UEksodusi—Ukusuka Ekugqilazweni Kuya Ohlelweni Olungokwasezulwini

UJEHOVA wakuzwa ukukhala kwabo njenge“zigqila ngaphansi kokuhlushwa (NW).” Kwakuyisikhathi sokuthatha isinyathelo, futhi wenza kanjalo njengoMkhululi wabo onguSomandla. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wamisa abantu bakhe abakhethiwe njengeNhlangano ehleleke kahle.

Lokhu, ngokoqobo, kuwumlando ovusa amadlingozi ongawuthola encwadini yeBhayibheli kaEksodusi. Yabhalwa umprofethi ongumHeberu uMose, ikhuluma ngokuhlangenwe nakho kwamaIsrayeli kusukela ngo-1657 kuya ku-1512 B.C.E. Izimangaliso ezimangazayo nemithetho ephakeme kuphakathi kwezici zencwadi ezihlaba umxhwele.

Kodwa ingabe uEksodusi unenjongo yoqobo ekhulwini lama-20? Ngempela unayo, njengoba ukuhlolisisa kwethu kafushane kuzobonisa.

Ukufinyezwa kuka-Eksodusi

Njengezakhamizi eGibithe, izizukulwane zikaJakobe zanda ngokushesha kwaze kwathi ngegunya lobukhosi zenziwa “izigqila ngaphansi kokuhlushwa.” UFaro uze amemezele ukuba kubulawe bonke abantwana besilisa bamaIsrayeli. Osinda ekufeni okunjalo umntwana umama wakhe ambeka ukuba antante phezu kweNayili phakathi kwebhokisi. Indodakazi kaFaro iyamthola futhi iyamthatha umntwana abe ngowayo, imetha ngokuthi uMose, okusho ukuthi “ngamkhipha emanzini.” Nakuba ekhuliswa endlini yobukhosi, lapho eneminyaka engama-40 uMose uthatha uhlangothi lwabantu bakubo abacindezelwayo, ubulala umGibithe. Ephoqelelekile ukuba abaleke, uya eMidiyani, lapho uyaganwa futhi uba umelusi. Ngalesikhathi uFaro uyafa, kodwa omunye uFaro uhlupha amaIsrayeli. Ngesikhathi esifanele uNkulunkulu uzwa ukukhala kwawo efuna usizo.—Eksodusi 1:1–2:25.

Ngolunye usuku uMose ubona isihlahla esivuthayo kodwa, ngokumangalisayo, asishi. Ngengelosi uJehova umthuma ukuba abuyele eGibithe futhi akhiphe amaIsrayeli ebugqilini bonya. UNkulunkulu ukhetha umfowabo uAroni ukuba abe umkhulumeli wakhe.—Eksodusi 3:1–4:31.

UMose noAroni baphambi kukaFaro, bacela ukuba amaIsrayeli avunyelwe ukuba enzele uJehova umkhosi ehlane. Umbusi waseGibithe ngokweyisa uyenqaba, kodwa ngalesosikhathi uJehova uthatha isinyathelo sokuzenzela igama. UFaro oqhoshayo nabalumbi bakhe ngempela abalingani noMose, uJehova amsebenzisayo ukuba alethe izinhlupheko ezinamandla. Ngisho nangemva kwezishayo eziyisishiyagalolunye, nokho, ukugqilaza kwabaseGibithe kusaqhubeka!—Eksodusi 5:1–10:29.

Ngaphambi kwesishayo se-10, uJehova uyala amaIsrayeli ukuba agubhe “iphasika.” NgoNisan 10, athatha iwundlu noma izinyane umuzi ngamunye. Isilwane siyabulawa ngoNisan 14 futhi igazi laso lifafazwa ensikeni yomnyango nasekhothameni lezindlu zawo. Ayalosa bese elidla ngemva kokushona kwelanga, kanye nemifino ebabayo nesinkwa esingenamvubelo. Lapho yonke imikhaya ingaphakathi, cishe phakathi kwamabili ingelosi kaJehova idabula ezweni kodwa idlula kuwo wonke amakhaya amaIsrayeli. Inhlupheko ye-10 iyashaya. Ukufa kwehlela wonke amazibulo aseGibithe, kuhlanganise nendodana yokuqala kaFaro. Kulokhu uvumela amaIsrayeli ukuba ahambe.—Eksodusi 11:1–12:36.

