There’s something about home that just feels right. I’m not much of a traveler (ask Heather, she’ll agree), but when we do get away for a few days coming home just feels good. We may have a great time away – camping or going to see family or whatever else we’re doing – but coming home to a place that feels secure and comfortable is a good feeling. Maybe you can relate.
I’ve been working on some homework this week, specifically a paper on Psalm 90. I’m learning a lot through this, and I wanted to share one of the first things that stood out to me as I began to study this Psalm. Psalm 90:1 says – “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.” (ESV) This is a noteworthy statement given where Psalm 90 falls in the overall flow of the book of Psalms.
Psalm 89 ends with lamenting the exile that Israel is in because of their rebellion against God. Part of the covenant God had made with His people was the promise that if they walked away from Him, they would not live long in the land that He was giving them (Deuteronomy 30:15- 20). This came true in the nations of Israel and Judah, with both going into exile at different times, but for the same reason. Going into exile meant that a foreign army came and invaded the land, destroyed the temple and most of the other symbols of power like major cities and palaces, and carried many of the Israelites back to their lands as well.
For people living in that time, every last bit of security and comfort must have seemed like it was ripped right out from underneath them. Their homes were gone, they were living in a foreign land, the temple was gone. How would they ever find peace again? How would they worship God? Was anything stable in their lives anymore? These are the questions that a situation, like the one described in Psalm 89 would bring to the surface. And then we come to Psalm 90:1 – a reminder that, throughout the generations of God’s people – even before they ever had a land or a king or a temple, God had been their dwelling place.
The word translated for dwelling place gives the picture of a lair, a den, or a home for wild animals. The point is, those other sources of security let them down. But in Psalm 90:1 we see a call to remember where true security and rest can be found for those who love and follow God – and that is in God Himself. He is our dwelling place, the ultimate foundation that will not be shaken. I love coming home after time away, but I need to remember that my true home, my ultimate dwelling place is found in God.
Psalm 90 reminds us that we are sinful beings, which makes the fact that He has been the dwelling for so many generations of people who struggle with sin that much more amazing. In Him we find rest. In Him we find forgiveness and love. In Him we find security and stability, even when everything around us is shaking and falling apart. We serve an awesome God!