The Moses Cameo
A Word on the Psalms, Their Composition and Compilation, and the Meaning of Moses in Psalm 90
At the broadest level, it’s easy for any Christian to crack open their Bibles and find something beneficial in the Psalms.
Whether a model prayer, a line of praise, or a healthy dose of reality, the psalms have always guided the church’s devotional life. But it’s not only Bible readers who appreciate the Psalms; Bible scholars feast on its depth and intricacies. Rather than reading the Psalms simply for their immediate helpfulness, scholars help us read more deeply, uncovering insights into the individual composition of the psalms, and the greater compilation of the Psalms as a book — especially how it functions within the canon of Scripture.
Way back when we started our series on the Psalms, I shared (thanks to some faithful teachers I’ve learned from) that the hope of the Psalms is tied to the house of David. The big canonical question the book is answering is this: Is God’s promise to David still intact? Will there yet be a son-king from David’s line, just as God promised in 2 Samuel 7?
The Psalms answer with a resounding yes. But some of the most intense tension in the whole book comes in Psalms 88, 89 … and 90.
Psalm 89 concludes Book III with the house of David in ruins. There was a specific moment in Israel’s history when this seemed devastatingly true — when David’s own faithfulness faltered (and when Psalm 89 was likely composed). And there was the later experience of the Babylonian exiles, when God’s people looked around and saw no son of David reigning, no unending kingdom in sight (and when the individual psalms were likely compiled).
Psalm 89 makes David the focus, crying out in verse 49:
“Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?”
All eyes are on that promise.
Then comes Psalm 90, the opening of Book IV, titled: “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” It’s the only psalm attributed to Moses, and it’s specifically called a prayer. Is that significant?
If we remember Israel’s story, back in Exodus 32, there was another moment when God’s covenant was threatened by human sinfulness. While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the people rebelled with the golden calf. God was furious—ready to let his wrath “burn hot against them,” ready to wipe them out and start over. But then something happened: Moses prayed.
Exodus 32:11 says, “But Moses implored Yahweh his God …”
God’s covenant was threatened by human sinfulness, but Moses interceded!
And here, in Psalm 90, after we have just read that God’s covenant is threatened again by human sinfulness, we see Moses intercede again.
At the macro level, in terms of the Psalms as a Book, Psalm 90 is meant to remind us of Moses’s faithful (and effectual) intercession. Just as God relented in Exodus, so now he will relent again. The destruction isn’t total; salvation is on the way, for the sake of his glory.
And I bring this up now because I won’t mention any of this in the sermon! This Sunday, I’ll be focusing on the more direct, devotional power of Psalm 90. It’s a psalm for the throes of everyday life — a reminder that this world is fleeting and difficult, and yet, we live with a hope that endures. That’s the beauty of Psalm 90. Its relevance is breathtaking. I’ll go there on Sunday, God willing, but don’t stop there. Let’s keep digging in!
