Ukubalwa Kwabantu, IBhayibhile Nekamva

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! ESWEDEN

ABANTU baye banda besusela kwisi-1,65 samawaka ezigidi ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20 baya kutsho kumawaka ama-6 ezigidi ekupheleni kwayo. Ngaba abantu baza kuqhubeka besanda ngomlinganiselo omkhulu kangaka emhlabeni? Ngaba abantu baza kuba baninzi ngokugqithiseleyo kweli waka leminyaka? Iingcali ezizama ukuphendula le mibuzo inje ukuntsonkotha ziingcali zobalo lwabantu; umsebenzi wazo kukubala abantu.

IWebster’s Dictionary ichaza ubalo lwabantu ngokuthi “kukubalwa kwabemi, [ngokukhethekileyo] ubungakanani nokuxinana kwabo, indlela zokusasazwa kwezinto nemibandela ephathelele ukuzalwa, ukufa, imitshato, impilo nezifo.” Ezi ngcali zihlolisisa izinto ezintathu ezinegalelo eliphawulekayo kwinani labemi—ukuzala (inani labantwana abazalwayo); ukufa (inani labantu abafayo); imfuduko (inani labantu abafudukela kwezinye iindawo).

Xa kubalwa abemi bamandulo, kubalwa ulwando nokutshintshatshintsha kwenani labemi kwixa elidluleyo. Iingcali zobalo lwabantu bamandulo zenza konke okusemandleni ukufunda ngempucuko yamandulo ngokuphonononga ingxelo ebhaliweyo, amabhodlo, amathambo nezinye izinto. Ubalo lwabantu bamandulo luxhomekeka kuqikelelo nakulwazi olufumanekayo. IAtlas of World Population History ithi: “Iindlela ezazisetyenziswa ziingcali zobalo lwabantu mandulo, azifani neendlela ezisetyenziswa namhlanje, yaye ngenxa yoko akunakuthenjelwa kuzo.” Sekunjalo, olo qikelelo lweengcali zamandulo lubangela umdla kubafundi beBhayibhile. Enyanisweni, uqikelelo lwazo lusoloko luvisisana nengxelo yeBhayibhile.

Ukwanda Kwabantu Emva KoNogumbe

IBhayibhile ithi basibhozo kuphela abantu abasindayo kuNogumbe womhla kaNowa. Ezinye iingcali zobalo lwabantu ziqikelela ukuba malunga neminyaka eli-1 400 kamva, kusenokwenzeka ukuba abemi bomhlaba babefikelela kuma-50 ezigidi. Ngaba yinto engenakwenzeka ukwanda kwabantu abasi-8 baye kutsho malunga nama-50 ezigidi kwiminyaka eli-1 400?

Okokuqala, uqikelelo lwabantu abangama-50 ezigidi—luqikelelo nje. Noko ke, kubangela umdla ukuqwalasela oko kuchazwa yiBhayibhile kwiGenesis 9:1 ethi: “Wamsikelela ke uThixo uNowa noonyana bakhe waza wathi kubo: ‘Qhamani, nande niwuzalise umhlaba.’” Kwisahluko 10 nese-11, sifunda ngeentsapho ezingama-70 eziphuma koonyana bakaNowa—uShem, uHam noYafete. Xa siqhubeka sifunda, sifumana umnombo wamadoda ‘awaba ngooyise koonyana neentombi,’ ukususela kuShem ukusa kuAbraham. Kunokwenzeka ukuba ngeloo xesha abantu babezala abantwana abaninzi, ngokuvisisana nomyalelo kaThixo ‘wokuzalisa umhlaba.’

Kuthekani ngomlinganiselo wexesha ababeliphila? Kwaezi zahluko zeGenesis zichaza ixesha elide elaliphilwa ngabantu kumakhulu eminyaka yokuqala emva koNogumbe.a Xa abantu bezala abantwana abaninzi ngoxa bephila ixesha elide, oko kwenza abantu bande ngokukhawuleza.

