Universalis

Monday 23 March 2009

Genesis - 27

Here we see Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye.



Armadale Castle Gardens and Museum of the Isles is set in the heart of a 20,000 acre Highland estate. This estate, once part of the traditional lands of Clan Donald, was purchased by the Clan Donald Lands Trust in 1971.

The Trust has restored the gardens and part of the Castle, created the Museum of the Isles, founded the Study Centre, built holiday accommodation and established a visitor centre that appeals to all age groups.

Armadale has in the stables a licensed restaurant and shop with mail order facilities. The centre also invites membership of the Clan Donald Lands Trust.

Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh. I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."

The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"

"Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. "The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring I will give this land'-he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there." So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim [ and made his way to the town of Nahor. He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."
(Genesis 24.1-14)

We shall continue with this lovely story tomorrow.

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