The Lesson from Numbers in Numbers
UNumeri uyincwadi enesihloko esingahlabi umxhwele njengezinye izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Futhi, eqinisweni, ayikho kangako ngezinombolo uma kuqhathaniswa nezinye izincwadi ezinohlu olude lozalo lwemindeni. Kodwa kunezinombolo ezimbili kuNumeri ezibalulekile kakhulu. Zibalulekile ngenxa yesikhathi eside esidlulayo phakathi kwalezizinombolo zombili, kodwa uthola ukuthi zinomehluko omncane okhona emva kwesikhathi esingaka.
Uyakhumbula ukuthi uSIMAKADE uwujezise kanjani uIsrayeli ngeminyaka engamashumi amane ehlane ngenxa yokuvukela Yena. Injongo yeminyaka engamashumi amane kwakungeyaso sonke isizukulwane esingamavukelambuso (amambuka) ukuba sidlule, ngaphandle kukaJoshuwa noKhalebhu. UNumeri 14 uyayixoxa indaba.
Kodwa, ngaphambi kwakho konke lokho, kwisahluko sokuqala, uNkulunkulu unika umyalelo ukuba akubekhona ukubalwa kwabantu– ukwenza isibalo somthamo wabantu. KuNumeri 1:46 sifunda ukuthi ayewu 603,550 esewonke amadoda akwazi ukuya empini. Kwisahluko 14 ukuvukela umbuso okukhulu (ukwambuka) kwenzeka, kwathi ngemuva kweminyaka engamashumi amathathu nesishiyangalombili, sekuyophela isikhathi sokugwetshwa ngokufa, kwenziwa esinye isibalo. Ngenxa yezono ezinkulu eziqoshiwe kuNumeri ( Isahluko 11, 14, no25), ungake ulindele isibalo esincanyana sabantu ukuba kubeyiso esikhona ukuba ngesimele abantu bakaNkulunkulu. Umuntu ulindele indaba efana naleyo ekuEksodusi 32:10 lapho uNkulunkulu ecishe ebulala isizwe sonke ethi uzokwenzela ukuqala phansi esinye ngomuntu oyedwa.
Kodwa, isibalo ekupheleni kweminyaka engamashumi amane saba umthamo wamadoda anamandla okukwazi ukuya empini awu 601,730. Lesisibalo asinciphanga ngisho nangoHhafu! uNkulunkulu akazange ababhubhise bese eseqala phansi ngomuntu oyedwa, futhi uNkulunkulu akazange agcine insali, kunalokho, uNkulunkulu wathatha isizwe sonke wasifaka eZweni Lesethembiso.
Izono zethu ziningi, kodwa nomakunjalo uNkulunkulu usikhombisa isihe nomusa futhi. Qhathanisa esakho isibalo. Bala izono zakho, bala izibusiso zakho. Uma sizwa engathi uNkulunkulu usenzele phansi, siyangabaza, simusole, sikhononde, kodwa uma thina simenzela phansi uNkulunkulu, Yena usenzela umusa.
Mfuneni uSimakade esenokutholwa,nimbize eseseduze.
Omubi makayishiye indlela yakhe,nomuntu owenza ibe mibi imicabango yakhe,
abuyele kuSimakade,uyokuba nomusa kuye,
abuyele kuNkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba uyophiwa intethelelo enkulu.
Ngokuba imicabango yami ayisiyo imicabango yenu,
nezindlela zenu azisizo izindlela zami,” kusho uSimakade.
Njengalokhu amazulu ephakeme kunomhlaba, kanjalo izindlela zami ziphakeme kunezindlela zenu,
nemicabango yami kunemicabango yenu.
UIzaya 55:6-9