Psalm 90 Worshipping Together as another Year Goes by
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In the Film Gladiator Russell Crow’s character Maximus has numerous memorable speeches … One of the Best is at the Beginning when the Roman Legion is about to engage the Barbarians … Just before they begin riding into battle Maximus states “What you do in life echoes in eternity.”
In the Film Gladiator Russell Crow’s character Maximus has numerous memorable speeches … One of the Best is at the Beginning when the Roman Legion is about to engage the Barbarians … Just before they begin riding into battle Maximus states “What you do in life echoes in eternity.”
is a Psalm about perspective … it’s about getting our priorities and focus in perspective.
is a Psalm about perspective … it’s about getting our priorities and focus in perspective.
is a community Psalm … a corporate prayer Psalm … the pronouns are plural … this is a word to the people of God … and the cry of the people of God … being reminded that “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
is a community Psalm … a corporate prayer Psalm … the pronouns are plural … this is a word to the people of God … and the cry of the people of God … being reminded that “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
This Psalm is about living life in the presence of an Eternal God … Our God
This Psalm is about living life in the presence of an Eternal God … Our God
“This psalm is a reflection on the transience of life. It contemplates the nature of life under God’s wrath and affirms the necessity of living aright in the presence of the Lord.” Willem A. VanGemeren
“This psalm is a reflection on the transience of life. It contemplates the nature of life under God’s wrath and affirms the necessity of living aright in the presence of the Lord.” Willem A. VanGemeren
A couple of weeks ago the Christian World lost one of it’s greatest voices and minds - R.C. Sproul … Let me quote him - “The big idea of the Christian life is coram Deo. Coram Deo captures the essence of the Christian life.” - This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God. To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze.
A couple of weeks ago the Christian World lost one of it’s greatest voices and minds - R.C. Sproul … Let me quote him - “The big idea of the Christian life is coram Deo. Coram Deo captures the essence of the Christian life.” - This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God. To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze.
This phrase literally refers to something that takes place in the presence of, or before the face of, God. To live coram Deo is to live one’s entire life in the presence of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.
The words of the Old Hymn capture the essence of this … “Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
The words of the Old Hymn capture the essence of this … “Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”
To live in the presence of God is to understand that whatever we are doing and wherever we are doing it, we are acting under the gaze of God. God is omnipresent. There is no place so remote that we can escape His penetrating gaze.
Do you believe this?
Do you believe this?
Let’s look at
Let’s look at
It is the Oldest Psalm … WE know that because it isn't authored by David but Moses
It is the Oldest Psalm … WE know that because it isn't authored by David but Moses
Year of David’s death … approximately 970 BC
Year of David’s death … approximately 970 BC
Moses - Estimates 400-500 years earlier
Moses - Estimates 400-500 years earlier
Psalm Structured into four Stanzas
1-2 - The Eternal Nature of God
3-6 - The Transitory nature of Man
7-12 - God’s Wrath over man’s sin - Cause of man’s fleeting nature
13-17 - Prayer for God’s Mercy and Grace in Spite of our Sin
The Setting of is unknown … Possibly linked to the events in
The failure at Kadesh Barnea - - The Spy incident
Nation then condemned to journey in wilderness for 40 years until that Generation had passed
And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
That Tragedy followed by death of Miriam, Moses sister
And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there.
and Moses’ brother Aaron’s death
And they journeyed from Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, “Let Aaron be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor. And strip Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron shall be gathered to his people and shall die there.” Moses did as the Lord commanded. And they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. And when all the congregation saw that Aaron had perished, all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.
Between these two deaths Moses disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock instead of speaking to it as commanded
Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the Lord appeared to them, and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And Moses took the staff from before the Lord, as he commanded him.
Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.” These are the waters of Meribah, where the people of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and through them he showed himself holy.
During these forty years Moses led a funeral march through the wilderness
Life was not easy but … He triumphed … this Psalm shows us how to live with our frailty … in light of Eternity
3 Takeaways from
3 Takeaways from
1. God - 1-2
1. God - 1-2
For all of us we are pilgrims --- travellers on a Journey and God is our Home
For all of us we are pilgrims --- travellers on a Journey and God is our Home
For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.
