Encwadini kaGenesise, sifunda ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ku-Abrahama. UNkulunkulu wathembisa u-Abrahama ukuthi wayeyoba nendodana, owayezakuba yindlalifa yakhe. Inzalo ka-Abrahama yayiyoba njengezinombolo zezinkanyezi. Nokho isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ku-Abrahama asizange sigcwaliseke ngokushesha, kodwa u-Abrahama kwadingeka alinde iminyaka eminingi ngaphambi kokuba isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sigcwaliseke. IZwi likaNkulunkulu ligcwele izithembiso, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi kungase kuthathe isikhashana ngaphambi kokuba izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zifezeke. Kodwa wenzani okwamanje, ngenkathi ulindele isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu?
Isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ku-Abrahama
Emva kwalezi zinto izwi likaJehova lafika ku-Abrama ngombono, ethi, Ungesabi, Abrama: mina ngiyisihlangu sakho, nomvuzo wakho omkhulu kakhulu. Wathi u-Abrama, Nkosi Nkulunkulu, uzonginikani, ngibona ngihamba ngingenamntwana, ophethe indlu yami ngu-Eliyezeri waseDamaseku? Wathi u-Abrama, Bheka, kimi kawunginikanga nzalo: futhi, lo, ozelwe endlini yami uyindlalifa yami. Na-, bheka, izwi leNkosi lafika kuye, ethi, Lo kayikuba yindlalifa yakho; kepha oyakuphuma ezibilinini zakho uyakuba yindlalifa yakho. Wamkhiphela ngaphandle, wathi, Bheka manje ezulwini, futhi utshele izinkanyezi, uma ukwazi ukuzibala: wathi kuye, Iyakuba njalo inzalo yakho. Futhi wakholwa eNkosini; wambalela lokho njengokulunga (Genesis 15:1-6).
Ezahlukweni zikaGenesise 12 futhi 13, sifunda ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ku-Abrahama. Esahlukweni 15, UNkulunkulu weza futhi ku-Abrahama futhi wakhumbuza u-Abrahama ngesithembiso saKhe.
Lapho u-Abrahama ethola isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu mayelana nendlalifa, U-Abrahama wabona inkinga encane emvelweni, okungukuthi, ukuthi akanayo ingane. Kunjalo, UNkulunkulu wayekwazi lokhu, kodwa uNkulunkulu wathembisa uAbrahama, ukuthi wayezamnika eyakhe indodana. Le ndodana ka-Abrahama yayiyoba indlalifa yakhe.
UNkulunkulu wakhombisa u-Abrahama izinkanyezi futhi uNkulunkulu wathembisa u-Abrahama, ukuthi isibalo senzalo yakhe sasiyolingana nenani lezinkanyezi. U-Abrahama wawakholwa amazwi kaNkulunkulu futhi ngenxa yokuthi u-Abrahama wakholwa uNkulunkulu, UNkulunkulu wambalela kuye njengokulunga.
Ukusiza uNkulunkulu
Lapho u-Abrahama etshela umkakhe uSara ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, USara wayazi ukuthi wayengenakuba nabantwana. Ngakho-ke, USara wanquma ukusiza uNkulunkulu kancane, ngokunikela ngencekukazi yakhe yaseGibhithe uHagari ku-Abrahama, ukuze azale umntwana ka-Abhrahama. U-Abrahama wamlalela uSara futhi uHagari wakhulelwa.
Kodwa lokhu kwakungewona umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, kwakungumsebenzi womuntu. Umphumela waba ukuthi lapho uHagari ekhulelwa, wamdelela uSara. USara waya ku-Abrahama wamtshela ngale ndaba.
U-Abrahama wathi kuSara, ukuthi uHagari wayesezandleni zakhe, nokuthi angayenza naye, noma yini emjabulisayo. USara wamphatha kabi uHagari; uHagari wabalekela ehlane.
Ehlane, ingelosi kaJehova yabonakala kuHagari yamyala ukuba abuyele kuSara azithobe kuye. Wathembisa uHagari, ukuthi inzalo yakhe yayiyokwanda kakhulu futhi indodana yakhe yayiyobizwa ngokuthi u-Ishmayeli.
