ICYO gihe ba mukerarugendo bari bashonje. Gusura ibintu biranga amateka ya kera y’umugi wa Betelehemu byari byatumye bagira ipfa, kandi bifuzaga kugira ikintu cyaho barya. Umwe muri bo yarabutswe resitora ibonekamo ifunguro bita falafeli. Iryo funguro riba rigizwe n’ubwoko bwihariye bw’amashaza, inyanya, ibitunguru n’andi moko y’imboga, bakabirisha umugati bita pita. Iryo funguro riryoshye ryabongereye imbaraga, bituma bakomeza gusura ako gace.

Uwo mugati bita pita ba mukerarugendo bariye, ushobora kuba ari cyo kintu gishishikaje babonye uwo munsi mu bintu biranga amateka y’icyo gihugu, nubwo batari basanzwe bawuzi. Izina Betelehemu risobanura “Inzu y’Umugati,” kandi abatuye muri uwo mugi bamaze imyaka ibarirwa mu bihumbi bateka iyo migati (Rusi 1:22; 2:14). Uwo mugati ni umwe mu moko y’imigati ikorerwa i Betelehemu muri iki gihe.

Hashize imyaka igera hafi ku bihumbi bine, Sara umugore wa Aburahamu akoze “imigati yiburungushuye” yo guha abashyitsi batatu bari bamutunguye, ibyo bikaba byarabereye ahagana mu majyepfo ya Betelehemu (Intangiriro 18:6). “Ifu inoze” Sara yakozemo iyo migati ishobora kuba ari iy’ingano zisanzwe cyangwa ingano za sayiri. Sara yakoze uwo mugati vuba vuba kandi ashobora kuba yarawutetse ku mabuye ashyushye.​—1 Abami 19:6.

Iyo nkuru igaragaza ko abari bagize umuryango wa Aburahamu ari bo bikoreraga imigati bakanayiyokereza. Kubera ko bahoraga bagenda, Sara n’abaja be ntibashoboraga gutekera umugati mu mafuru ameze nk’ayakundaga gukoreshwa mu mugi wa Uri Sara yakomokagamo. Sara yasyaga ifu nziza ayikuye mu binyampeke byo muri ako gace. Ako kazi kagomba kuba katari koroshye, kuko bakoreshaga urusyo bagendanaga hamwe n’isekuru n’umuhini.

Nyuma y’imyaka magana ane, Amategeko ya Mose yavugaga ko nta muntu wagombaga gufata urusyo ho ingwate, kuko ari ho “ubugingo” bw’umuntu bwabaga bushingiye (Gutegeka kwa Kabiri 24:6). Imana yabonaga ko urusyo ari urw’ingenzi cyane, kuko umuryango utashoboraga gukora imigati utarufite.​—Reba ingingo ivuga ngo “ Gusya no guteka imigati mu bihe bya Bibiliya.”

Ibyanditswe bikoresha ijambo “umugati” incuro zirenga 350, kandi abanditsi ba Bibiliya bakundaga kuwukoresha berekeza ku byokurya. Yesu yavuze ko abakorera Imana bashobora gusenga bafite icyizere bati “uyu munsi uduhe ibyokurya [cyangwa umugati] by’uyu munsi” (Matayo 6:11). Yesu yashakaga kutwereka ko dushobora kwishingikiriza ku Mana kugira ngo iduhe ifunguro rya buri munsi.​—Zaburi 37:25.

Icyakora hari ikintu cy’ingenzi kurusha umugati cyangwa ibyokurya. Yesu yaravuze ati “umuntu ntatungwa n’ibyokurya [cyangwa umugati] gusa, ahubwo atungwa n’ijambo ryose riva mu kanwa ka Yehova” (Matayo 4:4). Ayo magambo yerekeza ku gihe Abisirayeli bamaze batunzwe gusa n’ibyokurya Imana yabahaga. Ibyo byatangiye bamaze igihe gito bavuye muri Egiputa. Igihe bari bamaze hafi ukwezi binjiye mu butayu bwa Sinayi, ibyokurya bari barazigamye byatangiye kubashirana. Bahangayikishijwe n’uko inzara yari kuzabicira muri ubwo butayu bwari bukakaye, bituma bitotomba bavuga uko babagaho muri Egiputa bagira bati “twaryaga imigati tugahaga.”​—Kuva 16:1-3.

