VASHANYI vacho vakanga vava nenzara. Kushanyira nzvimbo dzekare dziri muguta reBethlehem kwakaita kuti vade kudya, uye vaida kumboravira zvokudya zvemo. Mumwe wavo akaona resitorendi yaiva nezvokudya zvinonzi falafel zvinosanganiswa madomasi, hanyanisi, pizi, nemimwe miriwo, uye zvinodyiwa nechingwa chegorosi kana kuti chebhari chinonzi pita bread. Zvokudya zviri nyore izvi uye zvinonaka zvakaita kuti vave nesimba rokupfuurira kufamba vachiona nzvimbo yacho.

Vashanyi vacho havana kuziva kuti chingwa ichocho chisina twakawanda-wanda chinogona kunge chava nenhoroondo refu kupfuura zvimwe zvavakaona musi iwoyo. Zita rokuti Bethlehem rinoreva kuti “Imba Yechingwa,” uye chingwa chava nezviuru zvemakore chichibikwa munzvimbo iyi. (Rute 1:22; 2:14) Pita bread chimwe chezvingwa zvinodyiwa muBethlehem mazuva ano.

Makore anoda kusvika 4 000 akapfuura, munzvimbo iri kumaodzanyemba kweBethlehem, Sara mudzimai waAbrahamu akabika chingwa kuti ape vaenzi vatatu vakangoerekana vasvika. (Genesisi 18:6) “Furawa yakatsetseka” yaakashandisa inofanira kunge yaiva yegorosi kana kuti yebhari. Sara aifanira kubika chingwa chacho nokukurumidza uye anogona kunge akabikira mukanyiwa wacho pamatombo aipisa.—1 Madzimambo 19:6.

Nhoroondo iyi inoratidza kuti mhuri yaAbrahamu yaibikawo chingwa chayo. Kugara vachitama-tama kwaireva kuti Sara nevashandi vake vangangodaro vaisabikira chingwa muovheni dzainyanya kushandiswa mutaundi rekumusha kwake reUri. Akagadzira furawa yakatsetseka achishandisa zvirimwa zvekwavaiva. Iri rinofanira kunge raiva basa rakaoma raiitwa pachishandiswa guyo duku rinotakurika kana kuti zvimwe duri nemutswi.

Pashure pemakore 400, Mutemo waMosesi wakataura zvakajeka kuti guyo raisafanira kutorwa sechokumbofanobata, sezvo raibatsira munhu kuti ararame. (Dheuteronomio 24:6) Mwari aiona guyo serinokosha nokuti mhuri yaisagona kuwana zvokudya zvayo zvezuva nezuva kana risipo.—Ona bhokisi rakanzi “ Kukuya Uye Kubika Chingwa Munguva Dzinotaurwa muBhaibheri.”

Magwaro anotaura nezvechingwa kakawanda uye vanyori veBhaibheri vaiwanzoshandisa shoko rokuti chingwa kureva zvokudya. Jesu akaratidza kuti vaya vanoshumira Mwari vanogona kunyengetera nechivimbo kuti: “Tipei nhasi zvokudya [chingwa] zvedu zvanhasi.” (Mateu 6:11) Pano Jesu akaratidza kuti tinogona kuvimba naMwari kuti atipe zvatinoda kuti tirarame.—Pisarema 37:25.

Asiwo pane zvimwe zvinokosha kupfuura chingwa kana kuti zvokudya. Jesu akati, “Munhu haangararami nechingwa chete, asi nemashoko ose anobuda mumuromo maJehovha.” (Mateu 4:4) Mashoko ake aitaura nezvenguva apo vaIsraeri vakanga vasina mumwe aigona kuvapa zvokurarama nazvo kunze kwaMwari. Vakatanga kutarisirwa naMwari nguva pfupi vachangobva muIjipiti. Pakanga papera unenge mwedzi kubva pavakapinda muRenje reSinai, uye zvokudya zvavo zvainge zvava kupera. Vachityira kuti vaizofa nenzara mugwenga iroro, vakanyunyuta vakatsamwa vachiti: “Tainge tichidya zvokudya tichiguta” muIjipiti.—Eksodho 16:1-3.

