Ingabe Bewazi?
Kungani amaJuda ayeqala ukugubha iSabatha lawo kusihlwa?
Lapho uJehova enikeza abantu bakhe umthetho ophathelene noSuku Lokubuyisana, wathi: “Akukho msebenzi wanoma yiluphi uhlobo okumelwe niwenze ngalolu suku . . . Yisabatha lokuphumula kwenu okuphelele . . . Kusukela kokunye ukuhlwa kuya kokunye ukuhlwa kufanele nigcine isabatha lenu.” (Levitikusi 23:28, 32) Lo myalo wawuveza umbono wokuthi usuku ngalunye lwaluqala kusihlwa, ngemva kokushona kwelanga, futhi luphela ekushoneni kwelanga ngakusasa. Khona-ke kumaJuda usuku lwaluqala lapho kuhlwa kuya kokunye ukuhlwa.
Le ndlela yokubala izinsuku yayilandela indlela eyasungulwa uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe. Ukulandisa okuphathelene nosuku lokuqala lokudala olungokomfanekiso kuthi: “Kwaba khona ukuhlwa kwaba khona ukusa, usuku lokuqala.” ‘Izinsuku’ ezalandela nazo zaqala ukubalwa ngendlela efanayo, kusukela ‘ngokuhlwa.’—Genesise 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31.
Kwakungewona amaJuda kuphela ayebala izinsuku ngale ndlela. Abase-Athene, abaseNumidia nabaseFenike babenza kanjalo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abaseBhabhiloni babebheka ukuphuma kwelanga njengokuqala kosuku olusha, kuyilapho abaseGibhithe namaRoma babebala izinsuku kusukela phakathi kwamabili kuya phakathi kwamabili, njengoba kunjalo nanamuhla. Kodwa, amaJuda anamuhla asaliqala futhi aliphethe ngokushona kwelanga iSabatha lawo.
Lwalulude kangakanani ‘uhambo losuku lwesabatha’?
Ngemva kokubona uJesu enyukela ezulwini eNtabeni Yeminqumo, abafundi bakhe babuyela eJerusalema elaliyibanga ‘eliwuhambo losuku lwesabatha.’ (IzEnzo 1:12) Umuntu wayengahamba amakhilomitha angu-30 noma ngaphezulu ngosuku. Kodwa iNtaba Yeminqumo iseduze neJerusalema. Ngakho, kwakushiwo ukuthini “ngohambo losuku lwesabatha”?
ISabatha kwakuwusuku ama-Israyeli ayephumula ngalo emisebenzini yawo evamile. Kwakungafanele ngisho nokuba abase emizini yawo ngalolo suku. (Eksodusi 20:10; 35:2, 3) UJehova wayala: “Yilowo nalowo makahlale endaweni yakhe. Makungabikho muntu ophumayo endaweni yakhe ngosuku lwesikhombisa.” (Eksodusi 16:29) Lo mthetho wawuyonikeza ama-Israyeli ithuba lokuphumula emisebenzini yawo evamile nelokunaka izinto ezingokomoya ekuphileni kwawo.
Benganelisekile ngezimiso zoMthetho kaJehova, orabi ababenamathele ngokweqile emidantini yemithetho banquma ibanga elithe ngqo—futhi ngandlela-thile bengawunaki lo mthetho—ngokwesibonelo, ukuthi umuntu wayengahamba ibanga elingakanani ngeSabatha ukuze ayokhulekela. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, i-Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature ithi: “Ngenxa yemithetho eqinile ngokuphathelene nokugcinwa kweSabatha . . . , kwamiswa umthetho wokuthi akekho umIsrayeli owayengahamba ibanga elingaphezu kwelithile ngeSabatha, okuyibanga elibizwa ngokuthi uhambo lweSabatha.” Lelo banga lalingamakhilomitha angu-0,8 kuya kwangu-1,1.
[Isithombe ekhasini 11]
IJerusalema uma ulibuka useNtabeni Yeminqumo