SHORT BUT MEANINGFUL
Psalm 90
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2012
There are certain accommodations that often come with age.Psalm 90
Dr. Paul Manuel—2012
(This was a New Year's sermon, and originally contained several references to that day. It is, however, perfectly relevant any time of the year so I have removed some of the references which can be found in the pdf linked above)
- Younger folks hold the door open for you.
- You qualify for the senor citizens discount.
- People in general may be more deferential.
Just as she was celebrating her 80th birthday, Margaret received a jury-duty notice. She called to remind the court office that she was exempt because of her age. "You need to come in and fill out the exemption forms," the clerk said. "I've already done that," she replied. "I filled it out last year." "You have to do it every year," the clerk answered. "Why? ....Do you think I'm going to get younger?"Contrary to what that clerk might have thought, age only goes in one direction. The sole exception is God, who is ageless, and He alone is able to give the span of your life meaning.
Please turn to Psalm 90, which is about time. In fact, Moses makes more than twenty references to time in this psalm (e.g., "day" 6x). It is titled "a prayer" which Moses addresses to God, and it falls neatly into two parts:1
- Moses' Description of God (vv. 1-12)
- Moses' Petition to God (vv. 13-17)
Why Moses writes this psalm is not entirely clear. The Israelite community is facing a problem, but he does not identify it. "There is no mention of oppression by enemies, plagues of grasshoppers, epidemics, and such" (Kraus 1993:214). Whatever the difficulty, it has given Moses a sober appreciation of man's frailty, and it has brought into focus the stark difference between man and God. In...
I. Moses' Description of God
he notes three things. First...
A. God is eternal. (vv. 1-2)
Ps 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the [physical] earth and the [inhabited] world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.Moses gathered the stories that had come down through the patriarchs and compiled them in the book we call Genesis. It is a rich tradition of God's involvement with the people that goes back over 500 years to Abraham, and v. 1 of the psalm reflects that history: "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." In other words...
1. He has always been with Israel.
Linda and I started dating when Debbie, my cousin, was about five years old. Linda took an increasing part in various family celebrations and excursions until she became an integral part of the family. Several years after we were married, Debbie said, "I can't remember a time when Linda was not with us."
At the point when Debbie's memory began to link events sequentially and preserve them, Linda was a regular participant in those events. It is similar here. Moses is saying that there is no Israelite memory of a time when God was not with them. Their history does not record a period without God. What a testimony!
That is the kind of legacy parents should pass on to their children, so that when they grow up they can say: "We have no memory of a time when God was not with our family. He has always been with us." ...Can you say that about your family? ...What kind of legacy are you leaving? ...Even if your family's involvement with God does not go back several generations, even if you came to Him later in life, you should be able to say with confidence that God is with your family now.
If there is no historical memory of Israel without God, how far back before Israel does God go? ...In v. 2 Moses says that God is "from everlasting to everlasting"; that is, whether we look backward or forward, God is. He was around before our world existed, and He will be around after our world is gone....
2. He has always been.
This is what Moses means when he says that God is eternal.
Moses then links concept of divine eternality with divine authority. Not only does God's existence overlap our existence, He oversees our existence,2 because...
B. God is sovereign. (vv. 3-6)
Ps 90:3 You turn men back to dust, saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men." 4 For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning—6 though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered.The concept of God's timelessness is difficult for time bound creatures like us to grasp. Moses was obviously struggling with it here because he reaches for some point of reference, some measurable quantity that will illustrate the contrast between God and man. He settles on two similes, two figures of comparison. First...
1. A millennium to God is like a day to us.
This is not merely "a day," as we might experience at work or school. There we sometimes watch the clock and wonder: "Will this day ever end?" That is not what Moses is referring to here. This is a day "gone by," a day that is over. It may be closer to a phrase some teenagers use. Referring to clothing or hairstyle no longer in vogue, they say, "That's so yesterday," meaning it is out of date.
Our perspective of the past is different from our perspective of the present. Once behind us, time is compressed. We tend to remember yesterday as a series of events without the minutes or hours that separated them. The way we view yesterday is similar to the way God views the past 1000 years.3 A millennium to God is like a day to us. Second...