Nokho, ngokushesha, umcindezeli ongumGibithe nempi yakhe uyawalandela ngentukuthelo. Kodwa uJehova uyawasindisa ngokuvula umhubhe phakathi noLwandle Olubomvu. Khona-ke, lapho amaIsrayeli engakolunye uhlangothi ngokulondekile, uJehova ubangela ukuba ulwandle lubuye phezu kukaFaro nempi yakhe, lubaminzisa bonke. Yeka indlela yokwazi uJehova namandla akhe asabekayo!—Eksodusi 12:37–15:21.

Ukusuka lapho kuya eNtabeni iSinayi eArabiya amaIsrayeli ngokuphindiwe afunda okuningi ngoJehova, njengoba enza amanzi ababayo abe mnandi, unikeza izigwaca eziningi, futhi ulungiselela ukudla okunambithekayo okuthiwa imana. Enyangeni yabo yesithathu ngemva kokukhululwa ebugqilini baseGibithe, bamisa amathende phansi kweNtaba iSinayi. Lapho bathola imithetho kaNkulunkulu, kuhlanganise “IMiyalelo Eyishumi” (IMithetho Eyishumi), futhi bangena esivumelwaneni noJehova, uMkhululi wabo onguSomandla.—Eksodusi 15:22–24:18; Duteronomi 4:13.

UMose uchitha izinsuku ezingama-40 entabeni ethola imithetho maqondana nokukhulekela kweqiniso nokwakhiwa kwetabernakele likaJehova, ithempeli elithwalekayo. Ngaleso sikhathi, amaIsrayeli enza futhi akhulekele inkonyane yegolide. Lapho ehla entabeni, uMose ubona lokhu, futhi uthukuthela kakhulu uze uphula izibhebhe ezimbili ezibhalwe ngokumangalisayo iMithetho Eyishumi. Ngemva kokujeziswa kwabenzi bobubi abakhonza izithombe, ubuye akhuphukele entabeni futhi uthola ezinye izibhebhe. UMose unikezwa umbono wenkazimulo kaNkulunkulu futhi uzwa uJehova ethi unomusa kodwa akayekeli isijeziso esifanele.—Eksodusi 25:1–34:7.

Ekubuyeni kukaMose entabeni ngokwesibili, ukwakhiwa kwetabernakele kuyaqalwa, kulandelwa indlela eshiwo uJehova. Ekupheleni konyaka wokuqala wenkululeko, lelithende elimangalisayo nokufakwa kwezimpahla kulo sekuqediwe. Itabernakele liyamiswa futhi linazo zonke izimpahla, uJehova uligcwalisa ngenkazimulo yakhe.—Eksodusi 34:8–40:38.

Kungenzeka, uye washukunyiswa yilokhu kubuyekezwa kwalezizehlakalo ezivusa amadlingozi. Kodwa ukufunda komuntu siqu uEksodusi kungaphakamisa imibuzo ethile, eminye yayo ingaphendulwa njengoba manje sihlolisisa izici ezintathu ezimqoka zencwadi ngendlela yemibuzo nezimpendulo.

“Izigqila Ngaphansi Kokuhlushwa”

•3:1—UJetiro umukhwe kaMose, wayeluhlobo luni lompristi?

Ngokusobala uJetiro wayeyinhloko eyinzalamizi yesizwe samaMidiyani futhi nguye owayenomthwalo wemfanelo wokusifundisa nokusihola ezindabeni zesizwe nezenkolo. Ngenxa yokuthi amaMidiyani ayeyisizukulwane sika-Abrahama ngoKetura, ayenezinkumbulo zokukhulekela uJehova lezo uAbrahama ngaso sonke isikhathi ayezifundisa umuzi wakhe. Ngeke siqiniseke ukuthi inkolo yesizwe yayihlanzeke kangakanani ngosuku lukaMose. Kodwa uJetiro wabonisa ukwazisa okukhudlwana ngoJehova nakuba wayengamiswanga ngokukhethekile uNkulunkulu.—Eksodusi 18:1-24.

