TODAY’S READING: PSALM 90-99
OVERVIEW:
God’s eternality and man’s transitoriness; the security of the one who trusts in the Lord; praise for God’s goodness; the majesty of the Lord; the vengeance of the Lord; a call to sing, worship, and praise the Lord; the Lord’s power and dominion; praise for the Lord’s righteousness; the exaltation of the Lord as our holy King.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Psalm 90 is unique for several reasons. First, because it is the oldest psalm, and therefore the first one ever written; and second, because it (along with Psalm 91) was written by Moses. Notice the prophetic application of Psalm 90:4 – “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” In the Old Testament, there were three watches to a Jewish night (Judges7:19). In the New Testament, there are four watches (Mark6:48). Note that Christ was born at the beginning of 1st “day” of 1000 years, and will come again at the beginning of the 3rd “day” of 1000 years (II Pet. 3:8; Ex.9:11). Christ was born at the first watch of the night, and will return “in the fourth watch of the night” (Matt.14:25), which is the “morning watch,” and hence the title, “the Day of the Lord,” when the “SUN (!!!) of Righteousness will arise” (Mal. 4:1-2).
Note also in verse 10 of Psalm 90 that the normal life span for a typical man until the Second Coming of Christ is 70 years (i.e. average age at death). The Lord will “take that up a few notches” for those born during the Millennium (Isa. 65:20), as men will live to be several hundred years of age as they did in some Old Testament times (Gen. 5).
In terms of “numbering our days” (90:12), the point is, “redeem the time” (Co.4:5; Eph.5:16), or make the absolute most of each day. Taken literally,
If you are age 20, you have 18,250 days to live.
If you are age 25, you have 16,425 days to live.
If you are age 30, you have 14,600 days to live.
If you are age 35, you have 12,775 days to live.
If you are age 40, you have 10,950 days to live.
If you are age 45, you have 9,125 days to live.
If you are age 50, you have 7,300 days to live.
If you are age 55, you have 5,475 days to live.
If you are age 60, you have 3,650 days to live.
If you are age 65, you have 1,825 days to live.
If you are age 70, you are now on “borrowed” time!
But remember Proverbs 27:1 – “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth”! Remember, also, what time it is on God’s clock! We are the generation whose days will be shortened by the Rapture, so we’re back to the main point of Psalm 90:12: Live each day as if it were your last, because it might just be!
Psalm 91 is another personal favorite. Without understanding the doctrinal/prophetic application of Scripture, however, you can get yourself more than just a little messed up, by claiming promises that are not intended for you, or promises that are not intended for you in THIS life.
Though most Bible scholars are unable to identify the prophetic application of this Psalm as it applies to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Satan understood it very well! Satan makes this identification in Matthew 4:6, and the Holy Spirit records it to reveal (I Cor.2:10, 13) the real meaning of Psalm 91. (Note also that there is a double prophetic application in Psalm 91 in that the verses also apply to the remnant of Jewish saints in the Great Tribulation (91:3, 5, 6, 10). Any way you slice it, God’s people in the Church Age are not promised protection from “the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday” (91:5-6). There are a minimum of 50 million people in the Church Age who sought with everything within them to “dwell in the secret place of the Most High,” who were shot through with arrows, sewn in the skins of animals and thrown to wild beasts, placed on the rack to have every joint ligament, tendon, and muscle totally ripped to shreds, burned at the stake, crucified, boiled in oil, or had done to them just about anything the devil could imagine and could prompt people to mete out on God’s precious saints. And that’s not to mention a minimum of another 50 million saints who have been struck down in wars, or by some sickness or disease (pestilence).
There is, however, an incredible devotional/inspirational application of this Psalm for those of us living in the Church Age:
- There is a “secret place” (91:1) of intimacy with Christ that we can experience in our relationship with Him that others don’t experience (Isa. 57:15; 4:6; 32:2; Song of Sol. 2:3, 6).
- Our eyes will “behold and see the reward of the wicked” (91:8), as we will be the “armies” that follows the Lord out of heaven at His Second Coming when He returns to the earth to unleash His judgment (Rev. 19;11-16; Isa. 63:1-4).
- Once we have been raptured and have entered into our external “secret place” (John 14:3), no evil shall ever befall us again (Ps. 91:10a), and no plague will ever again come near us (91:10b).
- We will be “delivered” at the Rapture, at which time we will be “set on high” (91:14).
- The Lord has not promised us the ABSENCE of trouble in this life, but He has promised His PRESENCE with us through it (Ps. 91:15; Heb. 13:5; II Cor. 12:9)!
- The Lord has and will honor us (Ps. 91:15; John5:44;12:26).
- We will be “satisfied” with “long life” beyond our wildest dreams. Jesus called it eternal life, and that’s pretty dog-gone long!
Many other incredible prophetic and devotional truths unfold in the remainder of today’s Psalms (92-99) that hopefully you are now beginning to see how to identify and apply for yourself. Enjoy!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As the GOD WHO COVERS WITH HIS FEATHERS – Ps. 91:4 (Matt.23:37).
As the ROCK OF OUR SALVATION – Ps. 95:1 (I Cor. 10:4).
As the LORD WHO JUDGES THE EARTH IN RIGHTEOUSNESS & TRUTH – Ps. 96:13 (Rev. 16:5-7).
As the LORD WHO RETURNS IN FLAMING FIRE – Ps. 97:4 (II Thess. 1:7-9)