2. The lifespan of man to God is like the lifespan of new grass to us.
This analogy comes from "the dry summer climate in Canaan, where the green landscape of the winter and spring [can change rapidly] to a brown, parched scenery [in the] hot weather" (VanGemeren 1991:593). From God's viewpoint, we are as fragile and ephemeral as ground cover, gone almost as soon as we get here.4 We are that transient. The lifespan of man to God is like the lifespan of new grass to us.
You could treat this disparity between God's timelessness and your timeboundness as matter of simple curiosity, as a subject of philosophical speculation, were it not for the moral ramifications. There are at least two implications to draw from God's sovereignty, both of which you should anticipate. The first implication is the one I mentioned earlier:
- He rules your existence, because He determines your span.
- He requires your obedience, and He deserves your service.
Unlike the gods of Canaan, who do not care how their worshipers live, God has definite expectations. We have an obligation to conduct our lives—however short—in a certain way and, left to our own devices, we do not do it very well. Moses has already indicated that God is ultimately responsible for our not living longer than we do: "You turn men back to dust.... You sweep men away in the sleep of death." What seems to be the problem? ...The third element in Moses' description is that...
1. He is aware of our sin.
There is a common assumption in our society that private indiscretions or inappropriate behavior between consenting adults should not be a topic of general concern. After all, what difference does it make if no one gets hurt? ...There are two problems with the assumption that some sins are safe:
Moses goes on to say that each life has an expiration date. For most, it will be 70-80 years. Maybe that is good in light of what he has just said: It keeps them (and us) from getting in even more hot water.[5] In any case, God has decided...
2. He has appointed our span.
Moses does not sound very hopeful for the future, especially when he adds that the "span [of our days—literally, 'the best of them'] is but trouble and sorrow." He is referring specifically to Israel's dilemma, yet much of what he says pertains to everyone, including us. God is certainly aware of our sin, which is not a comforting thought, and our lives have a similar expiration date.
My brother, whose doctorate is in English literature, related to me an observation I had not considered before.
Yet, surely our span is not as bleak as Moses describes, nothing "but trouble and sorrow." We have good times. Linda and I just spent a few great days with family. What is wrong with that? ...What is wrong, as Moses points out here, is that great days do not last, "for they quickly pass, and we fly away." In other words, "We're 'outa' here. We're history." ...This is depressing; it is like reading Ecclesiastes: "Vanity of vanities.. .all is vanity" (1:2; 12:8 KJV).
Moses begins this section by saying to God, "We are consumed by your anger," and he returns to that subject in v. 11 by asking God, "Who knows the power of your anger?" Moses' point is that although the Israelites may be experiencing God's punishment for their sin, they have not exhausted God's wrath. In fact, no one knows how mad God can really get, nor is it something they care to imagine. Still, it might be good for God's people to get a general idea so they can appreciate what they will face if they continue to disobey Him. To that end, Moses offers the equation in v. 11: "[Y]our wrath is as great as the fear that is due you." ...So, how much fear does God deserve? . . . There is no limit; it is completely open-ended. It is the same with God's wrath. There is no limit; it is completely open-ended. That is frightening, as well it should be, because the more God's people recognize the truth of this equation, the less inclined they will be to displease Him.
Why do you obey God? The answer you probably like to give is that your love for Him motivates your obedience to Him. That is both true and good, yet there is another reason that may be lurking in the back of your mind: fear. You do not like to consider fear of God's anger over sin as a motivating factor for right living, but it can be and should be at times when love alone may not be enough.
I love my country, but it is not love of country that keeps me from going 90 miles an hour on the parkway when I am in a hurry. It is fear of getting a ticket. Likewise, when the temptation to violate what you know is right is particularly strong, fear of God can keep you in check when love alone might not.
Moses completes the first part of this psalm with a request: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Another translation renders it: "Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise" [TEV]. The number "eighty" he gives is not a goal to reach, as if those who die earlier fail to attain their potential. The goal is not to live the longest possible; the goal is to live the wisest possible, to make the most of however much we have.6 No one knows his expiration date, but just knowing that he has one should compel a person to use what time he has prudently. This is not a realization a person comes to naturally; it only follows a recognition of the eternal God and of His expectations.
Someone asked me what I thought would happen if we received word that Jesus would return to wrap up things here in ten more days, how that news might change what we do as a congregation. In a sense, that is what Moses is asking. Give us an appreciation for the limited time we have so that we will use it wisely.
