UBharuki—Unobhala Othembekileyo KaYeremiya

NGABA uyamazi “uBharuki unyana kaNeriya”? (Yeremiya 36:4) Nakuba ekhankanywe kwizahluko ezine kuphela eBhayibhileni, waziwa kakuhle ngabafundi beBhayibhile njengonobhala nomhlobo osenyongweni womprofeti uYeremiya. Babekunye ukutyhubela iminyaka yokugqibela eli-18 xa iimeko zazimaxongo kubukumkani bakwaYuda, xa iYerusalem yatshatyalaliswa ngokungenalusini ngamaBhabhiloni ngowama 607 B.C.E. nokuthinjelwa kwamaYuda eYiputa.

Kwiminyaka yamvanje kuvunjululwe amatywina omdongwe amabinia awabhalwa ngenkulungwane yesixhenxe ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, yaye kuwo kukho umbhalo othi “OlukaBherekiyahu [igama likaBharuki ngesiHebhere] onguMbhali, unyana kaNeriyahu [igama likaNeriya ngesiHebhere].” Oku kwavus’ umdla wabahlalutyi ngale ndoda yexesha lokubhalwa kweBhayibhile. Wayengubani uBharuki? Wayephuma kumlibo wokuzalwa onjani? Wayefunde kangakanani? Wayenasiphi isigxina? Ukuxhasa kwakhe uYeremiya kudiza ntoni ngaye? Yintoni thina esinokuyifunda kuye? Makhe siphande iimpendulo zale mibuzo ngokukhangela eBhayibhileni nakwinkcazelo esiyifumana kwimbali.

Imvelaphi Nesigxina Awayekuso

Abaphengululi abaninzi namhlanje bakholelwa kwelokuba uBharuki lo, usuka kwintsapho eyaziwayo yababhali kwelakwaYuda. Zininzi izizathu ezenza bafikelele kwesi sigqibo. Ngokomzekelo, ingxelo yeBhayibhile imchaza uBharuki ngendlela ekhethekileyo ngokuthi “ngunobhala,” okanye ngokutsho kwezinye iinguqulelo “umbhali.” IZibhalo zikwathi umntakwabo uSeraya, wayeligosa eliphakamileyo kwibhotwe likaKumkani uZedekiya.—Yeremiya 36:32; 51:59.

Umembi wezinto zakudala uPhilip J. King, ubhala athi ngababhali bexesha likaYeremiya: “Ababhali, babekwiqhuzu elithile, beziingcungcu zakwaYuda malunga nasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesixhenxe nasekuqaleni kweyesithandathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo . . . Eli qhuzu laliwongwa amagosa aphezulu ebukhosini.”

Ukwalek’ umsundulu, ingxelo kaYeremiya isahluko 36, esiza kuyihlolisisa ngokweenkcukacha, ibonisa ukuba uBharuki wayexhagene nabacebisi boKumkani yaye wayevunyelwa ukuba asebenzise igumbi lokudlela likaGemariya itshawe okanye igosa lasebukhosini. Umphengululi weBhayibhile uJames Muilenberg uhlomla athi: “UBharuki wayenokulisebenzisa eli gumbi kuba wayenalo elo lungelo yaye wayeligosa lasebukhosini elalihlanganisana namanye ngamaxesha abalulekileyo ukuze kufundwe umsongo. Wayephakathi koogxa bakhe.”

Incwadi ethi Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals iza nelinye isolotya ngesikhundla sikaBharuki isithi: “Ekubeni eli tywina likaBherekiyahu lafunyanwa kunye namanye amatywina amaninzi amagosa aphakamileyo, kusengqiqweni ukucinga ukuba uBharuki okanye Bherekiyahu wayeyinxalenye yelo qela lamagosa awayelapho.” Inkcazelo esinayo ibonisa ukuba uBharuki kunye nomntakwabo uSeraya babengamagosa aphakamileyo awayexhasa umprofeti othembekileyo uYeremiya kwiminyaka engalibalekiyo ngaphambi kokuba kutshatyalaliswe iYerusalem.

Ukuxhasa UYeremiya Esidlangalaleni

Ngokobalo-maxesha, kwaqala ukuthethwa ngoBharuki kwisahluko 36 sencwadi kaYeremiya, “ngonyaka wesine kaYehoyakim,” okanye malunga nowama-625 B.C.E. Ngeli xesha, uYeremiya wayesele engumprofeti iminyaka engama-23.—Yeremiya 25:1-3; 36:1, 4.