Ukufika KwamaSirayeli EYiputa

Abanye abaphandi abayikholelwa le ngxelo yeBhayibhile yokwanda kwabantu ngokukhawuleza kangaka okwenzeka kumaSirayeli xa ayehlala eYiputa. IBhayibhile ithi ngaphandle kwabafazi boonyana bakaYakobi, “iyonke imiphefumlo yendlu kaYakobi eyaya eYiputa yayingamashumi asixhenxe.” (Genesis 46:26, 27) Ukanti, xa amaSirayeli ayeshiya iYiputa kwiminyaka engama-215 kamva, ‘ayengamadoda omeleleyo angamakhulu amathandathu amawaka ehamba ngeenyawo, ngaphandle kwabantwana.’ (Eksodus 12:37) Xa siquka abafazi nabantwana, kusenokwenzeka ukuba amaSirayeli ayefikelela kwizigidi ezithathu ewonke! Ngaba lunokubakho ulwando olungako?

Ukuze sikwazi ukuphendula loo mbuzo, masiqwalasele oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile ngokwanda kwamaSirayeli eYiputa, ithi: “Baqhama oonyana bakaSirayeli, baqalisa ukunyakazela; yaye banda baza baba namandla ngomlinganiselo omkhulu ngokungaqhelekanga, kangangokuba lazala ilizwe ngabo.” Ngoko ke, ngelo xesha amaSirayeli anda ngokungaqhelekanga.—Eksodus 1:7.

Okubangel’ umdla kukuba ulwando olunjalo lukhe lwakho kwamanye amazwe namhlanje, njengaseKenya kwiminyaka yee-1980. Noko ke, into eyenza ulwando lwamaSirayeli lwaba lolungaqhelekanga, kukuba olo lwando lwenzeka ixesha elide.

IBhayibhile isinika esinye isizathu sokwanda ngokukhawuleza kwamaSirayeli. AmaSirayeli ayengaswele kutya ngoxa ayehlala eYiputa. Kakade ke, xa kukho indlala abantu abaninzi bafa beselula. Ngenxa yoko, baba mbalwa abantwana abazalwayo ngelo xesha. Noko ke, iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba amaSirayeli ayenentabalala yokutya. Ukufika kwentsapho yakuloYosefu eYiputa, uFaro wathi kuYosefu: “Mhlalise uyihlo nabantakwenu kweyona ndawo intle yelizwe. Mabahlale ezweni laseGoshen.” (Genesis 47:6) Nasemva kokuba amaSirayeli ebe ngamakhoboka kumaYiputa, kuyacaca ukuba ayesenokutya okwaneleyo. Ewe, emva kokuba ekhululwe ebukhobokeni, amaSirayeli ayekhala ngesonka, intlanzi, iikomkomere, iivatala, iilike, amatswele, iikinofile neembiza zenyama awayeyitya ngoxa ayengamakhoboka.—Eksodus 16:3; Numeri 11:5.

Kwinkulungwane Yokuqala YeXesha Eliqhelekileyo

Ubalo lwabantu lunokusinceda siziqonde ngakumbi neZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike. Ngokomzekelo, xa sifunda umyalelo kaYesu kubafundi bakhe othi ‘mabenze abafundi abantu beentlanga zonke,’ sisenokuzibuza oku, ‘Wawumkhulu kangakanani loo msebenzi wokushumayela?’ (Mateyu 28:19) Bangaphi abantu ababehlala ngaphantsi koBukhosi beRoma ngenkulungwane yokuqala? Abanye baqikelela ukuba babephakathi kwezigidi ezingama-50 nama-60. Ukuba kuyinyaniso oko, loo maKristu ayeshumayela ekuqaleni ayenomsebenzi omkhulu gqitha!

