UYehova NguThixo Weminqophiso

“Ndiya kwenza umnqophiso omtsha nendlu kaSirayeli nendlu kaYuda.”—YEREMIYA 31:31.

1, 2. (a) Nguwuphi umbhiyozo owamiselwa nguYesu ngobusuku bukaNisan 14, 33 C.E.? (b) Nguwuphi umnqophiso uYesu awabhekisela kuwo ngokuphathelele ukufa kwakhe?

NGOBUSUKU bukaNisan 14, 33 C.E., uYesu wabhiyozela iPasika kunye nabapostile bakhe abali-12. Ekubeni wayesazi ukuba esi yayiza kuba sisidlo sakhe sokugqibela ekunye nabo nokuba kungekudala wayeza kubulawa ziintshaba zakhe, uYesu wasebenzisa elo thuba ukucacisa imibandela ebalulekileyo emininzi kubafundi bakhe abasenyongweni.—Yohane 13:1–17:26.

² Kwakulelo xesha awathi uYesu, emva kokugxotha uYudas Sikariyoti, wamisela ekuphela kombhiyozo wonqulo waminyaka le amaKristu awayalelwa ukuba awenze—iSikhumbuzo sokufa kwakhe. Ingxelo ithi: “Njengoko babeqhubeka besidla, uYesu wathabatha isonka waza, emva kokucela intsikelelo, wasiqhekeza waza, esinika abafundi, wathi: ‘Thabathani, nidle. Oku kuthetha umzimba wam.’ Kanjalo, wathabatha indebe waza, akuba ebulele, wayinika bona, esithi: ‘Selani kuyo, nonke; kuba oku kuthetha “igazi lam lomnqophiso,” eliza kuphalala ngenxa yabaninzi ukuze kuxolelwe izono.’” (Mateyu 26:26-28) Abalandeli bakaYesu babefanele bakhumbule ukufa kwakhe ngendlela elula nenesidima. Kwaye uYesu wathetha ngomnqophiso owawunxibelelene nokufa kwakhe. Kwingxelo kaLuka, ubizwa ngokuthi ‘ngumnqophiso omtsha.’—Luka 22:20.

3. Yiyiphi imibuzo ephakamayo ngokuphathelele umnqophiso omtsha?

³ Uyintoni umnqophiso omtsha? Ukuba lo ngumnqophiso omtsha, ngaba oko kuthetha ukuba ukho umnqophiso omdala? Ngaba ikho eminye iminqophiso enxulumene nawo? Le mibuzo ibalulekile kuba uYesu wathi igazi lakhe lomnqophiso laliza kuphalazwa ukuze “kuxolelwe izono.” Sonke sikufuna ngamehlw’ amnyama ukuxolelwa okunjalo.—Roma 3:23.

Umnqophiso NoAbraham

4. Liliphi idinga lamandulo elisinceda siqonde umnqophiso omtsha?

⁴ Ukuze siwuqonde umnqophiso omtsha, kufuneka sibuyele emva kwiminyaka emalunga nama-2000 engaphambi kobulungiseleli basemhlabeni bukaYesu kwixesha laxa uTera nentsapho yakhe—kuquka uAbram (kamva owaba nguAbraham) kunye nomka-Abram, uSarayi (kamva owaba nguSara)—babefuduka besuka kwiUre yamaKaledi eyayifumile besiya kwelakwaHaran kumntla weMesopotamiya. Bahlala apho de uTera wafa. Wandula ke, ngokomyalelo kaYehova, uAbraham owayeneminyaka engama-75 ubudala wawela uMlambo umEfrati waza waxwesa esinge emzantsi-ntshona kwilizwe laseKanan eza kuphila ubomi bokuba ngunontente. (Genesis 11:31–12:1, 4, 5; IZenzo 7:2-5) Oko kwenzeka ngowe-1943 B.C.E. Ngoxa uAbraham wayesekwaHaran, uYehova wayethe kuye: “Ndikwenze uhlanga olukhulu, ndikusikelele, ndilikhulise igama lakho, ube yintsikelelo; ndibasikelele abakusikelelayo, ndimtshabhise okuqalekisayo; zisikeleleke ngawe zonke izizwe zehlabathi.” Kamva, emva kokuba uAbraham ewelele eKanan, uYehova wongezelela: “Imbewu yakho ndiya kuyinika eli lizwe.”—Genesis 12:2, 3, 7.

