Ngaba Ufanele Ugcine ISabatha?

NGASEKUPHELENI kweminyaka yee-1980, iqela elincanane lamaWesile lasimisa ngxi isixeko saseSuva esilikomkhulu saseFiji. Amadoda abafazi nabantwana ababenxibe izambatho zecawa baval’ indlela kwiindawo ezingama-70. Kwakhona bavala zonke izikhululo zeenqwelo-moya. Babefuna ntoni? Babefuna ilizwe libuyele kumthetho weSabatha.

KwaSirayeli, ukususela ngowama-2001 kwamiselwa umthetho wokuba isakhiwo ngasinye esakhiwayo esinemigangatho emininzi sifanele sibe nekhetshi efika izimele xa ifika kumgangatho ngamnye. Ngayiphi injongo? Ukuze amaYuda agcina iSabatha ukususela ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku kude kube ngumgqibelo ebusuku angenzi “umsebenzi” wokuyicofa ukuze ime.

Kwilizwe laseTonga elikumzantsi Pasifiki, akusetyenzwa ngeCawa. Akukho nqwelo-moya ivumelekileyo ukuhamba ibe akukho nqanawa isebenzayo. Naziphi na izivumelwano ezityobelwa ngaloo mini azibikho mthethweni. Umgaqo siseko waseTonga uthi bonke abantu balapho bafanele balugcine “lungcwele” usuku lwangeCawa, kungakhathaliseki ukuba bahamba kweyiphi inkonzo. Kutheni? Ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuba bonke abantu balapho bagcina iSabatha.

Njengokuba le mizekelo ingasentla ibonisa, abantu abaninzi bacinga ukuba uThixo ufuna kugcinwe umhla weSabatha veki nganye. Abanye bathi, kubaluleke kakhulu ukuba kugcinwe iSabatha, yaye bakholelwa ukuba loo nto ithetha ukusindiswa kwethu ngonaphakade. Bambi bacinga ukuba owona mthetho kaThixo ubalulekileyo kukugcina iSabatha. Yintoni iSabatha? Ngaba iBhayibhile ithi amaKristu afanele ayigcine?

Yintoni ISabatha?

Igama lesiXhosa elithi “Sabatha” livela kwelesiHebhere elithetha “ukuphumla” okanye “ukuyeka.” Nangona incwadi yeGenesis isithi uYehova uThixo waphumla kwimisebenzi yakhe yokudala ngomhla wesixhenxe, abantu bakaThixo bayalelwa ukuba baphumle okanye bagcine umhla weSabatha kuphela ngemihla kaMoses. (Genesis 2:2) Emva kokuba amaSirayeli ephumile eYiputa ngowe-1513 B.C.E., uYehova wawondla ngemana ngokungummangaliso. Ngokuphathelele imana, kwathiwa kuwo “Nosibutha imihla emithandathu, kodwa ngomhla wesixhenxe yisabatha. Asiyi kubakho ngawo.” (Eksodus 16:26) Kuthiwa “bayigcina ke abantu isabatha ngomhla wesixhenxe,” ukususela ekutshoneni kwelanga ngoLwesihlanu ukusa ekutshoneni kwelanga ngoMgqibelo.—Eksodus 16:30.

Emva nje kokuba ekhuphe loo myalelo, uYehova wanika abantu umyalelo wokugcinwa kweSabatha, ewuquka phakathi kweMithetho elishumi awayinika uMoses. (Eksodus 19:1) Umthetho wesine kule mithetho wawusithi: “Wukhumbule umhla wesabatha ukuba uwungcwalise, wonikela inkonzo imihla emithandathu uze ngayo uwenze wonke umsebenzi wakho. Kodwa wona umhla wesixhenxe uyisabatha kuYehova uThixo wakho.” (Eksodus 20:8-10) Ukugcinwa kweSabatha kwaba yinxalenye ebalulekileyo kubomi bamaSirayeli.—Duteronomi 5:12.

Ngaba UYesu Wayeyigcina ISabatha?

Ewe, uYesu wayegcina iSabatha. Kuthiwa ngaye: “Lithe lakuzaliseka ixesha, uThixo wathumela uNyana wakhe, owaphuma emfazini waza waba phantsi komthetho.” (Galati 4:4) UYesu wayezalwa ngamaSirayeli ngoko ke wayephantsi koMthetho owawuquka ukugcina iSabatha. UMthetho wabhanga emva kokufa kukaYesu. (Kolose 2:13, 14) Ukwazi ixesha ezenzeka ngalo ezi zinto kusinceda siqonde imbono kaThixo ngeSabatha.—Funda isicangca esikwiphepha 15.

