UYona Ufunda Ngenceba KaYehova

UYEHOVA unesabelo aza kusinika umprofeti wakhe uYona. Kungenkulungwane yesithoba ngaphambi kweXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, yaye kulawula uYarobheham II kwaSirayeli. UYona ngowaseGati-hefere, isixeko sakwaZebhulon. (Yoshuwa 19:10, 13; 2 Kumkani 14:25) UThixo uthumela uYona kwikomkhulu laseAsiriya iNineve, elikumgama ongaphezu kweekhilomitha ezingama-800 kumntla-mpuma wedolophu yakowabo. Kufuneka alumkise abemi baseNineve ngomgwebo kaThixo.

UYona usenokuba wacinga oku: ‘Ndiye kwesiya sixeko nakoluya hlanga? Aba bantu abamnquli nokumnqula uThixo. Abo bemi baseAsiriya banxanelw’ igazi abazange benze mnqophiso noYehova njengamaSirayeli. Abantu boluya hlanga lungendawo basenokusithabatha njengesisongelo isilumkiso sam baze bahlasele uSirayeli! Andisoze! Andinakuya phaya. Ndiza kubalekela eYafo ndize ndikhwele inqanawa eya kwelinye icala—eTarshishe, kwelinye icala loLwandle Olukhulu. Nantso into endiza kuyenza!’—Yona 1:1-3.

Ingozi Elwandle!

Kungekudala uYona useYafo kunxweme lweMeditera. Uhlawulela uhambo lwakhe aze akhwele inqanawa eya eTarshishe, ngokuqhelekileyo eyayinxulunyaniswa neSpeyin, ekumgama oziikhilomitha ezingama-3 500 kwintshona yeNineve. Akuba selwandle, lo mprofeti udinwe uyimfe uya kumgangatho ongaphantsi wenqanawa yaye uyalala. Ngokukhawuleza emva koko, uYehova uvusa umoya omkhulu elwandle, yaye ngamnye wabaphathi benqanawa aboyikayo ucela uncedo kuthixo wakhe. Le nqanawa ayizinzanga kangangokuba umthwalo uphoswa emanzini ukuze kuncitshiswe ubunzima bayo. Sekunjalo, inqanawa ibonakala iza kuzika, yaye uYona uva umphathi wenqanawa owothukileyo esithi: “Wenzani na, thongorhandini? Vuka ubize kuThixo wakho; mhlawumbi uThixo angasikhumbula, singabhubhi.” UYona uyavuka aze aye kumgangatho ongaphezulu wenqanawa.—Yona 1:4-6.

Abaphathi benqanawa bathi: “Yizani, senze amaqashiso, sazi ukuba kungenxa kabani na ukuba sibe nobu bubi.” Iqashiso liphuma noYona. Khawuthelekelele uloyiko lwakhe njengoko oomatiloshe besithi: “Khawusixelele, kungenxa kabani na ukuba sibe nobu bubi? uyintoni na umsebenzi wakho? uvela phi na? liphi na ilizwe lakowenu? ungowabaphi na abantu?” UYona uthi ungumHebhere onqula “uYehova, uThixo wamazulu” yaye uthi uyamoyika uThixo “owenza ulwandle, nomhlaba lo womileyo.” Olo qhwithela lubahlasela ngenxa yokuba ebaleka emehlweni kaYehova kunokumthobela aze ase isigidimi sikaThixo eNineve.—Yona 1:7-10.

Oomatiloshe bambuza oku: “Masenze ntoni na kuwe, ukuze ulwandle ludambe, lusiyeke?” Njengoko ulwandle luya lusiba ndlongondlongo, uYona uthi: “Ndifunquleni, nindijulele elwandle, ludambe ulwandle, luniyeke; kuba ndiyazi, ukuba lo moya, mkhulu uvuthuzayo, uphezu kwenu, ungenxa yam.” Engafuni kujula umkhonzi kaYehova elwandle aze afe, la madoda azama ukubuyisela inqanawa kumhlaba owomileyo. Bengaphumeleli ekwenzeni oko, oomateloshe bayakhwaza: “Gxebe, Yehova, masingafi, masingafi ngomphefumlo wale ndoda, ungalibeki phezu kwethu igazi elimsulwa; ngokuba wena Yehova, wenze ngokuthanda kwakho.”—Yona 1:11-14.

