God's Purpose For The Israelites

INTRO

There are a lot of fun facts about this psalm! Psalm 90 is the oldest psalm, and it was written by Moses. I want to paint a picture. Yesterday, we dealt with the perplexity of not seeing God and yet praising Him at the same time. This psalm has a same feel. Moses was asking God for mercy for his people. MacArthur wrote that the psalmist of Psalm 90 “begins with the reflection of God’s eternality, then expresses his somber thoughts about the sorrows and brevity of life in their relationship to God’s anger and concludes with a plea that God would enable His people to live a significant life.”¹

Even though the Israelites messed up, they asked God for purpose in their lives. Things seemed to fall apart after the incident at Kadesh-barnea. Both Moses’s sister Miriam and his brother Aaron died (Numbers 20:1, 22–29), and Moses struck the rock looking for water in disobedience to God.² This is the backdrop for Psalm 90. The Israelites had a lot of mistakes, but still had a desire for purpose. Today, many people feel as though they have messed up, and God cannot restore or redeem them. Praise God that our salvation is not based on works. We are justified in Him. God knows we are not going to achieve perfection.

TEACHING

Psalm 90:1-2: Moses identified himself as “the man of God” (Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6). Wiersbe outlines these verses as, “We are travelers and God is our home.”³ I love this image of God as our home, our dwelling place. MacArthur wrote, “God was Israel’s sanctuary for protection, substance, and stability.”⁴ And I love this idea of God as refuge.

Wiersbe wrote, “For all mortals, life is a pilgrimage from birth to death, and for believers, it is a journey from earth to heaven, but the road is not an easy one.”⁵ As evidence, Wiersbe pointed out Jacob’s long pilgrimage that was “few and hard” (Genesis 47:9). Then there was Moses’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, which included the 42 different places the Israelites camped during those 40 years (Numbers 33). Wiersbe also says, “But no matter where Moses lived, God was always his home. He ‘lived in the Lord.’ He knew how to ‘abide in the Lord’ and find strength, comfort, encouragement, and help for each day’s demands.”⁶ Where is our focus amidst the traveling? Moses camped out with the Lord. Even as travelers, God is our home.

In verse 2, Moses referenced time with the words “eternity to eternity.” MacArthur wrote, “God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all succession of time, and contains in itself the cause of time.”⁷

Psalm 90:3–6: Wiersbe outlined verses 3–12 as, “We are learners, and life is our school.”⁸ Moses painted a picture of man’s frailty in verses 3–12 and God’s eternality in verses 1–2. God is so big, and our lives are so quick and fast (Genesis 3:19; Isaiah 40:6–7).

Psalm 90:7–9: Moses was essentially saying, “We know we messed up.” There is no secret sin. MacArthur wrote, “After struggling through his life of afflictions and trouble, a person’s life ends with a moan of woe and weariness.”⁹ Welcome to humanity! So far this has not been super encouraging.

Psalm 90:10–12: According to this verse, the average lifespan was 70 years or if you were strong, 80 years. Moses lived 120 years. Wiersbe wrote, “In the school of life we need to learn two important lessons: life is brief and passes swiftly, so make the most of it; and life is difficult and at times seems futile.”¹⁰

John MacArthur, John MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2005), p. 657.

We want God’s guidance in life so that our lives are a fruitful ministry to the Lord. Moses asked the Lord to “teach the Israelites to number their days carefully.” What does it mean to number your days? It means to make the best of every opportunity. Are we numbering our days carefully in ways where God always receives the glory? You hear people say, “If I could just go back, and re-do everything . . .” Psalm 90 shows that even though we are frail, we don’t want to waste our lives. Revive School is a great way to number your days for God by learning the mysteries of what He wants to reveal to you.

Psalm 90:13–17: Wiersbe outlines these verses as, “We are believers and the future is our friend.”¹¹ We see Moses’s plea for mercy and compassion. Moses wanted to find satisfaction in God’s love, like manna from heaven (Matthew 5:6). Our satisfaction comes from Christ, He is clearly the bread of life. We should be shouting for joy every day! Moses wanted to rejoice in all the days of his life, even those of adversity (Romans 8:18).

CLOSING

May we understand that we have value, significance, and meaning. God pours into us even when that feels as though it is impossible. God will establish, strengthen and support you and if you are not compensated here, you will be in Heaven (1 Peter 5:10). This is how we can have hope. Wiersbe wrote:

Life is brief, so Moses prayed, “Teach us.” Life is difficult, and he prayed, “satisfy us.” His work at times seemed futile, “Establish the work of our hands.” God answered those prayers for Moses, and He will answer them for us. The future is your friend when Jesus is your Savior and Lord.¹²

Moses is saying that even though we mess up, God is a big God. We know life is short, but in the process, God gives us purpose until we are with Him forever!