UNkulunkulu wathembisa u-Abrahama othembekile ukuthi ‘inzalo’ eyayibikezelwe yayiyoba omunye wabazukulu bakhe. Ngaleyo nzalo, abantu bazo “zonke izizwe” babeyothola izibusiso. (Genesise 22:18) Kamuva uJakobe, umzukulu ka-Abrahama, wathuthela eGibhithe lapho umndeni wakhe wanda khona waba isizwe sakwa-Israyeli sasendulo.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uFaro ongundlov’ kayiphikiswa wagqilaza ama-Israyeli kwaze kwaba yilapho uNkulunkulu ekhetha umprofethi uMose, owahola isizwe esikhipha kulelo zwe ngokusidabulisa oLwandle Olubomvu olwahlukaniswa ngokuyisimangaliso. Ngemva kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wanika u-Israyeli imithetho, kuhlanganise neMiyalo Eyishumi, eyayizomqondisa futhi imvikele. Leyo mithetho yayiyisho ngokuqondile iminikelo eyayidingeka ukuze umuntu athethelelwe izono. Ephefumulelwe uNkulunkulu, uMose watshela u-Israyeli ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayeyomthumelela omunye umprofethi. Lowo mprofethi wayeyoba ‘inzalo’ ethenjisiwe.

Cishe ngemva kwamakhulu amane eminyaka kamuva, uNkulunkulu wathembisa iNkosi uDavide ukuthi lowo ozayo, ‘inzalo’ eyabikezelwa e-Edene, wayeyobusa umbuso oyohlala phakade. Leyo nzalo yayiyoba uMesiya, uMkhululi omiswe uNkulunkulu ukuba asindise abantu futhi abuyisele iPharadesi emhlabeni.

Esebenzisa uDavide nabanye abaprofethi, uNkulunkulu wembula kancane kancane okwengeziwe ngoMesiya. Babikezela ukuthi wayeyoba umuntu othobekile nonomusa futhi ngaphansi kokubusa kwakhe, indlala, ukungalungi nezimpi kwakuyophela. Bonke abantu bayohlala ngokuthula, babe nokuthula nanezilwane. Ukugula, ukuhlupheka nokufa—okwakungeyona injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni—kuyoshabalala, abantu abafileyo babuye baphile emhlabeni.

UNkulunkulu wabikezela ngomprofethi uMika ukuthi uMesiya wayeyozalelwa eBhetlehema futhi ngomprofethi uDaniyeli wabikezela ukuthi wayeyobulawa. Kodwa uNkulunkulu wayezomvusa uMesiya kwabafileyo, ambeke njengeNkosi ezulwini. UDaniyeli waphinde wabona ukuthi uMbuso kaMesiya uyogcine uthathe indawo yabo bonke abanye ohulumeni kuze kube phakade. Ingabe ngempela uMesiya wafika njengoba kwakuprofethiwe?

—Isekelwe kuGenesise, izahluko 22-50, naku-Eksodusi, uDuteronomi, eyesi-2 Samuweli, AmaHubo, u-Isaya, uDaniyeli, uMika nakuZakariya 9:9.