Psalms 90


 Psalms 90
A PRAYER OF MOSES THE MAN OF GOD.
This Psalm may have been originally composed by Moses. Alternately it may have been composed by David or someone else but it is based on the soul  of Moses.  It reflects the faith of Moses derived from the Torah which was transmitted to us by Moses. 
 
[Psalms 90:1] LORD, THOU HAST BEEN OUR DWELLING PLACE IN ALL GENERATIONS.                     
 
[Psalms 90:2] BEFORE THE MOUNTAINS WERE BROUGHT FORTH, OR EVER THOU HADST FORMED THE  EARTH AND THE WORLD, EVEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING, THOU ART GOD.  
Before everything was God existed. HE planned everything and everything has a purpose.                  
 
[Psalms 90:3] THOU TURNEST MAN TO DESTRUCTION; AND SAYEST, RETURN, YE CHILDREN OF MEN.                     
<<TURNEST MAN>>: The Hebrew word for "man" here is "Enosh" connoting Human and (as pointed out by S.R. Hirsch) also indicating sickness and lowering of level.
<<CHILDREN OF MEN>>: The Hebrew word for "man" here is "Adam" the first man. S.R. Hirsch suggests the verse is saying "return to the level of the First Man once more".
 
[Psalms 90:4] FOR A THOUSAND YEARS IN THY SIGHT ARE BUT AS YESTERDAY WHEN IT IS PAST, AND  AS A WATCH IN THE NIGHT.                     
 
[Psalms 90:5] THOU CARRIEST THEM AWAY AS WITH A FLOOD; THEY ARE AS A SLEEP: IN THE  MORNING THEY ARE LIKE GRASS WHICH GROWETH UP.                     
 
[Psalms 90:6] IN THE MORNING IT FLOURISHETH, AND GROWETH UP; IN THE EVENING IT IS CUT DOWN, AND WITHERETH.  
Where did our youth go? What happened to our lifes?                   
 
[Psalms 90:7] FOR WE ARE CONSUMED BY THINE ANGER, AND BY THY WRATH ARE WE TROUBLED.                     
 
[Psalms 90:8] THOU HAST SET OUR INIQUITIES BEFORE THEE, OUR SECRET SINS IN THE LIGHT OF THY  COUNTENANCE.                     
<<OUR SECRET SINS>>: Hebrew "alumaynu" connoting both "our secret things" and "youth".  Youth contains hidden potential. S.R. Hirsch interprets this to mean that our youth ful potential is compared to the sinning we actually performed. The Mairi explains the verse to be saying that what we did in secret we are punished for in the open.
 
[Psalms 90:9] FOR ALL OUR DAYS ARE PASSED AWAY IN THY WRATH: WE SPEND OUR YEARS AS A  TALE THAT IS TOLD.                     
 
[Psalms 90:10] THE DAYS OF OUR YEARS ARE THREESCORE YEARS AND TEN; AND IF BY REASON OF STRENGTH THEY BE FOURSCORE YEARS, YET IS THEIR STRENGTH LABOUR AND SORROW; FOR IT IS SOON  CUT OFF, AND WE FLY AWAY.                     
 
[Psalms 90:11] WHO KNOWETH THE POWER OF THINE ANGER? EVEN ACCORDING TO THY FEAR, SO IS THY WRATH.                     
 
[Psalms 90:12] SO TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS, THAT WE MAY APPLY OUR HEARTS UNTO WISDOM.
We should be aware that we are mortal. We are going to die sooner or later.  "You cannot take it with you".  This is our only chance to do good and learn what God wants of us and act upon it.                     
 
[Psalms 90:13] RETURN, O LORD, HOW LONG? AND LET IT REPENT THEE CONCERNING THY  SERVANTS.                     
 
[Psalms 90:14] O SATISFY US EARLY WITH THY MERCY; THAT WE MAY REJOICE AND BE GLAD ALL OUR  DAYS.                     
 
[Psalms 90:15] MAKE US GLAD ACCORDING TO THE DAYS WHEREIN THOU HAST AFFLICTED US, AND  THE YEARS WHEREIN WE HAVE SEEN EVIL. 
A lot of us have gone through hard times. More often than not the suffering we endured was of our own making. This does not help. We had some responsibility and in hindsight now realize that often we could have made even the hard times a bit better than they were. We could perhaps have conducted ourselves a little better.  Nevertheless Divine Providence also played a part. We ask God to help us both in the moral sense and the physical one.  We would like the rest of our days to go well, to be closer to the Almighty and to do what we can and to do it well.                    
 
[Psalms 90:16] LET THY WORK APPEAR UNTO THY SERVANTS, AND THY GLORY UNTO THEIR CHILDREN. 
Despite everything we are servants of God. If this is not so we would not be what we are. You would not be reading this Commentary if you did not want to do what God wants of you.  We ask of God to give us understanding and that our children be closer to the Almighty and if not our children at least those of they who do the will of the Almighty.                   
 
[Psalms 90:17] AND LET THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD OUR GOD BE UPON US: AND ESTABLISH THOU THE WORK OF OUR HANDS UPON US; YEA, THE WORK OF OUR HANDS ESTABLISH THOU IT. 
We ask that God be with us and bless our endeavors. 
The Mairi and others explain these passages on the National Level and as the please of the Exiles of Judah for the Almighty to help us and enlighten us in HIS countenance.