Our sins stain our souls and sentence us to separation from God, “Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you?” (v. 11). But in the midst of misery Moses sounds a note of mercy. There is a solution to God’s wrath. Those who turn to God for salvation will be saved. Moses begins by praying, “teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Ps. 90:12).

If you’ve ever had a difficult boss, coach, parent, or other superior figure, you likely know what it means to desire their favor. In some cases it seems futile to even try, especially if they tend to find fault with anything and everything you do. In the best cases they can be pleased, if you work hard. Regardless, it’s challenging to live under such circumstances because you rarely feel they are pleased and therefore, you seldom feel satisfied. It’s comforting, then, to read Psalm 90 and realize that the Superior of superiors, the everlasting God, is able and willing to shine His favor upon His people.     

Our Dwelling Place

If anyone could speak of God as “our dwelling place” (Ps. 90:1) it would be the author of this Psalm, Moses, the prophet and friend of God who led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness. During this time in redemptive history, before Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, the Lord dwelt among His people by way of the tabernacle. Earlier generations could also testify that He had been their dwelling place. The Lord had met with Adam in the garden (Gen. 2:15-17) and Abraham at his tent (Gen. 18:1-15). From generation to generation He had been faithful to His promise to dwell with His people.

It is significant that Moses, who wrote the Pentateuch, also wrote Psalm 90. Just as he had written the creation account in Genesis 1-2, he wrote in this psalm, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Ps. 90:2). It is no surprise, then, that this psalm tells the big story of the Bible—creation, the fall, redemption, and consummation.

The apostle John tells us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). The reason Jesus came and tabernacled among us was to reveal God’s glory, “full of grace and truth” (v. 14). “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).

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