Isahluko 1

Izigidimi Ezivela Ezulwini

YONKE iBhayibhile, ngokungathi kunjalo, isisigidimi esivela ezulwini, ekubeni yalungiselelwa nguBawo wethu wasezulwini ukwenzela ukufundiswa kwethu. Noko ke, phantse kwiminyaka engama-⁠2 000 eyadlulayo kwanikelwa izigidimi ezibini ezikhethekileyo sisithunywa sezulu ‘esimi phambi koThixo.’ Igama laso nguGabriyeli. Makhe sihlolisise iziganeko ezibini zotyelelo olubalulekileyo lwezihlandlo ezibini emhlabeni.

Kungonyaka wesi-3 B.C.E. Kwiinduli zelakwaYuda, mhlawumbi kude kufuphi naseYerusalem, kuhlala umbingeleli kaYehova ogama linguZekariya. Waluphele, ibe kukwanjalo nangomkakhe, uElizabhete. Kwaye abanabantwana. UZekariya uphumeza inkonzo yakhe yobubingeleli etempileni kaThixo eYerusalem. Ngequbuliso kuthi gqi uGabriyeli ngasekunene kwesibingelelo sesiqhumiso.

UZekariya uyatyhwatyhwa kukoyika. Kodwa uGabriyeli uthomalalisa uloyiko lwakhe esithi: “Musa ukoyika, Zekariya, ngokuba isikhungo sakho siviwe; wothi ke umfazi wakho uElizabhete akuzalele unyana, umthiye igama elinguYohane.” UGabriyeli uhlabela mgama aze avakalise ukuba uYohane “ uya kuba mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi” kwanokuba uya kuthi “alungisele iNkosi abantu abalungisiweyo.”

Noko ke, uZekariya akakukholelwa oko. Kubonakala kungenakwenzeka ukuba yena noElizabhete babe nomntwana kubudala babo. Ngoko uGabriyeli umxelela oku: “Uya kuba sisidenge, ungabi nako ukuthetha, kude kube yimini eziya kuthi zenzeke ngayo ezi zinto, ngenxa enokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi am.”

Kaloku, ngeli thuba, abantu abangaphandle bazibuza isizathu sokuba uZekariya athabathe ithuba elide kangaka etempileni. Xa ekugqibeleni ephuma, akakwazi kuthetha kodwa unokwenza nje imiqondiso ngezandla zakhe, ibe bayaqonda ukuba ubone okuthile okungaphaya kwamandla omntu.

Emva kokuba uZekariya egqibe ithuba lakhe lenkonzo etempileni, ubuyela ekhaya. Ibe kungekudala emva koko oko kuyenzeka ngokwenene​—⁠uElizabhete uyakhulelwa! Ngoxa elindele ukuba umntwana wakhe azalwe, uElizabhete uhlala ekhaya engadibani nabantu kangangeenyanga ezintlanu.

Kamva uGabriyeli uphinda abonakale. Ibe uthetha nabani? Uthetha nebhinqa eliselula nelingatshatanga eligama lalo linguMariya nelihlala kwidolophu yaseNazarete. Sisiphi ke isigidimi asivakalisayo ngeli thuba? Khawuphulaphule! UGabriyeli uxelela uMariya athi: “Ubabalwe nguThixo. Uyabona, uya kuthabatha esizalweni, uzale unyana, umthiye igama elinguYESU.” UGabriyeli walek’ umsundulo esithi: “Yena uya kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana wOsenyangweni; . . . abe ngukumkani phezu kwendlu kaYakobi kude kube ngunaphakade, nobukumkani bakhe bungabi nasiphelo.”

Sinokuqiniseka ukuba uGabriyeli uziva enikwe ilungelo elikhulu ngokunikela ezi zigidimi. Ibe njengoko sifunda okungakumbi ngoYohane noYesu, siya kusibona ngokucace ngakumbi isizathu sokuba ezi zigidimi zivela ezulwini zibe zezibaluleke kangaka. 2 Timoti 3:16; Luka 1:5-33.

▪ Ziziphi izigidimi ezibini ezibalulekileyo ezinikelwa zivela ezulwini?

▪ Ngubani onikela ezi zigidimi, yaye zinikelwa koobani?

▪ Kutheni kunzima kangaka ukuzikholelwa ezi zigidimi?