Moses states three things about God in the first half of this psalm, contrasting them in each case with the transience of life as we know it.
...Indeed, it does matter. Look ahead to v. 14.
As a child of God, you can petition Him when you have a need and be confident that He will respond appropriately.
We noted last time, in the first part of Ps 90, Moses' description of God, that...
...which he begins with the plea...
1. You are the LORD.
Moses then underscores that relationship by the way he refers to the Israelites....
2. We are your servants.
They are not just any people; they belong to God. This is the designation God Himself gave them, because He redeemed them from Egypt.9 In so doing, Moses acknowledges Israel's unique relationship to God and makes his supplication humbly.
Moses is appealing for God to have mercy on Israel because of the singular connection the LORD has to Israel (cf. v. 1). No other nation can make the claim, "The LORD is our God; we are His people." Through the messiah, you have a similar connection to the LORD and, like Israel, you can make a similar claim to God's mercy. There will probably come a time when you will not live up to your commitment to God. Whether you sin in a large matter or a small one, remember that you can ask for mercy on the basis of God's connection with you. He is the LORD, and you are His servant.
Moses' second plea is...
1. Demonstrate Your unfailing love.
Moses also asks that God would use His grace to offset the "trouble and sorrow" of life (v. 10), so that He might transform an otherwise bleak existence to one characterized by gladness instead....
2. Brighten our brief existence.
I asked last time: Is it important how you start the day? According to v. 14, it is important. In fact, when you begin the day by recognizing God's "unfailing love," it has ramifications not just for the rest of that day but for the days following.
People seek satisfaction and happiness from many, legitimate sources— getting a passing grade on the biology final, winning a difficult promotion, transforming that handyman special into a work of art, seeing other family members succeed, getting a profitable return on your investment. These are all good,11 yet as Moses recognizes here, there is one source of satisfaction that tops the list: experiencing the "unfailing love" of God.12 Whatever good things you enjoy this year—and I hope there are many of them— may God's love always be at the top of your list.
Note, however, that this is not a one-sided proposition. Life is not just about what you get from God, satisfaction, it is also about what you give to God: songs of praise. When you begin the day by recognizing His "unfailing love," follow that by expressing your "joy and...glad[ness]," because you are the recipient of His compassion.
Moses' third plea is...
1. Show Your work.
Moses also asks for God's blessing on their work, that what they do would have significance beyond them. Just as man's life is temporary, so are his accomplishments. No matter how hard he tries, nothing he does will last for very long. God, on the other hand, can make life count—no matter how brief it may be. So Moses says....
2. Establish our work.
This is a particularly important principle to remember. You have goals and aspirations—for your family, on the job, at school, within this congregation. You struggle and strive, and you may wonder if it is really worth the effort in the long run, especially given the frailty of life. Will anything you do really make a lasting contribution?13 ...The answer is "Yes." What you do matters, if you depend on God to establish it.
In the first part of Moses' prayer, he says that life, your life, is short (relative to eternity), but it is not without meaning. Indeed, because your life does have meaning, you have an obligation to make the most of your time. A lot can happen in, say, a year, so this second part of Moses' prayer is what I would like to make our prayer, both as individuals and as a congregation, that...
[2] Other passages include:
[6] Paul also sees this goal as evidence of wisdom.
[11] Solomon asserts repeatedly that God wants us to enjoy life, yet always remaining conscious of His presence.
C. God is angry. (vv. 7-12)
Ps 90:7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. [Why?] 8 You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10 The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet our span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you. 12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.God is not pleased with Israel. He is reading a printout of their lives that has everything in it they ever did, even their "secret sins." It would be bad enough if God just spot-checked them but, Moses says, "All our days pass away under [His] wrath."
1. He is aware of our sin.
There is a common assumption in our society that private indiscretions or inappropriate behavior between consenting adults should not be a topic of general concern. After all, what difference does it make if no one gets hurt? ...There are two problems with the assumption that some sins are safe:
- First, it ignores the fact that sin always hurts someone. Whether your family, your friends, or yourself, someone will suffer for your misdeeds, immediately or eventually. There are no harmless sins.
- Second, it gives the impression that some sins can be overlooked or excused, as long as they remain out of the public eye. Despite the popularity of that notion, it is completely irrelevant where God is concerned. However private you may want or think your life to be, it is not, for God has "set [y]our iniquities before [Him], [y]our secret sins [are clearly exposed] in the light of [His] presence." There are no hidden sins.
