Teach Us To Count Our Days Series

Theme: Teach us O Lord

Text: Psalm 90

‘The Lord is good and his love endures forever’ I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. God willing, we will be meditating on the theme “restoration” throughout this month of June 2020.

The book of Psalms is divided into five parts at par with Pentateuch. This Psalm falls into the fourth book of the Psalms, which has Psalms numbering from 90 to 106. These psalms serve as Hymns for our spiritual pilgrimage.

This Psalm 90 is the beginning of this fourth book. This Psalm compares God’s eternity with human transitoriness; the eternal God and Mortal man; ever-existing God and short-lived man. The Jewish Bible gives the title for this Psalm as 'Prayer of Moshe the man of Elohim, the Prophet.' Moses offered several prayers but only this prayer is recorded in the Bible. It’s a prayer for the restoration of Israel.

Today, I would like to share with you all three teachings from this Psalm of Moses:

1. Teach us to number our days(vv. 1-12)

2. Teach us to trust in you (v. 13)

3. Teach us to pray (VV. 14-17)

i. Psalm 90:12 Teach us to Number our Days.

Though Moses lived for 120 years we don’t know why he said the span of life of a man only Seventy years, and if his strength cooperates he may live up to Eighty years(Psalm 90:10). This sentence ‘teach us to number our days’ is found in verse 12, it is translated with the following meanings:

“Help us to understand how many days we have or the days left for us”.

“Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!”

“Help us to remember that our days are numbered, and help us to interpret our lives correctly.”

So that we will cultivate, develop and bring to you a heart of wisdom. Counting days and years make one wise, lead to wise living (Psalm 90:12).

This Psalm 90 is full of the concept of time. The verses 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 are referring to Time and Life of a man, compared with God, animals, plants and planets. God was angry with Moses in Deuteronomy 3:26 and barred him from entering into the Land of Canaan. So Moses felt that he was running out of time. God’s denial for Moses for entering into the land of Canaan, made him realise that he lost the blessings of God which made him pray this prayer. So, Moses offered a prayer about time comparing human life which is too fragile and short.

We calculate the day from 12 AM to 12 AM. Whereas the counting of day for a Jew is from Sunrise to Sunset or Sunset to Sunrise (Genesis 1:5). So remembering and redeeming or using times is very important as mentioned in Ecclesiastes 12:1, Ephesians 5:15-16, Colossians 4:5. Does it mean the numbering days is merely counting the number of days and years? I think more than that.

Teach us to count our days means to teach us to remember the events of the days, teach us to thank for the blessings of the days, teach us to look back and forward the grace of God.

Counting calls us to count our health conditions and uncertainties of dawn and dusk in our day to day life. Remembering our friends and others whom we were acquainted with and now forgotten them. counting our weaknesses and sickness, counting our defeats and disturbances, Looking back the hindrances and hidden treasons we faced in our faith as well as in normal life journey. Being aware of the traitors and tricksters in our close circles.

Counting our actions and reactions to various circumstances and life struggles. Numbering means realising our roles and responsibilities entrusted to us by God on this universe. Evaluating our contribution in the given roles. Thinking how far we were a blessing to others. Counting also calls to understand why we exist today with this particular status, at a particular place and in a particular position.

Bible gives us some of the best examples of men and women who understood their blessings and numbering of their days; for ex., Queen Esther (Esther 4:13-14) and Prince Joseph (Genesis 50:20), Cupbearer Nehemiah turn to be a builder of the Walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:4).

Evangelist Philip was brought to the wilderness to explain the Word of God to an Ethiopian Eunuch, he heard the Gospel, he was saved and he was baptised (Acts 8:26-39).

If we sit and realise the events our days at the feet of God, those things will make us recognize that nothing has come accidentally to us, there was a person behind everything in our life. He is GOD. Where we are today in our life is absolute, without confusion and doubts, all because of God’s plan and purpose. As Romans 8:28- ‘we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who called according to His Purpose’. So the Psalmist prays ‘Pity us, change your plans about us, repent o Lord about our end.’