Ngamnye Uya Kuhlala Phantsi Komkhiwane Wakhe

UMTHUNZI uyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ebudeni behlobo elitshisayo kumazwe akuMbindi Mpuma. Nawuphi na umthi okhusela ubani elangeni uyathandeka, ingakumbi xa ukhula kufuphi nekhaya lakhe. Ekubeni unamagqabi amakhulu nasixwexwe namasebe anabileyo, umkhiwane wenza owona mthunzi mnandi phantse kunayo yonke imithi yalo mmandla.

Ngokutsho kwencwadi ethi Plants of the Bible, “umthunzi [womthi womkhiwane] kuthiwa uyahlaziya yaye upholile kunowentente.” Imithi yomkhiwane eyayikhula ngasekupheleni kwemidiliya kwaSirayeli wamandulo yayisenza abantu abasebenza emasimini babe nendawo yokuphumla.

Ekupheleni kosuku olude nolushushu, amalungu entsapho ayenokuhlala phantsi komthunzi womthi womkhiwane aze ancokole kamnandi. Ngaphezu koko, umthi womkhiwane wawumzuzisa iziqhamo ezininzi nezinempilo umnini wawo. Ngoko ke, ukususela kwixesha likaKumkani uSolomon, ukuhlala kukabani phantsi komkhiwane wakhe kwakufuzisela uxolo, impumelelo nendyebo.—1 Kumkani 4:24, 25.

Kwiinkulungwane ngaphambilana, umprofeti uMoses walichaza iLizwe Lesithembiso ‘njengelizwe lamakhiwane.’ (Duteronomi 8:8) Iintlola ezili-12 zanikela ubungqina bendyebo yalapho ngokuza namakhiwane nezinye iziqhamo kwinkampu yamaSirayeli. (Numeri 13:21-23) Kwinkulungwane ye-19, umntu owayetyelela amazwe ekuthethwa ngawo eBhayibhileni wathi umkhiwane ngomnye weyona mithi mininzi apho. Akumangalisi ke ngoko kuba iZibhalo zidla ngokuthetha ngamakhiwane nemithi yomkhiwane!

Umthi Othwala Isiqhamo Kabini Ngonyaka

Umthi womkhiwane ukhula phantse kuzo zonke iindidi zomhlaba, yaye iingcambu zawo ezinaba gqitha ziwubangela ukwazi ukunyamezela ihlobo elide lakuMbindi Mpuma. Lo mthi awufani neminye kuba uvelisa amakhiwane okuqala ngoJuni uze uvelise isivuno esikhulu ngokuqhelekileyo ukususela ngoAgasti. (Isaya 28:4) Ngokuqhelekileyo amaSirayeli ayesitya isivuno sawo sokuqala. Isivuno samva ayesomisa ukuze akwazi ukusisebenzisa ekuhambeni konyaka. Amakhiwane omileyo kwakusenziwa ngawo izicumba, maxa wambi kudityaniswe nom-amangile. Ezi zicumba zamakhiwane kwakulula ukuzenza nokuzilondoloza, zazinempilo yaye zimnandi.

Umfazi owayelumkile uAbhigali wanika uDavide izicumba zamakhiwane ezingama-200, ngokungathandabuzekiyo kusenokuba wayecinga ukuba zaziya kuba kukutya okufanelekileyo kwiimbacu. (1 Samuweli 25:18, 27) Kwakhona izicumba zamakhiwane zazikwaliyeza. Iyeza lokuthoba elalenziwe ngezicumba zamakhiwane lasetyenziswa kwithumba elaphantse labulala uKumkani uHezekiya, nangona yena wachacha ngokuyintloko ngenxa yoncedo lukaThixo.a—2 Kumkani 20:4-7.

Ngamaxesha amandulo, abantu babewaxabisa gqitha amakhiwane omisiweyo kuwo wonke ummandla weMeditera. Igosa laseburhulumenteni uCato wayephethe ikhiwane xa wayezama ukweyisela iBhunga laseRoma ukuba lilwe imfazwe neCarthage eyabizwa ngokuba yiThird Punic War. Awona makhiwane omisiweyo amnandi eRoma ayevela eCaria, eAsia Minor. Ngenxa yoko, amakhiwane omisiweyo ayebizwa ngokuthi yicarica ngesiLatin. Namhlanje ummandla waseTurkey usavelisa amakhiwane omisiweyo akudidi oluphezulu.

Abalimi bakwaSirayeli babedla ngokutyala imithi yamakhiwane emidiliyeni, kodwa babeyigawula imithi engavelisi siqhamo. Umhlaba omhle wawunqabe gqitha yaye wawungenakugcina imithi engavelisi siqhamo. Kumzekeliso kaYesu womthi womkhiwane ongavelisi siqhamo, umlimi wathi kumgcini wesidiliya: “Yiminyaka emithathu ndisiza kufuna isiqhamo kulo mkhiwane, kodwa andifumananga nasinye. Wugawule! Yini na ukuba ude uphuthise umhlaba?” (Luka 13:6, 7) Ekubeni ngemihla kaYesu imithi yeziqhamo yayihlawulelwa irhafu, nawuphi na umthi ongavelisi ziqhamo wawuba ziindleko ezingeyomfuneko.

