Imifanekiso Evela Ezweni Lesithembiso
Wasekela UIsrayeli ESinayi
CABANGA ngezigidi—amadoda, abesifazane, nabantwana—zilibhekise “ehlane elikhulu nelesabekayo elinezinyoka ezinesihlungu nawofezela nomhlabathi owomileyo, lapho kwakungekho-manzi khona”!
Lawomazwi kaNkulunkulu atholakala kuDuteronomi 8:15 aveza umbono walokho okwakungase kubonakale kuwuhambo olwethusayo olwaluphambi kwamaIsrayeli njengoba ayephuma eGibithe futhi ehamba ehlane laseSinayi. Enye inkinga esabisayo: Ubani owayeyolungiselela ukudla okwanele namanzi?
AmaIsrayeli ayekade esebugqileni emuva ogwini lweNayili, kodwa ayengaswele. Imidwebo ezindongeni zamathuna asendulo ibonisa izinhlobonhlobo zamagilebhisi, amakhabe, nezinye izitshalo, kanye nezinhlanzi nezinkukhu okwakwenza ukudla okuhlukahlukene. Ngakho, yeka indlela okwakuqonde ngayo ukukhononda kokulangazelela ehlane: “Ngubani oyakusipha inyama ukuba sidle na? Siyakhumbula izinhlanzi esazidla eGibithe ngesihle, namakukamba, namakhabe, namaliki, nohanyanisi, nesweli!”—Numeri 11:4, 5; 20:5.
Ngemva kokuba amaIsrayeli ewele uLwandle Olubomvu, aqonda ngokushesha ukuthi iSinayi yayinjani ngempela. Awazange athathe indlela ejwayelekile yohwebo yasenyakatho kodwa ajikela ngasechosheni lenhlonhlo engunxantathu. Ngesikhathi esehambe amakhilomitha angu-80 ehlane, isidingo sawo samanzi sabonakala siba nzima. Ayengenakuwaphuza lawo awathola, ngoba ayebaba futhi kungenzeka ukuthi ayenezifo. “Siyakuphuzani na?” ekhala. UNkulunkulu wangenela, wenza amanzi aba mnandi.—Eksodusi 15:22-25.
Phawula umfanekiso wehele lamakameli ngenhla. Ungawuqonda umbuzo wokuthi amaIsrayeli ayeyokwazi kanjani ukuqhubeka phakathi kwalelihlane aze afike eNtabeni yaseSinayi. Ayeyoqhubeka ewathola kanjani amanzi anele—nokudla—okwawo kanye nemihlambi ayedinga ukuyigcina iphila?—Eksodusi 12:38.
Aqhubeka nohambo eya ngaseningizimu futhi ngokushesha athola amanzi aqabulayo nokudla e-Elimi. (Eksodusi 15:27) Nokho, lokho kwakungesikho lapho ayeya khona. Ayelibhekise ‘entabeni kaNkulunkulu weqiniso,’ iNtaba iSinayi. (Eksodusi 3:1; 18:5; 19:2; 24:12-18) Leyontaba yayikude ngamakhilomitha angu-120—amakhilomitha amaningi ezwe elimangelengele, elomile.
Njengoba leliqembu elikhulu laliqhubeka liya ngasentabeni iSinayi, lafika futhi kungenzeka ukuthi lema eduze kwesiyalu esikhulu esaziwa ngokuthi iFeiran. Ingxenye yaso encane iyabonakala esithombeni esisekhasini elibhekene naleli.a Sihamba phakathi kwentuba yezintaba ehlane, siye ngasoLwandle Olubomvu (iGumbi lolwandle lwaseSuez). Yeka ukuqabuleka amaIsrayeli ayengakuthola lapho!
Nakuba ihlane laseSinayi ngokuvamile lingase lifanelwe incazelo ‘yehlane elikhulu nelesabekayo,’ amaIsrayeli ayengajabulela umthunzi omuhle wamasundu neminye imithi esiyalwini saseFeiran. Ayengathola amahlukuzo esundu amaningi amnandi, ayenikeza ukudla ayezokudla kuleyondawo nayezohamba nakho.
Konke lokhu kwakunokwenzeka ngoba amanzi aphuma phansi ayekhuphukela phezulu eFeiran. Cabanga indlela owawungazizwa ngayo lapho wawusehlane eliwugwadule bese ngokungazelele uthola amanzi aqabulayo okuphuza! Lokhu kubonisa ukuthi ngisho naseSinayi zikhona izindawo lapho amanzi etholakala khona. Ngezinye izikhathi umthombo kumelwe umbiwe ujule impela. Khona-ke kuyoba sekuba nomsebenzi wokukha amabhakede noma izimbiza ezigcwele loluketshezi olubalulekile, ikakhulukazi lapho imihlambi idinga ukuphuziswa. Kuze kube namuhla amaBedouin aseSinayi asakhangwa imithombo lapho engakha khona amanzi awo namakamela awo.—Qhathanisa noGenesise 24:11-20; 26:18-22.
Yebo, naphezu kwezimo lapho ayekhononda ngalokho okwakubonakala kuwukuntula okungenakunqotshwa, amaIsrayeli ayenawo amanzi nokudla. Ngezinye izikhathi uNkulunkulu wayekunikeza lokho ngokumangalisayo. (Eksodusi 16:11-18, 31; 17:2-6) Ngezinye izikhathi wayebonakala ewaholela ‘endaweni yokuphumula’ lapho izidingo zawo ezingokoqobo zazinganeliswa khona ngokwemvelo. (Numeri 10:33-36) Kuso sonke lesikhathi, wayewagcinele inala eyayilindele abathembekile eZweni Lesithembiso.—Duteronomi 11:10-15.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Isithombe esikhulisiwe siyatholakala eKhalendeni LoFakazi BakaJehova Lika-1992.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 25]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.