Izinyoka Ekukhulekeleni Esikhathini Esidlule Nanamuhla
AMAGIBHITHE asendulo ayekhulekela izinyoka kanjalo namaMinoan, isizwe esasakhe eKhrethe. Amanye ama-Israyeli asendulo ayenzela inyoka yethusi imihlatshelo. Abanye kuso lesi sizwe babeshunqisa impepho phambi kwemifanekiso ‘yezinto ezinwabuzelayo.’—Hezekeli 8:10-12; 2 AmaKhosi 18:4.
Ukukhulekela onkulunkulu abayizinyoka kwangena shí nakubantu baseMexico yasendulo. Unkulunkulu ophakeme wamaMaya, u-Itzamná—ngezinye izikhathi wayemelelwa yinyoka. “Inyoka enezimpiko,” uQuetzalcoatl, yayingunkulunkulu wamaToltec wemfundo, wesiko nefilosofi. Nama-Aztec ayembheka njengonkulunkulu wemfundo futhi ayeze ambheke nanjengomdali wabantu. Umagazini i-Arqueología Mexicana (Mexican Archaeology), ukhuluma ngezindima neziphiwo eziningi zalo nkulunkulu, uthi: “Le nyoka enezimpiko yaba nezincazelo eziningi mhlawumbe ngaphezu kwanoma imuphi omunye unkulunkulu.”
Sekungamakhulu amaningi eminyaka izakhamuzi zaseMesoamerica zikhulekela inyoka enezimpiko. Namuhla, abantu baseMexico abangamaCora namaHuichol basakholelwa kulowo nkulunkulu. Ngezinsuku zemikhosi ethile, kwenziwa imidanso lapho abantu bezihlobisa khona ngezimpaphe bese belingisa indlela inyoka ehamba ngayo. AmaQuiche aqhuba isiko lenzalo ngokudansa ephethe izinyoka eziphilayo. AmaChorti, iqembu lamaMaya eliseGuatemala, akhulekela inyoka enezimpiko ayihlobanisa nosanta abathile bamaKatolika.
Nanku umbuzo: UMdali owadala abantu nezilwane, kuhlanganise nezinyoka—ukubheka kanjani ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu abayizinyoka?
Indlela UNkulunkulu Akubheka Ngayo Ukukhulekela Izinyoka
UJehova uNkulunkulu wanikeza isizwe sakwa-Israyeli wasendulo lo myalo: “Ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqoshiwe noma isimo esinjenganoma yini esemazulwini phezulu noma esemhlabeni ngaphansi noma esemanzini ngaphansi komhlaba. Ungazikhothameli futhi unganxenxelwa ukuba uzikhonze.”—Eksodusi 20:4, 5.
UJehova wabenqabela abantu bakhe ukuba bakhulekele imifanekiso yezilwane, ezinjengeyezinyoka. Khona-ke, ingabe akucacile yini ukuthi bonke labo abafisa ukwamukelwa nguye kufanele bakugweme ukukhulekela izinyoka? Kungani uJehova ekwenqaba ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe kuhlanganise nokukhulekelwa kwezinyoka? Isizathu sisobala: Nguyena onikeza abantu, izinyoka nazo zonke ezinye izinto eziphilayo ukuphila. Konke kungumsebenzi wezandla zakhe, ngakho nguyena okufanele akhulekelwe, hhayi izinto azidalile.
Ake sifanekise: Ake sithi umklami othile wakha izindlu abese ezinika imikhaya ethile ukuba ihlale kuzo ngokujabula. Bekungaba njani uma leyo mikhaya ibingase ibonge futhi idumise imizi kunomklami? Bekungeke yini kube ubuwula futhi kumcasule lo mklami onomusa? Ngokufanayo, ukukhulekela izilwane kunoMdali wazo kuyamcasula uNkulunkulu.
Kusobala ukuthi labo abafisa ukwamukelwa uNkulunkulu kufanele basinake isixwayiso somphostoli uJohane: “Bantwanyana, ziqapheni ezithombeni.”—1 Johane 5:21.
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UKUKHULEKELA UNKULUNKULU UPHETHE INYOKA NGESANDLA
● Kunamasonto ambalwa eningizimu-mpumalanga ye-United States asebenzisa izinyoka eziphilayo ezinobuthi ekukhulekeleni. Abanye abantu bazisonga ngalezi zilwane eziyingozi emahlombe, kuyilapho abanye becosha izinyoka eziningi kanyekanye. Ukuphakamisa izinyoka nokuzisusa kungazethusa futhi kuzenze zilume. Eminyakeni edlule, kuye kwafa abathile kwabakhulekela bephethe izinyoka ngenxa yokulunywa yizo.
Abaphathi bezinyoka basekela lokho abakwenzayo kuMarku 16:17, 18. Kulawo mavesi kunamazwi athi: “Bayocosha izinyoka ngezandla.” INguqulo i-King James nezinye izinguqulo ezindala zibeka lawo mavesi njengokungathi ayingxenye yombhalo wokuqala. Izinguqulo i-New Revised Standard Version, i-New American Standard Bible, kanye ne-New King James Version ziphawula ukuthi lawo mavesi awaveli emibhalweni emidala kakhulu yeVangeli likaMarku.
Izimfundiso zeBhayibheli aziwusekeli umqondo wokuphatha izinyoka njengesici esamukelekayo ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. IBhayibheli lithi: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) Cishe uzovuma ukuthi uMdali wethu onothando ngeke afune ukuba abakhulekeli bakhe beqiniso benze imikhuba eyingozi ukuze bamjabulise. UJesu iNdodana yakhe, wakhipha nasi isimemo: “Wozani kimi, nina nonke enikhandlekayo nenisindwayo, ngizonenza niqabuleke.” (Mathewu 11:28, 29) Ngokuqinisekile, ukubamba izinyoka nokuzwa ubuhlungu, ukugula ngisho nokufa imbala ngenxa yokulunywa inyoka akukona lokho uJehova noJesu abakufisela abalandeli babo!
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REUTERS/Tami Chappell
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Ikhanda lenyoka enezimpiko elisodongeni lwethempeli lama-Aztec
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Isithombe esiqoshiwe sikaQuetzalcoatl, unkulunkulu wamaToltec oyinyoka enezimpiko
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Top: REUTERS/Tami Chappell; bottom: © Leonardo Díaz Romero/age fotostock