Then the Levites arose, Mahath the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah;
And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble.
For us … Mortals … life is a pilgrimage from birth to death
Both riches and honor come from You,
And You reign over all.
In Your hand is power and might;
In Your hand it is to make great
And to give strength to all.
Jacob (Who lived to 130) called the days of his pilgrimage “few and evil”
2 Chron
For Moses … 80 years of his life was somewhat settled
First 40 in Egypt
Second 40 in Midian
Last forty … in wilderness leading a group of former slaves … complaining former slaves who didn't always want or appreciate his leadership
names 42 different places Israel camped during their journey …
42 in 40 years … you do the Math … You think your job moves you alot
No Matter where Moses went … there was one constant in changing times
Moses knew that God was his HOME … His dwelling place
He lived in the LORD … He abided there … There he found his strength and encouragement and help for every day’s demands
Outside of the Camp of Israel Moses pitched a special tent where he met with the Lord
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
This tent NOT the tabernacle … which was in the center of the tribes … Moses went here to abide … to be reminded that in the midst of changing days there was one constant - GOD
we see God as …
Our Constant in Changing times
Lord = Adonai - Ruler; Sovereign - Authority
Has been … Our Constant
My Safe place (Dwelling = Refuge, help habitation, a hidden lair; a place to abide … a retreat - Place to get out of heat
Before the Mountains were brought forth or ever you had formed the earth and the world
WE are transported back to
He uses Birth Imagery
Brought Forth - Speaks of creation with birth imagery
Formed = To be in Labour; to twist and turn in pain - Image of Labour
The earth = The planet/dry land
The world = the inhabited world … People and living creatures
Image = The whole Earth and everything in it is “BIRTHED” by God
Before anything came into EXISTENCE
He is …
He is My constant
He is My Safe place … my Dwelling
My Creator
My Eternal Creator
My Eternal Uncreated Creator
It all belongs to Him and For Him
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
That is our GOD
Take away 2
Our Frailty - 3-11
Our Frailty - 3-11
I am combining the two middle stanzas …
vv:1-2 remind us of and creation
vv:3-11 - Bring us back to the reality of … We are Fallen Creatures
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
See This … Frail, Transitory Life … People subject to death
CONTRAST
vv:1-2 - An eternal God … and thus Eternity
since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
Read and Comment … vv:3-11
The sadness of vv:3-11 don’t seem defeated or bitter
Rather, they appear to simply be a recognition of our frailty and fallenness
Leupold states that “Plain realistic thinking mark these words”
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
Isaiah
THIS WEEK has brought this home
Frail and Weak
Warren Wiersbe
Be Exultant We Are Learners and Life Is Our School (vv. 3–12)
While we all thank God for modern science and the ministry of skilled medical personnel, we cannot successfully deny the reality of death or delay it when our time comes. The school of life is preparation for an eternity with God, and without Him, we cannot learn our lessons, pass our tests, and make progress from kindergarten to graduate school!
How brief life really is when compared to Eternity
tells us that God dwells in Eternity
reminds us that to the Lord … one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day
We need to remember this …
Consider the shortness of time, the length of eternity, and reflect how everything here below comes to an end and passes by. Of what use is it to lean upon that which cannot give support? Gerard Majella (Italian Monk/Mystic 1700’s)
Gerard Majella (Italian Monk/Mystic 1700’s)
Note this … Life is Short, Eternity is Long
WE tend to number years and not our days
But all of us have to live ONE DAY AT a Time
WE don’t know haw many we have left
A Truly successful life … is composed of Successful Days that Honour the Lord
3rd Takeaway - Our Need 12-17
3rd Takeaway - Our Need 12-17
Bottom Line … If we are to live successfully … with God as our dwelling PLace we must recognize our need … We Need God … Desperately
Bottom Line … If we are to live successfully … with God as our dwelling PLace we must recognize our need … We Need God … Desperately
Not as an add on … or as an after thought
Not as an add on … or as an after thought
12-17 is a series of 7 Petitions
Moses is Praying … Pleading with God for … A New Perspective … on life … NOW
I want to tie together these seven petitions with three practical applications from these petitions … Moses wanted this … He longed for this
Live in Light of Eternity … Live in Light of the Eternal God … Live Coram Deo (This will govern your Appetites and Attitudes)
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
salm 90:12P
Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.
