ABAKHENKETHI ababetyelele kwindawo eyayikuyo iBhetelehem yamandulo babekhatywe kanobom linxele likaKhetsekile, yaye bezimisele ukuzifikisela ekutyeni kwalapho. Omnye wabo wathi ntla ngevenkile yokutyela ethengisa ifalafel, esisonka esibizwa ngokuba yipita bread esinee-ertyisi, ezidityaniswe netumato, itswele, neminye imifuno. Emva kokufuman’ oku kutya kumuncis’ iintupha, aba bakhenkethi batsho banamandla okuqhubeka nohambo lwabo.

Bengaqondanga abo bakhenkethi, kwathi kanti ukutya eso sonka kuyeyona nxalenye ibalulekileyo yokhenketho lwabo ngolo suku lokukhangela izinto zembali. Igama elithi Bhetelehem lithetha “Indlu Yesonka,” yaye isonka sinembali yamawaka eminyaka kweso sixeko. (Rute 1:22; 2:14) Namhlanje ipita bread sesona sonka sithandwayo eBhetelehem.

Malunga namawaka amane eminyaka eyadlulayo, umfazi ka-Abraham uSara, owayehlala kufutshane neBhetelehem, wabhaka “amaqebengwana” okondla iindwendwe ezintathu awayengazilindelanga. (Genesis 18:6) ‘Umgubo ocolekileyo’ awawusebenzisayo uSara, usenokuba wawenziwe ngengqolowa okanye irhasi. Kwafuneka axove ngokukhawuleza, yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayibhaka le ntlama ngokuyibeka phezu kwamatye ashushu.—1 Kumkani 19:6.

Oku kubonisa ukuba intsapho ka-Abraham yayizibhakela isonka sayo. Njengoko babengoonothwal’ impahlana, uSara nezicaka zakhe babengenazo izitovu zokubhaka njengaseUre, apho babesuka khona. Wayesenza umgubo ocolekileyo ngeenkozo. Oku kuthetha ukuba wayebila esoma ewucola kwilitye lokuguba okanye kwisingqusho.

Kumakhulu amane eminyaka kamva, uMthetho kaMoses wayalela ukuba ilitye lokusila lomntu oboleke imali lingathathwa njengesibambiso, kuba “kukuthimba umphefumlo” oko. (Duteronomi 24:6) UThixo wayelijonga njengento ebalulekileyo ilitye lokusila, kuba intsapho yayingenakukwazi ukwenza isonka semihla ngemihla ngaphandle kwalo.—Funda ibhokisi ethi “ Ukusila Nokubhaka Kumaxesha Okubhalwa KweBhayibhile.”

IZibhalo zithetha ngesonka kangangezihlandlo eziyi-350, yaye ababhali beBhayibhile badla ngokuthetha ngaso xa bebhekisela ekutyeni. UYesu wafundisa abo bathanda uThixo ukuba bathandaze bathi: “Siphe namhlanje isonka sethu sale mini.” (Mateyu 6:11) Xa esithi “isonka” wayebhekisela ekutyeni ngokubanzi, yaye wayetheth’ ukuthi sinokuqiniseka ukuba uThixo uya kusondla imihla ngemihla.—INdumiso 37:25.

Noko ke, kukho into ebaluleke ngaphezu kwesonka, okanye ukutya. UYesu wathi: “Akaphili ngasonka sodwa umntu, uphila ngamazwi onke aphuma emlonyeni kaYehova.” (Mateyu 4:4) Wayebhekisela kwixesha laxa amaSirayeli ayexhomekeke ngokupheleleyo kukutya okuvela kuThixo. Oku kwenzeka kwixesha elifutshane emva kokuba ephumile eYiputa. Ayesele enexesha elingangenyanga engenile kwiNtlango yeSinayi, ibe ayephelelwa kukutya. Enexhala lokuba aza kufa yindlala kuloo ntlango, ambombozela athi: ‘Sasisidla isonka sanele’ eYiputa.—Eksodus 16:1-3.

