THE ETERNAL NATURE OF GOD
Psalm 90:1-4 NKJV
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You turn man to destruction,
And say, "Return, O children of men."
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.
Most of the Psalms were penned by David. Some were written by Asaph or the sons of Korah. Ethan the Ezrahite wrote Psalm 89, and Moses was the author of Psalm 90. Reading this psalm, we get insight from Moses, who spent time in God's presence regarding the eternity of God.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place or refuge in all generations. Man did not exist apart from God. Man did not self-generate, so all generations have their foundations in God.
Then Moses gives us a beautiful picture of God's eternal nature. Before the mountains existed or were brought forth or ever you formed the earth. The word formed is the Hebrew word for gave birth to. Before God ever gave birth to the earth and all it contains, He existed. He was from everlasting or eternity, and He will be to everlasting or eternity. He has been and always will be God. This is a bit more than our minds have been able to grasp. We think in the realms of time and space, but God existed before our concept of time and space was formed. I know it's a big thought. But we are the ones with limitations, not God.
Verse four gives us God's perspective of time. A thousand years in His sight are like yesterday and like a watch in the night. Just the magnitude of the statement is immense. A thousand years are like yesterday. A thousand years are like the night shift. In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter echoes a similar perspective when he says that with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years and that a thousand years are like one day. Please don't try to tell me you get that. The only thing we can intelligently surmise is that God does not live in time the way we do. God was the One who created time and is greater than time.
APPLICATION
When we think about the eternal nature of God, it's a lot to wrap our minds around. And
I believe it's easy to get too casual with God. The scriptures speak of the fear of God, meaning a reverence and awe of Him. Scriptures like our verses for today remind us of how big and powerful He is. How He eclipses anything and anyone we are aware of on earth. And from eternity to eternity, He is and always will be God.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You are holy and great and worthy of my praise. You created me and the world and all I can see. You are God and transcend space and time. There is no one even close to You.