Elwandle!

Emva koko oomatiloshe baphosa uYona elwandle. Njengoko etshona kulwandle oludlokovayo, luqalisa ukuzola. Ebona oku, “la madoda amoyika uYehova ngoloyiko olukhulu, abingelela kuYehova umbingelelo, abhambathisa izibhambathiso.”—Yona 1:15, 16.

Njengoko amanzi emgubungela uYona, ngokuqinisekileyo uyathandaza. Emva koko uziva engena ngaphakathi kumbhobho othile othambileyo njengoko etyibilikela kumngxuma omkhulu. Okumangalisayo kukuba usakwazi ukuphefumla! Njengoko wayesusa ubulembu entlokweni yakhe, uYona wazifumana ekwindawo engaqhelekanga. Oku kungenxa yokuba “uYehova wamisela intlanzi enkulu ukuba imginye uYona. UYona waba sembilinini wentlanzi iimini ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu.”—Yona 1:17.

Umthandazo KaYona Osuka Entliziyweni

Esesiswini sentlanzi enkulu, uYona ufumana ithuba lokuthandaza. Amanye amazwi akhe ayafana neendumiso ezithile. Kamva uYona wayibhala imithandazo yakhe evakalisa ukubandezeleka nokuguquka. Ngokomzekelo, isisu sentlanzi sasingathi siza kuba yiSheol, ingcwaba lakhe. Ngoko wathandaza: “Ndakhala kuYehova ndisembandezelweni, wandiphendula; ndazibika ndisesiswini selabafileyo, waliva wena ilizwi lam.” (Yona 2:1, 2) IiNgoma zeZinyuko ezimbini—ekunokwenzeka ukuba zazivunywa ngamaSirayeli awayenyuka esiya eYerusalem kwimithendeleko yonyaka—zidlulisa ingcamango efanayo.—INdumiso 120:1; 130:1, 2.

Ekhumbula ukutshona kwakhe elwandle, uYona uyathandaza: “Ngokuba wawundiphosa enzulwini [Yehova], embilinini yeelwandle [ngaphakathi], umlambo waba ngeenxa zonke kum; adlula phezu kwam onke amaza akho alwayo, namaza akho agugumayo.”—Yona 2:3; thelekisa INdumiso 42:7; 69:2.

UYona woyika ukuba ukungathobeli kwakhe kuya kumphulukanisa nenkoloseko kaThixo yaye akayi kuphinda ayibone itempile kaThixo. Uyathandaza esithi: “Ndathi ke mna, ‘Ndigxothiwe phambi kwamehlo akho! Ndobuya ndiyibone njani na itempile yakho engcwele?’” (Yona 2:4, NW; thelekisa INdumiso 31:22.) Imeko kaYona ibonakala imbi gqitha kangangokuba uthi: “Andirhawula amanzi, ada eza emphefumlweni [asongela ubomi bakhe]; andijikeleza amanzi enzonzobila; ingca yolwandle yayithi jize intloko yam.” (Yona 2:5; thelekisa INdumiso 69:1.) Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wemeko kaYona, kuba wongezelela esithi: “Ndehla ndaya ezikhondweni zeentaba [engaphakathi kwentlanzi]; lona ihlabathi, imivalo yalo [enjengeyengcwaba] yandivalela ngonaphakade; wasuka wabunyusa emhadini ubomi bam [ngosuku lwesithathu], Yehova Thixo wam.”—Yona 2:6; thelekisa INdumiso 30:3.