Ngoko ke, uYehova wamxelela oku uYeremiya: “Zithabathele umqulu wencwadi, uze ubhale kuwo onke amazwi endiwathethileyo kuwe nxamnye noSirayeli nanxamnye noYuda nanxamnye nazo zonke iintlanga, . . . ukususela kwimihla kaYosiya, ukuza kufikelela kule mini.” Le ngxelo ityatyadula isithi: “UYeremiya wabiza uBharuki unyana kaNeriya ukuba uBharuki abhale ngomlomo kaYeremiya onke amazwi kaYehova.”—Yeremiya 36:2-4.

Wayebizelwe ntoni uBharuki? UYeremiya wamxelela esithi: “Ndivalelwe. Andikwazi ukungena endlwini kaYehova.” (Yeremiya 36:5) Kuyabonakala ukuba uYeremiya lo wayengafunwa nokubonwa etempileni apho esi sigidimi sikaYehova sasifanele sifundwe khona, mhlawumbi ngenxa yezigidimi zexesha elidluleyo ezawavus’ umnyele amagosa aphakamileyo elo xesha. (Yeremiya 26:1-9) Kucace mhlophe ukuba uBharuki wayengumkhonzi onyanisekileyo kaYehova, yaye “wenza ngako konke oko uYeremiya umprofeti wayemyalele kona.”—Yeremiya 36:8.

Ukubhala izilumkiso ezazibhengeziwe kwiminyaka engama-23 kwathabatha ixesha elininzi, kusenokwenzeka ukuba noYeremiya wayelindele ixesha elifanelekileyo. Kodwa ngoNovemba okanye ngoDisemba 624 B.C.E., uBharuki ngenkalipho “waqalisa ukufunda ngokuvakalayo encwadini amazwi kaYeremiya endlwini kaYehova, kwigumbi lokudlela likaGemariya . . . , ezindlebeni zabo bonke abantu.”—Yeremiya 36:8-10.

UMikaya unyana kaGemariya waxelela uyise kunye nezinye iinkosana okwenzekileyo, baza bambiza uBharuki ukuze afunde loo msongo okwesibini ngokuvakalayo. Le ngxelo ithi: “Ke kaloku kwathi kamsinya nje zakuweva onke la mazwi, zajongana zinkwantya; zathi kuBharuki: ‘Nakanjani na siya kumxelela ukumkani onke la mazwi. Hamba, zifihle, wena noYeremiya, ukuze kungabikho bani konke konke uya kwazi ukuba niphi na.’”—Yeremiya 36:11-19.

Xa uKumkani uYehoyakim weva la mazwi awayebhalwe nguBharuki ngokutsho kukaYeremiya, enomsindo, wawukrazula loo msongo, waza wawufaka emlilweni, wayalela amadoda akhe ukuba abambe uYeremiya noBharuki. Ngokomyalelo kaYehova, la madoda mabini akhuphela omnye umsongo ngoxa ayeselubhacweni.—Yeremiya 36:21-32.

UBharuki wayeziqonda kakuhle iingozi zesabelo sakhe. Kumele ukuba wayeyazi indlela awayetyityimbiselwe umnwe ngayo uYeremiya kwiminyaka embalwa ngaphambilana. Kumele ukuba wayeyazi into eyehlela u-Uriya, owaprofeta “ngokwamazwi onke kaYeremiya” waza wabulawa nguKumkani uYehoyakim. Nakuba kwakunjalo, uBharuki waxhasa umsebenzi owawusenziwa nguYeremiya ngokusebenzisa ubuchule nempembelelo awayenayo kwamanye amagosa.—Yeremiya 26:1-9, 20-24.

Musa Ukuzifunela “Izinto Ezinkulu”

Ngexesha lokubhalwa komsongo wokuqala, uBharuki watyhubela ixesha leenzingo. Wadanduluka wathi: “Yeha, ke mna, kuba uYehova wongezelele intlungu kwingqaqambo yam! Ndityhafile ngenxa yokuncwina kwam, yaye andifumananga ndawo yokuphumla.” Sasiyintoni isizathu sokuba akhathazeke kangaka?—Yeremiya 45:1-3.

Akukho mpendulo ingqalileyo. Kodwa khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wemeko kaBharuki. Ukushwankathela izilumkiso zeminyaka engama-23 eziya kubantu bakwaSirayeli nabakwaYuda kufanele ukuba kwenza uwexuko lwabo nokutyeshela kwabo uYehova kwabonakala nakuthathatha. Isigqibo sikaYehova sokutshabalalisa iYerusalem kunye nelakwaYuda nokuthinjelwa kwesizwe eBhabhiloni—nto leyo uYehova awayityhila kanye ngaloo nyaka, mhlawumbi oko kwakubhaliwe kuloo msongo—loo nto yamenza wanombilini uBharuki. (Yeremiya 25:1-11) Ngaphezu koko, ukuxhasa kwakhe uYeremiya kwelo xesha lamanqam kwabeka isikhundla sakhe emngciphekweni.

