A Story of a Nation Born
By Marissa
Come my children
Gather around,
For I have a story to tell you.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Out from Ur
There came a man,
Whom God had set apart.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
He went by the name Abram
His wife by Sari,
But God had other plans.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
God changed his name to Abraham,
His wife to Sarah.
God told them to find a new land
Which he had given to them.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
God had promised Abraham
That his descendants would be a great nation.
When Sarah heard this, she did laugh
For she was still very barren.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
As the months went by
Sarah became rounder, and rounder
Finally on the ninth month
A Baby boy's squall pierced the night.
'We shall call him Isaac', Abraham had said
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Many years passed,
Isaac was married
Abraham and Sarah cold in their tombs.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Isaac's wife did soon bear children
Two boys in fact she bore.
The First one was very hairy,
The Second grabbed his brother's heel.
'Esau and Jacob, they shall be'
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
When the boys were older you could see
That there was strife between them.
Esau being Isaac's favorite,
Jacob being Rebecca's.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
One day it was Esau who sold
His birthright to Jacob
For some porridge,
For he had just come back from a hunt
And was very, very hungry.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
When it came time for Isaac to die,
He called his firstborn Esau,
He told Esau to go out and hunt him some veal,
And then he would bless him.
Rebecca, Isaac's wife, heard all that happened.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
While Esau was away hunting,
A plot in Rebecca's mind had begun to form.
She called Jacob and told him to fetch,
A young kid from the herd,
And some of Esau's clothes.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Once the kid was cooked,
Jacob had Esau's clothes,
And upon his arms were tied the goat skins,
To mimic Esau's hairy arms.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob went unto his father,
With the meat his mother had prepared,
Very frightened, he was indeed,
For he hoped that he would not be found out.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
His father took the meat,
Thinking he was Esau.
After he was done eating
He called Jacob to him,
For he was going to bless him.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Upon Jacob's head, Isaac put his hands
Then he began to bless him.
He blessed him with riches, with power, abundance of grain,
He blessed him saying that Jacob would be lord over his brothers,
And over their families.
That those who cursed him would be cursed
But those who blessed him would be blessed.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
As soon as Jacob left, Esau came in,
Calling for his blessing.
Isaac was confused.
He had already given his blessing.
Upon hearing this Esau raved that upon Jacob's head it had been given.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Esau soon planned to kill Jacob for this,
But only after Isaac was dead.
Rebecca soon discovered this plan,
And hastened Jacob away to her brother's house,
His Uncle's,
In Canaan.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob ran,
He ran as fast as he could,
Tears were streaming out of his eyes,
He knew he could never go back,
For Esau sought to kill him.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
When he finally laid down his head
Upon a stone to sleep.
He had a dream.
A dream showing angels going up and down a ladder that went up to heaven.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
He felt peace when he woke up,
For God had promised to
Take care of him.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
When at last he found his Uncle's house,
He came upon some men and a fair maiden.
Just standing in the hot, hot sun
Right next to a shut up well.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
He asked why they were just standing there,
Their answer just was this,
'We have to wait for the rest of the men,
And wait for all their sheep'
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob was told the maiden was his Uncle Laban's daughter,
Rachel was her name.
'The daughter of Laban waits for no man.'
Jacob then said while lifting the stone that blocked the well,
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob was welcomed into Laban's home.
After Jacob had stayed a whole month Laban approached him.
'You have worked for nothing for a month, now choose your wages.'
'Goats? Sheep? Tell me what your wages should be.'
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Now, I have to tell you that Laban had another daughter,
Her name was Leah.
She was not as pretty as Rachel was, and she had poor eyesight.
But something you should really know was that she was the oldest.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
'My wages for seven years shall be the hand
Of your daughter, Rachel.'
Thus, Jacob worked seven years for Laban.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
When the time for the wedding approached,
Everything had been in a hurry,
During the wedding Jacob did not see his wife for her face was covered.
After the wedding,
The drinking started and lasted all night long.
