Book IV
Ethan told the Lord what He had done to Judah's anointed king, the descendant of David. The Lord was angry with the kings because of their sins, especially idolatry (v. 38), so He permitted the Babylonians to come and ravage the land, destroy Jerusalem, and burn the temple (vv. 40–41). To Ethan, the Lord was actu-
PSALM 90
This is the oldest psalm in The Psalms, and it was written by Moses, the man of God (Josh. 14:6; Ezra 3:2). It deals with themes that began with the fall of our first parents and will continue to be important and puzzling
Psalm 90
refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27 AB).
until the return of our Savior: eternal God and frail humans, a holy God and sinful man, life and death, and the meaning of life in a confused and difficult world. It's possible that Moses wrote this psalm after Israel's failure of faith at Kadesh Barnea (Num. 13— 14), when the nation was condemned to journey in the wilderness for forty years until the older generation died. That tragedy was followed by the death of Moses' sister Miriam (Num. 20:1), and his brother, Aaron (Num. 20:22–29). And between those two deaths, Moses disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock (Num. 20:2–13). How did Moses manage to become a "man of God" after forty years in pagan Egypt that ended in failure, forty years in Midian as a humble shepherd, and forty more leading a funeral march through the wilderness? Life was not easy for Moses, but he triumphed, and in this psalm he shared his insights so that we, too, might have strength for the journey and end well.
We Are Learners and Life Is Our School (vv. 3–12) Moses was "educated in all the learning of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22 nasb), but the lessons he learned walking with God were far more important. In the school of life (v. 12), we need to learn two important lessons: life is brief and passes swiftly (vv. 4–6), so make the most of it; and life is difficult and at times seems futile (vv. 7–11), but this is the only way to mature. Were there no sin in the world, there would be no suffering and death; but people made of dust defy the God of the universe and try to repeal the inexorable law of sin and death, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19 nkjv). While we all thank God for modern science and the ministry of skilled medical personnel, we cannot successfully deny the reality of death or delay it when our time comes. The school of life is preparation for an eternity with God, and without Him, we cannot learn our lessons, pass our tests, and make progress from kindergarten to graduate school!
We Are Travelers and God Is Our Home (vv. 1–2) "For we are aliens and pilgrims before you, as were our fathers" said King David (1 Chron. 29:12 nkjv). For all mortals, life is a pilgrimage from birth to death, and for believers, it is a journey from earth to heaven, but the road is not an easy one. Jacob called the 130 years of his pilgrimage "few and evil" (Gen. 47:9), and he was a pilgrim to the very end, for he died leaning on the top of his staff (Heb. 11:21). For eighty years, Moses had lived a somewhat settled life, first in Egypt and then in Midian, but after that he spent forty years in the wilderness, leading a nation of complaining former slaves who didn't always want or appreciate his leadership. Numbers 33 names forty-two different places Israel camped during their journey, but no matter where Moses lived, God was always his home. He "lived in the Lord." He knew how to "abide in the Lord" and find strength, comfort, encouragement, and help for each day's demands. Moses pitched a special tent outside the camp, where he went to meet the Lord (Ex. 33:7–11). This is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament admonition, "Abide in me" (see John 15:1–11). We must all make the Lord "our dwelling" (91:9).
The older we get, the better we understand that life is brief and moves past very swiftly. God dwells in eternity (Isa. 57:15) and is not limited by time. He can cram many years of experience and work into one person's lifetime or make the centuries flash past like the days of the week (2 Peter 3:8). Compared with eternity, even a long life is like yesterday when it is past or like the changing of the guards while we are sleeping (a "watch" was four hours). Only God is eternal, and we humans are like objects suddenly swept away by a flash flood (Matt. 7:24–27) or grass that comes and goes. In the East, the grass often grows on very thin soil and has no deep roots (Matt. 13:20–21). A field will be lush and green in the morning but become withered before nightfall because of the hot sun. (See 37:1–2; 92:7; 103:15; Isa. 40:6–7; 1 Peter 1:24.) God is the one whose command "turns us back" (v. 3; see 104:29; 146:4; Job 34:15; Eccl. 3:20), and we need to fear and honor Him and use our lives for His glory. In the school of life, those students learn the most who realize that the dismissal bell rings when they least expect it!
In verses 7–11, Moses reflected on Israel's sad experience at Kedesh Barnea (Num. 13—14), when the nation refused to obey God and enter the Promised Land. This foolish decision led to four decades of trials and testings in the wilderness while the older generation died off, except for Joshua and Caleb. God is "slow to anger" (Ex. 34:6), but the repeated complaints and rebellions of His people tested even His longsuffering. (See Ex. 32:10; Num. 11:11, 33; 12:9; 25:3; 32:10, 13; Deut. 4:24–25; 6:15; 9:7, 18–19.) God saw what Israel did and God knew what Israel intended to do! No secrets are hidden from Him. The twenty-year-olds would be close to sixty when the nation returned to Kadesh Barnea, and Moses saw eighty years as the limit for humans. He died at 120 and Joshua at 110, but
Moses addressed God as Elohim, the God of power and the God of creation. He described God "giving birth" to the mountains (v. 2; Job 15:7; 38:8, 28–29) and forming the world. To people in the ancient world, mountains symbolized that which was lasting and dependable, and to the Jews, mountains spoke of the everlasting God of Israel (93:1–2). There were six generations from Abraham to Moses—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, and Moses—and the same God had guided and blessed them! Those of us who have godly ancestors certainly have a rich heritage and ought to be thankful. In the midst of a changing world, living as we do in a "frail tent" (2 Cor. 5:1–4), it is good to hear Moses say, "The eternal God is your