Universalis

Sunday 22 March 2009

Genesis - 26

Laetare Sunday finds us at the Talisker Distillery on the Isle of Skye - though we will not be able to have a wee dram! The distillery is closed to visitors during Lent. It will reopen to visitors at Easter.



Talisker is an Island Single Malt Scotch whisky produced by the Talisker Distillery, Carbost, Scotland; the only distillery on the Isle of Skye. The distillery is operated by United Distillers and Vintners for Diageo, and is marketed as part of their Classic Malts series.

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together.

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
(Genesis 22.1-18)

Of course, God did not spare his only Son. Jesus is the true Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world - he is the perfect sacrifice.

Happy Sunday!

3 comments:

John the organist said...

Just reading this and listening to Purcell's Rejoice in the Lord alway on IPlayer from Westminster Abbey!

Anonymous said...

They coulda painted the building rose!

Peter Simpson said...

We had Bishop Peter Moran celebrating Mass for us this morning. Sadly I was unable to wear my rose dalmatic because he was wearing a purple chasuble! I should have been in Africa with the Pope, who was wearing the rose dalmatic from Mancinelli. It matches my dalmatic perfectly. You have a photo of this rose chasuble on your blog. A bit of an odd choice, because the vestment cost less than £100 - but presumably the Holy Father likes it and thought it appropriate for this Apostolic Trip . I doubt if anything like it would be worn at the Oratory!