Ukulungisa Izindaba Phakathi Kwakho NoNkulunkulu

“Noma izono zenu zibomvu kakhulu, ziyakuba-mhlophe njengeqhwa.”—ISAYA 1:18.

1, 2. (a) Yini obungayicabanga uma othile ethi: ‘Woza-ke, sithethe indaba’? (b) Kungani kungafanele ukuba silindele ukubonisana noNkulunkulu?

UMA, ngenxa yephutha elithile lesikhathi esidlule noma ukuphathana kabi, kwaba khona ukungezwani phakathi kwakho nomunye, ubuyosabela kanjani kulamazwi: ‘Woza-ke, sithethe indaba’? Lokho bekungaba isimemo sokuba nihlale phansi nibonisane, kube khona ukubonelelana nokuvumelana. Ngamunye ubengabeka umbono wakhe, futhi ngamunye angabe esevuma isilinganiso esithile sephutha noma ukungaqondi.

² Kodwa ubungacabanga yini ukuthi uMdali ubengacela ngalowomqondo athi, “Wozani-ke, sithethe indaba,” njengoba uIsaya 1:18 efundeka kanjalo emaBhayibhelini amaningi? Lutho neze. Akekho kithina obengalindela “ukuxazulula inkinga” (The New English Bible) noma ukubonisana noJehova, njengokungathi ubengadinga ukuvuma iphutha nokuhoxa ezindinganisweni zakhe. Nokho, uma sifuna ukuthula noNkulunkulu, yini edingwa uIsaya 1:18?

3. Uyini umqondo wangempela wegama lesiHeberu ngezinye izikhathi elihunyushwa ngokuthi ‘ukuthetha indaba’ kuIsaya 1:18?

³ Igama lesiHeberu elihunyushwe ngokuthi “sithethe indaba” ngokuyisisekelo lisho “ukunquma, ukwahlulela, ukubonisa.” Linomqondo wegunya, lisho okungaphezu kwabantu ababili ababonisanayo nje. Kwakuhileleke isinqumo.a (Genesise 31:37, 42; Jobe 9:33; IHubo 50:21; Isaya 2:4) IWilson’s Old Testament Word Studies inikeza incazelo ethi “ukuba oqondile; ukubonisa, ukuveza okulungile nokuyiqiniso.” UNkulunkulu wayeyala: “Wozani-ke, masilungise izinto” (The New American Bible) noma, “Masilungise izindaba.”

4-6. Wayengubani uIsaya, futhi wakhonza nini njengomprofethi?

⁴ UJehova uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa umprofethi uIsaya ukuba alethe lesigijimi esinamandla. Wayengubani uIsaya, futhi kungani isigijimi sakhe sasifaneleka esikhathini sakhe? Ngaphezu kwalokho, singazuza kanjani kuso?

⁵ Lapho kuphathwa elithi “umprofethi,” abaningi namuhla bangase bakhe umbono wensizwa ethile ezilayo eyayimemezela umbono wayo ogwegwile ngezinto ezingokoqobo. Abanye bangase bacabange ngekhehla eliyinqaba elizenza umahluleli wezimo ezivamile. Yeka ukuthi yayihluke kanjani kulokho indoda elinganiselayo neqondileyo uIsaya, uJehova ayisebenzisa ekubhaleni incwadi yeBhayibheli enegama layo!

⁶ “UIsaya indodana ka-Amose” wayehlala kwaJuda futhi wayekhonza uJehova ngenkuthalo “emihleni kaUziya, noJothamu, noAhazi, noHezekiya, amakhosi akwaJuda”—iminyaka engaphezu kwama-40. Ngesizotha, uIsaya akazange anikeze ukwaziswa okuningi ngaye ngokwakhe. Umlando wabantu uthi wayehlobene nomkhaya wasebukhosini wakwaJuda. Siyazi ngokuqinisekile ukuthi wayeyindoda yomkhaya emkayo wayizalela amadodana amabili. Kungenzeka waphinde washada ngemva kokuba umkakhe esefile, eba nguyise wenye indodana, eyaqanjwa ngokwesiprofetho ngokuthi uImanuweli.—Isaya 1:1; 7:3, 14; 8:3, 18.

