Izifundo Ezivela EmiBhalweni: UObadiya 1-21

Izixwayiso Zaphezulu Ezikuthintayo

“OTHINTA nina uthinta inhlamvu yeso lami.” (Zakariya 2:8, NW) Lawomazwi ayibika asebenza njengesigijimi esiyisixwayiso kubo bonke abantu: UJehova uyayiphawula indlela izizwe ezibaphatha ngayo abantu bakhe. Nokho, yini eyenzekayo, esizweni esisishaya indiva isixwayiso esinjalo saphezulu futhi sithinte abantu bakaNkulunkulu ngendlela elimazayo? Incwadi emfushane kunazo zonke emiBhalweni yesiHeberu, uObadiya, iyaphendula.

Inhlekelele NgoEdomi

Akekho ophunyukayo esahlulelweni sikaJehova. Isiprofetho sikaObadiya, esamenyezelwa cishe ngo-607 B.C.E., sabikezela ukuxoshwa kwabakwaEdomi ezweni lakubo naphezu kokuba nesikhundla esiphezulu “phakathi kwezinkanyezi” esibonakala silondekile. Futhi nakuba ukuphila kwakhe siqu lomlobi weBhayibheli kungembuliwe, uphila ngokuvumelana negama lakhe, “Inceku KaJehova.” Kanjani? Ngokumemezela isahlulelo esibhubhisayo. Lapho uEdomi ewa, uyakuphangwa ngokuphelele abangane abasesivumelwaneni naye. Ngisho nabahlakaniphileyo nabanamandla bakhe abayikusinda.—1-9.

UNkulunkulu uletha inhlekelele kulabo abanecala lobudlova kubantu bakhe. Siyini isizathu senhlekelele yabakwaEdomi? Izenzo eziphindaphindiwe zobudlova emadodaneni kaJakobe, abafowabo. Njengenzalo kaEsawu, abakwaEdomi babehlobene nabakwaIsrayeli. Nokho, banecala lokuphanga izihlobo zabo, bethokoza ngokunenzondo ekuweni kweJerusalema, futhi benezela kulokhu ngokuyisa abasindile esitheni. Ngalokho, iEdomi liye landisa ukubhujiswa kwalo.—10-16.

Indlu KaJakobe Iyavuselelwa

Izethembiso zikaJehova zinokwethenjelwa ngaso sonke isikhathi. Osukwini lukaObadiya, uJehova waqinisekisa ukuthi abantu baKhe bayobuye badle ifa lezwe labo nokunye okwengeziwe. UIsrayeli wayengeke esahlukaniswa. Indlu kaJakobe, umbuso wakwaJuda wezizwe ezimbili, wawuyophinda uhlanganiswe nendlu kaJosefa, umbuso wasenyakatho wezizwe eziyishumi, ekushwabadeleni uEdomi njengomlilo ubhubhisa amasimu omileyo nasekuhlaleni endaweni yakwaEdomi. Ephetha ngamazwi akhuthazayo, uObadiya umemezela ukuthi amaIsrayeli abuyiselwe ezweni ayokhulekela uNkulunkulu wawo ngobunye futhi abe yizikhonzi zakhe. Ngempela, ubukhosi buyokuba obukaJehova.—17-21.

Isifundo esisitholayo namuhla: Izixwayiso ezinganakwa ziveza izithelo eziyingozi. Ngakho, isixwayiso esiqondile sikaObadiya esiya kuEdomi kufanele sinkeneneze ezindlebeni zalabo abamelene noNkulunkulu bosuku lwanamuhla: Labo abalwa noJehova nabantu bakhe bayonqunywa phakade.

Izifundo Ezivela EmiBhalweni: Jona 1:1–4:11

GWEMA inhlekelele! Yamukela umusa! Kanjani? Ngokulalela isifundo sendaba eyiqiniso eneminyaka engaphezu kwezi-2 800—incwadi kaJona. Njengoba yabhalwa cishe ngo-844 B.C.E. ngumprofethi uJona waseGalile, igcwele ukuqonda okungokomoya.

UJona Uyabaleka

Kufanele sithembele kuJehova ukuba asisekele enkonzweni yakhe. Nokho, uJona ubalekela isabelo asinikwe uNkulunkulu kunokuba athembele kuJehova ukuba amsekele. Yiqiniso, isabelo sakhe sasingelula. Kwakufanele axwayise iNineve elibi ngokuhlazisayo ngenhlekelele yaphezulu. Kodwa uJona uya kwenye indawo, uqalisa uhambo ngomkhumbi oluya eTharishishi, manje eyiSpain. Phakathi nohambo, isivunguvungu siba sibi kakhulu kangangokuthi ukusinda komkhumbi namatilosi kubonakala kungenakwenzeka. UJona uvuma isono sakhe, abagwedli bamtshinga ngaphandle komkhumbi, futhi ulwandle luyathula. Inhlanzi enkulu iyamgwinya lomprofethi.—1:1-17.

Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zingaqiniseka ukuthi uyoyiphendula imithandazo yazo. Esesiswini senhlanzi, uJona ukhala kuJehova ecela usizo, ngobuqotho ubonga uNkulunkulu ngokumkhulula ethuneni lamanzi, futhi uthembisa ukukhokha lokho ayekuthembisile. Ngesikhathi esifanele, uhlanzelwa emhlabathini owomile.—2:1-10.

UJona Uya ENineve

Ungalokothi ubalekele isabelo esivela kuJehova. Ngokusobala esefunde lesisifundo, umprofethi owake wabamanqikanqika ushumayela ‘emzini omkhulu: UJona umemezela isixwayiso esilula kodwa esiqondile: “Kusezakuba yizinsuku ezingamashumi amane, beselichithwa iNineve.” Ekuguqukeni kwezenzakalo okuphawuleka kakhulu, abaseNineve bayaphenduka futhi bagwema inhlekelele.—3:1-10.

Umuntu akanakulinganisela umusa kaNkulunkulu. Intukuthelo kaJona iyakhula ngoba iNineve liyaxolelwa. Kodwa uJehova esebenzisa isihlahla ufundisa uJona ukuthi uzobonisa umusa ngokuthanda kwaKhe.—4:1-11.

Isifundo esisitholayo namuhla: Inhlekelele ingagwenywa ngokulalela isiprofetho saphezulu! Lingisa abaseNineve. Ngokuzithoba lalela uJesu Kristu, umprofethi omkhulu kunoJona.—Luka 11:32.

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IZINGCAPHUNO ZEBHAYIBHELI ZIYAHLOLWA

○ 7—Ezikhathini zeBhayibheli, ‘ukudla isinkwa’ nothile kwakuyisivumelwano sobungane esiphelele. Yeka indlela okubhuqa ngayo! AbaseBabiloni “abantu besivumelwano” nabakwaEdomi, babeyobonakala bengababhubhisi babo. Yiqiniso, abaseBabiloni bosuku lukaNebukadinesari bavumela uEdomi ukuba abe nengxenye empangweni yakwaJuda ngemva kokuba iJerusalema lenziwe incithakalo. Kodwa inkosi yaseBabiloni yakamuva, uNabonidasi yazivimbela unomphela izifiso zezentengiselwano nezohwebo zakwaEdomi.

○ 10—IEdomi lalahlulelwe ‘ukunqunywa kuze kube-phakade’ ngenxa yokuba kwalo nenzondo enonya nokuntula ngokungenazwela uthando lomzwelo olungokwemvelo ngesizwe esingumfowabo, ‘abantwana bakwaJuda.’ (Ivesi 12) Ukushabalaliswa okunjalo kwesizwe kwasho ukuthi umbuso wakwaEdomi onohulumeni nabantu ezindaweni ezithile zezwe kwakuyonyamalala ebusweni bomhlaba. Namuhla, abekho abantu abangakhonjwa besizwe sakwaEdomi; “babenjengokungathi abazange babekhona.”—Ivesi 16.

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IZINGCAPHUNO ZEBHAYIBHELI ZIYAHLOLWA

○ 1:17—Ngenxa yekhanda nomphimbo wawo omkhulu, umkhomo omkhulu ungakwazi ukumgwinya umuntu. Nakuba imikhomo iyivela-kancane eMedithera, abadobi bemikhomo bake bamisa imikhumbi eJopha. Inhlanzi eyaziwa ngokuthi ilandela imikhumbi eMedithera nangokuthi idla konke okulahlelwa ngaphandle komkhumbi ushaka omkhulu omhlophe. Naye angakwazi ukugwinya umuntu ephelele. Nokho, endabeni kaJona uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa “inhlanzi enkulu,” mhlawumbe isidalwa esingaziwa kwezesayensi yanamuhla.

○ 2:1, 2—Ngokuqinisekile uJona wayengekho ezimweni ezinhle zokuqamba inkondlo lapho “esezibilini zenhlanzi.” Kodwa kamuva wabhala okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe. Ngokusuka ekujuleni kwenhliziyo yakhe wakhuluma amazwi ayenanela lawo akumaHubo aveza imizwa yakhe.—Qhathanisa u-2:2 neHubo 120:1 no-130:1; 2:5 neHubo 69:1.

○ 3:3—Ubungako beNineve abenziwanga ihaba. Nakuba izindonga ezilizungezile zazingamakhilomitha ayi-13 kuphela, igama lomuzi ngokusobala lalihlanganisa nemizana yawo esemaphethelweni, leyo okungenzeka yayingahlanganisa ibanga elingamakhilomitha angama-42.

○ 3:10—Igama lesiHeberu elihunyushwe ngokuthi “wazisola” lisho ‘ukushintsha komuntu umqondo ngokuphathelene nesenzo esidlule (noma esasihlosiwe).’ Ngakho, uJehova ‘angazisola’ noma ashintshe umqondo wakhe wokuletha isijeziso kubantu abonayo uma bephenduka ngempela.