Psalm 90:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

NIV: Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

NASB: So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.

CSB: Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.

NLT: Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

KJV: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

NKJV: So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Considering God's righteous anger and wrath (Psalm 90:11), Moses provides an example of sensible prayer. He asks God for wisdom to account for our time. Time flies, life is uncertain, and God judges sin. It is important, therefore, to value the moments and days He has given us. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring (Proverbs 27:1), so we ought to dedicate today and every day to the Lord. We must live sensibly and with a purpose, yet do so one day at a time.

We should seek divine wisdom for the best way to live throughout each day. Our prayer in the morning should be what David prayed: "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!" (Psalm 143:10). Jesus set a perfect example of morning prayer that we can emulate (Mark 1:35). Surely, if we considered every 24-hour period as something valuable God has entrusted to us, we would faithfully dispense our moments in ways that honor Him (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Psalm 90:11–17 calls on the Lord to teach His people to number their days and gain wisdom. Moses, the author, prays for mercy and joy. Also, he asks the Lord to prosper His servants' work. Other Scriptures emphasize God's compassion, the joy He gives, and the blessing He pours out on those who serve Him (Psalm 100:5; Proverbs 22:4). The books of Ezra and Nehemiah demonstrate the truth that God grants these gifts to those who honor Him, even if those gifts aren't always in the form of an easy, prosperous life.

Psalm 90, likely the oldest psalm, opens with Moses addressing God as eternal and Israel's dwelling place, but quickly shifts to an acknowledgement of man's brief life on earth. Our iniquity is the reason God directs His wrath at us. In most cases, a person can expect to live somewhere around 70 or 80 years, barring disease or misfortune. Short or long, life is full of toil and trouble. In view of life's brevity, Moses asks the Lord to fill His people with wisdom. He also asks the Lord to reveal His work, demonstrate His power, grant His favor, and make Israel's labor successful.

Psalm 90, written by Moses, is most likely the oldest psalm, presuming it was written during Israel's wandering in the desert. This begins the fourth division of Psalms (90—106) and likely was written after Israel refused to heed the Lord's command to enter and occupy Canaan (Numbers 13—14). The background for Psalm 90 is Israel's wanderings for forty years in the desert and the perishing of a generation as a result of its disobedience. The psalm focuses on God's eternal nature and man's finite nature. It stresses God's anger against sin and appeals to His compassion to restore and bless His people.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/3/2024 6:27:16 AM