Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2730 of our Trek. <#0.5#> The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. <#1.0#>

Today, we reach the conclusion of the oldest psalm in the Psalter, Psalm Ninety, also known as the timeless Prayer of Moses, covering its remaining verses, ten through seventeen, in the New Living Translation. <#0.5#>

In our last conversation, we explored the sobering first half of this psalm. <#0.5#> Moses established the immense chasm between the eternal God—our “home” and refuge who predates the mountains—and the transient life of man, who vanishes like a “dream” or “grass” that is withered by evening. <#0.5#> We acknowledged that our fleeting years are often spent under the cloud of God’s righteous anger against sin, as He sets our “secret sins in the light of [His] presence” (Psalm Ninety, verse eight). <#0.5#>

Now, Moses moves from somber theological reflection to a fervent, practical prayer. <#0.5#> Recognizing the brevity and the sorrow of a life lived under divine displeasure, he prays for wisdom, mercy, and ultimate significance. <#0.5#> This concluding segment is the mature response to our mortality: since our days are numbered, how can we ensure they are counted for something eternal? <#0.5#>

So, let us open our hearts to this ancient and vital prayer, learning how to redeem the time God has given us. <#0.5#>

The first segment is: The Frailty of Life and the Plea for Wisdom <#0.5#>

Psalm Ninety: verses ten through twelve <#0.5#>

Seventy years are given to us!<#0.5#> Some even live to eighty.<#0.5#> But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble;<#0.5#> soon they disappear, and we fly away.<#0.5#> Who can comprehend the power of your anger?<#0.5#> Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve.<#0.5#> Teach us to realize the brevity of life,<#0.5#> so that we may grow in wisdom.<#0.5#>

Moses begins by stating the typical limit of human lifespan, a stark number based on his long experience with the dying generation in the wilderness: "Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty."<#0.5#>

This lifespan, while a gift, is often limited, but Moses acknowledges that longer life isn't always better: "But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away."<#0.5#>

This speaks to a universal truth: even the healthiest and most prosperous years have their share of hardship—a reality that the ancient Israelites knew well. <#0.5#> The years "soon disappear," and we "fly away"—a poetic image emphasizing the suddenness and finality of death, like a bird taking flight. <#0.5#> This brevity is the backdrop for the rest of the prayer. <#0.5#>

Moses then contrasts human frailty with the overwhelming might of God's displeasure: "Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve."<#0.5#>

The psalmist reminds us that the primary reason for the brevity and pain of human existence is sin and the righteous anger of God against it. <#0.5#> He asks, Who can truly grasp the severity of God's wrath? <#0.5#> It is a power so immense that it is equal to the fear (reverence and awe) that God's holiness rightly demands. <#0.5#> This contrasts the transient anger of man with the consuming, eternal wrath of God that marks the end of all mortals. <#0.5#>

This sobering realization leads to the central, most critical petition of the entire psalm: "Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom."<#0.5#>

This is a powerful prayer for wisdom (ḥokhmâ). <#0.5#> Moses asks God to "teach us to realize" (literally, "number our days")—to truly internalize and count the few days we have left, rather than live in denial of our mortality. <#0.5#> The goal is not morbid despair, but spiritual maturity: "so that we may grow in wisdom." <#0.5#> Wisdom here is the practical, spiritual discernment needed to live righteously in the time allotted, aligning our brief life with God's eternal purposes. <#0.5#> Knowing the end should fundamentally change how we live in the present. <#0.5#>

The second segment is: The Cry for Compassion and Covenant Blessing <#0.5#>

Psalm Ninety: verses thirteen through sixteen <#0.5#>

O Lord, come back to us!<#0.5#> How long will you delay?<#0.5#> Have compassion on your servants!<#0.5#> Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,<#0.5#> so we may sing for joy and be glad all day long.<#0.5#> Give us as much joy as you gave us grief;<#0.5#> give us many years of happiness instead of the years of distress.<#0.5#> Let us, your servants, see your glorious deeds;<#0.5#> let our children see your glory.<#0.5#>

Having prayed for wisdom, Moses now prays for the restoration of God's favor and compassion for the suffering covenant community: "O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Have compassion on your servants!"<#0.5#>

