Psalm 90 O God Our Help
Hymn 70 - Isaac Watts hymn on Schism Act 1714 -
I. THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE (1–6) Of -
A. The Sovereignty of God (1–2)
His Stability -1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
His Ability - 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world,
His Durability - even from everlasting to everlasting,
His Reliability - thou art God.
B. The Sufficiency of God (3–4)
His Punishment - 3 Thou turnest man to destruction;
His Pronouncement - and sayest,
His Procurement - Return, ye children of men.
His Placement - 4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
C. The Severity of God (5–6) Their Passing is -
Powerful - 5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood;
O God, our help in ages past,
Time, like an ever-rolling stream, Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream, Dies at the opening day. Pitiful - 5 they are as a sleep:
Purposeful - 5 in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up;
Practical - 6 in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
II. THE REAL PROBLEM (7–12)
Our Troubles - 7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
Our Transgressions - 8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,
our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
Our Trivialities - 9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:
we spend our years as a tale that is told.
Our Trials - 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.
Our Terrors -
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
Our Travels -
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom - We Must
Recognize The Time We Have - 9,10
Respect The Time We Have - 11
Redeem The Time We Have -
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
1. Wisdom for our allegiances (v. 13)
2. Wisdom for our appetites (v. 14)
3. Wisdom for our afflictions (v. 15)
4. Wisdom for our affections (v. 16)
5. Wisdom for our activities (v. 17)
III. THE RESULTING PRAYER (13–17) - FOR -
The Moving of God -
13 Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
The Mercy of God -
14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
The Mitigation of God - 15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil
The Might of God -
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
The Majesty of God - 17 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.
