Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe UNkulunkulu Wayekuthethelela Ukuhweba Ngezigqila?

ABANTU abansundu abajulukile abahamba begobile bakhuphuka ngepulangwe lokukhwela esikebheni bethwele imithwalo esindayo yezinyanda ezinkulukazi zikakotini. Abaphathi abanonya bababhaxabula ngeziswebhu zesikhumba. Izingane ezikhalayo zithathwa ngenkani konina abakhihla isililo bese zidayiswa endalini kubathengi abanemali enkulu. Cishe yile micabango emibi, enonya efika engqondweni lapho ucabanga ngobugqila.

Kuyindida ukuthi ababehweba ngezigqila nabanikazi bezigqila abaningi kuthiwa babengabantu abashisekela inkolo. Isazi-mlando uJames Walvin sabhala: “Kwakunamakhulukhulu amadoda anjalo, ayevela eYurophu naseMelika, ayedumisa iNkosi ngenxa yesibusiso sayo, ebonga ukuzuza nokuphepha kwebhizinisi e-Afrika lapho esethatha imikhumbi yawo ethwele izigqila elibangisa eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe.”

Abanye abantu baze baveza nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayekuthethelela ukuhweba ngezigqila. Ngokwesibonelo, enkulumweni yakhe eNgqungqutheleni Kazwelonke YeSonto LamaWeseli LobuProthestani ngo-1842, u-Alexander McCaine wathi inkambiso yobugqila “yayimiswe uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe.” Ingabe uMcCaine wayeqinisile? Ingabe uNkulunkulu wayekuvumela ukuthunjwa nokudlwengulwa kwamantombazane, ukuhlukaniswa kwemikhaya ngonya nokubhaxabulwa okwakuhambisana nokuhweba ngezigqila osukwini lukaMcCaine? Futhi kuthiwani ngezigidi eziphoqelelwa ukuba ziphile futhi zisebenze njengezigqila ezimweni ezimbi namuhla? Ingabe uNkulunkulu uyakuthethelela ukuphathwa ngonya okunjalo?

Ubugqila Nama-Israyeli

IBhayibheli lithi ‘umuntu uye wabusa omunye kwaba ngukulimala kwakhe.’ (UmShumayeli 8:9) Lokhu cishe kusobala kakhulu ezindleleni zobugqila eziye zavezwa umuntu. UNkulunkulu uyakwazi ukuhlupheka okuye kwabangelwa ubugqila.

Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela isimo ama-Israyeli abhekana naso. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi abaseGibithe “benza ukuphila kwabo kwaba munyu ngemisebenzi esindayo odakeni nasezitinini, nangemisebenzi yonke yasendle, yebo, yonke imisebenzi yabo ababebakhonzisa ngayo.” Abakwa-Israyeli “babubula ngenxa yobugqila, bakhala; ukukhala kwabo kwenyukela kuNkulunkulu.” Ingabe uNkulunkulu wayengenandaba nosizi lwabo? Ngokuphambene nalokho, “uNkulunkulu wezwa ukububula kwabo; uNkulunkulu wakhumbula isivumelwano sakhe no-Abrahama, no-Isaka, noJakobe.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova watshela abantu bakhe: “Ngizakunikhipha emithwalweni yabaseGibithe, nginikhulule ebugqileni benu.”—Eksodusi 1:14; 2:23, 24; 6:6-8.

Ngokusobala, uJehova akazange akuthethelele ‘ukubusa komuntu phezu komunye’ ngobugqila obucindezelayo. Kodwa ingabe uNkulunkulu akazange yini kamuva avumele ubugqila phakathi kwabantu bakhe? Yebo, wabuvumela. Kodwa, ubugqila obabukhona kwa-Israyeli babuhluke ngokuphelele ezinhlotsheni zobugqila ezicindezelayo eziye zaba khona phakathi nomlando.

UMthetho kaNkulunkulu wawuthi othumba nodayisa ngomuntu makajeziswe ngokufa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova wayeneziqondiso ezivikela izigqila. Ngokwesibonelo, isigqila esasigogwe yinkosi yaso sasikhululwa. Uma isigqila sishaywa yinkosi yaso size sife, leyo nkosi yayingase ijeziswe ngokufa. Abathunjwa besifazane babengaba yizigqila, noma bathathwe njengamakhosikazi. Kodwa kwakungafanele basetshenziselwe nje ukwanelisa izinkanuko zobulili. Kumelwe ukuba uMthetho wawuholele ama-Israyeli anhliziyo ziqotho ekuphatheni izigqila ngenhlonipho nangomusa, njengokungathi ziyizisebenzi eziqashiwe.—Eksodusi 20:10; 21:12, 16, 26, 27; Levitikusi 22:10, 11; Duteronomi 21:10-14.

Amanye amaJuda ayeba yizigqila ngokuzithandela kumaJuda akubo ukuze akhokhe izikweleti. Lo mkhuba wawuvikela abantu ekubulaweni yindlala futhi wawuvumela abaningi ukuba baphume ebumpofwini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngezikhathi ezithile ezibalulekile ekhalendeni lamaJuda, izigqila kwakufanele zikhululwe uma zazifisa kanjalo.a (Eksodusi 21:2; Levitikusi 25:10; Duteronomi 15:12) Sikhuluma ngale mithetho ephathelene nezigqila, isazi esingumJuda uMoses Mielziner sathi “isigqila sasilondoloza isithunzi njengomuntu, sasibhekwa njengomuntu onamalungelo athile angokwemvelo, ngisho nenkosi yaso eyayingenakuwaphazamisa ngaphandle kokujeziswa.” Yeka umahluko omkhulu ezinqubweni zobugqila ezigcwele emlandweni!

Ubugqila NamaKristu

Ubugqila babuyingxenye yesimiso sezomnotho soMbuso WaseRoma, amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala ayephila ngaphansi kwawo. Ngakho, amanye amaKristu ayeyizigqila, kanti amanye ayenezigqila. (1 Korinte 7:21, 22) Kodwa ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi abafundi bakaJesu babengamakhosi ezigqila acindezelayo? Lutho neze! Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yini eyayivunyelwe umthetho wamaRoma, singaqiniseka ngokuthi amaKristu ayengabaphathi kabi labo abangaphansi kwegunya lawo. Umphostoli uPawulu waze wakhuthaza uFilemoni ukuba aphathe isigqila sakhe u-Onesimu, esasibe umKristu, ‘njengomfowabo.’b—Filemoni 10-17.

IBhayibheli alibonisi ukuthi ukuba abantu babe nezigqila kwakuyingxenye yenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokuqala ngesintu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, azikho iziprofetho zeBhayibheli ezibonisa ukuthi abantu bayoba nezigqila ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, kulelo Pharadesi elizayo, abalungileyo “bayakuhlala, kube yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe; akakho oyakubesabisa.”—Mika 4:4.

Ngokusobala, iBhayibheli alikuvuni ukuphathwa kabi kwabanye nganoma iyiphi indlela. Ngokuphambene nalokho, likhuthaza inhlonipho nokulingana phakathi kwabantu. (IzEnzo 10:34, 35) Likhuthaza abantu ukuba baphathe abanye ngendlela abangathanda ukuphathwa ngayo. (Luka 6:31) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli likhuthaza amaKristu ukuba ngokuthobeka abheke abanye njengabaphakeme, kungakhathaliseki isikhundla abanaso. (Filipi 2:3) Lezi zimiso azivumelani ngokuphelele nezinhlobo zobugqila ezixhaphazayo eziye zasetshenziswa emazweni amaningi, ikakhulukazi emakhulwini amuva eminyaka.

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