Pafupi ndi mzinda wa Babele panali mzinda wina wotchedwa Uri. Anthu a mumzinda umenewu ankalambira milungu ina yambiri koma sankalambira Yehova. Koma mumzindawu munali munthu wina amene ankalambira Yehova yekha. Dzina lake anali Abulahamu.

Tsiku lina Yehova anauza Abulahamu kuti: ‘Samuka mʼdziko lako ndi kuchoka pakati pa abale ako ndipo upite kudziko limene ndidzakuonetse.’ Kenako Mulungu anamulonjeza kuti: ‘Ndidzapangitsa kuti ukhale mtundu waukulu, ndipo anthu ambiri padziko lonse lapansi ndidzawachitira zinthu zabwino chifukwa cha iwe.’

Abulahamu sankadziwa kumene Yehova ankafuna kuti apite, koma ankakhulupirira kwambiri Yehovayo. Choncho iye ndi mkazi wake, Sara analongedza katundu n’kuyamba ulendo wautali. Pa ulendowu ananyamukanso ndi bambo ake, dzina lawo a Tera komanso Loti yemwe anali mwana wa mng’ono wake.

Pa nthawiyi n’kuti Abulahamu ali ndi zaka 75. Ndipo iye ndi banja lake atayenda kwa nthawi yaitali, anafika m’dziko limene Yehova anawauza. Dziko lake linali la Kanani. Ali kumeneko, Mulungu analankhula ndi Abulahamu n’kumulonjeza kuti: ‘Dziko lonseli ndidzalipereka kwa ana ako.’ Komatu pa nthawiyi Abulahamu ndi Sara n’kuti ali okalamba ndipo analibe ana. Ndiye kodi Yehova akanakwaniritsa bwanji lonjezo lakeli?

Abulahamu ndi Sara anali atakhala m’banja kwa zaka zambiri. Iwo anasiya nyumba yabwino ku Uri n’kumakhala m’matenti. Koma Sara sankadandaula chifukwa ankakhulupirira Yehova.

Sara ankafunitsitsa atakhala ndi mwana, moti anauza Abulahamu kuti: ‘Hagara, wantchito wangayu atakhala ndi mwana ndingamam’tenge ngati wanga.’ Patapita nthawi, Hagara anakhaladi ndi mwana wamwamuna. Dzina lake anali Isimaeli.

Patadutsa zaka zambiri, kunyumba kwa Abulahamu ndi Sara kunafika alendo atatu. Pa nthawiyi n’kuti Abulahamu ali ndi zaka 99 ndipo Sara anali ndi zaka 89. Abulahamu anaitanira alendowo pansi pa mtengo kuti apume ndipo anawakonzera chakudya. Kodi ukudziwa kuti alendowo anali ndani? Anali angelo. Mmodzi mwa angelowo anauza Abulahamu kuti: ‘Chaka chamawa nthawi ngati yomwe ino, iwe ndi mkazi wako mudzakhala ndi mwana wamwamuna.’ Sara ankamvetsera zimenezi ali mutenti ndipo anayamba kuseka. Iye ankaganiza kuti: ‘Koma zoona mmene ndakalambiramu ndingakhaledi ndi mwana?’

Koma chaka chotsatira, zimene mngelo wa Yehova uja ananena zinachitikadi. Sara anabereka mwana wamwamuna. Ndiyeno Abulahamu anamupatsa dzina loti Isaki, kutanthauza “Kuseka.”

Isaki ali ndi zaka 5, Sara anaona Isimaeli akumuseka Isakiyo. Pofuna kuteteza mwana wakeyo, anauza Abulahamu kuti athamangitse Hagara ndi Isimaeli. Poyamba, Abulahamu sankafuna kuchita zimenezi. Koma Yehova anamuuza kuti: ‘Mvera zimene Sara akunena. Ndidzasamalira Isimaeli koma zimene ndinakulonjeza zija zidzakwaniritsidwa kudzera mwa Isaki.’

Loti ankakhala ndi Abulahamu ku Kanani. Lotiyu anali mwana wa mng’ono wake wa Abulahamu. Kenako onse anakhala ndi ziweto zambiri moti malo odyetsera ziwetozo anawachepera. Ndiyeno Abulahamu anauza Loti kuti: ‘N’zosatheka kuti tizikhalabe limodzi. Yamba iweyo kusankha kumene ukufuna kukakhala ndipo ine ndipita kwinako.’ Apatu Abulahamu anasonyeza kuti sanali wodzikonda.