7. Kungani kufanele sibe nesithakazelo esiprofethweni sikaIsaya?

⁷ Kukhona ukufana phakathi kwesikhathi sikaIsaya nesethu. Uye wabona ukuthi siphila esikhathini sokwesaba kwezizwe, sezimpi noma ukusongela kwazo. Ngesikhathi abaholi benkolo nabezombangazwe abazisholo ukuthi bakhulekela uNkulunkulu bezibonakalisa njengezibonelo zokulandelwa, sivame ukubona imibiko yamaphephandaba ngamahlazo abo ezimali nawokuziphatha. UNkulunkulu ubabheka kanjani abaholi abanjalo, ikakhulukazi labo abahlangene neLobukholwa? Yini ebahlalele ngaphambili bona nalabo ababalandelayo? Encwadini kaIsaya, sithola ukukhulumela kwaphezulu okuhlangene kakhulu nezindaba zamanje ezinjalo. Sithola futhi izifundo ngathi ngabanye njengoba silwela ngokomuntu siqu ukukhonza uNkulunkulu.

Umprofethi Esizweni Esinecala

8. Iquketheni incwadi kaIsaya, futhi yalotshwa ngayiphi indlela?

⁸ Lapho ufunda incwadi kaIsaya, uyothola izigijimi zokuba necala kukaJuda neJerusalema, imininingwane engokomlando yokuhlasela kwezitha, izimemezelo zokuchithwa kwezizwe ezizungezile, nezibikezelo ezikhuthazayo zokubuyiselwa nokusindiswa kukaIsrayeli. Lokhu kubhalwe ngendlela ekhanyayo, ethakazelisayo. UDr. I. Slotki uthi: “Abacwaningi bakudumisa ngenhliziyo yonke ukukhanya kwemicabango kaIsaya nezincazelo zakhe ezithakazelisayo, ukusebenzisa isingathekiso esinamandla, ukuqala nokuphetha inkulumo ngomsindo ofanayo, nokulingana okuhle nesigqi semisho yakhe.” Ake sihlole ngokukhethekile isigijimi sokuvula sikaIsaya—leso esitholakala esahlukweni sokuqala.

9. Yini esiyaziyo ngesikhathi nangezimo zokubhalwa kukaIsaya isahluko sokuqala?

⁹ Umprofethi akasho ukuthi wasibhala nini ngokuqondile lesisahluko. UIsaya 6:1-13 uqala ngonyaka iNkosi u-Uziya afa ngawo. Ngakho uma uIsaya abhala izahluko zakhe zokuqala ngaphambi kwalokho, kungenzeka zibonisa isimo esasifihlakele phakathi nobukhosi bukaUziya. Ngokuyisisekelo, u-Uziya (829-777 B.C.E.) “wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova,” ngakho uNkulunkulu wabusisa ubukhosi bakhe ngokuchuma. Kodwa, siyazi ukuthi akukhona konke okwakulungile, ngoba “abantu babesahlaba, besashisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo” ngaphambi kokuba uNkulunkulu ashaye u-Uziya (noma, uAzariya) ngochoko ngenxa yokunikela impepho ngokuqhosha ethempelini. (2 IziKronike 26:1-5, 16-23; 2 AmaKhosi 15:1-5) Ububi obabufihlakele esikhathini sikaUziya kungenzeka baholela esivunweni sobubi esifunda ngabo obuhilela umzukulu wakhe iNkosi uAhazi. (762-745 B.C.E.), okungenzeka futhi ukuthi yilokho uIsaya ayekuchaza. Kodwa okubaluleke ngaphezu kosuku oluqondile lwesahluko sokuqala yilokho okwashukumisela uNkulunkulu ukuba athi: “Wozani-ke, sithethe indaba.”

10. Phakathi nokubusa kweNkosi uAhazi, isiphi isimo esasivamile kwaJuda, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwabaholi?

¹⁰ UIsaya wamemezela ngokuqondile: “Hawu, sizwe esonayo, bantu abasindwé ngububi, nzalo yababi, bantwana abonakeleyo! Bamshiyile uJehova, bamdelele oNgcwele kaIsrayeli, babuyele emuva. . . . Lonke ikhanda liyagula, nayo yonke inhliziyo ibuthakathaka. Kusukela ematheni onyawo kuze kube-sekhanda akukho okuphelele.” (Isaya 1:4-6) Ukubusa kweNkosi uAhazi kweminyaka eyi-16 kwaphawulwa ukukhonza izithombe okubi ngokwedlulele. Washisa “abantwana bakhe [njengemihlatshelo] emlilweni njengezinengiso zabezizwe . . . washisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, nasemagqumeni, naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza.” (2 IziKronike 28:1-4; 2 AmaKhosi 16:3, 4) Ukwahlulela ngokungalungi, ukufumbathisa, nokuziphatha okubi kwakuchumile phakathi kwamakhosana ayekufanelekele kangcono ukuba ababusi eSodoma lasendulo. (Isaya 1:10, 21-23; Genesise 18:20, 21) Ngokuqinisekile, uNkulunkulu wayengenakuwavumela. Futhi benabaholi abanjalo, abantu babengaziphatha kanjani?

