Lord, you have been our dwelling place

Lord, you have been our dwelling place.  Moses wrote that in Psalm 90.  It's from the very first verse.

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Ps 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.

But wait.  This is part 2 of a series about "The End". If you haven't read it yet, Part 1 is The Great Commission and The End Times, over on my other site.

Why are we looking at the beginning?  

Well, it's because what happens at the end is very much dependent on the beginning and the middle.  And on one other thing.  Honesty.

Keep in mind, this is from Moses.  You know, the guy who God chose to lead the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt?  Remember how well that went?  Just in case you don't - it didn't go well at all.

And now we've got Moses saying Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.  Really?  Let's check that out.

Go back to Deuteronomy. 

The Song of Moses

There's the Song of Moses - Dt 31:30 - 32:24.  But it wasn't exactly a good song.  It was from God to the people.  His people.  And God gave it to Moses with the following command.

Dt 31:19 “Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. 20 When I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, the land I promised on oath to their forefathers, and when they eat their fill and thrive, they will turn to other gods and worship them, rejecting me and breaking my covenant. 21 And when many disasters and difficulties come upon them, this song will testify against them, because it will not be forgotten by their descendants. I know what they are disposed to do, even before I bring them into the land I promised them on oath.” 22 So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.

Death on Mount Nebo

And then God told Moses to go Mount Nebo, where he (Moses) was going to die because of what he did.

Dt 32:48 On that same day the LORD told Moses, 49 “Go up into the Abarim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. 50 There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. 51 This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. 52 Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”

Moses' parting words for the Israelites

All of that was after Moses wrote down the words of God in The Book of The Law.  And after Moses had a few words for the Israelites.

Dt 31:24 After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, 25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: 26 “Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. 27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! 28 Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them. 29 For I know that after my death you are sure to become utterly corrupt and to turn from the way I have commanded you. In days to come, disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made.”

The last thing Moses did before going up to Mount Nebo to die was to bless the tribes of Israel.

Moses' blessing for the Israelites

The ending of that blessing says something very similar to the title and opening line of this article.  But it says more as well.

Dt 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you,
saying, ‘Destroy him!’