Kwakukho idolophu enkulu ebizwa ngokuba yiUre, eyayikufutshane naseBhabheli. Abantu balapho babekhonza oothixo abaninzi kodwa bengamkhonzi uYehova. Kodwa wayekhona umntu apho owayemkhonza yena uYehova. Igama lakhe yayinguAbraham.

UYehova wathi kuAbraham: ‘Hamba ezweni lakowenu ushiye nezizalwana zakho, uye kwilizwe endiza kukubonisa lona.’ Emva koko uThixo wamthembisa oku: ‘Uza kuba luhlanga olukhulu, yaye ndiza kubenzela izinto ezintle abantu emhlabeni wonke ngenxa yakho.’

UAbraham wayengazi ukuba uYehova uthi makaye phi, kodwa wayemthembile. Ngoko yena, umfazi wakhe uSara, utata wakhe uTera nomtshana wakhe uLote, baqokelela izinto zabo baza bahamba.

UAbraham wayeneminyaka eyi-75 xa bafikayo kulaa ndawo uYehova wayethe mabaye kuyo. Loo ndawo kwakusithiwa kuseKanan. Apho ke uThixo waphinda wathembisa uAbraham oku: ‘Lonke eli lizwe ndiza kulinika abantwana bakho.’ UAbraham noSara babebadala kodwa bengenabo abantwana. UYehova wayeza kuyenza njani ke ngoku le nto wayeyithembisa?

UAbraham noSara babesele benexesha elide betshatile. Babeshiye umzi wabo omhle eUre, yaye ngoku babehlala ezintenteni. Kodwa uSara wayengakhalazi kuba wayemthembile uYehova.

USara wayemfuna nyhani umntwana, wada wathi kuAbraham: ‘Ukuba nje isicakakazi sam uHagare singanomntwana, kungafana nokuba ngowam.’ Ekuhambeni kwexesha, uHagare waba nonyana. Igama lakhe yayinguIshmayeli.

Kwathi sekudlule iminyaka emininzi, uAbraham ena-99 noSara ena-89, bafikelwa ziindwendwe ezintathu. UAbraham wathi maziphumle phantsi komthi zize zitye kunye naye. Uyazazi ukuba zazingoobani ezo ndwendwe? Ziingelosi! Zathi kuAbraham: ‘Kulo nyaka uzayo, wena nomfazi wakho niza kuba nonyana.’ USara wayemamele esententeni. Wasuka wahleka ecinga oku: ‘Ndimdala kangaka ndinganomntwana?’

Nyhani ke uSara wazala unyana kanye ngaloo nyaka yayimthembise ngawo ingelosi. UAbraham wamthiya igama elinguIsake, elithetha ‘Ukuhleka.’

Xa uIsake wayeneminyaka ephantse ibe yi-5, uSara wabona uIshmayeli emntlonta. Yayimkhathaza le nto, ngoko wathi kuAbraham makamgxothe uHagare noIshmayeli. UAbraham waqala akavuma. Kodwa uYehova wathi kuAbraham: ‘Mmamele uSara. Ndiza kumhoya uIshmayeli. Kodwa izithembiso zam ndiza kuzenza ngoIsake.’