USARA wema kuloo ndlu, wayijikeleza eyijonga. Khawube nombono webhinqa lakuMbindi Mpuma elinamehlo amahle athi ndijonge. Ngaba lalibonakala lingonwabanga? Ukuba kunjalo, kulula ukusiqonda isizathu. Zininzi izinto elaliza kuzikhumbula ngaloo ndlu. Lona nomyeni walo elalimthanda kakhulu, uAbraham, babenexesha elide behleli kamnandi kule ndlu, yayingumzi wabo. *

Babehlala eUre, idolophu eyayime kakuhle kwezoqoqosho, inamagcisa, abachweli noosomashishini abaninzi. Ngoko kucacile ukuba babephila ubomi obutofotofo. Kodwa kuSara, umzi wakhe wawungeyondawo yezinto abanazo nje kuphela. Kwakulapho babesonwaba khona kodwa kuphinde kubekho namaxesha abuhlungu. Apha, babesoloko bethandaza kuThixo wabo abamthandayo, uYehova. Ngoko, uSara wayenesizathu esivakalayo sokuyithanda le ndawo.

Sekunjalo, uSara wayekulungele ukushiya obo bomi wayebuqhelile. Nangona wayeneminyaka emalunga neyi-60, wayeza kuya kwiindawo angazaziyo, ubomi bakhe bube sengozini, kungekho themba lokubuyela eUre. Yintoni eyabangela ukuba butshintshe ngolo hlobo ubomi bakhe? Iyintoni esinokuyifunda kukholo lwakhe?

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uSara wakhulela eUre. Sithetha nje, loo dolophu ngamabhodlo. Kodwa ngexesha lakhe, uMlambo UmEfrate wawuphithizela iinqanawa zoosomashishini ezisuka kumazwe akude, zizise izinto zexabiso kule dolophu ime kakuhle kwezoqoqosho. Kwezo zitrato zixineneyo zaseUre kwakusihla kunyuka abantu, iinqanawa zingqubana kumazibuko, iivenkile zizaliswe zizinto ezithengiswayo. Khawube nomfanekiso kaSara ekhulela kwidolophu ephithizela ngolo hlobo, esazi abantu abaninzi ngamagama. Ngokuqinisekileyo nabo babengalilibalanga elo bhinqa lihle ngolo hlobo. Nentsapho yakowabo eyayilapho yayinkulu.

IBhayibhile ithi uSara wayenokholo, kodwa wayengakholelwa kuthixo wenyanga owayenqulwa ngabantu abaninzi eUre. Inqaba yaloo thixo yayibonakala kuyo yonke loo dolophu. USara yena wayenqula uThixo oyinyaniso, uYehova. IBhayibhile ayisixeleli ukuba waba nalo njani olo kholo kuba notata wakhe wayekhe wanqula izithixo ixesha elide. Nokuba walufumana njani na ke, kodwa watshata noAbraham, indoda eyayimshiya ngeminyaka elishumi. * (Genesis 17:17) Emva koko uAbraham wabizwa ngokuba “nguyise wabo bonke abo banokholo.” (Roma 4:11) Baba yintsapho eyonwabileyo, behloniphana, bengafihlelani nto, ibe bekulungele ukulungisa nayiphi na ingxaki evelayo emtshatweni wabo. Ngaphezu koko, bobabini babemthanda kakhulu uThixo.

 USara wayemthanda kakhulu umyeni wakhe, ibe umzi wabo wawuseUre, apho kwakuhlala izalamane zabo. Akuzange kube kudala, kwabakho into ebahluphayo. IBhayibhile ithi uSara “wayeludlolo, engenamntwana.” (Genesis 11:30) Ngexesha likaSara kwakuyingxaki ukungabi namntwana. Kodwa uSara wanyaniseka kuThixo nakwindoda yakhe. ULote owayengenayise waba njengonyana kubo. Ubomi baqhubeka de kwayimini ekwatshintsha yonke into.

