ILizwi LikaYehova Liphilile
Iimbalasane Zencwadi KaYoshuwa
EMISE iintente kumaThafa akwaMowabhi ngowe-1473 B.C.E., amaSirayeli amele ukuba avuya ukuva la mazwi: “Zilungiseleleni umphako, kuba kwiintsuku ezintathu ukususela ngoku niza kuwela le Yordan ningene nize nilidle ilifa ilizwe uYehova uThixo wenu aninika lona ukuba nilidle ilifa.” (Yoshuwa 1:11) Uhambo lwawo lweminyaka engama-40 entlango lusondele esiphelweni.
Ngaphezu nje kweminyaka engamashumi amabini kamva, inkokeli uYoshuwa ima embindini welizwe lakwaKanan ize ithi kumadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli: “Niyabona, ndanabela ngamaqashiso ezi ntlanga ziseleyo njengelifa lezizwe zenu, nazo zonke iintlanga endizinqumlayo, ukusuka eYordan ukuya kuLwandle Olukhulu entshonalanga. Yaye uYehova uThixo wenu nguye owaqhubeka ezishenxisa zasuka phambi kwenu, kwaye wazihlutha ilizwe lazo ngenxa yenu, yaye nalithabatha ilizwe lazo laba lilifa lenu, kanye njengoko uYehova uThixo wenu wayenithembisile.”—Yoshuwa 23:4, 5.
Incwadi kaYoshuwa eyabhalwa nguYoshuwa ngowe-1450 B.C.E., iyingxelo yembali yoko kwenzeka ebudeni baloo minyaka ingama-22. Njengoko sisondele kwihlabathi elitsha elithenjisiweyo, imeko yethu ifana naleyo yoonyana bakwaSirayeli ababekulungele ukuthabatha iLizwe Lesithembiso. Ngoko ke, makhe siqwalasele ngomdla ngokweenkcukacha incwadi kaYoshuwa.—Hebhere 4:12.
UKUYA “KUMATHAFA AYINKQANTOSI ASEYERIKO”
Ngokwenene uYoshuwa ufumana umsebenzi omkhulu xa uYehova esithi kuye: “UMoses umkhonzi wam ufile; yaye ngoku sukuma, uwele iYordan le, wena naso sonke esi sizwana, niye kwilizwe endibanika lona oonyana bakaSirayeli”! (Yoshuwa 1:2) UYoshuwa uza kukhokelela uhlanga olunabantu abazizigidi kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Elungiselela oku, uthumela iintlola ezimbini eYeriko—isixeko esiza kuba sesokuqala ukusithimba. Kweso sixeko kuhlala ihenyukazi elinguRahabhi, oye weva ngemisebenzi kaYehova emangalisayo awayenzela abantu bakhe. Uyazikhusela aze azincede iintlola yaye zona zimthembisa ngokumsindisa.
Emva kokuba iintlola zibuyile, uYoshuwa nabantu bakulungele ukuhamba nokuwela iYordan. Nangona lo mlambo uphuphuma, oko akungomqobo kubo, kuba uYehova wenza ukuba amanzi kumsinga ongentla anyuke abe njengedama aze amanzi kumsinga ongezantsi aqukuqele aye kungena kuLwandle Olufileyo. Emva kokuwela iYordan, amaSirayeli amisa iintente eGiligali, kufuphi neYeriko. Kwiintsuku ezine kamva, ngengokuhlwa yosuku lwe-14 kuAbib, abhiyozela iPasika kumathafa ayinkqantosi aseYeriko. (Yoshuwa 5:10) Ngosuku olulandelayo, aqalisa ukutya enye yemveliso yeli lizwe, yaye ilungiselelo lemana liyaphela. Ebudeni beli xesha, uYoshuwa walusa onke amakhwenkwe azalelwe entlango.
Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:
2:4, 5—Kutheni uRahabhi ekhohlisa amadoda kakumkani akhangela iintlola? URahabhi ukhusela iintlola nangona ebeka ubomi bakhe engozini kuba unokholo kuYehova. Ngoko ke, akanyanzelekanga ukuba awanike umkhondo ngokuphathelele iintlola amadoda afuna ukwenzakalisa abantu bakaThixo. (Mateyu 7:6; 21:23-27; Yohane 7:3-10) Eneneni, uRahabhi ‘wavakaliswa elilungisa ngemisebenzi,’ kuquka nesenzo sokukhohlisa abathunywa bakakumkani.—Yakobi 2:24-26.