The cry "come back to us" (shuv) is a classic petition for God to turn His face back to His people, signaling the end of divine judgment. <#0.5#> The urgent "How long will you delay?" echoes the laments of the subsequent psalms, expressing the anguish over God's apparent distance during their suffering. <#0.5#> Moses appeals to God's inherent goodness: "Have compassion" (niḥam, to be sorry, to repent of one's anger) on "your servants" (His loyal, covenant-bound people). <#0.5#>

The petition is for satisfaction through God's eternal goodness: "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy and be glad all day long."<#0.5#>

"Morning" symbolizes a new start, the dawning of God's favor after the dark night of affliction. <#0.5#> He prays for satisfaction through God's unfailing love (ḥesed), the covenant loyalty that guarantees restoration. <#0.5#> If God's ḥesed is experienced fully, the result is overflowing, perpetual joy: "sing for joy and be glad all day long," replacing the sorrow and sighing of the previous verses. <#0.5#>

Moses prays for a balance of blessing and suffering, seeking to redeem the years lost to God's wrath: "Give us as much joy as you gave us grief; give us many years of happiness instead of the years of distress."<#0.5#>

He asks God to match the intensity and the duration of their sorrow with an equal measure of joy and happiness. <#0.5#> This is a prayer for God to reverse the curse and grant full covenant blessing, compensating them for the painful years spent under His disciplinary hand. <#0.5#>

Finally, the prayer culminates in a fervent request for a visible demonstration of God's glory that impacts future generations: "Let us, your servants, see your glorious deeds; let our children see your glory."<#0.5#>

This is a prayer for Divine Council-level action. <#0.5#> Moses is asking God to reveal His "glorious deeds" (pĕ‘ullâ) and His "glory" (kāḇôd)—His physical, majestic presence—in a tangible way before the living generation. <#0.5#> This demonstration is essential for the intergenerational transmission of faith, ensuring that the children, who will inherit the Promised Land, will witness God's power and faithfulness firsthand. <#0.5#> It's a plea for a new Exodus, a new revelation of God's majesty that re-establishes hope and secures the covenant commitment for the future. <#0.5#>

The third segment is: The Final Plea for Significance <#0.5#>

Psalm Ninety: verse seventeen <#0.5#>

And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful.<#0.5#> Yes, make our efforts successful!<#0.5#>

The psalm ends with a practical, poignant prayer for significance in the short time remaining: "And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful."<#0.5#>

"Show us his approval" (nō‘am) means to show favor, grace, or pleasantness. <#0.5#> Moses is praying that their brief lives, their daily labor, and their endeavors will not be futile—like the sighing years of the dying generation—but will be marked by God's favor. <#0.5#> The ultimate blessing is the desire for God to "make our efforts successful" (kûn, "to establish, prepare, or make firm"). <#0.5#> He asks God to establish their work, to give their short lifespan enduring significance by blessing the efforts of their hands. <#0.5#> The final, emphatic repetition—"Yes, make our efforts successful!"—underscores the deep, final longing that their hard work and their legacy will not vanish into the dust. <#0.5#>

Psalm Ninety, verses ten through seventeen, moves from the grim reality of mortality to a fervent prayer for wisdom, compassion, and eternal significance. <#0.5#> It teaches us that true wisdom lies in acknowledging our brevity and praying for God’s favor to give our fleeting efforts enduring value. <#0.5#>

If you found this podcast insightful, please subscribe and leave us a review, then encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of <#0.5#> ‘Wisdom-Trek, <#0.5#> Creating a Legacy.’ <#0.5#>

Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most importantly, I am your friend as I serve you through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal. <#0.5#> As we take this Trek of life together, let us always: Live Abundantly... <#0.5#> Love Unconditionally... <#0.5#> Listen Intentionally... <#0.5#> Learn Continuously... <#0.5#> Lend to others Generously... <#0.5#> Lead with Integrity... <#0.5#> Leave a Living Legacy Each Day... <#0.5#>

I am Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to, <#0.5#> ‘Keep Moving Forward,’ <#0.5#> ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ <#0.5#> and, ‘Create a Great Day…Everyday! <#0.5#> See you next time for more daily wisdom! <#0.5#>