Lithini IBhayibheli Ngokunikela Okweshumi?

Ama-Israyeli asendulo ayalwa ukuba anikele okweshumia komholo wawo wonyaka ukuze asekele ukukhulekela kweqiniso. UNkulunkulu wathi kuwo: “Kumelwe nakanjani ukhiphe okweshumi kwakho konke okukhiqizwa imbewu yakho ensimini unyaka nonyaka.”—Duteronomi 14:22.

Umyalo wokweshumi wawukhona eMthethweni kaMose, imiyalo uNkulunkulu ayinika ama-Israyeli asendulo. AmaKristu awabophekile ngokomthetho ukuba alandele uMthetho kaMose ngakho akudingekile akhokhe okweshumi. (Kolose 2:13, 14) Kunalokho, umKristu ngamunye kufanele anikele ngemali “njengoba nje enqumile enhliziyweni yakhe, kungabi ngokudabuka noma ngaphansi kokucindezelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uthanda umuntu ojabulayo lapho epha.”—2 Korinte 9:7.

• Ukunikela Okweshumi EBhayibhelini​—“ITestamente Elidala”

• Ukunikela Okweshumi EBhayibhelini​—“ITestamente Elisha”

Kukhulunywa ngokunikela okweshumi izikhathi eziningana engxenyeni yeBhayibheli ebizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elidala. Izindawo eziningi kusuke kukhulunywa ngesikhathi sangemva kokuba ama-Israyeli enikwe uMthetho (uMthetho kaMose) kusetshenziswa uMose. Nokho, izikhathi ezimbalwa kusuke kukhulunywa ngesikhathi esingaphambi kwalokho.

Ngaphambi KoMthetho KaMose

Umuntu wokuqala okulotshwe ngaye owanikela okweshumi ngu-Abrama (Abrahama). (Genesise 14:18-20; Hebheru 7:4) Kubonakala sengathi u-Abrama wakunikela kanye kuphela okweshumi, ekunikela enkosini yaseSalema eyayingumpristi. Abukho ubufakazi obuseBhayibhelini obubonisa ukuthi u-Abrahama noma izingane zakhe zaphinda zanikela okweshumi.

Umuntu wesibili okukhulunywa ngaye eBhayibhelini kuthiwa wanikela okweshumi, umzukulu ka-Abrahama uJakobe. Wathembisa uNkulunkulu ukuthi uma embusisa, ‘wayezonikela okweshumi’ kuYe kwayo yonke into ayitholayo. (Genesise 28:20-22) Ezinye izazi zeBhayibheli zithi cishe uJakobe wanikela okweshumi ngemihlatshelo yezilwane. Njengoba uJakobe ayenze lesi sifungo, akazange athi umndeni wakhe kumelwe ukunikele.

Ngaphansi KoMthetho KaMose

Ama-Israyeli asendulo ayeyalwe ukuba anikele okweshumi njengendlela yokusekela imisebenzi engokwenkolo.

• Okweshumi kwakunikezwa izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele—amaLevi, kanye nabapristi—ezazingenalo izwe elithi zona ezazingalilima. (Numeri 18:20, 21) AmaLevi ayengewona abapristi ayethola okweshumi okwakunikelwa abantu, bese nawo enikela okuhle “kweshumi kwalokho kweshumi” kubapristi.—Numeri 18:26-29.

• Kubonakala sengathi kwakufuneka nokweshumi kwesibili njalo ngonyaka, okwakuzuzisa amaLevi nabantu abangewona amaLevi. (Duteronomi 14:22, 23) Imindeni engama-Israyeli yayisebenzisa leli lungiselelo ngokuqondene nemikhosi ekhethekile, futhi ngeminyaka ethile kwakusetshenziswa ukuze kusizwe abahlwempu.—Duteronomi 14:28, 29; 26:12.

Kwakubalwa kanjani okweshumi? Ama-Israyeli ayebeka eceleni ingxenye yeshumi emkhiqizweni wezwe lawo. (Levitikusi 27:30) Uma ekhetha ukukhokha okweshumi ngemali kunokuba akukhokhe ngomkhiqizo wezwe, kwakumelwe anezele amaphesenti angu-20 kuwo. (Levitikusi 27:31) Ama-Israyeli ayalwa nokuba anikele “okweshumi komhlambi wezinkomo nomhlambi wezimvu nezimbuzi.”—Levitikusi 27:32.

