Izifundo Ezivela EmiBhalweni: Hoseya 1:1–14:9

UJehova UNkulunkulu Wethu Unesihe

UJEHOVA “unguNkulunkulu othethelelayo, onomusa nesihe; wephuza ukuthukuthela, ugcwele isihawu.” (Nehemiya 9:17) Wenza ngokuvumelana nezindinganiso zakhe zokulunga kodwa umema abenzi bobubi ukuba baphenduke futhi bajabulele ubuhlobo obuhle naye. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kufanekiselwa kahle kanjani yilokho uNkulunkulu akusho kuIsrayeli ophambukayo ngomprofethi wakhe uHoseya!

Incwadi yeBhayibheli enegama likaHoseya yaqedwa ukubhalwa yilomprofethi esigodini saseSamariya ngemva kwenkonzo yakhe ende yeminyaka engaba ama-59 (kusukela cishe ngo-804 B.C.E. kuya ngemva kuka-745 B.C.E.). UHoseya waprofetha embusweni wakwaIsrayeli wezizwe eziyishumi ezinsukwini zeNkosi uJerobowamu II nababusi bakwaJuda oUziya, uJothamu, uAhazi, noHezekiya. (Hoseya 1:1) Ngenxa yokuthi uIsrayeli akalunakanga ubizo lokuba aphenduke, lesizwe sawela kuma-Asiriya, futhi inhloko-dolobha yaso, iSamariya, yabhujiswa ngo-740 B.C.E. Nakuba isiprofetho sikaHoseya sasiqondiswe kubantu ababephila emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka adlule, sisiqukethele izifundo ngokuqondene nesihe sikaNkulunkulu wethu, uJehova.

Inkambo KaIsrayeli Yokuphambuka

UJehova ubonisa isihe ngesisekelo sokuphenduka kwesoni ngokuvela enhliziyweni. (IHubo 51:17; IzAga 28:13) Ukuzimisela kukaNkulunkulu ukubonisa isihe kuIsrayeli kwaboniswa ukusebenzelana kukaHoseya nomkakhe, uGomere. Njengoba ayalwa, wathatha “umfazi ophingayo.” Ngemva kokuzalela uHoseya umntwana oyedwa, ngokusobala uGomere wazala abantwana ababili abatholwe ngokuphinga. Noma kunjalo, lomprofethi wabuye wamemukela ngesihe umkakhe. Ngokufanayo, uIsrayeli wayenjengomfazi ongathembekile kuJehova, ngokungeyikho ethi izibusiso uzilethelwe unkulunkulu wamanga uBali. Kodwa uJehova wayezimisele ukubabonisa isihe uma babephenduka ekuphingeni kwabo okungokomoya.—1:1–3:5.

Izoni ezifuna isihe saphezulu kumelwe ziphenduke enkambweni yazo yokona futhi zenze ngokuvumelana nokwazi ngoNkulunkulu. (IHubo 119:59, 66, 67) UJehova wayenecala elingokomthetho ngokumelene nezakhamuzi zakwaIsrayeli ngoba iqiniso, umusa wothando, nolwazi ngoNkulunkulu kwakuntuleka ezweni lazo. Njengoba zazilunqabile ulwazi, uJehova wayeyozenqaba. UIsrayeli noJuda abaphingayo kwakuyodingeka balandise. Kodwa kwakubikezelwe ukuthi babeyofuna uNkulunkulu uma bezithola ‘besosizini.’—4:1–5:15.

Ukuvuna Isivunguvungu!

Imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka iyadingeka uma abenzi bobubi befuna ukuba uNkulunkulu abe nesihe kubo. (IzEnzo 26:20) “Wozani sibuyele kuJehova,” kunxusa uHoseya. Kodwa umusa wothando kaIsrayeli (owabizwa ngoEfrayimi ngoba isizwe sakhe singesibusayo) noJuda ‘babunjengamazolo amuka ekuseni.’ Abantu babeqe isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu futhi bangaziveza izithelo ezifanele ukuphenduka. ‘Njengejuba elidukiswayo elingenangqondo,’ bafuna usizo eGibithe naseAsiriya. Kodwa lemibuso engokwezombangazwe yayingasenakubenzela lutho oluhle ngaphandle kokuba ‘umnsalo ogejayo’ ongakwazi ukuciba imicibisholo esisulwini.—6:1–7:16.

Ukuze bavune okuhle, labo abafuna isihe sikaJehova kumelwe bahlwanyele okuhle. (Galathiya 6:7, 8) Ngenxa yokuthi amaIsrayeli alahla okuhle, avuna okubi. ‘Aqhubeka ehlwanyela umoya futhi ayezovuna isivunguvungu.’ UNkulunkulu ‘wayezowahambela ngezono zawo,’ futhi ayengeke avune isihe sakhe kodwa isahlulelo sakhe esibuhlungu. Ayezoba “ngabazulazulayo phakathi kwabezizwe,” cishe ukunqotshwa iAsiriya kwakuyonezela kulesimo.—8:1–9:17; Duteronomi 28:64, 65; 2 AmaKhosi 15:29; 17:1-6, 22, 23; 18:9-12; 1 IziKronike 5:26.

Siyoqhubeka sizuza esiheni sikaNkulunkulu uma kuphela siqhubeka sazisa izinto ezingcwele. (Heberu 12:14-16) AmaIsrayeli ayentula ukwazisa okunjalo. Kunokuba ahlwanyele imbewu yokulunga futhi avune ngokuvumelana nomusa wothando, ahlwanyela ububi futhi avuna ukungalungi. UNkulunkulu wakhipha uIsrayeli eGibithe njengendodana, kodwa uthando lwaKhe lwabuyiselwa ngenkohliso. UJehova waluleka: “Buyela wena kuNkulunkulu wakho, ugcine umusa nokulunga.” Kodwa uEfrayimi wayehlanganyela ekoneni okuhlazisayo futhi wafanelwa ukusolwa esikhundleni sesihe.—10:1–12:14.

Buyelani KuJehova

Ngisho nalabo abona ngokungathi sina bangabuyela kuJehova futhi baboniswe isihe. (IHubo 145:8, 9) UHoseya wabuye waphawula ukunakekela kukaNkulunkulu amaIsrayeli ngothando. Nakuba lesizwe sasimfulathele uJehova, wathembisa ukusibuyisela, ethi: ‘Ngiyakubahlenga endaweni yabafileyo, ngibahawukele ekufeni.’ ISamariya (uIsrayeli) kwakuyomelwe likhokhe ngenxa yokuhlubuka. Kodwa amaIsrayeli anxuswa ukuba abuyele kuNkulunkulu ngamazwi amnandi, ‘izinkunzi ezisencane zezindebe (NW).’ Lesiprofetho saphetha ngomqondo oduduzayo wokuthi abahlakaniphile nabalungile abahamba ezindleleni zikaJehova eziqondile babeyojabulela isihe sakhe nothando.—13:1–14:9.

Izifundo okumelwe zikhunjulwe: UJehova ubonisa isihe ngesisekelo sokuphenduka ngokuvela enhliziyweni komenzi wobubi. Kodwa izoni ezifuna isihe sakhe kumelwe zenze ngokuvumelana nokwazi ngoNkulunkulu futhi ziveze imisebenzi efanele ukuphenduka. Kudingeka zihlwanyele okuhle futhi ziqhubeke zizazisa izinto ezingcwele. Futhi induduzo ingatholakala ngokwazi ukuthi ngisho nalabo abaphambuka ngokungathi sing bangabuyela koPhezukonke ngethemba, ngoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu unesihe.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 14]

