Genesis Triangle

Genesis Triangle

Heroines of the Bible

Book One

Margy Pezdirtz

Copyright © 2017 Margy Pezdirtz

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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To The Men in my Life:

To my Abba, Gail Reid, who was always there for me and who taught me to understand the love of God through his own gentle and loving spirit. Words can never say how very much I appreciate him. Miss you Daddy.

To my two sons, Russ and Derryk Carr, who have always been my cheering section, willing to watch Mom’s Parade go by and offer a cheerful hand. I love you two and I am very proud of you. Thanks for all of the years of approval and faithfulness, to me and to the Lord.

Last, but certainly not least, to my David ... my beloved ... my late husband. You encouraged me, pushed me, and made it possible for me to obey the Lord in writing this book. I love you for your love, your encouragement and for your excellent help! You made this book possible as well as my life.

Ani Dodi Ldodi Ani!

Table of Contents

One— Blessed Deception

Two— The Journey

Three— Covenants

Four— Deceptive Alliance

Five— New Life

Six— House of Conflict

Seven— Haran

Eight— Uninvited Guest

Nine— Storm Clouds

Ten— Rachel's Trap

Eleven— Changes

Twelve— A Desert Time

Thirteen— Adjustments

Fourteen— The Bargain

Fifteen— Winter’s Cruel Wind

Sixteen— Circumcision

Seventeen— Spring’s Jeopardy

Eighteen— Time to Ponder

Nineteen— Friends

Twenty— Despair

Twenty–One— New Beginnings

Twenty–Two— Encounter

Twenty–Three— Journey’s End

About the Author

One—

Blessed Deception

The first light of day was beginning to break behind the palm trees on the east bank of the Nile as Omri nervously checked the camel's saddles for what he hoped would be the last time. Surely Joseph would arrive soon. Everything had been checked a dozen times. The Hebrews were growing restless. They knew the journey was long and they wanted to get started. All that was holding them up was Joseph.

Joseph! How like a god he is, Omri smiled as he thought of his master. A majestic sight full of confidence with his raw good looks, curly black hair that was just beginning to grey at the temples and the dark olive skin. His deep brown eyes full of vitality and wisdom. His strong jaw and muscular body still reflect the training and agility he learned as a shepherd boy. The years of luxury and ease in the house of Pharaoh had changed him little other than to make him wiser.

Omri loved watching Joseph race the wind as he dashed through the byways of Egypt, the sun dancing on the brilliant gold olive branches and pomegranates trimming his ebony chariot. It was an exquisite chariot, the most beautiful in all of Egypt next to Pharaoh's. Certainly there was no finer charioteer in all of Egypt than Joseph. When he rode through the streets in his chariot every eye was on him. Even without the trumpeters running ahead to proclaim his nearness, he still commanded attention.

Omri and Joseph had ridden together through the fertile Nile valley many times. There were the times of joy when they went to purchase grain to store in Pharaoh's granaries and the time of tragedy when they went to possess the land traded for food in the days of famine. But this trip would be different. It would be as slow and mournful as the muffled cadence of the funeral drum. There wouldn't be any racing the wind on this journey. As they traveled, the world would be served notice and know Egypt was in mourning.

Draped in black, the caravan would slowly wind its way in a northwesterly direction toward Canaan. Jacob, the great patriarch of the Hebrews and the man known as Israel, had died and was being carried back to his ancestral home of Canaan for burial. Normally, a foreigner would not have been afforded such honor and circumstances but this wasn't just any foreigner. He was the father of Joseph, second to Pharaoh and loved by all of Egypt.

It was hard for Omri to comprehend why Israel wanted his body to be taken back to Canaan, a barren waste land compared to the richness of Egypt. Why had he refused to be buried here in the Valley of the kings? Surely Joseph's father would be afforded that much dignity. It was Pharaoh who had ordered all of Egypt to mourn the death of Israel so it would be a simple matter to have an Egyptian tomb built for him. The Egyptians wouldn't mind. They knew they owed their lives to Joseph. Egypt loved him and would do anything for him.

These brothers of Joseph were a strange lot, Omri observed as he watched the brothers waiting impatiently for their brother-turned-king leader. Peculiar in many aspects. There were only seventy of them when they had come to Egypt just seventeen years before but now they had grown and prospered an becoming were a large people. Most of the adults were making the long, hard journey to bury Israel, leaving behind only the children and animals and a handful of people to watch over them. Omri knew as long as he lived he would never understand this obsession they had for eretz Israel, the land of Israel.

