IShekemi—Umuzi Osesigodini

ENKABENI yezwe uNkulunkulu alikhethela abantu bakhe, maphakathi neNtaba i-Ebali neNtaba iGerizimu, kwakunomuzi waseShekemi. Kwakulapha—cishe eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane ezine edlule—lapho uJehova athembisa khona u-Abrahama: “Lelizwe ngiyakulinika inzalo yakho.”—Genesise 12:6, 7.

Ngokuvumelana nalesi sithembiso, umzukulu ka-Abrahama uJakobe wakanisa eShekemi futhi wakha i-altare alibiza ngokuthi “UNkulunkulu nguNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.” Kungenzeka ukuthi uJakobe wamba umthombo kulendawo ukuze umkhaya nemfuyo yakhe bathole amanzi, umthombo emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva owawuyokwaziwa ngokuthi “umthombo kaJakobe.”—Genesise 33:18-20, umbhalo waphansi we-NW; Johane 4:5, 6, 12.

Nokho, akuwona wonke amalungu omkhaya kaJakobe abonisa intshiseko ngokukhulekela kweqiniso. UDina, indodakazi yakhe, wafuna abangane phakathi kwamantombazane amaKhanani aseShekemi. UDina, ngaleso sikhathi owayesemncane, washiya ukulondeka kwamatende omkhaya wakubo futhi waqala ukuvakashela umuzi oseduze, wathola abangane lapho.

Izinsizwa zakulowo muzi zaziyoyibheka kanjani lentombi eyayivame ukuvakashela emzini ezihlala kuwo—cishe ihamba yodwa? Indodana yenkosi ‘yayibona, yayithatha, yalala nayo, yayona.’ Kungani uDina azidonsela amanzi ngomsele ngokuzihlanganisa namaKhanani anokuziphatha okubi? Ingabe kwakungenxa yokuthi wayenomuzwa wokuthi wayedinga abangane bamantombazane abangontanga yakhe? Ingabe wayenenkani futhi ezibusa njengabanye babafowabo? Funda ukulandisa kukaGenesise, uzame ukuqonda indlela uJakobe noLeya okumelwe ukuba bazizwa becindezeleke futhi benamahloni ngayo ngenxa yemiphumela eyinhlekelele yokuvakashela kwendodakazi yabo eShekemi.—Genesise 34:1-31; 49:5-7; bheka ne-Nqabayokulinda ka-June 15, 1985, ikhasi 31.

Cishe eminyakeni engu-300 kamuva, imiphumela yokungazinaki iziqondiso ezingokwasezulwini yaphinde yabonakala. EShekemi, uJoshuwa wahlela omunye wemihlangano ekhumbuleka kakhulu emlandweni wama-Israyeli. Cabanga ngalesi senzakalo esasisesigodini. Abantu abangaphezu kwesigidi—abesilisa, abesifazane nezingane—bezizwe eziyisithupha zika-Israyeli bemi phambi kweNtaba iGerizimu. Ngaphesheya kwesigodi cishe inani elifanayo lezinye izizwe eziyisithupha limi phambi kweNtaba i-Ebali.a Futhi laphaya ngezansi, ngasemphongolweni wesivumelwano maphakathi nalezi zixuku ezimbili zama-Israyeli, kumi abapristi noJoshuwa. Yeka umbukwane!—Joshuwa 8:30-33.

Njengoba ziphakeme ukwedlula lesi sixuku esikhulu, lezi zintaba ezimbili zinikeza umehluko omkhulu wobuhle nogwadule. Imithambeka engenhla yeGerizimu ibukeka iluhlaza futhi ivundile, kanti eye-Ebali impunga futhi ingxenye enkulu yayo ayimili lutho. Ungakuzwa lokho kuvungazela kwenjabulo njengoba ama-Israyeli elindele ukuba uJoshuwa akhulume? Wonke umsindo uyenanelwa kulenkundla yemvelo.

Phakathi namahora amane kuya kwayisithupha uJoshuwa awasebenzisayo efunda ‘incwadi yomthetho kaMose,’ nabantu bayahlanganyela. (Joshuwa 8:34, 35) Kubonakala sengathi ama-Israyeli aphambi kweGerizimu athi Amen! ngemva kwesibusiso ngasinye, kanti u-Amen! walabo abangaphambi kwe-Ebali ugcizelela isiqalekiso ngasinye. Mhlawumbe ukubukeka kweNtaba i-Ebali ewugwadule kusebenza ukukhumbuza abantu ngomphumela oyinhlekelele wokungalaleli.

