Ukunqulwa Kweenyoka—Mandulo Nakule Mihla
MANDULO amaYiputa ayenqula iinyoka, kanye njengamaMinoa, abemi bamandulo baseKrete. Namanye amaSirayeli amhlamnene abingelela kwinyoka yobhedu. Kanti abanye kwakolo hlanga babetshisa isiqhumiso phambi kwemifanekiso ‘yezinto ezirhubuluzayo.’—Hezekile 8:10-12; 2 Kumkani 18:4.
Kanti abantu bokuqala baseMexico babetshone abavela nangonwele ekunquleni izithixo eziziinyoka. Oyena thixo mkhulu wamaMaya—uItzamná—wayemelwa yinyoka. UQuetzalcoatl, “oyinyoka eneentsiba,” wayenguthixo wamaToltec wemfundo, inkcubeko nentanda-bulumko. Wona ama-Aztec ayemgqala njengothixo wemfundiso, de amnike imbeko njengomdali wabantu. Ngokuphathelele iindima nobuchule obahlukahlukeneyo balo thixo, iphephancwadi iArqueología Mexicana (Ukumbiwa Kwezinto Zakudala EMexico) lithi: “Le nyoka ineentsiba yayineenjongo eziliqela, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba zazingaphezu kwezaso nasiphi na isithixo.”
Kangangeenkulungwane ezininzi, abemi baseMesoamerica bebeyinqula le nyoka ineentsiba. Nanamhlanje, amaCora namaHuichol aseMexico asakholelwa kulo thixo. Kwimibhiyozo ethile, abantu badanisa bezihombise ngeentsiba baze balinganise iintshukumo zenyoka. Xa esenza isiko lenzala, amaQuiche adanisa esebenzisa iinyoka eziphilayo. AmaChorti, iqela lamaMaya eGuatemala, ahlonela inyoka eneentsiba, ayinxulumanisa neengcwele ezithile zamaKatolika.
Nanku ke umbuzo, UMdali wabantu nezilwanyana—kuquka iinyoka—ukujonga njani ukunqulwa koothixo abaziinyoka?
Imbono KaThixo Ngokunqulwa Kweenyoka
UYehova uThixo walunika lo myalelo uhlanga lwamandulo lwakwaSirayeli: “Uze ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqingqiweyo okanye imbonakalo yayo nantoni na esemazulwini phezulu okanye esemhlabeni phantsi okanye esemanzini phantsi komhlaba. Uze ungaqubudi kuzo okanye uqhutyelwe ekuzikhonzeni.”—Eksodus 20:4, 5.
UYehova wabalela abantu bakhe ukunqula imifanekiso yezilwanyana, kuquka iinyoka. Ngenxa yoko, ngaba ayizicacelanga na into yokuba abo bafuna ukuthandwa nguye bamele bakuphephe ukunqula iinyoka? Kutheni uThixo engalufuni unqulo-zithixo, kuquka ukunqulwa kweenyoka? Isizathu sicacile: Nguye kaloku owadala abantu, iinyoka nazo zonke ezinye izinto eziphilayo. Zonke uzenze ngezandla zakhe, ngenxa yoko nguye omele anqulwe, kungekhona izinto azidalileyo.
Ngokomzekelo: Masithi ingcibi ethile yokwakha yenze izindlu yaza yathi iintsapho ezithile mazihlale kuzo. Kuthekani ukuba ezo ntsapho zibulela zize zizukise ezo zindlu kunale ngcibi? Ngaba ayingebi bubudenge loo nto ize imcaphukise lo makhi unobubele? Ngokufanayo, ukunqula izilwanyana kunoMdali wazo kuyamcaphukisa uThixo.
Ngokucacileyo, abo bafuna ukuthandwa nguThixo bafanele bathobele la mazwi kampostile uYohane: “Bantwana abancinane, zilindeni kuzo izithixo.”—1 Yohane 5:21.
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UKUNQULA UPHETHE INYOKA
● Kumzantsi mpuma weUnited States, kwiicawa ezimbalwa zomoya kuphathwa iinyoka eziphilayo nezinobuhlungu. Abanye abantu baxwaya sibe sinye kwezi zidalwa zinetyhefu, ngoxa abanye bezithatha zibe ninzi ngaxeshanye. Ukuziphakamisa nokuzishukumisa kunokuzothusa iinyoka zize zilume xa kulapho ke. Ukutyhubela iminyaka, abanye abantu abanqula bephethe iinyoka baye bafa ngenxa yokulunywa zizo.
Abo baphatha iinyoka bazithethelela ngoko kuthethwa kuMarko 16:17, 18. Phakathi kwezi ndinyana, kukho amazwi athi: “Ngezandla zabo baya kuphatha iinyoka.” IKing James Version nezinye iinguqulelo ezindala zifaka ezi ndinyana ngokungathi zaziyinxalenye yemibhalo yantlandlolo. INew Revised Standard Version, iNew American Standard Bible, neNew King James Version zithi ezi ndinyana aziveli kuninzi lweyona mibhalo-ngqangi midala yeVangeli kaMarko.
Iimfundiso zeBhayibhile aziyixhasi ingcamango yokuba ukuphatha iinyoka kuyinkalo eyamkelekileyo yonqulo lwenyaniso. IBhayibhile ithi: “UThixo uluthando.” (1 Yohane 4:8) Mhlawumbi uya kuvuma ukuba uMdali wethu onothando akanakufuna ukuba abanquli bakhe benze izithethe eziyingozi ukuze bamkholise. UNyana wakhe, uYesu wadlulisela esi simemo: “Yizani kum, nonke nina nibulalekayo nenisindwa ngumthwalo, yaye ndiza kunihlaziya.” (Mateyu 11:28, 29) Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova noYesu abanqweneli ukuba abalandeli babo baphathe iinyoka, batyiwe ziintlungu, bagule bade bafe!
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REUTERS/Tami Chappell
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Intloko yenyoka eneentsiba kudonga lwetempile yama-Aztec
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Umfanekiso kaQuetzalcoatl, uthixo oyinyoka eneentsiba wamaToltec
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Top: REUTERS/Tami Chappell; bottom: © Leonardo Díaz Romero/age fotostock