Ungubani UJehova?

‘UNGUBANI uJehova?’ Lowombuzo wabuzwa uFaro oqhoshayo, inkosi yaseGibithe eminyakeni engu-3 500 edlule. Ngokusobala ukwedelela kwamshukumisela ukuba anezele: “Angimazi uJehova.” Amadoda amabili ayemi phambi kukaFaro ngalesosikhathi ayazi ukuthi uJehova wayengubani. Lamadoda ayeyizelamani uMose no-Aroni, engawesizwe samaLevi kwa-Israyeli. UJehova wayewathume ukuba ayotshela umbusi waseGibithe ukuba avumele ama-Israyeli aye ehlane ukuze enze umkhosi ongokwenkolo.—Eksodusi 5:1, 2.

UFaro wayengafuni mpendulo embuzweni wakhe. Ngaphansi kwegunya lakhe, abapristi bakhuthaza ukukhulekelwa kwawonkulunkulu abaningi bamanga. Phela, uFaro ngokwakhe wayebhekwa njengonkulunkulu! Ngokwenganekwane ethile yaseGibithe, wayeyindodana kankulunkulu welanga uRa futhi wayenguHorus unkulunkulu onekhanda lokhozi onikwe umzimba wobuntu. UFaro wayebizwa ngamagama anjengokuthi “unkulunkulu onamandla” nelithi “ongunaphakade.” Ngakho akuzange kumangaze ukuthi ngokugcona wayengabuza: “Ngubani uJehova ukuba ngilalele izwi lakhe?”

Kwakungadingekile ngoMose no-Aroni ukuba baphendule lowombuzo. UFaro wayazi ukuthi uJehova wayenguNkulunkulu okhulekelwa ngama-Israyeli, ngalesosikhathi ayehlupheka ebugqilini baseGibithe. Kodwa ngokushesha uFaro neGibithe lonke babezokwazi ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngokufanayo namuhla, uJehova uyokwenza igama lakhe nokuba kwakhe uNkulunkulu kwaziwe kubo bonke abantu emhlabeni. (Hezekeli 36:23) Ngakho singazuza ngokucabangela indlela uJehova uNkulunkulu alenza laba likhulu ngayo igama lakhe eGibithe lasendulo.

Uphakeme Kunonkulunkulu BaseGibithe

Lapho uFaro ebuza ngokwedelela ukuthi uJehova wayengubani, wayengayilindele imiphumela ahlangabezana nayo. UJehova ngokwakhe wasabela, eletha izinhlupho eziyishumi eGibithe. Lezozinhlupho zazingezona nje izishayo ezimelene nesizwe. Zaziyizishayo ezimelene nonkulunkulu baseGibithe.

Lezinhlupho zabonisa ukuphakama kukaJehova ngaphezu konkulunkulu baseGibithe. (Eksodusi 12:12; Numeri 33:4) Cabanga ngokukhala okwaba khona lapho uJehova eguqula uMfula iNayile nawo wonke amanzi aseGibithe kuba yigazi! Ngenxa yalesimangaliso, uFaro nabantu bakhe bafunda ukuthi uJehova wayephakeme ngaphezu kukankulunkulu waseNayile, uHapi. Ukufa kwezinhlanzi eNayile nakho kwakuyisishayo enkolweni yaseGibithe, ngoba izinhlobo ezithile zezinhlanzi zazihlonishwa.—Eksodusi 7:19-21.

Ngokulandelayo, uJehova waletha inhlupho yamasele eGibithe. Lokhu kwamhlazisa unkulunkulukazi wamasele waseGibithe, uHeqt. (Eksodusi 8:5-14) Inhlupho yesithathu yajabhisa abapristi abayizanusi, abehluleka ukwenza isimangaliso esifana nesikaJehova sokuguqula uthuli lube omiyane. “Lokhu kungumunwe kaNkulunkulu,” bekhala. (Eksodusi 8:16-19) Unkulunkulu waseGibithe uThoth, owayedunyiswa ngenxa yokusungula ukulumba, wayengenakukwazi ukusiza labo bakhohlisi.

