Gen 18:1  And Jehovah appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he sat at the tent door in the heat of the day. 
Gen 18:2  And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed toward the ground. 
Gen 18:3  And he said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass away, I pray, from Your servant. 
Gen 18:4  Let a little water, I pray, be brought, and wash Your feet, and rest under the tree. 
Gen 18:5  And I will bring a bite of bread, and will comfort your hearts. After that You shall pass on. For this is why You have come to Your servant. And they said, Do so, as you have said. 
Gen 18:6  And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal; knead it, and make cakes. 
Gen 18:7  And Abraham ran out to the herd and brought a calf, tender and good. And he gave it to a young man. And he hurried to dress it. 
Gen 18:8  And he took butter and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree, and they ate. 
Gen 18:9  And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent. 
Gen 18:10  And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and lo, Sarah your wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard in the tent door which was behind Him. 
Gen 18:11  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, far gone in days, and it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 
Gen 18:12  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After my being old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 
Gen 18:13  And Jehovah said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I, who am old, truly bear a child? 
Gen 18:14  Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the time appointed I will return again, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. 
Gen 18:15  Then Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. And He said, No, but you did laugh. 
Gen 18:16  And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom. And Abraham was going with them to bring them on the way. 
Gen 18:17  And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do, 
Gen 18:18  And Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the persons of the earth shall be blessed in him? 
Gen 18:19  For I know him, that he will command his sons and his house after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do justice and judgment, that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him. 
Gen 18:20  And Jehovah said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, 
Gen 18:21  I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come to Me. And if not, I will know. 
Abraham Intercedes for Sodom
Gen 18:22  And the men turned their faces away from there, and went toward Sodom. But Abraham still stood before Jehovah. 
Gen 18:23  And Abraham drew near and said, Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 
Gen 18:24  Perhaps there are fifty righteous within the city. Will You also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are in it? 
Gen 18:25  Far be it from You to act in this manner, to kill the righteous with the wicked. And far be it from You, that the righteous should be as the wicked. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 
Gen 18:26  And Jehovah said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 
Gen 18:27  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak to Jehovah, who am but dust and ashes. 
Gen 18:28  Perhaps there will be five lacking from the fifty righteous. Will You destroy all the city for lack of five? And He said, If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it. 
Gen 18:29  And he spoke to Him yet again, and said, Perhaps there shall be forty found there. And He said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 
Gen 18:30  And he said, Oh let not Jehovah be angry, and I will speak. Perhaps there shall be thirty found there. And He said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. 
Gen 18:31  And he said, Lo now, I have taken upon me to speak to Jehovah. Perhaps there shall be twenty found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 
Gen 18:32  And he said, Oh do not let Jehovah be angry, and I will speak only once more. Perhaps ten shall be found there. And He said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. 
Gen 18:33  And Jehovah went His way as soon as He had left off talking with Abraham. And Abraham returned to his place.

Prayer – Great Expectations 

Heavenly Father,
You graciously visit those who expect You,
You manifest Yourself to those who wait for You
Like Abraham I sit in my tent-door, in the heat of the day;
Seeking an opportunity to do good
Help me to not be forgetful of hospitality,
for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it
Lord, you have blessed me with plenty to be generous and open-hearted, according to my ability
I take pleasure in showing kindness to any; for both God and man love a cheerful giver
My relationship with You does not destroy, but improves good manners,
and teaches me to honor all men
I want to be like Abraham, Your friend, famous for charity, and generosity
Devoted to my fellowman
I want to be like You Lord
Who offered Yourself throughout Your whole life in service to fellowman

