Hope in God’s Steadfast Love
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Psalm 90
Psalm 90
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God. 1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
As we have been going through the Psalms as a church we reflected that we can trust in God to be our shepherd, that he is trustworthy and that He is truly good. All these things ought to motivate us to cling to God and trust that He cares for us. However, what do we do when we find ourselves in a “dark place” and feel distant from God? Maybe we feel forsaken, maybe we are under much toil and trouble. What then? Today’s Psalm is for the pilgrim who is through the thick of it. Life may not be easy, but you can find comfort in God even then.
Life is a journey, so we hear. Life can be something exciting and enjoyable. However, it is also full of toil and trouble. Either way, we tend to focus on what is ahead of us. We tend to be preoccupied with our challenges. Whether it may be about a loved one, work, school or anything else. We tend to focus on the here and now. Yet, we need to consider what life is really about. It is not just an aimless journey with random problems appearing, but to the Christian, it is a journey to our true home.
Imagine for a minute that you are taking a drive to a far away destination. You are on a journey. And while you are travelling you start watching more closely all things around you. And if you are not careful and get distracted, you may stumble into a pit, getting stuck, prevented from reaching your desired destination. All because you were preoccupied with other things, forgetting to set your eyes faithfully on the road.
Today’s Psalm is helpful to us refocus our minds, to calibrate our senses of direction, and to come to terms to the reality of life. Psalm 90 is a Psalm of a traveller that has fallen into a pit, and while he is there, he reflects on his way to get back to the road to his ultimate destination, back home.
Psalm 90 is the oldest Psalm we have. It was written by Moses, most likely during the 40 years in the wilderness. Who was Moses? He is the prophet per excellence in the Old Testament. He spoke on behalf of God to kings and to a whole nation and performed wonderful miracles as God directed him. Moses had seen it almost all!
Today’s text gives us a picture of someone who is caught in turmoil and suffering. It is a song of lament. Even though Moses was used by God to do wonderful works. Moses found himself distracted from his journey, as it were, and fell into a pit. He found himself in the midst of trouble, seemingly distant from God’s blessings and presence.
The book of Numbers, chapter 20 may give us some insight into the background of what was happening in Moses’ life at the time of his own exile. For in it, we see that Moses lost both Miriam, his sister (v.1) and his brother Aaron (v.22-29) and in the middle of both events, is where Moses lost his footing. He disobeyed God by striking a rock in Meribah, where God declared to him and Aaron: [R]
12 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
Moses fell off his journey and failed to trust God (“because you did not believe in me”). He was facing the consequences of his disobedience. This is the context in which Moses writes this Psalm.
What can we learn from this Psalm? What is the main idea of our text this morning?
“God’s steadfast love is the refuge from death and wrath”
1) The covenant keeping God, is sure refuge (v.1-2)
2) Sinful humanity, turns to dust and awaits God’s judgement (v.3-11)
3) Hope in God, our Steadfast refuge (v.12-17)
1) The Covenant Keeping God, si sure refuge (v.1-2)
Psalm 90:1-2
1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
In v.1 Moses begins addressing God, proclaiming that God is the “dwelling place” of his people, in all generations. God is their protective shelter, their safe place. In v.2 Moses declares that God is eternal.
In our regular speech, we do not speak of something lasting “from everlasting to everlasting” we say “from beginning to end”. However, God has no beginning and no end! God is different from us and all creation.
Moses has confidence to call God a dwelling place. And why is this important? Remember the rest of the Psalm. It is a lament to God that starts remembering who God is and how God keeps His covenant (promise) to His people. What was one of the promises of God to Abraham?
1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
(Land / Nation)
Moses is in the pit, as it were (and as we will see). But he brings himself to remember His final destination. Moses’ journey is going through a terrible setback, but he is bringing himself to remember His end goal, to get back home! He is stuck in the mud, He has seen much suffering around him, yet he is bringing himself to remember the greatness and nearness of God. To be with God is to be in a safe place.
Christian… What about you? When you are stuck in problems that surround you, do you start by reflecting on God and the place you have in Him? Moses is modelling to us how we ought to think in the midst of trouble and toil. Remember your home! Remember that you are on a journey towards your home! Troubles, difficulties come, sin may pull us away from the road into a pit. Are we to despair? Christian, may it never be with you. Remember your God.
You have a sure refuge in God
God has been faithful to His people. He has been a “dwelling place in all generations” that includes our generation, and the generations to come.
“God’s steadfast love is the refuge from death and wrath”
2) Sinful humanity, turns to dust and awaits God’s judgement (v.3-11)
Moses goes now into reflecting about the fleeting life of human beings. He is dealing with thoughts that are weighing him down. Reflecting on both our mortal bodies and our spiritual reality in the sight of the Holy God of Israel.
