Ngokushesha uAbrama ubonisa ukuthi ukholo lwakhe kuJehova lunemisebenzi. Ngandlela-thile, uNkulunkulu manje ‘ubonakala’ kuAbrama. (IzEnzo 7:2-4) UJehova uyalayeza: “Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, nasendlini kayihlo, uye ezweni engiyakukukhombisa lona. Ngiyakukwenza isizwe esikhulu, ngikubusise, ngenze igama lakho libelikhulu, wena ubeyisibusiso. Ngiyakubabusisa abakubusisayo, nokuqalekisayo ngiyakumqalekisa; imindeni yonke yomhlaba iyakubusiswa kuwe.”—Genesise 12:1-3.

Ukusabela Obizweni

Ashiye iUri lamaKaledi elinothile? Phela, ezinye izindlu eUri ziyizakhiwo zesitini ezinhle ezinezitezi ezimbili ezizungeza igceke eliphakathi—ezinamakamelo afinyelela kwayi-14! Akumangalisi ukuthi isazi-mlando esingumFulentshi uHenri Gaubert sacabanga ngoAbrama njengomhambuma kuphela futhi sakuthola kunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi kwakungenzeka ukuba ashiye “indlu eUri enamakamelo anemibhede nemicamelo, indawo yakhe yokuhlala ethokomele, epholile ehlobo futhi efudumele ebusika, ikamelo lakhe lokugcina iwayini eligcwele, umthombo wakhe wamanzi abandayo namtoti.” Washiya konke lokhu ukuze athathe ukuphila okunjengokomhambuma? Akukholeki!

Futhi kuthiwani ngamalungu omkhaya ka-Abrahama—amanye ashiywe ngemuva? Empumalanga ephakathi, izibopho ezinjalo zinamandla kakhulu kangangokuthi ukudingiswa komuntu emkhayeni wakhe kufana nesigwebo sokufa. Kungalindelwa kanjani ukuba uAbrama ashiye konke lokhu ngemuva ngenxa yezithembiso nje? Empeleni, uNkulunkulu uyoyenza kanjani lendoda—engakabi nazingane—“isizwe esikhulu”? Lelizwe lesithembiso likuphi?

Nokho, uAbrama uyindoda yokholo futhi ‘unokuqiniseka ngezinto ezithenjwayo.’ (Heberu 11:1) Wazi ngezehlakalo ezidlule—ezinjengoZamcolo wembulunga yonke—ukuthi iZwi likaNkulunkulu njalo liba yiqiniso. UAbrama akumphazamisi ukungazi ngokuqondile ukuthi lezozithembiso ziyogcwaliseka kanjani, nini, noma kuphi. Kuye, ikhaya elihle, ukuphila okulondekile, ngisho nezibopho zomkhaya akukona okuyigugu njengobungane bukaJehova. Ngakho, ngoAbrama, kungaba nesinqubo esisodwa kuphela: Lalela uNkulunkulu ushiye iUri!

Ingabe ukholo lwakho ngokufanayo lukushukumisela esenzweni? Ngokuvamile sonke sikhuthazwa ukuba sandise ukuhlanganyela kwethu emsebenzini wokushumayela. Abanye benza kanjalo ngokuba abamemezeli boMbuso besikhathi esigcwele. Kodwa ingabe amanye amaKristu ayashiyeka ngoba ngokufihlakele engabaza ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sokunakekela labo abafuna uMbuso kuqala. (Mathewu 6:33) Ukholo luka-Abrama lwamshukumisela esenzweni. Wabeka ikusasa lakhe ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu!

Ukusuka EUri Ukuya EHarana

UAbrama akayedwa lapho ehamba. NjengoFakazi BakaJehova abaningi namuhla, ngokungangabazeki uhlanganyela amaqiniso kaNkulunkulu namalungu omkhaya wakhe. Ngakho akumangalisi ukuthi inkosikazi ka-Abrama uSarayi nomshana oyintandane obizwa ngokuthi uLoti nabo ngokufanayo bashukunyiselwe ukuba balalele ubizo lukaNkulunkulu.a Phela, ngisho noyise ka-Abrama, uThera—owayecatshangelwa ngabanye ngokuthi wayengumenzi wezithixo—naye uyahamba!—Genesise 11:31.

