Supplanter

Isaac lived for forty years before he met Rebekah
And twenty more before they had a child
But before the time had come, they knew there’d be more than one
“Hey Becky, that’s why baby is so wild!”
“It seems they’re always fighting!” Rebekah one day said
“I think I’ll ask the Lord what’s going on”
The Lord gave her the news of two nations in her womb
And gave the blessing to the younger one

Jacob, Supplanter was his name,
uprooting other kingdoms until he alone remained
Just like Jesus the greater king to come;
all His foes will fall until He is the only one

The time arrived for giving birth, and just like it was promised
The two of them were fighting for a place
But soon the race was won by a red and hairy son
For Esau was the first to show his face
And though he was a fighter he could not get away
For Jacob had a hold upon his heel
And so forever after he could never shake it free
The things that God had promised were for real

Jacob, Supplanter was his name,
uprooting other kingdoms until he alone remained
Just like Jesus the greater king to come;
all His foes will fall until He is the only one
Jacob, Supplanter was his name,
uprooting other kingdoms until he alone remained
Just like Jesus the greater king to come;
all His foes will fall until He is the only one

In the kitchen, fixing stew
Saw you coming, wasn’t hard to do
You were dragging, had no game,
Not on your shoulder anyway…
Must have been a hundred tents gone by
Between the field and here… I wonder why?
Do you like my cooking? Do you like it red?
Are you a man of blood? Are you hungry for it?

Red stew on the menu; what will you give? What will you give?
Red stew sure does tempt you
But you have something that I want, something that I want too.

You want it all, you want it now.
Tomorrow never comes anyhow
But I trade in futures; let’s make a deal
Sell me your birthright now, and you can have a meal of

Red stew from the menu; what will you give? What will you give?
Red stew sure does tempt you
But you have something that I want, something that I want too.

Are you about to die? Poor guy, poor guy
Sign on the bottom line, poor guy…
Swear to me now, swear to me now

You ate and drank, you went your way
Such quick recovery, by the way…
I came to the rescue, but you’re the star
I know my day will come. I’d rather have this than
Red stew from the menu; what will you give? What will you give?

Red stew sure does tempt you
But you have something that I want, something that I want too.
from the menu; what did you give? What did you give?
Red stew sure does tempt you
But you have something that I want, something that I want too.

There is no-one here, nobody here for me
And the years go by and bye, they do not wait for me
I’ve been to every dance, every social, every public sacrifice,
I’ve talked to every Hebrew man about his cows
But none about a wife…

You said “two nations… and two peoples…”
You said “The one will be stronger than the other
Two nations… and two peoples… and the older shall serve the younger.”

You saw, so many years ago now, my brother Esau with his ladies…
I have never heard, never heard such bitter words
From my mother’s lips, oh Lord, not me, she won’t get that from me

You said “two nations… and two peoples…”
You said “The one will be stronger than the other
Two nations… and two peoples… and the older shall serve the younger.”
You said “two nations… and two peoples…”
You said “The one will be stronger than the other
Two nations… and two peoples… and the older shall serve the younger.”
You know I believe but I wonder…
He’s been married now so many years but I have found nobody here for me
Nobody here for me

He’s been this way for a long, long time; upwards of seventy years
His eyes are blind in many ways, but they’re not as bad as his ears
For though he used to see, he wouldn’t listen even then
And now he’s hard as adamant and settled in his sin
How can you make him see? How will he come to understand?
Tell me, how do you change the mind of a sharp old man?

We plead, we reasoned, we wrestled, and failed to gain any ground
We prayed for him to change his ways and hoped he would come around
Aaah, but even in the dark his taste buds rule his world
He still prefers that venison more than he prefers that Word
How can you make him see? How will he come to understand?
Tell me, how do you change the mind of a sharp old man?

Now he lays in the other room, makes it clear how he feels his age
And I can sense there is something brewing
but he’s keeping it behind his shades
Oh, we’ve got to find a way before he gives the farm away
Your covenant, Your people need a leader who will obey
Oh, can’t you make him see? How will he come to understand?
Tell me, how do you change the mind of a sharp old man?
Oh, can’t you make him see? How will he come to understand?
Tell me, how do you change the mind of a sharp old man?

Time has gone, time has come
Time is precious, time is done
All those years I have waited
I’ve been patient, I’ve been gracious
I have sown, I have gathered
For a harvest that will matter
You’ve grown old, hard and calloused
You’ve grown bold in your malice
Now your colours crown the tower
And I have got an hour.

