GENESIS 29........THE BELOVED AND I

Genesis 29

1 So Jacob went on his journey

And came to the land presently

Where lived the people of the East.

2 And he looked, and saw unpoliced

A well in the field, and indeed,

Three flocks beside it and in need

Of water, and a large stone on

The well's mouth. 3 Now all the flocks drawn

Together there, and they would roll

The stone from the well's mouth for toll,

Water the sheep, and put the stone

Back in its place after the loan.

4 And Jacob said to them, "My brothers,

Where are you from?" And then the others

Said "We're from Haran." 5 Then he said

To them, "Do you know Laban bred

The son of Nahor?" And they said

"We know him." 6 So he said "Is he

Well?" And they said "He's well. And see,

His daughter Rachel's coming here

With sheep." 7 Then he said "Have good cheer,

It's still high day, not time to gather

The cattle, water the sheep rather

And go and feed." 8 But they said "We

Cannot until all the flocks be

Gathered together, and they roll

The stone from the well's mouth, control,

And then we water all the sheep

That all the shepherds have to keep."



The well in Haran now is springing up

Throughout the day to fill the wanderer's cup.

In many-coloured dresses they come still

Toward evening, laughing, talking, come to fill

Plastic containers with the water that

Runs down unstopping from the place they're at.

Who knows if Rachel stepped upon this sand,

Or if her well was on the other hand?

The gates of Haran still stand stone on stone,

Roads going to four winds and every zone.

The women's clothing shines in every hue

Beyond the emerald mosque, beneath the blue.

Their husbands come all dressed in glowing white

To bow to You beneath the green dome's light.



9 Now as he spoke Rachel arrived,

A shepherdess with father's sheep.

10 When Jacob, who was still unwived,

Saw Rachel, mother's brother's daughter,

And Laban's sheep not yet for slaughter,

He went to water Laban's sheep,

Unrolled the stone from the well's keep.

11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted

His voice and wept, 12 said he was gifted

To be her Rachel's father's kin,

Rebekah's son in origin.

So she ran and told father all.

13 When Laban heard the crow and call,

That Jacob, sister's son had come,

He ran to meet him, kissed him some,

Embraced and brought him to his house.

And he told Laban and his spouse

All of his history. 14 Laban said

To him, "Surely you're born and bred

My bone and flesh." And so he stayed

With him a month though not delayed.



I made a great mistake to open heart

To Laban, knowing just a worthy part

Would have sufficed to make him take me in.

Hindsight is far the better part of sin.

I spoke like some teenager rather than

A well-experienced forty-year-old man.

Too eagerly I thought each man my brother

Who only spoke the accent of my mother.

Let me, Belovèd, stop and mend my ways,

Trust only You, and not the vain displays

Of those who would impose authority,

The patriarch, the priest, the customs tender,

The president, police, and power vender.

Bowing to You alone I am set free.



15 Then Laban said to Jacob, "Since

You are kin should you serve for mince?

Demand your wages." 16 Laban had

Two daughters: the elder was Leah,

The younger Rachel. 17 Eyes of Leah

Were delicate, but Rachel was

A beauty to see and to pause.

18 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he

Said "I will serve you seven years

For Rachel younger of your dears."

19 And Laban said "Better that I

Give her to you than passer-by.

Stay here with me and have a try."



"Look not upon the outward beauty, man,"

Is what You should have said to Jacob there.

"Look rather on the inward if you can

And know that doing is more than the fair.

If mother said to marry Laban's daughter,

You should not just take who was fetching water.

You will find Leah makes the better wife

While Rachel is good at the call to strife."

But You let every man make his mistakes

Until he learns to know that what it takes

Is killing his own will and taking Yours,

Biding his time, rejecting hopes and mores.

I place my hope in You, Beloved, and wait

Among the joys and sorrows of each gate.



20 For Rachel Jacob served seven years,

And they seemed a few days arrears

To him because he loved her so.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, "Oh,

Give me my wife, my days are done

So I may have the wife I've won."

22 And Laban gathered all together

Men there to make feast in good weather.

23 At evening, he took Leah, elder

Of his daughters, brought her and held her

Out to Jacob who went in to her.

24 And Laban gave his maid to do her

As a maid, Zilpah for his daughter

Leah. 25 At morning when he sought her,

The one he'd slept with was Leah.

So he said to Laban, "Aha,

What's this that you have done to me?

Did I not serve for Rachel's hand?

Why have you given contraband?"

26 And Laban said "It must not be

Done so here in this our country,

To give the younger first as bride.

27 "Fulfil her week, and by your side

We will give this one also for

The service which you will serve me

Still another seven years for free."

28 Then Jacob did so and fulfilled

Her week. So he gave to the thrilled

Jacob his daughter Rachel as

Wife also. 29 And then Laban has

Given his maid Bilhah to his daughter

Rachel as maid. 30 Then, as to slaughter,

Jacob also went in to Rachel,

And he also loved his wife Rachel

More than Leah. Still he was serving

Laban seven years more without swerving.



I swear, Beloved, injustice greater than

What fell to Leah never was nor can.

Until her day of death she knew the touch

Of Jacob for loved Rachel, knew as much

From one night's happenings. I swear

Such knowing was too much for her to bear.

Sure that she loved, she thought it was enough

To take one moment and then bear the rough

A lifetime of remembering would bring.

Like multitudes before she planned to sing,

But life is made of many other voices.

Who knows so soon can wisely make her choices.

Perhaps she thought one moment of the true

Sufficed to live, indeed, that's so with You.



31 When YHWH saw that Leah was not

Loved, He opened her womb and got

Her children, Rachel though was barren.

32 So Leah conceived and bore bairn

And called him Reuben for she said

"YHWH has looked on my pain and bed.

Now sure my husband will love me."

33 Then she conceived again freely

And gave birth to a son, saying

"Because YHWH has heard of my thing

That I'm unloved, He has therefore

Given me this too and will give more."

And she called his name Simeon [hearing].

34 She conceived and bore one more son,

And said "Now this time I have won

My husband's love, since I have had

Three sons in all, which is not bad."

Therefore Levi [joined] became his name.

35 And she conceived again and came

To bear a son and said "Now I

Will praise YHWH." Thus to dignify

Him with the name of Judah [praise]. Then

She stopped conceiving, bearing men.



Four sons of Leah to express four gates

Of human life in four spiritual states

Command my view. Behold, a son is first

Establishing relationship not worst,

That is, obedience to Sovereign God.

The second son is hearing as I trod

The gallows floor in recitation clear

Of Your bright names, the best names I can hear.

The third son and third gate is joined to You

So only Your will comes in what I do.

The fourth son is in very truth Your praise

That is the outcome and goal of life's maze.

I banquet with the sons of Leah now

Whose names alone show every mystic how.