Thoughts on Psalm 90 and September
Even as far south as the Carolinas, at least a hint of autumn color has appeared. Each September quickly follows last September, and I suppose that most people—whether or not they’ve ever read Psalm 90—would agree: “soon it is gone and we fly away.” The brevity of life is something that everyone eventually recognizes. Not only do people die, but they learn that this event comes very soon.
So why does Moses ask “Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury,” implying that many don’t get it? The phrase appears to parallel his prayer that God “teach us to number our days.” Don’t countless people around the world understand something of God’s anger? Didn’t flood victims learn this month to number their days?
Not everyone who recognizes the brevity of life does so in a way that results in heart wisdom (v. 12) or does so according to “the fear of You [God]” (v. 11) (cf. Proverbs, where “the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom”). A sense of transience might urge us to any number of unwise—or at best, inadequate—responses. For example, in the words of a radio advertisement: “We’re not promised tomorrow; let’s make those memories today.” Fine, but inadequate. Or, to paraphrase something I heard this past summer: “After we are gone, Denali will remain.” Perhaps the speaker was not implying anything idolatrous; but if our sense of transience does urge us to worship anything other than the eternal God, then we have not adequately numbered our days.
“So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom.”
Moses’ prayer is a good prayer for us.
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