It was evening. It was already getting dark, and Abraham was sitting in his tent resting and thinking. Now he was  living with his wife Sarah in the Promised Land of Canaan. He thought about the fact that he was gradually getting old. Why was he here in this land? He was rich, had much livestock, and also many servants who helped him. God should make him into a great nation (Gen. 12:2). But why has no child been born yet? Hadn't God promised that? And Sarah was getting so old too. Who would take care of all those animals later when he had died? Everyone gives their possessions to their children, who then have to take care of them.

But God had promised it, and Abraham knew that God is honest. If He says something, it happens. Perhaps Abraham has also become a bit sleepy; is he dreaming now, or is he really hearing the voice of God? “Do not worry, Abraham! I will make sure everything turns out well. You will receive a great reward from Me.” But Abraham said to God: “What then am I to do with that great reward? If I die, I cannot give my possessions, my animals, and my money to my children, like other people do.” What good is that reward to me then? Am I to give that reward to my servant?”

Then God said: “No, Abraham, that reward is not for your servant. It is for the child that is yours and your wife Sarah’s. It will be born of your wife. Come outside with me.”

Suddenly, Abraham sits up straight. Look, three men are walking up. Three strangers. No locals.  Abraham walked up to them and bowed to those special men. He invited them to sit with him in the shade of the tree and drink water.

Sarah heard them talking about her. Then one of the men said, “In a year we will come back here, and then Sarah will have a son!” 

Sarah heard what those men said. She laughed: “Haha, I’m already too old!”

But Abraham is completely astonished. What kind of Man he is ? That is no ordinary man. How can He say that? How is that possible? How does He know that? One of those men is God Himself, who has come to him; the other two are angels who have gone along.

Sarah has waited so long for a baby, and now that she hears this, she can hardly believe it.  And that one Man, who was God as a man on earth, said, “Why did Sarah laugh?” And Sarah said, “I did not laugh.” But that was not entirely honest, for she had laughed indeed.

After the meal, the men continued on their way. And Abraham walked along for a bit. They explained that they were going to Sodom and Gomorrah, where Lot had gone to live. God knew that a great deal of evil, sexual abuse,  was happening there. Also, the poor people were not being cared for there. They did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy  (Ezekiel 16:49-50). God told Abraham that He wanted to destroy Sodom. Abraham was shocked! He thought of Lot and his family. Abraham asked God:

Then Abraham understood that there were virtually no good people left living in Sodom.  The wickedness of Sodom was great!  Abraham was very worried about his nephew (cousin) Lot and his family. And Abraham prayed for that family. If there were still 10 good people living there, God would not destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. And how large was Lot's family? The men went on to see Sodoms situation,  and Abraham returned to the tent where Sarah was waiting for him.

There was much to think about and much to pray for.

QUESTIONS:
Part 1: Abraham and the Stars (Genesis 15)

 Comprehension Questions:

 Why was Abraham sitting in his tent at night worrying? (He was old, had no children, and was worried about who would inherit his possessions later.)

 What was Abraham supposed to do when God called him outside? (He was supposed to look at the stars and try to count them.)

 Did Abraham manage to count all the stars? Why not? (No, there were far too many, uncountable.)

 What did God promise Abraham with those stars? (That his family would become as large as the number of stars: countless descendants.)

 Questions to think about:

 Have you ever tried to count the stars? What do you think: how many stars are there?

 Abraham could not understand it, because he was already old and had no children. Have you ever had to believe something that seemed very difficult?

 God said that He would keep His promise. Why is it important to trust what God says, even if it takes a long time?

Part 2: The Three Visitors (Genesis 18)

 Comprehension Questions:

 Who came to visit Abraham when it was very hot? (Three men / God and two angels.)

 What did Abraham do to welcome the men? (He bowed, gave them water to drink and wash their feet, and had Sarah bake bread and slaughter a calf.)

 What did one of the men say to Abraham about Sarah? (That Sarah would have a son in a year.)

 How did Sarah react when she heard this? Why? (She laughed, because she considered herself too old to have child.)

 Did God know that Sarah had laughed? What did He ask Abraham? (Yes, God knew and asked: "Why is Sarah laughing?")

 Questions to think about:

 Abraham and Sarah were very hospitable to the strange men. How can we be hospitable to others?

 Sarah laughed because she thought: "That is no longer possible, I am too old." Are there things that you find impossible, but for which everything is possible with God? Sarah initially did not dare to admit that she had laughed. Why is it important to be honest, even with God?

 Part 3: Abraham Prays for Sodom (Genesis 18)

 Comprehension Questions:

 Where did the three men go after dinner? (To Sodom and Gomorrah.)

 Why did God want to destroy the city of Sodom? (Because many bad things were happening there, such as sexual abuse, and because they did not help the poor.)

 Who was Abraham afraid of in that city? (His nephew Lot and his family.)

What did Abraham ask God? (Whether God would spare the city if good people still lived there.)

 How many good people were needed to save the city according to Abraham? (He started at 50 and went down to 10.)

 Questions to Think About:

 Abraham kept asking God if He would spare the city. What does this teach us about praying for others?

 In Sodom, they did not help the poor. How can we ensure that we do help the poor and people in need?

 It turned out there were not 10 good people in Sodom. What does this say about how most people lived there?

 Abraham worried about his family. Who in your circle do you sometimes pray for?