NUMBER YOUR DAYS ARIGHT

PSALM 90

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom

(Ps. 90:12).

Calvin maintained that Moses probably penned Psalm 90 as he neared his death and reflected on the years he had spent leading God’s people from Egypt to the promised land. He had witnessed God’s mercies as He met their physical and spiritual needs in the desert. He had endured God’s judgments as the Lord prolonged their days in the wilderness because of their sin. As Moses remembered the hardships and sorrows that befell the nation of Israel, he turned to God in prayer, asking for relief.

The people longed for an end to their arduous journey. They hoped for a day when they would taste the fresh waters of Canaan and sleep soundly within its borders. To lift the spirits of the people, Moses reminded them that although they were not in the promised land, they had a dwelling in the Lord: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations” (90:1). No matter where His people lived, whether in chains in Egypt, in a hot and dreary desert, or in a land flowing with milk and honey, God was their refuge and their home.

In asking God for relief from their many years of struggles, Moses recognized a significant difference between God and man. God is infinite, eternal—“from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (v. 2). But men turn back to dust. Their days are only a flicker in eternity. The wilderness probably seemed like an eternity to Israel, but Moses realized that those years were but a minute to God. The people probably grew very impatient to reach the promised land, but Moses realized that the time in the wilderness was not that long compared to eternity. Because of the brevity of life, Moses recognized how important it was to live rightly.

Moses asked God to alleviate their sorrows and bring refreshment to the people. Because life is short, and most of their lives had been spent striving in the wilderness, Moses asked God to show them compassion. Likewise, we should not be impatient for Christ to come, for although it seems like a long time, it is not so long for God. In the meantime, we should keep our lives in accordance with God’s ways, that we might be happy and joyful during the brief time we spend on earth.

CORAM DEO

Psalms 44–46

Acts 25

Do you ever think about your life compared to eternity? How do you feel when you think about how short life really is? How should this reality affect the way you live? A Puritan pastor once said he lived every day as if it were his last. If you lived this way, what changes would you make in your life?

For further study: Job 4 • Eccl. 3:17–22 • 2 Cor. 4:7–18; 5:1–10

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