Ikusasa Lenkolo Uma Kubhekwa Isikhathi Sayo Esidlule

Ingxenye 4—1513-607 B.C.E.—Isizwe Esihlukanisiwe, Esingafani Nazo Zonke Ezinye

KWAKUWUKUZALWA okunika ithemba, kuhambisana nokuduma nokubanika. Isikhathi kwakuwu-1513 B.C.E., futhi indawo kwakuyiNtaba yaseSinayi, endaweni ngalesosikhathi okwakuyiArabiya kodwa namuhla osekuyiGibithe. Kunokuba kube ukuzalwa komuntu, kwakuwukuzalwa kwesizwe!

Esikhathini esingaphansi konyaka ngaphambili, babeye baba umphakathi wezinzalamizi zabantu mhlawumbe abayizigidi ezintathu, ababeyizigqila zombuso wezwe iGibithe. Manje base bengabantu abakhululekile, labo uNkulunkulu wabo ayehlose ukubahlela babe yisizwe—kodwa hhayi nje noma yiluphi uhlobo lwesizwe. Babezoba isizwe esihlukanisiwe, esingafani nanoma yisiphi esake saba khona ngaphambili noma esasiyoke sibe khona futhi.

‘ISonto NoMbuso’—Kodwa Okwehlukile

Umzamo kaNimrode wokuhlanganisa inkolo nohulumeni wawuphele ngenhlekelele. Manje okwase kwenzeka eNtabeni iSinayi ngezindlela ezithile kwakuwukuhlangana okufanayo. Ingabe kwakuyophumelela?

Isizwe sidinga imithetho. Ngakho amaIsrayeli anikezwa imithetho eyishumi eyisisekelo, eyaziwa ngokuvamile ngokuthi iMithetho Eyishumi, kanye nezimiso ezengeziwe ezingama-600 noma ngaphezulu. (Eksodusi 20:1-17) Kwakuwumthetho owawusekelwe emaqinisweni ayisisekelo ayelokhu esebenza enkolweni yeqiniso, nasasebenza, ngisho nasekhulwini lethu leminyaka lama-20.

Ingabe lemithetho yayisekelwe eMthethweni kaHammurabi owawusukhona kakade? Abanye abantu bangacabanga kanjalo, njengoba uHammurabi, inkosi yohlu lokuqala lwamakhosi aseBabiloni, abusa isikhathi esingaphezulu impela kwekhulu leminyaka nengxenye ngaphambi kokuba uIsrayeli abe isizwe. Ngo-1902 umthetho wakhe watholwa ukopishelwe etsheni lesikhumbuzo ekuqaleni elalisethempelini likaMerodaki eBabiloni. Nokho, incwadi ethi Documents From Old Testament Times iphetha ngokuthi: “Naphezu kokufana okuningi, akukho sisekelo sokucabangela ukuthi amaHeberu aboleka kwabaseBabiloni. Ngisho nalapho lemithetho emibili ihluka kancane emqondweni, ihluke kakhulu enjongweni.”

Yileyondlela kuphela lesisizwe esasiyohluka ngayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ekuqaleni sasingeke sibe nombusi ongumuntu. Sasiyoqondiswa iNkosi engabonakali emazulwini, kanjalo kwenze lesisizwe sihluke ngempela, singafani nazo zonke ezinye. Akuzange kuqaliswe uhlu lwamakhosi angabantu kwaze kwaba iminyaka ecishe ibe ngama-400 kamuva. Kodwa ngisho nangalesosikhathi, lesisizwe sasihlukile. Inkosi yaso ayizange izisholo ukuthi inguNkulunkulu noma inzalo kaNkulunkulu njengoba, ngokwesibonelo, kwenza oFaro baseGibithe. Amakhosi akwaIsrayeli ayemane nje ahlale “esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova” ngendlela yokummelela.—1 IziKronike 29:23.