•4:11—Ingabe uJehova unecala ngokungapheleli okunjengobumpumputhe?

Cha, uJehova akanacala ngakho konke ukungapheleli komzimba njengobumpumputhe nokuba yisithulu. Lokhu kuye kwabakhona ngoba uNkulunkulu uye wavumela isintu esinesono ukuba sibekhona, izoni uAdamu noEva balahla ukuphelela kwabo, khona-ke, balahla amandla abo okuveza abantwana abaphelele. (Jobe 14:4; Roma 5:12) Njengoba izizukulwane zabo zaziba nabantwana, ukungapheleli okwengeziwe, kuhlanganisa ukungapheleli komzimba, kuye kwanda. Ngokuvumela lesimo ukuba siqhubeke, uNkulunkulu wayengakhuluma ngaye ngokwakhe njengo‘wenza’ izimungulu, izithulu nezimpumputhe. Ngezinjongo ezikhethekile, kodwa ngezikhathi ezithile, uJehova uye wabangela ubumpumputhe nokuba yisimungulu ngokwenyama. (2 Amakhosi 6:18; Luka 1:20-22, 62-64; IzEnzo 13:8-11) Uma abantu bekhetha ukuba yizithulu nokuba yizimpumputhe ngokomoya, uyabavumela ukuba baqhubeke ekungakholweni kwabo nokunqaba isigijimi sakhe, ngaleyondlela ‘ubenza’ izithulu nezimpumputhe ngengqondo engokomoya. (Isaya 6:9, 10) Kodwa uJehova uye wanikeza ukuzwa nokubona okungokomoya kulabo abafuna ukumjabulisa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngoMbuso wakhe ngoJesu Kristu, uNkulunkulu onothando, uJehova, uzokhulula isintu ebumpumputheni obungokwenyama nakukho konke okunye ukukhubazeka.—Isaya 61:1, 2; 1 Johane 4:8; IsAmbulo 21:1-4.

•4:24-26—Ukuphila kukabani okwakusengozini, futhi yini eyenzeka?

Ngenxa yokuthi lengxenye ayiqondakali, sisikisela ukuthi: Indodana kaMose yasongelwa ngokufa ngokungavumelani nesivumelwano sangaphambili sokusoka. (Genesise 17:9-14) Ngemva kokususa ijwabu lomntwana, uSipora wenza ukuba lobufakazi bokugcina isivumelwano buthinte izinyawo zengelosi eyayinomzimba wenyama, ngaleyondlela ebonisa ukuthi sasingasekho isizathu sokuba indodana yakhe ife. Uma wayekhuluma noJehova ngengelosi njengo“myeni wegazi,” kwakungathi wayamukela isikhundla sobukhosikazi esivumelwaneni sokusoka, noNkulunkulu njengomyeni.

•6:3—Ngenxa yokuthi uAbrahama, noJakobe basebenzisa igama Jehova, kungayiphi ingqondo uNkulunkulu engazange alenze ukuba balazi?

Igama Jehova, ngokoqobo lisho ukuthi “Ubangela Ukuba Kubekhona,” okungukuthi, ngokwenjongo kaNkulunkulu. UAbrahama, uIsaka noJakobe basebenzisa igama laphezulu futhi bathola izibusiso kuJehova. Nokho babengamazi noma babheke uJehova njengokuNguye owabangela lezithembiso ukuba zigcwaliseke ngokuphelele. (Genesise 12:1, 2; 15:7, 13-16; 26:24; 28:10-15) Nokho, ngokushesha igama likaJehova lalizosho okukhulu ngezizukulwane zabo, amaIsrayeli. Babezokwazi incazelo yalo yoqobo lapho uJehova eqhubeka nenjongo yakhe ngoIsrayeli ngokubakhulula ebugqilini futhi ebanika iZwe lesiThembiso ekugcwaliseni isivumelwano sakhe noyisemkhulu babo.

