Psalm 90—91
King David was only 70 when he died. Sin takes its toll
on the human race, and we no longer see lifespans
recorded like those in Genesis 5. We don’t like to think
about the wrath of God, but every obituary in the
newspaper is a reminder that “the wages of sin is death”
(Rom. 6:23). We finish our years “like a sigh” (v. 9
nasb) and marvel that it all went by so fast! So, now is
the time to ask God for wisdom to become better stu-
dents and stewards of our time and opportunities (v.
12; Deut. 32:29). We number our years, not our days,
but all of us have to live a day at a time, and we do not
know how many days we have left. A successful life is
composed of successful days that honor the Lord.
We Are Believers and the Future Is Our Friend
(vv. 13–17)
Yes, life is a difficult school, and God disciplines us if
we fail to learn our lessons and submit to His will, but
there is more to the story. In spite of the “black border”
around this psalm, the emphasis is on life and not
death. The past and present experiences of life prepare
us for the future, and all of life prepares us for eternity.
When you contrast verses 13–17 with verses 7–12, you
can see the difference. This closing prayer emphasizes
God’s compassion and unfailing love, His desire to give
us joy and satisfaction even in the midst of life’s trou-
bles, and His ability to make life count for eternity.
When Jesus Christ is your Savior and Lord, the future
is your friend.
“Return” (v. 13) carries the idea of “turn again—
turn from your anger and show us the light of your
countenance” (Ex. 32:12; Num. 6:23–26; Deut.
32:36). “How long?” is a question frequently asked (see
6:3). In verse 14, Moses may have been referring to the
manna that fell each morning, six days a week, and met
the physical needs of the people (Ex. 16:1–21). It was
a picture of Jesus Christ, the bread of life. The manna
sustained life for the Jewish people for nearly forty
years, but Jesus gives life to the whole world for all eter-
nity! When we begin the day with the Lord and feed on
His Word (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4), then we walk with
Him throughout the day and enjoy His blessing. The
nourishment of the Word enables us to be faithful pil-
grims and successful learners.
There are compensations in life that we may not
appreciate until we enter eternity. Moses prayed that
God would give him and his people as much joy in the
future as the sorrow they had experienced in the past.
Paul may have had this in mind when he wrote
Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 1:5 and 4:16–18—
except that God promises His children far more
blessing than the burdens they carry! The glory to
come far exceeds the suffering that we bear today.
Moses lost his temper and could not enter Canaan
(Num. 20:2–13), but he did get to the Promised Land
with Jesus and share God’s glory with Elijah and three
of the disciples (Matt. 17:1–8).
Whatever the Lord doesn’t compensate for here on
earth will be compensated in heaven (1 Peter 5:10),
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and this includes our works for Him. At times, Moses
must have felt that his work was futile, temporary, and
not worth doing. Many times the people broke his
heart and grieved his spirit. He sacrificed to serve them,
and they rarely appreciated him. But no work done for
the Lord will ever go unrewarded, and those who do
the will of God abide forever (1 John 2:17). Even a cup
of cold water given in Jesus’ name will receive its
reward (Matt. 10:42; 25:31–46). The favor of the Lord
does not desert us in our old age, in times of affliction,
or when we come to die, and the blessings of our work
and witness will go on. In verse 13, Moses addressed
God as Jehovah, the God of the covenant who will
never break His promises, and that is the God we love,
worship, and serve.
Life is brief, so Moses prayed, “Teach us.” Life is
difficult, and he prayed, “Satisfy us.” His work at times
seemed futile, so he prayed, “Establish the work of our
hands.” God answered those prayers for Moses, and He
will answer them for us. The future is your friend when
Jesus is your Savior and Lord.
PSALM 91
Psalm 90 focuses on dealing with the difficulties of life,
but the emphasis in this psalm is on the dangers of life.
The anonymous author (though some think Moses
wrote it) warns about hidden traps, deadly plagues, ter-
rors at night and arrows by day, stumbling over rocks,
and facing lions and snakes! However, in view of terror-
ist attacks, snipers, reckless drivers, exotic new diseases,
and Saturday night handgun specials, the contempo-
rary scene may be as dangerous as the one described in
the psalm. The saints who abide in Christ (vv. 1, 9)
cannot avoid confronting unknown perils, but they can
escape the evil consequences. Moses, David, and Paul,
and a host of other servants of God faced great danger
in accomplishing God’s will, and the Lord saw them
through. However, Hebrews 11:36 cautions us that
“others” were tortured and martyred, yet their faith was
just as real. But generally speaking, walking with the
Lord does help us to detect and avoid a great deal of
trouble, and it is better to suffer in the will of God than
to invite trouble by disobeying God’s will (1 Peter
2:18–25). The psalmist described the elements
involved in living the life of confidence and victory.
Faith in God—The Hidden Life (vv. 1–4)
The most important part of a believer’s life is the part
that only God sees, the “hidden life” of communion
and worship that is symbolized by the Holy of Holies
in the Jewish sanctuary (Ex. 25:18–22; Heb.
10:19–25). God is our refuge and strength (46:1). He
hides us that He might help us and then send us back
to serve Him in the struggles of life. (See 27:5;
31:19–20; 32:7; 73:27–28; 94:22; 142:5; Deut.
32:37.) The author of the psalm had two “addresses”:
his tent (v. 10) and his Lord (vv. 1, 9). The safest place

in the world is a shadow, if it is the shadow of the
Almighty. Through Jesus Christ we find safety and sat-
isfaction under the wings of the cherubim in the Holy
of Holies (36:7–8; 57:1; 61:4; 63:2, 6–7). Jesus pic-
tured salvation by describing chicks hiding under the
wings of the mother hen (Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:38),
and the psalmist pictured communion as believers rest-
ing under the wings of the cherubim in the tabernacle.
