Ibhalsamu LaseGileyadi—Amafutha Elaphayo

INDABA edumile encwadini yeBhayibheli kaGenesise isixoxela ngabafowabo bakaJosefa abamthengisa kubahwebi bakwa-Ishmayeli ababelibangise eGibhithe. Ihele lalabo bahwebi lalivela eGileyadi futhi amakamela alo ayethwele ibhalsamu nezinye izinto eziya eGibhithe. (Genesise 37:25) Lokhu kulandisa okufushane kubonisa ukuthi ibhalsamu laseGileyadi lalithandwa kakhulu endulo eMpumalanga Ephakathi. Okwakwenza lithandeke ngokukhethekile ukuthi lalelapha.

Nokho, ngekhulu lesithupha B.C.E., umprofethi uJeremiya wabuza edangele: “Alikho yini ibhalsamu eGileyadi?” (Jeremiya 8:22) Yini eyenza uJeremiya abuze lo mbuzo? Liyini ibhalsamu? Likhona yini namuhla ibhalsamu elisiza ekwelapheni?

 Ibhalsamu Ngezikhathi ZeBhayibheli

Ibhalsamu yigama elichaza amafutha anamakha amnandi anamfukayo aphuma ezitshalweni nasezihlahleni ezihlukahlukene. Endulo amafutha ebhalsamu ayeyikhethelo eMpumalanga Ephakathi, futhi ngokuvamile ayesetshenziswa lapho kwenziwa impepho namakha. Lalingelinye lezithako ezazifakwa emafutheni angcwele okugcoba umpristi noma inkosi futhi lafakwa empephweni eyasetshenziswa etabernakele ngemva nje kokuba ama-Israyeli ephume eGibhithe. (Eksodusi 25:6; 35:8) Amafutha ebhalsamu ayephakathi kwezipho ezinhle kakhulu indlovukazi yaseSheba eyaziphathela iNkosi uSolomoni. (1 AmaKhosi 10:2, 10) U-Esteri wagcotshwa futhi wabhucungwa ‘izinyanga eziyisithupha ngamafutha ebhalsamu’ ngaphambi kokuba avele phambi kwenkosi yasePheresiya, u-Ahashiveroshi.—Esteri 1:1; 2:12.

Nakuba amafutha ebhalsamu ayetholakala ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zaseMpumalanga Ephakathi, ibhalsamu laseGileyadi lalitholakala eZweni Lesithembiso, iGileyadi iyisifunda esasisempumalanga yoMfula iJordani. Inzalamizi uJakobe yayibheka ibhalsamu ‘njengomkhiqizo wezwe omuhle kunayo yonke,’ futhi yalithumela njengesipho enkosini yaseGibhithe. (Genesise 43:11) Ibhalsamu liphakathi kwezinto umprofethi uHezekeli athi izwe lakwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli lalizithengisela iThire. (Hezekeli 27:17) Ibhalsamu lalidume kakhulu ngokwelapha. Izincwadi zasendulo zikhuluma kaningana ngokuthi la mafutha ayethoba futhi elapha, ikakhulukazi uma umuntu enezilonda.

Isizwe Esigulayo Sidinga Ibhalsamu

Kungani-ke uJeremiya abuza umbuzo othi, “Alikho yini ibhalsamu eGileyadi”? Ukuze siqonde, kufanele siqale sithole ukuthi sasinjani isizwe sakwa-Israyeli ngaleso sikhathi. Ngaphambidlana, umprofethi u-Isaya wayechaze ngokucacile ukuthi ubuhlobo baso noNkulunkulu babulimele kakhulu. “Akukho ndawo ephilileyo kuwo kusukela ematheni onyawo kuze kufike ngisho nasekhanda. Amanxeba nemivimbo nemidwa emisha—akuzange kukhanywe noma kuboshwe.” (Isaya 1:6) Kunokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baqaphele isimo sabo esidabukisayo futhi bafune usizo lokwelashwa, baqhubeka benhlanhlatha. Ukuphela kwento uJeremiya ayengayenza kwakuwukuzwakalisa ukudabuka: “Balé lona kanye izwi likaJehova, banakuhlakanipha kuni?” UJehova wayengabelapha kuphela uma babebuyela kuye. “Alikho yini ibhalsamu eGileyadi?” Lo mbuzo wenza umuntu acabange!—Jeremiya 8:9.

