DAWN

     Explanation: In Psalm 90 Moses asks God, who has been our helper in days past, to help us again during our short life. The occasion for the Psalm may have been the rebellion of Israel in the wilderness when they refused to enter the Promised Land, were sentenced to wander for forty years, lost many in a plague, and were defeated by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. The painting above depicts God hovering above the people. But what is his intention? He may be there merely to observe, perhaps to judge, or perhaps to pass by. It was the second and third concerns which were on the heart of Moses. He was afraid that God would not turn again to the people in blessing but would continue to judge them.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Numbers 13:1-14:45. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Psalm 90 - #1. Psalm 90 - #2. Psalm 90 - #3. Psalm 90 - #4. Psalm 90 - #5. Psalm 90 - #6. ]

     Moses begins his prayer to God by acknowledging that God has been our dwelling place in all generations, and that he himself is everlasting (1-2). He then contrasts God and man. God endures; man is ephemeral in power and in endurance. God sends man into destruction with a mere word; but with God a thousand years is as a day or as a watch in the night. God sweeps man away as with a flood, like a sleep in the night, or like grass which grows in the morning and is cut down in the evening. We are consumed by God's anger and troubled by his wrath. God sets our iniquities before his eyes; our days are passed away in God's wrath and like a tale that is told. Our days are 70 years, or 80 if we are strong; but our strength is drained by labor and sorrow; it is soon cut off; and we fly away. We can hardly understand God's anger and his wrath; they are fearful (3-11). So Moses asks God to teach us to number our days that we may apply our heart to wisdom. He asks God to return with mercy and make them rejoice and be glad in accord with the years in which they have been afflicted. He asks for mercy to them and to their children. And he asks that the beauty (delightfulness) of the LORD would be upon them and that he would establish the work of their hands (12-17).

Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
² Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

³ Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
⁴ For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
⁵ Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
⁶ In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
⁷ For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
⁸ Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
⁹ For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
¹⁰ The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labour and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
¹¹ Who knoweth the power of thine anger?
even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

¹² So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
¹³ Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
¹⁴ O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,
and the years wherein we have seen evil.
¹⁶ Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
¹⁷ And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us:
and establish thou the work of our hands upon us;
yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

* NOTE: On Opening and Closing Comments in the Psalms.
[Some commentators take the Psalm in Habakkuk 3 to be a standard model for the Psalms.
Habakkuk's Psalm begins with the name of the composer (Habakkuk) and a musical notation ("upon Shigionoth").
It closes with a dedication or a "send to" notice ("To the chief singer on my stringed instruments").
I have arranged similar material, where it is found in the Psalter, in accord with the model in Habakkuk.]