UJEHOVA wayazi ukuthi Lowo ayemthanda kakhulu wayeyohlupheka futhi afe ngelinye ilanga. Isiprofetho esilotshwe kuGenesise 3:15 salisikisela leli qiniso. Ingabe uNkulunkulu wayengakwazi ukubonisa abantu ukuthi lokho kufa kwakuyomlahlekisela kangakanani? IBhayibheli lisinikeza isibonelo. UNkulunkulu wacela u-Abrahama ukuba anikele ngendodana yakhe ayithandayo u-Isaka.

U-Abrahama wayenokholo olukhulu. Khumbula, uNkulunkulu wayemthembise ukuthi uMkhululi owayebikezelwe, noma iMbewu, wayezovela ku-Isaka. Ethemba ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzomvusa u-Isaka uma kudingeka, u-Abrahama wayezolalela anikele ngendodana yakhe. Kodwa ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yamvimba ngesikhathi esifanele u-Abrahama. Encoma u-Abrahama ngokuzimisela kwakhe ukunikela ngalokho okwakuyigugu kakhulu kuye, uNkulunkulu waphinda izithembiso zaKhe kule nzalamizi ethembekile.

Kamuva, u-Isaka waba namadodana amabili, u-Esawu noJakobe. Ngokungafani no-Esawu, uJakobe wayezazisa izinto ezingokomoya futhi wavuzwa ngalokho. UNkulunkulu washintsha igama likaJakobe waba u-Israyeli futhi amadodana ka-Israyeli angu-12 aba yizinhloko zezizwe zakwa-Israyeli. Kodwa lowo mkhaya waba kanjani isizwe esikhulu?

Uchungechunge lwezenzakalo lwaqala lapho iningi lalawo madodana liba nomona ngomfowabo omncane uJosefa. Amthengisa njengesigqila futhi wayiswa eGibhithe. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wayibusisa le nsizwa enesibindi. Naphezu kobunzima obesabekayo, ekugcineni uJosefa waqokwa uFaro, umbusi waseGibhithe, wanikwa isikhundla esiphakeme. Lokhu kwenzeka ngesikhathi ngoba indlala yabangela ukuba uJakobe athume amanye amadodana akhe eGibhithe ukuba ayothenga ukudla—futhi uJosefa nguye owayephethe konke ukudla! Ngemva kokuhlangana okuthinta inhliziyo kukaJosefa nabafowabo abase bephendukile, uJosefa wabaxolela futhi wahlela ukuba wonke umkhaya uthuthele eGibhithe. Lo mkhaya wanikezwa izwe lekhethelo, lapho wawungaqhubeka wanda futhi uchuma khona. UJosefa waqonda ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayehlele izinto ngale ndlela ukuze agcwalise izithembiso zaKhe.

UJakobe owayesegugile wahlala ukuphila kwakhe konke eGibhithe, ezungezwe umkhaya wakhe owawulokhu wanda. Lapho esezokufa, wabikezela ukuthi iMbewu ethenjisiwe, noma uMkhululi, yayiyoba uMbusi onamandla owayeyozalwa ohlwini lomndeni wendodana yakhe, uJuda. Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi, naye esezokufa, uJosefa waprofetha ukuthi ngelinye ilanga uNkulunkulu wayeyowukhipha umkhaya kaJakobe eGibhithe.

—Isekelwe kuGenesise izahluko 20 kuya ku-50; Hebheru 11:17-22.