Psalm 90 - Prayer for help

Moses probably wrote this psalm during the journeys of the children of Israel through the wilderness. Such an experience would have reminded them of the uncertainty of life here and the wonderful fact that the Lord was a permanent dwelling place for those who trusted in him. In contrast to all the expressions of human weakness that he saw around him, Moses was aware of the permanence of God. He existed without beginning before the creation of the world and he will exist for ever (vv. 1-2).

God is not only eternal he is also sovereign. One way by which he shows his sovereignty is when he summons humans from this life. The ones who live the longest only live for a fleeting time. Moreover, their experience is the consequence of their rebellion, not only by Adam at the beginning, but by everyone day by day. God the sovereign is also God the judge, and he does not only judge open sins, but he is aware of all secret, individual sins. The attitude of the sovereign judge against sinners is wrath. And we know that is what happened to the children of Israel for their sins after they were delivered from Egypt (vv. 3-11).

 

How should we respond to such a reality? We can imitate Moses and pray, and pray for what he prayed for. He prayed that Israel would be given wisdom, although we should note that the wisdom will come after they have taken seriously that their days will be short. One cannot be wise until that fact is recognised (v. 12).

 

Moses also prayed for covenant mercy to be shown on the Israelites, and for it to be shown soon, even in the morning. Should the Lord show mercy, they then would experience his grace throughout their days, enabling them to have joy in and from the Lord (vv. 13-14). This restoration could be lengthy (v. 15) and extend to the next generation in a glorious way (v. 16). Is there a hint here that one reason Joshua’s generation were so devoted to God was that God answered the prayer here made for the next generation?

 

What we always need from the sovereign God is his favour and blessing on what we do for him, and among those activities is prayer in challenging times (v. 17).