May God be pleased to bless our
souls together this evening as we meditate in his word. Let's
turn to the book of Psalms and Psalm 90 and we'll read verse
12. Psalm 90 and reading verse 12. So, teach us to number our days
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. We don't know precisely when
Moses wrote this psalm, but I think we can make a reasonable assumption
that it was towards the end of his life. And he had been wonderfully
blessed throughout his life. He had a very varied life, and
perhaps as varied as anybody on the earth, and had been blessed
perhaps in an amazing way, perhaps more than anybody else. that
lived on the earth remember he spent those first 40 years in
palatial surroundings in the palace of Pharaoh and then 40
years in the back side of the desert and then 40 years leading
Israel through the wilderness and he saw very clearly especially
in those last 40 years the wonderful hand of God leading and directing
him and of course the children of Israel and he'd seen very
clearly the power of God in those days and so the 11th verse reads
who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear
so is thy wrath and he had seen God's wrath upon Israel he'd
seen God's wrath upon the enemies of Israel and those scenes could
not have been erased from his mind and therefore he is very
able to speak on this who knows the power of thine anger so we
see there he acknowledges the power of God's anger and he also
acknowledges in the beginning of this psalm the power of Almighty
God when he says before the mountains were brought forth, wherever
thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting
to everlasting, thou art God. That's a very great statement.
We should not just pass over it without pondering the length
and breadth and depth of that tremendous statement. Because
it is surely a wonderful confirmation of the greatness of our God. As Moses is able to declare the
Lord formed the earth and the world and that he is from everlasting
to everlasting well as we have such a statement as that and
then he comes down in this psalm to tell us the days of our years
are three score years and ten and that of course hasn't changed
since the words that Moses spoke seventy years is the allotted
span of mankind many people today live longer lives than that but
I'm sure if we took the average throughout the world it would
be probably much less than that and so here we have this statement
and if by reason of strength they be four score years yet
is their strength labor and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we
fly away so therefore he gives a clear statement that really
however long we live truth is it will our life will soon be
cut off we shall fly away because we will not live on this earth
always just a very short time really in comparison with eternity
so we come down to this 12th verse where Moses says so teach
us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom
that we might have a right understanding of our life a right understanding
of the relative shortness of our life we can't actually number
our days which are to come we can number the days that we have
been on this earth but we are to ponder in the fear of God
how much longer we may have to live on this earth and it would
be a good thing you know if we come to that conclusion which
when we are able to say we don't know what a day or an hour may
bring forth we don't know how many days we have to spend on
this earth but it would be good if we heed the words of the Saviour
when He said be ye also ready because we know not a day or
an hour when the Son of Man cometh and that may be of course in
the clouds and all this glory that may come when we are removed
individually from this earth but nonetheless the necessary
thing is that we may be ready and therefore we may be able
by the grace of God to apply our hearts unto wisdom and that
is heavenly wisdom to consider our life consider how we're spending
our life Are we using our life wisely? Are we doing those things
in our life which are God honouring? Are we serving the Lord in those
days which He has given to us? So that we may be given that
true wisdom, that heavenly wisdom, that God-given wisdom. We have
an example of that wisdom when the Lord spoke in Matthew's Gospel
about the Queen of Sheba and He speaks
about the Queen of Sheba and in the 12th chapter and in the
42nd verse He tells us these words He says, well first of
all let's read 41 the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment
with this generation and shall condemn it because they repented
at the preaching of Jonah and behold a greater than Jonah is
here the Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with
this generation and shall condemn it for she came from the uttermost
parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon we know how
why Solomon was of course given that wisdom from God and then
we are told and behold a greater than Solomon is here is of course
the blessed Savior the Lord Jesus Christ whose wisdom was perfect
and that great and glorious wisdom is displayed in measure in the
Word of God to direct us and to instruct us in the day and
age in which we live so that we might be able to therefore
number our days and Moses says so teach us he wanted to be taught
that he wouldn't just pass along as though he was going to live
forever our natural tendency is to look
around at everyone else and make some kind of assumption as to
