Abantu abaninzi bathi inzululwazi iyaphikisana nengxelo yeBhayibhile ethi izinto zadalwa. Kodwa ezona zinto zingqubanayo yinzululwazi neenkolelo zabo Baneembono Ezigabadeleyo ngobuKristu. Bephazama, abanye kula maqela bathi iBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba, yonke indalo yaveliswa kwiintsuku ezintandathu, apho usuku ngalunye luziiyure ezingama-24 kwiminyaka emalunga ne-10 000 eyadlulayo.

Noko ke, asiyiyo loo nto efundiswa yiBhayibhile. Ukuba bekunjalo, oko bekuya kuthetha ukuthi izinto ezifunyaniswe zizazinzulu ezininzi kwiminyaka elikhulu edluleyo ziyaphikisana neBhayibhile. Ukuyifundisisa kakuhle iBhayibhile kwenza sibone ukuba akukho mahluko kuyo noko kufunyaniswe zizazinzulu. Yiloo nto amaNgqina kaYehova engavumelani nala maKristu Aneembono Ezigabadeleyo kuquka abo bakholelwa ukuba indalo yabakho ngeentsuku ezintandathu apho usuku luneeyure ezingama-24. Makhe sibone eyona nto ifundiswa yiBhayibhile.

IGenesis ivula ngala mazwi alula nacacileyo: “Ekuqaleni uThixo wadala amazulu nomhlaba.” (Genesis 1:1) Abaphengululi abaninzi beBhayibhile bayavuma ukuba le ndinyana ibhekisela kwisenzo esahlukileyo kwezo zeentsuku zokudala ezichazwe ukususela kwindinyana 3. Intsingiselo yesi senzo ibaluleke kakhulu. Ngokutsho kwamazwi okuqala eBhayibhile, ummandla wendalo, kuquka isijikelezi-langa sethu uMhlaba, wawusele ukho kwangaphambi kokuba kuqalise iintsuku zokudala.

Izazi ngomhlaba nendalo ziqikelela ukuba umhlaba ubukho kangangeebhiliyoni ezi-4 zeminyaka, yaye izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zithi indalo iphela ineminyaka emalunga neebhiliyoni ezili-15 ikho. Ngaba ukufumanisa kwazo ezi zinto—okanye ezinye eziseza kuzifumanisa—kuyangqubana nengxelo ekwiGenesis 1:1? Akunjalo. IBhayibhile ayisichazeli ukuba kudala kangakanani na ekho “amazulu nomhlaba.” Inzululwazi ayiphikisani noko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile.

Zazinde kangakanani iintsuku zokudala? Ngaba zazinde kangangeeyure ezingama-24 zokoqobo? Abanye bathi suku ngalunye lokudala lumele lube lwaluziiyure ezingama-24 zokoqobo, kuba kamva uMoses—umbhali wencwadi yeGenesis—wabhekisela kusuku olusemva kwezo ntsuku zintandathu zokudala njengomzekelo weSabatha yeveki. (Eksodus 20:11) Ngaba amazwi eGenesis ayakuxhasa oku?

Akunjalo. Igama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “usuku” linokubhekisela kubude bexesha obahlukahlukeneyo, kungekuphela nje kwiiyure ezingama-24.  Ngokomzekelo, xa uMoses eshwankathela umsebenzi kaThixo wokudala, uzichaza iintsuku ezintandathu zokudala njengosuku olunye. (Genesis 2:4) Enye into, kusuku (okanye kwimini) yokuqala yokudala, ‘uThixo wakubiza ukukhanya ngokuthi yiMini, kodwa bona ubumnyama wabubiza ngokuthi buBusuku.’ (Genesis 1:5) Apha, yinxalenye nje ethile yezo yure zingama-24 kuphela ekubhekiselwa kuyo ngokuthi “yimini.” Kucacile ukuba, iZibhalo azithi usuku ngalunye lokudala lwaluziiyure ezingama-24.

Zazinde kangakanani ke iintsuku zokudala? IBhayibhile ayisichazeli; kodwa amazwi akwiGenesis isahluko 1 nesesi-2 abonisa ukuba kwathabatha ixesha elide ukudala.

UMoses wabhala ingxelo yakhe ngesiHebhere eyibhala ngokwengqiqo yomntu omi phezu kweli gada lomhlaba. Ezi zibakala zibini, kuquka ukwazi ukuba ummandla wendalo wawusele ukho kwangaphambi kwezihlandlo okanye iintsuku zokudala, zisinceda sibe nempendulo kwimpikiswano evelayo xa kuthethwa ngengxelo yokudala. Kutheni sisitsho nje?