This is something that most people avoid mentioning. It makes people uncomfortable to even consider that their lives are going to end and that there is a fundamental problem that goes beyond the natural world. It is a problem of sin and death.
3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
What is man in comparison to God? We are created beings. Moses reflects that we are created, finite beings (we have an end - dust). We depend on God for our life. Every moment of human life is under the control of the eternal God. [R]
19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
V.4 challenges us to view time in a dramatically different way. For many, life may feel like a lifetime [chuckle] But time in God’s perspective is a breeze (1000 yrs as a day, in the past for God!). We live in light of time and space. But to God time and space are microscopic in light of eternity.
Psalm 90:5–6 (ESV)
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
Here Moses expands his reflection on the brevity of life. It is as if today we are here, but in an instant we can be gone. V.5-6 give us 3 examples of how fragile our lives really are, when contrasted to God’s eternality.
Human lives are swept away, as if by a flood (v.5a), like a dream(v.5b), and like grass that withers quickly (v.6)
All these verses point to this: God is eternal, we are not.
One of the lies with which we live today is to think that we have the future guaranteed. OR especially those who may be younger would like to think “we have all the time in the world”. Brothers and sisters, do not fall for this lie. [R]
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
We ought to learn to view time as God does. We ought to see life in the light of eternity! We ought to live for what transcends life.
We have seen the implications of sin in humanity in terms of our finite lives. But now we will turn to see how sin has affects humanity’s relationship to God
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
This is the beginning of the most shocking, reality-check that Moses delivers in this Psalm. Moses starts to talk about the impact of sin on humanity. This has to have come after much reflection on Moses’ part. Remember that Moses had witnessed God’s judgments over the Egyptians, displaying much power in destroying their land and possessions. But also Moses witnessed the strong judgments that God performed amongst the Israelites themselves.
21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.
It was the disobedience and sin of not trusting the LORD that Moses is giving as the reason for the affliction they are currently experiencing (v.8). Not only the blatant, public sins of the people, but Moses includes the “secret sins”.
Sin is really destructive. The wrath of Almighty God is ready to enact judgement.
We are pressed even further in v.9
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
In this one verse, both the brevity of life and the seriousness of sin are brought together. Here we have the problem of life in a nutshell. God’s judgment of our sins and the brevity of our own lives.
This verse by itself is first showing us the problem of most people. We live not in the light of eternity but in the light of now. Now, when a year feels like a long period of time. Now, never thinking that one day we will pass away. Living in the now, without regard to our creator.
This is a very dangerous path. Its end is destruction. Its end will come sooner than expected, especially in light of eternity.
10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.
This is the reflection of someone who has seen the trouble of life and has devoted time to ponder it. A life in the midst of sin and its consequences are nothing but trouble. This is a sobering reality! Are we promised a life of blessings and free of suffering in life?
So far, we see that God’s wrath and anger are a barrier between God and man. Remember that God judges both the things done publicly and in the secret (v.8). No action of humanity escapes His sight.
We are in a very precarious position. Our lives are miniscule in the sight of this awesome, eternal God. Our sin condemns us to be placed against the one who made us and can turn us to dust, our creator.
We have no escape. Moses is reflecting on this out of the failures of his people and out of his own failures.
This is Moses and the people of Israel, who lived with God present in the wilderness, performing wonderful miracles. Even they fell and sinned against God.
What about us? Do we even live with the constant reminder of God’s presence and eternality?
Moses goes into a wonderful question, that we ought to ask ourselves in v.11
11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
This is a turning point in this Psalm. It addresses the problem that people have in front of them. It is a rhetorical question. It expresses that people don’t fear God as they ought, thus they sin and disregard God’s judgement!
V.7 earlier makes the point that we ought to fear God, that His wrath is something of which we should be truly terrified (dismayed ESV). And as we saw in v.9 “all of our days pass away under God’s wrath”
God’s wrath is constant, all seeing, terrifying and unstoppable. It is the most uncomfortable and shocking thing ever for humanity.
What do we do about this? It sounds like we have no way out of this. Who can stand against such scrutiny and power combined? Is there any of us that is free of sin that can be comfortable waiting to face God on the day of judgement?
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
According to what we have done, can anyone be justified and found free from sin in the sight of God? The Bible emphatically declares that none can [well known verse)
Romans 3:23b “...23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
How should we respond to this situation? How did Moses respond? Did he despair? No, instead of fleeing from God, Moses turns to him in prayer!