Ewe kona, uYesu wakha wathi: “Ningacingi ukuba ndize kutshabalalisa uMthetho okanye abaProfeti. Andizanga kutshabalalisa, kodwa ndize kuzalisekisa.” (Mateyu 5:17) Kodwa ke lithetha ukuthini ibinzana elithi ‘ukuzalisekisa’? Masiyizekelise kanje le nto: Umakhi uzalisekisa isivumelwano sokwakha isakhiwo ngokusakha asigqibe isakhiwo eso kungekhona ngokukrazula iphepha ekubhalwe kulo isivumelwano. Kodwa ke, xa ugqityiwe umsebenzi yaye amacala omabini anelisekile ngendlela owenziwe ngayo umsebenzi, isivumelwano sizalisekisiwe yaye asisambopheleli umakhi. Ngendlela efanayo, uYesu akazange awukrazule okanye awutshabalalise uMthetho, kodwa wawuthobela ngokupheleleyo. Sisakuba sizalisekile, “isivumelwano” soMthetho sasingasababopheleli abantu bakaThixo.

Ngaba AmaKristu Afanele Ayigcine?

Ekubeni uKristu wawuzalisekisa uMthetho, ngaba amaKristu amele agcine iSabatha? Umpostile uPawulos wawuphendula wathi lo mbuzo: “Ngoko ke makungabikho mntu unigwebayo ngento eniyityayo neniyiselayo okanye ngokuphathelele umthendeleko nokugcinwa kwenyanga ethwasileyo nesabatha; kuba ezo zinto zisisithunzi sezinto ezizayo, inkqu yazo ke nguKristu.”—Kolose 2:16, 17.

Loo mazwi aphefumlelweyo abonisa ukuba kwakuza kufuneka benze utshintsho abakhonzi bakaThixo. Babeza kutshintshela ntoni? Kaloku amaKristu aphantsi komthetho omtsha, “umthetho kaKristu.” (Galati 6:2) Isivumelwano soMthetho esasinikwe amaSirayeli ngoMoses saphelelwa xa uYesu wasizalisekisa ngokufa kwakhe. (Roma 10:4; Efese 2:15) Ngaba nomthetho wokugcina iSabatha waphelelwa ngaloo mini? Ewe. Emva kokuba uPawulos ethe “sikhululwe kuwo uMthetho,” wabhekisela komnye weMithetho Elishumi. (Roma 7:6, 7) Ngoko iMithetho Elishumi kuquka nomthetho weSabatha iyinxalenye yeMithetho eyaphelelwayo. Ngoko ke, akuyomfuneko ukuba abanquli bakaThixo bagcine iSabatha.

Singakuzekelisa ngale ndlela ukutshintsha kwendlela yamaSirayeli yokunqula kuye kweyamaKristu: Ilizwe lisenokutshintsha umgaqo siseko walo. Xa omtsha sele usebenza ngokusemthethweni, akulindelekanga ukuba abantu bathobele omdala. Nangona eminye yemithetho yomgaqo siseko omtsha isenokufana naleyo yomgaqo siseko omdala, eminye isenokwahluka. Ngoko ke, bekuya kufuneka umntu afunde umgaqo siseko omtsha ukuze azi umthetho osebenzayo. Ukongezelela, umhlali onenkathalo ebeya kufuna ukwazi ixesha owaqalisa ngalo ukusebenza umgaqo siseko omtsha.

Ngendlela efanayo, uYehova uThixo wanika uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli imithetho engama-600, kuquka neli-10 eyintloko. Le mithetho yayiquka ukuziphatha, amadini, ezempilo kunye nokugcinwa kweSabatha. Noko ke, uYesu wathi abalandeli bakhe abathanjisiweyo babeza kuyila “uhlanga” olutsha. (Mateyu 21:43) Ukususela ngowama-33 C.E. ukuya phambili, olo hlanga lwaba “nomgaqo siseko” omtsha owawusekelwe kwimithetho emibini—ukuthanda uThixo nokuthanda ummelwane. (Mateyu 22:36-40) Nangona “umthetho kaKristu” uquka imiyalelo efana naleyo yamaSirayeli, akufanelanga kusothuse ukuphawula ukuba eminye yahluke kakhulu yaye eminye ayisasebenzi. Umthetho owawufuna kugcinwe iSabatha iveki neveki awusasebenzi.

Ngaba UThixo Utshintshile?

