God’s Covenant with Abram
Gen 15:1  After these things the Word of Jehovah came to Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram, I am your shield and your exceeding great reward. 
Gen 15:2  And Abram said, Lord God, what will You give me, since I am going childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 
Gen 15:3  And Abram said, Behold, You have given no seed to me. And behold, one born in my house is my heir. 
Gen 15:4  And behold, the Word of Jehovah came to him saying, This one shall not be your heir. But he that shall come forth out of your own bowels shall be your heir. 
Gen 15:5  And He brought him outside and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars, if you are able to count them. And He said to him, So shall your seed be. 
Gen 15:6  And he believed in Jehovah. And He counted it to him for righteousness. 
Gen 15:7  And He said to him, I am Jehovah that brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land to inherit it. 
Gen 15:8  And he said, Lord God, by what shall I know that I shall inherit it? 
Gen 15:9  And He said to him, Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 
Gen 15:10  And he took all these to himself, and divided them in the middle, and laid each piece against one another; but he did not divide the birds. 
Gen 15:11  And when the birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 
Gen 15:12  And it happened as the sun was setting, and a deep sleep fell upon Abram. And, behold, a horror of great darkness fell upon him! 
Gen 15:13  And He said to Abram, You must surely know that your seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs, and shall serve them. And they shall afflict them four hundred years. 
Gen 15:14  And also I will judge that nation whom they shall serve. And afterward they shall come out with great substance. 
Gen 15:15  And you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall be buried in a good old age. 
Gen 15:16  But in the fourth generation they shall come here again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 
Gen 15:17  And it happened, the sun went down, and it was dark and behold, a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp passed between those pieces. 
Gen 15:18  In the same day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, I have given this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 
Gen 15:19  the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 
Gen 15:20  and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the giants, 
Gen 15:21  and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Prayer – Covenant

O Jehovah,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and extends grace to those who love Him and keep His commandments.
You relate intimately with those who fear You, You make them know Your covenant.
Help me to always be mindful of Your covenant, the Word You commanded to a thousand generations.
Put it in my mind and write in on my heart.
Lead me to do what is right and teach me to live Your way.
All Your paths are mercy and truth to those who keep Your covenant and Your instructions.
Show me Your paths and guide me in Your truth.
You are the God who saves me.
My hope is in You Lord!

In Jesus’ name

Amen

Die Here sluit ’n verbond met Abram
1Daarna het die Here in ’n visioen aan Abram verskyn en vir hom gesê: “Moenie bang wees nie, Abram, want Ek sal jou beskerm en jou beloning sal groot wees.”
2Maar Abram het geantwoord: “Oppermagtige Here, wat beteken al u seëninge as ek nie eers ’n seun het nie? Daarom sal Eliëser van Damaskus my erfgenaam word. 3U het my geen kinders gegee nie. Een van my slawe sal dus alles erf wat ek besit.”
4Toe sê die Here vir hom: “Nee, hy sal nie jou erfgenaam word nie. Jy sal ’n seun van jou eie hê wat al die besittings wat Ek jou gee, sal erf.” 5Daarop neem die Here Abram na buite toe en sê: “Kyk op na die naghemel en tel die sterre. Kan jy hulle tel? Net so baie sal jou nageslag wees!” 6Abram het op die Here vertrou en die Here het hom as regverdig gereken. 7Die Here sê verder vir hom: “Ek is die Here wat jou uit Ur van die Galdeërs laat wegtrek het om hierdie land in besit te neem.”
8Maar Abram antwoord Hom: “Oppermagtige Here, hoe kan ek verseker weet dat dit aan my sal behoort?”
9Die Here antwoord hom: “Bring vir My ’n driejaaroud verskalf, ’n driejaaroud bokooi, ’n driejaaroud ram, ’n tortelduif en ’n jong duif.” 10Abram bring dit toe vir die Here en slag hulle. Hy sny elkeen middeldeur en lê die helftes teenoor mekaar. Die duiwe sny hy egter nie in die helfte nie. 11Toe roofvoëls op die karkasse toesak, verwilder Abram hulle. 12Daardie aand, toe die son besig was om onder te gaan, oorval ’n diep slaap Abram en angs en donkerte het hom oorval.
13Toe sê die Here vir Abram: “Weet verseker dat jou afstammelinge vreemdelinge in ’n vreemde land sal wees. Hulle sal 400 jaar lank as slawe verdruk word. 14Maar Ek sal dié nasie wat hulle soos slawe behandel, straf. Daarna sal jou nageslag met groot rykdom daar uittrek. 15Maar jy sal in vrede op ’n rype ouderdom sterf. 16Vier geslagte ná jou, wanneer die sonde van die Amoriete ryp geword het vir oordeel, sal jou nageslag terugkom na hierdie land toe.”
17Toe die son ondergegaan het en dit donker was, het Abram ’n rokende oond en ’n brandende fakkel gesien wat tussendeur die halwe karkasse beweeg het. 18So het die Here daardie dag ’n verbond met Abram gemaak en gesê: “Ek het hierdie land vir jou nageslag gegee, vanaf die Egiptespruit tot by die groot Eufraatrivier. 19Dit sluit in die land van die Keniete, die Kenissiete, die Kadmoniete, 20die Hetiete, die Feresiete, die Refaïete, 21die Amoriete, die Kanaäniete, die Girgasiete en die Jebusiete.”

Gebed – Verbond

O Here,
God van die hemel, die groot en ontsagwekkende God wat verbond hou en genade verleen aan dié wat Hom liefhet en sy gebooie bewaar.
U is intiem vertroud met die wat U vrees, U maak U verbond bekend aan hulle.
Help my om altyd bewus te wees van U verbond, die Woord wat U aan ‘n duisend geslagte beveel het.
Plaas dit in my gedagtes en skryf dit op my hart.
Lei my om te doen wat reg is en leer my om op U manier te leef.
Al U paaie is barmhartigheid en waarheid vir hulle wat U verbond onderhou en U opdragte nakom.
Wys my U paaie en lei my in U waarheid.
U is die God wat my red.
My hoop is op U Here!

In Jesus naam

Amen