What does Psalm 90:14 mean?
During the Israelites' trek through the wilderness the Lord provided manna from heaven for them. It fell on the ground every morning of the week except the Sabbath. The people collected it every day, and twice as much on the sixth day, so their hunger would be satisfied (Exodus 16:1–31). God provided the manna all throughout their wilderness wanderings, stopping it only after the Israelites had entered into Canaan and eaten of the produce of the land (Joshua 5:12).The manna pictured Jesus, the Bread of Life, who came down from heaven to give life to all who believe on Him. In John 6 Jesus recalled that the Jews' ancestors ate manna in the wilderness and it was bread from heaven. He said, "My father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:32–33). Moses prayed in Psalm 90:14 for God to show His steadfast love to the Israelites every morning and they would be satisfied. God's love revealed in Christ satisfies all who believe on Christ.
Psalm 90:11–17 calls on the Lord to teach His people to number their days and gain wisdom. Moses, the author, prays for mercy and joy. Also, he asks the Lord to prosper His servants' work. Other Scriptures emphasize God's compassion, the joy He gives, and the blessing He pours out on those who serve Him (Psalm 100:5; Proverbs 22:4). The books of Ezra and Nehemiah demonstrate the truth that God grants these gifts to those who honor Him, even if those gifts aren't always in the form of an easy, prosperous life.
Psalm 90, likely the oldest psalm, opens with Moses addressing God as eternal and Israel's dwelling place, but quickly shifts to an acknowledgement of man's brief life on earth. Our iniquity is the reason God directs His wrath at us. In most cases, a person can expect to live somewhere around 70 or 80 years, barring disease or misfortune. Short or long, life is full of toil and trouble. In view of life's brevity, Moses asks the Lord to fill His people with wisdom. He also asks the Lord to reveal His work, demonstrate His power, grant His favor, and make Israel's labor successful.