Amakhiwane yayiyinto ebalulekileyo kukutya kwamaSirayeli. Ngenxa yoko, isivuno esibi samakhiwane—mhlawumbi esinxulunyaniswa nomgwebo kaYehova oqatha—sasitheth’ intlekele. (Hoseya 2:12; Amosi 4:9) Umprofeti uHabhakuki wathi: “Nangona umkhiwane usenokungatyatyambi, ize nemidiliya ingavelisi; umsebenzi womthi womnquma usenokusilela, namasimi asenokungakuvelisi ukutya; . . . Mna ke, ndiya kugcoba ngoYehova; ndiya kuvuya kuThixo wosindiso lwam.”—Habhakuki 3:17, 18.

Umfuziselo Wohlanga Olungenalukholo

Maxa wambi iZibhalo zisebenzisa amakhiwane okanye umthi wamakhiwane ngokufuziselayo. Ngokomzekelo, uYeremiya wathelekisa amaYuda athembekileyo asekuthinjweni nengobozi yamakhiwane amahle, amakhiwane ayintlahlela ngokuqhelekileyo ayedla ngokutyiwa esandul’ ukukhiwa. Noko ke, abathinjwa abangathembekanga babefaniswa namakhiwane amabi, angenakutyiwa nafanele kukulahlwa.—Yeremiya 24:2, 5, 8, 10.

Kumzekeliso wakhe womkhiwane ongavelisi siqhamo, uYesu wabonisa indlela uThixo anomonde ngayo kuhlanga lwamaYuda. Njengokuba kukhankanywe ngaphambilana, wathetha ngomntu othile owayenomkhiwane esidiliyeni sakhe. Lo mthi wawungavelisi siqhamo kangangeminyaka emithathu yaye umniniwo wayeza kuwugawula. Kodwa umgcini-sidiliya wathi: “Nkosi, wuyeke kwanakulo nyaka, ndide ndimbe ndiwujikeleze ndize ndifake umgquba; yaye ukuba ngoko uvelisa isiqhamo kwixesha elizayo kuhle yaye kulungile; kodwa ukuba akunjalo, wogawulwa.”—Luka 13:8, 9.

Xa uYesu wayesenza lo mzekeliso, wayesele eshumayele kangangeminyaka emithathu, ezama ukwakha ukholo kumalungu ohlanga lwamaYuda. UYesu wawandisa umsebenzi wakhe, ‘efaka umgquba’ kumkhiwane wokomfuziselo—uhlanga lwamaYuda—ewunika ithuba lokuvelisa isiqhamo. Noko ke, kwiveki ngaphambi kokufa kukaYesu, kwabonakala ukuba olu hlanga njengeqela lwalumgatyile uMesiya.—Mateyu 23:37, 38.

Kwakhona uYesu wasebenzisa umkhiwane ukuze azekelise imeko embi yokomoya yolu hlanga. Ngoxa wayesuka eBhetani esiya eYerusalem kwiintsuku ezine ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, wabona umkhiwane owawunamagqabi amaninzi kodwa ungenasiqhamo. Ekubeni amakhiwane ayintlahlela evela namagqabi—yaye maxa wambi anokuvela ngaphambi kokuba amagqabi akhule—ukungabikho kwesiqhamo kulo mthi kwakubonisa ukuba awunto yanto.—Marko 11:13, 14.b

Kanye njengomkhiwane okhangeleka usempilweni, uhlanga lwamaYuda lwalunenkangeleko ekhohlisayo. Kodwa lwalungazivelisanga iziqhamo zobuthixo, yaye ekugqibeleni lwamgatya uNyana kaYehova. UYesu wawuqalekisa lo mkhiwane owawungavelisi siqhamo, yaye ngosuku olulandelayo, abafundi baphawula ukuba wawusele ubunile. Lo mthi womileyo wawukufanekisela kakuhle ukulahlwa kwamaYuda nguThixo njengabantu bakhe abanyuliweyo nto leyo eyayiza kwenzeka kungekudala.—Marko 11:20, 21.

“Fundani Kuwo Umkhiwane”

Kwakhona uYesu wasebenzisa umkhiwane efundisa ingongoma ebalulekileyo ngobukho bakhe. Wathi: “Fundani kuwo umkhiwane le ngongoma njengomzekeliso: Kwakamsinya nje lakuba isetyana lawo lithamba lize livelise amagqabi, niyazi ukuba ihlobo likufuphi. Ngokunjalo nani, xa nibona zonke ezi zinto, yazini ukuba ukufuphi eminyango.” (Mateyu 24:32, 33) Amagqabi omkhiwane aluhlaza yaka ayabonakala yaye angumqondiso ophawulekayo wokuza kwehlobo. Ngokufanayo, isiprofeto sikaYesu esibalaseleyo esibhalwe kuMateyu isahluko 24, kuMarko isahluko 13, nakuLuka isahluko 21 sibubungqina obucacileyo bobukho bakhe ngoku ekwigunya lakhe lokulawula kuBukumkani basezulwini.—Luka 21:29-31.

Ekubeni siphila kwixesha lamanqam embalini, ngokuqinisekileyo sifuna ukufunda kumkhiwane. Ukuba senjenjalo yaye sihlala siphaphile ngokomoya, sinethemba lokufumana inzaliseko yesi sithembiso sibalaseleyo: “Okunene baya kuhlala, ngamnye phantsi komdiliya wakhe naphantsi komkhiwane wakhe, yaye akuyi kubakho bani ubangcangcazelisayo; kuba wona kanye umlomo kaYehova wemikhosi ukuthethile oko.”—Mika 4:4.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]