Psa 90:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | Psalm 90 is the first psalm of the fourth book of Psalms which includes Psalms 90-106. We can compare Book 4 to the book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. Numbers is about the journey of the people of God through the wilderness. This is also the subject of this fourth book of Psalms and is expressed in this psalm in a special way. It is the only psalm that is mentioned as having been written by Moses. Consequently, it is also the oldest psalm. It is recognizably related to the song of Moses ( ). Moses, the leader of Israel during the wilderness journey between Egypt and the promised land, is used here by the Holy Spirit as the first author of the series of psalms describing the wilderness journey in this fourth book of Psalms. In it he is also the voice of the faithful remnant in the end time. The wilderness journey is a picture of the purifying of the people (Psalm 90) resulting in the faithful remnant who will inherit the land (Psalm 91). It is quite possible that Moses wrote this psalm toward the end of the wilderness journey. A whole generation had left Egypt, all of whom over the age of twenty – with the exception of Joshua and Caleb – had died. Miriam, who became a leper, also died, as did Aaron. Moses was the last one left, and he was denied entry into the promised land. We can imagine Moses being deeply impressed both by the perishableness of man and by the greatness and eternal attributes of his God. About both he writes in this psalm. He has recorded in it this prayer which testifies of a profound insight in the relationship between a perishable, void man and the great God of eternity. In Psalm 91 we see, in contrast to puny, perishable man, the dependent Man, Christ. This contrast is an instruction and an example for the faithful remnant in the end time, the characteristics of which we also find in Psalm 91. As an introduction to Book 4, these two psalms speak respectively of darkness and death (Psalm 90) and light and life (Psalm 91). Psalm 90 is about the first man, Psalm 91 about the second Man, Christ, as Example for the faithful remnant of Israel. As in Psalm 1, these two psalms are about the two paths that a person can take: the path of man without God in Psalm 90 and the path of the second Man, Christ, in Psalm 91. That they belong together is also seen at the beginning and end of both psalms. They both begin with “dwelling (place)” ( ; ) and both end with “satisfy” ( ). Division of the psalm 1. Introduction: Who God is ( ). 2. What God does (3x “You”: ) ( ). 3. Teaching for mortal man ( ). 4. Prayer ( ). This psalm is a prayer of Moses ( ). It is a prayer because he addresses God throughout the psalm. It is the only psalm of his in Psalms and therefore the oldest psalm. He is called “the man of God” here (cf. ; ; ; ; ). “Man of God” is an expression used in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles to designate a seer or prophet. Moses here represents the voice of the whole people of God, which is evident from the use of the words “our” and “we”. Thereby we must remember that God’s people are the God-fearing part of them, the part that God acknowledges in His rights and wants to uphold these rights in the midst of an apostate people. This is what characterizes a man of God. When Moses wrote the psalm is not known. When we read the psalm, we get the impression that he is speaking about the wilderness journey. It is plausible that he wrote the psalm at the end of it. During the journey through the wilderness, an entire generation perished, though God remained the dwelling place or refuge for His people. form the introduction to the psalm. In these verses, we read the confession Who God is. It begins in with “Lord, You have been …” and ends in with “… You are God”. Moses in his prayer addresses the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler of the universe. He acknowledges that the Lord has “been a dwelling place” to His people ( ). The word for “refuge” or “shelter” [that is how the Septuagint translates the Hebrew word] is here translated as “dwelling place”. When we think of the word “dwelling place” we can think of safety and protection ( ). A dwelling place is a refuge. The verse from Deuteronomy 33 is among the last words of Moses, spoken just before his death. This underscores the close connection between the prayer of Psalm 90, the song of Deuteronomy 32, and the blessing of Deuteronomy 33. The Lord has not only been a refuge for His people as a whole, but also “in all generation” ( ). Each generation has its own difficulties, but the Lord, Adonai, has always been there for them. He is the same refuge for each generation, no matter how different the circumstances may be for a subsequent generation. One generation goes and another comes, but God does not change. Therefore, no generation is without Him as its refuge. The God of the generations is the eternal God ( ). He has no beginning. Everything outside of Him has a beginning. That beginning was brought about by Him. “Apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” ( ). “Before the mountains were born”, that is, had risen from the earth, He was there, for the mountains were made by Him. He was there because He “gave birth to the earth and the world” (cf. ). “The earth” is mentioned in distinction from the heavens and the sea. By “the world” is meant the part of creation where people live. “Even from everlasting to everlasting” He is God. He was and is and will be eternally God. He is the Eternal, the eternally Being, the I AM. There is no period of time that can be imagined when He was not there. Nor is it possible to think of a period when He will not be there. He is always the Present One. This is beyond our human thinking. The creation of the universe has not changed or limited Him in any way. Even if the old creation will perish by fire, that will not change or limit Him in any way. That there is an eternal, unchanging God gives man the only and at the same time all stability in a changing world and changing generations.

‏ Psalms 90:1-2

Introduction

Psalm 90 is the first psalm of the fourth book of Psalms which includes Psalms 90-106. We can compare Book 4 to the book of Numbers, the fourth book of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. Numbers is about the journey of the people of God through the wilderness. This is also the subject of this fourth book of Psalms and is expressed in this psalm in a special way.

