Umbono WeBhayibheli
Yini Engalungile Ngesithembu?
Izinkinga zikaJane zaqala lapho uyise ethola umsebenzi edolobheni.a
Elapho, kude nekhaya labo elisemaphandleni eAfrika, waqala ukukipita nomunye unkosikazi.
“Ukuphila kwakunzima kithi,” kuchaza uJane, “ngenxa yokuthi ubaba wayengasisekeli ngokwezimali; wayondla umkakhe wesibili nezingane zakhe. Eminyakeni yami yokuphothula esikoleni, ngangivame ukulala ngilambile. Ikhaya lakithi lase likudinga kakhulu ukuvuselelwa. Ngezimpelasonto ngangizama ukusiza umama ngokudayisa izithelo, kodwa sasingakwazi ukuhlangabezana nezindleko. Ngangivame ukukhala njalo ebusuku.”
OKUHLANGENWE nakho kukaJane kubonisa ubunzima obuvame ukulethwa umshado wesithembu kulabo abangenacala. Abantu abangamaVenda baseAfrika eseningizimu banegama elithi, muhadzinga, elisetshenziswa enye inkosikazi ekubizeni umnakwabo emkhayeni wesithembu. Livela egameni elisho “ukosa,” okungenzeka mhlawumbe liyichaza kangcono inkinga ngokuvamile ebangelwa isithembu phakathi kwamakhosikazi.
Ungase ubuze, ‘kodwa, ingabe isithembu asilungile? Uma kunjalo, kungani kwakunabanye abantu abadumile eBhayibheli ababenesithembu?’
Isithembu EBhayibhelini
UNkulunkulu wasivumela isithembu okwesikhashana, njengoba saba nengxenye ekugcwalisekeni kwesithembiso sakhe kuAbrahama: “Ngiyakukwenza isizwe esikhulu.” (Genesise 12:2; Eksodusi 1:7) Ngalesosikhathi, umka-Abrahama, uSara, wayeyinyumba. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, wanxusa uAbrahama ukuba azale abantwana nesigqilakazi sakhe, uHagari. Ngokuthakazelisayo, iBhayibheli lizichaza ngokucacile izinkinga ezabangelwa yilokhu emkhayeni ka-Abrahama.—Genesise 16:5, 6; 21:8-10.
Ngokuphathelene noJakobe, umzukulu ka-Abrahama, wayehlose ukushada inkosikazi eyodwa kuphela, uRaheli. (Genesise 44:27) Umukhwe kaJakobe, uLabani, nguye owamphamba ukuba ashade amadodakazi akhe omabili, uRaheli noLeya. (Genesise 29:21-28) Futhi kwakungenxa yokunxenxa kwalamakhosikazi ukuthi uJakobe wazala abantwana ngokuhlangana nezincekukazi zabo, uBiliha noZilipa. Nalapho, iBhayibheli alizifihli izinkinga eziningi ezalethwa isithembu emkhayeni omkhulu kaJakobe.—Genesise 29:30, 31; 30:1-3, 15, 16, 20; 37:2-4; 44:20-29.
IBhayibheli futhi libika ngendaba kaElkana, owayenguyise kaSamuweli umprofethi, kanye namakhosikazi amabili kaElkana, uHana noPhenina. UPhenina wamphatha ngonya uHana kangangokuthi wayevame ukukhala futhi angathandi nokudla. UPhenina ngokwengxenye yakhe, ngokusobala wayenesikhwele ngenxa yokuthi uElkana wayethanda kakhulu uHana.—1 Samuweli 1:4-7.
Ngempela, isiko lesithembu liye ladala ubunzima. Nakuba lalibekezelelwa phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu bakudala, iBhayibheli libonisa ngokucacile ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayekuhlosile yini ekuqaleni ukuba umuntu athathe isithembu.
Indinganiso KaNkulunkulu Yasekuqaleni
Ukuze siqonde indinganiso kaNkulunkulu ngomshado, kufanele sihlehlele emuva emlandweni wesintu. IZwi likaNkulunkulu lichaza umuzwa wokukhangeka uAdamu awuzwa lapho eboniswa umkakhe owayesanda kudalwa, uEva. Wathi: “Lo useyithambo lamathambo ami nenyama yenyama yami.” IBhayibheli liqhubeka lithi, “ngalokho indoda iyakushiya uyise nonina, inamathele kumkayo; bayakuba-nyamanye.”—Genesise 2:21-24.
