Wayengubani UAbraham?
AMBALWA amadoda aye anempembelelo engaka kwiinkonzo zehlabathi. Uhlonelwa ngamaYuda, amaSilamsi, nangamaKristu, uAbrahama uchazwa njengekroti elinokholo olubalaseleyo “eZibhalweni.” IBhayibhile ithi: ‘Unguyise wabo bonke abo banokholo.’—Roma 4:11.
Kutheni abantu bemhlonela kangaka uAbraham? Esinye sezizathu kukuba, uAbraham kuphela komntu iBhayibhile ethi wayengumhlobo kaThixo izihlandlo ezithathu.—2 Kronike 20:7, umbhalo osemazantsi; Isaya 41:8; Yakobi 2:23.
Noko ke, uAbraham wayengumntu nje ofana nathi. Wayeneengxaki ezininzi ezifana nezethu kodwa wazoyisa. Ngaba ungathanda ukwazi ukuba wazoyisa njani? Khawuve ukuba ithini iBhayibhile ngale ndoda ibalaseleyo.
Imvelaphi Yakhe
UAbraham wazalwa ngonyaka wama-2018 B.C.E., waza wakhulela eUre. (Genesis 11:27-31) IUre yayisisixeko esikhulu esihambele phambili. Nonqulo zithixo lwalwesamele. Uyise ka-Abraham uTera, usenokuba wayengomnye wabanquli zithixo. (Yoshuwa 24:2) Sekunjalo, uAbraham wakhetha ukunqula uYehovab endaweni yemifanekiso yezithixo ezingenabomi.
Kwakutheni ukuze uAbraham enze eso sigqibo? Wazalwa kwiminyaka eli-150 ngaphambi kokuba uShem unyana kaNowa abhubhe. Ukuba wayenxulumana nomntu okhule ngolo hlobo, kwamphembelela njani oku? UAbraham ufanele ukuba weva ngoShem ukuba kwakunjani ukusinda kuNogumbe womhlaba wonke. Kwakhona, usenokuba wakufunda ngelo xesha ukubaluleka kokunqula uYehova, uThixo owasindisa uShem nentsapho yakowabo kuMkhukula.
Enoba wafunda kuShem okanye komnye umntu, uAbraham wasabela kakuhle koko wakufundayo ngoThixo oyinyaniso. Xa uYehova ‘umgocagoci weentliziyo,’ wahlola intliziyo ka-Abraham, wabona into elungileyo kuye—waza wayikhulisa.—IMizekeliso 17:3; 2 Kronike 16:9.
Ubomi Bakhe
UAbraham waphila ubomi obanelisayo, nangona zazikho izinto ezilucelo-mngeni kodwa babungakruquli. Khawujonge nje ezinye zezinto ezimbalwa ezamehlelayo.
▪ Xa uAbraham wayehlala eUre, uThixo wathi makalishiye ilizwe lakhe lokuzalwa aze aye kwilizwe awayeza kumbonisa lona. Nangona uAbraham noSara babengazazi zonke iinkcukacha—zendawo ababesiya kuyo nesizathu sokuba uThixo abacele bashiye ilizwe labo—bathobela. Ekugqibeleni uAbraham noSara bahlala ezintenteni kwilizwe lakwaKanan, njengonoothwal’ impahlana ubomi babo bonke.—IZenzo 7:2, 3; Hebhere 11:8, 9, 13.
▪ Ngoxa uAbraham noSara babengekabi nabantwana, uYehova wathembisa uAbraham ukuba uza kuvelisa uhlanga olukhulu ngaye. Esongezelela phezu koko, uYehova wathi zonke iintsapho zomhlaba ziya kusikelelwa ngaye. (Genesis 11:30; 12:1-3) Kamva uYehova wasiqinisekisa eso sithembiso. Waxelela uAbraham ukuba inzala yakhe iya kwanda ibe ninzi, njengeenkwenkwezi zezulu.—Genesis 15:5, 6.