“God’s steadfast love is the refuge from death and wrath”
3) Hope in God, Our Steadfast refuge (v.12-17)
Moses begins a series of petitions to God. In the light of the brevity of life. In light of the condemned position he knows sin places us under. Moses runs to where he knows he will be safe. Moses turns from what seems hopeless and grim, he turns to action.
But wait, haven’t we seen that God is one to fear?? How is it that turning to the one we ought to fear may, at the same time, be our place for safety?? Aren’t those 2 things a contradiction?
Moses was driven by fear (reverence for God the creator and judge of all) to see him rightly and respond accordingly, appealing to God’s restorative love!
Moses turns to God and asks:
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Moses prays for the wisdom to number our days. In other words, to consider our mortality in light of the eternality of God. We need to impress this DEEPLY in our hearts! Our days are not infinite. And those few days we have, we ought to seek not to have them under God’s wrath!
13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants!
Moses asks for God’s favour to return. He appeals to God to be compassionate to them. Appealing to God’s mercy is in accordance to God’s character [R]
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil.
Here is the heart of Moses’ plea to the Lord. In the midst of trial and discouragement, in the midst of despair and the dire reality of our lives being a vapour. Moses reaches to his heart, as it were, and seeks to fill it with God’s steadfast love and joy. What a wonderful prayer!
What does it mean to be satisfied? It is to say that you need nothing more! But, Moses has built up to this point the fact that He is in the pit. He has been there for a while (v.13… “How long”?) He has seen much strife, for he says in v.15 “... many days as you have afflicted us/// years as we have seen evil”
Moses and the Israelites are going through a dark period, where there seems to be nothing but wrath being displayed on them. No promised land to them, only awaiting for the eradication of an entire generation, following God’s wrath against their sin, because they would not trust God and His promise to them.
YET, Moses trusts that a morning may come. That the darkness they find themselves in can be gone. Notice, in v.14 Moses does not ask for his suffering to be gone, but He asks for God’s steadfast love! He doesn’t need his situation “resolved”. No. He does not need to be in the promised land. God is all he needs! Moses calls to remembrance His home. His God, who has been His dwelling place.
This is what true repentance looks like! Brothers and sisters. When we are faced with our true spiritual condition, we first acknowledge that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and our lives are as brief as a sigh in the light of eternity. We have to wrestle with the impending end of our lives and the one whom we will be facing.
Even after experiencing affliction. Do we come to God with bitterness towards Him? Do we come to God to settle our accounts with Him? Or do we recognize that we are in need of Him for our restoration and forgiveness?
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Moses is seeking God, despite him being under God’s judgment over His sin! He knows that even though he has been found guilty in God’s sight. He knows that he can turn to God even then, in repentance and trust for God’s favour.
How does Moses end this prayer of lament?
16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Even in a world of sin and suffering (“struggle and sorrow”) we can live with hope. Moses was wandering in the wilderness and even though he was going through suffering he began this Psalm saying “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in every generation”.
Christian, how do you face struggle and suffering? From today’s text, don’t forget to look back home. That wherever you find yourself, you can always come back to the Father. He will satisfy your every need, with His love in Christ for you.
If you trust in Christ today, you can claim God as your own family. The wrath of God is something real, something looming and it is terrifying. But know that, if you trust in Christ today, that God’s wrath has been poured out on Christ on your behalf. That there is no more wrath against you. That there is nothing but peace and protection offered to you! God can be a refuge and hiding place to you. You have a great confidence to look over your past sins, even those currently, you can repent of them by the gracious power of the Holy spirit. Bring those painful sins to God, and find in Him the forgiveness and renewal He alone offers to those who Trust in Him.
Remember that your life in this world is only a sigh in the light of eternity. Eternal life is offered to you, through Christ. God’s favour is for you. The safest place for the believer is with God. The eternal God of the universe is your dwelling place, forever!. Thus we can live with hope!
For all those who trust in Christ and what He did on the cross, know that pain, sorrow, trials and trouble in this world are ALWAYS temporary. A day is coming when He will remove every tear from your eyes. His steadfast love will never end.
“God’s steadfast love is the refuge from death and wrath”
If you do not trust in Christ today. Remember that your life, as well as everyone else here, will come to an end. As Moses declared “all our days pass away under God’s wrath; we bring our years to an end, like a sigh”
What can you do to prepare yourself to face the eternal, creator God? Repent, turn away from your sins and trust not in yourself, but in the work of Jesus Christ done on the cross for all of those who would put their faith in Him. Do not put this out for another day, for as we saw, nobody knows whether we will truly be alive tomorrow or not. Reflect on the time we live on this earth. It is soon gone in light of eternity. May today be the day when you can call out God not as a judge, but as your very own refuge, even in times of trial.
Let us pray.