Holy & Wise
Psalm 90. A prayer of Moses, the Man of God.
This psalm of Moses that starts out the fourth book in the various sections of the Psalms, is a passage I've been meditating on almost all month. It is good for us to use these milestones on the calendar, whether it's Christmas, or New Year, or Easter, that we're reminded of the work of God and the power of God, and the mercy of God to us in our lives. Like the Lord's Day, it causes us in our regular calendar, daily routine, to have exceptional thoughts to pause and reflect on God's goodness to us. This psalm is no different in that time is a key theme.
As I've been reading through and meditating on this Psalm, I noticed, besides the theme of time being dominant in this psalm, there is this great contrast. You see it there in the first six verses between the Lord and us as humans. This great contrast – you see the Lord as eternal and He is timeless; He is all-powerful and He is holy. We are temporal and we are time bound; we have sin, we are not holy and we do not have great power. Our autonomy is very limited. He is perfectly independent; we are woefully dependent.
I notice another theme, and this is a humbling theme, is the fear of the Lord is wisdom. You see it there in verses 11 and 12. This brought back many verses that we have that are fundamental to the beginning of wisdom. Where does wisdom begin, or where does wisdom begin to get established in the heart and mind of mankind? Well, according to Job 28:28, “He said to man, ‘Behold the fear of the Lord.’” That is wisdom. And to turn away from evil is understanding. The fear of the Lord is wisdom. Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All those who practice it have a good understanding.” Or Proverbs 9:10, which you may have memorized as a young child, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (or understanding).”
So as we reflect on this year past and the year coming and the fact that we are temporal and evil and subject to the will of the Lord and the power of the Lord, we give thanks, we bow before the Lord, we give thanks for His mercy and blessings over the past year. That is the right outcome and I believe that is really what will make us not only wiser but holier is to grow in our understanding of the Lord; our fear of Him, our honor of Him, our glorifying of Him.
So I was thinking I would pray for more fear of the Lord, greater fear in the year to come, greater love for God, for His Word, for His people and greater honor for the Lord. Pray for His presence and mercy. You see it there in vs 13 as you go through that last section of Psalm 90, all the prayers and petitions that Moses is asking for. Pray for His presence, pray for His mercy, pray for His steadfast love, vs 14. Pray for His joy, for us to have His joy and gladness, vs 15. Pray for His work in our lives, for Him to be active and us to see it and to honor Him in it, vs 16. And pray for His favor and His blessings, vs. 17. These are things that can only be had when we have a right relationship with God, we are His children, we are seeing Him correctly, we are subject to Him, we are growing in fear and the knowledge of the Lord.
My hope is that this is a good meditation for you. It has been excellent for me as I think on how the Lord has blessed us in this year past and what we desire from our God in the year ahead.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth, and the world, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!” (or children of Adam.) For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is passed, or as a watch in the night. You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of You? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!
This psalm of Moses that starts out the fourth book in the various sections of the Psalms, is a passage I've been meditating on almost all month. It is good for us to use these milestones on the calendar, whether it's Christmas, or New Year, or Easter, that we're reminded of the work of God and the power of God, and the mercy of God to us in our lives. Like the Lord's Day, it causes us in our regular calendar, daily routine, to have exceptional thoughts to pause and reflect on God's goodness to us. This psalm is no different in that time is a key theme.
As I've been reading through and meditating on this Psalm, I noticed, besides the theme of time being dominant in this psalm, there is this great contrast. You see it there in the first six verses between the Lord and us as humans. This great contrast – you see the Lord as eternal and He is timeless; He is all-powerful and He is holy. We are temporal and we are time bound; we have sin, we are not holy and we do not have great power. Our autonomy is very limited. He is perfectly independent; we are woefully dependent.
I notice another theme, and this is a humbling theme, is the fear of the Lord is wisdom. You see it there in verses 11 and 12. This brought back many verses that we have that are fundamental to the beginning of wisdom. Where does wisdom begin, or where does wisdom begin to get established in the heart and mind of mankind? Well, according to Job 28:28, “He said to man, ‘Behold the fear of the Lord.’” That is wisdom. And to turn away from evil is understanding. The fear of the Lord is wisdom. Psalm 111:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. All those who practice it have a good understanding.” Or Proverbs 9:10, which you may have memorized as a young child, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight (or understanding).”
So as we reflect on this year past and the year coming and the fact that we are temporal and evil and subject to the will of the Lord and the power of the Lord, we give thanks, we bow before the Lord, we give thanks for His mercy and blessings over the past year. That is the right outcome and I believe that is really what will make us not only wiser but holier is to grow in our understanding of the Lord; our fear of Him, our honor of Him, our glorifying of Him.
So I was thinking I would pray for more fear of the Lord, greater fear in the year to come, greater love for God, for His Word, for His people and greater honor for the Lord. Pray for His presence and mercy. You see it there in vs 13 as you go through that last section of Psalm 90, all the prayers and petitions that Moses is asking for. Pray for His presence, pray for His mercy, pray for His steadfast love, vs 14. Pray for His joy, for us to have His joy and gladness, vs 15. Pray for His work in our lives, for Him to be active and us to see it and to honor Him in it, vs 16. And pray for His favor and His blessings, vs. 17. These are things that can only be had when we have a right relationship with God, we are His children, we are seeing Him correctly, we are subject to Him, we are growing in fear and the knowledge of the Lord.
My hope is that this is a good meditation for you. It has been excellent for me as I think on how the Lord has blessed us in this year past and what we desire from our God in the year ahead.
Posted in Pastor Devotional