The Psalms in a Season of Worldly Distraction

Scripture Reading

Psalm 90 NIV84

A prayer of Moses the man of God. 1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning— 6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. 7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10 The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 13 Relent, O Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

Introduction

We continue our study in the book of Psalms - “The Psalms for Every Season of Life.”

Keep in mind that we are not looking at every single Psalm and doing a thorough study on it. What I am doing is seeking to recognise that in every season in which we find ourselves in life, the Psalms are applicable to guide us, to encourage us, to exhort us and teach us about God’s character and desires for us in that particular season of life.

This evening, we consier Psalm 90, particularly under the heading of “The Psalms in a Season of Worldly Distraction.”

This Psalm is a prayer of Moses, the man of God. We find this as the introduction / title to the Psalm. And so even as we consider this Psalm, we must keep in mind that it had been a Psalm that was penned by Moses in light of the working of God in His day.

With that said, this Psalm was included for a particular purpose within the Jewish Psalter… the book of Psalms.

In terms of its location in the book of Psalms, we find this Psalm in Book IV of the Psalms. The Psalter is divided up into five main divisions, and this particular Psalm is the first Psalm of Book IV. It is believed that this Book IV of the Psalms was collated while the Israelites were in Babylonian Exile. In other words, they were in captivity in Babylon. They were away from their home. They were away from their centre of worship - Jerusalem. And just generally, it was a difficult time for them. They were concerned, frustrated, dejected about life.

And this Psalm 90, was the first Psalm that they placed in this book, which really serves as a reminder to them of the everlasting and sovereign rule and reign of God. They select a Psalm that had been penned by Moses - a man of God; a man who prayed much to God, and God answered - they select this Psalm written by him so many years prior, as a reminder to them that God rules. He is sovereign. They therefore need not fear, or have concern, but trust in God.

Just in more practical terms, for us today in terms of how I would like to encourage us as a church and as individual people through this Psalm. I think it’s true to say that very often we can become caught up in the things and in the worries of this world. We tend to focus our thinking around what’s happening in our lives around us, to the detriment of remembering who God is, what He is doing in this world, and the fact that He is sovereign in this world.

These distractions may be with the political arena, and what is happening there. We may become concerned with liberalism in the rise; or socialism on the rise; or capitalism on the rise. We may have concerns about the increase of corruption, greed, poverty, social ills. All of these things may tend to weigh us down and concern us.

We see a pandemic arise like we’re in the midst of experiencing, and suddenly we’re thrown into turmoil about what is the best way to deal with things. People become divided over their opinions. They stir each other up through the strong arguments for their own side, and anger mounts and builds.

We look at the church, and we see divisions and arguments. We see so-called christians maligning others with very harsh and strong words on social media platforms. All of these things can tend to send us into somewhat of a state of turmoil.

And then the sad reality is, we turn inward, and we start to seek comfort and solace in ourselves, in our selfish desires, in pleasures of this world. We try to drown out the pains and frustrations of life with binge watching TV series, or by delicious treats… or things even less sanctified.

But I trust that this Psalm will serve as a help for how we are to orient our thinking when we find ourselves in a season of worldly distraction.

With that in mind, let us consider this Psalm together.

We see firstly in this Psalm, that we are to...

1. Remember God's Sovereignty Through History (vv.1-6)

Recall that the author of the Psalm originally is Moses. As the Israelites, many hundres of years later, took this Psalm and included it in this Book of the Psalter, they would have been reminded that even as Moses in his day wrote about God’s sovereignty in the years prior to him, so they too were to consider God’s help to them in all time prior to their days, and consequently in the days that lay ahead.

The first call in this section is to...

1.1. Remember God is our Helper (vv.1-2)

Verses 1 of the Psalm declares...

Psalm 90:1 NIV84

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

In essence, Moses was writing that God had been the place of rest and comfort for his people throughout all generations. A dwelling place is, after all, the place where you find your peace and comfort. It is a place of security. And Moses rightly declares that irrespective of the circumstances surrounding God’s people, He had indeed been their dwelling place. It was truly only God that provided a place of comfort and refuge for His people.

As the Israelites themselves would have read / sung the words of this Psalm, they would have stated these words as a reminder to them that even though they now found themselves in the midst of captivity by the Babylonians, God had always been, and God continued to be their own source of comfort and hope.

Verse 2 goes on to say...

Psalm 90:2 NIV84

2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

The Psalm is stating here that there is no starting point or ending point to the sovereign rule of God. He was God from time eternity past. And the same was true looking forward unto eternity. God remains God. Nothing can rob him of his eternal rule. Even the mountains - those steadfast, solid, rocks that never get moved - only came to be after the rule of God began.

