1, 2. Ngumuphi umkhosi onkhe emaKhristu lokufanele abe nendzaba nawo, futsi kungani?

NAWUCABANGA ngemalanga lakhetsekile, nguliphi lelisheshe lifike engcondvweni yakho? Loshadile angase atsi: “Lilanga lengashada ngalo.” Kulabanye kungase kube lilanga lekugubha lokutsite lokwenteka emlandvweni, njengesikhatsi live labo litfola inkhululeko. Ukhona yini umkhosi wesive lowatiko losewugujwe iminyaka lengetulu kwa-3 500?

² Ukhona umkhosi lonjalo, liPhasika. Lalisikhumbuto sekukhululwa kwema-Israyeli asendvulo ebugcilini baseGibhithe. Lomkhosi kufanele ubaluleke kuwe. Kungani? Ngenca yekutsi utsintsa kuphila kwakho ngetindlela letehlukehlukene. Ungase ucabange utsi: ‘LiPhasika laligujwa ngemaJuda, kodvwa mine angisiye umJuda. Kungani-ke kufanele ngibe nendzaba nalomkhosi?’ Imphendvulo singayitfola kulamavi labalulekile, latsi: “Khristu loliPhasika letfu sewuvele unikelwe.” (1 Khor. 5:7) Kuze sitfole kubaluleka kwalamavi laliciniso, kudzingeka sitfole lwati lolubanti ngeliPhasika lemaJuda nekutsi lomkhosi uhlobana kanjani nemyalo lowanikwa onkhe emaKhristu.

3, 4. Yini leyenteka ngaphambi kweliPhasika lekucala?

³ Emakhulu etigidzi ebantfu emhlabeni wonkhe, ayati ngaloko lokwenteka ngeliPhasika nanobe angesiwo emaJuda. Mhlawumbe afundza ngako eBhayibhelini ku-Eksodusi, eva kukhulunywa ngako, nobe abona ibhayisikobho yalomkhosi.

⁴ Ngesikhatsi ema-Israyeli atigcili eGibhithe iminyaka leminyenti, Jehova watfumela Mosi nemnakabo Aroni kutsi bayocela Faro akhulule bantfu baKhe. Njengobe lenkhosi lebeyidvwalile yaseGibhithe yala kukhulula ema-Israyeli, Jehova wabese ushaya lelive ngetishayo letehlukehlukene. Ekugcineni, Nkulunkulu wabashaya ngesishayo selishumi lesabulala onkhe ematubulo aseGibhithe futsi lesenta kutsi Faro akhulule ema-Israyeli.—Eks. 1:11; 3:9, 10; 5:1, 2; 11:1, 5.

5. Ema-Israyeli bekufanele enteni kute alungiselele kukhululwa kwawo? (Buka sitfombe lesisekucaleni kwalesihloko.)

 ⁵ Yini ema-Israyeli lobekufanele ayente ngaphambi kwekukhululwa kwawo? Kwakukusentfwasahlobo nga-1513 B.C.E., ngenyanga ya-Abibi inyanga yemaHebheru, kamuva leyabitwa ngekutsi nguNisani. * Nkulunkulu bekatsite ngelilanga lelishumi laleyo nyanga ema-Israyeli bekufanele atilungiselele kucala kwaNisani 14. Lelilanga lacala nakushona lilanga njengobe emalanga emaHebheru abecala nakushona lilanga futsi aphele nalishona. NgaNisani 14 umndeni ngamunye kwakufanele uhlabe imvu lendvuna (nome imbuti) bese lenye ingati yayo ibhocwa etinsikeni temnyango nangetulu kwawo kuleyondlu. (Eks. 12:3-7, 22, 23) Umndeni kwakufanele udle imvu leyosiwe, imibhidvo kanye nesinkhwa lesite imbiliso. Ingilosi yaNkulunkulu beyitawendlula eGibhithe ibulale ematibulo akhona, kodvwa ema-Israyeli labetawulalela abetawusindza futsi akhululwe.—Eks. 12:8-13, 29-32.