Nokuba kwakuyintoni na, uYehova wangenelela ngokwakhe ukuze ancede uBharuki angawulibali umgwebo owawusemnyango. UYehova wathi: “Oko ndikwakhileyo ndiyakuchitha, noko ndikutyalileyo ndiyakuncothula, kwanelizwe lonke.” Wandula waluleka uBharuki esithi: “Kodwa wena ke, uyaqhubeka uzifunela izinto ezinkulu. Musa ukuqhubeka uzifuna.”—Yeremiya 45:4, 5.

UYehova akazange azichaze ezi “zinto zinkulu,” kodwa kusenokwenzeka ukuba uBharuki wayesazi ukuba ngamabhongo okuzingca, kukuba semanqwanqweni, okanye zizinto eziphathekayo. UYehova emluleka ukuze ahlale ethe qwa aze akhumbule oko kwakuza kwenzeka, wathi: “Kuba yabona, ndiyizisela intlekele inyama yonke, . . . yaye ndiza kukunika umphefumlo wakho ube lixhoba kuzo zonke iindawo osenokuya kuzo.” Eyona nto yayixabisekile kuBharuki yayibubomi bakhe yaye babuza kukhuselwa kungakhathaliseki apho wayenokuya khona.—Yeremiya 45:5.

Emva kweziganeko ezichazwe kwincwadi kaYeremiya isahluko 36 kunye nesama-45, ezenzeka ukususela ngowama-625 ukusa kuma-624 B.C.E., iBhayibhile ayithethi nto ngoBharuki de kube ziinyanga ngaphambi kokuba kutshatyalaliswe iYerusalem nelakwaYuda ngamaBhabhiloni ngowama-607 B.C.E. Kwenzeka ntoni ngelo xesha?

UBharuki Uxhasa UYeremiya Kwakhona

Xa amaBhabhiloni ahlasela iYerusalem, kwingxelo yeBhayibhile kuphinda kuthethwe ngoBharuki. UYeremiya “wayevalelwe kwiNtendelezo Yabalindi” xa uYehova wamxelela ukuba athenge umhlaba womza wakhe uAnatoti njengomqondiso wokuba liya kubuyiselwa elo lizwe. UBharuki wacelwa ukuba ancedise ngemibandela yomthetho.—Yeremiya 32:1, 2, 6, 7.

UYeremiya wathi: “Ndandula ke ndabhala uxwebhu, ndancamathelisa itywina ndaza ndathabatha amangqina njengoko ndandilinganisa imali ezikalini. Emva koko ndaluthabatha uxwebhu lwentengo, olo lutywiniweyo . . . nolo lwalushiywe luvulekile; ndaza ke uxwebhu lwentengo ndalunika uBharuki.” Wayalela uBharuki ukuba atywine loo maxwebhu entengo aze awagcine kwisitya sodongwe. Abanye abaphengululi bakholelwa kwelokuba xa uYeremiya esithi “ndabhala” uxwebhu, oku kusenokuthetha ukuba waxelela uBharuki, umbhali ovunyiweyo, oko amele akubhale yaye nguBharuki owabhalayo.—Yeremiya 32:10-14; 36:4, 17, 18; 45:1.

UBharuki noYeremiya balandela indlela esemthethweni eyayisetyenziswa ngelo xesha. Enye indlela yayikukubhala amaxwebhu entengo amabini. Incwadi ethi Corpus of West Semitic Stamp Seals ithi: “Olunye uxwebhu lwalubizwa ngokuba ‘luxwebhu lwetywina’ ngenxa yokuba lwalusongwa luze lutywinwe ngelitye lokutywina; olu yayisiba luxwebhu lokuqala lwesivumelwano . . . . Olwesibini, ‘uxwebhu oluvulekileyo’ yayisiba ngumbhalo okhutshelweyo woxwebhu olutywiniweyo, olu lwalusetyenziswa njengento efundwa nanini na lufuneka. Ngaloo ndlela, kwakukho amaxwebhu amabini abhaliweyo, uxwebhu lokuqala nolukhutshelweyo yaye kwakusetyenziswa amaphepha amabini awahlukeneyo epapyrus.” Ukwembiwa kwezinto zakudala kuyayingqina le ndlela yokugcina amaxwebhu kwizitya zodongwe.

