of time management concept where we should not make futile and underestimate the ‘grace of time’ that God has been giving day by day. Although a watch roster in the night is passing so briefly, perhaps at just the blink of an eye, it is still noteworthy. The various difficulties and miseries run into on the way were converted into learning occasions which dragged himself even closer to God and taught him to comprehend the meaning of life more broadly and wisely.
Moses also prayed: “Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.”(v.15) Imagine such a fifty-fifty living! 50% is filled with laughter and sounds of joyfulness, the remaining 50% is clouded with grief and tears. Should we be honest, we would not say a prayer that we are granted unhappiness or suffering upon us. At best, we'd pray: “Lord, let your will be done! Give us the strength and comfort when we have to go through all these.” This is of course not an inappropriate prayer. But like Moses we can, in fact, learn to ask for a “balance” between joy and sorrow going through our days on this earth. Why did Moses have such a prayer? In the following verses (16-17), this faithful servant of God explained his reasons, i.e. that God’s children and His chosen people (including himself) could still witness the great acts and glory of God in whatever situation that befalls them. The splendor of God’s grandeur is only clearly demonstrated by those who have succeeded the exams of life in such forms as twists and turns, pressure, oxidation and reduction of this life and comes out as a renewed individual, more mature and sparkling. A Chinese proverb expresses it so nicely: Zhen jin bu pa huo, pa huo fei zhen jin (pure gold does not fear fire, the one which fears fire is not pure gold).
Having said all the above, Moses acknowledged the sovereignty of God who makes all things possible to happen and reinforce all the “mighty” works of human hands and brains, both of which are too given by God the Omnipotent Creator. In the serenity of night, shall we whisper this in prayer:
O God, our Lord in Christ
You are indeed the Creator of man and this universe
our stronghold and our safe haven
Pelt far away our sins hidden in the light of Your face
Let our feet trod on high places for the joy that flows from You
Through the years of our age in such a way
To present before You a heart of life springing. (EJ)
PS:
This piece is the updated and translated (from Bahasa Indonesia) devotional article appearing first time on Reformedia bulletin Vol.4 (Jun-Aug06). Please feel free to fill in the comment form if you would like a copy of the bulletin.
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