IShekem—Isixeko Esasimi Entlanjeni

EMBINDINI welizwe uThixo awalikhethela abantu bakhe, phakathi kweNtaba iEbhali neNtaba iGerizim, kwakukho isixeko sakwaShekem. Kule ndawo—malunga neminyaka engamawaka amane eyadlulayo—uYehova wathembisa uAbraham esithi: “Imbewu yakho ndiya kuyinika eli lizwe.”—Genesis 12:6, 7.

Ngokuvisisana neli dinga, umzukulwana ka-Abraham uYakobi wamisa iintente kwaShekem waza wakha isibingelelo awasibiza ngokuba “UThixo nguThixo kaSirayeli.” Mhlawumbi uYakobi wemba iqula kule ndawo ukuze intsapho nemfuyo yakhe ifumane amanzi, qula elo elathi kwiinkulungwane kamva laziwa ‘njengomthombo kaYakobi.’—Genesis 33:18-20, umbhalo osemazantsi weNW; Yohane 4:5, 6, 12.

Noko ke, asingawo onke amalungu entsapho kaYakobi awabonakalisa inzondelelo ngonqulo lokwenyaniso. UDina, intombi yakhe, yazifunela abahlobo kwiintombi zakwaShekem ezingamaKanana. UDina, owayeselula ngoko, wemka kwiintente ezinqabisekileyo zentsapho yakowabo waza watyelela kweso sixeko sikufuphi, ezenzela abahlobo apho.

Abafana beso sixeko babenokuyijonga njani le ntombi inyulu neselula eyayityelela rhoqo kwisixeko sabo—ngokunokwenzeka ihamba yodwa? Unyana wesikhulu selo lizwe ‘wambona, wamthabatha, walala naye, wamona.’ Kwakutheni ukuze uDina azibeke engozini ngokunxulumana namaKanana awayeziphethe kakubi? Ngaba wayenemvo yokuba wayefanele ahlobane namantombazana akubudala bakhe? Ngaba wayeneenkani yaye engalawuleki njengabanye babantakwabo? Funda ingxelo yeGenesis, uze uzame ukuthelekelela uxinzeleko nehlazo ababekulo uYakobi noLeya ngenxa yemiphumo eyintlekele yokutyelela kwentombi yabo kwaShekem.—Genesis 34:1-31; 49:5-7; bona neMboniselo, kaJuni 15, 1985, iphepha 31.

Malunga neminyaka engama-300 kamva, imiphumo yokutyeshela ulwalathiso lobuthixo yaphinda yabonakala. KwaShekem, uYoshuwa walungelelanisa enye yezona ndibano zibalulekileyo kwimbali yakwaSirayeli. Yiba nombono woko kwenzeka kuloo ntlambo. Abantu abangaphezu kwesigidi—amadoda, abafazi nabantwana—bezizwe ezintandathu zakwaSirayeli bami phambi kweNtaba iGerizim. Ngaphesheya kuloo ntlambo kumi abamalunga nesigidi bezinye izizwe ezintandathu phambi kweNtaba iEbhali.a Yaye emazantsi, ecaleni kwetyeya yomnqophiso naphakathi kwezo ndimbane zamaSirayeli, kumi ababingeleli noYoshuwa. Onjani wona umbono!—Yoshuwa 8:30-33.

Iintaba ezimbini ezikrobe ngaphaya kwesi sihlwele sikhulu, zahlukile kuba enye intle enye ibharhile. Intaba iGerizim ikhangeleka luhlaza yaye ichumile, ngoxa iEbhali ubukhulu becala ingwevu yaye iyinkangala. Ngaba uyakuva ukuxokozela kwamaSirayeli njengoko elinde ixesha lokuthetha kukaYoshuwa? Ilizwi ngalinye livakala kuyo yonke le ndawo yokubonela yokwemvelo.

Ebudeni beeyure eziphakathi kwezine nezintandathu athi uYoshuwa afunde ‘incwadi yomyalelo kaMoses,’ nabantu babesiba nenxaxheba. (Yoshuwa 8:34, 35) Kubonakala ukuba amaSirayeli ami phambi kweGerizim athi Amen! emva kokufundwa kwentsikelelo nganye, ngoxa uAmen! walawo aphambi kwe-Ebhali egxininisa isiqalekiso ngasinye. Mhlawumbi ukubharha kweNtaba iEbhali kusisikhumbuzo phambi kwabo bantu ngemiphumo eyintlekele yokungathobeli.