“Makaqalekiswe odelela uyise noma unina,” kuxwayisa uJoshuwa. Ngazwi linye, amaphimbo angaphezu kwesigidi ayasabela: “Amen!” UJoshuwa ulindela ukuba lokhu kusabela kwenhlokomo kuphele ngaphambi kokuba aqhubeke: “Makaqalekiswe osusa isikhonkwane somakhelwane wakhe.” Izizwe eziyisithupha, zihlangene nabafokazi abaningi, ziyaphinda ziyamemeza: “Amen!” (Duteronomi 27:16, 17) Ukube wawulapho, ingabe wawuyoke uwukhohlwe lowo mhlangano owawuqhutshelwa phakathi kwezintaba? Isidingo sokulalela sasingeke yini sigxile engqondweni yakho?

Ngaphambi nje kokuba afe eminyakeni engaba ngu-20 kamuva, uJoshuwa waphinde wabizela isizwe ndawonye eShekemi ukuze siqinise isinqumo saso. Wabeka phambi kwaso ukukhetha ngamunye okwakumelwe akwenze. “Khethani namuhla ukuthi ngubani eniyakumkhonza,” esho. “Kepha mina nendlu yami siyakumkhonza uJehova.” (Joshuwa 24:1, 15) Ngokusobala, lemihlangano eshukumisa ukholo yaseShekemi yasithinta ngokujulile. Iminyaka eminingi ngemva kokufa kukaJoshuwa, ama-Israyeli alingisa isibonelo sakhe sokukholeka.—Joshuwa 24:31.

Eminyakeni engaba amakhulu angu-15 kamuva lapho uJesu ephumule ngaphansi komthunzi weNtaba iGerizimu, kwaba nengxoxo ethinta inhliziyo. Ekhathele ngemva kohambo olude, uJesu wayehlezi eduze komthombo kaJakobe lapho kusondela owesifazane waseSamariya ephethe imbiza yamanzi. Lona wesifazane wamangala kakhulu lapho uJesu emcela amanzi okuphuza, njengoba amaJuda ayengakhulumi namaSamariya, ingasaphathwa eyokuphuza ezitsheni zawo. (Johane 4:5-9) Amazwi kaJesu alandela ammangaza nakakhulu.

“Wonke umuntu ophuza kulamanzi uyophinde ome. Noma ubani ophuza emanzini engizomnika wona akasoze oma, kodwa amanzi engizomnika wona, ngaphakathi kuye ayoba umthombo wamanzi ophuphumayo ukuze udlulisele ukuphila okumi phakade.” (Johane 4:13, 14) Cabanga ngesithakazelo lona wesifazane aba naso kuleso sithembiso, njengoba ukukha amanzi kulomthombo ojulile kwakuwumsebenzi okhathazayo. UJesu waqhubeka echaza ukuthi naphezu kokubaluleka okungokomlando, iJerusalema noma iNtaba iGerizimu kwakungezona izindawo ezingokwenkolo ezibalulekile ukuze kusondelwe kuNkulunkulu. Okwakubalulekile kwakuyisimo senhliziyo nokuziphatha, hhayi indawo. ‘Abakhulekeli beqiniso bayokhulekela uBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso,’ esho. “Ngempela uBaba ufuna abanjalo ukuba bamkhulekele.” (Johane 4:23) Yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuba lawo mazwi ayeduduza kanjani! Lesi sigodi saphinda futhi saba indawo lapho abantu banxuswa khona ukuba bakhonze uJehova.

Namuhla idolobha laseNablus liseduze namanxiwa aseShekemi yasendulo. INtaba iGerizimu neNtaba i-Ebali zisavelele kulesi sigodi, zimi njengobufakazi obuthule bezenzakalo zesikhathi esidlule. Umthombo kaJakobe, ezansi kwalezi zintaba, usengavakashelwa. Njengoba sizindla ngezenzakalo ezenzeka lapho, sikhunjuzwa ngokubaluleka kokusekela ukukhulekela kweqiniso, njengoba nje uJoshuwa noJesu basifundisa ukuba senze kanjalo.—Qhathanisa no-Isaya 2:2, 3.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.