‘Isenzakalo Esingumfanekiso’ Esibalulekile Kithi

YEKA ukuthi bekuyoba nzima kanjani ukukuqonda ngokugcwele okushiwo izindinyana ezithile zemiBhalo ukube bezingakhanyiswanga ezinye izingxenye zeBhayibheli! Izindaba eziseZwini likaNkulunkulu zingafundwa njengoba zinjalo. Kodwa ezinye zazo ziqukethe amaqiniso ajule kakhudlwana angenakuqondwa ngokufunda nje. Esinye sezibonelo zalokhu indaba yabesifazane ababili bendlu yenzalamizi u-Abrahama. Umphostoli uPawulu wayibiza ngokuthi ‘isenzakalo esingumfanekiso.’—Galathiya 4:24.

Lesi senzakalo siyakufanelekela ukuba sisinakisise ngoba izigigaba ezikuso zibaluleke kakhulu kubo bonke abafuna ukubusiswa uJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngaphambi kokuhlola ukuthi kungani kunjalo, ake sicabangele izimo ezashukumisela uPawulu ukuba asembulele okushiwo yilesi senzakalo.

Kwakunenkinga phakathi kwamaKristu aseGalathiya ekhulu lokuqala. Amanye ‘ayegcina ngokucophelela izinsuku nezinyanga nezinkathi neminyaka’—izinto ezaziyalwe uMthetho KaMose. Ayethi kwakudingeka ukuba amakholwa agcine uMthetho ukuze uNkulunkulu awabonise umusa. (Galathiya 4:10; 5:2, 3) Nokho, uPawulu wayazi ukuthi kwakungadingekile ukuba amaKristu awugcine uMthetho. Ukuze afakazele lokhu, wabhekisela endabeni bonke ababenesizinda sobuJuda ababeyazi.

UPawulu wakhumbuza abaseGalathiya ukuthi u-Abrahama, uyise wesizwe samaJuda, wazala u-Ishmayeli no-Isaka. U-Ishmayeli wazalwa incekukazi uHagari, kwathi u-Isaka wazalwa owesifazane okhululekile uSara. Akungabazeki ukuthi abaseGalathiya ababegqugquzela ukuba kugcinwe uMthetho KaMose babazi ukuthi uSara wayeyinyumba ekuqaleni, beyazi nendaba yokunika kwakhe u-Abrahama incekukazi yakhe uHagari ukuze imzalele umntwana. Kumelwe ukuba babazi ukuthi ngemva kokuba uHagari ekhulelwe u-Ishmayeli, wayidelela indlovukazi yakhe, uSara. Nokho, ngokuvumelana nesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, uSara wagcina ethole u-Isaka esegugile. Kamuva, u-Abrahama wabamukisa oHagari no-Ishmayeli ngoba u-Ishmayeli wahlukumeza u-Isaka.—Genesise 16:1-4; 17:15-17; 21:1-14; Galathiya 4:22, 23.

Abesifazane Ababili, Izivumelwano Ezimbili

UPawulu wazichaza izici zalesi “senzakalo esingumfanekiso.” Wabhala: “Laba besifazane basho izivumelwano ezimbili, esinye esaseNtabeni iSinayi, esizala abantwana bobugqila, futhi singuHagari. . . . Uhambelana neJerusalema lanamuhla, ngoba lisebugqileni nabantwana balo.” (Galathiya 4:24, 25) UHagari umelela u-Israyeli ongokwenyama, onenhloko-dolobha eyiJerusalema. Isizwe samaJuda sasiboshelwe kuJehova ngesivumelwano soMthetho esamiswa eNtabeni YaseSinayi. Ngaphansi kwesivumelwano soMthetho, ama-Israyeli ayekhunjuzwa njalo ukuthi ayeyizigqila zesono futhi adinga ukuhlengwa.—Jeremiya 31:31, 32; Roma 7:14-24.

Obani-ke abafanekiselwa “owesifazane okhululekile” uSara nendodana yakhe, u-Isaka? UPawulu wabonisa ukuthi uSara, ‘owesifazane oyinyumba,’ wayefanekisela umfazi kaNkulunkulu, ingxenye yenhlangano yakhe esezulwini. Lona wesifazane wasezulwini wayeyinyumba ngoba ngaphambi kokuba uJesu eze wayengenabo “abantwana” abagcotshwe ngomoya emhlabeni. (Galathiya 4:27; Isaya 54:1-6) Nokho, ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E., kwathululwa umoya ongcwele phezu kweqembu lamadoda nabesifazane ababe sebezalwa kabusha njengabantwana balona wesifazane wasezulwini. Abantwana abazalwa yile nhlangano babe sebemukelwa njengamadodana kaNkulunkulu okutholwa futhi baba izindlalifa ezikanye noJesu Kristu ngaphansi kwesivumelwano esisha. (Roma 8:15-17) Omunye walaba bantwana, umphostoli uPawulu, wayengabhala: “IJerusalema eliphezulu likhululekile, futhi lingumama wethu.”—Galathiya 4:26.