Not only were the brothers of Joseph going with him to bury his father but so were the servants of the house of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, as well as the household of Israel. He did have to admit it was an impressive sight, the largest group of people ever to have traveled from Egypt at one time. The caravan of camels, horsemen and chariots stretched further than any caravan he had ever seen.

Omri was both delighted and relieved to see Joseph's chariot appear on the horizon. He had not been comfortable standing in front of all of these Hebrews telling them they must wait on his master, their brother. He could sense their impatience. Now Joseph would take the lead and they would follow behind in learned obedience to their brother.

Omri bowed in recognition of his master as Joseph pulled his chariot to a stop. Arise, Omri. I see you have things in order as usual.

Yes, Master. Omri smiled. Even though they had become friends over the years he had served Joseph, he continued to follow Egyptian protocol bowing low when he came into his master's presence. I believe we are ready to begin. Your family, Master, they seem to be in a hurry.

Yes, Omri. They are an impatient people. Joseph smiled, glancing over his shoulder at the caravan. You have done well, Omri. Everything looks ready. Let's begin the journey.

Omri attached the standard of Egypt to the left side of his master's chariot and the black standard of mourning to the right side of the chariot. Joseph pulled his chariot into the lead, looked at the trumpeters and nodded for them to sound the trumpet. It had been many years since he had made this journey. His heart was full of emotion and his head was deluged with memories. He could hear his father, Israel, telling him the stories of his family...

I was forty years old when I began the journey to Padan-Aram. I had never been so afraid in my entire life. I was afraid of my brother behind me, and I was afraid of what lay ahead of me. Joseph closed his eyes and he was a child again, sitting at his father's feet listening to the all familiar story as the now distant voice nourished his hungry heart.

My name wasn't Israel then, but Jacob. Even though I was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham, I didn't know their God. All I had to go on was what I had heard and my own desperate need to survive. The relationship between my brother Esau and myself was never good, even though we were twins. Esau was my father's favorite, and I was the favorite of my mother.

Joseph wanted to remember. He wanted to think about his father and his mother. He wanted to think about the good times with his family. He wanted to think about the heritage they had left him. The promises. He wanted to hold them close to his heart this last time.

Omri, do you know the story of this man we are taking home today? Joseph asked, forcing his mind back to the present.

No, Master, I do not. I know he is your father and he is called Israel. I would like to know about this man who has caused my Master to grieve.

Ride with me. I'll tell you of my father as we ride. It is going to be a slow journey with much time for story telling.

Omri handed the staff indicating authority to his assistant and stepped into the chariot with Joseph. Why not, he thought, this will indeed be a long journey. Joseph is an excellent story teller and I would like to know about his people, the Hebrews.

The story goes back a long time, Joseph related, My father, Israel, began his first journey almost one hundred years ago when he fled from the home of his father to Padan-Aram for fear of his life. His name wasn't Israel then, but Jacob, the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. Legend has it that he had been a deceiver in his younger years and that he and his twin brother, Esau, had often been in conflict because of the deception.

Rebekah, the beautiful wife of Isaac and mother of my father, presented Isaac with twin sons, Jacob and Esau. My grandmother favored Jacob over Esau. As the young boys grew into manhood, Jacob stayed close to home, sharing stories with his mother listening to stories of his parents and learning of his heritage. He was gentle, quiet and decisive.

"Esau, on the other hand, had been a different personality. Esau was as wild as the wind, running the fields, wrestling with animals and often smelling like them. He hunted and fished and had all of the mannerisms of one who lived in the fields.

He was the elder of the two brothers but irresponsible. This became more of a concern to Rebekah as her husband grew older and his favoritism of Esau became more obvious. Rebekah could remember the stories she had been told by Sarah's handmaidens, who had known the mother-in-law she had never known. They told her of the beautiful relationship Sarah and Abraham had with their God and how their God had opened Sarah's womb in her old age. Sarah knew the promises of her God had been real and that her only son, Isaac, would become the blood line of a powerful nation.

"Rebekah was a young bride when these stories were told to her by the handmaidens and when Isaac told her of Abraham and his encounters with his God. Even though she was young at the time Rebekah held the stories in her heart and pondered them often. She knew that if these stories were true then one day this same God would open her womb and she, too, would bear children and share in this promise to come.

