A Prayer Of Moses

by G. Jarvie, Glasgow | Category: Prayers Of Scripture | Jul 1973

"LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations" (Psa. 90:1).

No man in Old Testament times knew God more intimately than Moses the man of God (Deut. 34:10). We are thankful that this prayer has been recorded for us. What wealth of experience Moses had! He had been a prince in Egypt, mighty in -his words and works (Acts 7:22). He had been a shepherd in Midian, and he became the leader of God's people from Egypt to Canaan.

"From everlasting to everlasting Thou art God", wrote Moses. He was impressed with the majesty of God, with whom a thousand years are as one day. In contrast, men are as the grass that grows up in the daytime, and in the evening is cut down and withers. As we ponder this we are humbled and bow more reverently in worship and in prayer as we draw near to the throne of the Majesty in the heavens (Heb. 8:1).

Our secret sins are open before Him and we pass our days in need of correction and chastening. Our days are short, and the things that men take pride in - their scientific achievements, and massive buildings - are soon gone, and men pass away Solomon, the world's richest man in his day (and probably in any day), summed up life and human attainment as "vanity and a striving after wind" (Eccl. 2:17).

And so the man of God pleads for wisdom to number his days; to live wisely as one whose life is limited. "Life is all too brief to spend in fruitless ease" as someone has written. Moses had been in the palace with Pharaoh, and he knew well the great schemes and massive building projects of the Egyptians. He knew how futile all these schemes were, and one day he turned his back on them all. He walked down the palace steps, not to return for forty years when he would come back to lead Israel out of Egypt as free men and women.

What a lesson all this is for us! We live in an age of scientific achievements far surpassing that of Egypt, yet men are probably no happier. We need the grace and wisdom that Moses had to count the things of this "chromium-plated", highly technical age as nothing compared with the repro-ach and the riches of Christ.

Moses prayed that he would be kept from the sorrows and stresses of this world, and be satisfied in the morning with the mercy (the kindness) of the Lord. If this is an every morning experience with us then surely every day will be filled with the joy of the Lord. Morning reading and prayer are very necessary for us all. If it is not possible in the morning then it must be some time in the day. If it means going to bed earlier to be able to rise earlier, it is well worth while.

But Moses wanted more than the joy of the Lord. He wanted to see the work of the Lord. And he wanted to see the glory of the Lord in the children that were growing up. He wanted to see that reverence and love of God that we also want to see in the young folk. It means so much to them also, as they grow up in an age that is losing the knowledge of God. As a great culmination to his prayer, Moses asked that the beauty of the Lord might be upon them all.

Moses put in words what we all long for. From our hearts we say, "Amen, amen". Moses has taught us by word and action that the best that this world can give is not to be compared with the glory of Christ, which one day we shall see (John 17:24).

G. Jarvie, Glasgow | Jul 1973
Prayers Of Scripture