UAbraham wafika kuSara engakwazi nokuzibamba luvuyo. Wayengayikholelwa into eyayisandul’ ukwenzeka. UThixo wabo wayebonakele kuye, wathetha naye esebenzisa ingelosi! Yiba nombono waloo mehlo kaSara, ethe ntsho kumyeni wakhe, ebuza ngomdla: “Khawundixelele, uye wathini?” Mhlawumbi uAbraham wahlala phantsi wabuyis’ iingqondo; emva koko wamxelela amazwi athethwe nguYehova athi: “Phuma kulo ilizwe lakowenu nakwizalamane zakho uze kwilizwe endiya kukubonisa lona.” (IZenzo 7:2, 3) Emva kolo vuyo, bacinga ngesabelo sabo abasinikwe nguYehova. Kwakuza kufuneka bashiye indlela etofotofo abebephila ngayo baze babe ngoonothwal’ impahlana! Wayeza kuthini bethu uSara? Ngokuqinisekileyo uAbraham wayejonge kuye. Ngaba uSara wayekulungele ukumxhasa njengoko ubomi babo babuza kutshintsha?

Mhlawumbi thina zange khe kufuneke senze isigqibo ekwaye kwafuneka uSara asenze. Sisenokuthi: ‘UThixo zange khe acele mna okanye umntu enditshate naye ukuba senze into efana nale!’ Sekunjalo, nathi kukho isigqibo ekufuneka sisenze. Siphila kwihlabathi elithe phithi zizinto eziphathekayo, apho izinto esizithandayo, izinto esinazo okanye ukukhuseleka kuzezona zinto zibalulekileyo. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, iBhayibhile yona isikhuthaza ukuba eyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini bethu ibe kukukholisa uThixo. (Mateyu 6:33) Njengoko sicinga ngento eyenziwa nguSara, sisenokuzibuza, ‘Ngaba ndiza kumxelisa?’

Njengoko uSara wayepakisha, waxakwa ukuba uza kushiya ntoni aphathe ntoni. Kwakufuneka azishiye izinto eziza kusinda iidonki neenkamela, izinto ezaziza kuba yingxaki kubomi bukanothwal’ impahlana. Ngokuqinisekileyo kwakufuneka baphise okanye bathengise izinto zabo ezininzi. Kwakuza kuphela ukuba kufutshane kwiivenkile zombona, inyama, iziqhamo, impahla, nezinye izinto ezazisenza ubomi bube mnandi.

Kwakunzima kakhulu kuSara ukushiya nkqu umzi wakhe. Ukuba wawufana neminye yemizi yaseUre eyafunyanwa ngabembi bezinto zakudala, uSara wayeza kushiya ubutofotofo bokwenyani.  Ezinye kwezi zindlu zazinamagumbi amaninzi, iindawo eziphuma amanzi ahlaziyayo nemibhobho yamanzi. Kwanendlu nje eqhelekileyo yayinophahla neendonga eziqinileyo, namacango atshixwayo. Ngaba babeza kukhuseleka ngolo hlobo xa behlala ezintenteni? Bakhuseleke kwiingonyama, amahlosi, amabhere neengcuka ezazixhaphakile kwezo ndawo ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile?

Kwakuza kwenzeka ntoni ngabantu bakowabo awayeza kubashiya? Umele ukuba wawunzima kuye umyalelo kaThixo othi “phuma kulo ilizwe lakowenu nakwizalamane zakho.” Eli bhinqa linobubele, limele ukuba lalinoobhuti noosisi, abatshana, ooanti noomalume elalibathanda kakhulu nelalingasoze liphinde libabone. Sekunjalo, suku ngalunye ingqondo nentliziyo kaSara zazisiya zikulungela ukubashiya bonke abo bantu.

Kunzima kunjalo, uSara wayekulungele ukuhamba. Utata wabo uTera, wayeza kuhamba nabo nangona wayesele eneminyaka emalunga neyi-200. (Genesis 11:31) Ngokuqinisekileyo uSara kwakufuneka alihoye kakhulu eli xhego. NoLote wayeza kuhamba nabo njengoko babethobela umthetho kaYehova ‘wokuphuma kwilizwe lamaKhaledi.’—IZenzo 7:4.

