Indlela Umbuso Wasendulo WaseLydia Osithinta Ngayo Namuhla
KUNGENZEKA awukaze uzwe ngombuso wasendulo waseLydia, ngakho kungase kukumangaze ukuzwa ukuthi okuthile okwatholakala lapho kwashintsha indlela umhlaba ohwebelana ngayo. Abafundi beBhayibheli nabo bangase bamangale ukuzwa ukuthi okuthile okwasungulwa eLydia kucacisa isiprofetho esithile seBhayibheli esiyimpicabadala. Yini eyatholwa abantu baseLydia? Ngaphambi kokuba siphendule, kuyokuthakazelisa kakhulu ukufunda okuthile ngokuphila esikhathini salo mbuso osucishe walibaleka.
Amakhosi aseLydia ayebusa enhloko-dolobha yakhona, iSardesi, engxenyeni esentshonalanga yendawo ngaleso sikhathi okwakuthiwa i-Asia Minor, kodwa manje eyiTurkey. Inkosi yokugcina yaseLydia, uCroesus, yaqongelela ingcebo enkulu, kodwa ngo-546 B.C.E., umbuso wayo wathathwa nguKoresi Omkhulu wasePheresiya—yena kanye lo Koresi owanqoba uMbuso WaseBhabhiloni eminyakeni embalwa kamuva.
Osomabhizinisi baseLydia abanobuhlakani kuthiwa kungenzeka babengabokuqala ukusebenzisa izinhlamvu zemali. Kwase kuyisikhathi eside kusetshenziswa igolide nesiliva njengemali, kodwa ngenxa yobukhulu obuhlukahlukene bezigaxa zegolide nezindandatho zalo, abantu kwakudingeka bakale imali isikhathi ngasinye lapho bethenga. Ngokwesibonelo, kwa-Israyeli umprofethi kaNkulunkulu uJeremiya wathenga indawo futhi wabhala: “Ngamkalela imali, amashekeli ayisikhombisa nezinhlamvu zesiliva eziyishumi.”—Jeremiya 32:9.
ELydia, abantu ababephila ngesikhathi sikaJeremiya bathola okuthile okwakuzokwenza kube lula ukuhwebelana—ukusebenzisa izinhlamvu zemali ezinesisindo esifanayo ezinesigxivizo somthetho esigunyaza uhlamvu ngalunye. Izinhlamvu zokuqala zemali yaseLydia zazenziwe ngenhlanganisela engokwemvelo yegolide nesiliva okuthiwa i-electrum. Lapho uCroesus eba yinkosi, wasebenzisa izinhlamvu zesiliva nezegolide elicwengekile esikhundleni sazo. Abantu baseLydia basungula izinhlamvu ezenziwe ngezinsimbi ezimbili ezinezinhlamvu ezingu-12 zezinga eliphansi ezilingana nohlamvu olulodwa olunenani eliphezulu. Kodwa lesi simiso sohwebo sasongelwa yizinhlamvu zomgunyathi zegolide elixutshwe nezinsimbi zezinga eliphansi kakhulu. Abahwebi babedinga indlela elula yokuvivinya izinga legolide.
AbaseLydia bathola ukuthi uhlobo oluthile lwetshe elimnyama okuthiwa itshe laseLydia lwaluzoyixazulula inkinga yabo. Lapho uhlamvu luhlikihlwa ngaleli tshe elibushelelezi kodwa elithanda ukuhaya, kusala uphawu. Uma umbala walolu phawu uqhathaniswa nombala wezimpawu eziqoshwe ngosungulo kwamanye amasampula ezinhlamvu zegolide ezaziwayo, kuvela isilinganiso segolide elikulolo hlamvu. Ukutholwa kwale ndlela yokuvivinya izinhlamvu eyenza ukuba kukhiqizwe izinhlamvu ezingewona umgunyathi. Ukwazi ngale ndlela yokuvivinya kusisiza kanjani ukuba siqonde iBhayibheli?
Amatshe Okuvivinya Angokomfanekiso EBhayibhelini
Njengoba ukuvivinya igolide ngetshe lokuvivinya kuba umkhuba ovamile phakathi kwabahwebi, inkulumo ethi “itshe lokuvivinya” yagcina isisho indlela yokuhlola. NgesiGreki, ulimi ingxenye yeBhayibheli eyabhalwa ngalo, le nkulumo isetshenziselwa ukubhekisela ekuhlukunyezweni kwabantu.