Xa sifunda iZibhalo zamaKristu zesiGrike, siva ukuba umpostile uPetros watyelela kwiBhabhiloni ekude esiya kushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo. (1 Petros 5:13) Kwakutheni ukuze aye eBhabhiloni? Omnye umhlathi weThe New Encyclopædia Britannica usithela thsuphe ngoku: “Ezona ndawo zazihlala amaYuda ngaphandle kwelizwe lasePalestina kuseSiriya, eAsia Minor, eBhabhiloni naseYiputa, yaye kuqikelelwa ukuba kwindawo nganye kwakuhlala ubuncinane isi-1 000 000 samaYuda.” Ekubeni uPetros wabelwa ukuba ashumayele ngokukhethekileyo kumaYuda, kwakulindeleke ukuba aye kwindawo ehlala amaYuda—eBhabhiloni. (Galati 2:9) Ekubeni ayemaninzi amaYuda ahlala apho, kucacile ukuba wayenentsimi enkulu yokushumayela!

Kuza Kwenzeka Ntoni Kwixa Elizayo?

Njengoko sibonile, iingcali zobalo lwabantu zinomdla kwiinkalo ezithile zobomi babantu mandulo. Zithini ngekamva? Kuphakama imibuzo ebalulekileyo. Ngaba abantu baza kwanda ngokugqithiseleyo kweli waka leminyaka? Akakho umntu owaziyo. Ekubeni lincipha inani labantwana abazalwayo kumazwe aliqela, abanye abaphengululi bacinga ukuba liza kuma ndawonye inani labemi behlabathi.

Noko ke, azivumelani zonke iingcali ngoku. Impapasho ethi Population Today ithi: “Namhlanje, ulwando ‘lwehlabathi’ lunokwahlulwa lube ziindidi ezimbini: kwamanye amazwe, isibini siba nabantwana ababini okanye ngaphantsi ngoxa kwamanye sinokuba nabantwana abaninzi. ‘Amazwe apho izibini ziba nabantwana ababini okanye ngaphantsi’ aquka iYurophu, iUnited States, iKhanada, iJapan, namanye ambalwa akhula ngokukhawuleza kwezoqoqosho . . . Ngokwahlukileyo, ‘amazwe anolwando olukhawulezayo’ aquka inkoliso yamazwe aseAfrika, eAsia nakwiLatin America, apho abantu bazala abantwana abangaphezu kwababini. Ngokomlinganiselo, kula mazwe apho kuhlala khona abantu abangaphezu kwesiqingatha sabemi behlabathi, ngokomlinganiselo bhinqa ngalinye lizala abantwana abane.”

Ngoko ke, ngoxa inani labemi behlabathi lisihla kwamanye amazwe, liyanda okanye limi ndawonye kwamanye. IPopulation Today ishwankathela ithemba lolwando lwexesha elizayo ngelithi: “Kwinkoliso yamazwe asakhasayo kuseza kubakho ulwando olukhulu. Ukuhla komkhamo ‘wokwanda kwabemi’ kungekhona uqikelelo, kuya kuxhomekeka kwindlela amazwe azinikele ngayo kwiinkqubo zokunciphisa ukufa kweentsana, iinkqubo zokufundisa amabhinqa nokufundiswa kwabantu ngoqingqo-nzala.”

Ngaba abemi bomhlaba baya kudlula kumawaka amathandathu ezigidi akhoyo ngoku? Siza kubona ngokuhamba kwexesha. Kodwa into esiyaziyo kukuba injongo kaThixo kukuba umhlaba uzaliswe ngabantu—kungekhona ngokugqithiseleyo. (Genesis 1:28) Yaye sinezizathu ezininzi zokuqiniseka ukuba oku kuya kwenzeka ngaphantsi koBukumkani bukaThixo.—Isaya 55:10, 11.

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Abantu abasinda kuNogumbe bazala abemi bomhlaba abangaphaya kwamawaka amathandathu ezigidi ngoku

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Kwiminyaka engama-215, amaSirayeli ambalwa awayeseYiputa anda aya kutsho kwizigidi ezithathu