JACOB (Hebrew Scriptures)

JACOB…(Hebrew Scriptures)

The sun rose early upon that day.
Esau came to his father
whose eye sight grew dim, as his years now dark
even in the light’s halo.

He whispered…”Go, my son,
prepare to receive your blessing
then come back to me.”

Your voice Isaac
was overheard.
Jacob scurried…
sitting now beside his father
adorned in his brother’s clothing
which smelled of ‘earth’ for he
was a rugged hunter.
Soft arms were now painted in goat hair.
“Who are you?”
Touching your arms, kissing you,
Isaac smelled the fields
and gave you the blessing…
the birth right of the first born son.

You tricked him—
you took away what was not ‘yours’—
you received and it could
not be taken back.

You knew your brother’s pain, anger and rage…
you could not face him.
Fearing for your life,
you escaped death at the hands of your brother.

You found a place of shelter
with your mother’s brother Laban.
He offered you work…
you found love.

When your eyes beheld Rachel,
your heart pounded.
You offered yourself as servant to win her hand…
this was granted.

The day arrived.
BUT wait, who are You?
Jacob…this time, this moment of blessing,
gift taken from you!

How could this be?
No, no~~~Yes, Jacob
what is, what has been received
cannot be changed.

Years of work…
You loved Rachel
but, what of the other woman?
Rachel’s sister…

Your heart anguished,
tormented—
your story littered in paradox.

Alone, you wrestled.
You were far from…Alone.
Exhausted, you asked for a blessing at day break
and, yes
it was given~~~Israel.

A new name…Israel.
The twelve tribes would come from your seed—
your seed planted in the wombs of
Leah, Rachel and their maid servants.

Look…see all the blessings.
Even after all the deceitful lies
and trickery~~~
Yahweh, still the same…
love overflowing.

“In my mind’s eye
I saw what appeared to be the sun~~~
Its light set ablaze everything around it~~~
nothing else was except for the light—
AND coming forth from within
a ladder…endless
it did not appear as if it were
setting a direction upward or downward—
rather its steps led ‘inward’…
then it was
no more.”

s. mattucci