Psalm 90:1
P
David is saying "Every single day counts, and how we spend each day adds up to the sum total of what our life becomes."
A question we're often asked is, "When you die, what do you want people to be able to say about you?" Whatever your answer is, it has to be built into your daily schedule and done consistently day after day in order for it to become true in your life.
You change your life in one day increments. Here's how you do it.
1. Decide what is you want to accomplish.
2. Decide which actions need to be taken to reach that goal.
3. Work those specific actions into your daily routine.
4. If/when you get off track, you get back on track as fast as you can and keep going.
Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance.
“No rollover minutes w/ God!”
It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow”. You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
I heard a story about a man who worked at a factory. One of his main jobs was to blow the factory whistle at 5:00 to indicate the workday was over. He walked to work each day and passed a jewelry store where a beautiful grandfather clock was displayed in the window. Every morning, he stopped and set his pocket watch to match the time on the grandfather clock. One morning the storeowner was out front sweeping the sidewalk and the factory worker asked him how he kept such accurate time on the grandfather clock. The jeweler said, “Oh, I set it every afternoon when the factory whistle blows at 5:00.” [That could lead to trouble!]
People live by the clock, because time is important to all of us. Benjamin Franklin said, “Do not squander time, for it is the stuff life is made of.”
Many frustrated people seem to always fight the clock, habitually, as a way of life. They stay up late, then they sleep as late as they can and then rush frantically to school or work, gulping down an unhealthy breakfast in the car, applying their make-up (or using a razor) at the stoplight, talking on their cell phone at the same time.
As I study Jesus’ life I am amazed that He never seemed to be in a hurry. Although He was doing the most important job in history (redeeming the world), and although He knew He only had a few years to do it, He never ran. He made time to consider the flowers and the birds of the air. He had time to put his hands on the little children and bless them. Time was His friend.
Carefully take stock of your days … Live for the Day to hear the words:
“Well done good and faithful servant”
2. Labour for what is Lasting, Not Passing (This will influence all your decisions and choices of - Activities, Actions)
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:
The only things God is going to reclaim off this planet are His Word and people. And yet so often we value things above God’s Word and above our relationships with people. Remember what Paul wrote in light of the truth of the resurrection: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (). The work of the Lord involves His Word and people. Put your efforts there and you will not be disappointed.
3. Avoid the WASTE that comes from sinful living (A Life with Misplaced Priorities)
There are 168 golden hours in each week. The average person will spend about 56 of those hours sleeping, about 24 of those hours in eating and personal hygiene, and about 50 of those hours working or traveling to work. That means there are only about 35 hours a week of “discretionary” time left over. That’s about 5 hours per day. Where are you investing those hours?
TIME is more valuable than money. A.W. Tozer wrote:
“Time is a resource that is nonrenewable and nontransferable. You cannot store it, slow it up, hold it up, divide it up or give it up. You can’t hoard it up or save it for a rainy day–when it’s lost it’s unrecoverable. When you kill time, remember that it has no resurrection.”
I read of a young man who, in 1981, was flown into the remote Alaskan wilderness to photograph the natural beauty of the tundra. He had photo equipment, 500 rolls of film, several firearms, and 1,400 pounds of provisions. As the months passed, the entries in his diary, which at first detailed the wonder and fascination with the wildlife around him, turned into a pathetic record of a nightmare. In August he wrote, “I think I should have used more foresight about arranging my departure. I’ll soon find out.” He waited and waited, but no one came to his rescue. In November he died in a nameless valley, by a nameless lake, 225 miles northeast of Fairbanks. An investigation revealed that he had carefully mapped out his venture, but he had made no provision to be flown out of the area. That was a bit shortsighted of him, wasn’t it? And yet, how many people live their lives without making any plans for their departure to face eternity? You know you will be departing (the statistics on death are quite impressive!). The only way for your fleeting life to have value is to live it wisely before the eternal God and to avoid His wrath against your sin by taking refuge in the mercy He offers in the cross of Jesus Christ.