SECOND LESSON

God's salvation was made necessary by disobedience, and was accomplished through its opposite — obedience. When Abraham proved obedient in his willingness to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, God promised him that through his offspring all the nations of the earth would be blessed.

Genesis Genesis 22:15-18

And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Thanks be to God

Carol: Creator of the Stars of Night

Creator of the stars of night, Your people’s everlasting light, O Christ, Redeemer of us all, We pray you hear us when we call. At your great name, O Jesus now, All knees must bend, all hearts must bow; All things on earth with one accord, Like those in heaven, shall call you Lord. When this old world drew on toward night, You came, but not in splendor bright, Not as a monarch, but a child Of Mary blameless mother mild. Come in your holy might, we pray, Redeem us for eternal day; Defend us while we dwell below From all assaults of our dread foe. In sorrow that the ancient curse should doom to death a universe, you came, O Savior, to set free your own in glorious liberty. To God the Father, God the Son, And God the Spirit, Three in One, Praise, honor, might, and glory be From age to age eternally.

Starry Night, Vincent van Gogh, 1889

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