Today, we’ll dive into Psalms 89, 90, and 91 in our daily devotional. Each of these psalms invites us to reflect deeply on God’s power, presence, and promises. Psalm 90, uniquely attributed to Moses, offers a profound perspective on the brevity of life and the enduring nature of God’s love and faithfulness. As we read these words, consider your work and daily life: do you see your efforts as an offering to God, or simply as tasks to complete? Let’s explore these verses, asking God to guide, bless, and establish the work of our hands. To learn how to walk closely with God, read the daily devotional on Psalms 85-88.
Psalms 89-91 Commentary by Allen J. Huth
In our thirty-day journey through the Book of Psalms, today is day eighteen. We will look at three psalms, Psalms 89, 90, and 91. Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to Moses. Do you see your work as unto the Lord, or is it just a job? Do you ask God’s blessing on your work and your job? Please read or listen to Psalms 89-91.
Rather than go back through journal entries today, I will highlight some of the great, great verses in these three psalms. Let’s look at Psalms 89-91.
What Is the Main Point of Psalm 89?
Psalm 89 begins with, “I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.” Verse 11 says, “The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.”
Why Is Psalm 90 Written by Moses?
From the only psalm of Moses, Psalm 90, we read in verse 2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Verse 4, “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past”. Moses wrote in verse 10, “The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” In verse 14, he wrote, “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Moses’ last words in this psalm were verse 17, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!”
What Does the Psalm 91 Say?
We will finish up with some verses out of Psalm 91, starting with verse 1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” Going on to verses 9-11:
Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
the Most High, who is my refuge—
no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
no plague come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
We finish today with the last three verses of Psalm 91, verses 14-16:
Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.
What powerful words from these three psalms.
What Was Moses’s Prayer?
Psalm 90 is a prayer of Moses, the Man of God. Psalms were to be sung. This psalm takes the congregation back to the time of Psalms as Israel was about to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The generation who left Egypt through the parting of the Red Sea, died in the desert from rebellion and disobedience. A new generation poised to do what the last was denied, needed to commit to embrace God and His covenant to “establish the work of our hands” (90:17).
Those who sung this psalm generations later, were the heirs of those who crossed into the Promised Land. As they sung these words of Moses, they sought God’s blessing to “establish the work of our hands” as well. As we read the prayer of Moses, the Man of God, may we seek God’s blessing on the work of our hands too.
Prayer
Lord, we thank You for the encouragement we received from these psalms today. We are reminded that You are the creator, therefore, we should worship the creator, not the creation. We are also reminded You are eternal from everlasting to everlasting. We are excited that You provided a way for us to be eternally with You.
We thank You for the reminder of Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. And we are thankful for the reminder of angels that guard our ways. We also thank You for establishing the work of our hands. Thank You for these encouraging reminders of how You express Your love toward us. May we be grateful and return our love to You. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