6. Kungani ema-Israyeli bekufanele achubeke agubha liPhasika minyaka yonkhe?

⁶ Nguko kanye lokwenteka futsi ema-Israyeli bekufanele ahlale akukhumbula loko ngisho naseminyakeni leyayiseta. Nkulunkulu wawatjela kutsi: “Lelilanga liyawuba sikhumbuto kini, niyawuligcina libe lilanga lemkhosi kuSimakadze. Tonkhe titukulwane tenu tiyawulenta libe lilanga lemkhosi kuze kube ngunini nanini.” Ngemuva kwekugujwa kweliPhasika ngaNisani 14, ema-Israyeli bekufanele agubhe uMkhosi Wesinkhwa Lesingenambiliso emalanga lasikhombisa. Nasaphelele, lamalanga lasiphohlongo angase abitwe ngekutsi liPhasika. (Eks. 12:14-17; Luk. 22:1; Joh. 18:28; 19:14) LiPhasika lalingulomunye wemikhosi lebekiwe, ema-Israyeli bekufanele awugubhe umnyaka ngemnyaka.—2 Khr. 8:13.

7. Ngumuphi umkhosi lomusha Jesu latjela balandzeli bakhe kutsi bawugubhe?

⁷ Njengobe bebangemaJuda langephansi kweMtsetfo waMosi, Jesu nebaphostoli bakhe baligubha liPhasika leminyaka yonkhe. (Mat. 26:17-19) Nabagcina kuligubha, Jesu wacalisa umkhosi lomusha balandzeli bakhe lobekufanele bachubeke bawugubha minyaka yonkhe, lokuSidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa. Bekufanele basigubhe nini Sidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa?

8. Ngumuphi umbuto labanye labangase batibute wona mayelana neliPhasika neSidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa?

⁸ Njengobe Jesu acalisa Sidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa ngemuva kweliPhasika lekugcina, lomkhosi lomusha bewutawuba ngelilanga liPhasika lebeligutjwa ngalo. Nome kunjalo, kungenteka uphawulile kutsi emaJuda alamuhla akaligubhi liPhasika ngelilanga tsine lesigubha ngalo Sikhumbuto sekufa kwaKhristu. Ubangelwa yini lomehluko? Imphendvulo ihambisana nemyalo Nkulunkulu lawunika ema-Israyeli. Ngemuva kwekutsi Mosi atsi ‘mhlazana sonkhe sive sema-Israyeli sihlabe lamazinyane,’ wakusho ngalokucacile kutsi loko bekufanele kwentiwe nini kuNisani 14.—Fundza Eksodusi 12:5, 6, NW.

9. Ngekusho kwa-Eksodusi 12:6, bekufanele ihlatjwe nini imvu yeliPhasika? (Fundza libhokisi lelitsi  “Nguyiphi Incenye Yalelilanga?”)

⁹ Incwadzi letsi The Pentateuch and Haftorahs iveta kutsi Eksodusi 12:6 (NW) utsi lemvu bekufanele ihlatjwe “emkhatsini wekuhlwa lokubili.” Lelinye lemahumusho eliBhayibheli lokufaka ekhatsi i-Jewish Tanakh, itsi “nakuhwalala.” Ngako-ke lemvu kwakufanele ihlatjwe nasekuhwalele kusengakabi mnyama, nakucala Nisani 14.

