IZIVAKASHI zase zifile indlala. Ukuvakashela izindawo zomlando zomuzi omdala waseBethlehem kwazenza zalamba, futhi zazifuna ukudla kwendawo. Esinye sazo sabona indawo lapho kudayiswa khona i-falafel—inhlanganisela kabhontshisi omnandi, utamatisi, u-anyanisi neminye imifino edliwa nesinkwa esiyindilinga. Lesi sidlo esiconsisa amathe sazinika umdlandla wokuba ziqhubeke nokubuka indawo.

Nakuba zazingazi lezi zivakashi, leso sinkwa ezasidla cishe sasiwumlando ozidlula kude lé izindawo zomlando ezazibona ngalolo suku. Igama elithi Bethlehem lisho ukuthi “Indlu Yesinkwa,” futhi sekuyizinkulungwane zeminyaka kubhakwa isinkwa kule ndawo. (Ruthe 1:22; 2:14) Namuhla isinkwa esiyindilinga siyisinkwa esidliwa kakhulu eBethlehem.

Eminyakeni ecishe ibe yizinkulungwane ezine eyedlule, endaweni engaqhelile kakhulu neningizimu yeBetlehema, inkosikazi ka-Abrahama, uSara, yabhakela izivakashi ezintathu ezazingalindelwe “amaqebelengwane ayizindilinga.” (Genesise 18:6) ‘Ufulawa ocolekileyo’ owasetshenziswa uSara kungenzeka wawenziwe ngokolweni we-emmer noma ngebhali. Kwadingeka enze lesi sinkwa ngokushesha futhi kungenzeka wasibhaka ematsheni ashisayo.—1 AmaKhosi 19:6.

Umndeni ka-Abrahama wawuzibhakela isinkwa njengoba lokhu kulandisa kubonisa. Ngenxa yokuthi babehambe behlala, uSara nezinceku zakhe babengeke bakwazi ukubhaka isinkwa kohhavini ababevame ukusetshenziswa e-Uri, umuzi uSara azalelwa kuwo. Ufulawa ocolekile wayewenza ngokusanhlamvu kwasendaweni. Lona kwakuwumsebenzi okhandlayo owawenziwa ngetshe lokugaya kanye nesigqulo nesigxisho.

Ngemva kwamakhulu amane eminyaka, uMthetho kaMose wakwenqabela ukuthatha itshe lokugaya njengesibambiso, ngenxa yokuthi ‘laliwukuphila’ komuntu. (Duteronomi 24:6) UNkulunkulu wayebheka itshe lokugaya njengelibaluleke kakhulu ngoba ngaphandle kwalo umndeni wawungeke ukwazi ukwenza isinkwa sansuku zonke.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “ Ukugaya Nokubhaka Kwansuku Zonke Ngezikhathi ZeBhayibheli.”

ImiBhalo ikhuluma ngesinkwa izikhathi ezingaba ngu-350, futhi abalobi beBhayibheli babevame ukusebenzisa igama elithi isinkwa lapho bekhuluma ngokudla. UJesu wabonisa ukuthi labo abakhonza uNkulunkulu bangathandaza ngokuqiniseka bathi: “Siphe namuhla isinkwa sethu salolu suku.” (Mathewu 6:11) Lapha, “isinkwa” sibhekisela ekudleni, futhi uJesu ubonisa ukuthi singathembela kuNkulunkulu ukuze asinike ukudla kwansuku zonke.—IHubo 37:25.

Nokho, kunokuthile okubaluleke kakhulu ukwedlula isinkwa noma ukudla. UJesu wathi: “Umuntu akumelwe aphile ngesinkwa sodwa, kodwa nangawo wonke amazwi aphuma emlonyeni kaJehova.” (Mathewu 4:4) La mazwi ayebhekisela esikhathini lapho ama-Israyeli ayethembele khona ngokuphelele ekondliweni uNkulunkulu. Lokhu kwaqala ngemva nje kokuba ephumile eGibhithe. Kwase kuphele inyanga efikile Ogwadule LwaseSinayi futhi ukudla kwase kuphela. Ethuswe ukucabanga ukuthi azobulawa indlala kulelo hlane eliwugwadule, akhononda: “Sasidla isinkwa size saneliseke” eGibhithe.—Eksodusi 16:1-3.

