“Unakekele Lo Mvini”!

IZINHLOLI ezingu-12 zalihamba lonke iZwe Lesithembiso. UMose wayezitshele ukuba zibheke izakhamuzi futhi zibuye nezithelo zezwe. Yiziphi ezazikhanga ngokukhethekile? Eduze naseHebroni, zathola isivini esasinamagilebhisi amakhulu kangangokuthi kwadingeka izinhloli ezimbili zithwale ihlukuzo elilodwa nje. Lezi zithelo zazihlaba umxhwele izinhloli kangangokuthi zabiza leyo ndawo evundile ngokuthi “isigodi sesifufula sase-Eshikoli,” noma saseHlukuzweni Lamagilebhisi.—Numeri 13:21-24.

Phakathi nekhulu leminyaka le-19, owayevakashele ePalestina wabika: “I-Eshikoli, noma isigodi samaGilebhisi, . . . isambozwe imivini, futhi amagilebhisi asePalestina mahle kakhulu futhi makhulu kunawo wonke.” Nakuba imivini yase-Eshikoli yayimihle ngokwedlulele, ingxenye enkulu yasePalestina yayinamagilebhisi amnandi ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli. Imibhalo yaseGibhithe ibonisa ukuthi oFaro babelithola eKhanani iwayini.

I-Natural History of the Bible iyachaza: “Imithambeka yentaba [yasePalestina] inamadwala, inesihlabathi futhi isesigcakini, ukushisa kwasehlobo, nokumunceka ngokushesha kwezimvula zasebusika, ngakho uma konke lokhu kuhlangene kwenza le ndawo ibe izwe lemivini.” U-Isaya wabonisa ukuthi ezinye izindawo zazinezinkulungwane eziningi zezivini.—Isaya 7:23.

“Izwe Lemivini”

UMose watshela isizwe sakwa-Israyeli ukuthi sasizohlala ezweni ‘lemivini namakhiwane namahalananda.’ (Duteronomi 8:8) Ngokwe-Baker Encyclopedia of Bible Plants, “imivini yayiminingi kakhulu ePalestina yasendulo kangangokuthi imbewu yamagilebhisi iye yatholakala ezindaweni eziningi  ezagujwa, uma kungezona zonke.” Imivini yaseZweni Lesithembiso yayithela kakhulu kangangokuthi ngisho nango-607 B.C.E. lapho amabutho kaNebukhadinezari ebhubhisa uJuda, abantu abasala ezweni ‘babutha iwayini nezithelo zasehlobo okuningi kakhulu.’—Jeremiya 40:12; 52:16.

Ukuze bakhiqize iwayini eliningi, abalimi abangama-Israyeli kwakudingeka bayinakekele imivini yabo. Incwadi ka-Isaya ichaza indlela umgcini-sivini ongumIsrayeli ayegubha ngayo isiza emthambekeni wentaba abese esusa wonke amatshe amakhulu ngaphambi kokuba atshale “umvini obomvu wekhethelo.” Ngemva kwalokho wayengase akhe udonga ngamatshe ayewasuse kuleyo ndawo. Lolu donga lwaluvikela isivini ekubeni singanyathelwa izinkomo futhi singangenwa izimpungushe, izingulube zasendle kanye namasela. Wayengase aqophe nesikhamo sewayini futhi akhe umbhoshongo omncane owawuzoba indawo yokuhlala epholile phakathi nesikhathi sokuvuna lapho umvini udinga ukuvikelwa ngokwengeziwe. Ngemva kwawo wonke lo msebenzi wokulungiselela, wayengalindela ukuthola isivuno esihle samagilebhisi.—Isaya 5:1, 2. *

Ukuze aqiniseke ukuthi uthola isivuno esihle, njalo umlimi wayewuthena umvini ukuze uthele kakhulu futhi ahlakule ukuze ungabi nokhula nameva. Wayengase asinisele isivini phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo uma izimvula zasentwasahlobo zingananga kahle.—Isaya 5:6; 18:5; 27:2-4.