11. Kufanele simqonde kanjani uIsaya 1:29, 30?

¹¹ Umprofethi uIsaya wafanekisa isimo esidabukisayo sabantu ngokukhuluma ngemithi engcwele nangamasimu okwakwenzelwa kuwo iminikelo yokukhonza izithombe nempepho eshiselwa onkulunkulu bamaqaba. ‘Lamaoki’ ayezoba yimbangela yehlazo. (Isaya 1:29; 65:3) Ebhekisa inkulumo engokomfanekiso kubakhulekeli bezithombe ngokwabo, uIsaya wabhala: “Niyakuba-njengeoki elimaqabunga alo abunile, nanjengensimu engenamanzi.” (Isaya 1:30) Yebo, abantu ababemshiya uJehova ‘babeyakuqedwa.’ Babeyofana nomucu wefilakisi (osha kalula), nezithombe zabo zaziyoba yinhlansi yomlilo—kokubili kwakuyoqedwa.—Isaya 1:28, 31.

12, 13. Yikuphi ukufana okukhona phakathi kwesikhathi sethu nesikaIsaya?

¹² Manje qhathanisa lokho nesimo sanamuhla. Esikhathini esingangenyanga, amaphephandaba eUnited States abika: Obephambili ekukhankaseleni isikhundla sobongameli uhoxile ngenxa yemibiko eyihlazo ‘yokuthanda kwakhe abafazi’; umfundisi ophambili waphucwa isikhundla ngemva kokuvuma icala lokuphinga nangenxa yokumangalelwa ngobungqingili, ukushintshana ngabafazi, nokusebenzisa kabi izimali ukuze akhokhe imali eyimvalamlomo. (“Kubikwa ukuthi kusukela ngo-1984 uye wakhipha imali yokufumbathisa eshaqisayo eyizigidi [eziyi-9,2 zamaRandi].” Time, May 11, 1987) EAustria ngonyaka odlule uMphathi Wezindela waseRein ‘waxoshwa futhi wamangalelwa ngokusaphaza imali eyizigidi eziyi-12 zamaRandi ekuzingeleni nasemadilini ayewenzela amalungu omkhaya owawubusa kanye nabesifazane abasebasha besizinda esiphansi.’ Mhlawumbe ubunganikeza ezinye izibonelo zabaholi abanjalo. Ucabanga ukuthi uyini umbono kaNkulunkulu ngabo?

¹³ Ngokuqondene nabantu ngokuvamile, kukhona ukwehlukana okukhulayo okungokwenkolo. Abanye bayeka inkolo benengekile noma becasukile. Ngokwesibonelo, amaphesenti amathathu kuphela abantu baseNgilandi ababa khona esontweni elimisiwe. Kolunye uhlangothi lomhlaba, sithola ukuthandwa okwedlulele kwenkolo. Lokhu kusobala ekwandeni kwamasonto kamoya, nokuheha kwawo kokuba “asindisiwe,” akhuluma ngezilimi, noma “aphulukisa” abagulayo. Izixuku zibuthana ezindaweni zokukhulekela zilindele izimangaliso. Abanye benza imihlatshelo njengezenzo “zokholo,” njengokukhasa ngamadolo ophayo ukuze babone iNcasakazi yaseGuadalupe [iDolobha laseMexico]. Iphephandaba lathi: “Nakuba kubantu bangaphandle ukuba khona kwayo nentshiseko ekhulekelwa ngayo kungabonakala kuwukuxutshaniswa okuyihlazo kobuKristu nobuqaba, kuthiwa, iNcasakazi iyisiqu esibaluleke kakhulu ebuKatolikeni baseMexico.”

Ungawuzuza Kanjani Umusa Wakhe?

