Abraham and Abimelech
Gen 20:1  And Abraham moved from there toward the south country, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 
Gen 20:2  And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister. And Abimelech the king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. 
Gen 20:3  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, you are about to die, for the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man’s wife. 
Gen 20:4  But Abimelech had not come near her. And he said, Lord, will You also kill a righteous nation? 
Gen 20:5  Did he not say to me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother. In the sincerity of my heart and innocency of my hands I have done this. 
Gen 20:6  And God said to him in a dream, Yes, I know that you did this in the sincerity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me. Therefore I did not allow you to touch her. 
Gen 20:7  Now therefore, restore his wife to the man. For he is a prophet, and he shall pray for you, and you shall live. And if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you, and all that are yours. 
Gen 20:8  And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears. And the men were greatly afraid. 
Gen 20:9  Then Abimelech called Abraham, and said to him, What have you done to us? In what have I offended you, that you have brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? You have done deeds to me that ought not to be done. 
Gen 20:10  And Abimelech said to Abraham, What did you see that you have done this thing? 
Gen 20:11  And Abraham said, Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me for my wife’s sake. 
Gen 20:12  And yet truly she is my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother. And she became my wife. 
Gen 20:13  And it happened when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, This is your kindness which you show to me, at every place where we shall come, say of me, He is my brother. 
Gen 20:14  And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them to Abraham. And he restored him Sarah his wife. 
Gen 20:15  And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before you. Live where it pleases you. 
Gen 20:16  And to Sarah he said, Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver. Behold, he is to you a covering of the eyes, to all that are with you, and with all this, you are reproved. 
Gen 20:17  And Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his slave women, and they gave birth. 
Gen 20:18  For the Lord had closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.

Prayer – Backsliding

Oh Lord, my God,
You rebuke me when I sin and convince me of my foolishness
Yet sometimes I fall back into the same sin
Caught by surprise by the strength of the temptation
And the weakness of my flesh
Lord, thank you that You always remember that I am dust
And that You know me better than I know myself

You say “Return to me, and I will heal your backsliding”
Here I am, I am coming to You
For you are Adonai, my God
Thank you that I am in Your protective care,
That You often step in to intercept the full consequences of my wrongdoing
And although you reprimand me,
You will not hand me over to the will of my enemies
Nor allow Your covenant with me to fail
You rebuke kings for the sake of your people
I am ready to repent
Forgive me Father…

In Jesus’ name
Amen

Abraham mislei vir Abimelek
1Abraham het suidwaarts na die Negev getrek en ’n tyd lank tussen Kades en Sur gewoon. Toe hy in Gerar gewoon het, 2het hy daar rond vir die mense vertel dat sy vrou Sara sy suster is. Koning Abimelek van Gerar laat haar toe haal om met haar te trou.
3In die nag verskyn God toe in ’n droom aan Abimelek en sê vir hom: “Jy speel met die dood, want daardie vrou wat jy geneem het, is alreeds getroud.”
4Abimelek het toe nog geen omgang met haar gehad nie, en sê: “Here, sal U ’n onskuldige nasie doodmaak? 5Abraham het dan vir my gesê: ‘Sy is my suster,’ en sy self het ook gesê: ‘Ja, hy is my broer.’ Ek het regtig in onkunde opgetree!”
6“Ja, Ek weet jy is onskuldig,” antwoord God. “Dis hoekom Ek jou gekeer het om teen My te sondig. Ek het nie toegelaat dat jy haar aanraak nie. 7Stuur haar nou terug na haar man toe. Hy sal vir jou bid, want hy is ’n profeet. Dan sal jy bly lewe. As jy haar nie na hom toe terugstuur nie, kan jy seker weet jy en jou hele huishouding sal beslis sterf.”
8Abimelek het die oggend vroeg opgestaan en vinnig ’n vergadering met al sy amptenare belê. Toe hy hulle vertel wat gebeur het, het ’n groot angs hulle beetgepak. 9Abimelek laat roep toe vir Abraham. “Wat het jy ons nou aangedoen?” het hy gevra. “Wat het ek verkeerd gedoen om so behandel te word? Ek en my hele koninkryk sou aan ’n groot sonde skuldig gewees het. 10Hoekom het jy dit aan ons gedoen?”
11“Maar,” antwoord Abraham, “ek was onder die indruk dis ’n goddelose plek hierdie. Ek het gedink: ‘Hulle sal my vrou wil hê en my doodmaak om haar in die hande te kry.’ 12Sy is inderdaad my suster. Ons het dieselfde pa, maar nie dieselfde ma nie. Ons is egter wel getroud. 13Toe God my uit my geboorteland laat wegtrek het, het ek vir haar gesê: ‘Waar ons ook al gaan, moet jy asseblief ter wille van my sê dat jy my suster is.’”
14Abimelek gee toe kleinvee, beeste, slawe en slavinne vir Abraham. Hy gee ook sy vrou Sara terug aan Abraham en sê: 15“Gaan deur my koninkryk en kies vir jou ’n plek waar jy graag wil woon.
16“Kyk,” sê hy vir Sara, “ek gee jou broer 1 000 stukke silwer om te vergoed vir enige verleentheid wat ek dalk vir jou of enigeen by jou kon veroorsaak het. Dit sal enige verdere eis teen my afhandel.”
17Daarna het Abraham tot God gebid en God het Abimelek, sy vrou en die ander vroue gesond gemaak sodat hulle weer kon kinders hê, 18want die Here het al die vroue met onvrugbaarheid getref as waarskuwing vir Abimelek omdat hy Abraham se vrou geneem het.

Gebed – Terug val

Here, my God,
U bestraf my as ek sondig en oortuig my van my dwaasheid
Tog val ek soms terug in dieselfde sonde
Verras deur die krag van die versoeking
En die swakheid van my vlees
Here, dankie dat U altyd onthou dat ek stof is
En dat U my beter ken as wat ek myself ken

U sê: “Keer terug na My toe, en Ek sal jou terugval genees”
Hier is ek, ek kom na U toe
Want U is die HERE, my God
Dankie dat ek in U beskermende sorg is,
Dat U dikwels inspring om die volle gevolge van my verkeerde optrede te onderskep
En alhoewel U my berispe,
U sal my nie oorgee aan die wil van my vyande nie
En ook nie toelaat dat U verbond met my misluk nie
U bestraf konings ter wille van u volk
Ek is gereed om te bely
Vergewe my Vader…

In Jesus naam
Amen