Nta gushidikanya ko umugati wo muri Egiputa wari uryoshye. Mu gihe cya Mose, abatetsi b’imigati b’abahanga bakoreraga Abanyegiputa amoko atandukanye y’imigati. Ariko kandi, Yehova ntiyari gutererana ubwoko bwe ngo bubure umugati wo  kurya. Yatanze isezerano rigira riti “ngiye kuboherereza ibyokurya bivuye mu ijuru bigwe nk’imvura.” Uwo mugati wo mu ijuru wamanukaga mu gitondo cya kare, wari “utuntu duto tworohereye” twari tumeze nk’urubura. Igihe Abisirayeli batubonaga ku ncuro ya mbere, barabajije bati “ibi ni ibiki?” Mose yarababwiye ati “ni ibyokurya Yehova yabahaye.” Babyise “manu” * kandi uwo mugati ni wo wabatunze mu gihe cy’imyaka 40 yakurikiyeho.​—Kuva 16:4, 13-15, 31.

Abisirayeli bagitangira guhabwa manu mu buryo bw’igitangaza bagomba kuba barayitangariye. Yaryohaga “nk’utugati turimo ubuki,” kandi buri wese yahabwaga imuhagije (Kuva 16:18). Ariko uko igihe cyagiye gihita, batangiye gukumbura ibyokurya bitandukanye baryaga bakiri muri Egiputa. Binubiye manu bagira bati “nta kindi amaso yacu areba kitari manu” (Kubara 11:6). Nyuma yaho bararakaye, bitotomba bagira bati “twazinutswe iyi ngirwamugati” (Kubara 21:5). Batangiye kubona ko uwo ‘mugati wavaga mu ijuru’ wari ubishye kandi ko wari uteye iseseme.​—Zaburi 105:40.

Hari igihe tudaha umugati agaciro kimwe n’uko hari ibindi byinshi tudaha agaciro. Icyakora, Bibiliya ivuga ibirebana n’umugati wihariye cyane tutagombye gusuzugura. Uwo mugati Yesu yagereranyije na manu Abisirayeli banze, ushobora gutuma abantu babona imigisha y’iteka ryose.

Yesu yabwiye abari bamuteze amatwi ati “ni jye mugati w’ubuzima. Ba sokuruza baririye manu mu butayu, nyamara barapfuye. Uyu ni wo mugati wavuye mu ijuru kugira ngo umuntu wese uwuriyeho ye gupfa. Ni jye mugati muzima wavuye mu ijuru. Nihagira urya kuri uwo mugati azabaho iteka ryose; kandi koko, umugati nzatanga ni umubiri wanjye kugira ngo isi ibone ubuzima.”​—Yohana 6:48-51.

 Abenshi mu bari bamuteze amatwi ntibigeze basobanukirwa ko yakoresheje ijambo “umugati” n’ “ubuzima” mu buryo bw’ikigereranyo. Icyakora iryo gereranya ryari rikwiriye. Umugati uyu usanzwe ni wo Abayahudi baryaga buri munsi, nk’uko Abisirayeli batunzwe na manu mu gihe cy’imyaka 40 igihe bari mu butayu. Nubwo manu yari impano y’Imana, ntiyatumaga abantu babona ubuzima bw’iteka. Ariko igitambo cya Yesu cyo gishobora gutuma abamwizera babona ubwo buzima. Koko rero, Yesu ni we “mugati w’ubuzima.”

Iyo ushonje ushobora kumva ushaka umugati wo kurya, kandi ushobora gushimira Imana ko iguha uwo ‘mugati wa buri munsi’ (Matayo 6:11,The New English Bible). Mu gihe dufata amafunguro aryoshye, tujye dutekereza ku gaciro ka Yesu Kristo we ‘mugati w’ubuzima.’

Ni mu buhe buryo twakwirinda kuba nk’Abisirayeli b’indashima bo mu gihe cya Mose, tukagaragaza ko duha agaciro umugati w’agaciro kenshi? Yesu yaravuze ati “niba munkunda muzubahiriza amategeko yanjye” (Yohana 14:15). Nidukurikiza amategeko ya Yesu, tuzagira ibyiringiro byo kuzarya umugati uko dushaka iteka ryose.​—Gutegeka kwa Kabiri 12:7.