It was heart breaking for her to watch Esau be so irresponsible and to show no care or concern for the promises of God, whom she had come to know as The One True God. And Isaac! Couldn't he see the irresponsibility of this son, or was it that he just didn't care?

All he would ever say was, 'Esau has the birthright!' Isaac didn't seem to understand that the birthright was a responsibility and not just a privilege of the order of birth.

Rebekah thought she had to take things into her own hands if the promises were going to be fulfilled. And so it was. Rebekah watched and waited until a rainy day provided her the opportunity she had looked for. Esau came in from the fields, cold, tired and hungry. Quickly, she ushered Jacob in near the fire and told him to stir the soup that was cooking as though he were the one cooking it. When Esau came to him and asked him for some soup he was to negotiate with him and require Esau to agree to give up his birthright to Jacob for the bowl of soup.

Jacob and Rebekah, my grandparents, were astonished to see how quickly and easily Esau gave up the birthright. This great hunter and woodsman was so caught up into and concerned for himself that he was willing to sell his birthright for a simple bowl of soup. What kind of leader would he be? How would the people fare whom he was to lead?

It was apparent to Rebekah that she had been correct in her assessment of her elder son. He really didn't care about anything but himself. She determined she would watch closely and when the opportunity presented itself she would see that Jacob got the blessing from his father, Isaac. If she was wrong, then she would have to suffer at the hands of this god of Abraham and Sarah, this god they called Adonai.

Time passed. As Isaac grew older he became weak in body and his sight began to fail him. One day Isaac told her he knew his time on this earth would not be long. It was time to call Esau in and pass the blessing onto him, making him the patriarch of the family.

Rebekah was appalled. She would have to hurry if she was going to accomplish her task. Isaac's servant had already gone to the field to find Esau and bring him back to his father. Hurriedly, she sent her servant to find Jacob and bring him to the main tent. Before the servant could return with Jacob, Esau came in from the field and knelt at the side of Isaac's bed. Rebekah stood quietly behind a curtain listening to their conversation.

She couldn't believe what she heard her husband telling the huntsman-son. She heard Isaac tell Esau to go to the field and find fresh venison, to prepare it and bring it to him. He would eat of it and then he would bless Esau!

At that moment Jacob entered the tent from the back trail. "What is it, Ema? Uzi said you wanted me and it was important."

"Your abba has sent Esau to find fresh venison. Once he has eaten of it he will bless Esau. You must hurry, Son, if you are to get the blessing instead of Esau."

"But, Ema, I already have the birthright."

Don't argue, Son. Without the blessing the birthright is useless.

"But, Ema, you know how angry Abba was when he found out Esau had sold me his birthright! He won't give me the blessing."

Yes he will, Son. Now here, put this animal skin on your arms. Uzi, you help him.

"But, Ema!"

"Don't 'but' me, Jacob! There isn't time to argue. Do as I say. Your Abba is old. He'll never catch on."

But what about Esau? He isn't old!

"Don't worry about Esau. I'll take care of him. Now tie some of that animal skin to your neck. If your Abba touches you, he'll think you are Esau."

Uzi helped Jacob tie the animal skins to his body while she prepared the food for Jacob to take to his father. Jacob realized protesting wouldn't do any good, she had made up her mind. He might as well submit to her demands; he knew her arguments were valid but it was he who was taking the risk.

What if my father figures out it is me instead of Esau, Jacob wondered? Surely he will curse me instead of blessing me and then I will be doomed forever. Mother says 'God will protect me'. If God, this God of my father, cares so much about what happens to me, then why didn't he cause me to be born first?

Rebekah handed the tray of food to Jacob with final instructions on what he was to do and say to his father. It was so important that things go right and there be no confusion in Isaac's mind on what he was doing. There wouldn't be a second chance.

Quickly, Jacob entered his father's tent and knelt beside the bed with the tray of food in his hands. With a trembling voice Jacob said, My father.

Isaac answered, Yes,. Is that you, Esau? I can't see you.

"Yes, Abba, it is I." answered Jacob.

Esau? It doesn't sound like you.

"It is I, Esau, your first-born, Abba. I have done as you instructed me and have returned with the food prepared for you. Eat now and bless me, Abba, as you have said you would."