Isikhathi sokuvuna amagilebhisi ekupheleni kwehlobo kwakuba isikhathi senjabulo enkulu. (Isaya 16:10) Amahubo amathathu anombhalo ongenhla anamazwi athi “weGititi.” (IHubo 8, 81 no-84) Kuyi-Septuagint la mazwi omculo anencazelo esingaqiniseki ngayo ahunyushwe ngokuthi “izikhamo zewayini” futhi angase abonise ukuthi ama-Israyeli ayehlabelela la mahubo ngenkathi evuna amagilebhisi. Nakuba ngokuyinhloko kwakwenziwa iwayini ngamagilebhisi, ama-Israyeli ayebuye awadle enjalo noma awomise, futhi ayengase enze ngawo amaqebelengwane.—2 Samuweli 6:19; 1 IziKronike 16:3.

Umvini Ongu-Israyeli

Izikhathi eziningana iBhayibheli lichaza abantu bakaNkulunkulu njengomvini—isingathekiso esifanelekayo ngenxa yokubaluleka kwawo kuma-Israyeli. KumaHubo 80, u-Asafa wafanisa isizwe sakwa-Israyeli nomvini owawutshalwe uJehova eKhanani. Izwe lalungiswa ukuze umvini ongu-Israyeli umile futhi ukhule uqine. Kodwa njengoba iminyaka  yayihamba, udonga olwawuvikele lwawa. Lesi sizwe sasingasathembele kuJehova futhi akazange esasivikela. Njengengulube yasendle ephanga isivini, izizwe eziyizitha zaqhubeka ziphanga ingcebo ka-Israyeli. U-Asafa wathandazela ukuba uJehova asize lesi sizwe ukuze siphinde sibe nenkazimulo esasinayo ekuqaleni. Wanxusa: “Unakekele lo mvini.”—IHubo 80:8-15.

U-Isaya wafanisa “indlu ka-Israyeli” nesivini kancane kancane esathela “amagilebhisi asendle,” noma ugqumugqumu obolile. (Isaya 5:2, 7) Amagilebhisi asendle mancane kakhulu kunalawo atshalwayo kodwa izinhlamvu zawo zinkulu kangangokuthi cishe lonke igilebhisi liyizinhlamvu. Ngeke ulenze iwayini ngamagilebhisi asendle noma uwadle—okuwuphawu olufanelekayo lwesizwe esihlubukayo esisithelo saso siwukwephula umthetho kunokuba sibonise ukulunga. Akuyena uMlimi wesivini owayenze ukuba lesi sithelo singabi nalusizo. UJehova wenza konke ayengakwenza ukuze enze lesi sizwe sithele. Wabuza: “Yini enye okusamelwe yenzelwe isivini sami engingakayenzi kuso kakade?”—Isaya 5:4.

Njengoba umvini ongu-Israyeli wawungatheli, uJehova waxwayisa ngokuthi wayezobhidliza udonga ayelwakhile olwaluvikela abantu bakhe. Wayengeke esawuthena noma awuhlakule umvini wakhe ongokomfanekiso. Wawungeke usazithola izimvula zasentwasahlobo ezaziwenza uthele, futhi lesi sivini sasiyogcwala ameva nokhula.—Isaya 5:5, 6.

UMose waprofetha ukuthi ukuhlubuka kuka-Israyeli kwakuyobangela ukuba ngisho nezivini ezingokoqobo zibune. “Uyotshala izivini futhi ngokuqinisekile ulime, kodwa awuyikuphuza wayini futhi ungabuthi lutho, ngoba isibungu siyokudla sikuqede.” (Duteronomi 28:39) Umvini ungabuna ngezinsuku ezimbili uma isibungu singena esiqwini futhi siwudle ngaphakathi.—Isaya 24:7.

“Umvini Weqiniso”

Njengoba nje uJehova afanisa u-Israyeli ongokwenyama nomvini, uJesu wasebenzisa isingathekiso esifanayo. Phakathi neSidlo Sakusihlwa, uJesu watshela abafundi bakhe: “Mina ngingumvini weqiniso, uBaba ungumlimi.” (Johane 15:1) UJesu wafanisa abafundi bakhe namagatsha omvini. Njengoba amagatsha omvini ongokoqobo ethola ukudla esiqwini, nabafundi bakaKristu kumelwe bahlale bemunye naye. UJesu wathi: “Ngaphandle kwami ningenze lutho.” (Johane 15:5) Abalimi batshala umvini ukuze bathole izithelo, futhi uJehova ulindele ukuba abantu bakhe bathele izithelo ezingokomoya. Lokhu kuyamjabulisa uNkulunkulu futhi kumkhazimulise, uMlimi womvini.—Johane 15:8.