Moses goes on to say that each life has an expiration date. For most, it will be 70-80 years. Maybe that is good in light of what he has just said: It keeps them (and us) from getting in even more hot water.[5] In any case, God has decided...
2. He has appointed our span.
Moses does not sound very hopeful for the future, especially when he adds that the "span [of our days—literally, 'the best of them'] is but trouble and sorrow." He is referring specifically to Israel's dilemma, yet much of what he says pertains to everyone, including us. God is certainly aware of our sin, which is not a comforting thought, and our lives have a similar expiration date.
My brother, whose doctorate is in English literature, related to me an observation I had not considered before.
There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who are good at math...and those who are not....I totally agree.... In fact, most people are in that second category. They live as they please, because they cannot—or will not—do the math and recognize the expiration date for which they should prepare.
Yet, surely our span is not as bleak as Moses describes, nothing "but trouble and sorrow." We have good times. Linda and I just spent a few great days with family. What is wrong with that? ...What is wrong, as Moses points out here, is that great days do not last, "for they quickly pass, and we fly away." In other words, "We're 'outa' here. We're history." ...This is depressing; it is like reading Ecclesiastes: "Vanity of vanities.. .all is vanity" (1:2; 12:8 KJV).
Moses begins this section by saying to God, "We are consumed by your anger," and he returns to that subject in v. 11 by asking God, "Who knows the power of your anger?" Moses' point is that although the Israelites may be experiencing God's punishment for their sin, they have not exhausted God's wrath. In fact, no one knows how mad God can really get, nor is it something they care to imagine. Still, it might be good for God's people to get a general idea so they can appreciate what they will face if they continue to disobey Him. To that end, Moses offers the equation in v. 11: "[Y]our wrath is as great as the fear that is due you." ...So, how much fear does God deserve? . . . There is no limit; it is completely open-ended. It is the same with God's wrath. There is no limit; it is completely open-ended. That is frightening, as well it should be, because the more God's people recognize the truth of this equation, the less inclined they will be to displease Him.
Why do you obey God? The answer you probably like to give is that your love for Him motivates your obedience to Him. That is both true and good, yet there is another reason that may be lurking in the back of your mind: fear. You do not like to consider fear of God's anger over sin as a motivating factor for right living, but it can be and should be at times when love alone may not be enough.
I love my country, but it is not love of country that keeps me from going 90 miles an hour on the parkway when I am in a hurry. It is fear of getting a ticket. Likewise, when the temptation to violate what you know is right is particularly strong, fear of God can keep you in check when love alone might not.
Moses completes the first part of this psalm with a request: "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Another translation renders it: "Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise" [TEV]. The number "eighty" he gives is not a goal to reach, as if those who die earlier fail to attain their potential. The goal is not to live the longest possible; the goal is to live the wisest possible, to make the most of however much we have.6 No one knows his expiration date, but just knowing that he has one should compel a person to use what time he has prudently. This is not a realization a person comes to naturally; it only follows a recognition of the eternal God and of His expectations.
Someone asked me what I thought would happen if we received word that Jesus would return to wrap up things here in ten more days, how that news might change what we do as a congregation. In a sense, that is what Moses is asking. Give us an appreciation for the limited time we have so that we will use it wisely.
Moses states three things about God in the first half of this psalm, contrasting them in each case with the transience of life as we know it.
- God is eternal (unlike man).
- He is "from everlasting to everlasting."
- God is sovereign (over man).
- He turns "men back to dust" and sweeps "men away in the sleep of death."
- God is angry (with man).
My, this is a cheerful message. Moses' description of God sounds pretty bleak. It gets better though, and I encourage you to read the rest of the psalm. Until then, I have one question for you: Does it matter how you begin your day? ...and I do not mean whether you eat Wheaties or Cheerios.
- We are [potentially] consumed by [His] anger," because He has "set our iniquities before [Him]."
...Indeed, it does matter. Look ahead to v. 14.