Indeed, God is from everlasting to everlasting.

The Psalm here would remind Israel that through all generations of people, God has existed and ruled over his people, and they can thus take comfort in the fact that he was ruling in the midst of their circumstances.

And we too must see and acknowledge, we must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God is indeed sovereign in our day. He has ruled his people from all eternity, and he continues to rule over us and our world today, irrespective of the circumstances that we may face as the church.

God has always been the helper of his people. And he is our helper today!

Flowing out of this, Moses writes that we are to...

1.2. Remember that God is Eternal (vv.3-4)

This is not merely a matter of his ruling over his people, but the fact that he always has existed and always will exist. Nothing can cause God to cease to be. Nothing can even change the nature and character of God.

On the other hand, the Psalmist writes that man’s life is in the hands of this eternal God. Verses 3 and 4 read...

Psalm 90:3–4 NIV84

3 You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.” 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

As Moses wrote these words, he was all too aware of the fact that every breath that he was taking was done at the mercies of God. Even as we consider the eternality of God, and the fact concerning his sovereign, all-powerful rule over creation, we must be reminded that no man is able to stand up against the Almighty. God simply issues the command, and men return to dust. As easily as God formed Adam out of the ground, he commands man to return to ground when the number of the days allotted to him has reached its full number.

I’m reminded of Psalm 2, where the rulers and the leaders of the world, and all the people’s are said to be conspiring against God.

Psalm 2:1–3 NIV84

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 3 “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”

God is not unaware of their plots and their efforts to go against Him. And yet, what is his response to them?

Psalm 2:4 NIV84

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

God is not concerned or worried about even the most mighty man’s efforts against Him. God is not concerned that the world seems to be in disarray. God is not concerned that one party rises up over another party. He’s not even worried about the entire world putting itself up against Christianity. Why? Because he simply speaks the word and all these men will return to dust!!!

We serve a powerul, almighty God!

Verse 4 of this Psalm speaks about even the fact that God sits, as it were, outside of time. Even a thousand years to him are brief, and but a moment.

The same cannot be said of man. And this is what dominates the thoughts of the PSalmist in the next two verses, when he writes that we should...

1.3. Remember that our life is brief (vv.5-6)

Psalm 90:5–6 NIV84

5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning— 6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.

Moses knew that every man’s life was but a vapour. Here today and gone tomorrow. As Moses reflected on his own context… as he considered even the way in which God had worked on behalf of Israel, he realised that men’s lives were as nothing.

The grass that would grow in Palestine, as the morning sun rose, the grass was green and fresh in the cool of the morning air. But as the day went on, the sun scorched down upon it, the grass would dry up and by the time the end of the day came, the grass would be parched, as if lifeless.

The solemn reminder here is that our God is eternal in the heavens, but our lives are momentary at best.

In the days we find ourselves living with worldly distractions, caught up in what is happening around us in the world, perhaps overwhelmed with all that is going on, perhaps just living our lives as if this world is all there is, let us turn our attention to the sovereignty of God and his mighty power, and the brevity of our own lives, and gain a right perspective of things.

Secondly, Moses calls his readers to...

2. Consider Divine Rebuke and the Human Experience (vv.7-11)

With the context clearly laid out in terms of the sovereignty of God, and the brevity of the life of man, Moses now delineates some critical truths concerning the wrath of God. We see firstly, in this regard, to...

2.1. Remember God’s Wrath (vv.7-9)

Psalm 90:7–9 NIV84

7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.

The words that are penned here are a reminder that God’s eternal nature, and his just wrath, are not to be trifled with. So often in our day, we don’t like to think of God as a God of wrath and vengeance. We don’t like to think that God will act in any way that demonstrates such anger. We like to think of God as soft and cuddly… But while God certainly is a gracious and compassionate God, he is also the God of wrath, and his anger is real.

Moses writes in this context about being consumed by the anger of God, and terrified by His indignation.

We must see these dimensions of God’s holy character against the backdrop of a people that were in covenant relationship with God. As part of their covenant stipulations, they were called to live in obedience to God as a result of his grace and kindness in delivering them out of slavery and oppression in Egypt.

If they failed to obey covenant stipulations, then they would come under the divine judgment and righteous anger of God. And certainly Israel experienced that many times… not just after they had entered into the promised land, but even before, as they wandered in the wilderness.

Recall that Moses wrote this Psalm, and he didn’t enter into the promised land. As such, the words would have been penned during the wilderness wanderings, when God caused judgment to come upon the people through plagues and in various other forms when the people disobeyed God. But the reality was, the anger of God was levelled against sin on behalf of the people...