5. Idinga likaYehova awalenza kuAbraham linxibelelene nasiphi isiprofeto esingokwembali?

⁵ Idinga awayelenza kuAbraham lalinxulumene namanye amadinga kaYehova. Eneneni, lenza uAbraham wangumntu obalulekileyo embalini yabantu, ikhonkco elikhokelela ekuzalisekeni kwesiprofeto sokuqala kwezibhaliweyo. Emva kokuba uAdam noEva bonile kumyezo wase-Eden, uYehova wawisa isigwebo kubo bobabini yaye kwakweso sihlandlo sinye wabhekisa kuSathana, owayelahlekise uEva, esithi: “Ndiya kumisa ubutshaba phakathi kwakho nomfazi, naphakathi kwembewu yakho nembewu yakhe; yona iya kukutyumza intloko, wena uya kuyityumza isithende.” (Genesis 3:15) Umnqophiso kaYehova noAbraham wawubonisa ukuba iMbewu eyayiza kubhangiswa ngayo imisebenzi kaSathana yayiza kuvela kumnombo waloo solusapho.

6. (a) Idinga likaYehova awalenza kuAbraham laliza kuzalisekiswa ngabani? (b) Uyintoni umnqophiso ka-Abraham?

⁶ Ekubeni idinga likaYehova lalinxulumene nembewu, uAbraham kwakufuneka azale unyana eyayiza kuza ngaye loo Mbewu. Kodwa yena noSara babesele baluphele yaye bengenabantwana. Noko ke, ekugqibeleni uYehova wabasikelela, ngokungummangaliso ehlaziya amandla abo okuzala, ibe uSara noAbraham bazala unyana, uIsake, ngaloo ndlela bethezela egoqweni kwidinga eliphathelele imbewu. (Genesis 17:15-17; 21:1-7) Kwiminyaka ethile kamva, emva kokuvavanya ukholo luka-Abraham—ukusa kwinqanaba lokukulungela kwakhe ukunikela ngonyana wakhe oyintanda, uIsake, njengedini—uYehova waliphinda idinga lakhe kuAbraham esithi: “Ndiya kukusikelela ndikusikelele; ndiya kuyandisa ndiyandise imbewu yakho njengeenkwenkwezi zezulu, nanjengentlabathi eselunxwemeni lolwandle; imbewu yakho ilidle ilifa isango leentshaba zayo; zisikelelwe ngembewu yakho zonke iintlanga zehlabathi, ngenxa enokuba uliphulaphule ilizwi lam.” (Genesis 22:15-18) Eli dinga longezelelekileyo lidla ngokubizwa ngokuba ngumnqophiso ka-Abraham, yaye umnqophiso omtsha wamva wawuza kunxibelelana ngokusondeleyo nalo.

7. Imbewu ka-Abraham yaqalisa njani ukwanda, ibe ziziphi iimeko ezayibangela ukuba ibe ngabemi baseYiputa?

⁷ Ethubeni, uIsake waba namawele angamakhwenkwe, uEsawu kunye noYakobi. UYehova wanyula uYakobi ukuba abe ngukhokho weMbewu Ethenjisiweyo. (Genesis 28:10-15; Roma 9:10-13) UYakobi waba noonyana abali-12. Kuyabonakala ukuba, ngoku kwakufike ixesha lokuba imbewu ka-Abraham iqalise ukwanda. Xa oonyana bakaYakobi babekhulile, uninzi lwabo luneentsapho zalo, indlala yabanyanzela ukuba bonke bahle baye eYiputa apho, ngolwalathiso lukaThixo, unyana kaYakobi onguYosefu wayebahlahlele indlela. (Genesis 45:5-13; 46:26, 27) Emva kweminyaka eliqela, indlala yaseKanan yaphela. Kodwa intsapho kaYakobi yahlala eYiputa—ekuqaleni njengeendwendwe kodwa kamva yaba ngamakhoboka. Inzala kaYakobi ayizange ikhululeke eYiputa de kwangowe-1513 B.C.E., kwiminyaka engama-430 emva kokuba uAbraham ewele umEfrati. (Eksodus 1:8-14; 12:40, 41; Galati 3:16, 17) Ngoku uYehova wayeza kunikela ingqalelo ekhethekileyo kumnqophiso wakhe noAbraham.—Eksodus 2:24; 6:2-5.

