Eduzane leBhabheli kwakuledolobho okwakuthiwa yi-Uri. Abantu abanengi ababehlala edolobheni lelo babekhonza onkulunkulu bamanga. Kodwa kwakulendoda eyayihlala lapho eyayikhonza uJehova kuphela. Ibizo layo kwakuthiwa ngu-Abrahama.

UJehova wathi ku-Abrahama: ‘Suka elizweni lakini lasebantwini bakini uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona.’ UNkulunkulu wasemthembisa wathi: ‘Ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo zonke izimuli ezisemhlabeni zizabusiswa ngawe.’

U-Abrahama wathembela kuJehova lanxa wayengakwazi ukuthi ufuna aye ngaphi. Yikho u-Abrahama, umkakhe uSara, uyise uThera lomntanomnewabo uLothi balalela bathatha impahla zabo basuka e-Uri.

U-Abrahama wayeleminyaka engu-75 ngesikhathi yena lemuli yakhe befika elizweni uJehova ayefuna ukubatshengisa lona. Ilizwe lelo kwakuthiwa yiKhenani. UNkulunkulu wakhuluma lo-Abrahama elizweni lelo wamthembisa wathi: ‘Ilizwe leli ngizalipha izizukulwane zakho.’ Kodwa u-Abrahama loSara basebegugile futhi bengelabantwana. Manje uJehova wayezakwenzani ukuze lokho ayekuthembise u-Abrahama kwenzakale?

Kwasekuleminyaka eminengi u-Abrahama loSara betshadile. Babetshiye umuzi wabo omuhle bayahlala etendeni. Kodwa uSara kazange akhale ku-Abrahama ngokuthi babesukeleni e-Uri. Wathembela kuJehova.

USara wayekufuna kakhulu ukuba lomntwana yikho wathi ku-Abrahama: ‘Isisebenzi sami uHagari singaba lomntwana kuyabe kungathi ngowami.’ Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile uHagari waba lomntwana ongumfana. Ibizo lakhe kwakungu-Ishmayeli.

U-Abrahama eseleminyaka engu-99, uSara eselengu-89, kwafika izivakatshi ezintathu. U-Abrahama wazibiza ukuthi zizophumula ngaphansi kwesihlahla njalo zidle laye. Uyakwazi ukuthi zazingobani izivakatshi lezi? Kwakuzingilosi. Zathi ku-Abrahama: ‘Ngalesosikhathi ngomnyaka ozayo wena lomkakho uSara lizakuba lomntwana ongumfana.’ USara wayelalele esetendeni. Wahleka yedwa wathi: ‘Kambe ngingaba lomntwana mina sengiguge kangaka?’

Ngomnyaka owalandelayo uSara waba lomntwana ongumfana njengoba nje ingilosi kaJehova yayithembisile. U-Abrahama wamnika ibizo elithi Isaka okutsho ukuthi “Uhleko.”

Ngesikhathi u-Isaka eseleminyaka engaba ngu-5, uSara wabona u-Ishmayeli emqala. Wayefuna ukuvikela umntanakhe, yikho waya ku-Abrahama wamcela ukuthi axotshe uHagari lo-Ishmayeli. Ekuqaliseni u-Abrahama wayengafuni. Kodwa uJehova wayefuna ukumvikela u-Isaka yikho wathi ku-Abrahama: ‘Mlalele uSara. Ngizamgcina u-Ishmayeli. Kodwa ngizasebenzisa u-Isaka ukuze ngenze engakuthembisa khona.’

ULothi wayehlala lo-Abrahama elizweni laseKhenani. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, u-Abrahama loLothi baba lezifuyo ezinengi kakhulu okokuthi indawo leyo yayisincane. U-Abrahama wathi kuLothi: ‘Kasingeke sisahlala sonke. Ngicela ukhethe ukuthi ufuna ukuya ngaphi. Ungaya kwesokudla mina ngizakuya kwesenxele. Ungaya kwesenxele mina ngizakuya kwesokudla.’ Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi u-Abrahama wayengasomuntu ofuna izinto zihlale zisenziwa ngendlela yakhe.