UHagari wabuya wazalela u-Abrahama indodana; u-Ishmayeli. U-Abrahama wayenjalo 86 lapho uHagari ezala u-Ishmayeli.
Isivumelwano phakathi kukaJehova no-Abrahama
Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi nantathu, ngenkathi u-Abrahama ekhona 99 iminyaka, uJehova wabonakala ku-Abrahama, wenza isivumelwano naye. UNkulunkulu wamnika igama elisha elithi ‘Abrahama’, esikhundleni sika-Abrama, ngoba uNkulunkulu wayezakwenza uAbrahama uyise wezizwe ezinengi. Njengophawu lwalesi sivumelwano, U-Abrahama nabo bonke abesilisa kwakufanele basokwe.
UNkulunkulu wanika uSarayi igama elisha; USarah, ngoba wayezambusisa amenze unina wezizwe. Wathembisa, ukuthi uSara wayezazala uAbrahama indodana.
USarah wayenjalo 90 iminyaka futhi u-Abrahama wayesecishe 100 iminyaka, ngakho u-Abrahama waqala ukuhleka futhi wayefuna ukusiza uNkulunkulu ngokusikisela, ukuthi u-Ishmayeli wayeyoba indodana yesivumelwano, kodwa uNkulunkulu akazange adinge usizo luka-Abrahama.
UNkulunkulu wayesenalo kakade icebo. Icebo lakhe belaziwa, ngisho nangaphambi kokudalwa komhlaba. UNkulunkulu wayengadlali, futhi akenzanga iphutha ngokuthembisa u-Abrahama indodana. Akagcinanga ngokuthembisa u-Abrahama indodana, kodwa futhi Waqamba igama lakhe u-Abrahama: Usaka.
Indodana yesithembiso nesivumelwano Sakhe kuyoba no-Isaka hhayi no-Ishmayeli. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wathembisa u-Abhrahama, ukuthi Ambusise no-Ishmayeli.
Ngemuva kwesikhathi esithile, uJehova waphinda wabonakala ku-Abrahama emthembisile, ukuthi wayezobuya phakathi nonyaka futhi uSara amzalele indodana. USarah walalela ingxoxo futhi waqala ukuhleka ngaphakathi kuye. UNkulunkulu wezwa uSara ehleka futhi wayazi ukuthi uSara wayelingabaza izwi Lakhe. Ngakho-ke uNkulunkulu wathi, “Ingabe kukhona okunzima eNkosini?”
Akukho okunzima eNkosini
Kodwa akukho okuhlula uJehova! Futhi kwenzeka, ukuthi ngemva konyaka, USara wazala indodana; Usaka. Lapho u-Isaka ezalwa, U-Abrahama wayenjalo 100 iminyaka.
Kuthathe 25 iminyaka ekanye, ngaphambi kokuba isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sifezeke. UNkulunkulu wabiza u-Abrahama, ngenkathi ekhona 75 oneminyaka ubudala futhi wamnika isithembiso senzalo yakhe. Ngemva kwalokho, uJehova wabonakala ku-Abrahama izikhathi eziningana. Ngaso sonke isikhathi uNkulunkulu wayekhumbuza u-Abrahama ngesithembiso sakhe. Kodwa u-Abrahama omdala waba, kwaba nzima ukukholwa kuNkulunkulu ngesethembiso. Ngisho noSara wazama ukusiza uNkulunkulu, kodwa uNkulunkulu wayengadingi lutho.
Okwamanje, U-Abrahama wahlala ethembekile kuJehova. Akazange akhononde futhi akhononde. U-Abrahama wamlalela uJehova futhi bagcina imiyalo yaKhe futhi wahlala ethembekile kuNkulunkulu.
Kwakuyokwenzekani ukube uSara akazange aphazamise icebo likaNkulunkulu. Besiyoba yini isimo eMpumalanga Ephakathi?