‘Umnqophiso Omdala’

8. Sisiphi isigqibo uYehova awafikelela kuso nenzala kaYakobi eSinayi, ibe loo nto idibana njani nomnqophiso ka-Abraham?

⁸ Xa uYakobi noonyana bakhe bafudukela eYiputa, babeyintsapho enkulu, kodwa inzala yabo yaphuma eYiputa sele izizizwe ezinkulu. (Eksodus 1:5-7; 12:37, 38) Ngaphambi kokuba uYehova azizise eKanan, wazikhokelela kwithambeka elisemazantsi entaba yeHorebhe (okanye iSinayi) ekwelama-Arabhu. Kulapho wenza khona umnqophiso kunye nayo. Ethubeni lo wabizwa ngokuba ‘ngumnqophiso omdala’ xa uthelekiswa ‘nomnqophiso omtsha.’ (2 Korinte 3:14) Esebenzisa umnqophiso omdala, uYehova waphumeza inzaliseko yokuqala yomnqophiso wakhe noAbraham.

9. (a) Ziziphi izinto ezine uYehova awazithembisa ngomnqophiso ka-Abraham? (b) Ziziphi ezinye izinto ezathenjiswa ngumnqophiso kaYehova noSirayeli, yaye zazixhomekeke entwenini?

⁹ UYehova wazicacisa kuSirayeli iinkcukacha zalo mnqophiso: “Ukuba nithe naliphulaphula okunene izwi lam, nawugcina umnqophiso wam, noba yinqobo kum kwizizwe zonke, kuba ihlabathi lonke lelam; nibe bubukumkani bababingeleli kum, nohlanga olungcwele.” (Eksodus 19:5, 6) UYehova wayethembise ukuba imbewu ka-Abraham yayiza (1) kuba luhlanga olukhulu, (2) izeyise iintshaba zayo, (3) ilidle ilifa ilizwe laseKanan, yaye (4) iintlanga zisikelelwe ngayo. Ngoku watyhila ukuba yayiza kuzuza ezi ntsikelelo njengabantu bakhe abakhethekileyo, uSirayeli, “ubukumkani bababingeleli . . . nohlanga olungcwele,” ukuba babeya kuyithobela imiyalelo yakhe. Ngaba amaSirayeli avuma ukungena kulo mnqophiso? Aphendula onke ngamxhelo mnye esithi: “Konke akuthethileyo uYehova sokwenza.”—Eksodus 19:8.

10. UYehova wawalungelelanisa njani amaSirayeli aba luhlanga, yaye yintoni awayeyilindele kuwo?

¹⁰ Ukususela ngoko, uYehova wawalungelelanisa amaSirayeli aba luhlanga. Wawanika imithetho eyayiza kulawula unqulo nobomi bemihla ngemihla. Kwakhona walungiselela umnquba (kamva itempile yaseYerusalem) nababingeleli ababeza kunikela inkonzo engcwele kuloo mnquba. Ukugcina lo mnqophiso kwakuthetha ukuthobela imithetho kaYehova yaye, ngokukodwa, ukunqula yena yedwa. Owokuqala kwiMithetho Elishumi eyayiyeyona ibalulekileyo kuloo mithetho wawusithi: “NdinguYehova, uThixo wakho, owakukhupha ezweni laseYiputa, endlwini yobukhoboka. Uze ungabi nathixo bambi ngaphandle kwam.”—Eksodus 20:2, 3.