14. NgoIsaya uJehova wakwenza kanjani kwakhanya ukuthi akamukeli bonke abazisholo ukuthi bayamkhulekela?

¹⁴ UJehova uNkulunkulu akashiyi kudideka ngokuphathelene nombono wakhe ngalabo abazisholo ukuthi basohlangothini lwakhe kodwa ‘abangakhuleki kuBaba ngomoya nangeqiniso.’ (Johane 4:23) Uma isizwe, noma iqembu lenkolo, noma umuntu engenzi ngokuvumelana nezindinganiso zikaNkulunkulu ezembuliwe, noma yimiphi imisebenzi yenkolo ingengenanjongo. Ngokwesibonelo, imigidingo nemihlatshelo yenkolo yayiyingxenye eyimfuneko yokukhulekela kweqiniso kwaIsrayeli wasendulo. (Levitikusi, izahluko 1–7, 23) Kodwa uIsaya waveza umbono kaNkulunkulu—ukunengwa amaJuda angathembekile ayegcina leyomicikilisho. UNkulunkulu wathi: “Lapho nelula izandla zenu, ngiyakufihla kini amehlo ami; yebo, lapho nenza imikhuleko eminingi, angiyikuzwa.” (Isaya 1:11-15) Lokhu kunjalo namuhla. Kunokuba aneliswe imikhosi engokwenkolo engasho lutho noma izivumo zokholo nemithandazo eshiwo ngekhanda, uNkulunkulu ufuna imithandazo nezenzo eziqondile ezisuka enhliziyweni.

15. Kungani uIsaya 1:18 esinikeza isizathu sethemba, futhi iyini incazelo yamazwi athi, ‘Wozani silungise izindaba’?

¹⁵ Ukwazi kwethu lokho kunikeza isisekelo sethemba. Abantu bangawuzuza umusa kaNkulunkulu. Kanjani? UIsaya wanxusa: “Gezani, nihlanzeke, nisuse ububi bezenzo zenu phambi kwamehlo ami, niyeke ukwenza okubi. Fundani ukwenza okuhle, nifune ukwahlulela.” Kulelizinga uIsaya wethula umyalo kaNkulunkulu: “Wozani-ke, sithethe indaba.” Ngakho uJehova wayengaceli umhlangano wabantu abalinganayo ababezohlala phansi babonisane kube nokuvumelana. UNkulunkulu wayekwazi okulungile, noma okuqondile. Isahlulelo sakhe sasiwukuthi: Noma yiziphi izinguquko ezazidingeka kwakumelwe zenziwe ngabantu, ababedinga ukuvumelana nezindinganiso zakhe ezilungile. Lokhu kunjalo nanamuhla. Lungenziwa ushintsho, ngenxa yalokho kutholakale umusa. Ngisho nomuntu onkambo yakhe ibiyimbi ngokungangabazeki angaguquka. UIsaya wabhala: “Noma izono zenu zibomvu kakhulu, ziyakuba-mhlophe njengeqhwa.”—Isaya 1:16-18.

16. Abanye baye basabela kanjani eselulekweni esisekelwe eBhayibhelini ngokuqondene nokwenza okubi?

¹⁶ Nokho, kukhona ukuthambekela kokuqaphela iseluleko esinjalo kodwa sicabange ukuthi sisebenza kwabanye. Ngokusobala, abaningi osukwini lukaIsaya benza kanjalo. Eqinisweni, umuntu ngamunye kumelwe azihlole. Uma umKristu enecala lesono esingathi sína, kungaba ukuqamba amanga, ukukhwabanisa, ukuziphatha okubi kobulili, noma amanye amaphutha amabi, ukuphenduka nemisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka kubalulekile. (IzEnzo 26:20) Ngokuncomekayo, abanye baye bathatha isinyathelo ‘sokulungisa izindaba phakathi kwabo noJehova.’ Ngokwesibonelo, INqabayokulinda ka-April 15, 1985, yaxoxa ngendaba yokulungisa amaphutha angase angabonwa abantu abangaphandle kodwa obonwe uNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 6:6; Filipi 4:13) Kwaphawulwa izici ezintathu ezidinga ukunakekelwa: ukwamukela ngasese ukumpontshelwa igazi, ukushaya indlwabu, nokusebenzisa kabi utshwala. Ngemva kokucabangela lokho kwaziswa, abafundi abaningi babhala izincwadi ezibonisa ukwazisa; bavuma ukuthi babenza lawomaphutha, kodwa babeshukunyisiwe ukuba baphenduke futhi baguquke.