Ukuba uyiqwalasela ngenyameko ingxelo yeGenesis, uya kufumanisa ukuba iziganeko ‘zosuku’ lokuqala zaqhubeka zisenzeka ‘nakusuku’ okanye ‘kwiintsuku’ ezilandelayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngaphambi “kosuku” lokuqala lokudala, ukukhanya okuvela elangeni elalisele likho, kwakungafikeleli kummandla womhlaba, mhlawumbi ngenxa yeengqimba zamafu. (Yobhi 38:9) Kolo ‘suku’ lokuqala la mafu atyhileka kwaza kwakhanya emhlabeni. a

Kuyacaca ukuba ‘ngosuku’ lwesibini kwabakho ukukhanya phakathi kwesibhakabhaka nomhlaba, kubonakala iingqimba zamafu phezulu neelwandle emhlabeni. “Ngosuku” lwesine ezo ngqimba zamafu zazingasekho laza ilanga nenyanga zabonakala ngokucacileyo “esibhakabhakeni samazulu.” (Genesis 1:14-16) Ngamanye amazwi, ilanga nenyanga zatsho zabonakala kakuhle xa usemhlabeni. Ezi ziganeko zazisenzeka ngokuthe ngcembe.

Ingxelo yeGenesis iphinda isichazele ukuba njengoko imozulu yayityhila ngakumbi,  izidalwa eziphaphazelayo zaqalisa ukubonakala emoyeni—kuquka izinambuzane nezidalwa ezinamaphiko—“ngosuku” lwesihlanu.

Indlela ekuchaza ngayo oku iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba ezinye zeziganeko ezikhulu ezazisenzeka kusuku ngalunye, okanye kwisihlandlo sokudala, zathi ngcembe zisenzeka, mhlawumbi ezinye zazo zidlulela kwezinye iintsuku ezilandelayo zokudala. b

Ngaba oku kuvela kwezityalo nezilwanyana ngokuthe ngcembe, kuthetha ukuba uThixo wasebenzisa izinto esele zikho eziye zazivelela ngamabonandenzile ukuze enze izinto eziphilayo ezahlukahlukeneyo? Akunjalo. IGenesis ikubeka kucace ukuba uThixo wazidala zonke “iintlobo” zezityalo nezilwanyana. (Genesis 1:11, 12, 20-25) Ngaba ezi “ntlobo” zezityalo nezilwanyana zayilwa ukuze zikwazi ukumelana nemozulu  etshintsha umhla nezolo? Kuthiwani kanye xa kusithiwa into ethile ‘yeyohlobo’ lwayo? IBhayibhile ayisixeleli. Kodwa, iyatsho ukuba izidalwa eziphilayo ‘zanyakazela ngokohlobo lwazo.’ (Genesis 1:21) La mazwi abonisa ukuba izidalwa ‘zohlobo’ oluthile zinokuba neempawu ezahlukahlukeneyo ukusa kumkhamo othile. Izinto zamandulo ezifunyenweyo nophando lwale mihla luxhasa imbono yokuba izityalo nezilwanyana ziye zatshintsha kancinane ebudeni beminyaka emininzi.

Ngokwahlukileyo kwabathile abaneembono ezigabadeleyo zonqulo, iGenesis ayifundisi ukuba ummandla wendalo, kuquka umhlaba nazo zonke izinto eziphilayo kuwo, wadalwa ngexesha nje elifutshane. Kunoko, indlela iGenesis ekuchaza ngayo ukuveliswa kwendalo, nezinto eziphilayo ezisemhlabeni, iyavumelana noko kuye kwafunyaniswa zizazinzulu.

Ngenxa yentanda-bulumko, izazinzulu ezininzi ziyayiphikisa iBhayibhile xa isithi izinto zadalwa nguThixo. Kodwa okubangel’ umdla kukuba, kwincwadi yamandulo yeBhayibhile, iGenesis uMoses wathi indalo inesiqalo, izinto zadalwa ngokwamanqanaba nangokulandelelana kwazo. UMoses wayazi njani loo nkcazelo ichane kangako ngokwenzululwazi kwiminyaka emalunga nama-3 500 eyadlulayo? Inye kuphela indlela awayenokuyazi ngayo. Inkcazelo echane ngolo hlobo wayenokuyifumana kuphela, kuLowo unamandla nobulumko bokudala amazulu nomhlaba. Oku kusiqinisekisa ngakumbi ngebango leBhayibhile lokuba “iphefumlelwe nguThixo.” c—2 Timoti 3:16.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uyazibuza, ngaba ibalulekile into yokuba umntu akholelwe kwingxelo yeBhayibhile yokuba izinto zadalwa? Khawuqwalasele ezinye zezizathu ezibonisa ukubaluleka koku.