All my words, my entreaties
Gone unheard, you can’t hear me
But my Lord who dwells above me
I know He loves me, I know He hears me
I have walked before His face
I’ve received, been given grace
Now I lift this final prayer
Up to heaven, I will dare
If his mind cannot be changed
Can his blindness be arranged?
Can his senses see nothing strange?
I have got an hour
I have got an hour
Just an hour…

I have got some serious misgivings, Mother dear, Mother dear,
I might procure a curse and not a blessing, this I fear, this I fear.
And I know we’re in a tight spot, no mistaking,
After all these years it all comes down to this…
So I’ll put on the best garments of my brother,
My Mother, I’ll do this.

Here are those two goats for which you asked me,
Skin them here, skin them here,
Prepare the food and make it good, my Mother.
“Never fear,” you tell me, “never fear.”
I am troubled that my smooth skin will betray me,
But I thank the Lord that Esau’s like a goat…
May the skin upon my hands serve to save me,
Conceal me with a coat.

I am Esau, your firstborn, here I am, here I am,
I am Esau, your firstborn, here I am.
I am here for your blessing, I have waited all these years;
Feel my hands, feel my hands…

You ask me how I made it back so quickly;
Now the Lord your God has granted me success.
You’re concerned today I seem to sound like Jacob;
Huh. Feel my hands, don’t distress.
I can’t tell you how I hate so to deceive you,
But you wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ll come near to you and kiss you my father and hear the words you say.

I am Esau, your firstborn, here I am, here I am,
I am Esau, your firstborn, here I am.
I am here for your blessing, I have waited all these years;
Feel my hands, feel my hands…
I am Esau, your firstborn,
I am Esau, your firstborn,
I am here for your blessing, I have waited all these years;
Feel my hands, feel my hands…
I am Esau, your firstborn,
I am Esau, your firstborn,
I am here for your blessing, I have waited all these years;
Feel my hands, feel my hands…

See, the smell of my son
Is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
May God give you of the dew of heaven
And of the fatness of the earth
And plenty of grain and wine, plenty of grain and wine
Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
(You know your mother had just one son but you…)
And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
(You know your mother had just one son but you…)
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be everyone who blesses you!
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be everyone who blesses you!

My grand-dad Abraham lived to a good old age
He was an old man, he was old and full of days
My uncle Ishmael, his years were not so long
But he was gathered to his people in the end

And they knew not the day when their life was torn away
They kept on living, they kept on living till they died.
They learned to leave their plans in God Almighty’s hands
Fulfil their mission with strength and vision till that time

My father dug these wells, this land he made to bloom;
His works were mighty, but he believes that they are through.
Do not lay down your arms, you may have years to come;
I want to see you, see you again when I return

For we know not the day when our lives are torn away
We keep on living, we keep on living till we die
We learn to leave our plans in God Almighty’s hands;
Fulfil our mission with strength and vision till that time
Till that time

I’m the God of Abraham your father
I’m the God of Isaac whom you’ve known
I’m the God of this place and every other
I am known here by every stone
And my light showed the way from Beersheba
And my night laid you down to rest
I am Lord when you’re waking or dreaming
Now I come to the one I have blessed

All the things that you want most, my son,
Are the things I promise to give
To your children I will give this land where you live
And they will spread abroad from east to west
From north to south, and the world will be blessed
But above all this, at the top of the ladder

I’m the God of Abraham your father
I’m the God of Isaac whom you’ve known
I’m the God of this place and every other
I am known here by every stone
And I promise that I will be with you
I will keep you wherever you go
And I promise that I will not leave you
Till my promises take root and grow

All the things that you want most, my son,
Are the things I promise to give
To your children I will give this land where you live
And they will spread abroad from east to west
From north to south, and the world will be blessed
But above all this, at the top of the ladder

I’m the God of Abraham your father
I’m the God of Isaac whom you’ve known
I’m the God of this place and every other
I am known here by every stone

Seven years for Rachel I have served you
Seven years, and it seemed like none to me
Now the time is here, my service is completed
So bring her here and let her be with me

Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh
Ohhh, Ohhh,
Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh
Ohhh, Ohhh, Ohhh

It’s dark in here, dark as night And we will be all right…

Leah… don’t want to see ya.
But I can’t free ya from your daddy’s dirty deal
Now you’ve had children left and right; here’s number seven, such delight…
Oh, Leah… I give up. You win.

I know a prize bull when I see one; I never thought I’d ever be one,
But I cannot change a thing, for my nose is in this ring.
You know I always loved your sister and I’m glad I haven’t missed her
But we’re here in this disaster all together; won’t you please get along?