Ngokungangabazeki, isinkwa saseGibhithe sasimnandi. Ngesikhathi sikaMose, ababhaki babebhakela abaseGibhithe inqwaba yezinkwa namakhekhe. Kodwa uJehova wayengahlosile ukushiya  abantu bakhe bengenasinkwa sanoma yiluphi uhlobo. Wathembisa: “Bheka ngininisela isinkwa esivela emazulwini.” Ngempela, lesi sinkwa esivela ezulwini sasivela entathakusa, “into ecolekileyo eyizingcwecwana” eyayibukeka njengamazolo. Lapho ama-Israyeli eyibona okokuqala abuza: “Kuyini lokhu?” UMose waphendula: “Yisinkwa uJehova aniphe sona ukuba sibe ukudla.” Asibiza ngokuthi imana, * futhi lesi sinkwa sawondla iminyaka engu-40 eyalandela.—Eksodusi 16:4, 13-15, 31.

Kumelwe ukuba ekuqaleni ama-Israyeli ayithokozela kakhulu le mana ayeyithola ngokuyisimangaliso. Yayinambitheka ‘njengamaqebelengwane ayisicaba anoju’ futhi kwakunenqwaba eyayenela wonke umuntu. (Eksodusi 16:18) Kodwa njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, aqala ukukhumbula izinhlobonhlobo zokudla ayekudla eGibhithe. Kamuva ama-Israyeli abubula athi, “amehlo ethu awaboni lutho ngaphandle kwaleli mana.” (Numeri 11:6) Kamuva athukuthela: “Umphefumulo wethu usuyasenyanya lesi sinkwa esidelelekile.” (Numeri 21:5) “Isinkwa esivela ezulwini” sasesinyanyeka kuwo.—IHubo 105:40.

Ngokusobala, isinkwa, njengezinye izinto eziningi, singase sithathwe kalula. Kodwa iBhayibheli likhuluma ngohlobo lwesinkwa esikhethekile okungafanele nanini sibukelwe phansi. Lesi sinkwa, uJesu asiqhathanisa nemana eyenqatshwa ama-Israyeli angabongi, singasinika izinzuzo zaphakade.

UJesu watshela izilaleli zakhe: “Mina ngiyisinkwa sokuphila. Okhokho benu balidla imana ehlane kodwa nokho bafa. Yilesi isinkwa esehla ezulwini, ukuze sidliwe yinoma ubani, angafi. Mina ngiyisinkwa esiphilayo esehle ezulwini; uma umuntu esidla lesi sinkwa uyophila kuze kube phakade; futhi, ngempela isinkwa engizosinikela ngenxa yokuphila kwezwe siyinyama yami.”—Johane 6:48-51.

 Izilaleli eziningi zikaJesu azizange zikuqonde ukusebenzisa kwakhe ngendlela engokomfanekiso igama elithi ‘isinkwa’ nelithi ‘inyama.’ Nokho, lo mfanekiso wawufaneleka kahle. Isinkwa esingokoqobo sasinika amaJuda amandla ayewadinga nsuku zonke njengoba nemana yanikeza ama-Israyeli amandla okuqhubeka ephila iminyaka engu-40 ehlane. Nakuba imana laliyisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu, lalingabaniki abantu ukuphila okuphakade. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umhlatshelo kaJesu unikeza labo ababonisa ukholo kuye ukuphila okuphakade. Ngempela ‘uyisinkwa sokuphila.’

Mhlawumbe lapho ulambile uye udle isinkwa. Ungase futhi umbonge uNkulunkulu ‘ngesinkwa sakho semihla ngemihla.’ (Mathewu 6:11, IBhayibheli LesiZulu Elivamile) Nakuba sisazisa isinkwa esingokoqobo, kwangathi singelokothe sikukhohlwe ukubaluleka ‘kwesinkwa sokuphila,’ uJesu Kristu.

Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi ngokungafani nama-Israyeli angabongi angosuku lukaMose, siyasazisa lesi sinkwa esibaluleke kangaka? UJesu wathi: “Uma ningithanda, niyogcina imiyalo yami.” (Johane 14:15) Ngokulalela imithetho kaJesu siyoba sethubeni lokuzitika ngesinkwa kuze kube phakade.—Duteronomi 12:7.