Nangona esesiswini sentlanzi, uYona akacingi ngolu hlobo: ‘Ndidandatheke gqitha kangangokuba andinako ukuthandaza.’ Kunoko, uthandaza enjenje: “Ekutyhafeni komphefumlo wam ngaphakathi kwam [xa ndaphantse ndafa], ndakhumbula uYehova [ngokholo, njengaLowo unamandla nenceba engenakuthelekiswa nanto]; wafika kuwe umthandazo wam etempileni yakho engcwele.” (Yona 2:7) Ekwitempile yasezulwini, uThixo wamva uYona waza wamsindisa.

Xa equkumbela uYona uthandaza enjenje: “Abagcine amampunge angento yanto [ngokukholosa ngemifanekiso engaphiliyo yoothixo bobuxoki] bashiya inceba yabo [ngokulahla Lowo ulubonakalisayo olu phawu] ke mna ndiya kubingelela kuwe [Yehova uThixo] ndinezwi lokubulela; endakubhambathisayo [ebudeni beli xesha okanye ngezinye izihlandlo] ndiya kukuzalisa. Usindiso lukuYehova.” (Yona 2:8, 9; thelekisa INdumiso 31:6; 50:14.) Esazi ukuba nguThixo kuphela onokumhlangula ekufeni, lo mprofeti uguqukileyo (njengoKumkani uDavide noSolomon ababephila ngaphambi kwakhe) uthi usindiso lolukaYehova.—INdumiso 3:8; IMizekeliso 21:31.

UYona Uyathobela

Emva kokucinga nzulu nokuthandaza ngokuzingisileyo, uYona uziva etyhalelwa ngaphandle kombhobho awayengene ngawo. Ekugqibeleni, ulwandle lumtyekezela kumhlaba owomileyo. (Yona 2:10) Enombulelo ngenxa yokuhlangulwa, uYona uthobela ilizwi likaThixo: “Suk’ ume, uye eNineve, kuloo mzi mkhulu, umemeze ngawo umemezo endithetha lona kuwe.” (Yona 3:1, 2) UYona uqalisa uhambo oluya kwelo komkhulu laseAsiriya. Xa efumanisa ukuba lolwesingaphi usuku, uyaqonda ukuba ebesesiswini sentlanzi iintsuku ezintathu. Lo mprofeti uwela uMlambo umEfrati kwigophe lawo elikhulu elingasentshona, uyahamba esiya ngasempuma enqumla kumntla welaseMesopotami, ufika kuMlambo iTigris, yaye ekugqibeleni ufika kweso sixeko sikhulu.—Yona 3:3.

UYona ungena eNineve, isixeko esikhulu. Uhambahamba kangangosuku olunye andule ukuvakalisa esithi: “Zisaya kuba ziintsuku ezimashumi mane, iNineve ibhukuqwe.” Ngaba uYona uye ngokungummangaliso wanikwa amandla okuthetha ulwimi lwaseAsiriya? Asazi. Kodwa kwanokuba uthetha isiHebhere yaye kukho umntu otolikayo, isigidimi sakhe siba nemiphumo. Amadoda aseNineve aqalisa ukukholelwa kuThixo. Amemeza ukuba kuzilwe kuze kunxitywe iingubo ezirhwexayo, ukususela komkhulu ukusa koyena mncinane. Xa esiva oku ukumkani waseNineve, uyaphakama etroneni yakhe, ukhulula ingubo yakhe eqhelekileyo, uzigubungela ngerhwexayo, yaye uhlala phantsi eluthuthwini.—Yona 3:4-6.

Hayi indlela amangaliswe ngayo uYona! Ukumkani waseAsiriya uthumela abathunywa ukuba badanduluke besithi: “Umntu nempahla enkulu, iinkomo nempahla emfutshane, mazingevi nento; mazingadli, mazingaseli namanzi; maze azigubungele ngezirhwexayo umntu nempahla enkulu, akhale kuThixo ngokunamandla, abuye elowo endleleni yakhe embi, elugonyamelweni olusezandleni zakhe. Ngubani na owaziyo ukuba akangebuyi kanti azohlwaye uThixo, abuye ekuvutheni komsindo wakhe, ukuze singabhubhi?”—Yona 3:7-9.