how long they're going to live and yet the most important thing
is to view ourselves as to how long we're going to live and
to be given that wisdom to see whether we are ready and right
to leave this earth and to go and to be with our Saviour the
Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. See how often we read about
the end of our life and we should never shy away from it. You see
the world doesn't want to talk about the end of their life. I mention sometimes, I remember
years ago there was a person who had a birthday and that person
said I hate birthdays the reason they hated birthdays because
every birthday reminded them another year their life had passed
away they had no anticipation of glory they had no anticipation
of that which was to come oh no not at all and so how important
it is that you and I amongst those who recognise that here
we have no continuing city but we seek one to come and you see
the glory of that is the world to come is so so far superior
to that in which we live today we don't know what it's really
like we're told I have not seen nor ear heard what the Lord has
prepared for those that love him. For we know it will be a
place of glory, a place of wonderful peace and joy and happiness and
we shall be with the Lord Jesus Christ, that one who has given
his life to redeem our souls. Well it's good to have this wisdom
to meditate upon such a truth to realize what the Lord Jesus
Christ did so that we might inherit eternal life and David tells
us we read Moses well David tells us in the 39th Psalm and the
fourth verse he says Lord make me to know mine end and the measure
of my days what it is that I may know how frail I am behold thou
hast made my days as an handbreadth and mine age is as nothing before
thee that means however old we might be in the eyes of God it
really is as nothing verily every man at his best state is altogether
vanity it's good you see if we realise
the vanity of life Solomon speaks of it, doesn't he, very clearly
in the Ecclesiastes when he was able to explore every way of
finding and producing happiness in this life and his conclusion
was after doing everything that he wanted to do all is vanity
of vanity and vexation of spirits conclusion really was there was
no true happiness in the things of time but the Church of God
are looking forward to that time when they shall be with Christ
in glory and so teach us to number our days to look forward to that
which the Lord has prepared for his people and not to be consumed
with the things in our natural life but to hold everything with
a light hand it's good therefore to understand such words as this
so teach us him as well he wasn't excluding himself He realized
he was, like we are, sinners of the earth, and he said, therefore,
so teach us to number our days. When the Apostle spoke, or wrote
rather, to the Ephesians, he also directed them to consider
these conditions and these situations. And in the fifth chapter, in
the 16th and 17th verses, we read, perhaps verse 15 see then that
you walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the
time because the days are evil wherefore be not unwise but understanding
what the will of the Lord is what a blessing therefore if
God gives you and me spiritual understanding so that we may
be concerned to be found not wasting our time but redeeming
the time because the days are evil and also therefore not to
be unwise we are very blessed you know to have the Bible to
read which gives us so much gracious direction and instruction but
we are not to ignore it we're not to read it and then forget
about it we're not to read it and then think it doesn't have
any application to us because the Word of God is therefore
our instruction and what a mercy therefore if we are blessed with
this spiritual understanding to appreciate the great glory
of it. And he gives us a little example.
He says, And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be
filled with the Spirit. We find time and again when the
Lord takes, as it were, things away, He doesn't leave us in
a vacuum. Something to fill up. And here it is. Be filled with
the Spirit. Speaking. Speaking. to yourselves in psalms, hymns,
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to
the Lord giving thanks always in all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ all those are words
of blessed instruction aren't they to direct us in the right
ways we're numbering our days as to whether we're redeeming
the time whether we are wasting the time I expect all of us have
to look back in our lives and to be truly sorry for days and
hours and perhaps weeks perhaps months perhaps years that we've
wasted indeed the years which have been eaten up eaten up disappeared
gone you and I can't bring back time we can by God's grace redeem
the time we can try and make up for lost time so teach us to number our days
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom this is godly wisdom
godly wisdom And what is godly wisdom? Well, the Word of God
tells us, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Perhaps
we walked along without any fear, pleasing ourselves, doing that
which we thought was good and right, ignoring the great truth
of God. What a blessing therefore if
God has given us that grace to seek to do those things which
are right and those things which are indeed God honoring. Don't
forget then the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And Moses not only wrote here
