Psalm 90:13

Psalm 90:13

How long will it be?

Moses, the writer of this Psalm, enjoyed a lengthy life. As we have seen, his principal purpose for being on this planet did not kick in until he was 80, and the next 40 years were to be a time of incredible productivity and purpose, but also of despair and trouble. As he pens this song, Moses is deeply troubled by the power of death that hangs over the Israelites and we have pondered the probability that this could have been attributed to an event like the plague of snakes that infested the camp. In such circumstances it is not difficult to understand why Moses pleads with the Lord, “Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants.” 

It might seem impatient to demand of the Lord God, “How long” or to reproach Him for a lack of compassion! However, such language is frequently found in the Psalms. It tells us that the psalmists did not question that relief would come, it was not so much a matter of “if” but of “when”. If we are convinced that the Lord is righteous and true, that He keeps His promises and He will never forsake us. If we believe that He has our best interests at heart and that He will always be our deliverer, then it follows that it’s never a question of “if” but of “when”. “If” suggests that we doubt God and His word, “when” is simply an impatient plea to “hurry it up!” So, however dark the circumstances that surround us may be, however long the attrition may last, let us be of no doubt, He will deliver us. Hallelujah!

 

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