17. Ngisho noma singenzi izono ezimbi, uIsaya 1:18 angasebenza futhi asisize kanjani?

¹⁷ Yebo, amaKristu amaningi acabangela lendaba awanalo icala lokuziphatha okubi kakhulu. Nokho, isigijimi sikaIsaya sisafanele sisishukumisele ukuba sizihlole izinhliziyo. Ingabe kungenzeka ukuthi sidinga ukulungisa indaba ethile noNkulunkulu? Isici esibalulekile sesigijimi sikaIsaya sasiyisisusa senhliziyo esiqondile. Ngokuphathelene nokuthandaza, umuntu angabuza: ‘Ingabe imithandazo yami isuka enhliziyweni, futhi ingabe izenzo zami zivumelana nemithandazo yami ngangokunokwenzeka?’ Abanye abenza ukuhlola okunjalo baye babona isidingo sokuthuthukisa. Bebethandazela ulwazi olwengeziwe lwentando kaNkulunkulu, kodwa bebezinika isikhathi esincane sokutadisha iBhayibheli nezincwadi zobuKristu. Abanye bebethandazela ukuba nengxenye enkudlwana enkonzweni, kodwa bebelandela indlela yokuphila engabavumeli ukuba banciphise iholo labo ngokunciphisa umsebenzi wabo wokuziphilisa. Noma ingabe uye wakuthandazela ukuba uNkulunkulu abusise umsebenzi wakho wokwenza abafundi? Khona-ke, ukusebenzela ngezinga elingakanani ukuba umfundisi ophumelelayo? Ingabe ngokushukunyiswa unembeza uye wandisa ukwenza kwakho izimpindelo futhi wazimisela ukubekela eceleni isikhathi sokuqhuba isifundo seBhayibheli nomunye? Ukuzikhandla kwakho ngokuvumelana nemithandazo yakho kuyobonisa ukuthi ufuna ngobuqotho ukuba uNkulunkulu alalele.

18. Kungani kufanele sikunakekele ukulungisa izinto phakathi kwethu noNkulunkulu?

¹⁸ Kungokufaneleke ngokuphelele ukuba ngamunye wethu alwele ukuba ‘alungise’ zonke izici zokuphila kwakhe noNkulunkulu, uMdali wethu. Phawula indlela uIsaya acabanga ngayo ngalokhu: “Inkabi iyamazi umniniyo nembongolo umkhombe womnikaziyo; uIsrayeli akazi, isizwe sami asiqondi.” (Isaya 1:3) Akekho kithina ongathanda ukuvezwa njengongenalwazi noma ongenakwazisa ngaphezu kwenkabi noma imbongolo. Nokho, lencazelo ingasebenza uma sinomuzwa wokuthi asidingi ukusebenzela ukufunda ngoMniki-Kuphila wethu kanye nezimfanelo zakhe bese sizama ngobuqotho ukuphila ngokuvumelana nazo.

19. Yiliphi ithemba uIsaya alibeka ngalabo abalungisa izindaba noNkulunkulu, futhi lokhu kusho ukuthini ngathi?

¹⁹ UIsaya wanikeza abantu bakubo isizathu sokuba nombono oqondile. Wathi ukuma kwabo phambi kukaJehova kwakungaguqulwa kube okumsulwa. Kwakungaba njengendwangu ebomvu njengobubende eyayingaba-mhlophe njengoboya bezimvu noma njengeqhwa elimboze isiqongo seNtaba iHermoni. (Isaya 1:18; IHubo 51:7; Daniyeli 7:9; IsAmbulo 19:8) Ngisho noma iningi lingazange lisabele, futhi kanjalo isizwe sanikelwa enkembeni nasekuthunjweni, insali ethembekile yayingabuya. Ngokufanayo, singazuza umusa kaJehova, mhlawumbe ngosizo lwababonisi abanakekelayo, abakhonza ibandla ‘njengabehluleli nabeluleki.’ (Isaya 1:20, 24-27; 1 Petru 5:2-4; Galathiya 6:1, 2) Ngakho qiniseka, ungazilungisa izindaba phakathi kwakho noNkulunkulu. Noma, uma usunawo kakade umusa kaNkulunkulu, ungaqinisa ubuhlobo bakho naye. Lokhu kuwufanele ngempela wonke umzamo wakho.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

Amaphuzu Okubukeza

◻ Wawusho ukuthini umyalo ‘wokuza kulungiswe indaba’ noNkulunkulu?

◻ Isikhathi sikaIsaya sasifana kanjani nesethu?

◻ Yini uIsaya abonisa ukuthi yayidingekile ngabantu ngabanye ukuze bazuze umusa kaNkulunkulu?

◻ Ngaphandle kwesono esingathi sína, kukuziphi izici lapho singadinga ukulungisa khona izindaba phakathi kwethu noNkulunkulu?

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Imithambeka eneqhwa yeNtaba iHermoni, ebheke eningizimu-ntshonalanga ngaphesheya kwesigodi esingenhla saseJordani ukuya emagqumeni aseGalile

[Umthombo]

Izithombe, amakhosi 10, 31: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

UIsaya wathi ‘imbongolo iyawazi umkhombe womnikaziyo.’ Yisiphi isifundo esikhona kulokhu?