Ukufunda IBhayibheli—E-zoo!
ESIKHATHINI esithile esidlule sakhetha indawo engajwayelekile yokusingatha ingxoxo yeBhayibheli yomkhaya wethu yamasonto onke—i-Emmen Zoo, eduze nekhaya lethu, eNetherlands. Lokhu kwakungenxa yesizathu esihle kakhulu, ozosiqonda ngokushesha.
Njengemikhaya eminingi yamaKristu emhlabeni wonke, sinesifundo seBhayibheli samasonto onke. Phakathi nalesi sifundo sivame ukufunda ngezilwane ezisetshenziswa eBhayibhelini njengezimpawu zezimfanelo ezinhle nezimbi. Sazibuza ukuthi sasingazazi yini kangcono lezi zilwane futhi sanquma ukukwenza umzamo womkhaya. Ilungu ngalinye lomkhaya labelwa isilwane esithile futhi lacelwa ukuba lifune ukwaziswa ngaso ezincwadini ezinjengethi Insight on the Scriptures nemiqulu ye-Watchtower ne-Awake!
Njengoba sisondela esangweni lase-Emmen Zoo, izingane zethu, uMari-Claire, uCharissa, noPepijn, zibuka ngokulangazela. Sizobona izingwenya, amabhere, amadube, izintuthwane, mhlawumbe ngisho nezinye izilwane esiye safunda ngazo eBhayibhelini. Kodwa ake siqale ngokukutshela ngale-zoo eyingqayizivele.
Akunamakheji, Akunamigoqo
INoorder Dierenpark, njengoba ibizwa kanjalo i-Emmen Zoo ngesiDashi, iyipaki lezilwane elikhetheke ngempela, eliklanywe ngokwezimiso zanamuhla. Lapha azikho izilwane ezivalelwe emakhejini noma ngezinsimbi. Ngokuphambene, e-Emmen konke kwenzelwe ukuba izilwane zibe sendaweni efana ngokuseduze ngangokunokwenzeka nendawo yazo engokwemvelo. “Yisivakashi, hhayi isilwane, esivalelwe ngocingo,” kusho uWijbren Landman, omunye wezazi zezinto eziphilayo kuleli paki, emomotheka.
“Lezi zilwane azihleliwe ngokohlobo lwazo kodwa ngokwendawo ezidabuka kuyo. Yingakho ethafeni lase-Afrika eliwudedangendlale olibona lapha, kugcinwa ndawonye izilwane eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka eziphila ndawonye endle.” Yebo, naziya—izilwane ezinde kunazo zonke emhlabeni, izindlulamithi ezinentamo ende, ezingakhula zibe nobude obungamamitha ayisithupha. Zihlala ndawonye nezinyamazane, izimpala, amadube, izinkonkoni, amaphiva, ngisho nobhejane abambalwa.
Kodwa kunokuningi uWijbren asazositshela khona ngethafa lase-Emmen: “Izilwane zinendawo enkulu lapha kangangokuthi azizizwa ziminyene. Nokho, siye salungiselela nezinye izindlela zokubaleka. Niyawabona lawaya matshe amakhulu laphaya? Izinyamazane zingabalekela phakathi kwawo ukuze zingahlushwa obhejane. Futhi leliya gquma laphaya lenza lezi zilwane zingabonani ngokuphelele. Kodwa ngokuvamile lezi zilwane azinakani. Lokhu akumangalisi ngempela, njengoba sekuyizinkulungwane zeminyaka zihlala ndawonye e-Afrika.”
Amadube Omile
“Bhekani! Amadube!” kusho uCharissa eneme. Wenze ukucwaninga okuthakazelisayo ngamadube. “Imidwa iguqula ukubukeka nokwakheka kwamadube kakhulu kangangokuthi ngisho nabomdabu abanamehlo abukhali abawaboni ngokuvamile lapho eqhele nje ngamafidi angu-130 kuya kwangu-160 [40-50m]. Amehlo nezimpumulo zamadube ezibukhali kanye nekhono lawo lokuntininiza—ngisho nangejubane elingaphezu kwamamayela angu-35 [60 km] ngehora—kuyisivikelo ezilwaneni ezidla inyama. Njengoba kuphawula iHubo 104:11, amadube ‘acima ukoma kwawo njalo.’ Yingakho kuqabukela ukuwathola endaweni eqhele emanzini ngebanga elingaphezu kwamamayela amahlanu [8 km].” Khona-ke uyanezela: “Nathi kumelwe sikucime njalo ukoma kwethu okungokomoya ngokuhlala siseduze nebandla, sifunda iBhayibheli, futhi siya emihlanganweni.”