10. Ngekusho kwalabanye, yayihlatjwa nini imvu, kodvwa loko kwaphakamisa muphi umbuto?

 ¹⁰ Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, lamanye emaJuda abecabanga kutsi kufanele kutsatse ema-awa lamanyenti kuhlaba tonkhe letimvu lebetiletfwa ethempelini. Ngako Eksodusi 12:6 abecondvwa ngekutsi usho kuphela kwaNisani 14, emkhatsini wekushona kwelilanga (entsambama). Nangabe kwakunjalo, lesidlo besitawudliwa nini? Phrofesa Jonathan Klawans lobekasati senkholo yemaJuda kadzeni, watsi: “Lilanga lelisha licala nakushona lilanga, ngako-ke lomhlatjelo wentiwa ngelilanga lesi-14 kodvwa kucala kweliPhasika nalesidlo kuba ngelilanga lesi-15, nanobe lokulandzelana kwalamalanga kungakacaciswa ku-Eksodusi.” Wabhala nekutsi: “Tincwadzi tebafundzisi nebaholi benkholo yemaJuda . . . atisitjeli kutsi i-‘Seder’ [sidlo seliPhasika] beyentiwa kanjani ngaphambi kwekubhujiswa kwelithempeli” nga-70 C.E.—Kubhala ngendlela yekutjekisa emagama sitentele.

11. (a) Yini leyenteka kuJesu ngelilanga leliPhasika nga-33 C.E.? (b) Kungani Nisani 15, 33 C.E. abitwa ngekutsi liSabatha “lelikhulu”? (Fundza umbhalo longentasi.)

¹¹ Sidlo seliPhasika langa-33 C.E., sagujwa nini? Ngaphambi kweliPhasika, ngaNisani 13, Jesu watjela Phetro naJohane watsi: “Hambani niyosilungisela liPhasika.” (Luk. 22:7, 8) ‘Ekugcineni . . . sefika sikhatsi’ sesidlo seliPhasika, nasekushone lilanga ngaNisani 14, lokungenteka kutsi kwakunguLesine kusihlwa. Jesu wadla lesidlo nebaphostoli bakhe, wase ucalisa Sidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa. (Luk. 22:14, 15) Ngalobo busuku waboshwa futsi watekiswa emacala. Jesu wabetselwa cishe emini ngaNisani 14, kwatsi entsambama ngalelolanga wafa. (Joh. 19:14) Ngaleyondlela, ‘Khristu loliPhasika letfu wanikelwa’ ngelilanga lelifanako nalelo lebekuhlatjwa ngalo imvu yeliPhasika. (1 Khor. 5:7; 11:23; Mat. 26:2) Njengobe bekusondzela kuphela kwalelolanga lemaJuda, Jesu wangcwatjwa—asengakacali Nisani 15. *—Lev. 23:5-7; Luk. 23:54.

12, 13. Bantfwana bemaJuda bebahlanganyela njani emkhosini weliPhasika?

¹² Ase siphindze sicoce ngalomkhosi waseGibhithe. Mosi watsi esikhatsini lesitako, bantfu baNkulunkulu bekufanele bachubeke bagubha liPhasika futsi bekufanele baligcine “kuze kube nguphakadze  naphakadze.” Bantfwana bebangabuta batali babo imibuto lemayelana nalomkhosi, njengobe kwenta loko bekuyincenye yawo. (Fundza Eksodusi 12:24-27; Dut. 6:20-23) Ngako-ke, leliPhasika lalingaba “sikhumbuto” ngisho nebantfwana bebangafundza tifundvo kulo.—Eks. 12:14.

¹³ Njengobe situkulwane lesisha sikhula, tifundvo letibalulekile betingagcizelelwa, tendluliselwe kuso boyise. Lesinye sifundvo besingaba kutsi Jehova uyativikela tikhonti takhe. Bantfwana bebafundza kutsi Jehova akusho kutsi akacabangi futsi ute luvelo. Bafundza kutsi Jehova ukhona, unguNkulunkulu lophilako lonendzaba nebantfu bakhe futsi lobavikelako. Wakukhombisa loko nakavikela ematibulo ema-Israyeli “ngesikhatsi abulala . . . emaGibhithe.” Wawagcina aphila lamatibulo.

