INdlu kaSirayeli

Kwindawo ethile entlango empuma yeKanan, uYakobi walinda ngemincili indibano nomntakwabo oliwele, u-Esawu. Ukugqibela kwakhe uYakobi ukumbona u-Esawu, malunga neminyaka engama-20 ngaphambili, u-Esawu wayefuna ukumbulala. UYakobi wayechithe ubusuku bonke esilwa entlango, efuna intsikelelo kuThixo. Ngenxa yokholo lukaYakobi, ukuzingisa, nokuzimisela, uThixo wayiphendula imithandazo yakhe. Ngobo ubusuku igama likaYakobi latshintshelwa kuSirayeli, igama elithetha, phakathi kwezinye izinto, “unonyamezelo kunye noThixo”

Eli lixesha lokuqala igama uSirayeli livela eBhayibhileni, kwaye ligama eliqhubekekayo kuyo yonke incwadi kwaye kuyo yonke imbali. Kungekudala igama labhekisa ngaphezulu kwendoda nje enye. USirayeli wayenoonyana abali-12, kwaye inzala yabo ngokudibeneyo yayisaziwa njenge “ndlu kaSirayeli,” “izizwe zakwaSirayeli,” “oonyana bakaSirayeli,” okanye “amaSirayeli.”

Kuyo yonke imbali, oonyana bakaSirayeli bancamathelisa ukubaluleka okukhulu kwimvelaphi yabo kwisinye sezizwe ezilishumi elinambini zakwaSirayeli. Umnombo wabo wayeyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yesazisi somnqophiso wabo. UMpostile uPawulos wabhengeza ukuba “wayengowesizwe sakwaBhenjamin” (AbaseRoma 11:1). Isizathu esinye uLihayi wathumela oonyana bakhe eYerusalem ukuba bayokubuyisa amacwecwe obhedu yayikukuba amacwecwe ayequlathe “umlibo wookhokho bakhe” (1 Nifayi 5:14). ULihayi wafumanisa ukuba wayesisizukulwana sikaYosefu, yaye ukuqonda kwakhe ngenzala yakhe nendibaniselwano yabo kwindlu kaSirayeli kwangqina ukubaluleka kubo kwiminyaka elandelayo.

KwiBandla namhlanje, usenokuva malunga noSirayeli kumabinzana anje ngo “ukuhlanganisela uSirayeli.” Sicula malunga “noMkhululi kaSirayeli,” “Ithemba lakwaSirayeli,” kwakunye “Nina Badala bakwaSirayeli.” Kwezi meko, asithethi okanye sicula ngobukumkani bamandulo bakwaSirayeli okanye isizwe sanamhlanje esibizwa ngokuba nguSirayeli. Endaweni yoko, sibhekisa kubantu abahlanganiselwe kwiintlanga zehlabathi kwiBandla likaYesu Krestu. Sibhekisa kubantu abanyamezelayo noThixo, abazifuna ngenyameko iintsikelelo zaKhe, kwaye abo, ngobhaptizo, baye baba ngabantu baKhe bomnqophiso. Ngamazwi kaMongameli uRussell M. Nelson, ukuba ngabakwaSirayeli kuthetha” ukuvumela uThixo oyise ebomini bethu.”

Intsikelelo yakho kasolusapho ibhengeza unxibelelwano lwakho kwesinye sezizwe zendlu kaSirayeli. Oko kungaphezulu kwesiqwengana somdla wolwazi lwembali yosapho. Ikwanako nokwenza nokwangoku nekamva lakho. Ukuba yinxalenye yendlu kaSirayeli kuthetha ukuba unobudlelwane bomnqophiso kunye noBawo waseZulwini noYesu Krestu. Kuthetha ukuba wena, njengo-Abraham, wenzelwe ukuba ube “yintsikelelo” kubantwana bakaThixo (IGenesis 12:2; Abraham 2:9–11). Kuthetha ukuthi, kumazwi kaPetros, ukuba “Ke nina nisisizukulwana esinyuliweyo, isibingeleli esibukumkani, uhlanga olungcwele, abantu abayinqobo; ukuze nivakalise isidima salowo wanibizayo ukuba niphume ebumnyameni, ningene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okungummangaliso” (UPetros I 2:9). Kuthetha ukuba wena “vumela uThixo oyise”—ukuba wena ungomnye othi “azingise noThixo” njengoko uzukisa iminqophiso yakho kunye naYe.