921. Ukuthi “uNowa wamakhela uJehova ialthari” kufanekisa okumele iNkosi kusobala ngalokhu okuqedwa ukwethulwa ngenhla. Onke amasiko eSonto laseMandulo ayemele noma efanekisa iNkosi, njengamasiko eSonto lamaJuda. Nokho kamuva umfanekiso weNkosi osemqoka kunayoyonke kwaba yialthari kanye nomnikelo oshisiweyo, nangenxa yokuthi lomnikelo kwakungowezilwane nezinyoni ezihlambulukileyo, wawuhambisana nokwakufanekiswa ngezilwane nezinyoni, izilwane ezihlambululukileyo zifanekisa ukulunga kwesisa senhliziyo, nezinyoni ezihlambulukileyo zifanekisa amaqiniso enkolo. Lapho abantu beSonto laseMandulo benikela ngaleminikelo, babefanekisa ukupha iNkosi lokhokulunga noma lawomaqiniso. Akukho lutho olunye olungaphiwa iNkosi maqede ithokoze. Kepha izizukulwane saleloSonto, njengabezizwe, namaJuda sayiphendukezela leminikelo, ngokuba zazingazi ngisho nokwazi ukuthi leyominikelo inalokhokufanekisa, ekubeni inkonzo yazo yabe ingeyezin-to zangaphandle kuphela.
[2] Ukuthi ialthari labe liwumfanekisa osemqoka ofanekisa iNkosi kusobala ngokuthi ama-althari ayekhona ngisho kwabezizwe ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwamasiko angcwele emaSontweni, ngaphambi kokwakhiwa kweKisi leSivumelwano, nangaphambi kokwakhiwa kweThempeli. Lokhu kusobala ngokuya kukaAbrama entabeni engasempumalanga kwaseBethele, wakha ialthari khona, wakhuleka kulo egameni likaJehova (Genesise 12:8); kusobala futhi nangokuyalezwa kukaAbraham ukuba anikele ngoIsaka njengomnikelo oshisiweyo ealthari (Genesise 22:2, 9); kusobala ngokwakhiwa kwealthari eLuze noma eBethele lakhiwa wuJakobe (Genesise 35:6, 7); nangokwakhiwa kwealthari nguMose phansi kwentaba, wanikela umnikelo kulo (Eksodusi 24:4-6). Konke lokhukwakhiwa kwama-althari kwenzeka ngaphambi kokumiswa kwehlelo lweminikelo eSontweni lamaJuda, nangaphambi kokwakhiwa kweKisi, kamuva elaba yindawo yokukhonzela ngenkathi amaJuda esehlane. Ukuthi nabezizwe babenama-althari kusobala ngokushiwo ngoBhileyamu, ukuthi watshela uBhalaki ukuthi makakhe ama-althari ayisikhombisa, alungise amaduna ayisikhombisa nezinqama eziyisikhombisa (Numeri 23:17, 15-18, 29, 30), kuaobala futhi nangomyalezo wokuba kudilizwe ama-althari ezizwe (Duteronomi 7:5; AbAhl. 2:2). Ngakhoke inkonzo eNgcwele exuba ama-althari neminikelo yayingeyona into entsha ngenkathi imiswa kumaJuda. Empeleni abantu babakha ama-althari, ikakhulu yokugubha izikhumbuzo ezithile, ngaphambi kokuba nomqondo wokuhlabela amaduna nezinye izilwane njengeminikelo kuwo.
[3] Ukuthi “ialthari” lifanekisa okumele iNkosi, nango “mnikelo oshisiweyo” kufanekiswa inkonzo yaYo, kuchache kakhulu kubaPhrofethi nakuDuteronomi kaMose lapho isihloko kunguLevi okunguyena owayethweswe ubuphristi, lapho kuthiwa khona:
Bayofundisa uJakobe izahlulelo zaKho, noIsrayeli umthetho waKho. Bayobeka impepho phambi kwamakhala aKho, nomnikelo oshiswa wonke ealthari laKho (Duteronomi 33:10),
Okungamazwi afanekisa yonke inkonzo. “Ukufundisa uJakobe izahlulelo zaKhe, noIsrayeli umthetho waKhe” kumele inkonzo engaphakathi, kanti “ukubeka impepho phambi kwamakhala aKhe, nomnikelo oshiswa wonke ealthari” ku mele inkonzo engaphandle ehambisana nengaphakathi, okungukuthi, lapha kukhulunywa ngayoyonke inkonzo iphelele.
KuIsaya kuthiwa:
Ngalolosuku umuntu uyobheka uMenzi wakhe namehlo akhe ayobuka oNgcwele kaIsrayeli. Kayukubheka kumaal-thari, awum sebenzi wezandla zakhe (Isaya 17:7, 8).
Lapha, kuyachacha ukuthi “ukubheka kuma-althari” kusho inkonzo kabanzi efanekisayo eyayizoqedwa. Kuye futhi lomPhrofethi kuthiwa:
Ngalolosuku kuyobakhona ialthari kuJehova phakathi kwezwe laseGibhithe, nensika kuJehova emngceleni walo (Isaya 19:19).
Nalapha futhi nge “althari” kufanekiswa inkonzo engaphandle.
[4] KuSiLilo sika Jeremiya kuthiwa:
INkosi ililahlile ialthari laYo, yanengwa yindlu yaYo engcwele (IsiLilo 2:7).
Nge “althari” lapha kushiwo inkonzo efanekisayo esiphenduke yaba yinkonzo yokukhonza izithixo. KuHoseya kuthiwa:
UEfrayimi wandise ama-althari okona, kuye abengama-althari ezono (Hoseya 8:11).
Nga “maalthari” lapha kushiwo yonke inkonzo efanekisayo eyahlukanisiwe nenkonzo engaphakathi, ngakhoke ngawo kushiwo inkonzo efanekisayo esiphenduke inkonzo yezithixo. Kuye futhi lomPhrofethi kuthiwa:
Izindawo eziphakemeyo zaseAveni, isono sakwaIsrayeli, ziyo chithwa. Ameva namakhakhasi ayomila emaalthari abo (Hoseya 10:8).
Lapha futhi nga “maalthari” kushiwo inkonzo yokukhonza izithixo.
KuAmose kuthiwa:
Mhla ngihambela uIsrayeli ngeziphambeko zakhe, ngiyohambela nama-althari aseBethele, nezimpondo zealthari ziyonqu nywa (Amose 3:14).
Nalapha “ama-althari” amele inkonzo efanekisayo esiphenduke yaba yinkonzo yokukhonza izithixo.
[5] KumaHubo kaDavidi kuthiwa:
Kuyongiletha entabeni yaKho engcwele, nasezindlini zaKho, lapho ngiyoze ngifike kulo ialthari likaNkulunkulu, kuNkulunkulu wenjabulo yokwethaba kwami (AmaHubo 43:3, 4).
Lapha kusobala ukuthi “ialthari” limele iNkosi. Ngakhoke ukwakha ialthari kweSonto laseMandulo nokweSonto lamaJuda kwakuwukwakhiwe kwesifanekiso seNkosi. Nangoba ukukhonza iNkosi kwakwenziwa ikakhulu ngesu leminikelo eshisiwe nemihlatshelo, nalokho kwakuyinkonzo efanekisayo ikakhulu, kuyachacha ukuthi ialthari uqobo lisho inkonzo efanekisayo.
