Wayengubani U-Abrahama?
AMBALWA amadoda aye aba nethonya elikhulu ezinkolweni zomhlaba. U-Abrahamaa uye wachazwa njengomuntu “obalulekile emiBhalweni nanjengesibonelo sokholo oluqinile,” futhi uhlonishwa amaJuda, amaSulumane namaKristu. IBhayibheli limbiza ngokuthi “nguyise wabo bonke abanokholo.”—Roma 4:11.
Kungani u-Abrahama ehlonishwa kangaka? Esinye isizathu ukuthi uyena kuphela iBhayibheli elimbiza ngokuqondile ngokuthi umngane kaNkulunkulu—Isaya 41:8; Jakobe 2:23.
Nokho, u-Abrahama wayengumuntu ovamile njengathi. Wabhekana nezinkinga eziningi ezifana nezethu—futhi wabhekana nazo ngempumelelo. Ungathanda yini ukwazi ukuthi wakwenza kanjani lokho? Cabangela lokho iBhayibheli elisitshela kona ngale ndoda ephawulekayo.
Umlando Wakhe
U-Abrahama wazalwa ngo-2018 B.C.E., wakhulela e-Uri. (Genesise 11:27-31) I-Uri laliwumuzi omkhulu nochumayo. Lalingene shí nasekukhulekeleni izithombe. Kungenzeka ukuthi ubaba ka-Abrahama, uThera, wayephakathi kwalabo ababekhulekela onkulunkulu abahlukahlukene. (Joshuwa 24:2) Noma kunjalo, u-Abrahama wakhetha ukukhulekela uJehovab kuphela kunokukhulekela izithombe zonkulunkulu abangaphili.
Yini eyashukumisela u-Abrahama ukuba enze leso sinqumo? Indodana kaNowa, uShemi, yafa u-Abrahama eneminyaka engu-150. Uma azihlanganisa naleyo ndoda eyayindala kakhulu kunaye, wayeyothonyeka kanjani? Kungenzeka ukuthi wazizwela mathupha kuShemi ukuthi kwakunjani ukusinda kuZamcolo womhlaba wonke. Kungenzeka nokuthi wafunda ukubaluleka kokukhulekela uJehova, uNkulunkulu owasindisa uShemi nomkhaya wakubo kuZamcolo.
Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi wezwa ngoShemi noma ngomunye umuntu, u-Abrahama wakulalela lokho akuzwa mayelana noNkulunkulu weqiniso. Lapho uJehova ‘umhloli wezinhliziyo,’ ebona u-Abrahama, wabona okuhle kuye futhi wamsiza ukuba akuthuthukise.—IzAga 17:3; 2 IziKronike 16:9.
Ukuphila Kwakhe
U-Abrahama waphila ukuphila okwanelisayo nokujabulisayo, okwakuvame ukuba nezinselele kodwa kunenjongo. Cabanga ngezinto ezimbalwa abhekana nazo.
▪ Ngesikhathi u-Abrahama ehlala e-Uri, uNkulunkulu wayala ukuba aphume ezweni lenkaba yakhe, aye ezweni ayezombonisa lona. Nakuba u-Abrahama noSara babengayazi yonke imininingwane—ukuthi babeyaphi noma ukuthi kungani uNkulunkulu ayethi abahambe—balalela. Ekugcineni, u-Abrahama noSara bahlala ematendeni ezweni laseKhanani, baphila njengezihambi ukuphila kwabo konke.—IzEnzo 7:2, 3; Hebheru 11:8, 9, 13.
▪ Ngesikhathi u-Abrahama noSara bengakabi nabantwana, uJehova wathembisa u-Abrahama ukuthi wayezomenza isizwe esikhulu. Wabuye wathi yonke imindeni yomhlaba iyobusiswa ngo-Abrahama. (Genesise 11:30; 12:1-3) Kamuva uJehova wasiqinisekisa leso sithembiso. Watshela u-Abrahama ukuthi inzalo yakhe iyoba ngangezinkanyezi zamazulu.—Genesise 15:5, 6.