ULothi wahawukela indawo eyayilamanzi amanengi futhi ilotshani obuluhlaza. Indawo leyo yayiseduzane ledolobho okwakuthiwa yiSodoma. Yikho wahamba wayahlala endaweni leyo lemuli yakhe. Bacina sebehlala eSodoma.

Abantu baseSodoma lababehlala edolobheni elaliseduzane okwakuthiwa yiGomora babesenza izinto ezimbi kakhulu. UJehova wabona kungcono ukuthi ababhubhise abantu laba. Kodwa wayengafuni ukubhubhisa uLothi lemuli yakhe yikho wathuma izingilosi ezimbili ukuthi zibatshele lokho ayefuna bakwenze. Zafika zathi: ‘Phangisani liphume edolobheni leli! UJehova uzalibhubhisa idolobho leli.’

ULothi kazange ahle asuke. Wayelokhu ephuza. Izingilosi zababamba ngezandla zaphuma labo edolobheni. Zathi: ‘Gijimani! Lingakhangeli emuva. Lingakhangela emuva lizakufa!’

Sebefikile edolobheni okwakuthiwa yiZowari uJehova wanisa umlilo phezu kweSodoma leGomora. Yonke into yatsha yaphela. UmkaLothi kazange alalele uJehova. Wakhangela emuva futhi waba yisiduli sesawudo. Kodwa uLothi labantwabakhe abazange bafe ngoba balalela uJehova. Kumele ukuthi kwabazwisa ubuhlungu ukuthi umkaLothi kazange alalele. Sifunda ukuthi kuqakathekile ukulalela uJehova.

U-Abrahama wafundisa u-Isaka ukuthi athande uJehova njalo akholwe izithembiso zakhe. Kwathi u-Isaka eseleminyaka engaba ngu-25, uJehova wacela u-Abrahama ukuthi enze into enzima kakhulu. Wathi enzeni?

UNkulunkulu wathi ku-Abrahama: ‘Thatha indodana yakho uyenze umnikelo wokutshiswa entabeni eseMoriya.’ U-Abrahama walalela lanxa wayengakwazi ukuthi yindaba uJehova wathi akwenze lokho.

Ekuseni ngelanga elalandelayo, u-Abrahama wahamba lo-Isaka lezisebenzi ezimbili eMoriya. Bathi sebehambe okwamalanga amathathu baqalisa ukuzibona izintaba zeMoriya. U-Abrahama watshela izisebenzi zakhe ukuthi zisale zibamelele ngenxa yokuthi yena lo-Isaka babesayakwenza umnikelo entabeni. U-Abrahama wathwala ingqamu, u-Isaka yena wathwala inkuni. U-Isaka wathi kuyise: ‘Ingaphi inyamazana ezakuba ngumnikelo?’ U-Abrahama waphendula wathi: ‘UNkulunkulu uzasipha.’

Bafika bakha i-alithare entabeni. U-Abrahama wabopha u-Isaka izandla lenyawo wamlalisa phezu kwe-alithare.

U-Abrahama wathi esethatha ingqamu, ingilosi kaJehova yamemeza isezulwini yathi: ‘Abrahama! Ungamlimazi umfana. Khathesi sengikwazi ukuthi uyamesaba uNkulunkulu, ngoba kawalanga ukunikela ngendodana yakho eyiyo yodwa.’ Khonokho nje, u-Abrahama wabona inqama ibanjelwe ngempondo esixukwini. Wathukulula u-Isaka wasenikela ngenqama leyo.

Kusukela ngelanga lelo, uJehova waqalisa ukubiza u-Abrahama ngokuthi ngumngane wakhe. Uyakwazi ukuthi yindaba? U-Abrahama wenza konke uJehova ayemtshela khona lanxa wayengazwisisi ukuthi yindaba uJehova wayefuna akwenze.

UJehova wasiphinda isithembiso ayeke wasitshela u-Abrahama wathi: ‘Ngizakubusisa ngenze izizukulwane zakho zibe zinengi.’ UJehova waphinda wathembisa ukuthi uzabusisa abantu bonke abalungileyo esebenzisa imuli ka-Abrahama.