How is it that you have found the food so quickly, my son? Isaac said to Jacob. Come closer to me so that I can feel you.

Trembling, Jacob moved closer to the bed knowing his father was searching for the hairy arm of his huntsman brother.

Isaac said, It is the voice of Jacob but the skin feels as though it is Esau. Are you really Esau?

I am, replied Jacob.

Although he was not completely satisfied as to the identity of the person in the room with him, Isaac began to eat the food. How many times had he walked those fields with this son of his prior to his eyesight failing. Esau hunted the graceful elk. Ah yes. Esau had learned the skills of a hunter well. Now he would be richly blessed for his hunting expertise. Isaac finished eating the food, then he struggled to raise himself to a sitting position on the couch so he could bless his beloved son.

Isaac put his hand on the hand of the deceiver and blessed him with the blessing of generations as he said, The smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. May God give you the dew of heaven and the rewards of the earth along with plenty of grain and wine. People will serve you and nations will bow down before you. You will be lord over your brothers, and your mother's sons will bow down to you. Cursed be every one who curses you, and blessed be every one who blesses you.

Isaac raised the cup of wine to his lips and drank from it, to indicate the completion of the blessing for his son. Jacob took the cup from his father's hand and drank from it, sealing the covenant. Putting the empty cup aside, Jacob placed his hand behind his father and helped him lie back on the couch. Then he quickly left the room not willing to risk his father's discovering his true identity. Hurriedly, Rebekah helped him slip out of the animal skins and out the back opening of the tent. As the opening of the tent closed behind him, Esau entered the tent with the game he had caught and prepared for his father.

Tears rolled from Rebekah's eyes as she witnessed the anguish and grief as the impact of the deception settled on her husband and the remaining son. She could not help but blame Isaac for the irresponsibility he had shown in his favoritism of Esau, bringing this deception to pass. The favoritism of the father had caused him to be deaf to the instructions of God and blinded him to the inability of Esau to lead a great people. Justified or not, Rebekah wept softly over the wrong she had done to her husband.

Esau's anger toward his mother and brother raged causing Rebekah to fear for Jacob's life and maybe her own. The hostility between the brothers made it imperative that Rebekah go to Isaac and ask him for permission to send Jacob to her brother's home in Padan-Aram to seek a wife. Isaac's health had changed; he appeared to be growing stronger by the day and his death was no longer imminent.

Isaac, Rebekah spoke, You know how miserable the Hittite women, whom Esau married, have made us. There doesn't seem to be any peace in sight as they argue with each other and fight over who is going to have the favor of Esau. I don't think I could stand it if Jacob married a Hittite woman. There are no women around here who are of our faith and heritage. Please, Isaac, give permission to Jacob to go to my brother in Padan-Aram to seek a wife from my people so that we can know peace in the compound.

Isaac thought about it for awhile. Even though his anger at Jacob was still with him, he couldn't bear the thought of another Hittite woman in the family. Rebekah was right. It would be best for Jacob to go away to find a wife. Isaac knew he might not see him again, but it would be worth the sacrifice. Their lives were miserable because of Esau's wives. Added to that was the mounting tension in the compound. There might be a fight between the brothers; if one of them got killed, Rebekah would never forgive him, Isaac reasoned. Perhaps it would be best if Jacob would go to Padan-Aram to Laban.

Isaac gave Jacob permission to go find a wife and then blessed him, saying, May The One True God, the Almighty, bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May He give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your descendants with you that you may take possession of the land of your sojourning which God gave to Abraham.

Tears flowed freely from Jacob's eyes as he hugged and kissed his parents goodbye. The lump of grief in his throat strangled him as he realized the trap he had helped set for his brother had become his own undoing. The journey before him would be long and hard, and he might never see his aging parents again. It was hard to walk away from the things he had known all of his life, from the safety, comfort and security of his parent's compound. Now, only the unknown and deprivation of his family lay ahead of him. He wished he had not listened to his mother then none of this would have happened.

Two—

The Journey

Jacob had never felt so cold or lonely in his life. This was the first time for him to be away from his family and the comfort of having servants to take care of his every need. He had never had to sleep outside of the family compound without some kind of shelter, a comfortable couch under him and warm blankets to protect him from the cold of the desert nights. He had left the safety and security of the family compound so quickly, fleeing from his brother, that he had nothing with him other than the clothes on his back and just a small portion of food, enough to last him three days if he was careful, and a few shekels.

