Psalm 90 is the oldest Psalm.
Written by Moses---Moses’ life gives him the right and authority to write this Psalm. There was no one else like him in the Bible.
We know that even from birth, his life was a miracle. Pharoah had ordered that all Jewish males that were born be thrown into the river. Only the females could live.
Moses’ mom hid him for as long as she could and then constructed an ark and put him into the river. God’s providence caused him to come upon Pharoah’s daughter, who took him in as her son to raise. And God’s providence once again came about as Moses’ very own mother was summoned to nurse him and care for him. So, Moses grew up knowing that he was a Hebrew, of Jewish descent.
No doubt in Pharoah’s house he gained knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills, but when he was 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian taskmaster mistreating a Hebrew, one of his people. In anger, he killed the Egyptian and ran away.
For the next 40 years, he was on the back side of the mountain tending the sheep. Someone who was an Egyptian prince was now living a lowly life with sheep, but no doubt he learned humility, patience and probably survival skills. Then he noticed a burning bush that was on fire but not consumed. He talked with God who told him at the age of 80 that he was sending him back to Egypt to tell Pharoah to let his people go.
After a series of miracles Moses lead the children out of Egypt and by another miracle across the Red Sea. Here in the wilderness, they roamed for 40 years. Moses learned trust and obedience to God. The Bible says that he talked to God face-to-face as friends, but after an incident of obedience, not even Moses was excused. He was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. Moses died in the wilderness and God Himself buried him.
Somewhat of a sad story. I like happy endings and was feeling badly for Moses until God showed me that this story really did have a happy ending, because Moses trusted God. The Word says that nothing shall separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus—not life or death, nor angels or demons, or anything shall separate us from the love of God.
But in this Psalm, Moses is telling us to realize that life is short. Even at 120 years, life was short for Moses. Whatever we’re going to do, do it now. We’re not like God in that God is not bound by time. Verse 4 of Psalm 90 says that 1000 years is like one day to God. God is not bound by time. He is eternal—but man is transitory.
We were never created to stay in this state—on this earth forever. We have a beginning, middle, and end. In other words, we have a past, present, and future. Our end is our future.
Moses goes on to say, “Lord, you know all about us, even our secret sins, the terrible things that no one else knows.” Verse 8
The average length of our days is 70 years—or 80 years, if we are blessed but are they are still filled with sorrow and labor. We are like grass that opens up and stands up bright and beautiful in the morning but by evening they are withered and dying.
So, teach us to make every day count—to take advantage and treasure our lives. We don’t know where on the timeline of life, we fall.
Ask yourself—What does God will for me to do with my life?
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done for beginning to the end.”
So, three things we know.
1. God has put into our DNA a spiritual thirst
2. We have eternal value—our soul and spirit are immortal, and we are able to get a now body, if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
3. Only God can satisfy us. Even when we do our best
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