Imisebenzi kahulumeni wakwaIsrayeli, ehilela izinqubo zokushaya umthetho, ukwahlulela, nokuphatha, zingasikhumbuza ohulumeni abathile namuhla. Kodwa futhi, kwakukhona umehluko omkhulu. UIsaya 33:22 uyachaza: “Ngokuba uJehova ungumahluleli wethu [umnyango wokwahlulela], uJehova ungumenzi wemithetho yethu [isishayamthetho], uJehova uyinkosi yethu [umphathi].” Yonke imisebenzi emithathu kahulumeni yayihlanganisiwe kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli. Amakhosi alesisizwe, abahluleli baso, noma abapristi baso babengeke babe ngamakhosi ngokuphelele. Bonke babeboshwe imithetho neziqondiso zikaNkulunkulu ababemmelele, ngokungafani neze nobushiqela bamadoda anamuhla ezombangazwe nawezenkolo.

Ngakho, lapho ukuhlanganiswa kweSonto noMbuso osukwini lukaNimrode kwakuwukuhlanganiswa kukahulumeni wabantu nenkolo yamanga, okwenzeka eNtabeni yaseSinayi kwakuwukuhlanganiswa kukahulumeni waphezulu kanye nenkolo yeqiniso. Lokhu kwaqinisekisa imiphumela engcono.

Izenzo Zokuxubanisa Izinkolo Zazinqatshelwe

Ukuntula ukholo kwaphumela ekuzuleni kwamaIsrayeli ehlane iminyaka engama-40. Manje, ngo-1473 B.C.E., ekugcineni esezongena eKhanani, izwe uNkulunkulu wawo ayewathembise lona, akhunjuzwa ngesibopho sawo sokubonisa inkazimulo yakhe njengesizwe esihlukaniselwe inkonzo yakhe. Kwakungamelwe kube khona buhlobo namaKhanani. Lokho kuchaza lokho enye incwadi ekubiza ngokuthi “ubutha babo komakhelwane babo abangamkhulekeli uYahveh, nokuphikelela ekutheni uYahveh uhlukile.”

‘Kodwa ake ume kancane,’ omunye angase aphikise, ‘kungani kwakunalokhu kungabekezeli? Kungenzeka ukuthi amaKhanani ayeqotho ngempela. Ngaphandle kwalokho, ingabe izinkolo zonke azimane yini ziyizindlela ezihlukahlukene zokuya kuNkulunkulu oyedwa?’ Ngaphambi kokuba sivume, khumbula imiphumela emibi eyazwiwa abantu abathile emhlabeni ogcwele ubudlwangudlwangu ngaphambi kukaZamcolo, ezinsukwini zikaNimrode zokwakha umbhoshongo, nasesimweni saseGibithe sokukhulekela onkulunkulu abaningi. Abanye balabantu nabo ngokunokwenzeka babeqotho, kodwa lokhu akubasindisanga ekuvuneni imiphumela yokuqhuba inkolo ngokusobala eyayingamukeleki kuMdali wabo. Ingabe inkolo yaseKhanani yayiyimbi njengoba zazinjalo lezi ezinye? Cabangela amaqiniso embulwe ebhokisini elithi “Inkolo EKhanani—Kwakungeyeqiniso Noma Kwakungeyamanga?” ekhasini 20 bese uzinqumela.

Ukuba Manqikanqika Phakathi Kwezinhlangothi Ezimbili

Ngemva kokungena eZweni Lesithembiso, uJoshuwa, owalandela uMose, wahola ekulweni nenkolo yamanga. Kodwa ngemva kokufa kwakhe, amaIsrayeli ayeka ukuqhubeka, nokudla izwe. Aqalisa isimiso sokubekezela sokuhlalisana. Lokhu akuwasizanga. AmaKhanani afana nameva ezinhlangothini zawo, ewahlupha njalo, ngokuphindaphindiwe ewabangela ukuba achezuke enkolweni yeqiniso.—Numeri 33:55; AbAhluleli 2:20-22.

Eminyakeni engaba ngama-300 ngemva kwalokho, kwavela abahluleli abayi-12 ababemiswe ngokwaphezulu ngezikhathi ezithile ukuba bakhulule amaIsrayeli ahlehlayo ebugqilini benkolo yamanga. Laba bahlanganisa amadoda aziwayo anjengoBaraki, uGideyoni, uJefta, noSamsoni.