Ekugcineni, umkhaya ka-Abrama nemihlambi ungaphandle kwezindonga zaseUri. Uphawu lokuhamba lunikeziwe, futhi uquqaba luhlaba ujenga’ oluhlelekile. Lulandela umgwaqo, ongasempumalanga yomfula iEwufrathe, lwahamba elangeni elikhipha inhlanzi emanzini, cishe luhamba futhi lugibela emsindweni wokukhenceza kwezinsimbi eziboshelwe ezintanyeni zamakamela.

Lwabhekisa amabombo ngasenyakatho-ntshonalanga, lulandela igwinci le-Ewufrathe. Ngemva kwezinsuku eziningi, lwase luhlanganise amakhilomitha angama-960. Izihambi ezikhathele zihlatshwe umxhwele ukubona izindlu ezakhiwe njengesidleke sezinyosi zizungeze idolobha laseHarana. Liyisikhumulo esiyinhloko sabahambi bezingwadule.—Genesise 11:31.

Ngaphesheya Kwe-Ewufrathe

UAbrama uyazinza eHarana, ngokusobala ngenxa yokucabangela uThera osekhulile. Kodwa ngesibusiso sikaJehova, uAbrama uyaceba kakhulu. (Qhathanisa nomShumayeli 5:19) Yeka indlela namuhla ngokuvamile uNkulunkulu alungiselela ngayo izidingo ezingokwenyama zalabo ‘abashiya izindlu, abafowabo nawodadewabo’ ngenxa yoMbuso!—Marku 10:29, 30.

EHarana, uAbrama futhi ‘uzitholela izinceku—indikimba yezinceku’. (Genesise 12:5) IJerusalem Targum neChaldee Paraphrase zithi wabaphendulela enkolweni, noma ‘wabathobisela emthethweni.’ (Qhathanisa noGenesise 18:19.) Yebo, ukholo lwakhe lumshukumisela ukuba ashumayele kwabanye, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova benza namuhla.

“Izinsuku zikaThera zaziyiminyaka engamakhulu amabili nanhlanu; uThera wafela eHarana. (Genesise 11:32) UAbrama ukhathazekile ngokushona kukayise. Kodwa lapho isikhathi sokulila sesidlulile, uhlela futhi ukuhamba. “UAbrama wayeneminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu mhla ephuma eHarana.”—Genesise 12:4.

“UAbrama wathatha uSarayi umkakhe, noLoti indodana yomfowabo, nempahla yonke ababeyibuthile, nezinceku ababezitholile eHarana; basuka ukuya ezweni laseKhanani.” (Genesise 12:5) Ngemva kokuhamba amakhilomitha angama-89 entshonalanga ukusuka eHarana, uAbrama ngokunokwenzeka umisa eshashalazini elise-Ewufrathe ngaphesheya kwesikhungo sezohwebo saseCarchemish. Ngokuvamile abahambi bawela lapha.

Usuku? UNisan 14, 1943 B.C.E. Ngalo lolosuku olufanayo eminyakeni engama-430 kamuva, inzalo ka-Abrama iyokhululwa ebugqilini baseGibithe. (Eksodusi 12:40, 41) Futhi ngalo lolosuku cishe eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezimbili kamuva, iNzalo yakhe, uJesu Kristu, iyokwenza “isivumelwano . . . sombuso,” okuyothi ngaphansi kwaso “yonke imindeni yomhlaba” izibusise!—Luka 22:1, 28, 29.

Ngesenzo sokholo—ukuwela kuka-Abrama iEwufrathe—izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu kuye ziqala ukusebenza. UAbrama unombono ‘womuzi onezisekelo,’ uhulumeni wokulunga phezu kwesintu. Yebo, eneziqondiso ezimbalwa nje, uAbrama useqalile ukuqonda izihloko zenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokuhlenga isintu esifayo. Ilangabi lesiprofetho liye lakhanyisa ubulangulangu bethemba emqondweni wakhe.—Heberu 11:10.

[Ibalazwe/Izithombe ekhasini 28]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Uhambo luka-Abrama

IUri

IHarana

ICarchemish

IKHANANA

Ulwandle IMeditera

[Umthombo]

Based on a map copyrighted by Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est. and Survey of Israel

[Isithombe]

IEwufrathe eduze kweUri

[Isithombe]

IHarana namuhla

[Isithombe]

IEwufrathe eduze kweCarchemish