Isahluko Sokuqala
Umprofethi Wasendulo Onesigijimi Sanamuhla
1, 2. (a) Yisiphi isimo esidabukisayo esisibona ezweni namuhla? (b) Ilungu lesigele sase-United States lakubeka kanjani ukukhathazeka kwalo ngokuwohloka komphakathi?
UBANI namuhla ongafisi ukuphumula ezinkingeni ezikhungethe isintu? Kodwa yeka ukuthi kukaningi kangakanani izifiso zethu zingafezeki! Siphupha ngokuthula, kodwa sihlushwa yimpi. Siyawuthanda umthetho nokuhleleka, kodwa asikwazi ukunqanda igagasi eliphakamayo lobugebengu, ukudlwengula nokubulala. Siyafuna ukwethemba omakhelwane bethu, kodwa kudingeka sihluthulele iminyango yethu ukuze sivikeleke. Siyazithanda izingane zethu futhi sizama ukugxilisa izindinganiso ezinhle kuzo, kodwa ngokuvamile siphelelwa amandla lapho sizibona zivumela ukunqotshwa ithonya elibi lontanga yazo.
2 Singavumelana noJobe, owathi ukuphila komuntu okufushane ‘kugcwele ukuyaluza.’ (Jobe 14:1) Kunjalo nakakhulu namuhla, ngoba umphakathi uwohloka ngezinga elingakaze libonwe ngaphambili. Ilungu lesigele sase-United States laphawula: “Isiphelile manje iMpi Yomshoshaphansi, kodwa okudabukisayo ukuthi manje izwe seliyisidleke sonya nempindiselo edalwa ubuhlanga, ubuzwe nenkolo. . . . Izindinganiso zethu zokuziphatha sesizilulaze kwaze kwaba sezingeni lokuba intsha yethu eningi idideke, iphelelwe amandla futhi ibe senkathazweni enkulu. Sivuna isivuno sokunganaki kwabazali, isehlukaniso, ukuxhashazwa kwezingane, ukukhulelwa kwentsha, ukushiya isikole phakathi, izidakamizwa ezingekho emthethweni nemigwaqo egcwele ubudlova. Kunjengokungathi ngemva kokusinda ekuzamazameni komhlaba okukhulu, esingakubiza ngokuthi iMpi Yomshoshaphansi, umuzi wethu manje usudliwa umuhlwa.”
3.Iyiphi incwadi yeBhayibheli enikeza ithemba ngokukhethekile ngekusasa?
3 Nokho, asishiywa singenathemba. Eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 700 edlule, uNkulunkulu waphefumulela indoda yaseMpumalanga Ephakathi ukuba isho uchungechunge lweziprofetho ezinencazelo ekhethekile osukwini lwethu. Lezi zigijimi zilotshwe encwadini yeBhayibheli ebizwa ngegama lalowo mprofethi—u-Isaya. Kwakungubani u-Isaya, futhi kungani singase sithi isiprofetho sakhe, esalotshwa eminyakeni ecishe ibe yizinkulungwane ezintathu edlule, sinikeza sonke isintu ukukhanya namuhla?
Indoda Elungileyo Ngezikhathi Zeziyaluyalu
4.Wayengubani u-Isaya, futhi wakhonza nini njengomprofethi kaJehova?
4 Evesini lokuqala lencwadi yakhe, u-Isaya uzethula ngokuthi ‘uyindodana ka-Amozi,’a futhi usitshela ukuthi wayekhonza njengomprofethi kaNkulunkulu “ezinsukwini zika-Uziya, uJothamu, u-Ahazi noHezekiya, amakhosi akwaJuda.” (Isaya 1:1) Lokhu kungasho ukuthi u-Isaya waba umprofethi kaNkulunkulu esizweni sakwaJuda iminyaka engengaphansi kwengu-46, eqale cishe ekupheleni kokubusa kuka-Uziya—kungaba ngonyaka ka-778 B.C.E.
5, 6. Kumelwe ukuba kwakunjani ngempela ukuphila komkhaya ka-Isaya, futhi ngani?
5 Uma kuqhathaniswa nesikwaziyo ngabanye abaprofethi, sazi okuncane ngokuphila kwangasese kuka-Isaya. Siyazi ukuthi wayeshadile nokuthi wayebiza umkakhe ngokuthi “umprofethikazi.” (Isaya 8:3) Ngokwe-Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature kaMcClintock noStrong lesi siqu sibonisa ukuthi ukuphila kuka-Isaya kwasemshadweni “kwakungavumelani nje kuphela nomsebenzi wakhe, kodwa kwakuyintonye nawo.” Kungenzeka ukuthi, njengabanye abantu besifazane bakwa-Israyeli wasendulo abesaba uNkulunkulu, umka-Isaya wayenesakhe isabelo sokuprofetha.—AbAhluleli 4:4; 2 AmaKhosi 22:14.