Khona-ke, ngo-1117 B.C.E., kwenzeka ushintsho olukhulu esimweni sikahulumeni lapho uSawule ebekwa esihlalweni sobukhosi njengenkosi kaIsrayeli yokuqala engumuntu. Walandelwa uDavide esihlalweni sobukhosi, ekugcineni owanqoba zonke izitha zikaIsrayeli ezaziseZweni Lesithembiso, andisela isizwe emingceleni yaso emiswe ngokwaphezulu. Phakathi nokubusa kwendodana yakhe uSolomoni, isizwe sakwaIsrayeli safinyelela izinga laso eliphakeme lenkazimulo, sijabulela ukuchuma okwasehlukanisa kubo bonke omakhelwane baso.

Kodwa ekufeni kukaSolomoni, ngo-998 B.C.E. noma ngo-997 B.C.E., inhlekele yagadla. Isizwe sahlukana phakathi. Ngemva kwalokho izizwe eziyishumi ezaya enyakatho zaziwa ngokuthi uIsrayeli, izizwe ezimbili zakwaJuda noBenjamini zaseningizimu zaziwa ngokuthi uJuda. Nakuba ayethi amelele uNkulunkulu weqiniso, ayikho emakhosini ayi-19 alandela ombuso wasenyakatho, singambali uThibini, eyaqhuba inkolo yeqiniso. (1 AmaKhosi 16:21, 22) Kwakunjengokungathi ayenqikaza phakathi kwezinhlangothi ezimbili, isimo esaholela emiphumeleni engathi sína ezinsukwini zenkosi uAhabi. Bheka awo-1 AmaKhosi 18:19-40.) Eyayingengathi sína nangaphezulu kwakuyimiphumela ngo-740 B.C.E., lapho uIsrayeli egumbuqelwa ama-Asiriya.

Ngalesosikhathi, emakhosini akwaJuda ayi-19 kusukela endodaneni kaSolomoni uRehobowamu, ambalwa kuphela aqhuba ukukhulekela kweqiniso. Njengoba isizwe sasintengantenga phakathi kwamakhosi amahle namabi, kanjalo nabantu baso bantengantenga phakathi kwenkolo yeqiniso neyamanga. Izimfundiso zenkolo ezingamanga nemikhuba elulazayo kwezizwe ezingomakhelwane, kuhlanganise nokukhulekelwa kukaBali, kwabonakala ngokwandayo emakhaya abantu baso. Njengoba lezizici “zazingena zijula okholweni lwamaIsrayeli,” kusho iThe New Encyclopœdia Britannica, “abantu baqala ukulahlekelwa umqondo wokwehluka kwabo nokuthunywa kwabo kokuba babe ubufakazi ezizweni.” Lokhu kwabangela ukuwohloka kwesizwe.

Ngokusobala, umyalo wokuhlala ehlukile kumaKhanani wawuklanyelwe ukuvikela amaIsrayeli nokulondoloza ubumsulwa bokukhulekela kwawo. Njengesizwe esiqhuba inkolo yeqiniso, kwakumelwe ahluke ngokuphelele kulezo ezazingayiqhubi. Kodwa ayezamazama njalo. Ekugcineni, ngo-607 B.C.E., iJerusalema labhujiswa abaseBabiloni, futhi izakhamuzi zalo ezasinda zathunjwa. Iminyaka engama-70 ezwa imiphumela ebuhlungu yokulahla inkolo yeqiniso. IBabiloni, indawo yokuzalwa yenkolo yamanga yangemva kukaZamcolo, yayisisinqobile isizwe esihlukanisiwe, esingafani nazo zonke ezinye.

Okudingekayo—UMbusi Ophumelelayo

Uma nje amaIsrayeli ayesaqhuba inkolo yeqiniso, ayejabulela ukuthula nokulondeka. Ukuhlanganiswa kukahulumeni waphezulu nenkolo yeqiniso kwawalethela izinzuzo zalo lonke uhlobo. Nokho impumelelo yayilinganiselwe. Uma ukuthula nokulondeka okwajatshulelwa isikhathi esilinganiselwe isizwe esisodwa kwakuzofinyelelwa ngokugcwele ezizweni zonke, kwakudingeka okwengeziwe. Umbusi—othile onamandla okwakha uhulumeni wokulunga nenkolo yeqiniso ukuze kufinyelelwe impumelelo egcwele—wayedingeka kakhulu. Kwakungaba yini noma ngubani?

