INTRODUCTION - Read Psalm 90 & Numbers 20
"Moses was peculiarly a man of God, chosen by God, inspired by God, honoured by God, faithful to God and all His house." Charles Spurgeon
Although many scholars refused to accept that this Psalm was written by Moses himself, it sombre tone - the talk of death, the Israelite's sins, God's anger and the writer's strong desire for mercy - are strong evidence that connect it to Moses, and his time in the wilderness.
James Boice seems to think that it is connected to incidents recorded in Numbers 20:
* The deaths of Moses's brother and sister - Aaron and Miriam.
* The sins of Moses and his people, that kept them from entering the Promised Land.
"The people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there." Numbers 20:1 (ESV)
"Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and 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 drunk, 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." Numbers 20:10-12 (ESV)
"And they journeyed to Kadesh, and the people of Israel, the whole congregation,came to Mount Hor......Let Aaron be gathered to his people of Israel because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah. Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them to Mount Hor......Moses did as the Lord commanded. And they went up to Mount Hor in the sight of the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garment and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain." Numbers 20:22- 24, 27&28 (ESV)
We all know Moses was a humble and godly man, an Israelite baby from a god fearing mother. Yet, he was brought up as an Egyptian prince and later had to flee into the desert after murdering an Israelite slave. He spent a number of times in God's presence - at the Burning Bush and at Mt Sinai - for example. He became a great leader of God's people, leading them to freedom and teaching them the Laws of the Lord.
Yet even this great leader saw the condition of the Israelites in the wilderness and tried to solve problems on his own. In his fallen state, Moses prays for supplication, he seeks God's mercy and compassion for His people, who compared with the eternity of God, he could see lives that were only short and frail.
He knew God was responsible for taking care His people, and although he knew they had disobeyed God's will, which had led to their dying in the wilderness and being "disqualified" from the Promised Land, he wanted them to share in the joy of God's adventure while they were still alive.
Two of my favourite authors and preachers have recently challenged me about the importance of being the "salt of the earth" and the "light to the world". This is important for all Christians, but most importantly, if like Moses and Aaron, you are a leader of people. We are the kind of people who "create a thirst for God" and for "things eternal". We are to light up the world with "shine rays of God's grace and love".
Like Moses and Aaron, it is so easy to fall, but we have to be so careful that we still our "light" and be a witness for the Lord. Exhort others to develop a deep passion for the Word of God, and a deep devotion for Christ. Most importanty, our leaders need to hold God's standard of "holiness and purity" high, "developing a healthy fear of the Lord for all."
"No one is immune. Anyone can fall. Therefore we need to head every warning the Scripture provides. We are all in peril of being disqualified...... But God not only knows your struggle, he promises you a way to escape it. To get beyond it." Charles R Swindoll
"The first thing we are to consider is our danger. We are all in danger of falling - not only some of of us, but all of us; not only the weak, but also the strong; not only the young, but the middle aged and the old,we are all in danger of falling into sin and bringing dishonour to our profession, sorrow to our souls, and disgrace upon the name of Christ, whom we profess to love and serve." Charles H Spurgeon
We too have the potential for a happy, abundant Christian life. We, unlike the Israelites, can be delivered from sin and temptation, for God knows our struggles and promises us a way of escape. We have a "GRACIOUS, COMPASSIONATE, MERCIFUL GOD!"
If we MAKE JESUS THE LORD OF OUR LIVES. We cannot deliver ourselves like the Israelites tried to do, but Scripture clearly promises us that the "CROSS DELIVERS US". We can have ETERNAL LIFE living with our EVERLASTING LORD.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesu our Lord." Romans 6:23 (ESV)
OUR ETERNAL GOD & OUR ETERNAL LIFE - Read Psalm 90:1-12
Moses indeed wrote this Psalm for the Israelite tribes in the wilderness, who, because of their disobedience to God would not be entering the Promised Land, but it has some realities for us today too.
They were surrounded by mountains and although they seemed to be in "chaos", they still dwelt in God's omnipresence and everlasting nature.
"Lord, you have been our dwelling place through all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or even You brought forth, or even formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." Psalm 90:1-2 (ESV)
Yet, Moses then compares God's eternal nature with man's "frailty". God created him out of the dust and would return him to dust. Compared to our eternal God, we humans are "transient as a blade of grass". Grass is "sown, grown, mown and gone" - and humans have a similar life span.