Abantwana Balaba Besifazane

IBhayibheli lithi u-Ishmayeli washushisa u-Isaka. Ngendlela efanayo, phakathi nekhulu lokuqala C.E., abantwana beJerusalema elisebugqileni bagcona futhi bashushisa abantwana beJerusalema eliphezulu. UPawulu wachaza: “Njengoba nje ngaleso sikhathi owazalwa ngendlela yenyama [u-Ishmayeli] aqala ukushushisa owazalwa ngendlela yomoya [u-Isaka], kunjalo namanje.” (Galathiya 4:29) Ngesikhathi uJesu Kristu evela emhlabeni futhi eqala ukumemezela uMbuso, abaholi benkolo yobuJuda baziphatha ngendlela u-Ishmayeli, indodana kaHagari, ayemphathe ngayo u-Isaka, indlalifa efanele ka-Abrahama. Bamgcona futhi bamshushisa uJesu Kristu, ngokusobala bezibheka bona njengendlalifa ka-Abrahama esemthethweni futhi bebheka uJesu njengogxambukelayo.

Ngaphambi nje kokuba ababusi baka-Israyeli wemvelo bambulale, uJesu wathi: “Jerusalema, Jerusalema, mbulali wabaprofethi nomkhandi ngamatshe walabo abathunyelwe kuye,—yeka ukuthi kukaningi kangakanani ngifuna ukubuthela abantwana bakho ndawonye, ngendlela isikhukukazi esibuthela ngayo amatshwele aso ndawonye ngaphansi kwamaphiko aso! Kodwa anifunanga. Bhekani! Indlu yenu ishiywa nani.”—Mathewu 23:37, 38.

Umbhalo ophefumulelwe wezenzakalo zekhulu lokuqala leminyaka ubonisa ukuthi isizwe senyama esasimelelwa uHagari ngokwaso asizange siveze amadodana ayezoba izindlalifa kanye noJesu. AmaJuda lawo ngokuziqhenya ayekholelwa ukuthi anelungelo lokuthola lelo fa ngenxa yozalo axoshwa, uJehova wawala. Yebo, akhona ama-Israyeli emvelo aba izindlalifa kanye noKristu. Nokho, anikwa lelo lungelo ngesisekelo sokholo lwawo kuJesu, hhayi ngenxa yozalo.

Ukuthi zingobani eziningana zalezo zindlalifa ezikanye noKristu, kwabonakala ngePhentekoste lika-33 C.E. Njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, uJehova wagcoba nabanye njengamadodana eJerusalema eliphezulu.

Injongo kaPawulu yokuchaza lesi “senzakalo esingumfanekiso” yayiwukubonisa ukuthi isivumelwano esisha sasiphakeme kunesivumelwano soMthetho uMose ayengumlamuleli waso. Akekho owayengathola umusa kaNkulunkulu ngemisebenzi yoMthetho KaMose, ngoba bonke abantu banesono futhi uMthetho wamane waqokomisa ukuba kwabo izigqila zaso. Noma kunjalo, njengoba uPawulu achaza, uJesu weza ukuze ‘abakhulule ngokubathenga labo abangaphansi komthetho.’ (Galathiya 4:4, 5) Ngakho, ukuba nokholo enanini lomhlatshelo kaKristu kwaholela ekukhululweni ekulahlweni uMthetho.—Galathiya 5:1-6.

Ukubaluleka Kwaso Kithi

Kungani kufanele sibe nesithakazelo encazelweni ephefumulelwe kaPawulu ngalesi senzakalo? Esinye isizathu siwukuthi isenza siqonde incazelo yemiBhalo eyayiyohlala ingaziwa. Le ncazelo isenza siqiniseke ngokwengeziwe ngobunye nangokuvumelana kweBhayibheli.—1 Thesalonika 2:13.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, izigigaba ezifanekiselwa yilesi senzakalo zibalulekile enjabulweni yethu yesikhathi esizayo. Ukube “amadodana” ayengazange avele ngokwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu, sasiyohlale siyizigqila zesono nokufa, singenalo ithemba. Nokho, ngaphansi kokuqondisa kothando kukaKristu nezindlalifa ezikanye naye zesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ku-Abrahama, ‘zonke izizwe zomhlaba ngokuqinisekile ziyozibusisa.’ (Genesise 22:18) Lokhu kuyokwenzeka lapho sezikhululwe unomphela emiphumeleni yesono, ewukungapheleli, ukudabuka nokufa. (Isaya 25:8, 9) Yeka ukuthi kuyoba isikhathi esijabulisa kangakanani!

[Isithombe ekhasini 11]

Isivumelwano soMthetho samiswa eNtabeni iSinayi

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Isithombe ekhasini 12]

Sisho ukuthini ‘isenzakalo esingumfanekiso’ umphostoli uPawulu akhuluma ngaso?