Psalm 50: The Prophecy

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Once more we are reading a prophetic entry describing the ‘end of day’s and specifically focusing on the time of judgement. This prophetic text opens with the issue of the Land of Israel - stretching from where the sun rises in the east, to the opening of the land into the water of the sea. In it, Zion is once more referred to as the source of G-d’s beautiful divinity appearing on earth; a place where G-d makes ‘His appearance’ - a place for revelations. 

On the day of judgment, King David says: “Our G-d will come and He will not be silenced.” In our modern day and age we can see how easy it is to silence people, cancel their entire career and have them stop their work by use of negative rumours and accusations, causing all to be shamed, bullied and ‘canceled’ for speaking truth to those who wish to not hear it. But when the time of redemption comes G-d will not be silenced. His prophets - the speakers of truth - will not be silenced. “Fire before Him will consume and great raging storms surround Him”; these prophets will speak G-d’s truth and through their words and actions fire and storms will rage wherever they are being bullied into silence. 

One day, there will be a person, perhaps the potential Massiah, that “will call to the skies above, and the land will have the judgement of His people.“ This person can be thought of as one specific person, and it can also be seen as the whole of the Israel people, praying to the sky, so that G-d will have “the judgement of His people.”

Getting to the point of judgment requires of the people, the righteous individuals who have chosen to walk in the path of G-d and the Divine spirit - they will need to learn to sacrifice in the name of this ‘judgment’ so that they can once more find G-d’s beauty revealing itself out of Zion. It does not matter what type or size of sacrifice you can commit to. As long as you show up and take responsibility for your role in the larger context of fixing this world and ensuring at the very least that your environment is a peaceful and helpful one - for you, your family and your community - it will satisfy the will and judgment of G-d and it will provide the needed energetic field that G-d needs in order to bring true change into our world. 

After speaking directly to the Israelites living in the messianic times, King David goes on to speak on behalf of G-d to the enemies of Israel, telling them he had seen their evil and he will no longer be silent. 

To end this prophecy, King David reminds us that if we find our way back to faith in G-d, to walking in gratitude for what we have, no matter how large or small, extravagant or simple - we will can all sacrifice something, become a little less comfortable, in the name of helping others, making our environment better, and finding the beauty of G-d once more in our world. For only then will G-d be able to send us our ‘savior.’

My personal belief is that once we do this, we all transform ourselves into a nation of saviors, a people of salvation. It is our personal responsibility to do what we can, no matter how small and insignificant it might feel - every little action accumulates together to a force; a Jewish people like the world has yet to see. Start today. 

מִזְמ֗וֹר לְאָ֫סָ֥ף אֵ֤ל ׀ אֱ‍ֽלֹקים ה’ דִּבֶּ֥ר וַיִּקְרָא־אָ֑רֶץ מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֝֗מֶשׁ עַד־מְבֹאֽוֹ׃

A song for Asaf for G-d the Lord spoke

And called ‘Land’ to all that was east of the sun until His coming. 

מִצִּיּ֥וֹן מִכְלַל־יֹ֗פִי אֱלֹקים הוֹפִֽיעַ׃

From Zion the wholesome beauty of G-d appeared.

יָ֤בֹ֥א אֱלֹקינוּ וְֽאַל־יֶ֫חֱרַ֥שׁ אֵשׁ־לְפָנָ֥יו תֹּאכֵ֑ל וּ֝סְבִיבָ֗יו נִשְׂעֲרָ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

Our G-d will come and He will not be silenced,

Fire before Him will consume and great raging storms surround Him.

יִקְרָ֣א אֶל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם מֵעָ֑ל וְאֶל־הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ לָדִ֥ין עַמּֽוֹ׃

He will call to the skies above,

and the land will have the judgement of His people. 

אִסְפוּ־לִ֥י חֲסִידָ֑י כֹּרְתֵ֖י בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־זָֽבַח׃

Gather for Me, My righteous ones who have established a covenant with Me,

a sacrifice onto Me.

וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ שָׁמַ֣יִם צִדְק֑וֹ כִּֽי־אֱלֹקים ׀ שֹׁפֵ֖ט ה֣וּא סֶֽלָה׃

And the skies will tell His righteousness,

For G-d has judged, He is all-encompassing.

שִׁמְעָ֤ה עַמִּ֨י ׀ וַאֲדַבֵּ֗רָה יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִ֣ידָה בָּ֑ךְ אֱלֹקים אֱלֹקיךָ אָנֹֽכִי׃

Listen my people and I will speak Israel,

and I will testify in You G-d, Your G-d I am:

לֹ֣א עַל־זְ֭בָחֶיךָ אוֹכִיחֶ֑ךָ וְעוֹלֹתֶ֖יךָ לְנֶגְדִּ֣י תָמִֽיד׃

“I will not reproach you for your sacrifice,

And your burnt-offerings will forever be by my side.

