Psalms 90

Psalms 90:1-6

This is the most ancient of all the psalms. It was composed by Moses, on occasion, as it should seem, of the rebellion of Israel, Numb. are, for which they were cut off in the wilderness, and the days of their life returned. In it, 1. Moses comfort himself and his people with the eternity of God, and their interest in him, ver. 1, 2. 2. He humbly himself and his people with the consideration of the frailty of man, ver. 3—6. 3. He humbly himself and his people to the righteous sentence of God passed upon them, ver. 7—11. 4. He commits himself and his people to God by prayer, for divine mercy and grace, and the return of God’s favour, ver. 12—17. Though it seems to have been penned upon this particular occasion, yet it is very applicable to the frailty of human life in general, and we may enjoy the same of our passage through the wilderness of this world, and it furnishes us with meditations and prayers very suitable to the solemnity of a funeral.

1. LORD, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. 2. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hast formed the earth and the world: even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. 3. Thou cuneeth man to destruction: and Gyrth, 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 carrieth them away as with a flood, they are as a deep: 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 wintereth.

This psalm is entitled, A prayer of Moses the man of God, eminently raised up by him, and faithful to the truth committed to him. It opens.

1. With an acknowledgment of God’s goodness to his people. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. From the days that Abraham saith at his command left his native land, God had provided for him and his seed, and made them to dwell in safety. Christ our Lord is every believer’s rest: in him by faith we dwell; save under the cover of the wings of his love we abide, protected from every storm, and enduring to all generations; for none ever perish, whom he will preserve.

2. He adores God as the everlasting Jehovah, v. 2. the con- Vol. I

sideration of whose eternity and unchangeableness admits after the greatest confederation to his people; for whatever we meet with of disappointment or misery in this transitory and perishing world, we have in him an ever-living God, a never-failing portion; the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever.

3. He describes to him the universal sovereignty. Thus turneth man to destruction, or until he is broken, by sickness, disease, and age; and till at last his body corrupts in the grave, and South, Eastern, ye children of men, either to the dust of death, or from going down to the pit, by restoring man to health again; or, as calling them under his afflicting hand to repent, and return to him; or finally at the resurrection-day, by his mighty word collecting the scattered dust, and mounting again the bodies and souls of men.

4. He owns the disproportion between the eternal Shul and the longest-lived of all the sons of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday, when it is past, and as a watch in the night. All comparison fails between them and infinite, between time and eternity: to God’s existence, a thousand years and one day bear just the same proportion, and all the events of time are equally present with him; so that respecting the coming of Christ, and the resurrection of the body, the length of time they may be deferred, is not the least objection to either, v. Pet. iii. 4—8.

5. He describes the frailty of man even in his best estate. Thus carrieth them away with a flood, twistly, suddenly, irresistibly, as in the deluge, they are at a sleep, their life infrequently spent, and at bed to the future but a pleasing dream, which at death vanishes: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. In the morning of youth it flourisheth, and groweth up; beauty, vigour, wealth, prosperity make them appear like the verdant held, but momentary is the joy: in the evening it is cut down and wintereth, the beauty fades, the strength falls, the possessions vanish; when death, the mower, puts in the sickle, and under disease, or age, the enfrehble body bends to the tomb. Note, (1.) The vanity of earthly enjoyments, and the folly of seeking happiness in things so fleeting and unintuitively. Shall we exchange an eternity of idelfness for the pleasure of a dream? (2.) They who look often in their glats, should look often into their coffin; this will check the pride of beauty. (3.) If our hour is so short, it becomes us to improve it as it flies, and not dream our life away, least death awakes us at last in terrible surprise, instead of finding us watching, and prepared for his summons.

6. 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 to thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10. The days of our years are therefore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they do fourteen years, yet of their strength labour and sorrow: for it is soon cut off, and we flee away. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, is it thy wrath.

Psalms 90:7-11

The Israelites for their rebellion being appointed to die in the wilderness, are here taught to humble their souls under the righteous sentence of God pronounced upon them.

1. They acknowledge God’s hand in their midtors. For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath we are troubled; death is the wages of sin, and however respecting the faith of God, through the Redeemer, this thing is taken away; yet when coming upon sinners in wrath, it appears of all terribles the most terrible, and even to the people of God, through their unfaithfulness, brings sometimes fear and dismay. They will be able to meet it with the greatest confidence, who have most surely embraced him by faith, who is the resurrection and the life.

2. They confess their sins which had provoked God’s displeasure; thou hast set our sins before thee, our open transgressions, nor are our bosom iniquities hid, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance, laid naked and open, and as well as outward actions rendering us guilty. Note, (1.) Our sins are all recorded before God; nor doeth a vain or foolish thought pass through our minds unnoticed. (2.) They who confess their iniquities, desire to unveil their inmost soul to God, and fly to the sinners’ refuge, will find all cancelled, forgiven, and forgotten, and shall be made glad with the light of God’s countenance.