Ayithandabuzeki into yokuba isonka saseYiputa sasimnandi. Ngomhla kaMoses, oompondo zihlanjiwe bababhaki babebhakela amaYiputa iintlobo ngeentlobo zezonka namaqebengwana. Kodwa  ke uYehova wayefuna nabantu bakhe babe nesonka. Wabathembisa oku: “Uyabona, ndiya kuninisela isonka esivela emazulwini.” Kanye njengokuba uThixo wayetshilo, ngonyezi kwehla isonka esivela ezulwini, esasinjengento “ejiyileyo necolekileyo” efana neqabaka. Ukuqala kwawo ukuyibona, amaSirayeli abuza athi: “Yintoni le?” UMoses wawaphendula wathi: “Sisonka aninike sona uYehova ukuba nisidle.” Asibiza ngokuba yimana, * ibe asitya iminyaka eyi-40.—Eksodus 16:4, 13-15, 31.

Kumele ukuba amaSirayeli ayeyinandipha le mana ekuqaleni. “Incasa yayo yayinjengaleyo yamaqebengwana amcaba obusi,” ibe yayingumdliva. (Eksodus 16:18) Kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha, akhumbula ukutya kwaseYiputa. Akhalaza athi: “Amehlo ethu awaboni nto yimbi ngaphandle kwale mana.” (Numeri 11:6) Kamva aba lugcwabevu ngumsindo athi: “Umphefumlo wethu uyasenyanya esi sonka sinkatshunkatshu.” (Numeri 21:5) Ekugqibeleni asicaphukela esi ‘sonka sivela ezulwini.’—INdumiso 105:40.

Abantu abaninzi basithatha njengento engenamsebenzi isonka. Kodwa iBhayibhile ithetha ngesona sonka sixabisekileyo esingamele sijongelwe phantsi. UYesu esi sonka usithelekisa nemana amaSirayeli angazange ayixabise, kodwa sinokuzuza lukhulu kuso.

UYesu wathi: “Ndim isonka sobomi. Ookhokho benu batya imana entlango ukanti bafa. Siso esi isonka esihla sivela ezulwini, ukuze nabani na atye kuso aze angafi. Ndim isonka esiphilayo esehla sivela ezulwini; ukuba nabani na utya kwesi sonka uya kuphila ngonaphakade; yaye, enyanisweni, isonka  endiya kusinikela yinyama yam ngenxa yobomi behlabathi.”—Yohane 6:48-51.

AmaYuda amaninzi awayephulaphule ayengaqondi ukuba wayethetha ukuthini uYesu xa ethetha ‘ngesonka nenyama.’ Kodwa lo mzekelo wawungena gingci, kuba amaYuda ayesitya yonke le mihla isonka, njengokuba namaSirayeli atya imana kangangeminyaka eyi-40 entlango. Nangona imana yayisisipho esivela kuThixo, ayizange ibanike ubomi obungunaphakade abo babeyitya. Kodwa kona ukusifela kukaYesu, kubazisela ubomi obungunaphakade abo babonisa ukholo kuye. Wayenyanisile xa esithi “ndim isonka sobomi.”

Mhlawumbi xa uziva ulambile, uya ubaleka esonkeni. Yaye uye umbulele uThixo ‘ngesonka semihla ngemihla.’ (Mateyu 6:11) Njengoko sikuxabisa ukufumana isonka esimnandi, masihlale sikukhumbula ukubaluleka kukaYesu Kristu “isonka sobomi”.

Ngokungafaniyo namaSirayeli awayephila ngomhla kaMoses, singabonisa njani ukuba asisideleli esi sonka sesisa? “Ukuba niyandithanda, niya kuyigcina imiyalelo yam; “ watsho njalo uYesu (Yohane 14:15) Ngokugcina imiyalelo kaYesu, siya kukwazi ukuziyolisa ngokutya isonka sikanaphakade.—Duteronomi 12:7.