He journeyed northward from Beer-Sheva through the rugged mountains down to the hot desert floor. At times, he had to climb up steep paths only to lose his footing and slide back down the distance he had climbed. He had been on the trail only three days and his body was bruised, his clothes torn and dirty, and his hopes dashed.

It was apparent to Jacob that he would have to recall all of the desert survival stories he had heard Esau telling to their playmates as children if he was going to survive. He wished he had gone hunting with his father and Esau instead of always staying near his mother.

He was surprised on the morning of the third day to look on the horizon and see the walls of Salem. Civilization at last. Still, he knew he would have to be wary as it was possible Esau would have spies in this place. It had taken him three days to journey this far and he knew Esau could have done it much faster. Not only was he skilled at desert travel, he didn't have the added burden of trying to hide from his brother. Jacob knew he would have to observe the city from a distance. When it was safe, he would go in to purchase supplies, then leave again before anyone noticed him.

As the sun was beginning to set, Jacob entered through the most heavily-traveled gate of the city, figuring it was a direct route to the market place. He quietly sought out the items he needed and made his purchases from the merchants. He would have enjoyed lingering for a period in the city, particularly in the safety of the walls, but he knew there would be no safety for him here. He was in danger of running into one of Esau's spies or getting into a conflict with one of the Canaanites. No, it was better for him to make his purchases and leave the city even though he hated the thought of being alone in the desert another night.

His purchases in hand, Jacob headed back for the same gate he had come into the city through. He scurried through the gate just as it was being closed for the night, watching over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. It appeared he had been able to slip into and out of the city unnoticed. Just to be certain, he would go in the opposite direction of that in which he intended to camp for the night, circle back and see if there were any tracks besides his own.

It was late when he finally settled in for the night, but it was a good feeling in knowing he had been successful in his trip into the city. As he curled up in the blanket he had purchased he felt a little more secure than he had the previous nights on this journey. He would sleep a little more comfortably tonight with a blanket to help ward off the desert cold. He didn't dare build a fire to keep warm in the fear it would only signal his location to Esau.

He found twelve larger stones and arranged them in a three-sided shape putting a 13th stone in the middle to use as a pillow. Perhaps this make-shift arrangement would provide some protection from night creatures, he thought as he lay his head on the stone he was using for a pillow. He thought of the events of the last few months and how they had placed him in this situation. He wondered if he could survive. The distance to his uncle was still long and the trip so far had been a hard one through mountains and waste places. He did not know what lay ahead on the trail, and that he would continue to make the journey alone.

The sounds of the night terrified him. The piercing howl of the coyote seemed to echo off the stone mountains making it difficult to know if the animal was close and a threat or in the distance. But then, everything seem to be a threat. The crawling lizards worked their way in between the blanket and his clothing. The dark, fuzzy tarantulas were pitifully frightening although they were not really dangerous. The desert snakes were the worst enemies of all, silent and deadly.

He longed for the warmth and comfort of his family's quarters. Even his father's sick bed seemed more comforting than this place. For the first time in his life he really began to wonder about this God, this god of his father, Isaac, and his grandfather Abraham. He thought of the stories and the promises told to him by his mother.

"Ema!" he thought. She got me into this mess. I've always listened to her, always been obedient to her. Now she wants me to go to Haran to Uncle Laban to find a wife so that I can multiply and bring forth good fruit. Good fruit! I'll do well to even survive this night, let alone make it to Haran. This cold, forsaken desert place certainly doesn't qualify for the quarters of a man who is to inherit the promises of God as my father has blessed me with, Jacob muttered to himself.

Finally, sleep came. Lonely, merciful sleep. It was a restless sleep. Sometime in the hours before morning, he fell into a deep sleep and entered into a dream. There was a ladder reaching from this desert place toward heaven and he saw angels moving down and up the ladder. The angels were magnificent in their brilliant white robes tied with ropes of gold as they busily went about their business. The ladder appeared to be of spun glass finer than any he had ever seen, giving off a radiance that looked as though it were a rainbow after a fresh spring rain. Beyond the ladder on either side, there appeared to be only darkness. The brightest noon sun could only look dark in comparison to the brilliant scene before him.