Baqala baya kwaHaran, ekumgama oziikhilomitha eziyi-960 ukuya kumntla-ntshona, benqumla umlambo umEfrate. Bakufika apho, bahlala ixesha elithile. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uTera wayegula ngelo xesha, engasakwazi ukuqhubeka nohambo. Le ntsapho yahlala apho de wasweleka eneminyaka eyi-205. Ngaphambi kokuba baphinde bahambe, uYehova wathetha noAbraham, emxelela ukuba makahambe apho aye kwilizwe aza kumbonisa lona. UThixo wamthembisa wathi: “Ndiya kukwenza ube luhlanga olukhulu.” (Genesis 12:2-4) Bemka kwaHaran uAbraham eneminyaka eyi-75, ekaSara iyi-65, ibe babengenabantwana. Kwakuza kwenzeka njani ukuba uAbraham abe luhlanga olukhulu? Ngaba wayeza kuphinda atshate bethu? Ukuba nomfazi wesibini yayiyinto eqhelekileyo kuloo mihla, mhlawumbi noSara wayecinga ngaloo nto.

Bemka kwaHaran. Inoba babehamba nabani ke ngoku? IBhayibhile ithi intsapho ka-Abraham yahamba nobutyebi eyayibuqwebile ‘nemiphefumlo okanye abantu eyabazuza kwaHaran.’ (Genesis 12:5) Yayingoobani abo? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayizizicaka. Noko ke, asinakuyithandabuza into yokuba uAbraham noSara babethetha nabantu ababefuna ukuva into abayikholelwayo. Ezinye iinguqulelo zamaYuda zakudala zithi abantu ekuthethwa ngabo kule vesi yayingabantu ababeguqukele ebuYudeni, abakhetha ukukhonza uYehova njengoAbraham noSara. Ukuba kunjalo, ukholo lukaSara lwabenza bamkholelwa abo bantu xa wayethetha nabo ngoThixo wakhe nethemba analo. Le yinto esimele sicinge ngayo kuba abantu esiphila nabo abanalukholo yaye baphelelwe lithemba. Ngaba awunakuxelela omnye umntu ngento evuyisayo oyifunde eBhayibhileni?

Emva kokuba bewele umlambo umEfrate, mhlawumbi ngoNisan 14, 1943 B.C.E., behlela kwilizwe ababelithenjiswe nguYehova. (Eksodus 12:40, 41) Khawubone uSara ejonga ngapha nangapha, ethe manga bubuhle nemozulu ethandekayo yelo lizwe. Ngakwimithi emikhulu yaseMore, ekufutshane nakwaShekem, uYehova waphinda wabonakala kuAbraham, esithi: “Imbewu yakho ndiya kuyinika eli lizwe.” Eli gama lithi, “imbewu,” lalithetha lukhulu kuAbraham! Ngokuqinisekileyo lamkhumbuza ngento eyathethwa nguYehova kumyezo wase-Eden, esithi, ngenye imini imbewu iza kutshabalalisa uSathana. UYehova wayesele emxelele uAbraham ukuba uhlanga oluza kuvela kuye lwaluza kubangela ukuba bonke abantu emhlabeni basikelelwe.—Genesis 3:15; 12:2, 3, 6, 7.

Sekunjalo, nayo le ntsapho ka-Abraham yayiza kudibana nazo iingxaki. Kwabakho indlala kwilizwe lakwaKanan, ngoko uAbraham nentsapho yakhe behla baya ngaseYiputa. Kodwa, waqonda ukuba kusengakho ingxaki kuloo ndawo. Ngoko wathi kuSara: “Khawuncede, kaloku! Ndazi kakuhle ukuba ungumfazi omhle ngembonakalo. Ngokuqinisekileyo kothi akukubona amaYiputa, athi, ‘Ngumfazi wakhe lo.’ Kwaye aya kundibulala ngokuqinisekileyo, kodwa wena aya kukugcina uphila. Uze uncede uthi ungudade wethu, ukuze kulunge kum ngenxa yakho, uze uphile umphefumlo wam ngenxa yakho.” (Genesis 12:10-13) Kwakutheni ukuze uAbraham acele into enjalo?

