Psa 90:7-9 | KingComments | STEP | Death is a natural process, but not as God intended during creation. It is God’s judgment ( ) on sin ( ). Death came into the world through sin and is the reward God has attached to sin ( ; ). Moses, throughout the wilderness journey of forty years, saw all die who were twenty years and older at the exodus, except Joshua and Caleb. This included Miriam and Aaron. And also Moses himself was not allowed to enter the promised land because of his sin. Because of God’s anger over their unbelief, they have been consumed ( ; ). It has been a long, terrible journey, with a number of deaths each day. Each death is a demonstration of God’s wrath, that dismayed them. The issue is not how long a person lives, but that his end is the result of God’s wrath. This is true for everyone (cf. ), but especially for the people during the wilderness journey. Every death has reminded them of their “iniquities” ( ). They say of them that God puts them before His eyes as the reason for His death sentence. God cannot pretend that no sin has been committed. He constantly sees them and deals with them according to the requirement of His holiness. Even their hidden sins He puts in the light of His presence. Nothing is hidden from Him ( ; ). His light reveals everything; nothing can hide from it. When the Lord Jesus returns to earth as Judge, “His eyes” will be like “a flame of fire” looking right through every person ( ). and run parallel. As a result, form a pyramid, with being the climax. This is a literary help to underscore and emphasize . The message is clear: our momentary life must awaken us so that we may become aware of our sinfulness, including sins done in secret, for nothing is hidden from God. Thus all their days pass because of God’s fury ( ). All their days, not a day excepted, they bear God’s wrath because of their iniquities. They spend their years with the speed of “a sigh”. This is the short-lived, miserable life of mortal man who is aware that he is human and that God alone is God. The word “sigh” means groan, it does not only mean ‘momentary’, it also means to grow weary, yes despondent. A sigh of despondency is given. It is as Jacob says to Pharaoh: “Few and unpleasant have been the years of my life” ( ). The concatenation of days continues for man for an average of “seventy years” ( ). is an underlining of . Both verses are about “days” and “years”: “days” emphasize the brevity of life, “years” emphasize the prolonged travails of life. After seventy years, the curtain falls for man. “If due to strength”, he may even live on for a few more days, so that he may live “eighty years”. Seventy years is not a long time and the extra ten years is not an eternity either. He is doing his best to enjoy the years he has been given. But in the end, what does it bring? The honest conclusion must be: even “their pride is [but] labor and sorrow”. The “pride” are the things from which he has still had some pleasure, whatever that may be, but from which he has never experienced real satisfaction. Then suddenly it is over, finished, “soon it is gone”. “And we fly away” means that life has flown away as if it were chaff blown away by the wind. If you ask an elderly person what his or her life has been like, you will in general get the same answer: soon it is over. The Preacher depicts life as a precious golden bowl suspended from heaven with a silver cord ( ). It is connected with above, with heaven. Life is connected with God. He has given man his breath of life. However, when the silver cord is removed, when it breaks, the golden bowl collapses to the earth and is shattered beyond repair. The light of life is completely extinguished. After the end of life comes the encounter with God. Man is called to prepare for it: “Prepare to meet your God” ( ). Before the psalmist continues with the final section, his prayer to God to confirm the work of his hands ( ), he first draws the lesson and conclusion from what he has seen from God in . This holds an important lesson for us, that before we can pray according to the will of God, we must first come to know Him. Who “understands the power” of God’s “anger and … fury” with which he ends people’s lives, whether they are strong or weak, lonely or numerous, poor or rich ( )? No man understands it. The same answer applies to the question whether anyone understands “the fear that is due” God. No man understands. Or at least Someone does, namely the Lord Jesus. He has experienced the anger and fury from God as the judgment on the sins of all who believe in Him. He has been in the fire of God’s judgment, yet without being consumed by it. The purpose of these questions is to cause man to think. He is to contemplate his futility and the emptiness of his life. As a result, he should come to the awareness that during his short and difficult life he lives under the judgment and anger of God on sin. He must come to see the connection that exists between sin and mortality. This should drive him toward God, to seek Him and be ready to meet Him, his Creator. It demonstrates the foolishness of man. Those who know the power of God’s anger and fury will immediately repent of their sins to God. God’s anger against sin is great. Those who realize this, will realize how much God is to be feared. And therein lies the beginning of wisdom ( ), a wisdom that bows to the righteous anger and fury of God over sin. A fool says in his heart: There is no God ( ). This does not mean that he is an atheist; it does mean that in the practice of his life he does not take into account the living God. Moses is not a fool. He is wise; he has a wise heart. He fears God. He asks God to teach His people to number their days in such a way that they become aware of how fast their days are passing ( ). God alone can give that teaching so that they can get the right view, His view, of life, which is so short. It accentuates the vast difference between the eternal God and finite man. Those who become aware of this gain “a heart of wisdom”. A heart of wisdom focuses on God, Who is busy with His care for him every day (cf. ).

‏ Psalms 90:7-9

Life Passes Quickly

Death is a natural process, but not as God intended during creation. It is God’s judgment (Psa 90:7) on sin (Psa 90:8). Death came into the world through sin and is the reward God has attached to sin (Rom 5:12 ; Rom 6:23; Gen 2:17). Moses, throughout the wilderness journey of forty years, saw all die who were twenty years and older at the exodus, except Joshua and Caleb. This included Miriam and Aaron. And also Moses himself was not allowed to enter the promised land because of his sin.