these words but he was obviously concerned when he wrote to Israel
of old remember in Deuteronomy we have that long account of
his words to Israel before he was taken from this earth and
we see in there some of his true concern for Israel and he in
what is termed the Song of Moses in chapter 32 in the book of
Deuteronomy as we come down to towards the end perhaps verse
28 for they are a nation void of counsel neither is there any
understanding in them and then oh that they were wise that they
understood this that they would consider their latter end means
to consider the day of of their death to number our days to look
ahead to that time when we shall be no more to therefore consider
our latter end and what does the God's servant say? that's being wise that's being
blessed with heavenly wisdom that's not being morbid the great
truth is that to the people of God it's not a morbid subject
it is to the world because they want to live in the world forever
well we read in Michael I think it is this is not your rest it
is polluted this world is polluted and if we are given grace to
look around we should observe it is polluted What a blessing,
it's not our rest. But there is a rest that remaineth
to the people of God. And that's why Moses is able
to direct us in this way. To say then so, teach us. Teach
us. He was praying to God. He wanted
God to teach him. And you and I have that same
prayer today. Teach me, Lord. Teach me. to number my days that I may
apply my heart unto wisdom it's a good operation isn't it to
apply our heart unto that true wisdom which comes from God and
that true wisdom which comes from God produces this a desire
to seek after the things of God to seek after communion with
God, to seek after union with God, to be blessed with precious
views of the Saviour dying for us upon the cross at Calvary. This is heavenly wisdom. And this should be that which
you and I desire to think upon and to meditate upon as we are
passing through this life and how rapidly we are passing through
this life, aren't we? you know it's not like people
that hear the Gospel preached and they only hear it with their
natural ear and those that speak about the
things of God but only with their natural mind true wisdom given by God is that
which emanates from our heart is that which the Blessed Lord
has done for us we do then therefore have something to speak about
something to honour and glorify God for for his grace for his
love toward us amazing love isn't it What wisdom there is when
God enables us to see and to understand the love of Christ,
how rich it is, how free it is, how undeserving we are to receive
it. And so as we are blessed to number
our days, to think, well, how much longer have I to live on
this earth? until that time when I shall
see the Lord face to face when there will be then no separation
sometimes we travel on through this life we have little foretastes
of His love then it's as though the Lord seems to withdraw Himself
and perhaps we then seem a bit lonely again we seem to be by
ourselves but Let's number our days. Let's look forward to that
time when we shall be eternally with Christ. When there will
be no separation. When there will be no devil to
surround us. No devil to aggravate us. No devil to tempt us. She does
today. to all of God's people. None
of us are exempt from the subtleties of the evil one. What a blessing
it is when the Holy Spirit enables us to look beyond the things
of time. The days of time. Days are time. In eternity there are no days,
no night, one eternal light. What an unspeakable blessing
it is to anticipate that which God has prepared for His people. And when Solomon wrote the Proverbs,
he wrote many, many great words of instruction. And in the second
chapter, we read some very simple words. in the second chapter He says,
My son if thou wilt receive My words these are the words of
God and hide My commandments with thee so that thou incline
thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding
the Lord inclines us then our ears to hear true wisdom and
our heart to this great and true understanding then he goes on
to say verse 6 for the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth cometh
knowledge and understanding he layeth up sound wisdom for the
righteous he is a buckler to them that walk upright that means
he's a shield a shield to his people who walk upright and of
course we only walk uprightly by the grace of God what a mercy
that is and then verse 10 when wisdom entereth into thine heart,
and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul. Well, true knowledge,
the knowledge of Christ, the heavenly wisdom, is pleasant
unto our soul. Yes, what a wonderful thing it
is to be taught by the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to view
the suffering Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. who so willingly
gave his life, you and I might possess the amazing gift of eternal
life. It's no wonder, isn't it, the
hymn writer says, on such love my soul will still ponder. Love
so great, so rich, so free, say whilst lost in holy wonder, why,
O God, such love to me now my friends this is heavenly wisdom
this is by the Holy Spirit and what a blessing therefore if
tonight the days ahead we are able to heed the gracious instruction
we have here in this 90th Psalm and to desire that we might be
those who do those who are taught by the Lord to number our days
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom, unto heavenly wisdom. Amen.