 UAbraham wayengeloxoki okanye igwala, njengoko becinga njalo abanye abagxeki. Yena noSara babezalwa ngutata omnye nyhani. Ngoko esi sicelo sika-Abraham sasifanelekile. Yena noSara babesazi ukuba akukho nto ibaluleke ukodlula injongo kaThixo yokuvelisa imbewu nohlanga olukhethekileyo esebenzisa uAbraham, ngoko ukukhuseleka kwakhe kwakubaluleke kakhulu. Enye into, izinto ezifunyenwe ngabembi bezinto zakudala zibonisa ukuba kwakuqhelekile ngamadoda anegunya eYiputa ukuthatha umfazi aze abulale indoda yakhe. Ngoko uAbraham wasebenzisa ingqondo waza uSara yena wasithobela isigqibo sakhe.

Kungekudala emva koko, izinto ezenzekayo zabonisa ukuba uAbraham wayefanele ukoyika; ezinye zeenkosi zakwaFaro zaqaphela indlela awayemhle ngayo uSara nakuba wayesele emdala. Zaxelela uFaro ngeli bhinqa, waza wathi malithathwe! Ayichazeki indlela anoba wayebuhlungu ngayo uAbraham, nendlela amele ukuba wayesoyika ngayo uSara. Kodwa kuyacaca ukuba waphathwa okondwendwe oluhloniphekileyo, kungekhona ibanjwa. Mhlawumbi uFaro wayezimisele ukumrhwebesha ngobutyebi aze athethe “nomntakwabo” ukuze abe ngumfazi wakhe.—Genesis 12:14-16.

Khawuzifake ezihlangwini zikaSara. Nanko eme kwifestile yendlu okanye kwiveranda ebuka elo lizwe laseYiputa. Kwakunjani kuye ukuphinda ahlale endlwini eneendonga nophahla, ebekelwa ukutya okumuncis’ iintupha? Ngaba warhalela ukuphila obu bomi butofotofo kangaka, mhlawumbi obuyodlula lee indlela awayephila ngayo eUre? Khawucinge indlela awayenokuvuya ngayo uSathana xa elahla uAbraham aze abe ngumfazi walo Faro! Kodwa uSara akazange ayenze loo nto. Wanyaniseka kumyeni wakhe, emtshatweni nakuThixo wakhe. Akwaba bonke abantu abatshatileyo abaphila kweli hlabathi linabantu abaziphethe kakubi bangahlala benyanisekile! Ngaba ungamxelisa uSara kwindlela obaphatha ngayo abantu obathandayo okanye abahlobo bakho?

UYehova wangenelela ngokuthumela izibetho kuFaro nentsapho yakhe ukuze akhusele eli bhinqa lithandekayo. Wathi akuva ukuba uSara ngumfazi ka-Abraham, uFaro wambuyisela kumyeni wakhe waza wabaxelela ukuba baphume baphele eYiputa. (Genesis 12:17-20) Wavuya nyhani uAbraham akuphinda afumane umfazi wakhe amthandayo! Khumbula kaloku ukuba wathi kuye: “Ungumfazi omhle ngembonakalo.” Kodwa wayengathandi nje ubuhle bangaphandle kweli bhinqa. Lalilihle nangaphakathi, le nto kanye uYehova ayithandayo. (1 Petros 3:1-5) Nathi ke sifanele sisebenzele obu buhle. Ukuba eyona nto ibalulekileyo kuthi kukukholisa uThixo ngaphezu kokuthanda izinto eziphathekayo, sixelela abantu ngoThixo size sibambelele kwimigaqo kaThixo xa silingwa, siya kuba sixelisa ukholo lukaSara.