Sishiya ithafa lase-Afrika silibangise ngakwesinye sezilwane ezibhubhisayo ezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni, ibhere laseKodiak. Leli bhere elikhulu kunawo wonke lingakhula libe nobude obungamamitha amathathu nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-780. Ukuze indawo yawo lapha ibe ngokwemvelo ngangokunokwenzeka, iye yaklanywa kahle inemisele yamanzi namadwala amakhulu. Ibhere laseKodiak lihlobene nebhere elinsundu laseSiriya, elalihlala kwa-Israyeli ezikhathini zeBhayibheli. Njengoba uMari-Claire athola, amabhere aphila ngokudla okuhlukahlukene. Adla amaqabunga nezimpande zezitshalo kanye nezithelo, amajikijolo, amantongomane, amaqanda, izinambuzane, izinhlanzi, amagundane, nokunye, futhi aluthanda kakhulu uju. Kwa-Israyeli wasendulo lapho uhlaza oludliwa amabhere luyivelakancane, abelusi kwakufanele baqaphe ukuphanga kwamabhere. Ebusheni bakhe uDavide kwadingeka amelane nokuhlasela kwebhere ukuze avikele umhlambi kayise.—1 Samuweli 17:34-37.
“Emakhaleni Akhe Kuphuma Umusi”
Kodwa ngokuqinisekile kunezinye izilwane esifuna ukuzibona. Ngolunye usuku ekufundeni kwethu iBhayibheli, sahlangana “noLeviyathani,” ingwenya. Ekuqaleni, uPepijn wamchaza ngokuthi ‘uhlobo oluthile lwenhlanzi enkulukazi!’ Njengoba izingwenya zisheshe zizwele lapho kushintsha isimo sezulu, zihlala kuyi-Africa House, lapho kulondolozwa khona isimo sezulu sasezindaweni ezishisayo. Lapho singena, sihlangabezana nokushisa nomswakama, okugcwala ezibukweni zethu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kumelwe sijwayelane nobumnyama. Njengoba sinqamula ebhulohweni lokhuni elilengayo, ngokungalindelekile sizithela phezu kwezingwenya ezimbalwa ezinkulu ezisobhukwini nhlangothi zombili zebhuloho. Zilala lapho zinganyakazi kangangokuthi uPepijn ushukumiseleka ukuba athi: “Akuzona ezingokoqobo.”
Izingwenya ziphakathi kwezilwane ezihuquzelayo ezinkulu kakhulu eziphilayo. Ezinye zingafinyelela ubude obungamamitha ayisithupha futhi zingase zibe nesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-900. Imihlathi yazo inamandla amangalisayo—ngisho nengwenya encane enesisindo esingamakhilogremu angu-50 inamandla alingana namakhilogremu angaphezu kwangu-700. Lapho ingwenya iphuma emanzini ngemva kokucwila isikhathi esithile, ukukhipha kwayo umoya ngamandla ngamakhala kungafutha ngendlela eyenza ukuba ekukhanyeni kwasekuseni kube ‘ukubengezela’ kanye ‘nokuphuma komusi emakhaleni ayo’ okuchazwa incwadi kaJobe.—Jobe 41:1, 18-21.
“Hlakaniphani Njengezinyoka”
Asikazishiyi nezingwenya lapho ebumnyameni—ngenhlanhla, ngemva kwezingilazi—sibona idlanzana lezidalwa ezisetshenziswa eBhayibhelini njengophawu lwezimfanelo ezifiselekayo nezingafiseleki. Sikhuluma ngenyoka, isilwane sokuqala esibizwa ngegama eBhayibhelini. (Genesise 3:1) UJesu wasebenzisa ukuhlakanipha kwayo njengesibonelo lapho eyala abafundi bakhe ngokuziphatha kwabo phakathi kwabaphikisi abanjengezimpisi. (Mathewu 10:16) Kodwa-ke, ngokuvamile inyoka ifaniswa ‘nenyoka endala,’ uSathane uDeveli, lowo kweyesi-2 Korinte 11:3 ochazwa njengokhohlisayo nonobuqili njengenyoka.—IsAmbulo 12:9.
