Imifanekiso Evela EZweni Lesithembiso

IJopha—Isikhumulo Semikhumbi Sasendulo Esiphawulekayo

I-ISRAYELI YASENDULO yayinogu olude, olunesihlabathi esiningi. Kodwa amaIsrayeli ayengaziwa ngokukhethekile njengabantu abathanda ulwandle. Kungenzeka ukuthi imbangela yalokhu kwakuyindlela ugu lwawo olwalumi ngayo.

Lwaluwuchungechunge olungenalutho lwezingu nezindunduma, ezenziwa isihlabathi esikhukhulelwa olwandle uMfula iNayili.a Uma uthatha uhambo ngomkhumbi kulo uqonde ngenhla usuka emngceleni waseGibithe, ubungeke usithole isikhumulo semikhumbi esihle ngokukhethekile esazenzakalela eningizimu yeNtaba iKarmeli.

Kodwa cishe phakathi nendawo ekhuphukela ogwini lwakwaIsrayeli ubuzobona phezu kwegquma umuzi waseJopha. Njengoba lomfanekiso ubonisa, uchungechunge lwamatshe angaphandle olwandle lwakha umtata. Nakuba isikhumulo semikhumbi esasakheka sasikhala ngaphansi kwesasisenyakatho impela eAcre (ePetolemayi), sasisayenza ibe ephawulekayo iJopha. (IzEnzo 21:7) IJopha yayiyindawo engcono kakhulu ngasogwini yokuba imikhumbi ime kuyo kwaze kwaba yilapho uHerode akha isikhumulo semikhubi sesikhashana saseKesariya. Lokhu kukhanyisa amanye amavesi eBhayibheli akhuluma ngeJopha.

Lapho ezenza atholakalele ukusiza uSolomoni ekwakheni ithempeli, uHiramu inkosi yaseTire wathi: “Thina siyakugawula imithi eLebanoni . . . siyiyise kuwe eJopha elwandle ngezihlenga, wena uyikhuphulele eJerusalema.” (2 IziKronike 2:1, 11, 16) Kungenzeka ukuthi lezihlenga zasuka ezikhumulweni zasePhoenicia esasiseTire noma eSidoni. (Isaya 23:1, 2; Hezekeli 27:8, 9) Zidlula eKarmeli, lezihlenga zemithi yemisedari zazimisa eJopha. Ukusuka lapho lemisedari yayingayiswa eJerusalema, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angama-34 empumalanga/eningizimu mpumalanga. IJopha futhi yayiyisikhumulo okwakuyiswa kuso amapulangwe omsedari lapho amaJuda akha khona kabusha ithempeli ngemva kokuthunjwa.—Ezra 3:7.

Mhlawumbe izisebenzi ezithutha lawomapulangwe zazigibela imikhumbi yasePhoenicia, efana neyohlobo olusemfanekisweni. Njengoba uwuhlola, khumbula ukuthi ngemva kokuba uJehova ethume uJona eNinive, lomprofethi waya lapho engathunywanga khona. “[UJona] wafuna umkhumbi obuyakuya eTharishishi; wakhokha imali yawo, wakhwela kuwo, ukuba ahambe nawo, aye eTharishishi, asuke ebusweni bukaJehova.”—Jona 1:1-3.

Ngokusobala, uJona wagibela loluhlobo lomkhumbi othwala impahla owakheke kahle, owawungakwazi ukuthatha uhambo olude usuka eJopha uya eTharishishi (ngokunokwenzeka iSpain yasendulo). Cishe wawunendawo engaphambili ephakeme egobayo, okwakulenga eceleni kwayo itshe elalehliswa ukuze umkhumbi ungahambi. Abagibeli, abagwedli, nenye impahla kwakunganela ngaphezulu, okuyindawo engabonisiwe kulomfanekiso. Ngaphansi kwakunendawo yokugcina izinto, lapho okwakungagcinwa khona impahla eningi nalapho uJona alala khona. Lomkhumbi wawakhiwe ngamapulangwe awugqinsi ejuniper futhi wawunesigxobo esisodwa somsedari sokusekela useyili omkhulu wendwangu. Phawula ohlangothini ngalunye uchungechunge lwezigwedlo ezinde (ngokunokwenzeka ze-oki laseBashani). Manje ake ubone lomkhumbi ngamehlo engqondo usolwandle futhi usongelwa isivunguvungu esinamandla. Yizwa abagwedli bekhala konkulunkulu babo becela usizo kuze kube yilapho ekugcineni bephoqeleka ukuba bantshinge uJona emanzini ukuze bona ngokwabo bangabhubhi.—Hezekeli 27:5-9; Jona 1:4-15.

IJopha yekhulu lokuqala leminyaka yayiyikhaya lebandla lamaKristu, amanye awo okungenzeka ukuthi ayekade eyizisebenzi zasemkhunjini noma engamatilosi. Elinye ilungu lebandla elikulesikhumulo semikhumbi esimatasa kakhulu kwakunguDorka ongumJuda (uThabitha). “Wayenemisebenzi eminingi emihle nokwabela abampofu izipho.” Ngonyaka ka-36 C.E., uDorka wagula futhi wafa, okwabangela ukuba abaningi bakhale, bekhumbula imisebenzi yakhe emihle eminingi. AmaKristu ayekanye naye alanda umphostoli uPetru eLida (iLod yanamuhla, engasesikhumulweni sezindiza saseTel Aviv) eza naye eJopha. UPetru wavusa lodade othandekayo, isimangaliso ‘esazwakala kulo lonke iJopha; abaningi bakholwa.’—IzEnzo 9:36-42.

UPetru wahlala eJopha isikhathi esithile endlini kaSimoni, umshuki wesikhumba. Lapha lomphostoli waba nombono owamholela ekubeni athathe abanye babazalwane bebandla laseJopha aqonde nabo enyakatho ngomgwaqo ongasogwini oya esikhumulweni semikhumbi esisha saseKhesariya. Lapho uPetru washumayeza futhi wabhapathiza induna yebutho lamaRoma uKorneliyu, ongoweZizwe wokuqala ongasokiwe owaba umKristu ogcotshwe ngomoya. (IzEnzo 9:43–10:48) Yeka injabulo nentokozo okumelwe ukuba kwaba yiyo eJopha labo abazalwane bebuya nezindaba zalentuthuko ebaluleke kakhulu emlandweni wobuKristu!

Namuhla izivakashi eziningi zehla zenyuka zibuka iJopha, eyingxenye yeTel AvivJaffa yanamuhla, futhi zingaphinde zizikhumbule kalula izenzakalo zeBhayibheli ezenzeka kulesikhumulo semikhumbi esiphawulekayo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.