1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
Psalm 90 is a profound and moving meditation on the human condition in light of God's eternal nature. It is ascribed to Moses, making it the only psalm in the Psalter attributed to him. The psalm is a reflection on the transience of human life contrasted with God's eternity, the burden of human sin and the hope for God's mercy and favor. It serves as a reminder of human limitations and the ultimate reliance on God's grace, and thus, it is often associated with funerals and times of mourning. However, the psalm is not merely about human mortality and sin, it also carries a strong theme of hope and trust in God's enduring love and mercy.
The psalm opens by acknowledging God as our dwelling place throughout all generations, from everlasting to everlasting. The imagery of God as a dwelling place conveys a sense of security and permanence. The subsequent verses emphasize the contrast between God's eternity and human transience. God is described as existing before the mountains were formed, before the earth and the world were brought forth. This emphasizes God's eternal, unchangeable nature, and contrasts it with the fleeting nature of human life. In God's sight, a thousand years are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. This metaphor illustrates the vast difference between divine and human perspectives on time.
The psalmist further underscores human transience by comparing human lives to grass that sprouts in the morning and fades and withers by evening. This vivid image serves to remind us of the brevity and fragility of life. This theme of transience is further emphasized by the psalmist's reflection on the typical lifespan of human beings. Even if we live seventy or eighty years, they are filled with trouble and sorrow, and they quickly pass, and we fly away. This sobering reflection underlines the ephemerality of human existence and the inevitability of death.
Psalm 90 also grapples with the theme of human sin and its consequences. The psalmist acknowledges that we are consumed by God's anger and terrified by his indignation. Our iniquities are laid bare before God, and our secret sins are exposed in the light of His presence. This is a stark reminder of God's holiness and our sinfulness. It underscores the reality of God's righteous judgment and the severity of His wrath against sin. The psalmist's plea for God to relent from His wrath suggests a deep awareness of the devastating effects of sin and the need for God's mercy.
Despite the somber reflections on human mortality and sin, Psalm 90 also carries a strong theme of hope and trust in God's enduring love and mercy. The psalmist pleads with God to have compassion on His servants. He prays that God's unfailing love would satisfy us in the morning, so that we may sing for joy all our days. This is a profound expression of trust in God's steadfast love and mercy, despite the harsh realities of life and the burden of sin. The psalmist also prays that God would make us glad for as many days as He has afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. This plea reflects a deep longing for God's restorative justice and blessing.
The psalm concludes with a prayer for God's favor and for the success of the work of our hands. The psalmist prays that the favor of the Lord our God would rest on us and that He would establish the work of our hands. This is a powerful affirmation of the value and significance of human work, and a profound expression of reliance on God's blessing and favor. It serves as a reminder that ultimately, our lives and our work are in God's hands, and that we depend on His grace for our sustenance and success.
In conclusion, Psalm 90 is a profound meditation on the human condition in the light of God's eternal nature. It confronts us with the transience of human life, the burden of sin, and the hope for God's mercy and favor. It serves as a sobering reminder of our mortality and sinfulness, but also as an inspiring affirmation of God's enduring love and mercy. It calls us to live in humble reliance on God's grace, to value the significance of our work, and to seek God's blessing and favor. It challenges us to view our lives from the perspective of eternity, and to find our security and satisfaction in God, our eternal dwelling place.
Share this page