“Yana Entuthwaneni, . . . Uhlakaniphe”
Ngokungalindelekile sibona kuleli paki lezilwane isiduli esikhulu sezintuthwane, esinamaqembu amathathu ezintuthwane ezikha amaqabunga. Ziyizintuthwane ezingabalimi. Lezi zintuthwane sizibona ngalé kwezingilazi; lokhu kusinikeza ithuba lokufunda imikhuba yokuphila yalezi zidalwa ezincane. Sinesithakazelo ezintuthwaneni ngoba eBhayibhelini zisetshenziswa njengesibonelo senkuthalo nokuhlakanipha okungokwemvelo.—IzAga 6:6.
UWijbren Landman unguchwepheshe wezinambuzane. Uyachaza: “Kunesilinganiso sezintuthwane eziyisigidi ngokuphindwe ngezigidi eziyinkulungwane emhlabeni, okusho ukuthi kunezintuthwane ezingaphezu kuka-200 000 ngomuntu ngamunye! Phakathi kwezinhlobo ezingu-15 000 ezitholakala kuwo wonke amazwekazi ngaphandle kwasezindaweni ezibandayo, azikho ezimbili ezifanayo. Zonke zakha iziduli ezingefani, futhi zidla ukudla okungefani, kodwa zonke zihlelwe cishe ngendlela efanayo.
“Izintuthwane ezikha amaqabunga zikhulisa isikhunta esidliwayo, njengoba nabantu bekhulisa amakhowe. Njengoba ubona, lokhu kwenziwa ngaphansi komhlaba, kodwa okokwenza isikhunta kuvela ngaphezu kwenhlabathi. Usuku lonke, izintuthwane eziyizisebenzi zimatasa zithuthela amaqabunga esidulini sazo. Zicaca isihlahla noma isihlahlana zikhethe iqabunga. Khona-ke, zisebenzisa imihlathi yazo njengesikele, ngokushesha zisika izingcezu eziyindilinga eqabungeni bese zilandelana ziziyisa esidulini sazo, ziwathwele njengesambulela selanga emakhanda azo. Lokhu kuzinikeza elinye igama elithi parasol ants (izintuthwane zesambulela). Ukusika kwenziwa ngokushesha kangangokuthi eNingizimu naseMelika Ephakathi, ziphundla izihlahlana nezihlahla ngamahora nje ambalwa. Yingakho zingathandwa lapho! Esidulini ezinye izisebenzi zihlanza lezi zingcezu zamaqabunga ngokucophelela ngaphambi kokuba ziwagaye. Ngemva kwalokho, inkafunkafu evelayo ixutshwa nama-enzyme nama-amino acid akhishwa yilezi zintuthwane. Kulapho-ke lenkafunkafu isuke isilungele ukusetshenziswa khona njengokokwenza isikhunta, kanjalo kutholakale ukudla kwazo zonke njalo.”
Sihlatshwe umxhwele ngokujulile ukuhlakanipha nekhono lokuqamba izinto elisobala endalweni enhlobonhlobo, siyasuka kulendawo yezintuthwane. Sekuyahlwa, futhi kumelwe siphindele ekhaya. Kodwa kusenokuningi esingakubona. Asikaziboni izikhova (Isaya 13:21), izimvu zamanzi (Eksodusi 35:23), izimvubu (“uBehemoti,” Jobe 40:15), izintshe (Jeremiya 50:39), noma ezinye izilwane eziningi ezihlala lapha okukhulunywa ngazo eBhayibhelini. Ngasinye sikufanele ukuhlolwa. Ngokuqinisekile sizophinde sivakashele e-Emmen Zoo!—Inikelwe.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]
Ostrich: Yotvatah Nature Reserve