Ps 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.When you begin the day by recognizing God's "unfailing love," it has ramifications not just for the rest of that day but for the days following. Even if what you have planned for the day is not your favorite activity, like going to the dentist, even if it is something you are dreading, like an audit by the IRS, begin the day with the right perspective. Set your sights on God and His "unfailing love." It may not make those unpleasant experiences any less unpleasant, but it will put them in the right place by reminding you about what is more important, both infinitely and eternally—the one who is and ever will be your "dwelling place." Life is Short but Meaningful when the eternal God is your God.
Part 2
As a child of God, you can petition Him when you have a need and be confident that He will respond appropriately.
A woman received a phone call from the babysitter that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She called the doctor then left work to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy. Upon returning to her car, she discovered that she had locked her keys inside. She had to get home to her sick daughter, and didn't know what to do. She called her home again, and the baby sitter said the little girl was no better, perhaps a bit worse. What was her mother to do? The baby sitter suggested she look for a coat hanger to open the door. The woman found an old rusty hanger on the ground but realized, "I don't know how to use this." She bowed her head and prayed for help.
An old rusty car pulled up, driven by a dirty, greasy, bearded man with a biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "Good Lord! This is what You sent to help me?" But she was desperate, and thankful. The man got out of his car and asked if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car." "Sure," he said, He walked over to the car and in seconds the door was open. She hugged the man and, through her tears, said, "Thank you very much! You are a very nice man." "Lady," the man replied, "I'm not a nice man. I just got out of prison for car theft." The woman hugged him again and, looking heavenward, said... "Thank You, Lord, for sending me a professional!"As a child of God, you can petition Him when you have a need and be confident that He will respond appropriately. When Moses petitions God in Ps 90, he is confident that He will respond appropriately.
We noted last time, in the first part of Ps 90, Moses' description of God, that...
- God is eternal (unlike man).
- He is "from everlasting to everlasting."
- God is sovereign (over man).
- He turns "men back to dust" and sweeps "men away in the sleep of death."
- God is angry (with man).
That sounds pretty bleak. Remember, though, Israel is facing a problem, and problems remind us that we are not self-sufficient, that we are not perfect, that we need God. It is no wonder, then, that in the second part of this prayer we find...
- "We are [potentially] consumed by [His] anger," because He has "set our iniquities before [Him]."
II. Moses' Petition to God
...which he begins with the plea...
A. God, be merciful! (v. 13)
Ps 90:13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants.Another way of translating this is "Return, O LORD," because when God is angry with His people, it is as if He has turned His back and left.7 Moses wants to know how long God will stay apart from them. Notice the basis for the appeal. Moses addresses God as LORD (all caps), which may seem insignificant, but it is not the title he uses in v. 1. This is God's name, by which He made Himself known to Moses at the burning bush and to Israel through Moses before redeeming the people from Egypt.8 Here is the only place in the psalm where Moses uses it. In doing so, he acknowledges God's unique relationship to Israel and focuses his petition in a way that a title would not....
1. You are the LORD.
Moses then underscores that relationship by the way he refers to the Israelites....
2. We are your servants.
They are not just any people; they belong to God. This is the designation God Himself gave them, because He redeemed them from Egypt.9 In so doing, Moses acknowledges Israel's unique relationship to God and makes his supplication humbly.
Moses is appealing for God to have mercy on Israel because of the singular connection the LORD has to Israel (cf. v. 1). No other nation can make the claim, "The LORD is our God; we are His people." Through the messiah, you have a similar connection to the LORD and, like Israel, you can make a similar claim to God's mercy. There will probably come a time when you will not live up to your commitment to God. Whether you sin in a large matter or a small one, remember that you can ask for mercy on the basis of God's connection with you. He is the LORD, and you are His servant.
Moses' second plea is...
B. God, be satisfying! (vv. 14-15)
Ps 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.10 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.Moses asks that God would show His ceaseless beneficence soon, "in the morning," and in such an obvious way that it would give the people cause for rejoicing the rest of their days...
1. Demonstrate Your unfailing love.
Moses also asks that God would use His grace to offset the "trouble and sorrow" of life (v. 10), so that He might transform an otherwise bleak existence to one characterized by gladness instead....
2. Brighten our brief existence.
I asked last time: Is it important how you start the day? According to v. 14, it is important. In fact, when you begin the day by recognizing God's "unfailing love," it has ramifications not just for the rest of that day but for the days following.
