Lifegroup Guide Week 14 - Psalms 90

Week 14 The central subject of Psalm 90 is time. It deals with the brevity of human life—there is too little time. But most importantly, the psalm asks how to live life in light of the certainty of death and the fleeting nature of human existence. Part of the answer is to focus first on the eternality of God, the one who gives life (90:1) and makes life purposeful (90:17). Psalm 90 has an important location in the Book of Psalms. It is the first psalm in Book Four of the . Book III was dominated by psalms that complained to God about Israel’s suffering. This ended with , a psalm that complained about the failure of the Davidic monarchy. Psalm 90 now begins a book of psalms that seems to answer that complaint with the assurance that “the LORD reigns” (Ps. 93:1). Psalm 90 speaks about the brevity of human life in order to address a particular trauma Israel suffered, namely the Babylonian exile (587–539 B.C.). The brevity of life, the wrath of God (90:7, 9, 11), and humanity’s “toil and trouble” (90:10) all point to Israel’s suffering. Isaiah 40 uses similar language and images to speak about this event. Psalm 90 is the only psalm in the book of Psalms attributed to . Who better to voice a prayer for God’s people in such a situation than Moses? Moses led the people out of bondage in Egypt. Now in Psalm 90 Moses prays across the ages for Israel in exile.

PERSONAL STUDY Read Psalm 90

Jot down some of your initial thoughts as you read through these Psalms, what do you observe?

Verses 1 & 2 make two observations about God, what are they?

What does the psalmist tell us about God in verse 4? How is this significant for us?

How does the psalmist describe God’s anger and its effects on our lives (vv. 7-11)?

In verses 12-17, the psalmist presents his prayer requests to God. What does he ask for?

How should this Psalm influence your prayers tonight?

Is there a particular verse that speaks to your heart? PSALMS

GROUP STUDY Read Psalm 90

Based on this week’s sermon and your personal study, what stood out to you about this passage?

This psalm begins by drawing a clear contrast between God and man. What does is tell us about God? What does it tells us about man?

This is a psalm of Moses. How would these words be important for him in his life?

How does this perspective come into play in your life?

What are the prayer requests in verses 12-17? How would these apply to our lives today?

How does 2 Peter 3 give us insight into this passage?

REFLECT Spend some time reflecting in prayer this week. Is your perspective more focused on eternity or the temporal?

Are there areas of anxiety or fear that can be relieved with a change of perspective?