16—UYakobi NoEsawu
[Esi sakhluko sisekwe kwiGenesis 25:19-34; 27.]
UYakobi noEsawu, amawele kaIsake, ayehlukene kakhulu, esimilweni nasebomini. Oku kungafani kwakuxelwe kwangaphambili yingelosi kaThixo phambi kokuba bazalwe. Ekuphenduleni umthandazo kaRebheka owawukhathazekile, yavakalisa ukuba uya kunikwa oonyana ababini, yamtyhilela imbali yabo yexesha elizayo, ukuba, elowo uya kuba yintloko yesizwe esinamandla, kodwa omnye uya kuba mkhulu kunomnye, nokuba omncinane uya kubalasela.ANa 177.1
UEsawu wakhula ethanda ukuzanelisa nokufaka umdla wakhe kwizinto zexesha elo. Wayengakunyamezeli ukuthityazwa, esonwatyiswa yinkululeko yasendle yokuzingela, waza wakhethaubomi bokuzingela kwasekuqaleni. Sekunjalo, ngoyena wayethandwa nguyise. Umalusi ozolileyo, othanda uxolo, watsalwa sisibindi nodlamko lwalo nyana wakhe mdala, owayeqabela intaba enqumla intlango ngesibindi, abuyele ekhaya ephathele uyise inyama yesilwanyana, eneengxelo ezinika umdla zobomi bakhe bezenzo zodelo-ngozi. UYakobi owayecinga, ekhuthele, ekhathala, esoloko ecinga ngakumbi ngexesha elizayo kunelo langoko, wayanelisiwe kukuhlala ekhaya, exakeke kukukhathalela imihlambi nokulima umhlaba. Ukunyamezela kwakhe ngomonde, uqoqosho, nokubona phambili kwakuxatyisiwe ngunina. Uthando lwakhe lwalunzulu luqinile, nokunakekela kwakhe okunobubele nokungapheliyo, kongeza ngaphezulu kulonwabo lwakhe kunokuba babunjalo ububele obunengxolo, nobubakho izinqam, bukaEsawu. KuRebheka, uYakobi wayengoyena nyana uyintandane.ANa 177.2
Amadinga awayenziwe kuAbraham aza aqinisekiswa kunyana wakhe, ayebanjiwe nguIsake noRebheka njengegugu leminqweno namathemba abo. UEsawu noYakobi babeqhelene nala madinga. Babefundiswe ukuba balixabise ilungelo lokuzalwa [ubukhulu ngokwalapha] njengento ebaluleke kakhulu, kuba lalingaqukanga kuphela ilifa lobutyebi basemhlabeni, kodwa nokubalasela kwasemoyeni. Lowo ulifumeneyo wayeya kuba ngumbingeleli kusapho lwakhe, kuthi kumlibo wesizukulwana sakhe kuphume uMhlanguli womhlaba. Kwelinye icala, kwakukho imithwalo ehleli phezu kwalowounelungelo lokuzalwa. Lowo uya kudla ilifa iintsikelelo zalo kufuneka enikele ubomi bakhe ekukhonzeni uThixo. NjengoAbraham, kufuneka athobele iimfuno zezulu. Ekutshateni, kulwalamano elusatsheni, kubomi basesidlangalaleni, kufuneka afune intando kaThixo.ANa 177.3
UIsake wabazisa oonyana bakhe la malungelo neemeko, wayichaza kakuhle into yokuba uEsawu njengoyena mdala, nguye owayeselungelweni lobukhulu. Noko kunjalo, uEsawu wayengakuthandi ukuzinikela, engakekelelanga kubomi benkolo. Iimfuno ezazihambelana nelungelo lokuzalwa langasemoyeni zazingamkelekanga kwaye zisisithintelo esithiyekileyo kuye. Umthetho kaThixo, owawuyimeko yomnqophiso noAbraham, wathatyathwa nguEsawu njengedyokhwe yobukhoboka. Ezimisele ekuziyekeleleni, akazanga walangazelela nto ngaphandle kwenkululeko yokwenza oko kumkholisayo. Kuye, igunya nobutyebi, isidlo namatheko, yayilulonwabo. Wayesonwatyiswa yinkululeko yobomi bakhe bokudakasa, obungalawulwayo basendle. URebheka wayewakhumbula amazwi engelosi, waza wasifundisisa ngobunono obukhulu isimilo soonyana bakhe kunokuba wayesenza umyeni wakhe. Wayeqinisekile ukuba ilifa ledinga lezulu kwakuqondwe ukuba libe lelikaYakobi. Wawaphinda amazwi engelosi kuIsake; kodwa uthando lukatata lwaluhleli kunyana wakhe omkhulu, waza akagungqa kwinjongo yakhe.ANa 178.1