Rachel, my darling Rachel,
I would be faithful but for your daddy’s dirty deal.
And now you want to bring the maid into this mess that we have made…
Oh, Rachel… I give up. You win.

I know a prize bull when I see one; I never thought I’d ever be one,
But I cannot change a thing, for my nose is in this ring.
You know if I do this for you, Leah will have to have it too.
’Cause we are here in this disaster all together; won’t you please get along?

Let’s count ‘em up…
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar and Zebulun and Joseph and Benjamin;
And lest we forget, we haven’t counted Dinah yet…

I know a prize bull when I see one; I never thought I’d ever be one,
But I cannot change a thing, for my nose is in this ring.
I thank you, Lord, for walking with me through this rodeo you gave me,
For we are here in this disaster all together; won’t you help us along?
I know a prize bull when I see one; I never thought I’d ever be one,
But I cannot change a thing, for my nose is in this ring.
I thank you, Lord, for walking with me through this rodeo you gave me,
For we are here in this disaster all together; won’t you please help us along?

Speckled and spotted, hurray, hurray…
These are my wages from Laban today;
Not as much worth when they’re speckled from birth, but OK…
Speckled and spotted and striped and black;
Can they make up for the white they lack?
Starting from scratch again… what do I stand to gain now?
He took the striped away, three days away, so, Lord, how? Lord, how?

Poplar and almond and plane, okay,
Sticks with their stripes by their food today.
All these white sheep… will they all keep this way?
Then came the lambs,
All speckled and spotted and striped and mottled and grey;
Speckled and spotted, hurray! Hurray! Hurray!

Keep the stick trick from the sick today,
Only the strong find the sticks in their hay.
The strong become speckled and spotted and striped this way,
The feebler flock and the poor breeding stock go to Laban.
Speckled and spotted, hurray! Hurray! Hurray!

In this place, far away, I have laboured, I have paid for my house
I have grown, I have gained sons and daughters for my pain
In this place, God of grace
But I long for the land of my home
Now I long for the land of my home

Years have wings… it’s been twenty
Flocks and herds I’ve gained in plenty, but I’m tired of this place
Let us go, let us leave here
We’ve no further cause to be here in this place
Make a way, O God of grace

Now I long for the land of my home
Now I long for the land of my home

For I long for the land of my home
Now I long for the land of my home
Now I long for the land of my home

I’ve been mulling over twenty years of friction
Since I came to you for shelter from the storm
I was seeking for fulfillment of the promise to which I was born
But the truth I found was stranger than fiction
What a ride of brides and children this has been!
What deception, lies, and trickery,
What broken promises I have seen, I have seen

Galeed, Galeed, let this heap be a witness between you and me
Galeed, Galeed, I won’t come beyond to do you harm
And you’ll do none to me, Galeed…

So, I served you fourteen years for both your daughters
And a half a dozen more for all your herds
Losing sleep in cold and heat, ever marching to the beat of your words
And I took it every time you changed my wages
Until I heard from God that I should go
If the Lord had not been with me, I’d be emptyhanded now, I know
We both know…

Galeed, Galeed, let this heap be a witness between you and me
Galeed, Galeed, I won’t come beyond to do you harm
And you’ll do none to me, Galeed…

Gather stones, gather stones, gather stones, my brothers

Galeed, Galeed, let this heap be a witness between you and me
Galeed, Galeed, I won’t come beyond to do you harm
And you’ll do none to me, Galeed… are we agreed?
Let this heap be a witness between you and me
Galeed, Galeed, I won’t come beyond to do you harm
And you’ll do none to me, Galeed…

Go on across the river, Rachel my love,
Take Leah, the eleven, and this bounty from above
For I fear my brother Esau will not greet us with love, I don’t want you here
Down by the Jabbok River I know I’m not alone
He’s come again to take and make my privilege his own
But what the Lord has surely given I’ll defend with flesh and bone,
I will stand
You have come here for a fight, it has lasted all the night
For you know I’m in the right, I’ll prevail
But I don’t want you to run at the rising of the sun
Look upon me when I’ve won, and you failed

I won’t let you go unless you bless me,
I won’t let you go unless you bless me
I won’t let you go unless you bless me,
I won’t let you go unless you bless me

Daylight at the river, in wonder and pain,
the sunrise upon me as I limp on again
It seems I was mistaken in the struggle undertaken in the night
All my life I’ve striven, again and again
To hold on to the word You’d given when I began
Now my name is Israel; for I fight with God and man and win

I won’t let you go unless you bless me,
I won’t let you go unless you bless me
I won’t let you go unless you bless me,
I won’t let you go unless you bless me
Bless me