Ngaba Ubusazi?
Kwakutheni ukuze amaYuda aqalise ngokuhlwa ukugcina umhla weSabatha?
Xa uYehova wayenika abantu bakhe umthetho ophathelele uMhla Wocamagusho, wathi: “Ningenzi naluphi na uhlobo lomsebenzi ngalo olu suku . . . Yisabatha yophumlo olupheleleyo kuni . . . Noyigcina isabatha leyo kususela ngokuhlwa kude kube ngokuhlwa.” (Levitikus 23:28, 32) Lo myalelo wawubonisa ukuba usuku ngalunye lwaluqala ngokuhlwa, emva kokutshona kwelanga luze luphele ekutshoneni kwelanga ngosuku olulandelayo. KumaYuda usuku lwaluqalisa ngokuhlwa luze luphele ngokuhlwa ngosuku olulandelayo.
Le ndlela yokubala imihla yabonwa kuThixo. Ingxelo ethetha ngosuku lokuqala lokudala lokomfuziselo ithi: “Kwahlwa, kwasa, yaba lusuku lokuqala.” ‘Neentsuku’ ezilandelayo zibalwa ngendlela efanayo, ziqalisa ‘ngokuhlwa.’—Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.
YayingengomaYuda kuphela awayezibala ngolu hlobo iintsuku. Abantu baseAthene, abaseNumidia nabaseFenike babebala ngendlela efanayo. Kwelinye icala usuku lwamaBhabhiloni lwaluqala xa kuphuma ilanga, ngoxa usuku lwamaYiputa namaRoma lwaluqalisa ezinzulwini zobusuku luze luphele ezinzulwini zobusuku obulandelayo njengokuba kusenjalo nanamhlanje. Noko ke, namaYuda anamhlanje iSabatha yawo iqala ize iphele ekutshoneni kwelanga.
Lwaluyintoni ‘uhambo lomhla wesabatha’?
Emva kokuba bebone uYesu enyukela emazulwini esuka kwiNtaba yemiNquma, abafundi bakhe babuyela eYerusalem, ‘eyayikumgama ongangohambo lomhla wesabatha.’ (IZenzo 1:12) Umntu wayenokuhamba iikhilomitha ezingama-30 nangaphezulu ngosuku. Noko ke, iNtaba yemiNquma ikufuphi eYerusalem. Ngoko lwaluyintoni ‘uhambo lomhla wesabatha’?
Ngomhla weSabatha amaSirayeli ayephumla kwimisebenzi yawo. Ayengamele abase nomlilo emizini yawo ngolo suku. (Eksodus 20:10; 35:2, 3) UYehova wawayalela wathi: “Ngamnye kuni makahlale endaweni yakhe. Makungabikho bani uphumayo endaweni yakhe ngomhla wesixhenxe.” (Eksodus 16:29) Lo mthetho wawuza kunika amaSirayeli ithuba lokuphumla kwimisebenzi yawo aze anikel’ ingqalelo engakumbi kwizinto zokomoya.
Ekubeni oorabhi babenganelisekanga yimigaqo eseMthethweni kaYehova, bamisela imithetho engqongqo nengenangqiqo—ngokomzekelo, omnye wawo wawuchaza umgama awayemele awuhambe umntu xa esiya kunqula? Ngokuphathelele oku, iCyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature ithi: “Ngenxa yemithetho engqongqo ephathelele ukugcinwa kweSabatha . . . , kwamiselwa umgama awayemele awuhambe amaSirayeli ngomhla weSabatha, owawubizwa ngokuba luhambo lomhla weSabatha.” Lo mgama wawuziikhubhithe ezingama-2 000, ulingana nomgama oziikhilomitha eziphakathi kwe-0,8 ne-1,1.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]
Indlela ebonakala ngayo iYerusalem xa ukwintaba yeMinquma