Try to imagine what it must have been like for the Israelites when they wandered around the desert for 40 years.  I could imagine that living in a tent in the middle-eastern wilderness must have been hot, uncomfortable, sandy, dirty, noisy, and dangerous.
After I’ve been camping for about 3 nights in my air-conditioned camping trailer, I can’t wait to get home, take a real shower, and sleep in my own bed!  After 40 years of camping in tents in the wilderness, Israel must have been really excited to find a permanent place to call home.
In that context, Moses wrote Psalm 90 verse 1:
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.”
Moses was trying to help God’s People understand this important truth:  From the very beginning of time, the Lord Himself, the self-existent God, stands as the greatest protector and the most valuable inheritance for His people.  A nation living in tents was probably feeling vulnerable to attack.  God was reminding them that He is their refuge in times of danger.  The Hebrew term translated as “dwelling place” is often translated as “refuge.”
The safety for God’s people does not come in the form of houses, or castles, or walls.  Our safety is not even in deliverance from physical death.  The eternal promise that God’s people have is that God, Himself, is their everlasting stronghold against spiritual death.  He is greater than palaces or mansions.  He is more powerful than a fortified city.
  • The hope we have in Him for the future is even greater than any material gift He provides in heaven or on earth.  He is the greatest treasure in heaven.
  • The security we have right now and in eternity is that He comforts, shelters, protects and cherishes his people.
In Colossians 3:2-3, Paul exhorts God’s people to “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  Our life is in God.  Our home is not here.
Foxes have holes to live in.  Bears have caves.  Birds have trees.  But, God’s people dwell with their God.  Our lives are “hidden with Christ in God.” This earth is not our home.  The God who is the Giver of good gifts (like cities, houses, beds, and showers) is far greater than anything else.
 – Pastor Mark