The names of God used in these verses encourage
us to trust Him. He is the Most High (Elyon, vv. 1, 9),
a name found first in Genesis 14:18–20. He is higher
than the kings of the earth and the false gods of the
nations. He is also the Almighty (SHADDAI), the all-suf-
ficient God who is adequate for every situation. (See
Gen. 17:1; 28:3; 35:11.) He is Lord (vv. 2, 9, 14),
Jehovah, the covenant-making God who is faithful to
His promises. He is God (ELOHIM, v. 2), the powerful
God whose greatness and glory surpass anything we
can imagine. This is the God who invites us to fellowship
with Him in the Holy of Holies! This hidden life of wor-
ship and communion makes possible the public life of
obedience and service. This God shelters us beneath
the wings of the cherubim, but He also gives us the
spiritual armor we need (v. 4; Eph. 6:10–18). His truth
and faithfulness protect us as we claim His promises
and obey Him. The shield is the large shield that cov-
ers the whole person. (See Gen. 15:1; Deut. 33:29; 2
Sam. 22:3.) Some translations give “bulwark” or “ram-
part” instead of “buckler.” The Hebrew word means
“to go around” and would describe a mound of earth
around a fortress. But the message is clear: those who
abide in the Lord are safe when they are doing His will.
God’s servants are immortal until their work is done
(Rom. 8:28–39).
Peace from God—The Protected Life (vv. 5–13)
When we practice “the hidden life” we are not alone,
for God is with us and compensates for our inadequa-
cies. This paragraph emphasizes that we need not be
afraid because the Lord and His angels watch over us.
In the ancient Near East, travel was dangerous, unless
you were protected by armed guards. (It is not much
different in some large cities today.) “Terror by night”
could mean simply “the fear of the dark” and of what
can happen in the darkness. Contaminated water and
food, plus an absence of sound health measures, made
it easy to contract diseases by day or by night, although
“the destruction that lays waste at noon” (v. 6 nasb)
could refer to the effects of the burning rays of the sun.
Verses 7–8 read like the description of a battle and
may have a direct relationship to the covenant promises
God made with Israel (Lev. 26:8; Deut. 32:30). With
their own eyes, Israel saw the grief of the Egyptians
over their firstborn who died on Passover night (Ex.
12:29–30), and they also saw the Egyptian army dead
on the shore of the Red Sea (Ex. 14:26–31), yet no
harm came to the people of Israel. God’s angel went
before them to prepare the way and to lead the way
(Ex. 23:20). Satan quoted part of verses 11–12 when
Psalm 91—92
he tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matt. 4:6), and the
Lord responded with Deuteronomy 6:16. If the Father
had commanded Jesus to jump from the temple pinna-
cle, then the angels would have cared for Jesus, but to
jump without the Father’s command would have been
presumption, not faith, and that would be tempting
the Father. In Scripture, the lion and serpent (cobra)
are images of Satan (1 Peter 5:8; Gen. 3; 2 Cor. 11:3;
Rev. 12:9; 20:2; and see Luke 10:19; Rom. 16:20). In
the ancient Near East, both were dangerous enemies,
especially for travelers walking along the narrow paths.
Love for God—The Satisfied Life (vv. 14–16)
The Lord spoke and announced what He would do for
those of His people who truly loved Him and acknowl-
edged Him with obedient lives. The word translated
“love” is not the usual word but one that means “to
cling to, to cleave, to be passionate.” It is used in
Deuteronomy 7:7 and 10:15 for the love Jehovah has
for His people Israel. (See John 14:21–24.) Among His
blessings will be deliverance and protection (“set him
on high”), answered prayer, companionship in times of
trouble, honor, satisfaction, and a long life (see 21:4;
Ex. 20:12; Deut. 30:20). The salvation mentioned at
the end of the psalm may mean help and deliverance
during life, as in 50:23, or the joy of beholding the
glory of God after a long and satisfied life. To the
Jewish people, living a long life and seeing one’s chil-
dren, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren was the
ultimate of blessing in this life. Like Abraham, they
wanted to die in a good old age and “full of years”
(Gen. 25:8), which means “a fulfilled life.” It’s one
thing for doctors to add years to our life, but God adds
life to our years and makes that life worthwhile.
PSALM 92
The major theme is the sovereign rule of God, as stated
in verse 8, which is the central verse of the psalm. It
proclaims that God is most high (kjv), He is on high
(NASB), and He is exalted forever (niv). The covenant
name Jehovah (Lord) is used seven times; Elyon (Most
High) is found in verse 1 and Elohim in verse 13. The
inscription relates the psalm to the Sabbath Day wor-
ship at the sanctuary. During the week, a lamb was
sacrificed each morning and another in the evening,
but on the Sabbath Day, those sacrifices were doubled
(Ex. 29:38–46; Num. 28:1–10). Because our God
reigns supremely, and always will, we can be the people
of God that He wants us to be. The psalm describes the
characteristics of believers who trust a sovereign God.
A Worshipping People (vv. 1–5)
A part of Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord
was their honoring of the weekly Sabbath. It was a spe-
cial sign between Israel and the Lord (Ex. 20:8–11;
31:12–17; Neh. 9:13–15) and reminded them that
God had delivered them from Egypt (Deut. 5:12–15).
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