Real Talk (Psalm 90) Series

Real Talk (Psalm 90)

James Jackson / General Adult

Good morning. Please open your Bibles to Psalm 90.

You know how there are some sermons that just make you glad you came to church? The pastor’s funny, the music’s catchy, and you leave humming a happy tune on your way to lunch?

Well… this isn’t going to be one of those mornings." Psalm 90 doesn’t hum a happy tune. It makes us slow down, face reality, and ask hard questions about God, life, sin, and eternity. And sometimes those are the mornings we need most.”

Psalm 90 is Moses looking back over his life. At this point he is around 120 years old. He’s led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He was supposed to lead them into the Promised Land. Yet because of their stubbornness and rebellion, what could have been a journey of a few months became forty years of wandering in the wilderness. During that time, he’s had to watch as the entire generation of those who were led out of bondage die in the desert. On top of that, he knows because of his own sin he will not step foot in the Promised Land.

Yet for all that, one theologian noted that ‘There does not appear to be any trace of bitterness or of undue pessimism. Just plain, realistic thinking marks these words.’

That’s what Psalm 90 is: real talk about about God’s sovereignty. our mortality. Sin’s depravity. But we’re also going to talk about God’s love for us, through all of it.

And my prayer is that by the time we’re done, you’ll walk out of here—not humming a happy tune, maybe—but glad you came.”

We are going to read Psalm 90 together, but I’m not going to ask you to stand like we usually do. I think Psalm 90 is one you have to sit with. You gotta let the weight of it sink in. So listen to these words from the oldest Psalm in the Bible:

[read psalm 90]

Setting the Stage: What’s on Moses’ Mind

“Before we get to the first verse of Psalm 90, its worth thinking about the context. Most scholars believe Moses wrote Psalm 90 in reference to the events of Numbers 20. In that chapter, several devastating things happen in rapid succession:

• Miriam dies — Moses’ sister, his confidant since Egypt.

• The people complain (again)

• Moses sins at the waters of Meribah and, in a moment of anger, disqualifies himself from entering the Promised Land.

• Edom refuses to let Israel pass through its country

• Aaron dies — Moses’ brother, his partner in leadership for forty years.

Moses now faces a hard reality: there are now only three people left from the generation that walked out of Egypt — Joshua, Caleb, and himself. Everyone else is gone.

Which is why Psalm 90 is so amazing to me. The first thing on Moses mind isn’t himself, or his grief, or his circumstances. Look at the first word of the Psalm:

Point 1 — Let’s Talk About God (Psalm 90:1-2)

Psalm 90:1–2 ESV

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place

in all generations.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Surrounded by death, Moses starts with the One who never dies. LORD… before the mountains were formed, before the earth was created, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.

Think about verse 1— you have been our dwelling place.

Let’s play a game. Raise your hand if you are at least 40 years old. Ok. Those of you that are at least 40, take a minute to think about how many times you have moved in the last 40 years. For me, its 8. And that includes moving from single housing to married housing in seminary, and moving from an apartment to a house here in Prattville. 8 times in 40 years. Military families— I know you’ve got that beat. Anyone think they’ve moved the most in 40 years?

According to Numbers 33, the Israelites moved 42 times in 40 years. Can you even imagine?

But as Moses reflects on that history, he writes, ‘God, You have been our dwelling place.’

As hard as it must have been for Moses to hear that he would die without entering the land God had promised, Moses was able to accept it because he knew that no physical location is the ultimate dwelling place for one of God’s children.

Think about that: you might feel like your family is constantly on the move. Or maybe you’ve lost your home through fire or some natural disaster. But if you are a Christian, your ultimate dwelling place isn’t a place. It’s a Person. You will never be at home until you find your home in Him.