Yet, although we have only a short life span, God wants us to use our time wisely, to make use of each day serving one another. The children of Israel, had lived their lives in the wilderness, fed and guided by God, yet they continued to sin and disobey Him. No wonder God was angry with them. God wants us to be friendly, to share the gospel, to be positive mentors, to invest our time in people and projects that are important and will last.
"Teach us how short our lives really are that we may be wise." Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
God doesn't want us to spend our lives worried about when we will die and why we have a short life span. Is it because we have sinned? Is it because He was angry with us? Yes, God was angry and disappointed with the Israelites, and at time he is angry and disapointed with us when we fail Him; but like their sons and daughter who entered the Promised Land, we too have been redeemed by the grace of Jesus Christ.
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth."
Job 19:25 (NIV)
Today, because of God's eternal nature, and the promise we have of eternal life through Jesus's resurrection, we don't have to fear death like the Israelites did. Charles Swindoll reminds us: "If you know Christ, there is no need to fear the grave." Jesus is there waiting for you and has prepared a place for you. Thankjs to Jesus, you can have an "unexplained, unending joy" forever in Heaven.
"My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you . I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also will be with me." John 14:2&3 (NIV)
"Death has been swallowed up in victory.....Where, O death is your victory?..... Thanks be to God! He give us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Corinthians 15:54b-57 (NIV)
"What fear strikes a man when the time is near and he's not prepared." Max Lucado
MOSES' APPEAL FOR GOD'S MERCY - Read Psalm 90:13-17
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved - and raised up with Him and seated us with Him in the Heavenly Places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness towards us inJesus Chrust. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift from God."
Ephesians 2:4-8 (ESV)
Moses remembering the pain over the sins of his people, appeals to God's mercy, begging Him for the return of joy and gladness. Just like God sent manna down from Heaven for his people every day, Moses "beseeches the Lord to send His satisfying favour".
Their life may be brief but Moses prayed that it would be joyous and glad. Yes, they would die in the wilderness and they would have themselves to blame, but their leader Moses did not want them to feel "despondent", but wanted them to seek God's blessing - "His presence and favour".
"Great joys enable us to bear great joy and may be regarded as heralded with extroadinary grace." Charles Spurgeon
We have trials and afflictions but we also can also have the mercy and grace of the Lord, if we reach out to Him. Even in our trials and afflictions, which may seem like "chastening", we can look for the joys and delight and "unstaggering faith".
At times the Israelites found comfort in their trials. Their sons and daughters were growing up around them and they would see the "Promised Land". We know that without the Lord on our side, unless we abide in Him, we won't be rich in His grace and mercy, his joy in salvation through faith, we wont enter the Promised "Heavenly" Land.
"Now thanks be to God who leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV)
"May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands on us - yes establish the work of our hands." Psalm 90:17
CONCLUSION
The potential of a happy, abundant Christian life is available to all of us if we make JESUS THE LORD OF OUR LIVES. A quaker clergyman once said:
"There is noth so contrary to God as sin and God will not tolerate sin ruling man, his masterpiece."
If we want to do God's will and enter His Heavenly "Promised Land" we have to trust our lives into the "divine eternal Potter" and HE WILL CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
International Children's Bible, "Magnify, Psalms and Proverbs, Big Book of Games", 2008, Thomas Nelson
The Holy Bible, "English Standard Version", 2016. Crossway.
The Holy Bible, "New International Version", 2011, Biblica
The Devotional Bible, "New Century Version - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus" -2003, Max Lucado. Thomas Nelson.
Alexander, Pat & Davud, "The Lion Handbook to the Bible", 2009, Lion.
Boice, James M, "Psalms Volume 2, An Expositional Commentary", 1994, Baker Books
Guzik, David, "Psalm 90 - The Prayer of Moses in the Wilderness - The Enduring Word Bible Commentary", 2020, ewm.enduringword.com
Kardimis, Linda; Smith, Hannah W, "Teach Uplifted/A Christian's Secret of a Happy Life", 2018, Teach 4 the Heart
Lucado, Max, "A Gente Thunder", 1991, Thomas Nelson
Spurgeon, Charles H, "The Treasury of David, Commentary of David", 1885, Crossway.
Swindoll, Charles R, "Getting Through the Tough Stuff", 2004, Thomas Nelson