IZINGCAPHUNO ZEBHAYIBHELI ZIYAHLOLWA

○ 2:21-23—Elithi Jizreyeli lisho ukuthi “UNkulunkulu Uyohlwanyela Imbewu.” UJehova wayeyoqoqa insali ethembekile futhi ayihlwanyele njengembewu kwaJuda, lapho okwakuyoba khona amabele, iwayini elimnandi, namafutha. Ngenxa yensali eswele, lezinto ezinhle beziyocela umhlaba ukuba uveze okusansimbi ukuze kusetshenziswe ngamazele amabele, imivini, nezihlahla zeminqumo. Umhlaba ubuyocela imvula emazulwini, amazulu abeyocela uNkulunkulu ukuba aveze amafu ayeyonisa imvula edingekayo.

○ 5:1—Abapristi namakhosi akwaIsrayeli abayizihlubuki baba isife nenetha kubantu ngokubanxenxela ukuba bahlanganyele ekukhulekeleni kwamanga. Ngokunokwenzeka, iNtaba iThabori (entshonalanga yeJordani) neMispa (umuzi osempumalanga yalowomfula) kwakuyizikhungo zokukhulekela kwamanga. Kulo lonke elakwaIsrayeli, abantu babekhulekela izithombe ngenxa yesibonelo esibi sabaholi babo, ababeyobhekana nesahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu.

○ 7:4-8—AmaIsrayeli ayiziphingi ayefaniswa nohhavini wombhaki, noma iziko, ngokusobala ngenxa yezifiso ezimbi ezishisayo phakathi kwawo. Ngokuhlangana nezizwe ngokwamukela izindlela zazo nangokufuna ubungane nazo, uEfrayimi (uIsrayeli) wayefana futhi neqebelengwane eliyindilinga elibhakwe ohlangothini olulodwa kuphela.

○ 9:10—AmaIsrayeli ‘ayezahlukanisele okunezinhloni’ lapho ezihlanganisa noBali wasePeyori emathafeni akwaMowabi. (Numeri 25:1-5) UHoseya wasebenzisa isenzo sesiHeberu esisho “ukuzigodlela; ukuzehlukanisela.” AmaIsrayeli ayezinikezele kuNkulunkulu kodwa azihlukanisela uBali wasePeyori. Lesosenzakalo kungenzeka ukuthi siye sacashunwa ngenxa yokuthi ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kwakuyisono esizedlula zonke zombuso wezizwe eziyishumi. (Hoseya 2:8, 13) Kwangathi singasilalela lesixwayiso futhi singalokothi sinqamule ukuzinikezela kwethu kuJehova.—1 Korinte 10:8, 11.

○ 10:5—Elithi Beti-Aveni (elisho “iNdlu Yobuhlungu”) lasetshenziswa ngomqondo wendelelo esikhundleni selithi Bethel, elisho “Indlu KaNkulunkulu.” IBethel yayiyindlu kaNkulunkulu kodwa yaba yindlu yobuh1ungu ngenxa yokukhulekelwa kwethole okwakwenziwa lapho. (1 AmaKhosi 12:28-30) Lapho kuhanjwa nesithixo sethole kuyiwa ekuthunjweni, abantu babesesaba. Lesithombe esingaphili sasingakwazi ukuzivikela, ikakhulukazi labo ababesikhulekela.—IHubo 115:4-8.

○ 13:14—UJehova wayengeke alondoloze amaIsrayeli angalaleli ngokuwasindisa ngalesosikhathi emandleni aseSheoli noma ngokuwavusa ekufeni. Wayengeke abe nozwela, ngoba isihe sasingabafanele. Kodwa umphostoli uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ekugcineni wayeyogwinya ukufa phakade futhi enze ukunqoba kwakho kungabi namandla. UJehova wabonisa amandla akhe okwenza kanjalo ngokuvusa Wesu Kristu ekufeni naseSheoli, ngaleyondlela enikeza isiqinisekiso sokuthi abantu abasenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu bayovuswa iNdodana yakhe ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso.—Johane 5:28, 29.