It is the only psalm that is mentioned as having been written by Moses. Consequently, it is also the oldest psalm. It is recognizably related to the song of Moses (Deu 32:1-40). Moses, the leader of Israel during the wilderness journey between Egypt and the promised land, is used here by the Holy Spirit as the first author of the series of psalms describing the wilderness journey in this fourth book of Psalms. In it he is also the voice of the faithful remnant in the end time. The wilderness journey is a picture of the purifying of the people (Psalm 90) resulting in the faithful remnant who will inherit the land (Psalm 91).

It is quite possible that Moses wrote this psalm toward the end of the wilderness journey. A whole generation had left Egypt, all of whom over the age of twenty – with the exception of Joshua and Caleb – had died. Miriam, who became a leper, also died, as did Aaron. Moses was the last one left, and he was denied entry into the promised land.

We can imagine Moses being deeply impressed both by the perishableness of man and by the greatness and eternal attributes of his God. About both he writes in this psalm. He has recorded in it this prayer which testifies of a profound insight in the relationship between a perishable, void man and the great God of eternity.

In Psalm 91 we see, in contrast to puny, perishable man, the dependent Man, Christ. This contrast is an instruction and an example for the faithful remnant in the end time, the characteristics of which we also find in Psalm 91. As an introduction to Book 4, these two psalms speak respectively of darkness and death (Psalm 90) and light and life (Psalm 91). Psalm 90 is about the first man, Psalm 91 about the second Man, Christ, as Example for the faithful remnant of Israel.

As in Psalm 1, these two psalms are about the two paths that a person can take: the path of man without God in Psalm 90 and the path of the second Man, Christ, in Psalm 91. That they belong together is also seen at the beginning and end of both psalms. They both begin with “dwelling (place)” (Psa 90:1; Psa 91:1) and both end with “satisfy” (Psa 90:14 ; Psa 91:16).

Division of the psalm

1. Introduction: Who God is (Psa 90:1-2).

2. What God does (3x “You”: Psa 90:3 ; 5 ; 8) (Psa 90:3-10).

3. Teaching for mortal man (Psa 90:11-12).

4. Prayer (Psa 90:13-17).

The Eternal God

This psalm is a prayer of Moses (Psa 90:1a). It is a prayer because he addresses God throughout the psalm. It is the only psalm of his in Psalms and therefore the oldest psalm. He is called “the man of God” here (cf. Deu 33:1; Jos 14:6; 1Chr 23:14; 2Chr 30:16; Ezra 3:2). “Man of God” is an expression used in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles to designate a seer or prophet.

Moses here represents the voice of the whole people of God, which is evident from the use of the words “our” and “we”. Thereby we must remember that God’s people are the God-fearing part of them, the part that God acknowledges in His rights and wants to uphold these rights in the midst of an apostate people. This is what characterizes a man of God.

When Moses wrote the psalm is not known. When we read the psalm, we get the impression that he is speaking about the wilderness journey. It is plausible that he wrote the psalm at the end of it. During the journey through the wilderness, an entire generation perished, though God remained the dwelling place or refuge for His people.

Psa 90:1b-2 form the introduction to the psalm. In these verses, we read the confession Who God is. It begins in Psa 90:1b with “Lord, You have been …” and ends in Psa 90:2 with “… You are God”. Moses in his prayer addresses the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler of the universe. He acknowledges that the Lord has “been a dwelling place” to His people (Psa 90:1b). The word for “refuge” or “shelter” [that is how the Septuagint translates the Hebrew word] is here translated as “dwelling place”.

When we think of the word “dwelling place” we can think of safety and protection (Deu 33:27a). A dwelling place is a refuge. The verse from Deuteronomy 33 is among the last words of Moses, spoken just before his death. This underscores the close connection between the prayer of Psalm 90, the song of Deuteronomy 32, and the blessing of Deuteronomy 33.

The Lord has not only been a refuge for His people as a whole, but also “in all generation” (Deu 32:7). Each generation has its own difficulties, but the Lord, Adonai, has always been there for them. He is the same refuge for each generation, no matter how different the circumstances may be for a subsequent generation. One generation goes and another comes, but God does not change. Therefore, no generation is without Him as its refuge.

The God of the generations is the eternal God (Psa 90:2). He has no beginning. Everything outside of Him has a beginning. That beginning was brought about by Him. “Apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (Jn 1:3). “Before the mountains were born”, that is, had risen from the earth, He was there, for the mountains were made by Him. He was there because He “gave birth to the earth and the world” (cf. Pro 8:22-26). “The earth” is mentioned in distinction from the heavens and the sea. By “the world” is meant the part of creation where people live.

“Even from everlasting to everlasting” He is God. He was and is and will be eternally God. He is the Eternal, the eternally Being, the I AM. There is no period of time that can be imagined when He was not there. Nor is it possible to think of a period when He will not be there. He is always the Present One. This is beyond our human thinking.

The creation of the universe has not changed or limited Him in any way. Even if the old creation will perish by fire, that will not change or limit Him in any way. That there is an eternal, unchanging God gives man the only and at the same time all stability in a changing world and changing generations.