6 U-Isaya nomkakhe babenamadodana okungenani amabili, ngayinye yethiwa igama elinencazelo engokwesiprofetho. Izibulo, uSheyari Jashubi, waphelezela u-Isaya lapho ememezela izigijimi zikaNkulunkulu enkosini embi u-Ahazi. (Isaya 7:3) Kusobala kulokhu ukuthi u-Isaya nomkakhe benza ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu kwaba indaba yomkhaya—isibonelo esihle semibhangqwana eshadile namuhla!
7. Chaza izimo zakwaJuda ngosuku luka-Isaya.
7 U-Isaya nomkhaya wakhe babephila enkathini eneziyaluyalu emlandweni wakwaJuda. Udlame lwezombangazwe lwaluyinsakavukela, izinkantolo zazonakaliswe ukufumbathisa, kanti ubuzenzisi babuthé bhe emphakathini wenkolo. Amagquma ayembozwe ama-altare onkulunkulu bamanga. Ngisho namanye amakhosi ayegqugquzela ukukhulekela kobuqaba. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Ahazi wayengakubekezeleli nje kuphela ukukhonza izithombe kwabantu bakhe, kodwa naye uqobo wayezikhonza, ‘edabulisa’ inzalo yakhe “emlilweni,” enza umhlatshelo oyisiko kunkulunkulu waseKhanani uMoloki.b (2 AmaKhosi 16:3, 4; 2 IziKronike 28:3, 4) Futhi konke lokhu kwakwenzeka phakathi kwabantu ababesesivumelwaneni noJehova!—Eksodusi 19:5-8.
8. (a) Yisiphi isibonelo esabekwa amaKhosi u-Uziya noJothamu, futhi ingabe abantu bakulandela ukuhola kwawo? (b) U-Isaya wasibonisa kanjani isibindi phakathi kwabantu abahlubukayo?
8 Kuyancomeka ukuthi abanye abantu besikhathi sika-Isaya—kuhlanganise nababusi abambalwa—bazama ukuthuthukisa ukukhulekela kweqiniso. Phakathi kwabo kwakuneNkosi u-Uziya, eyenza “okuqondile emehlweni kaJehova.” Noma kunjalo, phakathi nokubusa kwayo abantu ‘babenza imihlatshelo futhi beshunqisa umusi womhlatshelo ezindaweni eziphakeme.’ (2 AmaKhosi 15:3, 4) INkosi uJothamu nayo ‘yenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova.’ Nokho, “abantu babesenza ngendlela echithayo.” (2 IziKronike 27:2) Yebo, engxenyeni enkulu yenkonzo ka-Isaya yokuprofetha, umbuso wakwaJuda wawusesimweni esidabukisayo ngokomoya nangokuziphatha. Ngokuyinhloko, abantu babengalinaki ithonya elihle lamakhosi abo. Kuyaqondakala ukuthi ukumemezela izigijimi zikaNkulunkulu kulaba bantu abangezwa kwakungeke kube isabelo esilula. Noma kunjalo, lapho uJehova ebuza lo mbuzo, “Ngizothuma bani, ubani ozosiyela?” u-Isaya akazange athandabuze. Wathi: “Nangu mina! Thuma mina.”—Isaya 6:8.
Isigijimi Sensindiso
9. Lisho ukuthini igama lika-Isaya, futhi lokhu kuhlobana kanjani nesihloko sencwadi yakhe?
9 Igama lika-Isaya lisho ukuthi “iNsindiso KaJehova,” futhi lokhu kungashiwo ukuthi kuyisihloko sesigijimi sakhe. Yiqiniso, ezinye iziprofetho zika-Isaya ezesahlulelo. Kodwa isihloko sensindiso sigqamile. Ngokuphindaphindiwe, u-Isaya walandisa indlela uJehova ayeyowakhulula ngayo ama-Israyeli ekuthunjweni eBabiloni ngesikhathi esifanele, avumele insali ukuba iphindele eSiyoni futhi ibuyisele izwe ebuhleni balo obukhulu bangaphambili. Akungabazeki ukuthi ilungelo lokusho nokubhala iziprofetho eziphathelene nokubuyiselwa kweJerusalema lakhe alithandayo lanikeza u-Isaya intokozo enkulu!