Abemi baseNineve bayawuthobela umyalelo wokumkani wabo. Xa uThixo ebona ukuba baguqukile kwiindlela zabo ezimbi, uyazohlwaya ngobubi abethe uza kubenza kubo, ngoko akabenzi. (Yona 3:10) Ngenxa yokuguquka, ukuthobeka nokholo lwabo, uYehova ugqiba kwelokuba angabahliseli isigwebo abezimisele ukubahlisela sona.

Umprofeti Oqumbileyo

Iintsuku ezingama-40 ziyadlula ibe akukho nto yenzekayo kwiNineve. (Yona 3:4) Ebona ukuba abemi baseNineve abayi kutshatyalaliswa, uYona uyaqumba yaye uyajwaqeka ngumsindo aze athandaze esithi: “Camagu, Yehova! Labe lingelilo na ilizwi lam eli, ndisesemhlabeni wakowethu? Ngenxa yoko ndaphanga ngokubalekela eTarshishe; ngokuba ndandisazi ukuba unguThixo obabalayo, onemfesane, ozeka kade umsindo, onenceba, ozohlwayayo ngenxa yobubi. Ke ngoku, Yehova, seluwuthabatha umphefumlo wam kum, kuba ukufa kum kulungile kunokuba ndidle ubomi.” UThixo umphendula ngalo mbuzo: “Uyalungisa na ukuthi oku, uvuthe ngumsindo?”—Yona 4:1-4.

Akuva oko, uYona uyanyalasa ephuma kuloo dolophu. Uya ngasempuma, wakha umnquba ukuze akwazi ukuhlala phantsi komthunzi wawo de abone okuya kwenzeka kweso sixeko. Ngenxa yoko, enovelwano uYehova ‘umisela umhlavuthwa ukuze uphume unyuke phezu koYona, ube ngumthunzi entlokweni yakhe, umhlangule ebubini bakhe.’ Hayi indlela uYona awuvuyela ngayo loo mhlavuthwa! Kodwa uThixo wenza ukuba intlava iwubethe umhlavuthwa ekuzeni kokusa, yaye uqalisa ukubuna. Ngokukhawuleza sele wome ngokupheleleyo. Kwakhona uThixo uthumela ulophu lwasempumalanga. Ngoku ilanga lihlaba entloko kulo mprofeti, kangangokuba ufa isiqaqa. Uyaqhubeka ecela ukufa. Ewe uYona uyaphindaphinda esithi: “Kulungile ukufa kum, kunokuba ndidle ubomi.”—Yona 4:5-8.

Ngoku uYehova uyathetha. Umbuza oku uYona: “Uyalungisa na ukuthi oku, uvuthe ngumsindo ngenxa yomhlavuthwa?” UYona uyaphendula: “Ndiyalungisa ukuthi ndivuthe ngumsindo kude kuse ekufeni.” Ngokusisiseko, uYehova ngoku umxelela oku lo mprofeti: “Wena unenceba ngomhlavuthwa, ongabulalekanga nguwo, ongawuhlumisanga, okhule ngobusuku, wadaka ngobusuku.” UThixo uhlabela mgama emqiqisa: “Ndingabi nanceba na ke mna ngenxa yeNineve, loo mzi mkhulu, unabantu abangaphezu kwekhulu elinamanci mabini amawaka, abangakwaziyo ukunene kwabo kwikhohlo labo; kwanempahla enkulu eninzi?” (Yona 4:9-11) Impendulo echanileyo icacile.

UYona uyaguquka yaye ubhala incwadi yeBhayibhile ebizwa ngegama lakhe. Wayazi njani into yokuba oomatiloshe bamoyika uYehova, bamnyusela amadini, baza benza izibhambathiso? Usenokuba waphefumlelwa nguThixo okanye mhlawumbi weva etempileni ngomnye woomatiloshe okanye umntu owayekhwele kuloo nqanawa.—Yona 1:16; 2:4.