14. Batali labangemaKhristu bangasebentisa indzaba yeliPhasika kute basite bantfwana babo kutsi bafundze tiphi tifundvo?

¹⁴ Batali labangemaKhristu, abayalwa kutsi batjele bantfwana babo indzaba lemayelana neliPhasika umnyaka ngamunye. Nobe kunjalo, uyabafundzisa yini bantfwana bakho lesifundvo sekutsi Nkulunkulu uvikela bantfu bakhe? Uyabacinisekisa yini kutsi Jehova nanyalo unguMvikeli webantfu bakhe? (Hla. 27:11; Isa. 12:2) Ungakwenti loko ngendlela yekutikhipha ecaleni, kodvwa bani nencociswano lejabulisako nebantfwana bakho. Yenta imetamo yekutsi ukhulume ngaletifundvo kute ukhutsate umndeni wakho kutsi utfutfuke ebuhlotjeni bawo naNkulunkulu.

15, 16. LiPhasika nekulandzisa lokuku-Eksodusi kungasetjentiswa kute kugcizelelwe ini ngaJehova?

¹⁵ Lokungafundvwa ngeliPhasika akusiko nje kutsi Jehova unemandla ekuvikela bantfu bakhe. Waphindze wabakhulula ngekutsi ‘abakhiphe eGibhithe.’ Cabanga ngekutsi loko kwakuhlanganisani. Bebacondziswa yinsika yelifu neyemlilo. Bahamba emhlabatsini lowomile njengobe Lwandle Lolubovu lwavuleka ekhatsi, emanti aba tindvonga ngesencele nangesekudla. Nasewelele ngesheya aphephile, abona lamanti abhubhisa libutfo lemphi laseGibhithe. Ema-Israyeli lakhululiwe advumisa Jehova ngekuwakhulula, ahlabela atsi: “Ngiyawuhlabela kuSimakadze, . . . lihhashi nemgibeli walo ukujikijele elwandle. Simakadze uyingoma yami, nemandla ami, yena sewuyinsindziso yami.”—Eks. 13:14, 21, 22; 15:1, 2; Hla. 136:11-15.

¹⁶ Nangabe unebantfwana, uyabasita yini kutsi betsembele kuJehova njengobe anguMkhululi? Bangakubona yini kuciniseka kuwe nawucoca nabo nalapho utsatsa tincumo? EKukhonteni Kwemndeni ungakhuluma ngaloko lesikufundza ku-Eksodusi tehluko 12-15 futsi ugcizelele indlela Jehova lakhulula ngayo bantfu bakhe. Ngaletinye tikhatsi ungase ulenabise leliphuzu ngekutsi nicoce ngembhalo weMisebenti 7:30-36 nobe Danyela 3:16-18, 26-28. Labadzala nalabasebasha kufanele baciniseke kutsi Jehova abenguMkhululi hhayi nje esikhatsini lesendlulile kuphela. Njengobe akhulula bantfu bakhe ngesikhatsi saMosi, utasikhulula natsi esikhatsini lesitako.—Fundza 1 Thesalonika 1:9, 10.

17, 18. Kufanele kusikhumbute ini kucabanga ngekusetjentiswa kwengati ngeliPhasika lekucala?

¹⁷ EmaKhristu eliciniso awaligubhi liPhasika lemaJuda. Loyo mkhosi wawuyincenye yeMtsetfo waMosi, kodvwa tsine asikho ngaphansi kwaloyo Mtsetfo. (Rom. 10:4; Khol. 2:13-16) Esikhundleni saloko, sigubha lomunye umkhosi, umkhosi wekufa kweNdvodzana yaNkulunkulu. Nobe kunjalo, kunetifundvo lesingatifundza emkhosini weliPhasika lowacala eGibhithe.