10, 11. (a) Kungani incwadi ka-Isaya isithakazelisa namuhla? (b) Incwadi ka-Isaya ikubhekisa kanjani ukunaka kuMesiya?
10 Kodwa lezi zigijimi zezahlulelo nensindiso zisithinta ngani thina? Kuyajabulisa ukuthi u-Isaya akaprofethi nje ngokwenzuzo yombuso wakwaJuda wezizwe ezimbili kuphela. Kunalokho, izigijimi zakhe zibaluleke ngokukhethekile osukwini lwethu. U-Isaya unikeza incazelo enhle kakhulu yendlela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ozoletha ngayo izibusiso ezinhle emhlabeni wethu ngokushesha. Ngokuqondene nalokhu, ingxenye enkulu yemibhalo ka-Isaya igxila kuMesiya owayebikezelwe, owayezobusa njengeNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Daniyeli 9:25; Johane 12:41) Ngokuqinisekile, akuthukanga nje kwenzeka ukuba igama likaJesu nelika-Isaya abe nomqondo othi awufane, igama likaJesu lisho ukuthi “uJehova Uyinsindiso.”
11 Yebo, uJesu waze wazalwa ngemva kweminyaka engaba amakhulu ayisikhombisa ngemva kosuku luka-Isaya. Kodwa iziprofetho eziphathelene noMesiya ezisencwadini ka-Isaya ziyaningiliza futhi zinembe kangangokuba ungathi kulandisa umuntu owazibonela ngawakhe ukuphila kukaJesu emhlabeni. Omunye umthombo waphawula ukuthi, ngenxa yalokhu, ngezinye izikhathi incwadi ka-Isaya ibizwa ngokuthi “iVangeli Lesihlanu.” Ngakho, akumangalisi ukuthi u-Isaya uyincwadi yeBhayibheli eyacashunwa kaningi nguJesu nabaphostoli bakhe ukuze bacacise ukuthi uMesiya ungubani.
12. Kungani siqala ukutadisha incwadi ka-Isaya ngentshiseko?
12 U-Isaya unikeza incazelo enhle kakhulu ‘yamazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha’ okuyothi kuwo ‘inkosi ibuse ngenjongo yokulunga’ nezikhulu zibuse ngenjongo yobulungisa. (Isaya 32:1, 2; 65:17, 18; 2 Petru 3:13) Ngakho incwadi ka-Isaya iveza ithemba elijabulisayo loMbuso kaNkulunkulu, ngaphansi kukaMesiya uJesu Kristu njengeNkosi esesihlalweni. Yeka isikhuthazo okuyiso kithina ukuba siphile usuku nosuku silindele ngentokozo “insindiso [kaJehova]”! (Isaya 25:9; 40:28-31) Khona-ke, masisihlolisise ngentshiseko lesi sigijimi esiyigugu esisencwadini ka-Isaya. Njengoba senza kanjalo, ukuthembela kwethu ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu kuyoqina kakhulu. Futhi kuzosisiza ukuba siqine ekukholelweni kwethu ukuthi uJehova ngempela unguNkulunkulu wensindiso yethu.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Uyise ka-Isaya, u-Amozi, akumelwe aphanjaniswe no-Amose owayeprofetha ekuqaleni kokubusa kuka-Uziya nowabhala incwadi yeBhayibheli ebizwa ngegama lakhe.
b Abanye bathi ‘ukudabulisa emlilweni’ kungase kusho nje umkhosi wokuhlanza. Nokho, kubonakala sengathi kulo mongo le nkulumo ibhekisela emhlatshelweni ongokoqobo. Akungatshazwa ukuthi abaseKhanani nama-Israyeli ayizihlubuki babewenza umhlatshelo ngezingane.—Duteronomi 12:31; IHubo 106:37, 38.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Wayengubani U-Isaya?
INCAZELO YEGAMA: “INsindiso KaJehova”
UMKHAYA: Wayeshadile, enamadodana okungenani amabili
INDAWO YOKUHLALA: EJerusalema
IMINYAKA ESENKONZWENI: Ayingaphansi kwengu-46, kusukela cishe ngo-778 B.C.E. kuya ngemva kuka-732 B.C.E.
AMAKHOSI AKWAJUDA ANGESIKHATHI SAKHE: U-Uziya, uJothamu, u-Ahazi noHezekiya
ABAPROFETHI BANGESIKHATHI SAKHE: UMika, uHoseya no-Odede
[Isithombe ekhasini 6]
U-Isaya nomkakhe benza ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu kwaba indaba yomkhaya