Teach Us To Number Our Days
Most of the Psalms were written by David, but at least one was written by Moses – Psalm 90. It is not one of the cheerier Psalms of the Bible. It reviews the generally short and unpleasant aspect of human existence. For those of us who prefer happier themes, what could be the value of such a review? Why does Moses pen an entire poem on human mortality and misery?
Our Mortality Magnifies God
Moses quite possibly penned this Psalm on a brilliant morning in the Sinai desert, surrounded by the stark beauty of the wilderness peaks. Sinai is desolate, imbued with a sense of timelessness. Perhaps there, Moses mused on God. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Such thoughts of the greatness of God are magnified when Moses began to consider man. “You return man to dust and say, ‘Return, O children of man!’” It is valuable to meditate on our morality for this simple reason: it makes God appear more glorious. Humanity has limitations, and God does not. The absolute endlessness of God is another reason to fall before him.
Our Mortality Reminds Us of Sin
Throughout human history, life has generally been (to use the famous words of Thomas Hobbes) “solitary, poor, brutish, nasty, and short.” Thankfully – and by God’s grace – societal and technical advances have done much to make life more pleasant, so that we can laugh at our difficulties as ‘first-world problems.’
But stripping away the conveniences of modern life, we are still left with this reality: that humans are innately mortal, limited, and particularly prone to hardship and difficulty. Death strikes without reason, and we all suffer setbacks and disappointments. Heartbreak, woe, and sorrow are the universal human condition, even if we also have our fair share of joy.
As we progress through the weariness of life – tired out by sorrows, and disappointed time and again – we learn that there is more to life than the present. In the words of Blaise Pascal, “It is good to be tired and wearied by the futile search after the true good, that we may stretch out our arms to the Redeemer.”
Such mortality and hardship are reminders of the ubiquitous character of sin, and the chastening power of God. Moses explicitly considers this in verses 7-11. “For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.” We may hide from our mortality, but we cannot escape its consequences.
Our Mortality Teaches Us Wisdom
The practical effect of these sorry thoughts is that we gain wisdom. Some people hesitate to think about sad or depressing thoughts, like death. But the wise man will not shy away. Like horses, we must train ourselves not to shy away from such unpleasant topics. Those who ignore death and try to forget the coming storms of life will never have motivation to live wisely in the present. Those who carefully consider the future will recognize that the time for obedience is now, while there is still breath. From a Christian perspective, the reality of death is our commission to carpe diem! This is authentic Mosaic theology: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Conclusion
We may not be wandering in the Sinai wilderness – and we may be distracted by the apparent ease of modern living – but our own death and mortality are still worthy of consideration. If Socrates is right, that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living,’ then surely, by Moses’ philosophy, we should begin by examining our finitude.
