Psalm 90

From Theologica

Contents 1 Overview 2 Outline 3 Study 3.1 God in Light of Man (4:1-6) 3.1.1 4:1 - God Our Dwelling Place 3.1.2 4:2 - God Everlasting 3.1.3 4:3 - God the Sovereign 3.1.4 4:4 - God's View of Time 3.1.5 4:5 - Ephemeral Man 3.1.6 4:6 - Man's Life 3.1.7 4:7 - God's Continual Anger 3.1.8 4:8 - God the Judge 3.1.9 4:9 - 3.1.10 4:10 - 3.1.11 4:11 - 3.1.12 4:12 - 3.1.13 4:13 - 3.1.14 4:14 - 3.1.15 4:15 - 3.1.16 4:16 - 3.1.17 4:17 -

Overview

Outline

I. God in Light of Man (4:1-6)
II. Man in Light of God (4:7-12)
III. Supplication (4:13-17)

Study

God in Light of Man (4:1-6)

Observation

• Written during the 40 year wandering of Israel (see v7)

Interpretation

Application

4:1 - God Our Dwelling Place

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Observation

• Moses is speaking, so it is safe to assume "our" refers to Israel, and "generations" refers to Israel's generations
• dwelling place, abode, domicile
  • A place to seek shelter
  • A place which gives shelter
• By calling up generations, Moses brings up history
  • God has offered shelter throughout Israel's history.
  • Israel has sought refuge in God throught their history
• Dwelling place offers up these thoughts
  • Comfort, family, warmth, safety, peace, rest, security
• This verse links God's immortality with Israel seeking shelter in Him
  • These are the two main themes in this psalm.

Interpretation

• God offers safety to His people
• God's people can seek comfort and security in Him
• with respect to the rest of the Psalm, this verse seems to offer a taste of what 13-17 are requesting

Application

4:2 - God Everlasting

Before the mountains were born
Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Observation

• God Existed before the mountains
• God created the earth and the world (assuming the universe)
• God is everlasting (infinite, immortal)
• He alone is God
• Continues to expand on Verse 1. Not only has God lived as long as Israel has had generations, but He is everlasting.

Interpretation

• God is timeless

Application Note:

• Key verse:
  • God's timelessness
  • References creation

4:3 - God the Sovereign

You turn man back into dust
And say, "Return, O children of men."

Observation

• Does the first line mean that God literally takes the life of men, or does it refer to His outliving them?
  • I can see things from both sides
  • But I think verse five argues that God takes the lives of men.
• Man is created from dust, to dust he eventually returns
  • The Hebrews apparently understood that dirt is made by the decaying of living things
• God holds the lives of men in His hands
  • He holds ultimate power over us.
• The Psalmist recognized God's complete sovereignty over him and his people
  • He is not bitter or angry; he just pleads

Interpretation

• God is sovereign
• God is the root of life
• God is the determiner of destiny

Application

4:4 - God's View of Time

For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or {as} a watch in the night.

Observation

• It seems that the Psalmist is beginning a comparison between God's and Man's perspectives of time
  • He is doing this in order to begin pleading his people's case
  • He is reminding God that even though man's life may be a blink in God's eye, to man it is a lifetime

Interpretation

• God's perspective is not man's perspective
• God does know the difference between the two
• God is timeless, so really, speaking about God's view of time is sort of silly.

Application

4:5 - Ephemeral Man

You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep;
In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew.

Observation

• Compares man to the grass
  • Man's life in God's eyes is much like grass's life to man's eyes
  • Not really, but the Psalmist is trying to show perspective
• States that God is the cause for man's death
• Sweeping away like a flood:
  • Is this reference to Noah?
  • Is it a reference to an event during the exodus?
  • Is it, rather, a reference to the breadth of God's

Interpretation

Application

4:6 - Man's Life

In the morning it flourishes and sprouts anew;
Toward evening it fades and withers away.

Observation

• Expanding on the idea of Grass being short lived from v5
• Describes man's life.
  • In the morning of his life, he has energy and vigor
  • As the "day" progresses, his life begins to fade and pass away
• Nevertheless, grass is alive, it has a life; so does man.

Interpretation

• The combination of this verse and v5 sets up the next set of verses.
  • It is the psalmist reminding God a moment of anger for God can last generations for man

Application

4:7 - God's Continual Anger

For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have bee dismayed.

Observation

• the first verse is a bit of hyberbole. Israel was not litterally consumed
• The second versette, expands on the first stating that Israel was fearful because of God's wrath.
• When was Israel consumed by God's anger?
  • Was this an instance of God's wrath such as at the golden calf?
  • Or was this rather an ongoing wrath such as the forty years in the desert.
  • Since the Psalmist continues to compare/contrast the eternality of God with the ephemerality of man, it is best to assume an ongoing wrath.
    • If Moses is the author, then the forty year wanderings are the best time setting for this psalm.

Interpretation

Application

4:8 - God the Judge

You have placed our iniquities before You,
Our secret {sins} in the light of Your presence.

Observation

• the second versette expands upon the first
• God sees our sins
  • Even the ones we think are secret
• The "lihgt of Your presence" implies the lack of sin or darkness in God
  • Xrefs James 1:17 and 1 John 1:5

Interpretation

• God is sinless
• God is light
• God is judge
• God's sinlessness uniquely qualifies Him to be judge of creation
• we are accountable to God for our actions

Application

4:9 -

For all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.

Observation

• The days of the people of Israel were exhausted - the days passed away - because of God's anger with them.
• Their lives had little meaning other than to wander; to get the next generation to the promised land
• There is an undertone of futility here.
• The quality of life declined because of God's anger
  • Why?
    • Was it just situational?
    • Did the Hebrews feel the weight of their sin? Did their guilt eat at them?
    • Was it the magnitutde of what they were forced to bear because of their transgression?
• The idea of finishing life as just a sigh just seems so futile.
  • This versette is brilliant because of the this imagery
  • Fury and sigh seem to be contrasted a bit here.

Interpretation

Application

4:10 -

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is {but} labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.

4:11 -

Who understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?

4:12 -

So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

4:13 -

Do return, O LORD; how long {will it be?}
And be sorry for Your servnts.

4:14 -

O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Observation

• the word "morning" calls to mind vv 6 & 7

Interpretation

Application

4:15 -

Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil.

4:16 -

Let Your work appear to Your servants
And Your majesty to their children.

4:17 -

Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, confirm the work of our hands.