Teach us to number our days

Thoughts on Psalm 90

Moses is a witness to God’s wrath against the stubbornness of Israel.

When they left Egypt, Israel had more than 600,000 adult men fit for war. We can estimate that there are also about 600,000 adult females in the wilderness. It could be assumed that there about 1.2 million adult Israelites that traversed the wilderness. When Israel entered the Promised Land, of the original adult Israelites only Joshua and Caleb remained alive. So that means Moses saw about 1.2 million adults were buried in the wilderness in 40 years.

With simple math, we can estimate that about 30,000 adults die every year or 82 perish every day. So Moses wrote with sadness, “All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” The deaths of the people of God and the wrath of God set the sad lyrics of the psalm.

So Moses pleaded God, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” This showed Moses’ humility. Lord, open our eyes so that we may learn that our life on earth is not permanent. Life is short and fleeting and yet we choose to spend it in unprofitable ways. Instead of spending our days to obey and to please God, we waste our time contending against God as what the Israelites did against God and against Moses the servant of God.

Moses was actually praying that Israel would consider the shortness of their days and learn from all their troubles and sorrows in the wilderness:

• That they may obey the leading of the Lord who guides them by pillar of cloud by day and by pillar of fire at night;
• That they may be thankful also for the goodness and generosity of God who feeds them daily with manna;
• That they may see the daily miracles of God who made sure that their sandals and clothes last for 40 years!
• That their eyes may be opened to the goodness and character of God and so move them to fear the Lord and follow Him. This is the beginning of wisdom.

Life is short. How much time do we spend on Facebook? Shopping? Watching television? Gym exercises? Doing school work? Attending Bible study or growth group? Praying? Sharing God’s Word? Building up the family?

We can pray the pleading of Moses and ask God to “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  

Let’s use our time for something that matters: “To fear God and to keep His commandments for that is the whole duty of man.”