Ngenxa yokuthi abagcini bejele babehlukumeza iziboshwa, igama elithathwe enkulumweni ethi “itshe lokuvivinya” lalisetshenziswa nakubo. Ngakho, iBhayibheli lilandisa ngomfanekiso kaJesu wesigqila esingabongiyo esanikelwa “kubagcini bejele,” noma “kubahlukumezi,” ngokwezinye izinguqulo. (Mathewu 18:34; American Standard Version, Darby, King James Version) Ikhuluma ngalo mBhalo, i-International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia ithi: “Cishe ukuboshwa ngokwako kwakubhekwa ‘njengokuhlukunyezwa’ (ngoba vele kwakunjalo), ngakho elithi ‘abahlukumezi’ lalimane nje lisho abagcini bejele.” Lokhu kusiza ekuchazeni umBhalo weBhayibheli othakazelisayo.
Impicabadala Iyaxazululwa
Sekuyisikhathi eside abafundi beBhayibheli abaqotho bezibuza ukuthi uSathane uyophelelaphi. IBhayibheli lithi: “UDeveli . . . waphonswa echibini lomlilo nesibabule lapho kakade kwase kukhona khona isilo sasendle nomprofethi wamanga; bayohlushwa imini nobusuku kuze kube phakade naphakade.” (IsAmbulo 20:10) Ngokuqinisekile, uma uJehova ebengagweba othile ngokumhlukumeza kuze kube phakade, lokhu bekuyongqubuzana nothando nobulungisa bakhe. (Jeremiya 7:31) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli liveza ukuphila okuphakade njengesipho, hhayi isijeziso. (Roma 6:23) Kusobala-ke ukuthi isAmbulo 20:10 salotshwa ngolimi olungokomfanekiso. Isilo sasendle nechibi lomlilo kungokomfanekiso. (IsAmbulo 13:2; 20:14) Ingabe ukuhlukunyezwa nakho kungokomfanekiso? Ingasho ukuthini ngempela le nkulumo?
Njengoba sesibonile, igama lesiGreki elisho “ukuhlukunyezwa” lithathwe enkulumweni ethi “itshe lokuvivinya” futhi lingase libhekisele ekuhlukunyezweni kokugqunywa ejele. Ngakho, ukuhlukunyezwa kukaSathane kuze kube phakade kungase kubhekisele ekuvalelweni phakade ejele angenakweqa kulo—ukufa ngokwako.
Ukuvivinya ngetshe laseLydia kusisiza ukuba siqonde okunye futhi okuvumelana nothando lukaNkulunkulu mayelana “nokuhlukunyezwa” kukaSathane kuze kube phakade. Ezilimini ezithile, kusetshenziswa “itshe lokuvivinya” ekuvivinyeni izinto. Ngokwesibonelo, esiNgisini inkulumo ethi “itshe lokuvivinya” isho “uvivinyo noma indinganiso yokuhlola izinga noma ubuqiniso bento.” Ngakho, “ukuhlukunyezwa” kukaSathane kuze kube phakade kusikisela ukuthi ukwahlulelwa kwakhe kuyoba isivivinyo saphakade esingasetshenziswa uma kuke kwaqubuka ukuvukela ngokumelene noJehova esikhathini esizayo. Ngeke kuphinde kube nesidingo sokuba kuthathe isikhathi eside ukuhlola inselele ebukhosini bukaJehova ukuze kubonakale ukuthi ophonsa inselele wenza iphutha.
Ukuqonda ukuthi kungani abahwebi kuyo yonke indawo baqala ukusebenzisa isivivinyo setshe laseLydia nokuqonda izinkulumo ezingokomfanekiso ezavela ngenxa yalo mkhuba kusisize ukuba siqonde lokho okuyokwenzeka kuSathane. Isiphelo sakhe siyoba isivivinyo saphakade sesahlulelo esiyokwenza kungabe kusadingeka ukuba uNkulunkulu abekezelele ukuvukela.—Roma 8:20.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 23]
Ukuhlukunyezwa kukaSathane okungokomfanekiso kusikisela ukuthi ukwahlulelwa kwakhe kuyoba isivivinyo kuze kube phakade
[Ibalazwe ekhasini 21]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
ULwandle Olumnyama
LYDIA
ISARDESI
ULwandle iMedithera
[Isithombe ekhasini 21]
Amanxiwa ESardesi lasendulo
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
Ezikhathini zasendulo, kwakusetshenziswa izikali ekukaleni imali
[Umthombo]
E. Strouhal/Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY
[Izithombe ekhasini 22, 23]
Ukusetshenziswa kwetshe lokuvivinya kuye kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaba namuhla
[Umthombo]
Coins: Courtesy Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.; touchstone: Science Museum/Science & Society Picture Library
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 21]
Electrum coin: Courtesy Classical Numismatic Group, Inc.