Ukuze abone ukuthi iyiphi imfuyo ayezokhokha ngayo okweshumi, ama-Israyeli ayekhetha ingxenye yeshumi yawo wonke umhlambi. UMthetho wawuthi kwakungamelwe ahlole noma ashintshe izilwane ezazikhethiwe, kwakungamelwe ashintshe nomhlambi wawo wokweshumi ube yimali. (Levitikusi 27:32, 33) Nokho, lokhu kweshumi kwesibili okukhishwa emikhosini yaminyaka yonke kona kwakungashintshwa kube imali. Leli lungiselelo laliwenzela kube lula ama-Israyeli okwakudingeka ahambe ibanga elide uma eyogubha umkhosi.—Duteronomi 14:25, 26.

Ayekukhokha nini okweshumi ama-Israyeli? Ama-Israyeli ayekhokha okweshumi njalo ngonyaka. (Duteronomi 14:22) Nokho, ngonyaka wesikhombisa ayengakukhokhi okweshumi. Lowo nyaka wawuyisabatha, noma unyaka wokuphumula. Ngalowo nyaka, ama-Israyeli ayengalimi. (Levitikusi 25:4, 5) Kuhlonishwa isabatha, kwakungamelwe kukhokhwe okweshumi lapho kuvunwa izivuno. Njalo ngonyaka wesithathu nangowesithupha womjikelezo weSabatha lonyaka wesikhombisa ama-Israyeli ayepha abaswele namaLevi ayempofu lokhu kweshumi.—Duteronomi 14:28, 29.

Uma umuntu ayengakukhokhi okweshumi wayenziwani? UMthetho kaMose wawungasho ukuthi umuntu ongakukhokhi okweshumi kwakufanele enziweni. Ama-Israyeli ayekhokha okweshumi ngoba ayazi ukuthi kwakuyinto efanele, hhayi ngoba ayejeziswa uma engakukhokhanga. Kwakufanele asho phambi kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi akukhokhile okweshumi futhi acele isibusiso kuye uma ayekukhokhile. (Duteronomi 26:12-15) Kwakunjengokungathi ama-Israyeli ayamqola uNkulunkulu lapho engakukhokhi okweshumi.—Malaki 3:8, 9.

Kwakuwumthwalo yini ukukhokha okweshumi? Cha. UNkulunkulu wathembisa isizwe ukuthi uma sasikunikela okweshumi, wayeyothululela isibusiso sakhe kuso singasweli lutho. (Malaki 3:10) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, isizwe sasihlupheka uma singakunikelanga okweshumi. UNkulunkulu wayengasibusisi. Kwakube sekudingeka ukuba abapristi namaLevi bachithe isikhathi sabo befuna umsebenzi ozoxosha ikati eziko bese bengagxili ekusizeni ama-Israyeli ukuba akhonze uNkulunkulu.—Nehemiya 13:10; Malaki 3:7.

Ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni, izikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu zaziphoqekile ukunikela okweshumi. Kodwa lesi sibopho sokunikela okweshumi saphela ngemva kokufa kukaJesu.

Lapho uJesu esaphila

Ezincwadini ezibizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elisha, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ama-Israyeli aqhubeka enikela okweshumi ngesikhathi uJesu esemhlabeni. UJesu wavuma ukuthi wona ayephoqekile ukunikela okweshumi, kodwa wabagxeka abaholi benkolo ababeqiniseka ukuthi bayakunikela okweshumi bebe ‘bengazinaki izindaba zoMthetho ezibaluleke kakhulu, okuwukuthi, ubulungisa nesihe nokwethembeka.’—Mathewu 23:23.

Ngemva kokufa kukaJesu

Ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, akekho okwakusadingeka anikele okweshumi. Umhlatshelo kaJesu wawesula noma wawuqeda uMthetho kaMose, ohlanganisa nomyalo ‘wokuqoqa okweshumi.’—Hebheru 7:5, 18; Efesu 2:13-15; Kolose 2:13, 14.