Loving You Lord
Loving my neighbor as myself

In Jesus’ name

Amen

Die Here beloof vir Sara ’n seun
1Die Here het weer by die groot bome van Mamre aan Abraham verskyn. Terwyl Abraham so in die middel van die dag by die ingang van sy tent sit, 2sien hy skielik drie mans daar naby staan. Hy het opgestaan, vinnig na hulle toe gestap en hulle verwelkom deur diep te buig. 3“Menere,” het hy gesê, “doen my ’n guns en vertoef ’n bietjie hier. 4Rus eers in die skadu van hierdie boom terwyl ek water laat haal om u voete te was. 5Terwyl u my dan die eer aandoen om by my te vertoef sal ek ’n bietjie kos laat voorberei sodat u versterk kan word. Vertoef tog ’n rukkie voordat u verder reis.”
“Alte seker,” sê hulle. “Doen soos jy gesê het.”
6Abraham is vinnig terug tent toe en sê vir Sara: “Maak gou! Kry drie mate fynmeel, knie dit en bak roosterkoeke.” 7Daarna loop hy vinnig na die beestrop toe en kies ’n vet jaaroudkalf en beveel ’n dienskneg om dit gou te slag en voor te berei. 8Toe die kos gereed was, het hy botter en melk saam met die gaar vleis aan hulle voorgesit. Terwyl hulle eet, het Abraham by hulle onder die boom bly staan om hulle te bedien.
9“Waar is Sara, jou vrou?” vra hulle hom.
“In die tent,” antwoord Abraham.
10Toe sê een van hulle: “Omtrent hierdie tyd volgende jaar sal ek weer terugkom. Jou vrou Sara sal dan al ’n seun hê.”
Sara het by die ingang van die tent agter hom gestaan en afluister. 11Omdat sowel Abraham as Sara bejaard was en Sara reeds verby die ouderdom was dat sy kinders kon kry, 12het sy by haarself gelag. “Hoe kan ’n ou vrou soos ek nog sulke plesier ervaar?” het sy gedink. “En dit nogal met my man wat oud is!”
13Daarop sê die Here vir Abraham: “Hoekom het Sara gelag? Hoekom het sy gesê: ‘Kan ’n bejaarde vrou soos ek regtig ’n kind in die wêreld bring?’ 14Is daar enigiets wat te moeilik is vir die Here? Ek sal oor ’n jaar terugkom en dan sal Sara ’n seun hê.” 15“Nee, ek het nie gelag nie!” antwoord sy, want sy was bang. Maar Hy sê: “Dit is nie waar nie. Jy hét gelag.”
Abraham pleit vir Sodom
16Ná ete het die mans opgestaan en in die rigting van Sodom gestap. Abraham het ’n entjie saamgeloop om hulle af te sien.
17“Ek kan tog nie my voorneme vir Abraham wegsteek nie!” sê die Here. 18“Abraham sal sekerlik ’n groot en magtige nasie word, en al die volke op aarde sal in hom geseën word. 19Ek het hom gekies sodat hy sy seuns en hulle gesinne kan opvoed om aan die Here gehoorsaam te wees deur te doen wat goed en reg is sodat Ek vir hom alles kan doen wat Ek hom belowe het.” 20Toe sê die Here vir Abraham: “Die boosheid van die mense van Sodom en Gomorra het rugbaar geword, want hulle doen alles wat sondig is. 21Ek wil afgaan om te gaan kyk of dit waar is of nie. Dan sal Ek vir seker weet.”
22Terwyl twee van die mans toe verder gaan in die rigting van Sodom, het die Here nog ’n rukkie by Abraham bly staan. 23Abraham het nadergekom en gevra: “Sal U die onskuldiges saam met die skuldiges uitroei? 24Sê nou daar is 50 onskuldige mense in die stad. Sal U nie die stad ter wille van hulle spaar nie? 25U sal tog sekerlik nie die onskuldiges saam met die skuldiges laat doodgaan nie! Hoekom sou U die onskuldiges en die skuldiges almal oor een kam skeer? U sal dit tog sekerlik nie doen nie! Moet die regter van die hele aarde dan nie doen wat reg is nie?”
26Die Here antwoord: “As Ek 50 onskuldige mense in Sodom kry, sal Ek ter wille van hulle die hele stad spaar.”
27Abraham het toe weer gepraat: “Aangesien ek gewaag het om met die Here te praat, al is ek maar net stof en as, laat my toe om weer te praat. 28Sê nou daar is 45? Sal U die stad verwoes net omdat daar vyf minder is?”
Die Here antwoord hom: “As Ek 45 kry, sal Ek dit nie verwoes nie.”
29Abraham het verder aangedring: “Veronderstel daar is net 40?”
Die Here antwoord: “Ek sal dit ter wille van 40 nie verwoes nie.”
30“Moet asseblief nie vir my kwaad word nie, Here,” het Abraham gepleit. “Laat my toe om te praat. Wat daarvan as daar net 30 is?”
Die Here sê: “As Ek 30 daar vind, sal Ek dit nie verwoes nie.”
31Abraham het weer gevra: “Terwyl ek dit gewaag het om met U te praat, Here, laat my tog voortgaan. Wat as daar net twintig onskuldiges is?”
Die Here sê vir hom: “Ek sal dit nie verwoes as daar twintig is nie.”
32Uiteindelik sê Abraham: “Here, moet tog nie kwaad word nie. Ek sal net nog hierdie een keer praat. Sê nou daar is net tien?”
En die Here sê: “Ter wille van tien mense sal Ek dit nie verwoes nie.”
33Daarna het die Here sy gesprek met Abraham beëindig en weggegaan. Abraham het na sy tent toe teruggegaan.

Gebed – Groot verwagtinge

Hemelse Vader,
U besoek genadiglik diegene wat U verwag,
U openbaar U self aan diegene wat op U wag
Soos Abraham sit ek in my tentdeur, in die hitte van die dag;
Op soek na ‘n geleentheid om goed te doen
Help my om nie van gasvryheid te vergeet nie,
want hierdeur het sommige engele onthaal sonder dat hulle dit geweet het
Here, U het my met oorvloed geseën om vrygewig en openhartig te wees, volgens my vermoë
Ek het behae daarin om goedhartigheid teenoor enigeen te betoon; want beide God en die mens het ‘n blymoedige gewer lief
My verhouding met U vernietig nie, maar verbeter goeie maniere,
en leer my om alle mense te eer
Ek wil soos Abraham wees, U vriend, bekend vir liefdadigheid en vrygewigheid
Toegewyd aan my medemens
Ek wil soos U wees Here
Wat U self U hele lewe lank in diens van U medemens aangebied het

Ek wil U lief hê Here
Ek wil my naaste lief hê soos myself

In Jesus naam

Amen