People seek satisfaction and happiness from many, legitimate sources— getting a passing grade on the biology final, winning a difficult promotion, transforming that handyman special into a work of art, seeing other family members succeed, getting a profitable return on your investment. These are all good,11 yet as Moses recognizes here, there is one source of satisfaction that tops the list: experiencing the "unfailing love" of God.12 Whatever good things you enjoy this year—and I hope there are many of them— may God's love always be at the top of your list.
Note, however, that this is not a one-sided proposition. Life is not just about what you get from God, satisfaction, it is also about what you give to God: songs of praise. When you begin the day by recognizing His "unfailing love," follow that by expressing your "joy and...glad[ness]," because you are the recipient of His compassion.
Moses' third plea is...
C. God, be present! (vv. 16-17)
Ps 90:16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands—yes, establish the work of our hands.Moses concludes his prayer the way he began in v. 1: "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." Keep it up. Just as You have been with us in the past, be with us now and in the future. Do not allow either us or those who come after us to forget what You can do, and make it obvious....
1. Show Your work.
Moses also asks for God's blessing on their work, that what they do would have significance beyond them. Just as man's life is temporary, so are his accomplishments. No matter how hard he tries, nothing he does will last for very long. God, on the other hand, can make life count—no matter how brief it may be. So Moses says....
2. Establish our work.
This is a particularly important principle to remember. You have goals and aspirations—for your family, on the job, at school, within this congregation. You struggle and strive, and you may wonder if it is really worth the effort in the long run, especially given the frailty of life. Will anything you do really make a lasting contribution?13 ...The answer is "Yes." What you do matters, if you depend on God to establish it.
In the first part of Moses' prayer, he says that life, your life, is short (relative to eternity), but it is not without meaning. Indeed, because your life does have meaning, you have an obligation to make the most of your time. A lot can happen in, say, a year, so this second part of Moses' prayer is what I would like to make our prayer, both as individuals and as a congregation, that...
- God would be merciful and have "compassion on [us, His] servants"; that...
- God would be satisfying, so "we may sing for joy and be glad all our days"; and that...
- God would be present to show us what He can do and to establish what we do.
Bibliography
- Kraus, Hans-Joachim, 1993, Psalms 60-150. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
- Manuel, Paul, 2012, Why Do the Righteous Suffer? http://paulwmanuel.blogspot.com.
- VanGemeren, Willem A., 1991, Psalms. [EBC] Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Endnotes
[1] This convenience is too much for some, who would make the composition a compilation of two songs, with vv. 1-12 "an originally independent psalm" and vv. 13-17 "a subsequent expansion." Nevertheless, "the psalm as a whole is one unit...in the category of community prayer songs" (Kraus 1993:214).[2] Other passages include:
Gen 3:19b ...since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.[3] Related passages include:
2 Pet 3:8b With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
Ps 84:10a Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere....[4] Related passages include:
Job 14:1 "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. 2 He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Ps 103:15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
Isa 40:6c "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 7 The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
Sir 14:18 Like flourishing leaves on a spreading tree which sheds some and puts forth others, so are the generations of flesh and blood: one dies and another is born.[5] This may entail exemptive suffering, by which God spares His people from evil (see Manuel 2012).
[6] Paul also sees this goal as evidence of wisdom.
Col 4:5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.[7] Relevant passages include:
Ps 60:1 You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry—now restore us!
Ps 85:4 Restore us again, O God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.[8] Relevant passages include:
Exod 3:13 Moses said to God, "Suppose.. .they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" ... 15 God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers... has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.[9] Relevant passages include:
Lev 25:42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves.... 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.[10] Moses repeats half of a paired time image from first part of the prayer, from vv. 5-6 ("morning"). There, the word "morning" denoted man's birth, and "evening" marked his death. Here, Moses leaves it open-ended.
[11] Solomon asserts repeatedly that God wants us to enjoy life, yet always remaining conscious of His presence.
Eccl 2:24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?
Eccl 3:12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
Eccl 5:18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.
Eccl 8:15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him....
Eccl 9:7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.[12] David also recognizes the source in his psalms.
Ps 4:6b Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD. 7 You have filled my heart with greater joy than when... grain and new wine abound.
Ps 16:11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Ps 17:15 And I— in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.
Ps 65:4 Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.[13] The author of Ecclesiastes seems to say, "No!"
Eccl 1:2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." ... 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Eccl 2:11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Eccl 5:15 Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?
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Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs