Ukushisa Impepho—Ingabe Kufanelekile Ekukhulekeleni Kweqiniso?
“ONKULUNKULU bayawathanda amakha.” Leso kwakuyisisho esivamile kumaGibhithe asendulo. Kuwo, ukushisa impepho kwakuyingxenye ebalulekile yokukhulekela kwawo. Ngenxa yokukholelwa ukuthi onkulunkulu babeseduze, amaGibhithe ayeshisa impepho nsuku zonke emathempelini awo nasema-altare asemizini yawo ngisho nalapho eqhuba ibhizinisi. Ezinye izizwe nazo zazinamasiko afanayo.
Impepho yakhiwa ngenhlaka enamakha, njengenhlaka yempepho (frankincense) nebhalsamu. Lokhu kuyagxotshwa kube yimpuphu ngokuvamile kuxutshwe neziqholo, amagxolo omuthi nezimbali ukuze kwenziwe amakha athile ezinjongo ezikhethekile.
Endulo impepho yayiwumkhiqizo othandwayo, ngaleso sizathu yaba igugu kangangokuthi izithako zayo zaba izinto ezibalulekile kwezohwebo. Amahele ayehamba emizileni yohwebo ayethwala lezi zithako esuka nazo emazweni akude. Mhlawumbe uzokhumbula ukuthi uJosefa, indodana kaJakobe encane, wathengiswa kubahwebi bakwa-Ishmayeli ‘abavela eGileyadi, futhi amakamela abo ayethwele ilabhidanu nebhalsamu namagxolo anenhlaka, bekwehlisela eGibhithe.’ (Genesise 37:25) Baba baningi abantu abafuna impepho kangangokuthi umzila wokuhweba ngempepho, ngokuqinisekile owavulwa abathengisi bempepho, wenza ukuba kube khona indlela phakathi kwe-Asia neYurophu.
Impepho isashiswa nanamuhla ezinkonzweni zezinkolo eziningi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, bayanda abantu abathanda ukushisa impepho emizini yabo ngenxa nje yephunga layo elimnandi. AmaKristu kufanele akubheke kanjani ukushisa impepho? Ingabe uNkulunkulu uyakwamukela ekukhulekeleni? Ake sihlole lokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ngale ndaba.
“Iyinto Engcwele KuJehova”
Kuma-Israyeli asendulo, ukushisa impepho kwakunendima evelele emisebenzini yabapristi etabernakele. I-Cyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong ithi: “Ngempela, kubonakala sengathi kumaHebheru ukushisa impepho kwakuyisenzo esibalulekile sokukhulekela noma iwumnikelo ongcwele kangangokuthi akukho okunye esifunda ukuthi kwakwenziwa ngempepho phakathi kwawo.”
UJehova uNkulunkulu wabalula izithako ezine okwakumelwe zixutshwe bese zishiswa etabernakele, wathi: “Thatha amakha: amaconsi estakite ne-onikha negalbhanu enamakha nenhlaka yempepho engaxutshwe nalutho. Kufanele kube izingxenye ezilinganayo. Kumelwe wenze ngawo impepho, ingxube yeziqholo, umsebenzi womenzi wamafutha okugcoba, efakwé usawoti, ehlanzekile, into engcwele. Kumelwe ugqule enye yayo ibe yimpuphu ecolisekileyo ubeke enye yayo phambi kobuFakazi etendeni lokuhlangana.” (Eksodusi 30:34-36) Izazi zithi kamuva orabi bamaJuda babuye banezela ezinye izithako empephweni esetshenziswa ethempelini.
Impepho eyayishiswa etabernakele yayingcwele, isetshenziswa ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu kuphela. UJehova wayala wathi: “Impepho ozoyenza ngalezi zithako, akumelwe nizenzele yona nina. Kini kumelwe iqhubeke iyinto engcwele kuJehova. Noma ubani owenza enjengayo ukuze ajabulele iphunga layo kumelwe anqunywe kubantu bakubo.” (Eksodusi 30:37, 38) Kabili ngosuku abapristi babeshisa impepho e-altare elenzelwe leyo njongo. (2 IziKronike 13:11) NgoSuku Lokuhlawulela, umpristi ophakeme wayeshisa impepho eNgcwelengcwele.—Levitikusi 16:12, 13.
Akuyona yonke iminikelo yempepho eyayamukeleka kuNkulunkulu. Wabajezisa labo abagabadela banikela impepho njengokungathi bangabapristi bengebona. (Numeri 16:16-18, 35-40; 2 IziKronike 26:16-20) Impepho eyayinikelwa isizwe samaJuda yayinengeka kuJehova uma siyinikela sibe senza izenzo zokukhulekela kwamanga futhi izandla zaso zigcwele ukuchitha igazi. Ukuzenzisa kwaso kwabangela ukuba uJehova athi: “Impepho—iyinto enengekayo kimi.” (Isaya 1:13, 15) Ama-Israyeli akuphatha budedengu ukukhulekela uJehova ngendlela emisiwe kangangokuthi alivala ithempeli ashisa impepho kwamanye ama-altare. (2 IziKronike 28:24, 25) Kamuva impepho engcwele yayisetshenziswa ngisho nasekukhulekeleni onkulunkulu bamanga okonakele. Izenzo ezinjalo zazimnenga uJehova.—Hezekeli 16:2, 17, 18.
Impepho NamaKristu Okuqala
Isivumelwano soMthetho, kuhlanganise nomyalo wokuba abapristi banikele impepho engcwele, saphela lapho uKristu emisa isivumelwano esisha ngo-33 C.E. (Kolose 2:14) Awukho umlando wokuthi amaKristu okuqala ayeshisa impepho ngenjongo yokukhulekela. Ngokuqondene nalokhu, i-Cyclopedia kaMcClintock noStrong ithi: “Akungatshazwa ukuthi [amaKristu okuqala] ayengayisebenzisi impepho. Ngempela ukuyisebenzisa kwakuwuphawu lobuqaba . . . Lapho umkhulekeli ephonsa izinhlayiya ezimbalwa zempepho kwakuba yisenzo sokukhulekela.”
Ngisho noma ayengase alahlekelwe ukuphila kwawo, amaKristu okuqala akwenqaba nokushisa impepho okwakusho ukuvuma ukuthi umbusi waseRoma “ungunkulunkulu.” (Luka 4:8; 1 Korinte 10:14, 20) Uma kucatshangelwa ukusetshenziswa kwempepho kwangaleso sikhathi ekukhulekeleni izithombe, akumangalisi ukuthi amaKristu okuqala ayengahileleki ngisho nasekuhwebeni ngempepho.
Ukushisa Impepho Namuhla
Isetshenziswa kanjani impepho namuhla? Emasontweni amaningi eLobukholwa, impepho iyanikelwa ezinkonzweni. Kubantu base-Asia, imikhaya eminingi ishisa impepho emathempelini noma phambi kwama-altare asemizini yawo ukuze ihloniphe onkulunkulu bayo futhi ivikele asebashona. Ezinkonzweni zenkolo, impepho iye yasetshenziselwa izizathu ezihlukahlukene zokushunqisa, ukuphulukisa, ukuhlambulula nokuqinisa.
Muva nje impepho isiphinde yathandwa futhi ngisho nangabantu abathi abanankolo. Abanye impepho bayishisela ukuzindla. Enye incwadi icebisa ukuba umuntu asebenzise impepho ukuze afinyelele “imikhakha engaqondakali” “namandla akhethekile” asezweni lemimoya. Itusa nanokuba umuntu enze imicikilisho yokushiswa kwempepho ehilela ukuthintana “nezidalwa zomoya” ukuze athole izixazululo zezinkinga zokuphila. Ingabe imikhuba enjalo iwafanele amaKristu?
UJehova ubalahla ngokuphelele labo abazama ukuxuba ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile nemikhuba yenkolo yamanga. Umphostoli uPawulu wacaphuna isiprofetho sika-Isaya wasisebenzisa kumaKristu, ewakhuthaza ukuba ahlukane nethonya elingcolile lenkolo yamanga. Wabhala wathi: “‘Phumani phakathi kwabo, nizihlukanise,’ kusho uJehova, ‘futhi niyeke ukuthinta into engcolile’; ‘ngizonamukela.’” (2 Korinte 6:17; Isaya 52:11) AmaKristu eqiniso ayaqikelela ukugwema noma yini ehlangene nokukhulekela kwamanga noma nokulumba.—Johane 4:24.
Ingabe iqiniso lokuthi impepho isetshenziswa ezinkonzweni zenkolo nasekuthintaneni nemimoya lisho ukuthi konke ukushisa impepho akulungile? Akunjalo ngempela. Kungenzeka ukuthi umuntu uthanda ukushisa impepho emzini wakhe ukuze nje ajabulele iphunga layo elimnandi. (IzAga 27:9) Noma kunjalo, umKristu kufanele acabangele izici ezithile lapho enquma ukuthi angayishisa yini impepho. Ingabe abanye endaweni ohlala kuyo bahlobanisa ukusetshenziswa kwempepho nomkhuba othile wenkolo yamanga? Emphakathini wakini, ingabe impepho ivame ukuhlotshaniswa nemicikilisho yokuthintana nemimoya? Noma, ingabe ivame ukusetshenziselwa izinjongo ezingahlangane nenkolo?
Uma umuntu ekhetha ukushisa impepho, kumelwe acabangele unembeza wakhe nemizwa yabanye lapho enza leso sinqumo. (1 Korinte 10:29) Amazwi umphostoli uPawulu awabhalela abaseRoma ayasebenza kule ndaba. Wabhala wathi: “Masiphishekele izinto ezibangela ukuthula nezinto ezakhayo komunye nomunye. Yekani ukudiliza umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu ngenxa nje yokudla. Yiqiniso, zonke izinto zihlanzekile, kodwa kuyalimaza kumuntu odla kunesimo esingabangela ukukhubeka. Kuhle ukungayidli inyama noma ukungaliphuzi iwayini noma ukungenzi noma yini umfowenu akhubeka ngayo.”—Roma 14:19-21.
Imithandazo ‘Elungiswe Njengempepho’
Kuma-Israyeli ukunikela impepho kwakuyifanekisela kahle imithandazo ezwiwa uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, umhubi uDavide wahubela uJehova wathi: “Kwangathi umthandazo wami ungalungiswa njengempepho phambi kwakho.”—IHubo 141:2.
Ama-Israyeli athembekile awazange abheke ukunikela impepho njengomcikilisho ongasho lutho. Ayeqikelela kakhulu ukuba impepho ayilungise futhi ayishise ngendlela uJehova ayeyale ngayo. Namuhla, esikhundleni sokuba amaKristu asebenzise impepho yangempela, anikela ngemithandazo ebonisa ukwazisa okujulile nenhlonipho ngoBaba wethu osezulwini. IZwi likaNkulunkulu lisiqinisekisa ngokuthi: “Umthandazo wabaqotho uyamjabulisa,” njengoba kwakunjalo ngempepho enephunga elimnandi eyayinikelwa abapristi basethempelini.—IzAga 15:8.
[Izithombe ekhasini 29]
Impepho eyayishiswa etabernakele nasethempelini yayingcwele
[Isithombe ekhasini 30]
Ingabe ukushisa impepho okuhlobene nokuzindla kuwafanele amaKristu?