Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Psalms 90
Psalm 90:2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
This verse establishes the psalm's foundation: God is infinite and timeless, existing before creation itself. He is the ultimate reality and the only constant in a changing world.Psalm 90:12So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
This is the turning point of the prayer, where the psalmist asks not for a longer life, but for the wisdom to live well within the time he has. It's a request for perspective that transforms how one lives.Psalm 90:17Let 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!
The psalm concludes with this hopeful plea for God to give meaning and permanence to their work. It acknowledges that human effort is fleeting unless it is blessed and sustained by God's favor.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Prayer from the Wilderness
This psalm is uniquely attributed to Moses, placing its setting in the wilderness during Israel's forty years of wandering. This was a generation under God's judgment, facing the reality of their own mortality as they were barred from the Promised Land. This backdrop of discipline and transience gives the psalm its raw honesty about life's hardships and the consequences of sin. It is a community lament, spoken on behalf of a people keenly aware of their fleeting existence.
From Sober Reality to Hopeful Plea
The psalm follows a powerful emotional and theological arc, moving from sober reflection to hopeful petition. It begins by magnifying God's eternal nature against the backdrop of human frailty. It then honestly confronts the reason for this hardship - God's wrath against sin - before pivoting to a heartfelt plea for wisdom, mercy, and joy. The prayer doesn't end in despair but with a forward-looking request for God's favor to give their lives meaning, modeling a journey from lament to hope.
A Verse-by-Verse Journey Through Psalm 90
Psalm 90, the great prayer of Moses, unfolds as a conversation with the eternal God from the perspective of mortal man. It begins by establishing God's timeless majesty before turning to the harsh realities of a short and difficult life. The psalm then pivots, making a desperate and beautiful plea for the wisdom to live meaningfully and for God's favor to rest upon His people, giving their work lasting significance.
God's Eternity and Our Frailty (Psalm 90:1-6)
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.
Commentary:
God is our eternal home, while our lives are as brief and fragile as grass that withers in a day.
The Weight of Sin and God's Wrath (Psalm 90:7-11)
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?
Commentary:
Our short and troubled lives are a consequence of our sin, which stands exposed before a holy God.
A Prayer for Wisdom and Renewed Joy (Psalm 90:12-15)
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!
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.
Commentary:
Recognizing life's brevity, the psalmist prays for wisdom to live meaningfully and for God's love to restore their joy.
A Hope for Lasting Purpose (Psalm 90:16-17)
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!
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!
Commentary:
The psalm ends with a hopeful plea for God's favor to give their work and lives lasting meaning.
God's Timelessness and Our Brief Lives
The Eternality of God
Psalm 90 powerfully declares that God is 'from everlasting to everlasting.' He exists outside of time and is the uncreated Creator, making Him the only stable and secure 'dwelling place' in a universe where everything else is temporary.
The Brevity of Human Life
The psalm uses vivid metaphors like dust, a flood, a dream, and withering grass to emphasize how short and fragile our lives are. This realism is not meant to cause despair, but to create an urgency to live for what truly matters.
Wisdom as Right Perspective
The central request to 'number our days' is a prayer for perspective. Biblical wisdom involves seeing life from God's point of view - recognizing our limits and living with purpose in the time we have.
Dependence on God's Favor
The psalm concludes that human effort is ultimately futile without God's blessing. The prayer to 'establish the work of our hands' reveals that true and lasting meaning is found only when our lives are aligned with God's will and empowered by His grace.
Living Wisely in Light of Eternity
Psalm 90:12 urges you to 'number your days' to gain wisdom. This means consciously shifting your focus from temporary anxieties and fleeting pleasures to things of eternal value, like your relationship with God and others. It challenges you to live each day with intention, treating your time as a precious gift.
Moses declares, 'Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations' (Psalm 90:1). This psalm invites you to find your ultimate security not in your career, finances, or even family, but in the unchanging character of God. He is the only permanent home in a world where everything else eventually fades away.
The prayer to be satisfied with God's love in the morning (Psalm 90:14) teaches that joy is not based on perfect circumstances but on God's presence. Even when facing hardship, you can ask God to fill you with His steadfast love, which brings a deep and resilient gladness that circumstances cannot take away.
Finding Purpose in Fleeting Time
Psalm 90 delivers an important and timeless message: our lives are incredibly short, but they can be filled with eternal meaning. By contrasting our fleeting days with God's everlasting nature, Moses reveals that wisdom isn't about living longer, but about living for what lasts. The psalm is a call to exchange anxiety over our limitations for a humble dependence on God, asking Him to give our work purpose and our days joy.
What This Means for Us Today
The prayer of Psalm 90 is an invitation to gain a divine perspective. It asks us to pause, look up from our brief and busy lives, and see the eternal God who is our true home. This shift invites us to live not in fear of our mortality, but in the wisdom and joy that comes from seeking God's favor each and every day.
- What 'secret sins' (v. 8) might be hindering my relationship with God and my ability to live wisely?
- How can I start my day asking God to 'satisfy' me with His love (v. 14)?
- In what specific area of my life do I need to pray, 'establish the work of my hands' (v. 17)?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This psalm precedes Psalm 90 with a lament over God's seemingly broken promises, setting the stage for Moses' prayer about God's faithfulness in the face of human suffering.
Following the themes of Psalm 90, this chapter provides a powerful answer, describing the profound security and protection found by those who make the Lord their dwelling place.
Connections Across Scripture
God's decree that humanity will 'return to dust' after the fall is directly quoted and reflected upon in Psalm 90:3.
This New Testament passage echoes the theme of life's brevity, comparing it to a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Paul's instruction to 'make the best use of the time, because the days are evil' is a direct application of the wisdom sought in Psalm 90:12.
Discussion Questions
- Psalm 90:12 asks God to 'teach us to number our days.' What does this mean to you practically, and what is one change you could make this week to live more wisely?
- The psalm contrasts God's eternal nature with our short lives. How does this vast difference affect the way you view your personal problems and your ultimate purpose?
- Moses prays, 'establish the work of our hands' (v. 17). What 'work' in your life - whether in your job, family, or community - do you most want God to establish and give lasting meaning to?
Glossary
theological concepts
Wrath of God
God's righteous and just anger toward sin and rebellion, which stems from His perfect holiness.
Steadfast Love
From the Hebrew word 'hesed,' this refers to God's loyal, faithful, and covenant-keeping love for His people that never fails.
Wisdom
In the Bible, this is the practical skill of living a life that honors God by seeing the world from His perspective.