•7:22—Izanusi zamaGibithe zawatholaphi amanzi ayengakaphenduki igazi?

Kungenzeka zasebenzisa amanzi athathwa eMfuleni iNayili ngaphambi kwalesishayo, noma inhlupho. Nokho, amanzi ayengakonakali ngokusobala ayengatholakala ngokumba imithombo emhlabathini oswakeme eduze neNayili. (Eksodusi 7:24) Mhlawumbe izanusi zasebenzisa amanzi anjalo ukuze zenze umlingo wazo.

•12:29—Ingabe kokubili abesilisa nabesifazane babebhekwa njengamazibulo?

Ngamazibulo kwakuhlanganiswa abesilisa kuphela. Lokhu kusobala ngeqiniso lokuthi kamuva, lapho umenano wawenziwa ngokunikela amaLevi kuJehova, abesilisa kuphela bakhethwa. (Numeri 3:40-51) UFaro ngokwakhe wayeyizibulo, kodwa akabulawanga ngoba wayenomuzi wakhe futhi kwakungesiyo inhloko kodwa indodana eyizibulo yomuzi eyayifa ngobusuku bePhasika.—Eksodusi 12:12.

Ukukhululwa UJehova

•15:8—Njengoba amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu “ashuqa,” ingabe aba iqhwa?

Igama lesiHeberu lapha elihunyushwe ngokuthi “ashuqa” lisho ukushwabana noma ukuqoqana. KuJobe 10:10 igama lisetshenziswa maqondana nokujiyisa ushizi. Ngakho akusho ngempela ukuthi izindonga zamanzi zaba amakhekheba eqhwa. Njengoba akukho okwabonakala kubambe amanzi, ayengabonakala sengathi ashuqile, aqinile noma aqoqene ukuze ahlale emile. Uma umoya okukhulunywe ngawo ngaphambili wawubanda ngokwanele ukuba ungenza amanzi iqhwa, ngokungangabazeki ngabe zikhona ezinye izindawo ezikhuluma ngokubanda okweqile.—Eksodusi 14:21.

Ukuhlelwa NjengeNhlangano

•20:5—Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi abathembekile bayojeziswa?

Cha, ngoba umuntu ngamunye, ngemuva kokufinyelela iminyaka yomthwalo wemfanelo, uhlulelwa ngokuziphatha kwakhe siqu nombono. (Qhathanisa noHezekeli 18:20.) Nokho, lapho isizwe sakwaIsrayeli kamuva siphendukela ekukhonzeni izithombe, sahlupheka ngenxa yemiphumela yobubi baso izizukulwane ngezizukulwane kamuva. Abathembekile abazange bajeziswe ngokomuntu siqu ngenxa yesono sesizwe, nakuba bayizwa imiphumela ethile yakho. Kwakunzima ngalaba abagcina ubuqotho ukuba bamelane nokungalaleli kwesizwe ngokwenkolo, kodwa ngokwenza njalo bajabulela umusa wothando kaJehova.

•23:20-23—Ngubani owayeyingelosi okukhulunywa ngaye lapha, futhi kukanjani ukuthi igama likaJehova la“likuyo”?

Izingelosi ngaphandle kukaJesu Kristu engakabi sesimweni somuntu zazisetshenziselwa ukuba zidlulisele umthetho kaNkulunkulu kuMose. (Johane 1:1-3, 14; Heberu 2:2, 3) Kodwa kunengqondo ukuphetha ngokuthi ingelosi leyo uJehova athi ngayo “igama lami likuyo” kwakunguJesu engakabi sesimweni somuntu. Wayesetshenziselwa ukuba aqondise abantwana bakwaIsrayeli endleleni yabo eya eZweni lesiThembiso. (1 Korinte 10:1-4) UJesu, ogama lakhe lisho ukuthi “Ukusindisa kukaJehova,” nguye oyinhloko osekela futhi alwele igama likaYise.

•32:25—Kungani uAroni engazange ajeziswe ngokwenza inkonyane yegolide?

