LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
In the very beginning of the
psalm, Moses first states that we have an everlasting dwelling
place. When he wrote this psalm, most probably all Israelites
were wandering in wilderness. They were circling day after day.
One of the most desire is to settle down and rest. But when he
(Moses) thought of God, the LORD, who have unbroken covenant with
men, he can clam down even though he cannot enter the visible
rest immediately. Another translation of Dwelling place is hiding
place or place of refuge. Which represents that, in time of
trouble, we can take refuge. He is our strongest protector even
though we never see Him. In the wilderness of life, many troubles
and snares we meet, many providence we need, He is our only
hiding place and refuge. And this hiding place is everlasting.
From time to time, it will be the same. Even mountains shake and
drop into deep sea, our dwelling place will never move a little
bit.
Before the mountains were born, Or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.
In the wilderness, Israelites see
are only mountains. Before their eyes, they always the same. The
earth and the world are the oldest things in their thought. So
the writer used this things to compare with God to emphasis His
solitariness, immutability and eternity. All these attributes
only belong to Him, and God alone. He is the only God exists.
Let's think of the concept of God, how majesty and supreme He is.
He is the only independent exists being. We all are creature, but
only He himself is the creator. We all exist in some sense depend
on other agents, but He doesn't. He creates all the agents we
depended on and even we ourselves. We, all the creatures, will
change and never last long, but He never.
Thou dost turn man back into dust, And dost say, "Return, O children of men." For a thousand years in Thy sight are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. Thou hast swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep; In the morning they are like grass which sprouts anew. In the morning it flourishes, and sprouts anew; Toward evening it fades, and withers away.
Then the writer turned his
direction toward man. If we only think of the thing below, and
compare ourselves with other creatures, we will be pride of
ourselves and not realize the real situation we are. But each
time when we think of God, and in the light of Him, we realize
how misery we are. Some of us may proud of the beauty of forms,
however, don't forget we just were made like worms, made from the
dust and return to the dust. Sometime we may have fully
confidence in ourselves and seems everything are under controlled
by ourselves. Let us don't forget that in the sight of God, we
just like the weakest and worthless grasses. In the morning we
flourish but after a while, just a little while, we fade away.
After men sin, we loss the image of God. Our destiny is
corruption. Nevertheless, the concept of eternity still remain in
us, as Eccelesiastes said "God has planted eternity into the
man's heart" in order that we can taste the beauty of God.
We understand more the poor of man, we will definitely expect
less from man and will be less complain just because of the
little offered from man. In addition, the more we recognize how
miserable we are, we will have a clearer view of the majesty of
our God. And fully acknowledge that the graces of God are the
most important thing we need on earth.
For we have been consumed by Thine anger, And by Thy wrath we have been dismayed. Thou hast placed our iniquities before Thee, Our secret sins in the light of Thy presence.
Surely creator and creature has
the gap never can be bridged. We just like a watch in the night.
But He is eternity. Besides, one thing make us more far away from
our creator, which is our sin. He is an holy God. In the heaven's
holy of the holiest, even the most holy angles will cry
"Holy! Holy! Holy!" day and night. No any one sin he
will not punish, no any secret sin can be hidden from His
presence. We are the abhor sinful creature in the sight of God.
We sin day and night. He know all our secret thoughts of sin. No
matter how convicting the excuse we have, sin is still sin in His
sight. So His wrath on the sin of man make us dismay. In the day
of sin, we just like a worm consumed by the fire of His anger.
For all our days have declined in Thy fury; We have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.
All our strength are declined in
the fury of God. All we proud of in this life will be disappeared
in the light of Him. Only seventy or eighty years we can live in
this world, however, they are full of labor and sorrow. How real
this picture presents. It not only presents the life without
Christ, even Christians live in this world also taste the fruit
of sin in the body.
Who understands the power of Thine anger, And Thy fury, according to the fear that is due Thee? So teach us to number our days, That we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.
After sketching the picture of
empty life. The writer turned his heart to God again and ask two
questions to himself. In the first question, he sigh for we know
just little of God's eternal power. The second question he sigh
for although poor we are but still don't give homages to God and
live with fear before Him. We all know that God has eternal power
and He hates sin. But do we really learn these truth in our
heart? Do we really fear Him and honor God as God in our everyday
life? Does the fear of God have any influence on our private
life? Then the writer had a request. He asked God to teach him
how to live his days in a meaningful and holy way in order that
he can present a heart which is full of wisdom to Him. The wise
heart and living our day in meaningful way are closely related.
If we really know our time of serving God are running short, we
will surely have a wisdom heart to order our way of life. How we
need a pure and wisdom heart from God to live out our faith in
this very short and evil day.
Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Thy servants. O satisfy us in the morning with Thy lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days Thou hast afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil.
Then the writer asked the LORD
return and reveal His presence again. In the 38 years of
wandering, they are under punishment. Everyday they saw their
neighbor died, and fully tasted the smell of dead. They are just
walking everyday but without destination. So the writer confessed
that only God's love can satisfy him and only God and God's
presence can make them joy and glad in this very day of judgment.
Moses felt only God can give meaning to his routine life and only
He can satisfy him and make him glad even in time of trouble.
This is also the secrete to make our life happy and peace. His
very presence always strengthens our services. His love always
gives us comfort during distress, even though most of the time we
don't understand why. And His forgiveness of our faults always
gives us hope to start over and over again.
Let Thy work appear to Thy servants, And Thy majesty to their children. And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And do confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.
The writer asked the work of God to appear, and His majesty and favor to fall upon their children, and to confirm the works they done. What are beauty ending of this psalm? In the beginning we taste the say facet of life, however we can end with glad. Even we have sin, but by the grace and lovingkindness of God we can boldly request His majesty and favor. Lastly, we need our God's support to strengthen our everyday works. And He not only support our works but confirm, that means He approves and defines meaning for the very routine works we do. We indeed do them all for Him.