Ingabe UNkulunkulu Wamukela Zonke Izinhlobo Zokukhulekela?
UNKULUNKULU wadala umuntu enesidingo esingokomoya—isidingo sokukhulekela. Asiyona into eyazakhekela. Sasiyingxenye yomuntu kusukela ekuqaleni.
Nokho, ngokudabukisayo isintu siye sasungula izindlela eziningi nezihlukahlukene zokukhulekela, futhi eziningi zazo azizange zakhe umkhaya wabantu onobunye, nojabulayo. Kunalokho, kusalwiwa izimpi ezichitha igazi eliningi egameni lenkolo. Lokhu kuphakamisa umbuzo obalulekile: Kunendaba yini ukuthi umuntu umkhulekela kanjani uNkulunkulu?
Ukukhulekela Okungabazisayo Ezikhathini Zasendulo
Izizwe zasendulo ezazihlala eMpumalanga Ephakathi ziyisibonelo esingokomlando esisisiza siphendule lowo mbuzo. Eziningi zazikhulekela unkulunkulu okwakuthiwa uBali. Zazikhulekela nabangane bakaBali besifazane, njengo-Ashera. Ukukhulekelwa kuka-Ashera kwakuhilela ukusetshenziswa kwesibonda esingcwele okwakukholelwa ukuthi siwuphawu lobulili. Abavubukuli abasebenza kuleyo ndawo baye bamba imifanekiso eminingi yabesifazane abanqunu. I-Encyclopedia of Religion ithi lemifanekiso “ibonisa unkulunkulukazi onezitho zokuzala ezenziwe zagqama, ephakamise amabele,” futhi “cishe imelela . . . u-Ashera.” Iyodwa into esiqiniseka ngayo, ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kwakuvame ukuba nokuziphatha okubi kakhulu.
Ngakho, akumangalisi ukuthi ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kwakuhlanganisa nokuzitika ngobulili. (Numeri 25:1-3) UShekemi, owayengumKhanani, wadlwengula intombi esencane uDina. Naphezu kwalokhu, wayebhekwa njengomuntu ohlonipheka kakhulu emkhayeni wakubo. (Genesise 34:1, 2, 19) Ukulala nesihlobo, ubungqingili, nokulala nesilwane kwakuvamile. (Levitikusi 18:6, 22-24, 27) Lona kanye igama lesiNgisi elithi “sodomy,” isenzo songqingili, livela egameni lomuzi owake waba kuleyo ngxenye yomhlaba. (Genesise 19:4, 5, 28) Ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kwakuhilela nokuchitha igazi. Phela, abakhulekeli bakaBali babephonsa izingane zabo emalangabini omlilo ziphila bezenza umhlatshelo konkulunkulu babo! (Jeremiya 19:5) Yonke lemikhuba yayihlobene nezimfundiso zenkolo. Kanjani?
“Isihluku, inkanuko yobulili, nokungazithibi kwasezinganekwaneni zaseKhanani,” kuchaza uDkt. Merrill Unger encwadini yakhe ethi Archaeology and the Old Testament, “kubi kakhulu kunanoma okwakuyiphi enye indawo eMpumalanga Eseduze ngalesi sikhathi. Futhi isici esishaqisayo sonkulunkulu baseKhanani, sokungabi nasimilo nakancane, kumelwe ukuba sakha izimfanelo ezimbi kakhulu kubantu abazinikele kubo futhi saveza imikhuba eminingi eyonakele kakhulu yangaleso sikhathi, njengobufebe obungcwele, [no]kwenza izingane imihlatshelo.”
Ingabe uNkulunkulu wayekwamukela ukukhulekela kwamaKhanani? Lutho neze. Wafundisa ama-Israyeli ukuthi kwakufanele amkhulekele kanjani ngendlela emsulwa. Ngokuqondene nemikhuba ephawulwe ngenhla, waxwayisa: “Ningazingcolisi nangeyodwa yalezozinto, ngokuba ngazo zonke lezo zingcolile lezizizwe engizixosha phambi kwakho. lzwe lingcolile; ngalokho ngahambela ububi balo kulo, izwe lahlanza abantu balo.”—Levitikusi 18:24, 25.
Ukukhulekela Okuhlanzekile Kuyangcoliswa
Ama-Israyeli amaningi awazange amukele umbono kaNkulunkulu wokukhulekela okumsulwa. Kunalokho, avumela ukuba ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kuqhubeke ezweni lawo. Ngokushesha ama-Israyeli ayengelwa ekubeni azame ukuhlanganisa ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova nokukaBali. Ingabe uNkulunkulu walwamukela lolu hlobo oluxubile lokukhulekela? Cabangela okwenzeka phakathi nokubusa kweNkosi uManase. Yamisa ama-altare kaBali, yashisa indodana yayo uqobo yayenza umhlatshelo, yenza nemilingo. ‘Yabeka isithombe esibaziweyo sikaAshera [isibonda esingcwele] esenzileyo endlini asho ngayo uJehova kuDavide nakuSolomoni indodana yayo ukuthi: Kulendlu ngiyakubeka igama lami kuze kube-phakade.’—2 AmaKhosi 21:3-7.
Abantu ababebuswa uManase balandela isibonelo senkosi yabo. Eqinisweni, “wabaphambukisa baze benza okubi kunabezizwe abachithayo uJehova phambi kwabantwana bakwaIsrayeli.” (2 AmaKhosi 21:9) Esikhundleni sokuba alalele izixwayiso zabaprofethi bakaNkulunkulu ezaziphindaphindwa, uManase wabulala waze wagcwalisa iJerusalema ngegazi elingenacala. Nakuba uManase agcina ephendukile, indodana yakhe eyamlandela, iNkosi u-Amoni, yakuvuselela ukukhulekelwa kukaBali.—2 AmaKhosi 21:16, 19, 20.
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izifebe zesilisa zaqala ukusebenzela ethempelini. UNkulunkulu wayibheka kanjani lendlela yokukhulekelwa kukaBali? NgoMose, wayexwayisile: “Ungayingenisi inkokhelo yesifebe nemali yenja [cishe umuntu owenza ubulili bendunu, ikakhulukazi nomfana] endlini kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ukugcwalisa isithembiso; kokubili kuyisinengiso kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho.”—Duteronomi 23:17, 18, umbhalo waphansi we-NW.
Umzukulu kaManase, iNkosi uJosiya, wakususa ukukhulekelwa kukaBali okunokuziphatha okubi ethempelini. (2 AmaKhosi 23:6, 7) Kodwa kwase konakele kakhulu. Esikhathini esingeside ngemva kokufa kweNkosi uJosiya, kwaphinde kwakhulekelwa izithombe ethempelini likaJehova. (Hezekeli 8:3, 5-17) Ngakho uJehova wabangela ukuba inkosi yaseBabiloni ibhubhise iJerusalema nethempeli lalo. Leli qiniso lomlando elidabukisayo liwubufakazi bokuthi ezinye izinhlobo zokukhulekela azamukeleki kuNkulunkulu. Kuthiwani ngosuku lwethu?