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Psalm 90 is a community lament, but it functions as a wisdom song. The author of this Psalm is Moses and its themes can be seen in Genesis 1–3 and are latter taken up by Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Psalm 90 begins book four of the Psalms. This book (four) tends to have more cooperate worship songs than the other books. Book three favored the title elohim, God, but book four favors the personal name of God: Yahweh, especially connected to His covenant promises. The Preface to the Holman Christian Standard Bible states: “The HCSB® Old Testament consistently translates the Hebrew names for God as follows: Elohim = God, Yahweh or YHWH = LORD, Adonai = Lord, Adonai Yahweh = Lord God, Yahweh Sabaoth = LORD of Hosts, El Shaddai = God Almighty. The HCSB® uses Yahweh, the personal name of God in Hebrew, when a text emphasizes Yahweh as a name: His name is Yahweh (Ps 68:4).” Thus, every time you read “Lord,” you should think adonai (the Master, divine one, Majestic Ruler) and every time you read LORD, you should think Yahweh (pronounced Yahveh, the eternally present and faithful covenant keeping God). The author is deliberately emphasizing something by his choice of God’s name or titles, so you do not want to ignore the difference. That is the problem with pronouncing LORD and Lord the same, when listening to the text read, you cannot tell what the original author was emphasizing by his choice of God’s proper name (Yahweh) or one of His titles (God, Lord, Almighty one, etc.) The Legacy Standard Bible translates God's name as Yahweh every time it is used in the Hebrew Bible instead of LORD.
Exodus 3:14 God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." God also said to Moses, "Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation. Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. (Exod 3:14–16 HCSB)
Isaiah 42:8 I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, or my praise to idols. (Isa 42:8 HCSB)
Psalm 68:4 Sing to God! Sing praises to His name. Exalt Him who rides on the clouds--His name is Yahweh--and rejoice before Him. (Psa 68:4 HCSB)
Notice the purple and gold banner on the wall, front left that has been in the worship center for years, which has on it: יהוה Yahweh. This is the proper name for God. Also note that Yeshua is Jesus’ actual name, pronounced like his mother pronounced it. Messiah, meshiach, christos, Christ (all words for the Anointed One), and words like Lord, Emmanuel, and God are His titles.
I. The Lord (adonai) is God (vs. 1–2)
A. God Himself is the dwelling place of pilgrims and strangers on the earth
B. God is the source of our security, protection, joy, life, strength, even breath
C. God existed before the earth gave birth to the mountains; thus, He is older than the Mts.
D. God is eternal, but the earth and humans are time bound
E. God’s love is eternal as well as the protection He offers His own people
F. God is creator and sovereign king over His creation
G. The Lord (adonai) alone is God, there is no other God in time or space
II. A lament over the temporariness of life (vs. 3–12)
A. God has authority over men (vs. 3–6)
1. Temporary of temporariness, all is temporary (Eccl 1:2)
2. Things on earth have a beginning point and ending point (Gen 5:27)
3. When compared to God, the eternal one, humans are just dust (Isa 40:15)
4. Men are dependent beings relying on the only Independent Being (Gen 3:10)
5. God created time, but is not under it or bound by it (2 Pet 3:8)
6. God determines when people die, by His decree, not man’s (Lam 2:19)
7. Human life spans are like grass that withers the same day it sprouts
8. Even renewed human strength quickly fades away to weakness
B. God wrath is against sin (vs. 7–10)
1. Sin always produces death
And He said to Adam, "Because you listened to your wife's voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'Do not eat from it': The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust." (Gen 3:17–19 HCSB)
2. Death produces fear, at least of the unknown, but for some, judgment
3. God has anger, indignation, wrath, and judgment against sin
4. Sin shortens earthly life for everyone, and God records every sin
5. Life on earth has many difficulties and includes many sorrows
6. Life under the sun is difficult and short, usually 70 to 80 years
C. The correct response to God’s wrath (vs. 11–12)
1. A sane fear is to fear the chastisement of God against sinners
2. It is wise to take account of the days you are given, 70 years is 25,550 days, 80 years is
29,200 days, 89.5 is 32,668 days. Life on earth is short, and the judgment is coming
3. God can teach us and grant us a wise heart, especially at funerals—facing life’s brevity
4. Humans live in the moment and often ignore the big picture of things, Day of the LORD
5. Wisdom begins and ends with the majestic Lord’s revelation and illumination (Prov 1:7)
III. A prayer for restoration of the covenant mercy and grace of God (vs. 13–17)
A. Please bring the chastisement to an end soon, followed by a new beginning
B. Please restore to us the joy of our saving relationship with You
C. Please give us a long period of your presence and blessing
D. Please allow our work to have a permanence by Your Grace amidst all the temporariness
E. We struggle with the puzzling things and the temporariness of all our efforts
Lessons to live by:
• The eternal God is the only secure dwelling place for temporal human beings
• Life on earth is temporary, but God is eternal (no beginning and no end)
• Man has dignity, because he is made in the image of God
• Man needs humility because he was formed from the dust of the earth
• It is never right for an individual to play God and intentionally terminate human life, even if it saves money. There are times when it is proper to remove systems that are preventing death, but this does not always include withholding food or water. The State does need to take the life of its worst criminals that have significantly broken God’s moral laws. This includes the police, military, and executioners, and citizens defending themselves (See Gen 9:5–6; Rom 13:1–7)
• Pray and ask God for wisdom about time, life, death, punishment, and purpose
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