Iintsikelelo Ezazisiza Nomnqophiso WoMthetho

11, 12. Amadinga omnqophiso omdala azalisekiswa ngaziphi iindlela kuSirayeli?

¹¹ Ngaba amadinga awayethenjisiwe kumnqophiso woMthetho azalisekiswa kuSirayeli? Ngaba uSirayeli waba ‘luhlanga olungcwele’? Njengenzala ka-Adam, amaSirayeli ayengaboni. (Roma 5:12) Sekunjalo, phantsi koMthetho kwakunyuswa amadini ukuze kucanyagushelwe izono zawo. Ngokuphathelele amadini awayenyuswa ngoMhla Wocamagushelo, uYehova wathi: “Ngaloo mhla uya kunicamagushela, ukuba anihlambulule, nihlambuluke ezonweni zenu zonke phambi koYehova.” (Levitikus 16:30) Ngoko ke, xa wayethembekile, uSirayeli wayeluhlanga olungcwele, ehlanjululelwe inkonzo kaYehova. Kodwa le meko yokucoceka yayixhomekeke ekuthobeleni uMthetho nasekunyuseni amadini ngokuqhubekayo.

¹² Ngaba uSirayeli waba “bubukumkani bababingeleli”? Zisuka nje, waba bubukumkani, uYehova enguKumkani wasezulwini. (Isaya 33:22) Ukongezelela koko, umnqophiso woMthetho wawuquka amalungiselelo okumkani ongumntu, yaye uYehova kamva wamelwa ngookumkani ababelawula eYerusalem. (Duteronomi 17:14-18) Kodwa ngaba uSirayeli waba bubukumkani bababingeleli? Kaloku, babekho ababingeleli ababenikela inkonzo engcwele emnqubeni. Umnquba (kamva owathatyathelw’ indawo yitempile) wawusisazulu sonqulo olunyulu kwabo bangamaSirayeli nakwabangengomaSirayeli. Yaye olo hlanga lwalukuphela komthombo wenyaniso etyhiliweyo eluntwini. (2 Kronike 6:32, 33; Roma 3:1, 2) Onke amaSirayeli athembekileyo, kungekuphela nje ababingeleli abangabaLevi, ‘ayengamangqina’ kaYehova. USirayeli ‘wayengumkhonzi’ kaYehova, owayebunjwe ukuze ‘abalise indumiso yakhe.’ (Isaya 43:10, 21) Uninzi lwabantu basemzini abathobekileyo bawabona amandla kaYehova xa wayemela abantu bakhe baza batsaleleka kunqulo olunyulu. Baba ngabangeni ebuYudeni. (Yoshuwa 2:9-13) Kodwa sasisinye kuphela isizwe esasikhonza njengababingeleli abathanjisiweyo.

Abangeni EbuYudeni KwaSirayeli

13, 14. (a) Kutheni kunokutshiwo ukuba abangeni ebuYudeni babengenanxaxheba kumnqophiso woMthetho? (b) Abangeni ebuYudeni baba phantsi koMthetho ngayiphi indlela?

¹³ Babenayiphi indima aba bangeni ebuYudeni? Xa uYehova wenza umnqophiso wakhe, wawenza noSirayeli kuphela; “inkitha engumxube,” nangona yayikho, ayizange ikhankanywe njengenendima ethile kuwo. (Eksodus 12:38; 19:3, 7, 8) Amazibulo ayo akazange abalwe xa kwakubalwa ixabiso lentlawulelo yamazibulo akwaSirayeli. (Numeri 3:44-51) Kumashumi eminyaka kamva xa ilizwe laseKanan lalisabelwa izizwe zakwaSirayeli, akazange abelwe nto la makholwa angengomaSirayeli. (Genesis 12:7; Yoshuwa 13:1-14) Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba umnqophiso woMthetho awuzange wenziwe nabangeni ebuYudeni. Kodwa amadoda angabaphambukeli ayesaluswa ukuze kuthotyelwe uMthetho. Ayeyithobela imiqathango yawo, ibe ayengenelwa kumalungiselelo awo. Abangeni ebuYudeni kunye namaSirayeli baba phantsi komnqophiso woMthetho.—Eksodus 12:48, 49; Numeri 15:14-16; Roma 3:19.