▪ Xa UAbraham wayeneminyaka engama-99 ubudala yena uSara esondele kuma-90 ubudala, uYehova wabathembisa ukuba babeza kuba nonyana. Loo nto yayibonakala ingenakwenzeka emehlweni omntu, kodwa uAbraham noSara bafunda ukuba ‘akukho nto imnqabeleyo uYehova.’ (Genesis 18:14) Emva konyaka, xa uAbraham wayeneminyaka eli-100 ubudala, waba nonyana awamthiya ngokuba nguIsake. (Genesis 17:21; 21:1-5) UThixo wathembisa ukuba wayeza kulusikelela ngoIsake uluntu.
▪ Emva kweminyaka eliqela, uYehova wacela into engaqhelekanga kuAbraham: Wacela uAbraham ukuba enze idini ngonyana wakhe oyintanda uIsake, owayengenamfazi engenabantwana.c Nangona intliziyo yakhe yayilihlwili, uAbraham wayekulungele ukuthobela loo myalelo wokunikela ngonyana wakhe. UAbraham wayekholelwa ukuba uYehova unawo amandla okumvusa uIsake, ukuba kuyimfuneko, ukuze azalisekise isithembiso sakhe. (Hebhere 11:19) Kanye xa uAbraham wayeza kunikela ngonyana wakhe, uThixo wamnqanda, wabe ke uyasinda ngaloo ndlela uIsake. Wamncoma uAbraham ngokuthobela kwakhe. UYehova wasiphinda isithembiso awayesenze kuAbraham ngaphambili.—Genesis 22:1-18.
▪ Emva kokuphila iminyaka eli-175, uAbraham walala ekufeni. IBhayibhile ithi: “Wafa eyingwevu enkulu, aluphele yaye anelisekile.” (Genesis 25:7, 8) Ngoko ke, uAbraham wazibonela ngokwakhe ukuzaliseka kwesinye isithembiso esenziwa nguThixo—sokuba, wayeza kuphila ngokonwaba ubomi obude ngaphambi kokuba asweleke eseluxolweni.—Genesis 15:15.
Oko Akhunjulwa Ngako
UAbraham akangomntu nje wonqulo okanye wembali owayephila kumaxesha akudala. Nanamhla oku, umzekelo ka-Abraham usabalulekile nakuthi ukuze siwuxelise. (Hebhere 11:8-10, 17-19) Makhe siqwalasele iimpawu ezine ezaboniswa nguAbraham. Siza kuqala ngolona phawu lwakhe lwaziwa kakhulu—ukholo lwakhe.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Ekuqaleni, uAbraham wayebizwa ngokuba nguAbram yena uSara ebizwa ngokuba nguSarayi. Kamva, uThixo walitshintsha igama lika-Abram languAbraham, elithetha “uYise weziHlwele,” nelikaSarayi latshintshwa labanguSara, elithetha “iNkosazana.” (Genesis 17:5, 15) Kodwa, kula manqaku siza kusebenzisa uAbraham noSara.
b UYehova ligama abizwa ngalo uThixo eBhayibhileni.
c Funda inqaku elithi “Imibuzo Yabafundi, . . . Kwakutheni Ukuze UThixo Acele UAbraham Ukuba Enze Idini Ngonyana Wakhe?” kwiphepha lama-23 lale nkupho.
[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 4]
Indoda Ebalulekileyo Kwimbali YeBhayibhile
Kwizahluko ezilishumi zokuqala, incwadi yeGenesis ibalisa ngobomi bamadoda aliqela okholo, aquka uAbheli, uEnoki, noNowa. Kodwa izahluko ezili-15 ezilandelayo zithetha ngobomi bendoda enye—uAbraham.
Ukongezelela koko, iBhayibhile ithetha ngamabinzana abalulekileyo ngokunxibelelene noAbraham. Ngokomzekelo, kwibali lobomi bakhe sifumana la mabinzana . . .
▪ kokokuqala ukuba kubhekiselwe kuThixo njengekhaka okanye umkhuseli wabakhonzi bakhe.—Genesis 15:1 funda iDuteronomi 33:29; INdumiso 115:9; IMizekeliso 30:5.
▪ likhankanywa okokuqala ibinzana elithi wakholwa ke yena kuYehova.—Genesis 15:6.
▪ livela okokuqala igama elithi umprofeti.—Genesis 20:7.
▪ sisihlandlo sokuqala kubhekiselwa kuthando lomzali.—Genesis 22:2.