Yilowo Nalowo Uyohlala Ngaphansi Komkhiwane Wakhe

UMTHUNZI uba yinto eyisidingo kodwa eyivelakancane phakathi nokushisa kwasehlobo emazweni aseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Noma yisiphi isihlahla esiyisivikelo emisebeni yelanga siyafiseleka, ikakhulukazi uma sikhula eduze komuzi womuntu. Ngamaqabunga aso amakhulu nabanzi, namagatsha aso asabalele, umkhiwane unikeza umthunzi ongcono ukudlula cishe owanoma isiphi esinye isihlahla esikhona kule ndawo.

Ngokwencwadi ethi Plants of the Bible, “umthunzi [womkhiwane] kuthiwa uqabula kakhulu futhi uphole kakhulu kunowetende.” Imikhiwane eyayikhula onqenqemeni lwensimu yesivini kwa-Israyeli wasendulo yayiba izindawo ezikahle zokuphumula kwabasebenza emasimini.

Ngemva kokukhandleka phakathi nosuku olushisayo, amalungu omkhaya ayengahlala ngaphansi komkhiwane wawo, futhi ajabulele ubudlelwane obumnandi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, umkhiwane uvuza umnikazi wawo ngenala yezithelo zawo ezinempilo. Ngakho-ke, kusukela esikhathini seNkosi uSolomoni, ukuhlala ngaphansi komkhiwane wakho kwakufanekisela ukuthula, ukuchuma, nokuba nensada.—1 AmaKhosi 4:24, 25.

Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili, umprofethi uMose wachaza iZwe Lesithembiso ngokuthi ‘yizwe lamakhiwane.’ (Duteronomi 8:8) Izinhloli ezingu-12 zaveza ubufakazi bokunotha kwalo ngokuletha amakhiwane nezinye izithelo lapho zibuyela ekamu lama-Israyeli. (Numeri 13:21-23) Ekhulwini le-19, owayehambela amazwe aseBhayibhelini wabika ukuthi umkhiwane wawungesinye sezihlahla ezivame kakhulu. Yingakho nje imiBhalo ikhuluma kaningi ngamakhiwane nemikhiwane!

Isihlahla Esithela Kabili Ngonyaka

Umkhiwane uvuma ezinhlotsheni eziningi zenhlabathi, futhi isimiso sezimpande zawo ezisabalalayo siwenza ukwazi ukukhuthazelela ihlobo elide nelomile laseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Lesi sihlahla asivamile ngokuthi sithela amakhiwane okuqala ngo-June bese sithela isivuno esikhulu ngokuvamile kusukela ngo-August kuye phambili. (Isaya 28:4) Ama-Israyeli ngokuvamile ayedla isivuno sokuqala njengezithelo. Isivuno esilandelayo ayesomisa ukuze asisebenzise kuwo wonke unyaka. Amakhiwane omisiwe ayengase agxishwe enziwe amaqebelengwane ayindilinga, ngezinye izikhathi kufakwe nama-alimondi. La maqebelengwane amakhiwane ayewusizo, enempilo futhi econsisa amathe.

U-Abhigayili, owesifazane ohlakaniphile, wanika uDavide amaqebelengwane enziwe ngamakhiwane agxishiwe angu-200, ngokungangabazeki ecabanga ukuthi ayeyoba ukudla okufanele ababaleki. (1 Samuweli 25:18, 27) Amakhiwane agxishiwe ayebalulekile nasekwelapheni. Umuthi wokuthoba owenziwe ngamakhiwane omisiwe agxishiwe, wasetshenziswa ethumbeni elalisongela ukuphila kweNkosi uHezekiya, nakuba ukululama kwayo okwenzeka kamuva ngokuyinhloko kwabangelwa ukungenela kukaNkulunkulu.a—2 AmaKhosi 20:4-7.

Ezikhathini zasendulo, amakhiwane omisiwe ayaziswa kakhulu kuso sonke isifunda saseMedithera. Isikhulu sikahulumeni uCato sagabisela isiGele SaseRoma ngekhiwane ukuze senze isiGele sivume ukuya eMpini Yesithathu YaseCarthage siyolwa nabantu bakhona. Amakhiwane omiswe kahle eRoma ayevela eCaria, e-Asia Minor. Ngakho, amakhiwane omisiwe abizwa ngokuthi yi-carica ngesiLatini. Indawo efanayo namuhla eyiTurkey isakhiqiza amakhiwane omisiwe ezinga eliphezulu.

Abalimi bakwa-Israyeli ngokuvamile babetshala amakhiwane ezivinini, kodwa babezigawula izihlahla ezingatheli. Njengoba inhlabathi enhle yayintuleka, yayingenakusaphazwa ngezihlahla ezingatheli. Emfanekisweni kaJesu womkhiwane ongatheli, umlimi wathi kumgcini-sivini: “Bheka sekuyiminyaka emithathu ngiza ngifuna isithelo kulo mkhiwane, kodwa angitholanga nesisodwa. Wugawule! Kungani ngempela lo mkhiwane kufanele ugcine umhlabathi ungenamsebenzi?” (Luka 13:6, 7) Njengoba imithi yezithelo yayikhokhelwa intela ngesikhathi sikaJesu, umuthi ongatheli wawuyoba yizindleko ezingadingekile.