UAroni wakwenza lokhu ngomyalo wabantu, kungekhona ukuthi wayevumelana ngokuqotho nokukhulekela izithombe. Kamuva, wahlanganyela ngokusobala namaLevi ngokumelela uJehova futhi nangokumelana nalabo abavukela uMose ngalesosikhathi. Cishe abantu abayizi-3 000 (kungenzeka abaholi) babulawa, kodwa abaningi babenecala ngoba ngemva kokuba abayi-3 000 sebefde uMose wakhumbuza abantu ukuthi babone kakhulu. Ngakho abantu abaningi kunoAroni yedwa bathola umusa kaNkulunkulu ngalesosikhathi.—Eksodusi 32:1-6, 26-35.

•34:26—Kwakuyini ukubaluleka kwalomthetho othi ungapheki izinyane lembuzi obisini lukanina?

Ukuphekwa kwezinyane, noma imbuzi encane, obisini likanina kubikwa ukuthi kwakuyisiko labahedeni lokuveza imvula. Ngakho kungenzeka ukuthi amaIsrayeli anikwa lomthetho ukuze ahlanzeke emikhubeni enjalo. Nokho, lomthetho, kuhlanganise neminye, ibonakala igcizelela iqiniso lokuthi kukhona uhlelo olufanelekile kuzo zonke izinto. UJehova walungiselela ubisi lukanina ukuze ondle izinyane lakhe. Kodwa ukupheka izinyane kulo kwakuzophumela ekulimaleni nasekufeni, khona kanye okuphambene nenjongo eyayihlosiwe. Lomthetho futhi ubonakala unikeza isifundo kubantu besivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu sokuthi akumelwe babenonya kodwa kumelwe babenesihawu.

Incazelo Yoqobo Ngabathembekile

UEksodusi ungumlando oshukumisayo wokuhlupheka ebugqilini, ukukhululwa nokuhlelwa komphakathi okungokwasezulwini. Kodwa yini ofakazi bakaJehova bekhulu lama-20 abangayifunda kulencwadi?

UJehova uyabasekela abantu bakhe. Wakwenza lokhu ngokusekela nangokubusisa amaIsrayeli lapho ‘ehlushwa ngaphansi kobugqila.’ (Eksodusi 1:7, 14) Ngokufanayo, uJehova usekela ofakazi bakhe bosuku lwanamuhla, ngisho naphezu kokushushiswa okunzima.

UJehova unguMsindisi ongenakuqhathaniswa. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kwakusobala kanjani oLwandle Olubomvu! Ngokufanelekile, ofakazi bakhe bosuku lwanamuhla bangaba nethemba lokuthi nabo, njengesixuku, bazosinda ‘osizini olukhulu’ ngaphansi kwesandla esinamandla saloMsindisi oMkhulu.—Mathewu 24:20-22; IsAmbulo 7:9, 14.

UJehova unguNkulunkulu wenhlangano engokwasezulwini. Imithetho yakhe, lapho ilalelwa, yenza amaIsrayeli ukuba akwazi ukumkhonza ngendlela ehlelekile, elondekile, ejabulisayo eyangcwelisa igama lakhe. Ngokufanayo, uJehova uye wahlela ofakazi bakhe banamuhla ngobuzalwane bokuhleleka, obulondekile nobujabulisayo. Ukuze silondeke futhi sijabule, khona-ke, kumelwe sikhonze uNkulunkulu ngokwethembeka njengengxenye yalomphakathi ongokwasezulwini okhazimulisa igama lakhe elingcwele.—IHubo 100:1-5; 1 Petru 2:17.

Lokhu kuphakathi kwezinzuzo eziningi ezingafundwa encwadini kuEksodusi. Sengathi ukholo lwethu lungaqiniswa njengoba sikhumbula lomlando ovusa amadlingozi wokukhululwa okungokwasezulwini kusuka ekugqilazweni ukuya ohlelweni olungokwasezulwini.

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Entabeni iSinayi uJehova wahlela amaIsrayeli njengenhlangano yakhe