▪ Ngesikhathi u-Abrahama eneminyaka engu-99 ubudala, uSara esecela kwengu-90, uJehova wabathembisa ukuthi babezoba nendodana. Umuntu wayengase abone kungenakwenzeka lokho, kodwa u-Abrahama noSara bafunda ukuthi akukho “okungaphezu kwamandla kaJehova.” (Genesise 18:14) Ngemva konyaka, u-Abrahama eseneminyaka eyikhulu, wathola indodana ayiqamba ngokuthi u-Isaka. (Genesise 17:21; 21:1-5) UNkulunkulu wathembisa ngokuqondile ukuthi uyonika abantu izibusiso ezinkulu ngo-Isaka.
▪ Ngemva kweminyaka, uJehova wacela u-Abrahama ukuba enze into engavamile: Wamcela ukuba anikele ngendodana yakhe ethandekayo u-Isaka, yize le nsizwa yayingakashadi futhi ingenabantwana.c Nakuba ukwazi ukuthi uzolahlekelwa indodana yakhe kwamzwisa ubuhlungu, u-Abrahama wayezimisele ukulalela anikele ngo-Isaka. U-Abrahama wayekholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayenamandla okumvusa u-Isaka uma kudingeka ukuze kugcwaliseke isithembiso saKhe. (Hebheru 11:19) Ngomzuzu wokugcina, lapho u-Abrahama esethi uyanikela ngendodana yakhe, uNkulunkulu wangenela, wasindisa ukuphila kuka-Isaka. Wancoma u-Abrahama ngokulalela kwakhe okuphawulekayo. Wabe esephinda isithembiso sakhe ayesenze ngaphambili ku-Abrahama.—Genesise 22:1-18.
▪ U-Abrahama wafa esephile iminyaka engu-175. IBhayibheli lithi “wafa esegugile impela,” lenezela nokuthi ‘wayesemdala, enelisekile.’ (Genesise 25:7, 8) Ngakho u-Abrahama wabona ukugcwaliseka kwesinye isithembiso esasenziwe uNkulunkulu—ukuthi wayeyojabulela ukuphila isikhathi eside abese efa ngokuthula.—Genesise 15:15.
Igama Azenzela Lona
U-Abrahama wayengeyona nje indoda ethanda inkolo noma yomlando wasendulo. Kuze kube namuhla, indaba yokuphila kwakhe isinikeza isibonelo esihle kakhulu sonke esingasilingisa. (Hebheru 11:8-10, 17-19) Ake sihlole izimfanelo ezine ezinhle u-Abrahama azibonisa. Sizoqala ngemfanelo okungenzeka ukuthi wayaziwa ngayo kakhulu—ukholo.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Ekuqaleni u-Abrahama wayaziwa ngokuthi u-Abrama umkakhe aziwa ngokuthi uSarayi. Kamuva uNkulunkulu washintsha igama lika-Abrama kwaba u-Abrahama, okusho ukuthi “uYise Wesixuku Sezizwe,” futhi washintsha uSarayi waba uSara, okusho ukuthi “iNkosazane.” (Genesise 17:5, 15) Ukuze kube lula, kulezi zihloko, sizobabiza ngokuthi u-Abrahama noSara.
b IBhayibheli lithi igama likaNkulunkulu uJehova.
c Bheka isihloko esithi “Imibuzo Evela Kubafundi Balo Magazini. . . Kungani UNkulunkulu Acela U-Abrahama Ukuba Anikele Ngendodana Yakhe?” ekhasini 23 lalo magazini.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]
Umuntu Obalulekile Emlandweni WeBhayibheli
Ezahlukweni zayo zokuqala eziyishumi, incwadi yeBhayibheli kaGenesise ilandisa ngokuphila kwamadoda amaningana ayenokholo, kuhlanganise u-Abela, u-Enoke noNowa. Nokho, ezahlukweni ezingu-15 ezilandelayo ikhuluma ngokuphila kwendoda eyodwa—u-Abrahama.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho likhuluma ngo-Abrahama, iBhayibheli liqala nokuveza eminye imiqondo yalo ebaluleke kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, endabeni yokuphila kuka-Abrahama sithola . . .
▪ kubhekiselwa okokuqala kuJehova ngokuthi iSihlangu, noma uMvikeli wezinceku zakhe.—Genesise 15:1; bheka uDuteronomi 33:29; IHubo 115:9; IzAga 30:5.
▪ kukhulunywa okokuqala ngokuba nokholo kuNkulunkulu.—Genesise 15:6.
▪ kuvela okokuqala igama elithi umprofethi.—Genesise 20:7.
▪ kubhekiselwa okokuqala othandweni lomzali.—Genesise 22:2.