Amakhiwane ayebaluleke kakhulu ekudleni kwama-Israyeli. Ngenxa yalokho, isivuno esibi samakhiwane—mhlawumbe esasihambisana nesahlulelo esibi esivela kuJehova—sasisho usizi. (Hoseya 2:12; Amose 4:9) Umprofethi uHabakuki wathi: “Nakuba umkhiwane ungase ungaqhakazi, futhi kungabikho sivuno emivinini; nakuba umsebenzi womnqumo empeleni ungase ubhuntshe, namathala ngokwawo engase angakhiqizi kudla . . . Nokho, mina, ngiyokwethaba ngoJehova ngokwakhe; ngiyojabula ngoNkulunkulu wensindiso yami.”—Habakuki 3:17, 18.

Uphawu Lwesizwe Esingenalukholo

Ngezinye izikhathi imiBhalo isebenzisa amakhiwane noma imikhiwane ngendlela ewumfanekiso. Ngokwesibonelo, uJeremiya waqhathanisa abathunjwa bakwaJuda abathembekile nobhasikidi wamakhiwane amahle, amakhiwane avuthwa kuqala ngokuvamile ayedliwa esemasha. Nokho, abathunjwa abangathembekile babefaniswa namakhiwane amabi, ayengeke adliwe futhi okwakufanele alahlwe.—Jeremiya 24:2, 5, 8, 10.

Emfanekisweni wakhe womkhiwane ongatheli, uJesu wabonisa ukubekezelela kukaNkulunkulu isizwe samaJuda. Njengoba kuphawulwe ngaphambili, wakhuluma ngendoda ethile eyayinomkhiwane esivinini sayo. Lo muthi wawungatheli iminyaka emithathu, futhi umniniwo wayesezowugawula. Kodwa umgcini-sivini wathi: “Nkosi, wuyeke nakulo nyaka, ngize ngimbe emaceleni awo ngifake umquba; uma-ke uthela isithelo esikhathini esizayo, kuhle; kodwa uma ungatheli, uyowugawula.”—Luka 13:8, 9.

Lapho uJesu elandisa lo mfanekiso, wayeseshumayele iminyaka emithathu kakade, ezama ukuhlakulela ukholo emalungwini esizwe sakwaJuda. UJesu waqinisa umsebenzi wakhe, ‘efaka umquba’ emkhiwaneni ongokomfanekiso—isizwe sakwaJuda—ewunika nethuba lokuba ukhiqize izithelo. Nokho, esontweni elandulela ukufa kukaJesu, kwaba sobala ukuthi lesi sizwe sasimphikile uMesiya.—Mathewu 23:37, 38.

UJesu waphinda futhi wasebenzisa umkhiwane ukubonisa isimo sesizwe esibi ngokomoya. Lapho uJesu esendleleni esuka eBhethaniya eya eJerusalema ezinsukwini ezine ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, wabona umkhiwane owawunamaqabunga amaningi kodwa ungenaso nesisodwa isithelo. Njengoba amakhiwane athela kuqala evela kanye namaqabunga—ngezinye izikhathi ngisho nangaphambi kokuhluma kwamaqabunga—ukungabi nazithelo kwalo muthi kwakubonisa ukuthi awunamsebenzi.—Marku 11:13, 14.b

Njengomkhiwane ongatheli owawubonakala uphila, ukubonakala kwangaphandle kwesizwe samaJuda kwakukhohlisa. Kodwa sasingakazitheli izithelo ezithokozisa uNkulunkulu, futhi ekugcineni senqaba iNdodana kaJehova uqobo. UJesu wawuqalekisa umkhiwane ongatheli, futhi ngosuku olulandelayo, abafundi baqaphela ukuthi wawusubunile. Lowo muthi owomile wasimelela kahle isenzo sikaNkulunkulu ayezosenza maduze sokuthi alahle amaJuda angabe esaba abantu bakhe abakhethiwe.—Marku 11:20, 21.

‘Fundani Emkhiwaneni’

UJesu wasebenzisa umkhiwane futhi ukuze afundise isifundo esibalulekile ngokuba khona kwakhe. Wathi: “Fundani leli phuzu emkhiwaneni njengomfanekiso: Ngokushesha nje lapho igatsha lawo elisha lihluma liveza amaqabunga, niyazi ukuthi ihlobo liseduze. Ngokufanayo nani, lapho nibona zonke lezi zinto, yazini ukuthi iseduze, emnyango.” (Mathewu 24:32, 33) Amaqabunga omkhiwane aluhlaza awuphawu olugqamile lwehlobo. Ngokufanayo, isiprofetho esikhulu sikaJesu esilotshwe kuMathewu isahluko 24, kuMarku isahluko 13, nakuLuka isahluko 21 siwubufakazi obusobala bokuba khona kwakhe manje emandleni oMbuso wasezulwini.—Luka 21:29-31.

Njengoba siphila esikhathini esinzima kangaka emlandweni, ngokuqinisekile sifuna ukufunda emkhiwaneni. Uma senza kanjalo futhi sizigcina siphapheme ngokomoya, sinethemba lokubona ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso esihle kakhulu: “Bayohlala, kube yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe, ngeke kube khona obenza bathuthumele; ngoba wona kanye umlomo kaJehova wamabutho ukhulumile.”—Mika 4:4.

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