Slices
Prepare
Pray that as you read and reflect on this psalm the Lord will give you a fresh vision of how vast he is and how precious you are to him.
Bible passage
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 whole world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn people back to dust,
saying, ‘Return to dust, you mortals.’
4 A thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death –
they are like the new grass of the morning:
6 In the morning it springs up new,
but 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 Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.
12 Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, 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 splendour to their children.
17 May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us –
yes, establish the work of our hands.
Explore
This psalm, attributed to Moses, is seen by some as his response to his sister Miriam’s death and the complaints of the people in the wilderness (Numbers 20). Traditionally it was read at funerals because of the contrast between the frailty of humankind and God’s eternal nature.
The psalm begins by focusing on the everlasting nature of God (vs 1–6). Look at these verses and observe the different ways in which God’s eternity is described. Notice in particular the difference between God’s perspective on time and ours (v 4).
Verses 7–12 acknowledge the ways in which God’s people have let him down and are deserving of his judgement. The vastness of God is contrasted with the fragility of humankind. The request for wisdom in verse 12 provides a note of hope.
Verses 13–17 express a fresh perspective on life: a fresh sense of God’s love, compassion and presence once more satisfies (v 14) and the people once more prosper (v 17). However, that restoration of perspective is dependent on God’s people appealing to his compassion for them (v 13).
Respond
Thank the Lord for his greatness and for the dwelling place that he provides for you (v 1). Ask his forgiveness for the ways you fail to live as he wants you to (v 8). Thank him for his steadfast love (v 14).
Deeper Bible study
‘Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.’1
Moses’ psalm may sound completely desolate and depressing in its outlook. Eventually, as they age, people realise that life is hard; there are times when the sun breaks through, but even ‘the best of them are but trouble and sorrow’ (v 10). For many, the effects of sin are ever apparent and living for God is not easy. Our days should be numbered, not our years, for they are so few. Moses had great mountain-top experiences with God and yet he still faced the lows of tough leadership and personal sin. He knew what it was to cry out to God in the face of pain and struggle. He recognises (v 8) that sin is ever-present and works against God.
However, with God there is always hope eternal. Man’s ultimate enemy in suffering and death has been defeated. Death has lost its sting, for Christ has overcome. ‘Moses prayed that God would give him and his people as much joy in the future as the sorrow they had experienced in the past (v 15)’.2 Our future, as heirs of God, will far exceed our comprehension. Moses never entered Canaan, but he did arrive at an exceedingly better place: the Promised Land.
Do we number our days, or just the years? Are we living each day in the knowledge that every one lived for Christ will far outweigh anything else? Scripture tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.3 Once we acknowledge his sovereignty and our fragility, we can accept that his justice and mercy are matched only by his love and that ultimately our days, however long they may be, are held by him – and there is no safer place.
‘Establish the work of our hands’ (v 17). Ask God that today and all your days may glorify him, whilst we look forward to eternity with him.
1 Ps 23:6 2 Warren Wiersbe, Be Exultant, Psalms 90–150, Kingsway, 2004, p15 3 Prov 9:10
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Leviticus 6,7; Matthew 6
Pray for Scripture Union
In Australia, SU Victoria offers year-long internships in three areas – church-partnered children and families ministry, schools ministry and residential camping. Each internship provides training in leadership, ministry foundations and practical skills. Pray for guidance for the future, for their current interns and for the recruiting of new volunteers for the year ahead.