Eminyakeni engama-250 ngemva kokuwa kweJerusalema, kwazalwa umuntu othile lowo, nakuba aphila isikhathi esifushane, owayezozakhela igama yena kanye nesizwe sakubo. Wayezofinyelela eBabiloni naseGibithe futhi, lapho ayezodunyiswa khona njengomkhululi omkhulu. Ngaye iThe New Encyclopœdia Britannica, ngosizo lolwazi ngezenzakalo ezidlule, yayizosho lokhu eminyakeni engamakhulu angama-23 kamuva: “Akuwona amanga ukusho ukuthi umbuso waseRoma, [no]kwanda kobuKristu njengenkolo yomhlaba . . . konke ngezinga elithile kwakuyizithelo zemisebenzi [yakhe].”

Ingabe lombusi womhlaba ovelele wayeyobonakala eyilokho okudingekayo? Ingxenye yethu elandelayo ethi, “Onkulunkulu Bamanga Abangalufanele Udumo,” izophendula.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 19]

“Ukuwohloka kwesizwe kuqala emakhaya abantu baso.” IsiAshanti Isaga (saseGhana)

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 20]

Inkolo EKhanani—Kwakungeyeqiniso Noma Kwakungeyamanga?

“Imivubukulo ePalestina iye yembula imifanekiso eminingi kakhulu ka-A[starte] engazo zonke izimo; . . . eminingi yayo iyimifanekiso emincane, engaphucukile okubonisa ukuthi lonkulunkulukazi ngokuyinhloko wayesetshenziswa ekukhulekeleni kwasemakhaya, mhlawumbe wayegqokwa abesifazane emizimbeni yabo noma abekwe engosini ethile endlini. . . . Izinkolo ezivusa inkanuko zika-A[starte] noBali zazikhanga kubantu abavamile. Yiqiniso, ukulimala okungathi sína kwakungenakuvinjelwa; ukuhlanekezelwa kobulili kuhlonishwa unkulunkulu, inkanuko, nenjabulo egcwele amadlingozi kwaba yingxenye yokukhulekela futhi kamuva kwangena emakhaya.”—Calwer Bibellexikon (ISichazamazwi SeBhayibheli SikaCalwer).

“Imigidingo yenkolo yaba yimikhosi elulazekile yokudunyiswa kwesimo somuntu sobulwane. Ngisho nababhali bamaGreki nabamaRoma bashaqeka ngezinto amaKhanani ayezenza egameni lenkolo.”—The Lion Encyclopedia of the Bible.

“Ngokuphathelene nemikhuba yamaKhanani yenkolo, ukunikela ngabantwana kuzophawulwa lapha kuphela, ngoba imivubukulo iye yakufakazela lokhu ngokuqondile. EGezeri naseMegido, indlela izidumbu zabantwana ezingcwatswe ngayo ezindongeni . . . iwufakazela ngokungenakuphikiswa . . . lomkhuba.”—Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft (ISayensi YeTestamente Elidala).

“Akukaze kutholakale kwelinye izwe inani elikhulu kangaka uma kuqhathaniswa lezithombe ezincane zonkulunkulukazi bokuzala, ezinye eziyichilo ngokucacile. Akukho lapho inkolo yezinyoka ivela khona ngamandla kangaka. . . . Izifebe ezingcwele nabapristi abangabathenwa kwakuvame ngokweqile. Ukunikela ngabantu kwakwaziwa kakhulu . . . Ngokufanelekile, ukwenyanya okwakuzwiwa abalandeli bakaNkulunkulu uYHWH lapho bebhekene nokukhulekela izithombe kwamaKhanani, kulula kakhulu ukukuqonda.”—Recent Discoveries in Bible Lands.

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Izithombe zikankulunkulu uBali, okukhonzwa kwakhe kwabangela ukuba amaIsrayeli achezuke ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso

[Umthombo]

Louvre Museum, Paris