3. They expected no reversion of the divine sentence. For all our days are passed away to thy wrath, they had begun, and must continue to wander in the wilderness, under the evident tokens of divine displeasure, till all the men of that generation, except Caleb and Joshua, were continued. And this is the safe also of wicked men; yea, of man in general, burdened us or with all the various sills that flesh is here to. We spend our years as a tale that is told, or a meditation, or a word, expressed of the vanity and shortness of their life; such were the years which Israel spent in their wanderings, and we may well apply the similitude. As a tale, composed of various incidents, pleasing and afflictive,

afflictive, such is our life; and often spent as vainly as in telling idle fusion; lasting as the word which affirms from our lips, and our misery time as irrecoverable.

4. They mention the bounds set to their mortal days, 9. 10. Though those of their fathers had much exceeded, those as limited to threecore years and ten; and if a few reached fourcore, it would be wearisome, and rather a burden than a bleffing. And ever since this both been counted the age of man, which far the greater number never reach, and few exceed; and if here and there one hoary head is found surviving the wrong faults of fourcore years, it is but a kind of dying life, the whole extent of their days hath been full of trouble, and those of old age peculiarly burdened with infirmities quickly to be cut off, and vanishing as the shadow. Note, (1.) The aged, who defer the thoughts of dying, are peculiarly inexcusable. (2.) Leave this earth we shortly muft, happy they who then fly away to the bosom of Jesus.

5. They tremble at the wrath they have deferred. Who beneath the power of thine anger? expressed in all his judgments on earth, or in hell: the fallen angels and damned souls know and feel it; but how imperfect are our apprehensions, and who amongst us considers it as it deserves? even according to thy fears, is it thy wrath; in other cases our fears may exceed our danger, but our deepest fears of the wrath of God not only do not exceed, but come unfeasibly short of the reality. Nor, The confederation of God’s intolerable wrath will be a profitable subject for our meditations, both to quicken our watchfulness against sin, and to excite the greater thankfulness for our deliverance from it.

6. So teach as 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.

7. 12—17. The man of God having in the name of his people crucified their sin, puts up his prayer.

8. For wisdom to improve under their afflictions. So teach as to number our days, to consider their beauty, uncertainty, and sinfulness, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, to redeem the time, prepare for our great change, and by the knowledge of Jesus Christ, become wise unto salvation. Note, (1.) The great business of life is to get ready for death. (2.) It is a vain country to be solicitous to know the precise period of our days, but a necessary enquiry what will become of us when we go hence and are no more seen. (3.) The concerns of our souls and eternity deserve the most serious and attentive application. (4.) As all true wisdom can only come from above, we must be ceaseless to prayer, seeking it from God.

9. For pardon and mercy. Return, O Lord, with some tokens of thy regard: How long shall we suffer and be thus afflicted, without help or redress? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants, implying not a change of his mind, for that never appears, but of his method of dealing with them; or comfort thy servants, by removing from them his chastising hand, and restoring them to the comforts of his salvation. O satisfy us early with the mercy, merit thy decision, and call themselves on sovereign grace, and urge it may quickly be extended to them, and abundantly, that their souls may receive satisfaction therein, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days in the favour and love of God; and this joy proportioned to their former forrows. Make us glad according to the days thus half afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Note, (1.) Every moment a child of God apprehends his displeasure appears an age, so grievous it is to him, and importunately he seeks its removal. (2.) They who cry for mercy, will find a God who will hear them, especially those who early in the morning of their days seek to him. (3.) The soul that hath truly talked of the bitterness of sin, can never be satisfied, till the Lord return in pardoning mercy, and speak peace to the conscience. (4.) They who see God in their reconciled God, rejoice in him all their days, at least is their privilege to do so. (5.) A chastan’s experience is usually chequered, sometimes afflictions draw forth his tears, then constitutions make glad his heart; both he receives as coming from God’s hand, and with thankfulness acknowledges the rod of correction as needful as the cup of joy is delightful.

10. For the progress and accomplishment of God’s work among them. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, the work of his providence in their protection in the wilderness, and thy glory unto their children, who should be brought to the promised land of Canaan; or more generally it may be considered as their prayer for the coming of the Messiah, the great salvation he

should obtain, the powerful operations of his grace upon their hearts, and herein for the manifestation of his glory to their latest publicity; and let the beauty of our God be upon us, or with us, either Christ himself, or his presence in their assemblies, or his grace renewing their hearts in the beauty of holiness: And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it, from God alone all power being derived to work and walk alight. Note, (1.) The God work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure, we can neither think or do any thing truly pleasing to him. Our identification is as much his act, as our justification. (2.) God is magnified in his grace bestowed upon sinners, whose fruits of righteousness are by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God. (3.) They who are most deeply sensible of their want of divine strength, and seek to God for his Spirit, will be over most steadfast, immovable, and abounding in the work of the Lord.