That night Jacob slept with his new wife.
But he did not see her face for it was to dark.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
In the morning he realized
That the woman was not Rachel, it was Leah,
Rachel's older sister.
Jacob stormed over to Laban and demanded an explanation.
Laban just shrugged his shoulders and said was tradition.
The oldest had to be married and then youngest could be.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Laban said that if Jacob worked seven more years
He could then have Rachel.
Once again Jacob worked hard to earn the hand of Rachel.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Seven years, while he toiled,
He thought only of Rachel.
Finally his wedding day came.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
After Jacob was married to Rachel,
He worked for spotted sheep and goats.
And because of God's blessing his flock thrived.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob and Rachel were a happy couple,
Just for one small thing.
Rachel was not having any children.
While Leah had given birth to four sons.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
First there was Reuben,
Then Simeon,
Then Levi,
And Judah.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Rachel felt torn in two,
For she had given her servant to Jacob
To conceive for her some children,
For it was a tradition then,
That if the child was born onto her knees it would be considered hers.
The boy it had been named Dan,
Then there had been Naphtali.
But she felt no motherly feelings to the children,
For they were not really hers.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Leah then realized she was barren,
Gave her maidservant Zilpah.
Zilpah then bore Gad and Asher.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Once again Leah became pregnant and bore a son,
His name was Issachar.
She bore another son, Zebulun.
Last she bore a daughter, whom she named Dinah.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
All this time Rachel was still barren.
She cried herself to bed each night,
Praying the Lord would open her womb.
One night,
He answered.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Rachel was finally pregnant,
She gave birth to a son, whom she named Joseph.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob now had 11 sons and 1 daughter,
His flocks had to be counted by the hundreds,
But Laban and his workers had begun tormenting his sons
When they shepherded their father's sheep.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob decided it was time to go,
So he packed up his family and all of their goods
And left during the time of sheep-shearing,
Hoping not to be noticed.
But what he did not know
Was the Rachel took some of her father's idols.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Laban soon came after them,
Crying that they took something from,
Jacob let him search through all the tents.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
First he searched through all the tents
But he found nothing,
When he came to Rachel's, Rachel was sitting on her mat,
He found nothing.
He then told Rachel to move so he could look,
But Rachel said she was indisposed.
Laban then left the tent.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Laban then made a contract with Jacob,
Saying that he would leave Jacob alone,
That he would not bother him anymore.
Thus parted Laban and Jacob.
And what about those idols, you ask.
Well, Rachel had sat upon them.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
When they were upon the borders of Jacob's homeland,
Jacob decided to separate his flocks and families into two groups.
So if one of them was attacked the other would survive.
Hoping to receive Esau's favor, Jacob sent a lot of gifts ahead of them.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
That night Jacob brought his two wives,
Two maidservants and his eleven sons across a river to be safe.
He went back across the river to spend the night alone,
Or so he thought.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
But there was a man there,
And Jacob wrestled with him till the sun began to touch the sky.
Seeing that he could beat Jacob,
The man touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that Jacob's hip was wrenched.
Then the man said to Jacob,
'Let me go for it is daybreak.'
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
But Jacob would not let him go until he blessed him.
'What is your name?' the stranger asked.
'Jacob'
'Your name' he said 'is no longer Jacob,'
'But Israel',
'For you have wrestled with God and man,'
'And have won.'
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Jacob limped over to the river and was just kneeling down to drink,
When upon the horizon was an army of 400,
Commanded by Esau.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Did Esau want to kill him?
He quickly divided the family.
The two maidservants and their children in the front,
Then Leah and her children,
With Rachel and Joseph in the rear.
He went in front of the whole procession.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
As Jacob bowed seven times to Esau,
When they finally met,
Jacob was surprised,
Instead of feeling a sword on his neck,
He felt two arms hugging him.
Esau was hugging him and crying too.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
Now my children,
That is the story of how the nation of Israel was born.
A story of hope,
A story of tears,
A story of a Nation born.
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