¹⁸ Ingati yalemvu beyibhocwa etinsikeni temnyango nangetulu kwawo kute kusindziswe kuphila. Lamuhla, asinikeli ngetilwane kute sente imihlatjelo kuNkulunkulu. Loko asikwenti ngelilanga leliPhasika futsi asilokotsi sikwente, kodvwa kunemhlatjelo loncono kakhulu longasindzisa kuphila kute kube phakadze. Umphostoli Pawula wabhala mayelana ‘nelibandla lematibulo labhaliswe ezulwini.’ Indlela yekusindzisa kuphila kwalawo maKhristu lagcotjiwe ‘yingati lefafatiwe,’ yaJesu. (Heb. 12:23, 24) EmaKhristu lanelitsemba lekuphila emhlabeni phakadze atawusitwa nguleyongati kute asindziswe. Kufanele ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi atikhumbute lamavi latsi: “Ngaye, siyakhululwa ngenhlawulo leyentiwa ngengati yakhe, lokusho kutsetselelwa kwetiphambeko tetfu ngekuvumelana nebukhulu bemusa waNkulunkulu.”—Ef. 1:7.

19. Indlela Jesu lafa ngayo ingakucinisa njani kwetsembela kwetfu etiphrofethweni teliBhayibheli?

¹⁹ Nakuhlatjwa imvu kute kugujwe liPhasika, ema-Israyeli bekufanele angephuli ngisho linye litsambo layo. (Eks. 12:46; Num. 9:11, 12) Kutsiwani ‘ngeliWundlu laNkulunkulu’ lelasihlawulela? (Joh. 1:29) Wabetselwa netigelekece letimbili, lesinye singesekudla kantsi lesinye singesencele. EmaJuda acela kuPilatu kutsi ematsambo alamadvodza labetselwe ephulwe. Loko bekutawenta kutsi asheshe afe kute angalengi kuletingodvo kute kufike Nisani 15, ngeliSabatha leliphindvwe kabili. Emasotja ephula imilente yaletigelekece letimbili lebetibetselwe, “kodvwa atsi nakefika kuJesu amkhandza asavele afile, ngako akazange amephule imilente.” (Joh. 19:31-34) Loko bekufanana naloko lobekwentiwa ngemvu yeliPhasika, ngako leyomvu ‘beyisitfunti’ salobekusetakwenteka ngaNisani 14, 33 C.E. (Heb. 10:1) Ngetulu kwaloko, indlela tintfo letenteka ngayo yagcwalisa emavi lakuTihlabelelo 34:20, lokufanele acinise kwetsembela kwetfu etiphrofethweni.

20. Ngumuphi umehluko lophawulekako emkhatsini weliPhasika neSidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa?

²⁰ Nome kunjalo, kunemehluko lotsite emkhatsini weliPhasika neSidlo SeNkhosi Sakusihlwa. Loku kuyakhombisa kutsi liPhasika lebeligujwa ngemaJuda belingasiso sitfunti saloko Khristu latjela balandzeli bakhe kutsi bakwente nabakhumbula kufa kwakhe. EGibhithe, ema-Israyeli abedla inyama yalemvu kodvwa angayidli ingati yayo. Loko kwehlukile kuloko Jesu latsi bafundzi bakhe bakwente. Watsi labo labatawubusa “eMbusweni waNkulunkulu” kufanele badle sinkhwa banatse neliwayini, lokufanekisela inyama nengati yakhe. Sitawucoca kabanti ngaloko esihlokweni lesilandzelako.—Mak. 14:22-25.

21. Kungani kuzuzisa kwati ngeliPhasika?

²¹ Nobe kunjalo, akungabateki kutsi liPhasika lalingumkhosi lomkhulu endleleni Nkulunkulu labesebentelana ngayo nema-Israyeli, futsi lisiniketa tifundvo letingasisita. Nanobe liPhasika bekufanele libe “sikhumbuto” kumaJuda, hhayi kumaKhristu, tsine maKhristu kufanele sati ngalo futsi sicabangisise ngetifundvo letibalulekile lesititfola kulo njengobe liyincenye yayo ‘yonkhe imiBhalo lephefumulelwe nguNkulunkulu.’—2 Thim. 3:16.