Psalm 90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Psalm 90
Psalm 90 begins Book 4 of the psalms. Books 1 and 2 generally tell the history of David. Books 3-5 speak of David but focus more on the office of the king than King David himself. Book 3 mainly focuses on the fall of David’s throne and closely follows the history recorded in 2 Chronicles.
Book 4 begins with no son of David on the throne. Israel is in exile in Babylon and the psalmists will look to God for rescue by fulfilling his promises to both Abraham and David to deliver a Messiah.
Moses is the author of Psalm 90. In fact Moses shows us quite a bit in Book 4 and is suspected to be the author of Psalms 90 through 99. Recall from our studies that Moses is a type of Christ. He rescued Israel from the bondage of slavery through the Exodus. We will see God coming to the rescue of his people in the same way throughout Book 4 – a new exodus as Israel is brought back to the land from exile.
Psalm 90 doesn’t have the clear connection to Jesus like many of the other psalms. The apostle Peter quotes verse four of this psalm in his second letter but not in reference to Jesus. Peter said, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8-9).
Psalm 90 could be read from the perspective of Jesus as could most of the psalms. There are references to Jesus throughout but they are less clear and not necessarily what I would consider prophecy fulfilled. Let’s take a look at two characteristics of Jesus that Moses speaks about.
Psalm 90:2 speaks of Jesus as God, “Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” The apostle John opens his gospel with the fulfillment of this verse, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:1-3).
From this point on in Psalm 90, Moses speaks of the wrath of God. Most of the psalm tells us that life is hard and is full of trouble and sorrow. We are sinful people and deserve God’s wrath. We should fear God because life is short and will be gone before we know it.
But we can rejoice anyway. Moses is calling for God’s rescue and it is coming. He asks, “How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days” (vs. 13-14). Moses would receive rescue in the form of manna every morning. But Jesus would be the bread of life.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:32-35).
The message of Psalm 90 is simple. Life is hard and life is short. Expect it to be that way. But because of Jesus, we know that we are loved by God. In response to Jesus coming to our rescue, we should sing for joy and be glad all of our days.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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