¹⁴ Ngokomzekelo, ukuba umngeni ebuYudeni wayebulala umntu ngengozi, naye, njengomSirayeli, wayenokubalekela kumzi wokusabela. (Numeri 35:15, 22-25; Yoshuwa 20:9) NgoMhla Wocamagushelo kwakunyuswa idini ‘lesikhungu sonke samaSirayeli.’ Njengenxalenye yesikhungu sonke, abangeni ebuYudeni babesiba nesabelo kucwangciso yaye babecanyagushelwa lelo dini. (Levitikus 16:7-10, 15, 17, 29; Duteronomi 23:7, 8) Abangeni ebuYudeni babesondelelene gqitha namaSirayeli phantsi koMthetho kangangokuba ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., xa esokuqala ‘kwizitshixo zobukumkani’ sasetyenziswa kumaYuda, nabangeni ebuYudeni bangenelwa. Ngenxa yoko, ‘uNikolawo, umngeni ebuYudeni wakwa-Antiyokwe,’ waba ngumKristu waza waba phakathi ‘kwamadoda avunyiweyo asixhenxe’ awayemiselwe ukunyamekela iintswelo zebandla laseYerusalem.—Mateyu 16:19; IZenzo 2:5-10; 6:3-6; 8:26-39.

UYehova Usikelela Imbewu Ka-Abraham

15, 16. Umnqophiso kaYehova noAbraham wazalisekiswa ngayiphi indlela phantsi komnqophiso woMthetho?

¹⁵ Xa inzala ka-Abraham yayilungelelaniswe njengohlanga phantsi koMthetho, uYehova wayisikelela ngokuvisisana namadinga akhe awawenza kuloo solusapho. Ngowe-1473 B.C.E., owangena ezihlangwini zikaMoses, uYoshuwa, wakhokela uSirayeli ukuya eKanan. Ukwabiwa komhlaba phakathi kwezo zizwe okwenziwa kamva kwazalisekisa idinga likaYehova lokunika imbewu ka-Abraham loo mhlaba. Xa uSirayeli wayethembekile, uYehova wayelizalisekisa idinga lakhe ngokumenza azoyise iintshaba zakhe. Oku kwaba njalo ngokukodwa ebudeni bolawulo lukaKumkani uDavide. Ngexesha lonyana kaDavide uSolomon, kwazalisekiswa inkalo yesithathu yomnqophiso ka-Abraham. “AmaYuda namaSirayeli ebemaninzi, enjengentlabathi engaselwandle ukuba maninzi, esidla, esela, evuya.”—1 Kumkani 4:20.

¹⁶ Noko ke, iintlanga zaziya kusikelelwa njani ngoSirayeli, imbewu ka-Abraham? Njengoko sele kukhankanyiwe, uSirayeli wayengabantu abakhethekileyo bakaYehova, engummeli wakhe phakathi kweentlanga. Ngaphambi nje kokuba uSirayeli angene eKanan, uMoses wathi: “Memelelani, zintlanga, ngenxa yabantu bakhe.” (Duteronomi 32:43) Uninzi lwabasemzini lwasabela. “Inkitha engumxube” yayisele iwalandele amaSirayeli ukusuka eYiputa, yawabona amandla kaYehova entlango, yaza yasiva isimemo sikaMoses sokuba imemelele. (Eksodus 12:37, 38) Kamva, umMowabhikazi onguRute watshata noBhowazi owayengumSirayeli baza baba ngookhokho bakaMesiya. (Rute 4:13-22) UYehonadabhi owayengumKeni nenzala yakhe kunye noEbhedimeleki owayengumTiyopiya bazibalaselisa ngokunamathela kwimigaqo elungileyo xa amaSirayeli emvelo ayengathembekanga. (2 Kumkani 10:15-17; Yeremiya 35:1-19; 38:7-13) Phantsi koBukhosi bamaPersi, abantu bezinye iintlanga abaninzi baba ngabangeni ebuYudeni baza bancedisana noSirayeli ekulweni neentshaba zakhe.—Estere 8:17, umbhalo osemazantsi weNW.

