INTRODUCTION: One of our most precious commodities is time. We struggle with the proper use of time. This can be demonstrated in many of our common sayings: I don’t have enough time; there’s not enough time in a day; how time flies; how do you find the time; and others. This psalm begins with the eternity of God, powerfully expresses the brevity of man’s years, and closes with help on how to number our days. Certainly, the eternal God can direct us in the numbering of our days.

This psalm is called “A Prayer of Moses the man of God.” It is the only psalm said to be written by Moses. It is interesting that a man who lived to the age of 120 with good eyesight and strength in his limbs (Deuteronomy 34:7And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
See All...) is the same man who wrote about the shortness of life. Note that this psalm is called a prayer. Therefore, in your study of this psalm, you should be seeking for the prayer requests that Moses made.

1. THE GREATNESS OF GOD (Psalm 90:1-4 [1] Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. [2] Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. [3] Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. [4] For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
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1. As the Dwelling Place of Man (Psalm 90:1Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
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1. Man exists only by the will of God (Acts 17:28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
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2. Man exists only in the place created by God (Genesis 2:8And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
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3. God cannot be contained by man (Isaiah 66:1-2 [1] Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? [2] For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
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4. God is the habitation that men should seek (Psalm 91:9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
   See All...; John 6:56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
   See All...; 1 John 3:24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
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2. In His Eternal Existence (Psalm 90:2Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
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1. Before creation
1. Before the mountains were brought forth
2. Before thou hadst formed the earth and the world
2. From everlasting (Micah 5:2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
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3. To everlasting
4. Thou art God - present tense.
1. Points to the eternal presence of God
2. He is the great I AM (Exodus 3:14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
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3. He has no beginning and no end.
4. He inhabits eternity (Isaiah 57:15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
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5. He is not limited by time.
3. In His Superiority to Man (Psalm 90:3Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
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1. He turns man to destruction (Job 34:14-15 [14] If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; [15] All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
   See All...). This likely speaks of the destruction of death. Unlike God, man is made subject to the corruption and destruction of death.
2. He says, “Return, ye children of men” (Genesis 3:19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
   See All...; Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
   See All...; Psalm 104:29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
   See All...; Ecclesiastes 12:7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
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4. In His Superiority to Time (Psalm 90:4For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
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1. A thousand years are but as yesterday when it is past (see also 2 Peter 3:8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
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1. Note: The addition of the words “when it is past” is key.
2. Man sees his present day as lasting an eternity, but a day that is past is seen as a swift moment in time.
2. A thousand years are as a watch in the night.
1. Note: A watch is a division of time.
2. Originally, the night was divided into three watches, but later it became common to have four divisions or four watches.
3. The psalmist is saying that a thousand years in God’s sight is comparable to a few hours for man.
2. THE BREVITY OF MAN (Psalm 90:5-11 [5] Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. [6] In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth. [7] For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. [8] Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. [9] For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. [10] The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. [11] Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
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1. Likened to (Psalm 90:5-6 [5] Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up. [6] In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
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1. Being removed by a flood (Psalm 90:5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
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2. A sleep (Psalm 90:5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
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3. Grass (Psalm 90:5Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
   See All...c-6; Psalm 103:15-16 [15] As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. [16] For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
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4. A tale that is told (Psalm 90:9For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
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2. Helpless Before God (Psalm 90:7-8 [7] For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. [8] Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
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1. Consumed by the wrath of God (Psalm 90:7For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
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2. Revealing our secret sins (Psalm 90:8Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
   See All...; Ecclesiastes 12:14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
   See All...; Luke 12:2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
   See All...; Romans 2:16In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
   See All...; 1 Corinthians 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
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3. Full of Labor and Sorrow (Psalm 90:10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
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1. Reaching only to 70 or 80 years old (2 Samuel 19:35I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?
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2. Their strength being labor and sorrow (Job 14:1-5 [1] Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. [2] He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. [3] And doth thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? [4] Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. [5] Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
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4. Cut Away in Wrath (Psalm 90:10-11 [10] The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. [11] Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
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1. It is soon cut off, and we fly away (Psalm 90:10The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
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2. Who knoweth the power of God’s anger? (Psalm 90:11Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
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3. THE APPLICATION OF WISDOM GAINED (Psalm 90:12-17 [12] So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. [13] Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. [14] O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. [15] Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. [16] Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. [17] And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
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1. The Numbering of Days (Psalm 90:12So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
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1. Spiritual value of days
1. Growth involves learning to give our days to God: not too small; not too large.
1. An hour is too short to have real meaning.
2. A week is too long for us to comprehend.
2. Therefore, we are told to number our days.
3. We must learn to give to God one day at a time (2 Corinthians 4:16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
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2. Numbering of days is a learning process.
3. God must teach us how to number our days.
4. Then we are ready to apply our hearts unto wisdom.
1. Application of the principle is not made until the heart is affected.
2. Our feet can apply what we learn without a change of heart.
3. But a change of heart always brings about a change in the life.
2. The Need for God’s Blessings (Psalm 90:13-17 [13] Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. [14] O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. [15] Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. [16] Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. [17] And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
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1. The need for God’s return (Psalm 90:13Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
   See All...; Psalm 80:14Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
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1. Return, O LORD.
2. And let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
2. The need for God’s mercy (Psalm 90:14O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
   See All...; Proverbs 8:17I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.
   See All...; Ecclesiastes 12:1Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
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1. Satisfy us early with thy mercy.
2. That we may rejoice and be glad all our days
3. An early glimpse of the mercy of God has a prolonged effect on the people of God.
3. The need for God’s gladness (Psalm 90:15Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
   See All...; Psalm 30:5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
   See All...; Psalm 119:71It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.
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1. Make us glad.
2. According to days of affliction and years of evil
4. The need for renewed sight (Psalm 90:16Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
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1. Let thy work appear unto thy servants.
2. Let thy glory appear unto their children.
3. Note: Moses asked God to give the present generation a renewed vision of His work, while giving the future generation a vision of His glory. Perhaps this was because the present generation had witnessed the glory of God and merely needed to see His work again, but the future generation had not yet witnessed the glory of God.
5. The need for God’s beauty (Psalm 90:17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
   See All...a; Psalm 27:4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
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6. The need for established work (Psalm 90:17And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
   See All...b); The work was the work of man’s hands, but it was of little value unless established by the Lord.

CONCLUSION: Yesterday is unchangeable; tomorrow is unknowable; and today is unrepeatable. But God is in charge, and you have a purpose from Him, so seize the moment and serve Him with all your heart.