Ekugqibeleni, amaBhabhiloni ayithimba iYerusalem, ayitshisa aza emka nabantu abaninzi bengamakhoboka ngaphandle kwabambalwa ababengamahlwempu. UNebhukadenetsare wabeka uGedaliya ukuba abe yirhuluneli. Wagwintwa kwisithuba nje seenyanga ezimbini. AmaYuda awayesele acinga ngokufudukela eYiputa, nangona uYeremiya waphefumlelwa ukuba abalumkise ukuze bangakwenzi oko, kulapha ke kuphinda kuthethwe ngoBharuki.—Yeremiya 39:2, 8; 40:5; 41:1, 2; 42:13-17.

Iinkokeli zamaYuda zamxelela oku uYeremiya: “Uthetha ubuxoki. UYehova uThixo wethu akakuthumanga, esithi, ‘Musani ukungena eYiputa ukuba nihlale khona njengabaphambukeli.’ Kodwa uBharuki unyana kaNeriya uyakuphembelela nxamnye nathi ngenjongo yokusinikela esandleni samaKhaledi, ukuba asibulale okanye asithabathele ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni.” (Yeremiya 43:2, 3) Ezi zityholo zidiza ukuba iinkokeli zamaYuda zazicinga ukuba uBharuki wayenempembelelo enamandla kuYeremiya. Ngaba zazicinga ukuba inqwanqwa awayekulo uBharuki nobuhlobo obusenyongweni awayenabo noYeremiya, babusenza kubonakale ngathi wayengentla kunobhala nje womprofeti? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakunjalo, kodwa nokuba yintoni eyayicingwa ziinkokeli zamaYuda, sona isigidimi sasivela kuYehova.

Phezu kwazo nje izilumkiso ezazivela kuThixo, intsalela yamaYuda yemka “noYeremiya umprofeti noBharuki unyana kaNeriya.” UYeremiya wabhala wathi: “Ekugqibeleni bafika kwilizwe laseYiputa, kuba abazange balithobele ilizwi likaYehova; bada baya kufikelela eTapanehesi,” isixeko esasikumda ongasempuma kwintili yomlambo uMnayile, eyayikumda weSinayi. Sigqibela apha ke ukuva ngoBharuki kwingxelo yeBhayibhile.—Yeremiya 43:5-7.

Sifunda Ntoni KuBharuki?

Zininzi izinto esinokuzifunda kuBharuki. Enye into esiyifundayo ngoBharuki yindlela awasebenzisa ngayo ubuchule awayenabo nabantu abaziyo ekusebenzeleni uYehova kungakhathaliseki imiphumo eyayinokubakho. AmaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi namhlanje—amadoda nabafazi—banomoya ofanayo, basebenzisa ubuchule babo eBheteli, kumsebenzi wokwakha nangezinye iindlela. Unokuwubonakalisa njani lo moya kaBharuki?

Xa uBharuki wakhunjuzwa ukuba ngemihla yokugqibela yamaYuda kwakungekho xesha lokuzabalazela ukuba ‘nezinto ezinkulu,’ kubonakala ukuba wasamkela eso siluleko, kuba wahlangulwa umphefumlo wakhe kuloo ntshabalalo. Kusengqiqweni nangathi ukuba sisilandele esi siluleko njengokuba nathi siphila kwimihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto. Isithembiso sikaYehova asikatshintshi—uza kusisindisa. Ngaba sinokuzamkela izikhumbuzo ezifana nezi njengoBharuki?

Kwakhona kukho enye into kweli bali esiyifundayo. UBharuki wanceda uYeremiya kunye nomza wakhe ukuze balandele imigaqo esemthethweni kwisivumelwano sokuthengiselana kwabo umhlaba, nakuba la madoda mabini ayezizalamane. Lo ngumgaqo ongokweZibhalo ofanelwe ulandelwe ngamaKristu kwizivumelwano zoshishino nabazalwana noodade. Kuyavumelana neZibhalo, kuluncedo yaye kuyindlela yothando ukulandela lo mzekelo wokubhala phantsi izivumelwano zoshishino.

Nakuba uBharuki kuthethwa ngaye kancinane eBhayibhileni, onke amaKristu namhlanje afanele afunde kuye. Ngaba uya kuxelisa umzekelo omhle kanobhala othembekileyo kaYeremiya?

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Itywina likaBharuki

[Inkcazelo]

Itywina: Courtesy of Israel Museum, Jerusalem