Ngaba ukutshintsha kuMthetho kaMoses kuyiwe kumthetho kaKristu kuthetha ukuba uThixo uyitshintshile imilinganiselo yakhe? Akunjalo. Kanye njengokuba umzali ebabekela imithetho engafaniyo abantwana bakhe kuya ngokweemeko nobudala babo, noYehova uye wayitshintsha imithetho efanele ithotyelwe ngabantu bakhe. Umpostile uPawulos wayichaza kanje le nto: “Ngaphambi kokufika kokholo, sasilindwa siphantsi komthetho, siseluvalelweni, sikhangele kukholo olwalumiselwe ukutyhilwa. Ngenxa yoko uMthetho uye waba ngumkhapheli wethu osikhokelela kuKristu, ukuze sivakaliswe singamalungisa ngenxa yokholo. Kodwa ngoku ekubeni ukholo lufikile, asisekho phantsi komkhapheli.”—Galati 3:23-25.

Le nto ithethwa nguPawulos isebenza njani kwiSabatha? Cinga ngalo mzekelo: Umntwana wesikolo usenokufundiswa isifundo esithile njengokuchwela, ngosuku oluthile lweveki. Noko ke, uthi akuqalisa ukusebenza kufuneke ukuba asebenzise loo nto ayifundeleyo, kungekhona nje ngosuku awayeyifundiswa ngalo kodwa yonke imihla. Ngendlela efanayo, xa amaSirayeli ayephantsi koMthetho kwakufuneka abekele bucala usuku lube lunye ngeveki ukuze aphumle yaye anqule. Kodwa ke, kulindeleke ukuba amaKristu anqule uThixo yonke imihla kungekhona usuku nje olunye ngeveki.

Ngaba ke ngoko kuphosakele ukubekela bucala usuku olunye ngeveki ukuze uphumle yaye unqule uThixo? Akunjalo. Ilizwi likaThixo lisishiyela kumntu ngamnye eso sigqibo, lisithi: “Omnye umntu ugqiba kwelokuba usuku oluthile lungcwele kunolunye. Omnye ugqiba kwelokuba zonke iintsuku ziyafana. Mntu ngamnye makazenzele isigqibo.” (Roma 14:5,Gods Word) Nangona abanye besenokukhetha ukujonga olunye usuku njengolungcwele kunezinye, iBhayibhile itsho ngokucacileyo ukuba uThixo akalindelanga ukuba amaKristu agcine iSabatha.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 12]

“Nosibutha imihla emithandathu, kodwa ngomhla wesixhenxe yisabatha. Asiyi kubakho ngawo.”—EKSODUS 16:26

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 14]

“UMthetho uye waba ngumkhapheli wethu osikhokelela kuKristu, ukuze sivakaliswe singamalungisa ngenxa yokholo. Kodwa ngoku ekubeni ukholo lufikile asisekho phantsi komkhapheli.”—GALATI 3:24, 25

[Ibhokisi/Umzobo okwiphepha 13]

Ukwahluka Kwamaxesha Amazwe Ngamazwe NeSabatha

Ukwahluka kwamaxesha amazwe ngamazwe kubabangel’ ingxaki abantu abakholelwa ukuba umhlaba wonke ufanele ugcine umhla weSabatha ngemini enye. Iikhalenda zamanye amazwe ziphambili ngosuku kwezamanye.

Ngokomzekelo, xa kungeCawa eFiji naseTonga, kuba ngoMgqibelo eSamoa naseNiue. Ngoko ke, xa umntu oseFiji egcina iSabatha ngoMgqibelo, abantu akhonza nabo baseSamoa ekumgama weekhilomitha ezili 1 145 kuphela, bona baba besebenza ekubeni kungoLwesihlanu apho.

AmaSabatha aseTonga agcina iSabatha ngeCawa, esithi enza loo nto ukuze agcine iSabatha ngemini enye namakholwa aseSamoa, ekwiikhilomitha ezingama-850. Kodwa ke, kwangaloo min’ inye amaSabatha aseFiji ekumgama weekhilomitha ezingaphantsi kwama 800 ayasebenza, kuba kungeCawa apho yaye eyawo iSabatha iba ngoMgqibelo.

[Umzobo]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

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FIJI \

NgeCawa \ NgoMgqibelo

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TONGA \

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[Isicangca esikwiphepha 15]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Izinto Ezimele Zikhunjulwe NgeSabatha:

Nangona kusenokubakho ivesi yeBhayibhile ethi makugcinwe iSabatha, kufuneka siqonde ixesha athethwa ngalo loo mazwi.

2010 C.E.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 11]

Amaphephandaba abonisa iindawo ekwakuvalwe kuzo indlela ngamaqela amaWesile awayesithi iFiji mayibuyele kumthetho weSabatha

[Inkcazelo]

Courtesy of the Fiji Times