Verse 8 of our passage speaks about the iniquities (sins) of the people being before God. Even secret sins were laid out in the light of His presence, and they couldn’t be hidden from God. Recall the sin of Achan, who thought he could hide some of the spoils of war. But God saw these spoils of war.

Hebrews 4:13 NIV84

13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Even Moses himself, a man who was described as the most humble person on the face of the earth at that time; a man who obeyed God so often; a man that was opposed by the people that he had led out of slavery; when he sinned in the face of God by striking the rock for water to come out, he was rightly and justly punished by God, such that he would never himself enter the promised land.

Now, we may be glad that the wrath of God for Christians has been satisfied in Jesus Christ. Oh, praise God for that!!! But let us never water down sin and think that it is insignificant before God. It is extremely serious, and for us, having been redeemed, we are to flee from sin because we recognise the great price that was paid on our behalf! We can certainly never love our sin.

But further to this, is it not true that even in the world today, we face the consequences and effects of sin in a fallen world. The world in its present state is under travail. It is a heavy burden to see in the world just how much goes wrong, just how much fighting and war there is, just how much evil pervades society. But is not the travail of the world a consequence of the sin of man? Even if not direct consequence form a specific sin, there are consequences due to sin in general.

The world in which we live is most certainly not heaven!! In this sense, do we not all, in each day, in the pains and frustrations and turmoil of life, experience something of the just anger of God?!

We are certainly called to remember God’s wrath. But more than this, we are to called to...

2.2. Remember that Our Days are Numbered (vv.10)

Psalm 90:10 NIV84

10 The length of our days is seventy years— or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

In light of the troubles that Moses could see afflicting them as a people, he points out that the number of days of man is but a brief moment, and they seem to all pass by with much difficulty. Their span is but trouble and sorrow.

So often, people live in this world and they experience this great pain and trouble and sorrow. They live in the midst of ongoing suffering. And let us be sure, Christians are in no way exempt from such suffering. We have been clearly told and warned in Scripture that we will face persecution, and that we will suffer, even as Christ suffered.

But with that said, there is a dimension of suffering that enters into our lives as a direct consequence of sin. Not only do we experience the weight and the burden of guilt upon our consciences, but we often suffer with the direct consequences of sinful and foolish decisions that we make, or of the sinful attitudes that we embrace, and of the sinful words we speak to those around us.

Moses writes here that the length of our days are few, but the trouble and sorrow is great.

If we are to live wisely in this world, and when we find ourselves in a season of worldly distraction, we would do well to remember these truths.

Finally under this second main point, we must...

2.3. Remember that God’s Wrath is Great (v.11)

Psalm 90:11 NIV84

11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

The power of the anger of God is something great indeed, to the extent that Moses must ask the question… “Who knows the power of your anger.”

But although the power of the anger of God is great, and it is seen so often in many different circumstances, this is not a call to shrink away from the anger and wrath of God. Rather, this is a call to respond rightly to that anger.

The second half of the verse says, “For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.”

What this should be taken to mean is that when God’s righteous wrath is seen and witnessed due to sin, it should evoke in a person a response for righteous and reverent fear of God. As one commentator puts it...

Psalms, Volume 2 Divine Rebuke and the Human Experience (90:7–11)

The poet is saying that anyone who understands the full extent of God’s righteous anger will respond with a sincere desire to walk in his ways by rejecting sin and striving after his holiness.

God’s wrath is indeed great. But we keep in mind as Christians that it was this very wrath that was meted out against the SAviour, Jesus Christ, on the cross of calvary, in order to finally deal with all sin in a just manner.

Matthew 27:46 NIV84

46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:50 NIV84

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

The wrath of God satisfied in the death of His Son.

We must also keep in mind that God’s final wrath is being stored up for those who continue to rebel against Him, and final judgment will come against those in rebellion. Christ is and will prove himself to be victorious!!!

All of these truths that have been outlined, culminating in this declaration of the anger and the wrath of God, now lead Moses in the remainder of the Psalm to....

3. Pray for Right Thinking and Right Living (vv.12-17)

As we ponder on and think carefully about these truths of the sovereignty and the eternality of God, in juxtaposition with the brevity of the life of man, it should lead us to the appropriate responses and prayers from our side. What are those responses / prayers?

Firstly...

3.1. Consider the Limits of your Days (v.12)

Psalm 90:12 NIV84

12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

The simple prayer here is that God would open the eyes of His people to recognise the brevity of their days as has already been demonstrated, but then to consider that and respond appropriately by living a life of godly wisdom.

The goal of teaching us to number our days aright is not so that we can plan as much wordly pleasure and pursuits as we possibly can, so as to make the most of this life! Rather, it is in order to see that this life is so brief, and that the biblical realities of God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness, and the consequences of the fall, are so relevant and important, that I must focus my energy on living rightly before my God.