Imfuneko Yomnqophiso Omtsha

17. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova abulahle ubukumkani basentla nobasezantsi bakwaSirayeli? (b) Yintoni eyakhokelela ekulahlweni ngokusisigxina kwamaYuda?

¹⁷ Sekunjalo, ukuze lufumane inzaliseko epheleleyo yedinga likaThixo, uhlanga olukhethekileyo lukaThixo kwakufuneka luthembeke. Lwalungathembekanga. Liyinyaniso elokuba, ayekho amaSirayeli awayebalasele ngokholo. (Hebhere 11:32–12:1) Sekunjalo, kwizihlandlo ezininzi olu hlanga lwalubhenela koothixo bobuhedeni, benethemba lokuzuza izinto eziphathekayo. (Yeremiya 34:8-16; 44:15-18) Abathile babewusebenzisa kakubi uMthetho okanye bewutyeshela. (Nehemiya 5:1-5; Isaya 59:2-8; Malaki 1:12-14) Emva kokufa kukaSolomon, uSirayeli wahlulwa waba bubukumkani basentla nobasezantsi. Xa ubukumkani basentla bazingqina bunemvukelo ngokupheleleyo, uYehova wavakalisa esi saziso: “Kuba wena ukucekisile ukwazi, ndiya kukucekisa, ukuba ungabi ngumbingeleli kum.” (Hoseya 4:6) Nobukumkani basezantsi bohlwaywa kanobom ngenxa yokungathembeki kwabo kumnqophiso. (Yeremiya 5:29-31) Xa amaYuda engazange amamkele uYesu njengoMesiya, noYehova wawalahla ngokufanayo. (IZenzo 3:13-15; Roma 9:31–10:4) Ekugqibeleni, uYehova wenza ilungiselelo elitsha lokuwuzalisekisa ngokupheleleyo umnqophiso ka-Abraham.—Roma 3:20.

18, 19. Liliphi ilungiselelo elitsha elenziwa nguYehova ukuze umnqophiso ka-Abraham uzalisekiswe ngendlela epheleleyo?

¹⁸ Elo lungiselelo litsha lalingumnqophiso omtsha. UYehova wayekuxele kwangaphambili oku esithi: “Yabona, kuza imihla, utsho uYehova, endiya kwenza umnqophiso omtsha nendlu kaSirayeli nendlu kaYuda . . . Nguwo ke lo umnqophiso, endiya kuwenza nendlu kaSirayeli emva kwaloo mihla, utsho uYehova: Ndiya kuwubeka umyalelo wam embilinini yabo, ndiwubhale ezintliziyweni zabo, ndibe nguThixo wabo, babe ngabantu bam.”—Yeremiya 31:31-33.

¹⁹ Lo ngumnqophiso omtsha uYesu awabhekisela kuwo ngoNisan 14, 33 C.E. Ngeso sihlandlo, wathembisa ukuba lo mnqophiso uthenjisiweyo wawuza kwenziwa phakathi kwabafundi bakhe noYehova, aze uYesu abe ngumlamleli wawo. (1 Korinte 11:25; 1 Timoti 2:5; Hebhere 12:24) Ngalo mnqophiso mtsha, idinga likaYehova awalenza kuAbraham laliza kuba nenzaliseko ezuke ngakumbi nehlala ihleli, njengoko siza kubona kwinqaku elilandelayo.

Ngaba Unokuchaza?

◻ Yintoni eyathenjiswa nguYehova kumnqophiso ka-Abraham?

◻ UYehova wayiphumeza njani inzaliseko yomnqophiso ka-Abraham kuSirayeli wokwenyama?

◻ Abangeni ebuYudeni bangenelwa njani kumnqophiso omdala?

◻ Kutheni wawuyimfuneko nje umnqophiso omtsha?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]

Ngomnqophiso woMthetho, uYehova waphumeza inzaliseko yokomfuziselo yomnqophiso ka-Abraham