5:14, 15—Ngubani ‘inkosana yomkhosi kaYehova’? Inkosana eze komeleza uYoshuwa njengoko kuqalisa ukuthinjwa kweLizwe Lesithembiso isenokuba ‘nguLizwi’—uYesu Kristu ngaphambi kokuba abe ngumntu. (Yohane 1:1; Daniyeli 10:13) Komeleza ngokwenene ukuqiniseka ukuba uYesu Kristu ozukisiweyo ukunye nabantu bakaThixo namhlanje njengoko bekumlo wokomoya!
Oko Sikufundayo:
1:7-9. Ukufunda iBhayibhile imihla ngemihla, ukucamngca rhoqo ngoko ikuthethayo, nokusebenzisa oko sikufundayo kubalulekile ukuze siphumelele kusukelo lokomoya.
1:11. UYoshuwa ucela abantu ukuba bazilungiselele umphako baze bangasong’ izandla balindele ukuba uThixo abalungiselele. Isiluleko sikaYesu sokungaxhalabeli zinto eziyimfuneko ebomini, kunye nesithembiso sokuba “zonke ezinye izinto ziya kongezelelwa kuni,” azithethi ukuba asinakwenza umgudu wokuzixhasa.—Mateyu 6:25, 33.
2:4-13. Emva kokuva ngezinto ezibalaseleyo uYehova azenzileyo yaye eqonda ukuba kubi, uRabhi wenza isigqibo sokuxhasa abakhonzi bakhe. Ukuba ubufundisisa iBhayibhile kangangethuba elithile yaye uyaqonda ukuba siphila ‘kwimihla yokugqibela,’ ngaba akufanele wenze isigqibo sokukhonza uThixo?—2 Timoti 3:1.
3:15. Ekubeni ingxelo yeentlola ezazithunyelwe eYeriko intle, uYoshuwa uthabatha amanyathelo ngokukhawuleza, engalindi nokuba amanzi aseYordan awuthe. Ngokuphathelele izenzo eziquka unqulo lokwenyaniso, simele senze izinto ngenkalipho kunokuba sizilazile de iimeko zibonakale ngathi zintle.
4:4-8, 20-24. Amatye ali-12 athatyathwa kumlambo waseYordan aza kuba sisikhumbuzo kumaSirayeli. Izenzo zikaYehova zokusindisa abantu bakhe bale mihla kwiintshaba zakhe zikwasisikhumbuzo sokuba ukunye nabo.
ULOYISO LUYAQHUBEKA
Isixeko saseYeriko ‘sivalwe ngokuqinileyo akukho bani uphumayo nabani ungenayo.’ (Yoshuwa 6:1) Esi sixeko siza koyiswa njani? UYehova uxelela uYoshuwa into amakayenze. Kungekudala iindonga ziyawa yaye isixeko siyatshatyalaliswa. Kuphela nguRahabhi nentsapho yakowabo abasindiswayo.
Ngokulandelayo kuthinjwa isixeko sasebukhosini iAyi. Iintlola ezathunyelwa apho zinikela ingxelo yokuba esi sixeko sinabemi abambalwa, ngoko ke akufuneki madoda maninzi ukuze asixabele. Noko ke, amajoni amalunga nama-3 000 athunyelwe ukuhlasela eso sixeko ayasaba kumadoda aseAyi. Siyintoni isizathu? UYehova wayengawaxhasi amaSirayeli. UAkan wesizwe sakwaYuda wona ngoxa ehlasela iYeriko. Emva kokulungisa lo mcimbi, uYoshuwa uhlasela iAyi. Ekubeni ebekhe wayewoyisile amaSirayeli ngaphambili, ukumkani waseAyi uzimisele ukulwa nawo. Kodwa uYoshuwa usebenzisa ubuthathaka bamadoda aseAyi bokuzithemba gqitha yaye uyawoyisa aze asithimbe esi sixeko.
IGibheyon ‘sisixeko esikhulu—esikhulu kuneAyi, yaye onke amadoda ayo anamandla.’ (Yoshuwa 10:2) Noko ke, xa eva indlela uSirayeli ayoyise ngayo iYeriko neAyi, amadoda aseGibheyon akhohlisa uYoshuwa ekubeni enze umnqophiso woxolo nawo. Iintlanga ezingqongileyo zikugqala oku njengesisongelo kuzo. Ookumkani bazo abahlanu bayamanyana baze bahlasele iGibheyon. USirayeli uhlangula amaGibheyon aze aboyise ngokupheleleyo aba bahlaseli. Olunye uloyiso lukaSirayeli xa kwakulawula uYoshuwa luquka izixeko ezisezantsi nezisempuma, kwakunye noloyiso lookumkani abamanyeneyo basentla. Bonke ookumkani aboyiswa entshona yeYordan bangama-31.
Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:
10:13—Inokwenzeka njani into emangalisa ngolo hlobo? “Ikho na into emnqabeleyo uYehova,” uMdali wamazulu nomhlaba? (Genesis 18:14) Ukuba ufuna njalo, uYehova unokwenza umhlaba ujikeleze ngendlela afuna ngayo ukuze ilanga nenyanga zibonakale zingashukumi xa umntu ezijongile. Okanye unokwenza ukuba umhlaba nenyanga zishukume ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka ngoxa ebangela ukuba imitha yelanga nenyanga iqhubeke ikhanya. Enoba wenza ntoni, “ayikho imini eyaba njengaleyo” kwimbali yabantu.—Yoshuwa 10:14.
10:13—Yintoni Equlethwe Yincwadi kaYashare? Le ncwadi ikhankanyiwe kwakhona kweyesi-2 kaSamuweli 1:18 njengenombongo othi “ISaphetha”—ingoma yosizi engoKumkani uSawule wakwaSirayeli nonyana wakhe uYonatan. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba le ncwadi iyingqokelela yeengoma nemibongo engembali yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayisaziwa ngamaHebhere.
Oko Sikufundayo:
6:26; 9:22, 23. Isiqalekiso esavakaliswa nguYoshuwa ngoxa kwakutshatyalaliswa iYeriko sizaliseka kwiminyaka enokuba ngama-500 kamva. (1 Kumkani 16:34) Isiqalekiso sikaNowa kumzukulwana wakhe uKanan sizaliseka xa amaGibheyon esiba ngamakhoboka. (Genesis 9:25, 26) Ilizwi likaYehova lisoloko lizaliseka.
7:20-25. Bambi basenokuthi isono sokuba sika-Akan sasisincinane, mhlawumbi beqiqa ngelithi akuzange kuzisele abanye ingozi. Basenokukugqala ukuba izinto ezincinane nokwenza isono esincinane esichasene nomthetho weBhayibhile ngendlela efanayo. Noko ke, sifanele sibe njengoYoshuwa kwisigqibo sethu sokuxhathisa ingcinezelo yokwenza okuphosakeleyo okanye yokuziphatha okubi.
9:15, 26, 27. Sifanele sizithabathe nzulu izigqibo esizenzayo size senze njengoko sithethile.
UYOSHUWA UQALISA UMSEBENZI WAKHE WOKUGQIBELA OMKHULU
Ngoku sele ekhulile—usondela kwiminyaka engama-90 ubudala—uYoshuwa uqalisa ukwaba umhlaba. Owona msebenzi mkhulu ngokwenene! Isizwe sakwaRubhen nesakwaGadi nesiqingatha sesizwe sakwaManase sele zilifumene ilifa lazo empuma yeYordan. Izizwe eziseleyo ngoku zinikwa ilifa lazo kwicala elingasentshona ngokwenziwa kwamaqashiso.
Umnquba umiswa eShilo kummandla wakwaEfrayim. UKalebhi ufumana isixeko saseHebron, yaye uYoshuwa ufumana iTimnati-sera. AbaLevi bafumana izixeko ezingama-48, kuquka nezixeko zokusabela ezi-6. Endleleni ebuyela kwilifa labo empuma yeYordan, abaphumi-mkhosi bakaRubhen, bakaGadi, nesiqingatha sesizwe sakwaManase bakha isibingelelo “esiphawulekayo kakhulu.” (Yoshuwa 22:10) Izizwe ezisentshona kweYordan zikujonga oku njengesenzo sokuwexuka, yaye phantse kubekho imfazwe phakathi kwezi zizwe, kodwa uphalazo-gazi luyathintelwa ngenxa yonxibelelwano oluhle.
Emva kokuba uYoshuwa enexesha elithile ehlala eTimnati-sera, uhlanganisa amadoda amakhulu, iintloko, abagwebi namagosa akwaSirayeli aze ababongoze ukuba bakhaliphe baze bahlale bethembekile kuYehova. Kamva, uYoshuwa uhlanganisa zonke izizwe zakwaSirayeli eShekem. Apho uthetha ngezinto ezazisenziwa nguYehova ukususela ngexesha lika-Abraham ukusa phambili, yaye kwakhona uzibongoza ukuba ‘zoyike uYehova zize zimkhonze ngokungenasiphoso nangenyaniso.’ Bechukumisekile abantu bathi: “NguYehova uThixo wethu esiya kumkhonza, yaye siya kuphulaphula ilizwi lakhe!” (Yoshuwa 24:14, 15, 24) Emva kwezi zinto uYoshuwa uyafa, eneminyaka eli-110 ubudala.
Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:
13:1—Ngaba oku akuphikisani noko kuthethwe kuYoshuwa 11:23? Akunjalo, kuba ukuthinjwa kweLizwe Lesithembiso kwakubandakanya iinkalo ezimbini: eyokuqala yayiquka imfazwe yohlanga eyoyisa ookumkani abangama-31 belizwe lakwaKanan eyenza amaKanan aphelelwa ngamandla yaye eyesibini yayikukuthatyathwa ngokupheleleyo komhlaba luhlanga luphela nasisizwe ngasinye. (Yoshuwa 17:14-18; 18:3) Nangona oonyana bakaSirayeli bengazange bawagxothe ngokupheleleyo amaKanan phakathi kwabo, lawo asindileyo ayengesosisongelo kumaSirayeli. (Yoshuwa 16:10; 17:12) UYoshuwa 21:44 uthi: “UYehova wabanika ukuphumla entweni yonke.”
24:2—Ngaba uyise ka-Abraham, uTera, wayenqula izithixo? Ekuqaleni, uTera wayengamnquli uYehova uThixo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayenqula uthixo wenyanga uSin—isithixo esidumileyo eUre. Ngokutsho kwembali yamaYuda, uTera usenokuba wayengumenzi wezithixo. Noko ke, xa uAbraham eshiya iUre ngokuyalelwa nguThixo, uTera uhamba naye ukuya kwaHaran.—Genesis 11:31.
Oko Sikufundayo:
14:10-13. Nangona eneminyaka engama-85 ubudala, uKalebhi ucela umsebenzi onzima wokugxotha abantu kummandla waseHebron. Lo mmandla uhlala ama-Anakim—abantu abanesithomo esingaqhelekanga. Ngoncedo lukaYehova, lo mphumi-mkhosi oyinkunkqele uyaphumelela, yaye iHebron iba sisixeko sokusabela. (Yoshuwa 15:13-19; 21:11-13) Umzekelo kaKalebhi usikhuthaza ukuba singaziphephi izabelo zobuthixo ezinzima.
22:9-12, 21-33. Simele sikuphephe ukubacingela kakubi abanye.
“Akusilelanga Nalinye Ilizwi”
Xa wayesele aluphele, uYoshuwa waxelela amadoda akwaSirayeli akhokelayo esithi: “Akusilelanga nalinye ilizwi kuwo onke amazwi alungileyo uYehova uThixo wenu awathethileyo kuni. Onke abe yinyaniso kuni.” (Yoshuwa 23:14) Hayi indlela imbali engengxelo kaYoshuwa ekubonisa ngayo oku!
Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Zonke izinto ezabhalwa kwixesha langaphambili zabhalelwa ukuyalela thina, ukuze ngonyamezelo lwethu nangentuthuzelo yeZibhalo sibe nethemba.” (Roma 15:4) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba asenzi mpazamo ngokuthembela kwethu kwizithembiso zikaThixo. Asikho isithembiso esiya kusilela; zonke ziya kuzaliseka.
[Imaphu ekwiphepha 10]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
Umhlaba owathinjwa xa kwakulawula uYoshuwa
IBHASHAN
IGILIYADI
IARABHA
INEGEBHI
UMlambo iYordan
ULwandle Lwetyuwa
INtlambo yeYabhoki
INtlambo yeArnon
ITsore
IMadon
ILasharon
IShimron
IYokenam
IDore
IMegido
IKedeshe
ITanahanaki
IHefere
ITirtsa
IAfeki
ITapuwa
IBheteli
IAyi
IGiligali
IYeriko
IGezere
IYerusalem
IMakeda
IYarmuti
IAdulam
ILibhena
ILakishe
IEglon
IHebron
IDebhiri
IAradi
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 9]
Ngaba uyasazi isizathu sokuba uRahabhi ihenyukazi wavakaliswa elilungisa?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
UYoshuwa wabongoza uSirayeli ukuba ‘oyike uYehova aze amkhonze’
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]
Isenzo sika-Akan sobusela sasingeyonto nje encinane—sakhokelela kwintlekele
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]
“Ngokholo iindonga zaseYeriko zawa.”—Hebhere 11:30