“Hearken
unto Me, ye who know righteousness, a
people in whose heart is My Torah.
Fear ye not the reproach of men, and
for their insults
be not broken.”
(51:7)
After
the previous introductory verse regarding righteousness, God summons
us to return to His ways and attributes as the ones whose heart
follows
them. These are in the Torah that instructs us to assimilate them as
our Jewish identity, with which there is nothing to fear before the
darkness of negative trends in consciousness. These are the “reproach
of man”
that
pursue our defeat by ego's fantasies and illusions that insult the
intrinsic goodness of Love's ways and attributes.
“For
like a garment the moth shall eat them up, and like wool the worm
shall eat them. But
My
righteousness shall be forever, and My
redemption
for
all generations. [Isaiah
says] Awake,
awake, put on strength, arm of the
Lord. Awake,
as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn't it You
Who
cuts
Rahab in pieces, Who
pierces
a
dragon!”
(51:8-9)
Negative
traits and trends in consciousness, derived from ego's fantasies and
illusions, by definition are temporary and destined to disappear.
They are not permanent and do not transcend, unlike Love's ways and
attributes that are our cause, reason and purpose to live. The latter
are the expressions of righteousness that transcends as the
Redemption God gives us to live in forever. Hence we have to trust in
what transcends in the life God wants us to have in the material
world. This trust is the strength to which we must awaken, for it is
the driving force that open every level and dimension of
consciousness to God's Redemption. Righteousness is the strong arm
with which Love directs and guides
ego (“pierces
the
dragon”)
along
with negative
traits and trends (“cuts
Rahab in
pieces”).
“Isn't
it You
Who
dries
up the sea, the waters of the great deep; Who
made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? The
ransomed of the
Lord
[the
children of Israel] return,
and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy is
on their head, they attain
gladness and joy. Fled
away have sorrow and sighing.”
(51:10-11)
God
is the Creator of all, and He controls and directs all that exists,
which includes His power to transform for the sake of freedom and
redemption. The verse alludes to the Exodus from Egypt (“the
sea a way for the redeemed to pass over”),
as a reference that He also will redeem us from the dark side of our
consciousness. From darkness we will return to God with a joyful
heart that will rejoice forever.
“I,
I am He your comforter, who
are
you
and [why]
you
are
afraid of man? he dies!
And of the son of man, grass he is made! And you
do forget the
Lord
your
Maker,
Who is stretching out the heavens, and founding earth! And you
do fear continually all the day, because
of the fury of the oppressor, as
he has
prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?”
(51:12-13)
God
questions the
attachment and dependence on our addictions, obsessions and negative
beliefs, emotions, feelings and actions as the works (creations)
of
man. These are our own inventions out of ego's fantasies and
illusions. We fear being
away from them, for we believe that they are stronger than our will
to abandon them. In this sense we understand our fear of them, even
if they are as ephemeral as grass, and as temporary as material life.
As long as we depend on them, they are the oppressor prepared to
destroy us.
God calls our attention to realize that anything coming
out of our own fantasies and illusions
have no anger, fury or power to destroy us, unless we let them.
Ultimately we become the oppressors of our true identity, by allowing
our negatives traits and trends to take over our discernment,
thoughts, mind, emotions, feelings, passions and instincts.
“Speedily
the captive is set to be free,
and
he does
not die at the pit, and
his bread is not lacking. And
I am the
Lord
your
God, quieting
the sea when its waves
roar. The
Lord of Multitudes
is His Name.”
(51:14-15)
God
reminds us again that His Redemption has always been near and in our
reach. He also makes us aware that His promise will be fulfilled, in
spite of our negligence to return to His ways and attributes as the
cause and effect of our total freedom. God's Love is never lacking
and goodness never dies, even in the depths of darkness. We come from
God's Love, which is our peace, wholesomeness, completeness and
plenitude, and quiets the upheavals of our struggles against the
darkness of negative trends, “quieting the sea when it waves roar”.
God's Love creates the immeasurable multitudes of His Creation that
proclaim Him as our Maker and King, for the sake of His Name.
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