BOOK 4
A Prayer by Moses, the man of God.
1Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all generations.
2Before the mountains were born,
before you had formed the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
3You turn man to destruction, saying,
“Return, you children of men.”
4For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past,
like a watch in the night.
5You sweep them away as they sleep.
In the morning they sprout like new grass.
6In the morning it sprouts and springs up.
By evening, it is withered and dry.
7For we are consumed in your anger.
We are troubled in your wrath.
8You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9For all our days have passed away in your wrath.
We bring our years to an end as a sigh.
10The days of our years are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty years;
yet their pride is but labor and sorrow,
for it passes quickly, and we fly away.
11Who knows the power of your anger,
your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?
12So teach us to count our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13Relent, Yahweh!
How long?
Have compassion on your servants!
14Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen evil.
16Let your work appear to your servants,
your glory to their children.
17Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us.
Establish the work of our hands for us.
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
References to the prophet and lawgiver Moses are found over 1,000 times in the Bible, demonstrating his importance in biblical history. His life ranges from being a baby hidden by his mother from the death decree ordered by the Pharaoh of Egypt (Exod 2:2, 3) to his death on Mt. Nebo in Jordan (Deut 34:1, 6), not far from his brother Aaron on Mt. Ebal (Deut 10:6).
Moses was the son of Amram and Jochebed (Hebrews in Egyptian slavery). He was a descendant of Levi and brother of Aaron and Miriam. His wife's name was Zipporah, through whom were born Gershom and Eliezer. He is most known as the lawgiver of the Jews and the miracle worker in Egypt, responsible for the freeing of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.
Moses was brought up in Egypt in the royal house (trained in all the ways of the Egyptians, Exod ), but afterwards the killing of an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, he fled Egypt, staying in the desert with Jethro, a priest of Midian. Moses afterward married Zipporah, a daughter of Jethro, from whom was born Moses' first son, Gershom.
Several years later, Moses encountered Yahweh, the God of Israel, who appeared to Moses in a burning bush, revealed His personal name, Yahweh (see Exod 3:14, 15), and told Moses to return to Egypt, showing miraculous signs to the Pharaoh, demanding the release of the Israelites from bondage.
For more information on Moses, see Joan Comay and Ronald Brownrigg, Who's Who in the Bible: The Old Testament and The Apocrypha, The New Testament, Two Volumes in One (New York: Bonanza Books, 1980), pp. 270-289; Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible and All the Women of the Bible, Two Books in One (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1958, 1967), pp. 246-248; Biographies of Bible Characters, People and characters in the Bible, https://www.encinardemamre.com/en/Biographies/M.html