Ukuze umvini ongokoqobo uthele kahle, kumelwe uthenwe ubuye uhlungwe, futhi uJesu ubhekisela kuyo yomibili leyo misebenzi. Umgcini-sivini angase athene umvini kabili ngonyaka ukuze athole izithelo eziningi. Phakathi  nezinyanga zasebusika, amagatsha amaningi ayengase anqunywe emvinini. Umlimi ususa amagatsha amaningi angonyaka odlule. Mhlawumbe ushiya amagatsha ayinhloko amathathu noma amane esiqwini, anehlumela elilodwa noma amabili egatsheni ngalinye. La mahlumela asemancane, afanayo namahlumela amasha angonyaka odlule, azoba amagatsha athelayo ngehlobo elilandelayo. Ekugcineni, lapho eqeda ukuwuthena, umgcini-sivini uyawashisa amagatsha awathenile.

UJesu uchaza lokhu kunqunywa kwamagatsha amaningi: “Uma umuntu engahlali emunye nami, uphonswa ngaphandle njengegatsha futhi ome; abantu bayawabutha lawo magatsha bawaphonse emlilweni ashe.” (Johane 15:6) Nakuba ngalesi sikhathi umvini ungase ubonakale ungenamagatsha, uyathenwa futhi entwasahlobo.

UJesu wathi: “Wonke amagatsha akimi angatheli izithelo uyawasusa.” (Johane 15:2) Lokhu kungase kubhekisele ekutheneni kwakamuva, ngemva kokuba umvini usunamahlumela amaningi namahlukuzo amancane esebonakala ngokucacile. Umgcini-sivini ulihlola ngokucophelela igatsha ngalinye elisha ukuze ahlukanise athelayo kulawo angatheli. Uma ewashiya angatheli, asazoqhubeka ethola ukudla namanzi esiqwini somvini. Ngakho, umlimi unquma la magatsha angatheli ukuze umvini wondle kuphela amagatsha athelayo.

Ekugcineni, uJesu ubhekisela ekuhlungeni. Uyachaza: “Yilelo nalelo elithela izithelo uyalihlunga ukuba lithele kakhulu.” (Johane 15:2, iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile) Uma amagatsha angatheli esenqunyiwe, umgcini-sivini uhlola ngokucophelela lelo nalelo gatsha elithelayo. Eduze kwalapho kumila khona igatsha elithelayo, njalo uthola amahlumela amancane amasha okudingeka nawo asuswe. Uma eyekwa ukuze akhule, azomunca amanzi omvini awumthombo obalulekile womswakama emagilebhisini. Amanye amaqabunga amakhulu angase asuswe ukuze amagilebhisi amancane alithole kahle ilanga. Zonke lezi zinyathelo ziwusizo ukuze amagatsha athele izithelo eziningi.

“Niqhubeke Nithela Izithelo Eziningi”

Amagatsha angokomfanekiso ‘omvini weqiniso’ amelela amaKristu agcotshiwe. Kodwa “nezinye izimvu” kumelwe zibonise ukuthi zingabafundi bakaKristu abathelayo. (Johane 10:16) Nazo zingathela “izithelo eziningi” futhi zikhazimulise uYise osezulwini. (Johane 15:5, 8) Umfanekiso kaJesu womvini weqiniso usikhumbuza ukuthi insindiso ixhomeke ekubeni sihlale simunye noKristu futhi sithele izithelo ezinhle ngokomoya. UJesu wathi: “Uma nigcina imiyalo yami, niyohlala othandweni lwami, njengoba nje nami ngiye ngagcina imiyalo kaBaba futhi ngihlala othandweni lwakhe.”—Johane 15:10.

Ezinsukwini zikaZakariya, uNkulunkulu wathembisa insali ethembekile yama-Israyeli ukuthi izwe lalizophinde libe ‘nembewu yokuthula; umvini uthele izithelo zawo, umhlaba unike isivuno sawo.’ (Zakariya 8:12) Kubuye kusetshenziswe umvini nalapho kuchazwa ukuthula okuzojatshulelwa abantu bakaNkulunkulu phakathi nokuBusa KukaKristu Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane. UMika waprofetha: “Bayohlala, kube yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe naphansi komkhiwane wakhe, ngeke kube khona obenza bathuthumele; ngoba wona kanye umlomo kaJehova wamabutho ukhulumile.”—Mika 4:4.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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Umvini osanda kubuna

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Ukuthena kwasebusika

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Ukushiswa kwamagatsha anqunywe emvinini