UYakobi wasiva ngomama wakhe isaziso sezulu sokuba ilungelo lobukhulu limele ukuwela kuye, waza wazaliswa lulangazelelo olungathethekiyo lwamalungelo aya kuza nalo. Yayingebubo ubutyebi bukayise awayebunqwenela; ubukhulu basemoyeni yeyona nto awayeyibawela. Ukuvana noThixo njengoko ilungisa uAbraham wayesenza, ukunikelela usapho lwakhe umbingelelo wocamagushelo, ukuba ngukhokho wabantu abanyuliweyo kunye noMesiya odingiweyo, nokufumana ilifa lezinto ezingafiyo eliqukwe kwiintsikelelo zomnqophiso, konke oku yayingamalungelo nembeko ezaziphembelela eyona minqweno yakhe inenzondelelo. Ingqondo yakhe yayisoloko ikhangele phambili kwixesha elizayo, elangazelela ukuzifumana iintsikelelo ezingabonwanga.ANa 178.2
Ngolangazelelo olufihlakeleyo, wakuphulaphula konke okuthethwa nguyise mayela nobundlalifa basemoyeni; wagcina ngononophelo oko wayekufunde kumama wakhe. Imini nobusuku wawuhleli ezingcingeni zakhe lo mba, wada wayeyona nto ithabatha umdla wakhe ebomini. Ngexesha exabisa ezikanaphakade ngaphezu kwezexeshanaiintsikelelo, uYakobi wayengenalo ulwazi oluphathekayo lukaThixo awayemhlonipha. Intliziyo yakhe yayingahlaziywanga lubabalo lwezulu. Wakholelwa ukuba isithembiso esingaye asinako ukuzaliseka lo gama uEsawu esabambe amalungelo okuba yinkulu, waza wahlala efunda ukuceba indlela angathi ngayo ayizuze intsikelelo awayethabatha lula kakhulu umntakwabo, kodwa exabiseke kakhulu kuye.ANa 178.3
UEsawu wathi ebuyela ekhaya ngenye imini, etyhafile ediniwe kukuzingela, wacela ukutya awayekulungisa uYakobi, lo yayisoloko iphambili kuye ingcinga (yobundlalifa), waza walisebenzisa eli thuba, ngokuvuma ukumnika umntakwabo ukutya ngexabiso lobundlalifa. “Yabona, ndiza kufa,” watsho dlakadlaka umzingeli othanda ukutya, “buyintoni na kum ubuzibulo?” Waza, ngesitya seentlumayo, wahlukana nobuzibulo, wasiqinisekisa isivumelwano ngezifungo. Ngethutyana elingelide, wayenako ukuzuza ukutya ententeni kayise, kodwa ukanelisa umnqweno womzuzwana wananisa ngelifa eliqaqambileyo elathenjiswa nguThixo ngokwaKhe kooyise. Umdla wakhe wonke wawungowexesha elo. Wayekulungele ukuncama okwasezulwini ngenxa yokomhlaba, ukwananisa okulungileyo kwexesha elizayo ngokuzanelisa kwethutyana.ANa 179.1
“Wabudela ke uEsawu ubuzibulo bakhe.” Ekubulahleni, waziva ekhululekile. Indlela yakhe ngoku yayingenanto isisithintelo; wayenokwenza unothanda. Ngenxa yolu lonwabo lungenakulawulwa, olubizwa gwenxa ngokuthi yinkululeko, bangaphi abasathengisa ngobundlalifa babo belifa elinyulu elingadyobhekanga, unaphakade emazulwini!ANa 179.2
Wathi ehleli esoyiswa zizinto ezinomtsalane zangaphandle nezasemhlabeni, uEsawu wathabatha abafazi ababini kwiintombi zamaHeti. Babengabanquli boothixo ababuxoki, kwaye ukunqula kwabo izithixo kuyintlungu ekrakra kuIsake nakuRebheka. UEsawu wagqitha komnye wemiqathango yomnqophiso, owawukwalela ukwendiselana phakathi kwabantu abanyuliweyo nabahedeni; kanti ke uIsake wayengagungqi ekuzimiseleni ukubeka phezu kwakhe uEsawu ubundlalifa. Ukuzathuza kukaRebheka, ulangazelelo lwentsikelelo lukaYakobi ngamandla, nokungakhathali kukaEsawu ngezinto obuzifunayo konke oko, akuzange kube negalelo lokuba uyise ayiguqule injongo yakhe.ANa 179.3