Izwe lanamuhla ligcwele “amanxeba nemivimbo nemidwa emisha” ngezindlela eziningi. Abantu bayizisulu zobumpofu, ukungaphathwa ngobulungisa, ubugovu nokuntuleka komusa. Konke lokhu kubangelwa ukuthi selupholile uthando ngoNkulunkulu nangomakhelwane. (Mathewu 24:12; 2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi bayacwaswa ngenxa yohlanga, ubuzwe noma ubudala babo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, indlala, ukugula, impi nokufa kunezela ebuhlungwini babo. Abantu abaningi abaqotho bazibuza njengoJeremiya ukuthi alikho yini “ibhalsamu eGileyadi” elingapholisa amanxeba angokomzwelo nangokomoya abantu abasosizini.

Izindaba Ezinhle Ezelaphayo

Ngesikhathi sikaJesu, kunabantu abathobekile ababezibuza umbuzo ofanayo. Kodwa lowo mbuzo waphendulwa. Ekuqaleni kuka-30 C.E. lapho esesinagogeni laseNazaretha, uJesu wafunda la mazwi emqulwini ka-Isaya: “UJehova ungigcobile ukuba ngitshele abamnene izindaba ezinhle. Ungithumé ukuba ngibophe abanhliziyo zaphukileyo.” (Isaya 61:1) Wabe esebonisa ukuthi nguye lowo muntu owayethunyiwe, uMesiya owayeze ngenjongo yokumemezela isigijimi esiduduzayo.—Luka 4:16-21.

Phakathi nayo yonke inkonzo yakhe, uJesu wazishumayela ngentshiseko izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 4:17) ENtshumayelweni yakhe yaseNtabeni, wathembisa abahluphekayo ukuthi isimo sabo sasiyoshintsha. Wathi: “Niyajabula nina enikhalayo manje, ngoba niyohleka.” (Luka 6:21) Ngokumemezela ukuza koMbuso kaNkulunkulu—isigijimi sethemba—uJesu ‘wayebopha abanhliziyo zaphukileyo.’

 “Izindaba ezinhle zombuso” zisaduduza nanamuhla. (Mathewu 6:10; 9:35) Cabangela isibonelo sikaRoger noLiliane. Ngo-January 1961, bezwa ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sokuphila okuphakade futhi kwaba njengokungathi bagcotshwa ngebhalsamu elithobayo. ULiliane uyakhumbula: “Ngadansa ekhishini ngenxa yenjabulo eyabangelwa yilokho engangikufunda. Ngangijabule kakhulu.” URoger, ngaleso sikhathi owayesekhubazeke iminyaka eyishumi, uyanezela, “Ngathola injabulo enkulu, injabulo yokuphila, ngenxa yethemba elimangalisayo—ithemba lovuko nokuphela kwabo bonke ubuhlungu nokugula.”—IsAmbulo 21:4.

Ngo-1970 baba lusizi lapho beshonelwa indodana yabo eneminyaka engu-11. Kodwa abazange bavumele ukugajwa usizi. Bazizwela ngokwabo ukuthi uJehova “uphulukisa abanenhliziyo ephukile, abophe izindawo zabo ezibuhlungu.” (IHubo 147:3) Ithemba ababenalo labaduduza. Sekuyiminyaka ecela kwengu-50 manje izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ozayo zibanika ukuthula nokwaneliseka.

Abantu Basazothola Ukwelashwa Okwengeziwe

Likhona yini “ibhalsamu eGileyadi” namuhla? Yebo, lisekhona ibhalsamu elingokomoya. Induduzo nethemba okunikezwa izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kuyakwazi ukubopha izinhliziyo ezaphukileyo. Ungathanda yini ukuthola lokho kwelashwa? Okufanele ukwenze ukuvula inhliziyo yakho uvumele isigijimi seZwi likaNkulunkulu sikududuze futhi siqondise ukuphila kwakho. Kunezigidi zabantu esezikwenzile kakade lokhu.

Ukwelashwa ongakuthola ngaleli bhalsamu kumane nje kungamazwibela okwelashwa okukhulu okuseza. Maduzane, uJehova uNkulunkulu ‘uzokwelapha izizwe,’ ziphile phakade. Ngaleso sikhathi, “akekho ohlala khona oyothi: ‘Ngiyagula.’” Yebo, lisekhona “ibhalsamu eGileyadi”!—IsAmbulo 22:2; Isaya 33:24.

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Izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu zisapholisa izinhlungu zabanhliziyo zaphukile namuhla