Friends, there is no greater need in each and every day of ours than to consider the truth and wisdom found in Scripture, so that I may understand it and apply it to every day in order to please God through Jesus Christ.

Psalm 119 is a long, and persistent cry by the Psalmist to know the word of God, and so to live by it! Listen to how he opens it...

Psalm 119:1–8 NIV84

1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. 3 They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways. 4 You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. 5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! 6 Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. 7 I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. 8 I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me.

Is that our cry, dear friends? Do we cry out to know God through a careful study of His word. Are we numbering our days carefully, and reminding ourselves of all these truths.

Is our goal to live each and every day to the glory of God through Jesus Christ?!

The second thing that Moses does is to...

3.2. Cry out for God’s Compassion (v.13)

Psalm 90:13 NIV84

13 Relent, O Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.

In light of the brokenness of the world around us, in light of the severe consequences of sin, even in light of the just wrath and anger of God, the Psalmist is reminded that we are able to cry out to God for compassion. This is certainly not a cry that is shrouded in hopelessness in terms of God’s willingness to respond. Rather, it is a cry that recognises that God is faithful. God is compassionate. It is a call for God to that compassion and mercy.

And such compassion has been abundantly evidenced in the work of Jesus Christ. In pouring out his wrath on his own Son, God made him the propitiation for our sins. He cast upon Christ the wrath due all of our sins, in order that we might have peace with God.

It is a New Testament truth so beautifully portrayed, that those who are in Christ are given peace!! Over and over through the New Testament, we are told that God is the God of peace. We are called to delight in the peace of God.

Why, because we may cry out to God through the finished work of Christ, that we would know this peace of God.

In the midst of a world in turmoil, we need to see that this turmoil is a consequence of rebellion against God. And the antidote is unity with Jesus. But we must keep our eyes fixed there.

We must not allow ourselves to live a life marked by worldly distraction, but rather must keep our eyes on Christ.

Thirdly in terms of the response...

3.3. Be Grateful for the Days that are Given (v.14)

Psalm 90:14 NIV84

14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

The prayer of the Psalmist is that God would bring satisfaction. And not only satisfaction, but even singing with joy, and a gladness that would mark their days.

What must be noted from this Psalm as a whole is that the satisfaction that is asked for can only be found in right relationship with God. The wrath of God, and the anger of God; the sovereignty of God compared to the brevity of the life of man - all of these must be noted, and right relationship restored with God. That is the hope.

For the church today, what a great joy to know that this right relationship is not only possible, but is promised by God in Christ. In other words, when we turn to God in repentance and faith, and when we thus walk in obedience to him, we are able to sing for joy, even in the midst of the trials.

We recognise that this world is afflicted. It is a sin-cursed world that will not be rid of the pains and harships it face until a final restoration by Christ. But even despite that, when we are in Christ, when we have this certain and secure hope in Him, and when our trust and our hope is fully placed in him, it brings us such a joy and peace of heart.

Listen, just by way of example, to how Paul speaks about various conflicts...

2 Corinthians 7:4–7 NIV84

4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. 5 For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

In all our troubles, my joy knows no bounds. Yes, the trouble was real. It was physical trouble and hardship, and even inner turmoil of heart. And yet Paul had reason to rejoice. And he rejoiced at the small gifts. The coming of Titus. Words of encouragement.

As we respond in a world around us, filled with pain, we should do so with gratitude for all that God has done, and continues to do.

Fourthly in terms of the response...

3.4. Be Glad in all the Days that are Given (v.15)

Psalm 90:15 NIV84

15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.

Again, a prayer for returning to joy. And again, that joy is only to be found in renewed relationship with God.

And think about this… while Moses here asks God for joy for as many years as they have seen trouble, there is a joy that will be ours into eternity. We will rejoice even for all time to come as we worship before God on His heavenly throne in the life to come.

And then finally...

3.5. Pray for God’s Help to be upon you (vv.16-17)

Psalm 90:16–17 NIV84

16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

The prayer here is that God’s people would know His deeds, the work that He is doing. That their children would know his deeds, what he has done and continues to do, so that they would be comforted by these truths…

And then he prays - establish the work of our hands for us.

This is a beautiful prayer that God would not limit our effectiveness by our finiteness… but rather that he would be pleased to establish every work that we do with our hands.

And friends, most importantly, this is not about making a name for myself at work, or business being a raging success, or me getting promotions, one after the next. Rather, this is first and foremost to be a prayer from our side that God would indeed work to establish His kingdom on earth, even as we go about our day to day lives in this world.

Application / Conclusion

Hebrews 12:28–29 NIV84

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”