Ngokwenzuzo yemishado yamaKristu, uJesu wabuyisela indinganiso yasekuqaleni kaNkulunkulu—umfazi oyedwa. (Mathewu 19:4, 5) Ngaphezu kwalokho, wabonisa ukuthi abantu abashadile manje kumelwe banamathele kulendinganiso yaphezulu. Njengoba echaza: “Abasebabili, kodwa banyamanye. Ngakho-ke lokho akuhlanganisileyo uNkulunkulu, umuntu makangakwahlukanisi.” (Mathewu 19:6) Kanjalo, umKristu oshadile kufanele avikele isibopho sokuba “nyamanye” esikhona phakathi kwakhe nomngane ongokomthetho.b Ubuhlobo bobulili nomngane wesithathu wesithembu buyongcolisa lelolungiselelo laphezulu. Isenzo esinjalo senqatshelwe ebandleni lobuKristu.—1 Korinte 5:11; 6:9, 16, 18; Heberu 13:4.
Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi imiBhalo ikhuluma kahle ngamaKristu ashadile anonkosikazi oyedwa kuphela. (1 Korinte 9:5; 1 Thimothewu 3:2) IBhayibheli liyachaza: “Akube-yilowo nalowo abe-nowakhe umfazi [hhayi abafazi], nalowo-wesifazane abe-neyakhe indoda [hhayi indoda esinomkayo kakade ongokomthetho].”—1 Korinte 7:2; IzAga 5:18.
Lapho befunda ngokwenqabela kweBhayibheli isithembu, abanye baye bathatha izinyathelo ezidinga isibindi ukuze bavumelanise ukuphila kwabo nentando kaNkulunkulu. Cabanga ngoJohn, ohlala edolobheni eliseAfrika ephakathi.c Wayenamakhosikazi amathathu. Kodwa ngemva kokutadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova, uJohn wafinyelela esinqumweni ngokuba abe nengxoxo namakhosikazi akhe. Ngemva kokuba esenze amalungiselelo esikhathi esizayo okunakekelwa komkakhe wesibili nowesithathu kanye nezingane zabo ababezithole emshadweni wabo wesithembu wangaphambili, baphindela emakubo asemaphandleni. Ngalendlela uJohn walifanelekela ilungelo lokukhonza uNkulunkulu ehlanganyela nebandla lendawo. Wathola futhi nezinye izibusiso.
Uyachaza: “Njalo ebusuku, ngangibuyela endlini egcwele izinkinga. Ngokwesibonelo, enye inkosikazi yayisola izingane zenye, futhi izingane zaziba sohlangothini lothile. Into yokuqala okwakumelwe ngiyenze kwakuwukulungisa osekonakele. Manje njengoba sengifunde ukuhlala nenkosikazi eyodwa, ikhaya lami selibe indawo yokuphumula nokuthula.”
Ngokuqinisekile, ukuthula okunesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu kuwufanele umzamo.—Roma 12:1, 2.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Akusetshenziswanga igama langempela.
b INew International Dictionary of New Testament Theology ithi igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “nyamanye” kuMathewu 19:5b linokubaluleka okukhethekile njengoba ukuhunyushwa kwamagama esiHeberu kaGenesise 2:24 kusho “ubuhlobo obuphelele bendoda nowesifazane obungeke behlukaniswe ngaphandle kokulimala kwabantu abahileleke kubo.”
c Akusetshenziswanga igama langempela.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 27]
“Isikhwele sobulili kanye nokuxabana kuyizinkinga ezivamile zomkhaya [wesithembu]; futhi indoda kufanele ihlakaniphe, iqine, ibe nesu, nokuqapha ukuze ilondoloze ukuzwana.”—The New Encyclopædia Britannica
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Izitsha zobumba olushisiwe zeqembu lomkhaya waseAfrika; indoda engumIgbo kanye namakhosikazi
[Umthombo]
Courtesy of The British Museum