Yadlula iminyaka, wada uIsake wamdala wayimfama, wathi, elindele ukuba uya kufa kungekudala, wazimisela ukuba angakulibazisi ukubeka intsikelelo phezu konyana wakhe omdala. Wathi kuba eyazi inkcaso kaRebheka noYakobi, wagqiba ekubeni ayenze inkonzo ezukileyo emfihlakalweni. Ngokwesiko lokwenziwa kwezidlo ngesiganeko esinjalo, indoda enkulu yamthuma uEsawu, “[Yiya] ezindle, undizingelele inyamakazi, undenzele ukudla okunencasa . . . ukuze umphefumlo wam ukusikelele ndingekafi.”ANa 179.4
URebheka wayingcwalisa injongo yakhe. Wayeqinisekile ukuba yayichasene noko uThixo wayekutyhile njengentando yaKhe. UIsake wayesengozini yokufumana ukunganeliseki kwezulu nolokuthintela unyana wakhe omncinane kwisikhundla uThixo ambizele kuso. Wayezame kangangoko ukubonisana noIsake kodwa ngelize, waza wazimisela ukuxoza mphini wumbi.ANa 180.1
Kwathi nje ukuba uEsawu aye kwiphulo lakhe, uRebheka waqala ukufezekisa injongo yakhe. Wamxelela uYakobi okwenzekileyo, watsho emxelela ngokufuneka kwesenzo esikhawulezileyo ukuthintela ukubekwa kwentsikelelo, ekugqibeleni nokungenakubuyiswa, phezu kukaEsawu. Wamqinisekisa unyana wakhe ukuba, ukuba uye walandela imiyalelo yakhe, angabuzuza [ubundlalifa] njengoko uThixo wayethembisile. Ingcamango yokukhohlisa uyise yamhlupha kakhulu. Waba nento ethi, isono esinjalo singamzisela isiqalekiso endaweni yentsikelelo. Ukuthandabuza kwakhe konganyelwa, waza waqhubeka ukwenza oko unina wayekucebisa. Yayingeyiyo injongo yakhe ukuthetha ubuxoki obuphandle, kodwa ngako nje ukuba abe phambi kukayise, wabangathi sele ehambe kakhulu ukuba angabuya umva, waza wafumana ngobuqhetseba intsikelelo awayekade eyinqwenela.ANa 180.2
UYakobi noRebheka baphumelela kwinjongo yabo, kodwa into abayifumanayo kwaba kuphela yinkathazo nentlungu ngenkohliso yabo. UThixo wayethe uYakobi uya kuzuza ubundlalifa, kwaye ilizwi laKhe laliya kuzaliseka ngexesha lalo ukuba babeye balindela kuYe ngokholo ukuba abasebenzele. Njengabanye abaninzi abazibiza ngokuba bangabantwana bakaThixo, babengenayo intumekelelo yokuwuyekela ezandleni zaKhe umcimbi. URebheka waguquka esentlungwini enkulu ngecebiso elingalunganga awalinika unyana wakhe; kwathi kanti leyo yaba yindlela yokumahlukanisa (unyana wakhe) naye leyo, akaze aphinde abubone ubuso bakhe kwakhona. Ukususela ngaloo mzuzu wayefumana ngawo ubundlalifa, uYakobi waba nomthwalo onzima wokuzigweba. Wayonile ngakuyise, ngakumnakwabo, kumphefumlo wakhe, nakuThixo. Ngeyure nje enye emfutshane, wenza umsebenzi odinga ukuguqula ubomi bakhe bonke. Lo mboniso wawucacile kwiminyaka yakhe eyalandelayo, xa indlela ekhohlakeleyo yoonyana bakhe yawucinezelayo umphefumlo wakhe.ANa 180.3
Wathi uYakobi esanda kuyishiya nje intente kayise, wangena uEsawu. Nangona wayebuthengisile nje ubuzibulo bakhe, wakuqinisekisa ukubugqithisa kwakhe ngesifungo esinesidima, ngoku wayezimisele ukufumana iintsikelelo zabo, engalikhathalelanga ibango lomntakwabo. Kwakuhlanganiswe kokwasemoyeni ubundlalifa basemhlabeni,obabuya kumnika ukuba yintloko yosapho kunye nebango lwesahlulo esiphindwe kabini sobutyebi bukayise. Ezi yayiziintsikelelo awayeya kuzixabisa. “Makavuke ubawo adle inyamakazi yonyana wakhe, ukuze umphefumlo wakho undisikelele.”ANa 180.4
