Few and hard

Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”

Jacob said to Pharaoh, “My pilgrimage has lasted 130 years. My years have been few and hard, and they have not reached the years of my ancestors during their pilgrimages.” (Genesis 47:8-9)

As I read Jacob’s words, I thought about the psalm Moses wrote.

Perhaps as Moses wrote Psalm 90, he thought about Jacob.

Jacob had been through many hard times. Some of his problems he had brought upon himself, deceiving his father and his brother.

Later on, God would teach him the pain he had caused his father and brother when his own sons deceived him concerning Joseph.

In his life, short in comparison to Abraham’s (Genesis 25:7) and Isaac’s (35:28), Jacob had gone through many trials.

By the time of Moses, lifespans had shortened even further than Jacob’s. But I think Jacob would have agreed with Moses when he sang,

Our lives last seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.

Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow;
indeed, they pass quickly and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)

And yet, by the end of his life, Jacob had seen God’s faithful love. (Psalm 90:14)

Though God had humbled him and Jacob had seen adversity, God also caused him to rejoice. (Psalm 90:15)

Jacob saw God’s work and power in his life. (Psalm 90:16)

And he saw God’s incredible grace toward him. (Psalm 90:17)

We too are on a journey. This world is not our home. This journey is short, and we often face sorrow and struggle.

But let us keep our eyes on God, remembering his faithful love and grace toward us.

And as we face each day, let us pray with Moses,

Teach us to number our days carefully
so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. (Psalm 90:12)