Because of God’s anger over their unbelief, they have been consumed (Psa 90:7; Num 14:28-29). It has been a long, terrible journey, with a number of deaths each day. Each death is a demonstration of God’s wrath, that dismayed them. The issue is not how long a person lives, but that his end is the result of God’s wrath. This is true for everyone (cf. Rom 3:23), but especially for the people during the wilderness journey.

Every death has reminded them of their “iniquities” (Psa 90:8). They say of them that God puts them before His eyes as the reason for His death sentence. God cannot pretend that no sin has been committed. He constantly sees them and deals with them according to the requirement of His holiness. Even their hidden sins He puts in the light of His presence. Nothing is hidden from Him (Jer 16:17; Heb 4:13). His light reveals everything; nothing can hide from it. When the Lord Jesus returns to earth as Judge, “His eyes” will be like “a flame of fire” looking right through every person (Rev 1:14b).

Psa 90:7 and Psa 90:9 run parallel. As a result, Psa 90:7-9 form a pyramid, with Psa 90:8 being the climax. This is a literary help to underscore and emphasize Psa 90:8. The message is clear: our momentary life must awaken us so that we may become aware of our sinfulness, including sins done in secret, for nothing is hidden from God.

Thus all their days pass because of God’s fury (Psa 90:9). All their days, not a day excepted, they bear God’s wrath because of their iniquities. They spend their years with the speed of “a sigh”. This is the short-lived, miserable life of mortal man who is aware that he is human and that God alone is God. The word “sigh” means groan, it does not only mean ‘momentary’, it also means to grow weary, yes despondent. A sigh of despondency is given. It is as Jacob says to Pharaoh: “Few and unpleasant have been the years of my life” (Gen 47:9).

The concatenation of days continues for man for an average of “seventy years” (Psa 90:10). Psa 90:10 is an underlining of Psa 90:9. Both verses are about “days” and “years”: “days” emphasize the brevity of life, “years” emphasize the prolonged travails of life. After seventy years, the curtain falls for man. “If due to strength”, he may even live on for a few more days, so that he may live “eighty years”.

Seventy years is not a long time and the extra ten years is not an eternity either. He is doing his best to enjoy the years he has been given. But in the end, what does it bring? The honest conclusion must be: even “their pride is [but] labor and sorrow”. The “pride” are the things from which he has still had some pleasure, whatever that may be, but from which he has never experienced real satisfaction.

Then suddenly it is over, finished, “soon it is gone”. “And we fly away” means that life has flown away as if it were chaff blown away by the wind. If you ask an elderly person what his or her life has been like, you will in general get the same answer: soon it is over.

The Preacher depicts life as a precious golden bowl suspended from heaven with a silver cord (Ecc 12:6). It is connected with above, with heaven. Life is connected with God. He has given man his breath of life. However, when the silver cord is removed, when it breaks, the golden bowl collapses to the earth and is shattered beyond repair. The light of life is completely extinguished. After the end of life comes the encounter with God. Man is called to prepare for it: “Prepare to meet your God” (Amos 4:12).

Before the psalmist continues with the final section, his prayer to God to confirm the work of his hands (Psa 90:13-17), he first draws the lesson and conclusion from what he has seen from God in Psa 90:11-12. This holds an important lesson for us, that before we can pray according to the will of God, we must first come to know Him.

Who “understands the power” of God’s “anger and … fury” with which he ends people’s lives, whether they are strong or weak, lonely or numerous, poor or rich (Psa 90:11)? No man understands it. The same answer applies to the question whether anyone understands “the fear that is due” God. No man understands. Or at least Someone does, namely the Lord Jesus. He has experienced the anger and fury from God as the judgment on the sins of all who believe in Him. He has been in the fire of God’s judgment, yet without being consumed by it.

The purpose of these questions is to cause man to think. He is to contemplate his futility and the emptiness of his life. As a result, he should come to the awareness that during his short and difficult life he lives under the judgment and anger of God on sin. He must come to see the connection that exists between sin and mortality. This should drive him toward God, to seek Him and be ready to meet Him, his Creator.

It demonstrates the foolishness of man. Those who know the power of God’s anger and fury will immediately repent of their sins to God. God’s anger against sin is great. Those who realize this, will realize how much God is to be feared. And therein lies the beginning of wisdom (Pro 1:7 ; Pro 9:10), a wisdom that bows to the righteous anger and fury of God over sin.

A fool says in his heart: There is no God (Psa 14:1a). This does not mean that he is an atheist; it does mean that in the practice of his life he does not take into account the living God. Moses is not a fool. He is wise; he has a wise heart. He fears God. He asks God to teach His people to number their days in such a way that they become aware of how fast their days are passing (Psa 90:12).

God alone can give that teaching so that they can get the right view, His view, of life, which is so short. It accentuates the vast difference between the eternal God and finite man. Those who become aware of this gain “a heart of wisdom”. A heart of wisdom focuses on God, Who is busy with His care for him every day (cf. Mt 28:20).