לֹא־אֶקַּ֣ח מִבֵּיתְךָ֣ פָ֑ר מִ֝מִּכְלְאֹתֶ֗יךָ עַתּוּדִֽים׃

I will not take from your home a bull nor a bock [he-goat] from your farm.

כִּי־לִ֥י כָל־חַיְתוֹ־יָ֑עַר בְּ֝הֵמ֗וֹת בְּהַרְרֵי־אָֽלֶף׃

For I have all the living animals of the forest

and the beasts of thousands of mountains. 

יָ֭דַעְתִּי כָּל־ע֣וֹף הָרִ֑ים וְזִ֥יז שָׂ֝דַ֗י עִמָּדִֽי׃

I knew every bird flying over the mountain,

And any movement of a nursing breast stands firm with me.

אִם־אֶ֭רְעַב לֹא־אֹ֣מַר לָ֑ךְ כִּי־לִ֥י תֵ֝בֵ֗ל וּמְלֹאָֽהּ׃

If I will hunger I will not tell you,

For I have the universe and all that is in it.

הַֽ֭אוֹכַל בְּשַׂ֣ר אַבִּירִ֑ים וְדַ֖ם עַתּוּדִ֣ים אֶשְׁתֶּֽה׃

Shell I eat the meat of the strong and the blood of the he-goat shell I drink?

זְבַ֣ח לֵאלֹקים תּוֹדָ֑ה וְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לְעֶלְי֣וֹן נְדָרֶֽיךָ׃

Sacrifice to G-d your gratitude, 

And pay to the highest purpose the dues of your vows.

וּ֭קְרָאֵנִי בְּי֣וֹם צָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלֶּצְךָ֗ וּֽתְכַבְּדֵֽנִי׃

And when you call me on a day of trouble I will rescue you,

And you will show Me respect.”

וְלָ֤רָשָׁ֨ע ׀ אָ֘מַ֤ר אֱלֹקים מַה־לְּ֭ךָ לְסַפֵּ֣ר חֻקָּ֑י וַתִּשָּׂ֖א בְרִיתִ֣י עֲלֵי־פִֽיךָ׃

And to the evildoer G-d said: “What are you doing, telling my laws?

And you will claim to carry the burden of my covenant onto your month?

וְ֭אַתָּה שָׂנֵ֣אתָ מוּסָ֑ר וַתַּשְׁלֵ֖ךְ דְּבָרַ֣י אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃

And you are hating ethics and have thrown My words behind you!

אִם־רָאִ֣יתָ גַ֭נָּב וַתִּ֣רֶץ עִמּ֑וֹ וְעִ֖ם מְנָאֲפִ֣ים חֶלְקֶֽךָ׃

If you saw a thief and you run with him, and your portion is one with those who betray

פִּ֭יךָ שָׁלַ֣חְתָּ בְרָעָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנְךָ֗ תַּצְמִ֥יד מִרְמָֽה׃

Your mouth spits out evil and your tongue clings to deceit.

תֵּ֭שֵׁב בְּאָחִ֣יךָ תְדַבֵּ֑ר בְּבֶֽן־אִ֝מְּךָ֗ תִּתֶּן־דֹּֽפִי׃

You will speak about settling with your brother,

And speak evil to the sons of your mother.

אֵ֤לֶּה עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ וְֽהֶחֱרַ֗שְׁתִּי דִּמִּ֗יתָ הֱֽיוֹת־אֶֽהְיֶ֥ה כָמ֑וֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ֖ וְאֶֽעֶרְכָ֣ה לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

These things you did and I stayed silent, pretending that I will be as I am,

As you are I will rebuke you and will set Myself up in front of your eyes.

בִּֽינוּ־נָ֣א זֹ֭את שֹׁכְחֵ֣י אֱל֑וֹהַּ פֶּן־אֶ֝טְרֹ֗ף וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

Understand this, those who forgot what godliness is, 

Beware for I will devour you and you will have no savior.”

זֹבֵ֥חַ תּוֹדָ֗ה יְֽכַ֫בְּדָ֥נְנִי וְשָׂ֥ם דֶּ֑רֶךְ אַ֝רְאֶ֗נּוּ בְּיֵ֣שַׁע אֱלֹקים׃

A sacrifice of gratitude will show me respect, 

And there I will show us the path towards the salvation of G-d.