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There is no need to doubt the assigned authorship of this psalm. It is in entire harmony with the facts and surroundings of Moses' and Israel's life in the wilderness. Observe -

I. THE BLESSED FACT. The Lord our Dwelling place, which this psalm tells of at its beginning. Weary wanderers as the Israelites were, with no settled resting place, here today, gone tomorrow, how blessed for them that there was refuge, a dwelling place, a home, in God! And this, Moses and such as he had realized and may realize still.

1. Here there may be, there is, perpetual change; but in God a settled abode.

2. Here, weariness and turmoil; in God, rest and peace.

3. Here, continual disappointment; in God, the soul's satisfaction. (Cf. Psalm 63:5.)

4. Here, perpetual peril; in God, perfect security.

5. Here, the coldness and enmity of men; in God, unfailing sympathy and love. Yes, God is the Home of the believing soul.

II. THE SUSTAINING POWER OF THIS FACT. It enables us to meet with calmness the heart breaking events of life. The psalmist enumerates a number of them.

1. The brevity of our life. (Vers. 3-6.)

2. The real cause of human misery. (Ver. 7.) It is our sin, and God's displeasure thereat. Hence is it (ver. 9) that the sense of that displeasure overwhelms us as with lightning flash, and our lives are as a breath. And so all life is sad, even at the best (ver. 10).

3. The fearfulness of the Divine anger. (Ver. 11.) "Who knoweth the might of thine anger and thy wrath, according to the fear that is due unto thee?" (Perowne). None can even rightly estimate it, much less overestimate it.

III. THE RELIEVING PRAYER TO WHICH IT LEADS.

1. That we may not miss the instruction which these sad facts should impart. The "wisdom" craved is that we may make the Lord our Dwelling place.

2. For brighter days. (Vers. 13-15.)

3. For the promised salvation - the work and the glory of God (ver. 16).

4. For the beauty of holiness. There had been none of this in Israel in all these many years.

5. That life may be worth living. Not a perpetual disappointment, such as it had been hitherto, but that the work of their hands might be established (ver. 17). Such are some of the prayers which the soul whose home is in God will be led to offer in view of the brevity, the frailty, and the sinfulness of life. Let the Lord be our Dwelling place, and all is well. "Our life is hid with Christ in God." - S.C.

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KJV: {A Prayer of Moses the man of God.} Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

WEB: Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations.