Eric and I are trying new things as empty nesters. I’m not sure most people would agree with our definition of fun. We hike, play pickle ball, read on our outdoor patio, follow certain podcasts, enjoy our sports teams, and try to come up with a good TV series to follow. I can tell we are getting older because lately these have included the history channel. Eric watches hiking videos, but he does that on his own. We also enjoy making dinner together and eating on our back porch.
We have never gone to a lot of concerts, but Eric surprised me for my birthday with tickets to see Drew and Ellie Holcomb on their ComingHome tour. We had it all planned out. It was during the week and Eric was even taking off work early so we could go eat beforehand. We were really looking forward to it. Every time one of the songs would come on from our playlist, we would sing along and look all dreamy at each other and smile.
When the day of the concert arrived, Eric went to work as usual. I was doing some writing from home and then checked on my mother in love. That’s when Eric called me at lunch to tell me he had bad news. Ellie lost her voice and the show was canceled. They weren’t rescheduling and refunded our money. This was the last concert on the tour, so they were going home. I thought for sure he was joking. When I left his mom’s, I came by the office so I could see the email for myself. We weren’t devastated. We knew what devastation felt like, and this wasn’t it. But we were definitely disappointed. We decided to make the best of the evening. Eric still came home early. I bought the Coming Home album and had it playing when he arrived. We made dinner together, sang, laughed, and played some games as we listened to the album on repeat. He doesn’t understand my fascination with Bananagrams but still played along. It turned out to be an enjoyable evening.
What we appreciated about the album were all the songs that sang about Home and the feeling we had when we sang along.
Moses suffers God’s judgment
As I continue to reflect on Psalm 90, even though Moses’s life is characterized by faithfulness to God, he suffers with the others who are experiencing God’s judgment.
The generation that rebelled against God’s plan are waiting to die in the wilderness.1 They are consumed by God’s anger and left without resource or excuse as God’s light uncovers the darkness of their sin, including the secret sins they have concealed from even themselves.2 Returning to the idea that life is brief, they have nothing to show for it but trouble and toil.3 Moses is asking God to teach them how to make the most of their days by living well with a heart of wisdom that only comes from fearing God.
Death is a fact
Eugene Peterson says we live in a society that is characterized by a denial of death; prior to this century, most societies accepted that preparing for a good death was a goal they gave great attention to.6 Death is a fact we now ignore as we live for the moment and fail to connect the consequences of our sin with God’s anger, which is intended to cause us to fear God in a way that encourages the reverent worship He is due.1,4
Moses begs God for mercy
Moses begins to bring this Psalm to a close by begging God to turn from His fierce anger and show compassion based on the loyal and unfailing faithfulness of His steadfast love promised through His covenant.1,4
The days of affliction seem long, but they will not last forever. Especially with eternal life in view, the singer can expect satisfaction, joy, and gladness far more days than they experienced sadness.
Next Gen
God was faithful to His covenant with Abraham as He brought the children of those who died in the wilderness into the promised land. Moses wrote Psalm 90 for them to sing as they remembered God’s faithfulness to those who fear Him.5
God’s abiding Glory is the covenant heritage to His children.2 His beauty and favor is on us and establishes the work of our hands. Satisfying work is not part of the curse. When Christ conquered death with His resurrection, He guaranteed work has eternal significance.5
Moses is teaching the next generation and generations to come that what we do here for God’s Glory has eternal significance as we pursue what He is has called us to. Our labor is not vain as God blesses, affirms, and establishes our work and delights in us now with assurance of His blessing forever.
God is my Home
Studying Psalm 90 has helped me see, regardless of my circumstances or location, as I delight in Him and He in me, wherever God is dwelling is my HOME now and for eternity. And that’s worth celebrating.
A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, you have been our dwelling place[a] in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”[b] 4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.
7 For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span[c] is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor[d] of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
Amplified Bible. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyrightc 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission
Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Volume 16, Psalm 73-150: An Introduction and Commentary. London: Intervarsity Press, 1975.
