Okufanele ukuKhumbule

Indlu ka-Israyeli

Endaweni ethize esehlane elisempumalanga yaseKhanani, uJakobe wayelindile eshaywa uvalo lokuhlangana nomfowabo oyiwele, u-Esawu. Ngesikhathi uJakobe egcina ukubona u-Esawu, cishe eminyakeni engama-20 ngaphambilini, u-Esawu wayemsongela ngokuthi uzombulala. UJakobe wayechithe ubusuku bonke ezabalaza ehlane, efuna isibusiso sikaNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yokholo, ukuphikelela, kanye nokuzimisela kukaJakobe, uNkulunkulu wawuphendula umkhuleko wakhe. Ngalobo busuku igama likaJakobe lashintshwa laba ngu-Israyeli, igama elisho ukuthi “uphikelele noNkulunkulu”¹

Eduze Nomfula iJabhoki, uJakobe wanikezwa igama elithi Israyeli.

Lesi isikhathi sokuqala lapho kuvela khona igama elithi Israyeli eBhayibhelini, futhi igama elikhuthazela kuyo yonke incwadi futhi kuwo wonke umlando. Ngokushesha leligama lagcina lingasabhekiseli endodeni eyodwa kuphela. U-Israyeli waba namadodana ayi-12, futhi isizukulwane sawo sisonke sasaziwa ngokuthi “indlu ka-Israyeli,” “izizwe zakwa-Israyeli,” “abantwana bakwa-Israyeli,” noma “Ama-Israyeli.”

Kuwo wonke umlando, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babekubheka njengento ebalulekile ukuthi bawuzalo lwesinye sezizwe eziyishumi nambili zakwa-Israyeli. Uhlu lwabo lozalo lwaluyingxenye ebalulekile ngokuqondene nalokho abayikho ngokwesivumelwano. UMphostoli uPawulu wamemezela ukuthi “wayengowesizwe sakwaBhenjamini” (KwabaseRoma 11:1). Ngesikhathi uLehi ethumela amadodana akhe eJerusalema ukuze alande izingcwephe zethusi, esinye sezizathu sasiwukuthi izingcwephe zaziqukethe “umlando ngesizukulwane sawoyise” (1 Nefi 5:14; bheka futhi 1 Nefi 3:3). ULehi wathola ukuthi wayengowesizukulwane sikaJosefa, futhi ukuqonda kwakhe ngokuphathelene nokuhlobana kozalo lwakhe nendlu ka-Israyeli kwaba yinto ebalulekile kubona eminyakeni eyalandela (bheka u-Alima 26:36; 3 Nefi 20:25).

Ebandleni namuhla, ungase uzwe ngo-Israyeli enkulumweni efana nethi “ukuhlangana kuka-Israyeli.” ² Kulezi zimo, asikhulumi noma asiculi kuphela mayelana nombuso wasemandulo wakwa-Israyeli noma isizwe sanamuhla esibizwa ngokuthi u-Israyeli. Kunalokho, sibhekisele kulabo abahlanganisiwe ezizweni zomhlaba ukuze bangene eBandleni LikaJesu Kristu. Sibhekise kubantu abaphikelela noNkulunkulu, abafuna ngobuqotho izibusiso Zakhe, futhi labo, ngombhabhadiso, sebengabantu Bakhe besivumelwane.

Isibusiso sakho sabaphatriyakhe simemezela ukuhlobana kwakho nesinye sezizwe zendlu ka-Israyeli. Lokho kungaphezu nje kokuba ulwazi lomndeni olujabulisayo. Ukuba yingxenye yendlu ka-Israyeli kusho ukuthi unobudlelwano obuyisivumelwano noBaba oseZulwini kanye noJesu Kristu. Kusho ukuthi wena, njengo-Abrahama, kumelwe “ube isibusiso” kubantwana baNkulunkulu (uGenesise 12:2; u-Abrahama 2:9–11). Kusho ukuthi, ngokwamazwi kaPetru, “nina niluhlanga olukhethiweyo, ubupristi obobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abazuziweyo, ukuze nishumayele ubukhosi balowo owanibiza niphume ebumnyameni, ningene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo” (1 Petru 2:9). Kusho ukuthi wena ungomunye “okhuthazela noNkulunkulu” njengoba ugcina izivumelwano zakho Naye.

Imiyalezo

1. Kukhona okunye okungase kube izincazelo zegama elithi Israyeli, okuhlanganisa “UNkulunkulu uyabusa” noma “UNkulunkulu uyalwa noma uyakhuthazela.”

2. Amaculo,

Umfanekiso wesihlahla somndeni kaJakobe, ngu-Keith L. Beavers