 Hapana mubvunzo kuti chingwa chokuIjipiti chainaka. Munguva yakararama Mosesi, vabiki vane unyanzvi vakanga vava kubika chingwa nemakeke zvemhando dzakasiya-siyana muIjipiti. Asi Jehovha akanga asingadi kusiya vanhu vake vasina zvokudya. Akavavimbisa kuti, “Tarirai ndiri kukunayisirai chingwa chinobva kumatenga.” Chingwa ichi chakabva chatooneka mangwanani-ngwanani, uye chaiva “zvinhu zvitete zvakatsetseka” zvakaita sedova kana kuti semazaya echando. Pavakatanga kuona chingwa chacho, vaIsraeri vakabvunza kuti, “Chii ichi?” Mosesi akatsanangura kuti, “Ndicho chingwa chamapiwa naJehovha kuti mudye.” Vakachidana kuti mana, * uye vakazorarama vachidya chingwa ichi kwemakore 40 akatevera.—Eksodho 16:4, 13-15, 31.

Pakutanga vaIsraeri vanofanira kunge vakafarira mana yavakapiwa nechishamiso. Yainaka “semakeke akatetepa ane uchi,” uye munhu wese aidya achiguta. (Eksodho 16:18) Asi nguva zvayaifamba, vakatanga kusuwa zvokudya zvakasiyana-siyana zvavaidya kuIjipiti. Vakanyunyuta vachiti, “Maziso edu haana chimwe chaachiri kuona kunze kwemana iyi.” (Numeri 11:6) Pave paya vakapopota vachiti, “Mweya yedu yava kusema [kuvenga] chingwa ichi chinosembura.” (Numeri 21:5) “Chingwa chaibva kudenga” chakanga chisisavanakiri uye chava kuvasembura.—Pisarema 105:40.

Kungofanana nezvimwe zvinhu zvakawanda, chingwa chinogona kuonekwa sechisingakoshi. Asi Bhaibheri rinotaura nezvechingwa chinokosha chaizvo chisingafaniri kutarisirwa pasi. Jesu akachifananidza nemana yakarambwa nevaIsraeri vachinyunyuta, uye chinogona kuwanisa makomborero nekusingaperi.

Jesu akaudza vateereri vake kuti, “Ndini chingwa choupenyu. Madzitateguru enyu akadya mana murenje asi akafa. Ichi ndicho chingwa chinoburuka chichibva kudenga, kuti munhu achidye arege kufa. Ndini chingwa chipenyu chakaburuka chichibva kudenga; kana munhu akadya chingwa ichi achararama nokusingaperi; uye, chokwadi, chingwa chandichapa  inyama yangu nokuda kwoupenyu hwenyika.”—Johani 6:48-51.

Vakawanda vevateereri vaJesu havana kunzwisisa mashoko ake ekufananidzira okuti “chingwa” uye “nyama.” Asi muenzaniso wacho wakanga wakanyatsokodzera. Chingwa chaicho chaiva zvokudya zvevaJudha zuva nezuva, sezvakanga zvamboitawo mana iyo yakava zvokudya zvevaIsraeri kwemakore 40 murenje. Kunyange zvazvo mana yaiva chipo chinobva kuna Mwari, yakanga isingawanisi upenyu husingaperi. Asi chibayiro chaJesu chinoita kuti vaya vanotenda maari vawane upenyu husingaperi. Ndiye “chingwa choupenyu.”

Kana ukanzwa nzara, zvimwe unotsvaka chingwa. Ungatendawo Mwari nokukupa “chingwa chezuva rimwe nerimwe.” (Mateu 6:11, The New English Bible) Tinoonga zvokudya zvinonaka, asi ngatisambofa takakanganwa kukosha kwaJesu Kristu uyo anova “chingwa choupenyu.”

Kusiyana nevaIsraeri vemunguva yaMosesi vakanga vasingaongi, isu tingaratidza sei kuti tinokoshesa chingwa ichi chinokosha chaizvo? Jesu akati, “Kana muchindida, muchachengeta mirayiro yangu.” (Johani 14:15) Kana tikateerera mirayiro yaJesu, tinova netariro yokuzodya chingwa tichifara nokusingaperi.—Dheuteronomio 12:7.