The superscription of Psalm 90 identifies it as "a prayer of Moses, the man of God." Psalm 90 is the only psalm attributed to Moses, but a midrash on this psalm (90.3 in Midrash Psalms) proposes that Psalms 90-100 were all written by Moses and relate to the eleven tribes that he blessed in Deuteronomy 33. This midrash relates Psalm 90 to the tribe of Reuben, seeing a call to repentance in Psalm 90:3: "Return, O children of man!" Psalm 91 is linked with the tribe of Levi, which "dwells in God's shadow" in its work at the tabernacle and temple. Psalm 92, with its emphasis on singing praises to God, is associated with the tribe of Judah.
Moses begins by praising God as eternal creator, ruler, and protector (verses 1-2). Human beings, on the other hand, have a fleeting existence and are prone to sinfulness (verses 3-11). Our proper response to this reality is to submit to God and learn wisdom (verse 12). Moses also prays for mercy, and asks for help so that we might accomplish something of value in our short lives.
We recognize Moses' humility (Nu 12:3) in this prayer. He learned much about God, human nature, and reality during his life, and we see these things in Psalm 90 as well.
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