Engcangcazela kukumangaliswa nakukukhathazeka, ubawo omdala wayiqonda inkohliso eyenziwe kuye. Amathemba akhe awayekade enawo ngolangazelelo olukhulu ayephazanyisiwe, wakuva ngokunzulu ukudaniswa okwakufike phezu konyana wakhe omkhulu. Noko kunjalo, yafika kuye ingqondo ethi, oku kukwenzelela kukaThixo okuye kwayoyisa injongo yakhe kwenza kanye le nto wayezimisele ukuyithintela. Wakhumbula amazwi engelosi awayebhekisa kuRebheka, kwathi nangona kukho isono uYakobi awayenobutyala ngaso, wabona kuye okufanele ngokupheleleyo ukuzifeza iinjongo zikaThixo. Wathi naxa amazwi entsikelelo ayekho emilebeni yakhe, wayiva impefumlelo kaMoya phezu kwakhe; waza wathi ngoku, ezazi zonke iimeko, wayilungisa intsikelelo athe engaqondanga wayibeka phezu kukaYakobi: “Ndamsikelela, wosikeleleka ke.”ANa 181.1
UEsawu wayeyixabise kancinane intsikelelo ngexesha wayesafikelela kuyo, kodwa ngoku wafuna ukuba ayifumane ngeli xesha seyimke kuye ngonaphakade. Onke amandla endalo yakhe yokungxama, nobutshantliziyo yavuka, yaza intlungu nengqumbo yakhe yabankulu. Watsho ngesikrakra isikhalo, “Ndisikelele nam, bawo!” “Akundibekelanga ntsikelelo na mna?” Intsikelelo eyayisele inikiwe yayingeke irhoxiswe. Ubundlalifa awabunanisa ngokungakhathali wayengenako ukubuzuza kwakhona. “Ngenxa yentwana yokudla,” ukwaneliseka ukufuna ukutya nje komzuzwana okungazange kulawulwe, uEsawu wathengisa ilifa lakhe; kodwa wathi eyibona imposiso yakhe, kwaye sekusemva ukuba angayibuyisela intsikelelo. “Akafumananga thuba languquko, noko wayingxamelayo ngeenyembezi.” Hebhere 12:16, 17. UEsawu wayengavalelwanga ngaphandle kwilungelo lokufuna ukuthandwa nguThixo ngokuguquka, kodwa wayengenako ukuyifumana indlela yokubuyisa ubundlalifa. Intlungu yakhe yayingaphumi ekoyisekeni sisono; wayengalangazeleli ukuxolelaniswa noThixo. Waba buhlungu ngenxa yeziphumo zesono sakhe, kungengaso isono ngokwaso.ANa 181.2
Ngenxa yokungazikhathaleli iintsikelelo zezulu nemiqathango, uEsawu ubizwa esiBhalweni ngokuthi “ngumhlambeli.” Indima 16. Umele abo bakuxabisa kancinane ukuhlangulwa abakuthengelwa nguKristu, nabalungele ukuncama ubundlalifa babo ezulwini ngezinto ezitshabalalayozasemhlabeni.Izihlweleziphilelaixeshalangoku, zingacingiokanye zikhathale ngexeshaelizayo.NjengoEsawu, bakhala besithi, “Masesisidla, sisela, kuba ngomso siyakufa.” 1 Korinte 15:32. Balawulwa kukuziva bethanda into; baze bathi endaweni yokuba basebenzise ukuyilandula, basuke bancame ezona zinto zixabisekileyo. Ukuba kukho ekufuneka incanyiwe, kukho ukwanelisa ilithe elingalunganga, neentsikelelo zezulu ezithenjiswe kuphela kwabo bazilandulayo nabamoyikayo uThixo, amabango elithe ayoyisa, aze uThixo ngokwenene adelwe, nezulu ngokunjalo. Baninzi kakhulu, nakumaKristu, ababambelela ekuzinikeleni okuyingozi empilweni nokudodobalisa imizwa yomphefumlo. Xa kunikwa umngeni wokuba bazihlambulule kuko konke ukungcola kwenyama nokomoya, bafezekise ubungcwele besoyika uThixo, bayakhubeka. Babona ngokungathi abangeke bakwazi ukukulawula oku kuzanelisa kuyingozi baze bakwazi ukufumana izulu, baze bagqibe kwelokuba, njengoko indlela esinga ebomini obungunaphakade imxinwa kangaka nje, abayi kuqhubeka behamba kuyo.ANa 181.3
Izihlwele zithengisa ngobuzibulo bazo ngokuziyekelela ekwaneziseni iinkanuko. Kubingelelwa ngempilo, amandla engqondo abebuthakathaka, nezulu lincanywe; konke ngenxa yesiyolo nje sexeshana, ukuziyekelela okuthi kukhawuleze ukwenza buthakathaka buhlazise ngokwemvelo yako. Njengoko uEsawu waphaphama ukuba abone ubudenge bakhe bokukhawuleza, nokuba atshintshe sekusemva ukuba angayibuyisa ilahleko yakhe, kuya kuba njalo ngemini kaThixo kwabo bananise ngobundlalifa bezulu ngokwanelisa ukuzithandela.ANa 182.1