Loti anaona dera lapafupi ndi mzinda wa Sodomu limene linali lokongola. Iye anakopeka ndi derali chifukwa linali ndi madzi ambiri komanso udzu wobiriwira. Choncho anasankha dera limeneli ndipo anasamukira kumeneku ndi banja lake.

Anthu a mumzinda wa Sodomu komanso mzinda wina wapafupi wotchedwa Gomora anali ndi makhalidwe oipa kwambiri. Choncho Yehova anaona kuti ndi bwino kungowononga mizindayo. Koma Mulungu anaganiza zoti apulumutse Loti ndi banja lake. Iye anatumiza angelo awiri kukawauza kuti: “Fulumirani! Tulukani mumzinda uno, chifukwa Yehova auwononga.”

Koma Loti ndi banja lake ankangochedwachedwa moti angelowo anachita kuwagwira manja n’kuwatulutsa mumzindawo. Iwo anawauza kuti: ‘Thawani mupulumutse moyo wanu! Musayangʼane kumbuyo chifukwa mukangoyang’ana mufa.’

Iwo atafika mumzinda wa Zowari, Yehova anagwetsa moto ndi sulufule ngati mvula mumzinda wa Sodomu ndi Gomora. Mizinda yonseyi inapseratu. Koma mkazi wa Loti sanamvere Yehova ndipo anayang’ana m’mbuyo. Atangotero anasanduka chipilala chamchere. Komabe Loti ndi ana ake aakazi anapulumuka chifukwa choti anamvera Yehova. Onse ayenera kuti anamva chisoni ataona kuti mayi afa chifukwa chosamvera. Koma anasangalala kuti iwowo anamvera malangizo a Yehova.

Abulahamu anaphunzitsa mwana wake Isaki kuti azikonda Yehova komanso kukhulupirira malonjezo ake onse. Koma Isaki ali ndi zaka pafupifupi 25, Yehova anapempha Abulahamu kuti achite zinthu zovuta kwambiri. Kodi anamuuza kuti achite chiyani?

Mulungu anauza Abulahamu kuti: ‘Tenga mwana wako mmodzi yekhayo ndipo ukamupereke nsembe kuphiri la Moriya.’ Abulahamu sankadziwa chifukwa chake Yehova anamuuza kuti achite zimenezi, komabe iye anamvera.

M’mawa wa tsiku lotsatira, anatenga Isaki komanso antchito ake awiri n’kuyamba ulendo wopita kuphiri la Moriya. Atayenda kwa masiku atatu, anayamba kuona phirilo chapatali. Abulahamu anauza antchito ake aja kuti adikire penapake, pamene iye ndi Isaki akukapereka nsembe. Abulahamu anapatsa Isaki nkhuni kuti anyamule ndipo iye anatenga mpeni. Koma Isaki anafunsa bambo akewo kuti: ‘Nanga nkhosa yokapereka nsembeyo ili kuti?’ Abulahamu anayankha kuti: ‘Mwana wanga, Yehova apereka nkhosa yoti tipereke nsembe.’

Atafika paphiripo, anamanga guwa loti aperekerepo nsembe. Ndiyeno Abulahamu anamanga Isaki manja ndi miyendo n’kumugoneka paguwapo.

Kenako anatenga mpeni kuti amuphe. Koma nthawi yomweyo, anamva mngelo wa Yehova akufuula kuti: ‘Abulahamu, usamuvulaze mwanayo. Tsopano ndadziwa kuti umakhulupirira Mulungu chifukwa umafuna kupereka nsembe mwana wako.’ Zitatero, Abulahamu anaona nkhosa itakodwa m’ziyangoyango, chapafupi. Mwamsanga anamasula Isaki ndipo anatenga nkhosayo n’kuipereka nsembe.

Kuyambira tsiku limenelo, Yehova anayamba kutchula Abulahamu kuti mnzake. Kodi ukudziwa chifukwa chake? Ndi chifukwa choti Abulahamu ankachita zilizonse zimene Yehova ankafuna ngakhale zitakhala kuti sakuzimvetsa.

Yehova anabwerezanso lonjezo limene anamuuza Abulahamu kuti: ‘Ndidzakudalitsa komanso ndidzachulukitsa ana ako kapena kuti mbadwa zako.’ Apa Yehova ankatanthauza kuti adzadalitsa anthu onse abwino kudzera m’banja la Abulahamu.