UYoshuwa uyalumkisa: “Uqalekisiwe ocukuceza uyise nokuba ngunina.” Ngamxhelo-mnye, amazwi angaphezu kwesigidi aphendula athi: “Amen.” UYoshuwa uyalinda de le ntlokoma iphele ngaphambi kokuba aqhubeke: “Uqalekisiwe oshenxisa umlimandlela wommelwane wakhe.” Kwakhona ezi zizwe zintandathu, ndawonye nabaphambukeli abaninzi, bayakhwaza besithi: “Amen.” (Duteronomi 27:16, 17) Ukuba wawulapho, ngaba wawunokuyilibala loo ntlanganiso eyayibanjelwe phakathi kwezo ntaba? Ngaba imfuneko yokuthobela ngeyayingazange ibhalwe ngokungacimekiyo engqondweni yakho?

Ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe kwiminyaka emalunga nama-20 kamva, uYoshuwa waphinda walihlanganisa kunye olo hlanga kwaShekem ukuze lubambelele kwisigqibo salo. Walunika ukhetho olwalufanele lulwenze xa lulonke. Wathi: “Zinyuleleni namhla oyena niya kumkhonza. . . . Ke mna nendlu yam siya kukhonza uYehova.” (Yoshuwa 24:1, 15) Kubonakala ukuba, ezi ndibano zomelez’ ukholo ezaziqhutywa eShekem azizange zilibaleke. Kangangeminyaka emininzi emva kokufa kukaYoshuwa, amaSirayeli ayewuxelisa umzekelo wakhe wokuthembeka.—Yoshuwa 24:31.

Malunga neenkulungwane ezili-15 kamva xa uYesu wayephumle ngaphantsi komthunzi weNtaba iGerizim kwaphakama incoko ebangel’ umdla. Ediniwe emva kohambo olude, uYesu wayehleli ecaleni komthombo kaYakobi ekufikeni komfazi womSamariya ephethe ingqayi yamanzi. Lo mfazi wothuka gqitha xa uYesu wacela ukuba amphe amanzi, ekubeni amaYuda ayengathethi namaSamariya, kungasathethwa ke ngokusela ngezinto zawo. (Yohane 4:5-9) Amazwi alandelayo kaYesu amothusa ngakumbi.

“Wonk’ ubani osela kula manzi uya kunxanwa kwakhona. Nabani na osela kumanzi endiza kumpha wona akasayi kuze anxanwe konke konke, kodwa kuye amanzi endiza kumnika wona aya kuba ngumthombo wamanzi ampompozayo anika ubomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 4:13, 14) Khawuthelekelele indlela amele ukuba waba nomdla ngayo lo mfazi kwelo dinga, kuba ukukha amanzi kwelo qula linzulu yayingumsebenzi onzima. UYesu wahlabela mgama echaza ukuba nangona iYerusalem neNtaba iGerizim zazibalulekile ngokwembali, akukho nanye kuzo eyayikuphela kwendawo yokusondela kuThixo. Into ebalulekileyo sisimo sengqondo nehambo, kungekhona indawo. Wathi: “Abanquli bokwenyaniso baya kumnqula uBawo ngomoya nenyaniso, kuba, eneneni, uBawo ufuna abanjalo ukumnqula.” (Yohane 4:23) Hayi indlela amele ukuba ayethuthuzela ngayo loo mazwi! Kwakhona le ntlambo yaba yindawo apho abantu bakhuthazelwa ukuba bakhonze uYehova.

Namhlanje isixeko saseNablus simi kufutshane namabhodlo eShekem yamandulo. INtaba iGerizim neNtaba iEbhali zisamile ngakuloo ntlambo, zifana namangqina angathethiyo eziganeko zexa elidluleyo. Iqula likaYakobi, elisemazantsi ezi ntaba, lisekho. Njengoko sicamngca ngeziganeko ezenzeka kule ndawo, siye sikhumbule ngokubaluleka kokuphakamisa unqulo lokwenyaniso, kanye njengoko uYoshuwa noYesu basifundisa ukuba senjenjalo.—Thelekisa uIsaya 2:2, 3.

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Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.