Ngaba Ubusazi?

KumaEfese 2:11-15 ngaba umpostile uPawulos wayebhekisela kudonga lokoqobo xa wayethetha ngodonga olwahlula amaYuda kwiiNtlanga?

Xa wayebhalela amaEfese ileta, umpostile uPawulos wabonisa umahluko phakathi kwamaSirayeli ‘nabasemzini.’ Wathi: Kwakukho “udonga” ‘olwahlukanisa’ la maqela mabini. (Efese 2:11-15) UPawulos wayebhekisela ‘kwiMiyalelo yemithetho’ eyanikwa uMoses kodwa ukusebenzisa kwakhe igama elithi “udonga” kumele ukuba kwakhumbuza abafundi ngodonga lwamatye lokoqobo.

Kwinkulungwane yokuqala Ngaphambi Kwexesha Eliqhelekileyo itempile kaYehova yaseYerusalem yayineentendelezo ezininzi ekwakungangeni nabani na kuzo. Nabani na wayenokungena kwiNtendelezo yeeNtlanga, kodwa ngamaYuda nabantu abaguqukele ebuYudeni kuphela ababevumeleke ukuba bangene kwiintendelezo zetempile. Kwenziwa ungqameko oluhle iSoreg olwenziwe ngamatye ukwahlukanisa imimandla ekungena uwonke wonke nekungangenwayo kuyo yaye lwalumalunga nemitha ezili-1.3 ukuphakama. Ngokutsho kombhali-mbali ongumYuda uFlavius Josephus imibhalo-ngqangi yesiGrike nesiLatin yayixhonywe kolu ngqameko ilumkisa iiNtlanga ukuba zinganqumli, zingabeki imicondwana yazo kulo mmandla ungcwele.

Kudonga olwahlule lo mmandla kwafunyanwa omnye umbhalo okroliweyo wesiGrike. Ufundeka ngolu hlobo: “Akukho mntu wasemzini uvumelekileyo ukuba angene kule ngcwele. Nabani na okhe wabhaqwa akayi kusola mntu ngokufa kwakhe.”

UPawulos wasebenzisa iSoreg emela umnqophiso woMthetho kaMoses eyawahlula kudala amaYuda kwiiNtlanga. Ukufa kukaYesu okulidini kwenza umnqophiso woMthetho ungasebenzi yaye ‘kwalutshabalalisa udonga oluphakathi.’

Kutheni eBhayibhileni kusoloko kuthethwa ngezizwe ezili-12 zakwaSirayeli ngoxa kwakukho izizwe ezili-13?

Izizwe okanye iintsapho zakwaSirayeli zazivela koonyana bakaYakobi, igama lakhe elatshintshwa laba nguSirayeli. Lo solusapho wayenoonyana abali-12—uRubhen, uSimeyon, uLevi, uYuda, uDan, uNafetali, uGadi, uAshere, uIsakare, uZebhulon, uYosefu noBhenjamin. (Genesis 29:32–30:24; 35:16-18) Kwaba nyana abalishumi elinanye izizwe zabo zithiywe ngabo, kodwa asikho isizwe esasithiywe ngoYosefu. Kunoko izizwe ezibini zathiywa ngoonyana bakhe, uEfrayim noManase, abafumana iwonga lokuba izizwe zabo zithiywe ngabo. Ngenxa yoko izizwe zakwaSirayeli zaba-13. Ukuba kunjalo kutheni iBhayibhile isoloko ithetha ngezizwe-12?

Phakathi kwamaSirayeli, amadoda esizwe sakwaLevi ayeza kwenza inkonzo ekhethekileyo emnqubeni kaYehova kamva etempileni. Ngenxa yeso sizathu babengenanxaxheba kwinkonzo yasemkhosini. UYehova waxelela uMoses ukuba: “Sisizwe sakwaLevi kuphela ongayi kusibhalisa, ungalithabathi inani laso phakathi koonyana bakaSirayeli. Wena ke uze ubamisele abaLevi phezu komnquba weSingqino nempahla yawo yonke nento yonke ekuwo.”—Numeri 1:49, 50.

Isizwe sakwaLevi asizange silifumane ilifa lomhlaba kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Kunoko, babelwa izixeko ezingama-48 ezazithe saa kuwo wonke umhlaba wakwaSirayeli.—Numeri 18:20-24; Yoshuwa 21:41.

Ngenxa yezi zizathu zibini, isizwe sakwaLevi sasingaqukwanga kuludwe lwezi zizwe. Ngaloo ndlela izizwe zakwaSirayeli zazidla ngokuba li-12.—Numeri 1:1-15.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

Archaeological Museum of Istanbul