Ukulindela isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu futhi ungaphazamisi
Kubalulekile ukulinda isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu. Kholwa kuNkulunkulu naseZwini Lakhe futhi ubekezele futhi ungaphazamisi. Ungamsizi uNkulunkulu, hhayi ngisho okuncane. Ngoba okuncane kungonakalisa okuningi. Mhlawumbe uthole isithembiso esivela eNkosini, kodwa awuboni okwenzekayo okwamanje. Uma uwumuntu, bese ufunda kule ndaba futhi ufunde ukubekezela nokulinda.
Wenzani okwamanje, ngenkathi ulindele isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu? Kufanele nizakhe okholweni lwenu olungcwelengcwele, futhi nenze izinto iNkosi eniyale ukuba nizenze. Hlala eZwini lakhe, khuleka futhi ube nenhlanganyelo Naye.
Bambelela eNkosini futhi uqhubeke ume esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu. Ungangabazi kodwa hlala uthembekile.
Okubalulekile ukuthi ungagxambukeli futhi ungazami ukusiza uNkulunkulu, ngoba lokhu kungakubuyisela emuva.
Lapho uNkulunkulu enginika isithembiso, ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva kwenzeka okuthile futhi ngabona ukuqala kwesithembiso sifezeka. Ngangijabule kakhulu! Kwenzeka izinto ezimangalisayo!
“Ungalinda?”
Yabe ingibuza iNkosi ukuthi ngingalinda yini. Ngaphendula ngenhliziyo yonke, YEBO. Kodwa ngangingazi, kwadingeka ngilinde isikhathi esingakanani. Ngemuva kwala magama, akwenzekanga lutho 3 iminyaka futhi nakuba ngathembisa iNkosi ukuthi ngingalinda, Ngaqala ukuba nokukhathazeka okuncane. Ngangifuna ukuba isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sigcwaliseke.
Lapho ngixoxela ikholwa lendaba, lo muntu wangeluleka ukuba ngithathe isinyathelo. Ngalalela iseluleko salo muntu futhi ngenza lokho umuntu ayengitshele ukuba ngikwenze. Ngokushesha ngemva kokuba ngikwenzile, lokho umuntu angeluleka ngakho, Ngezwa kabi. Ngangazi ukuthi akulungile nokuthi ngamosha yonke into.
Ngangingenelele ohlelweni lukaNkulunkulu, okwakungeyona into ehlakaniphile ukuyenza. Esikhundleni sokulinda isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu nokulindela iNkosi nokubekezela, njengokuthembisa kwami kuNkulunkulu, Ngazibambela mathupha, ngilindele ukuthi ngingakwenza. Bekufanele ngihlale ngimi esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu futhi ngithandaze okwamanje futhi ngikholelwe eZwini laKhe. Ngazisola kakhulu! Kuze kube namuhla, Ngisalindile. Angazi ukuthi kuzothatha isikhathi esingakanani, kodwa manje ngazi into eyodwa: Nginaso isikhathi. Konke engikufunayo, yinto eyodwa nje: Ngifuna Intando yakhe mayenziwe empilweni yami.
Okubonakala kungenakwenzeka kumuntu kungenzeka kuNkulunkulu
Ubukhulu bukaNkulunkulu bubonakala ezintweni, okubonakala kungenzeki kumuntu. Ukukholwa kuwukukholelwa kuNkulunkulu nokulindela okungenakwenzeka. Njengo-Abrahama noSara, ababekhona, emehlweni omuntu, mdala kakhulu ukuthi angakhulelwa futhi abelethe umntwana, kodwa amandla nobukhulu bukaNkulunkulu kweqa yonke into futhi kwenza kwenzeke.
Ngakho-ke yiba nokholo Kuye futhi ugxile Kuye futhi ulinde… ngisho noma kuthatha isikhathi eside. Ungenzi lutho oluyisiphukuphuku, Kepha linda. Bambelela esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu, Hlala Uthembekile Kuye, futhi ukholwe ukuthi Uyokwenza kwenzeke!
‘Yibani usawoti womhlaba’