As he looked up the ladder toward heaven, he saw a glorious figure, gigantic in size with the glow of a thousand diamonds. The figure was frightening in its imminence of power, but so magnetic in its beauty that he could not take his eyes off this creature. Then there was a voice that came forth from the creature that was as strong and powerful as the worst thunder storm he had ever heard and yet as gentle and loving as the night songs his mother sang to him as a child.

"I am The One God. I am the God of Abraham, your grandfather and the God of Isaac, your father. As I told Abraham and Isaac, the land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth and will cover the land to the north, south, east and west. You and your descendants will be blessings to all generations. Those who bless you, I shall bless. Do not fear, I am with you. I will keep you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you."

Jacob awoke from his sleep with a start! Something had happened, something terrifying in its power; soothing in its promise of protection and security. He felt confidence rise in his spirit as he remembered the dream. Had it been a dream or had he really seen the face of The One God? He didn't know. It didn't really matter. Something had happened to him and he knew he would never be the same again.

Surely, he said, The Lord is in this place. I didn't know I had entered into the doorway to heaven. This is the opening to the house of God and I didn't know it.

He shivered with fear, but it was a different kind of fear. This fear was not of the elements or the animals of the night, but a fear of this God, the one true God he had heard about from his father and his mother. Now he knew God was real.

Jacob thought of the events that had just occurred and realized that the promises of The One God had to be true or he would surely be dead by now. As the first rays of morning broke on the horizon he took the stones which he had used as a pillow and a protection, sat them on their ends for a pillar and poured olive oil on it for an anointing. He worshiped God for the first time, his heart bursting with joy, he was full of the realization of God. Tears of gratitude fell from his eyes as he named the place Beth-El, designating it the House of God.

Aware that his fear of the unknown was gone, Jacob fell to his knees once more and lifted his hands heavenward. For the first time he offered a prayer to the God of Isaac and Abraham, this God who had revealed Himself to Jacob as a personal God, a God of protection and supply.

God, if you will be with me, Jacob prayed, If you will keep me safe and will provide food and clothing for me and return me to my father's house in peace, then you shall be my God. This pillar I have raised in this place will serve to remind me this is the place of God's house and I will give you a tenth of all that I have or receive.

He didn't want to leave. He had found the doorway to Heaven and he wanted to remain here. He knew he couldn't, he would have to continue the journey. It was mid-morning before Jacob began to tear himself away. He was more relaxed now, confident in his journey and the mission before him. He knew it was still a long, long way to Haran and the trip would not be easy. But for the first time, he felt certain he would make it. He knew he was not traveling alone. This would be a time of learning about the God of his father, who was now his own.

As he crested the hill before him, he paused to look back one more time at this place now called Beth-El. He didn't want to forget this place. It's location must be burned in his mind. In his heart he knew he would return to this place.

He continued on his journey, making his way northward along a winding trail through the intensely rugged terrain. The mountains were so steep that at times their shadow blocked the sun for hours. On either side of him were steep inclines with hard rocky surfaces. Probably the only creatures that could survive in this barren wilderness were the mountain sheep that roamed aimlessly along the trails. Jacob knew enough about the creatures from overheard conversations of shepherds to know they could survive without water as long as there was morning dew.

Morning dew. He needed to remember that. His water supply was running low. Tonight he would gather flat rocks and make a hard place. Then he would lay his keffiyah on the rocks. In the morning he would ring the water out of his keffiyah into his wineskin. Even though it would be a small amount of water it could mean his survival for another day. Survival! He was learning the skills. In his heart he knew he would make it.

Jacob was right. The journey had been long and hard. Nearly two months had passed between the time he fled the safety of his family's compound. He had grown in those months. His body had been strengthened and made rugged by the hardship of the journey. His olive skin had tanned to a deep rich color and his dark brown eyes registered self confidence. He took pride in the cunning he had learned. He no longer feared the dark interiors of caves but had come to welcome them as a dry, secure friend. He had grown proficient in hunting and tracking.

Jacob now felt he could nearly equal his brother in skills of survival, but there was a gentleness to him now that had not been there in the beginning of the journey. His body was rougher, but his spirit was gentle and kind. He had profited a great deal from the struggle that lay behind him. He knew he had not traveled alone.

Before him lay a valley that was beautiful beyond imagination. Could this be Padan-Aram? Had he finally made it to Haran, the land of his mother's childhood? Certainly the beauty of it matched the description of the land she had told him about.

He hoped his journey was over. Had he reached his