Israyeli
INkosi yanika igama elithi Israyeli kuJakobe, indodana ka-Isaka futhi nomzukulu ka-Abrahama eTestamenteni eliDala (Gen. 32:28; 35:10). Igama elithi Israyeli lingasho uJakobe uqobo, uzalo lwakhe, noma umbuso owawungowalolo zalo ngezikhathi zeTestamenteni eliDala (Ⅱ Sam. 1:24; 23:3). Emuva kokuba uMose ehole abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ukuba baphume ebugqilini baseGibithe (Eks. 3–14), babuswa ngabahluleli iminyaka engaphezulu kwamakhulu amathathu. Kusukela eNkosini uSawule, amakhosi abusa phezu kwabakwa-Israyeli ababehlangene kwaze kwaba wukufa kukaSolomoni, ngesikhathi izizwana eziyishumi zivukela uRehobowamu ukuze zenze isizwe esahlukene. Emuva kokuhlukana kombuso wakwa-Israyeli, izizwana zasenyakatho, njengenxenye enkulu, zagcina igama elithi Israyeli, kwathi umbuso waseningizimu wabizwa ngokuthi uJuda. Izwe laseKhanani nalo futhi libizwa ngo-Israyeli namahlanje. Ngomunye umqondo, u-Israyeli usho okholwa ngeqiniso kuKristu (Roma 10:1; 11:7; Gal. 6:16; Ef. 2:12).
Izizwana ezilishumi zakwa-Israyeli
Umzukulu ka-Abrahama uJakobe, igama lakhe elashintsha laba ngu-Israyeli, wayenamadodana ayishumi nambili. Uzalo lwabo selwaziwa ngokuthi yizizwana ezilishumi nambili zakwa-Israyeli noma ngabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Yilezi izizwana ezilishumi nambili: nguRubeni, nguSimeyoni, nguLevi, nguJuda, ngu-Isakare, kanye noZebuloni (amadodana kaJakobe kanye noLeya); nguDani kanye noNafetali (amadodana kaJakobe kanye noBiliha); nguGadi kanye no-Asheri (amadodana kaJakobe kanye noZilipa); nguJosefa kanye noBenjamini (amadodana kaJakobe kanye noRaheli) (Gen. 29:32–30:24; 35:16–18).
UJakobe wanike umholi ngamunye wesizwana isibusiso ngaphambi kokuba afe (Gen. 49:1–28). Ukuze uthole olunye ulwazi, bheka igama lendodana kaJakobe ngayinye.
URubeni, indodana yokuqala yomfazi wokuqala kaJakobe, uLeya, walahlekelwa yisibusiso sakhe sobuzibulo kanye nenxenye ephindiwe yefa ngenxa yemikhuba yokonakala (Gen. 49:3–4). Ubuzibulo emuva kwalokho baya kuJosefa, owayeyindodana yokuqala yomfazi wesibili kaJakobe, uRaheli (Ⅰ IziKr. 5:1–2). ULevi, isizwana sakhe iNkosi eyayisikhethele ukuba sisebenze njengabefundisi Bayo bobuphristi, akazange alithole ifa ngenxa yokubizwa kwabo okukhethekileyo kokuba basebenze phakathi kwazo zonke izizwana. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi inxenye ephindiwe kaJosefa itholwe futhi ngamadodana akhe, u-Efrayimi kanye noManase (Ⅰ IziKr. 5:1; Jer. 31:9), ababalwa njengezizwana ezahlukene zakwa-Israyeli (HJS, Gen. 48:5–6 [Isithasiselo]).
Amalungu esizwana sikaJuda ayezoba ngababusi kuze kufike uMesiya (Gen. 49:10; HJS, Gen. 50:24 [Isithasiselo]). Ezinsukwini zokugcina isizwana sakwa-Efrayimi sinelungelo lokuhambisa umyalezo wokuBuyiselwa kwevangeli emhlabeni futhi nokuqoqa abakwa-Israyeli abahlakazekile (Dut. 33:13–17). Isikhathi sizofika lapho kuyothi ngevangeli likaJesu Kristu, u-Efrayimi uzoba nendima yokuhola ekuhlanganiseni zonke izizwana zakwa-Israyeli (Isaya 11:12–13; Mf&V 133:26–34).
Ukuhlakazwa kwabakwa-Israyeli
INkosi yazihlakaza futhi yazihlupha izizwana zakwa-Israyeli ngenxa yokungalungi kanye nokuvukela kwazo. Kodwa, iNkosi yakusebenzisa lokhu kuhlakazwa kwabantu Bayo abakhethiweyo phakathi kwezizwe ukuba ibusise lezo zizwe.
Ukuqoqwa kwabakwa-Israyeli
Indlu yakwa-Israyeli izoqoqelwa ndawonye ezinsukwini zokugcina ngaphambi kokubuya kukaKristu (Bha. Kho. 1:10). INkosi iqoqa abantu Bayo u-Israyel uma sebeme mukela futhi begcina nemiyalelo Yayo.
Izizwana ezilishumi ezilahlekileyo zakwa-Israyeli
Izizwana ezilishumi zakwa-Israyeli zazenza umbuso wakwa-Israyeli osenyakatho futhi zathathwa zayiswa ekuthunjweni e-Asiriya ngonyaka wamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amabili nanye ngaphambi kukaKristu. Kuleso sikhathi zaya “emazweni asenyakatho” futhi zalahleka zangaziwa muntu. Ezinsukwini zokugcina zizobuya.