Imifanekiso Evela EZweni Lesithembiso

IBashani—Umthombo Ovundile

LAPHO ufunda iBhayibheli, awukaze yini uhlangane namagama ezindawo eziningi ongenakukwazi ukuba nombono wazo? Phakathi noMay noJune, oFakazi BakaJehova bayofunda uMika kuya kuZakariya. Ekulandeleni lesimiso, uyothola kukhulunywa ngeBashani emiBhalweni emithathu. (Mika 7:14; Nahume 1:4; Zakariya 11:2) Leyo kanye namanye amavesi athakazelisayo ayosho okwengeziwe uma ungabona iBashani ngeso lakho lengqondo.

Lalikuphi iBashani? Phela, ngokuvamile ungayihlanganisa neziNtaba zaseGolani, okungenzeka wake wazibona emabalazweni amaphephandaba. IBashani lalisempumalanga yakho kokubili uLwandle lwaseGalile kanye nesiGodi esiphezulu saseJordani. Ngokuyisisekelo laliqala eMfuleni iYarmuk (ingxenye yomngcele wanamuhla ophakathi kweJordani neSiriya) ongasenyakatho lize liyofika eNtabeni iHermoni.

Ngaphambi kokuba amaIsrayeli asendulo angene eZweni Lesithembiso, kwakumelwe anqobe impi yamaKhanani ka-Ogi omkhulu, inkosi yaseBashani. Ngemva kwalokho, ingxenye enkulu yeBashani yahlalwa isizwe sakwaManase. (Duteronomi 3:1-7, 11, 13; Numeri 32:33; 34:14) Yayinjani lendawo engokweBhayibheli? Nakuba yayinamahlathi ezindaweni zayo ezinezintaba, ingxenye enkulu yaseBashani yayiyithafa, izwe eliphakeme eliyithafa.

Ezicini eziningi iBashani laliyisifunda esikhiqiza okusanhlamvu. Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi sonke isifunda sasembozwe amadlelo amahle. (Jeremiya 50:19) Izithombe ezihambisana nalesihloko zingase zikukhumbuze okunye ukubhekisela kweBhayibheli eBashani.a Abaningi baye bafunda ‘ngezinkunzi zaseBashani.’ (IHubo 22:12) Yebo, ezikhathini zasendulo lesifunda sasidume ngezinkomo zaso, kuhlanganise nezinkunzi ezincane ezinamandla. Kodwa nenye imfuyo yayichuma lapha, njengezimvu nezimbuzi ezazinezela emkhiqizweni ocebile wobisi nebhotela.—Duteronomi 32:14.

Ungase uzibuze ukuthi yini eyaholela ekuvundeni okungaka eBashani, njengoba lalisempumalanga neJordani endaweni abaningi abayicabangela njengeyomile. Iqiniso liwukuthi, amagquma aseGalile engasentshonalanga aphansi, ngakho amafu avela eMedithera ayedlula phezu kwawo futhi alethe imvula eningi eBashani. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakuza umswakama owawuvela eNtabeni iHermoni. Cabanga ngomphumela lapho lowomswakama oyigugu uhlangana nenhlabathi evundile yentaba-mlilo etholakala eBashani! Leyondawo yayikhiqiza inala kakolo. Ngaphambili kakhulu kokuba libe isifunda samaRoma esikhiqiza kakhulu ukolo, iBashani lalikhiqizela uSolomoni nabendlu yakhe ukudla. Khona-ke, kwakungesizathu esihle ukuthi ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lokukhulula abantu bakhe kamuva kwakungakhulunywa ngalo ngalendlela: “Mazaluke eBashani nakwaGileyadi njengasezinsukwini zasendulo.”—Mika 7:14; 1 AmaKhosi 4:7, 13.

Wazi ngaleyonala, ungayiqonda incazelo ehlabayo kaNahume ngalokho okwakuyolethwa intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu: “IBashani liyawuma kanye neKarmeli, [amagquma aluhlaza eduze noLwandle Olukhulu] nezimbali zaseLebanoni ziyabuna.”—Nahume 1:4b.

Lokhu kuhlolisisa iBashani kungakusiza ukuba ube nombono kalula ngokwengeziwe wezinye futhi izindawo ezicashile eBhayibhelini. Ngokwesibonelo, wake wafunda ngokuvunwa kukakolo, njengamabele akhula kakhulu eBashani. Ukuvunwa kwamabele kwakwenziwa ezinyangeni ezifudumele zikaIyyar noSivan (ngokwekhalenda lesiJuda, zihambelana nokuphela kuka-April, noMay, kanye nasekuqaleni kukaJune). Phakathi nalesikhathi, kwakuba khona uMkhosi Wamasonto (iPentekoste). Njengengxenye yakho, ulibo lwesivuno samabele lwalunikelwa, kunikelwe nezimvu, izinqama, nezinkunzi. Ingabe izilwane zazilethwa zivela eBashani?—Eksodusi 34:22; Levitikusi 23:15-18.

Ngesikhathi sokuvuna izisebenzi zazisika izinhlanga zamabele ngesikela eligobile njengalelo elenziwe ngensimbi elibonakala lapha, elingenawo umphini wokhuni. (Duteronomi 16:9, 10; 23:25) Ngalesosikhathi izinhlanga zazibuthwa futhi zibekwe esibuyeni, lapho zazibhulwa khona ngesibhulo sokhuni (esifakwe amatshe ngaphansi) ukuze kukhishwe izinhlamvu eziyimbewu. (Ruthe 2:2-7, 23; 3:3, 6; Isaya 41:15) Lapho ubheka isithombe salokhu, esithathwe eziNtabeni zaseGolani, ungase ukhumbule umthetho kaNkulunkulu onengqondo: “Ungayifaki inkabi isifonyo, nxa ibhula.”—Duteronomi 25:4; 1 Korinte 9:9.

Ekugcineni, khumbula ukuthi iBashani lasendulo lalinezindawo zamahlathi aminyene, imithi eminingi ingama-oki amakhulu, njengoba kubonisiwe. Abantu basePhoenicia babenza amaphini ngokhuni lwe-oki oluqinile oluvela eBashani. (Hezekeli 27:6) Nokho, ngisho ‘nemithi emikhulu yaseBashani, ihlathi elingenakudatshulwa,’ yayingenakumelana nentukuthelo ebonakaliswa uJehova. (Zakariya 11:2; Isaya 2:13) Ukubona imithi enjalo nakho kwenza kube lula ukuba nombono wokuthi kungani amahlathi anjalo ayengase abe inkinga empini ebalekayo. Ngisho nomgibeli wehhashi oyedwa wayengabhajwa emagatsheni, njengoba kwaba njalo ngoAbsalomu kwenye indawo.—2 Samuweli 18:8, 9.

Singabona ukuthi ngisho nakuba iBashani liyisifunda seZwe Lesithembiso lapho kungazange kwenzeke khona izenzakalo eziningi ezingokweBhayibheli, izinto ezikulo zithuthukisa ukufunda kwethu iBhayibheli.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 17]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

Inset: Badè Institute of Biblical Archaeology

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.