‘Umqondiso KaYona’

Xa ababhali nabaFarisi babefuna uYesu Kristu abenzele umqondiso, wathi: “Isizukulwana esingendawo nesikrexezayo sihlala sifuna umqondiso, kodwa akukho mqondiso siya kuwunikwa ngaphandle komqondiso kaYona umprofeti.” UYesu wongezelela wathi: “Kuba kanye njengokuba uYona wayesesiswini sentlanzi enkulu iintsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu, kwangokunjalo noNyana womntu uya kuba sembilinini womhlaba iintsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu.” (Mateyu 12:38-40) Iintsuku zamaYuda zaziqalisa ukutshona kwelanga. UKristu wafa emva kwemini ngoLwesihlanu, Nisan 14, 33 C.E. Umzimba wakhe wangcwatywa ngaphambi kokutshona kwelanga laloo mini. UNisan 15 waqalisa ngaloo ngokuhlwa waza waphela ukutshona kwelanga ngoMgqibelo, usuku lwesixhenxe nolokugqibela evekini. Ngelo xesha kwakuqalisa uNisan 16 owaphela ekutshoneni kwelanga losuku esilubiza ngokuthi yiCawa. Ngenxa yoko, uYesu wayefile yaye esengcwabeni kangangexesha elincinane likaNisan 14, wafakwa engcwabeni ukutyhubela lonke usuku lukaNisan 15, waza wachitha iiyure zasebusuku zikaNisan 16 esengcwabeni. Xa abafazi abathile beza engcwabeni ngentsasa yangeCawa, wayesele evusiwe.—Mateyu 27:57-61; 28:1-7.

UYesu wayesengcwabeni kwiinxalenye zeentsuku ezintathu. Ngaloo ndlela iintshaba zakhe zawufumana ‘umqondiso kaYona,’ kodwa uKristu wathi: “Abantu baseNineve baya kusuka beme ngomgwebo nesi sizukulwana ibe baya kusigwebela isohlwayo; ngenxa yokuba baguquka koko uYona wayekushumayela, kodwa, khangelani! okuthile okungaphezu koYona kulapha.” (Mateyu 12:41) Wayechan’ ucwethe! AmaYuda ayekunye noYesu Kristu—umprofeti omkhulu ngakumbi kunoYona. Nangona uYona wayengumqondiso owaneleyo kubemi baseNineve, uYesu washumayela ngegunya elikhulu yaye enobungqina obumxhasayo obungaphezulu kunobaloo mprofeti. Sekunjalo, amaYuda ngokubanzi akazange akholwe.—Yohane 4:48.

AmaYuda njengohlanga akazange amamkele ngokuthobeka lo Mprofeti mkhulu kunoYona, ibe akazange akholelwe kuYe. Kodwa kuthekani ngookhokho bawo? Nabo babeswele ukholo nokuthobeka. Enyanisweni, kuyabonakala ukuba uYehova wathumela uYona eNineve ukuze abonise umahluko phakathi kwabemi baseNineve abaguqukileyo namaSirayeli angoontamo-lukhuni, eluswele gqitha ukholo nokuthobeka.—Thelekisa iDuteronomi 9:6, 13.

Kuthekani ngoYona? Wafunda indlela eninzi ngayo inceba kaThixo. Ngaphezu koko, indlela uYehova awasabela ngayo xa uYona wayembombozela ngenxa yokusizelwa kwabemi baseNineve abaguqukileyo ifanele isenze singaze sikhalaze xa uBawo wethu wasezulwini ebonakalisa inceba kubantu bomhla wethu. Enyanisweni, masivuye ekubeni nyaka ngamnye amawaka abantu eguqukela kuYehova ngokholo nangeentliziyo ezithobekileyo.