UFaro wayefunda ukuthi uJehova ungubani. UJehova wayenguNkulunkulu owayengamemezela injongo yakhe ngoMose abese kamuva eyifeza ngokuletha izinhlupho eziyisimangaliso phezu kwabaseGibithe. UJehova futhi wayengaletha izishayo futhi aziqede ngokwentando yakhe. Nokho, lolulwazi aluzange lushukumisele uFaro ekubeni azithobe kuJehova. Kunalokho, umbusi waseGibithe oqhoshayo waqhubeka ngenkani emelana noJehova.

Phakathi nenhlupho yesine, izibawu zalonakalisa izwe, zangena ezindlini, futhi cishe zagcwala nasemoyeni, nawo ngokwawo owawuyinto ekhulekelwayo eyenziwe samuntu kunkulunkulu uShu noma kunkulunkulukazi u-Isis, indlovukazi yezulu. Igama lesiHeberu lalesinambuzane liye lahunyushwa ngokuthi “isibawu,” “isibawu sezinja,” nangokuthi “ibhungane.” (New World Translation; Septuagint; Young) Uma inkubabulongwe yayihilelekile, abaseGibithe bahlushwa yizinambuzane ababezibheka njengezingcwele, futhi abantu babengenakuhamba ngaphandle kokuba bazigxivize ngezinyawo. Noma kunjalo, lenhlupho yafundisa uFaro okuthile okusha ngoJehova. Nakuba onkulunkulu baseGibithe babengenakubavikela abakhulekeli babo ezibawini, uJehova wayengabavikela abantu bakhe. Lena kanye nezinye izinhlupho ezilandelayo zahlupha abaseGibithe kodwa hhayi ama-Israyeli.—Eksodusi 8:20-24.

Inhlupho yesihlanu kwaba yisifo phezu kwemfuyo yaseGibithe. Lesishayo samhlambalaza uHathor, u-Apis, noNut unkulunkulukazi wesibhakabhaka onesimo senkomo. (Eksodusi 9:1-7) Inhlupho yesithupha yaletha amathumba kubantu nasezilwaneni, yabathobisa onkulunkulu uThoth, u-Isis, noPtah, ababeqashelwa ngokungeyikho ngokuthi banamandla okuphilisa.—Eksodusi 9:8-11.

Inhlupho yesikhombisa kwakuyisichotho esinamandla, nomlilo owawehla kanye namatshe esichotho. Lesishayo sahlazisa unkulunkulu uReshpu, okwakuthiwa uyinkosi yombane, noThoth, okwakuthiwa ulawula imvula nokuduma kwezulu. (Eksodusi 9:22-26) Isishayo sesishiyagalombili, inhlupho yesikhonyane, yabonisa ukuphakama kukaJehova ngaphezu kukaMin unkulunkulu wenzalo, okwakuthiwa ungumvikeli wezitshalo. (Eksodusi 10:12-15) Isishayo sesishiyagalolunye, ubumnyama obathatha izinsuku ezintathu eGibithe, saletha ihlazo konkulunkulu baseGibithe njengonkulunkulu belanga uRa noHorus.—Eksodusi 10:21-23.

Naphezu kwezinhlupho eziyisishiyagalolunye ezibhuqayo, uFaro wayelokhu enqaba ukukhulula ama-Israyeli. Ukuba kwakhe nenhliziyo elukhuni kwaba nemiphumela enzima kakhulu eGibithe lapho uNkulunkulu eletha inhlupho yeshumi neyokugcina—ukufa kwamazibulo abantu nawezilwane. Ngisho nendodana kaFaro eyizibulo yafa, nakuba yayibhekwa njengonkulunkulu. Ngaleyondlela uJehova ‘wakhipha izahlulelo kubo bonke onkulunkulu baseGibithe.’—Eksodusi 12:12, 29, qhathanisa ne-NW.

Manje uFaro wabiza uMose no-Aroni wathi: “Vukani niphume kubantu bami, nina nabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, nihambe niyokhonza uJehova, njengalokho nishilo. Thathani izimvu zenu nezinkomo zenu, njengalokho nishilo, nihambe, ningibusise nami.”—Eksodusi 12:31, 32.

Umvikeli Wabantu Bakhe

Ama-Israyeli ahamba, kodwa ngokushesha kuFaro kwabonakala sengathi ayezulazula ngokungenanjongo ehlane. Manje yena nezinceku zakhe babuza: “Yini lokhu esikwenzileyo, sabavumela abakwaIsrayeli ukuba bahambe, bangasikhonzi, na?” (Eksodusi 14:3-5) Ukulahlekelwa yilesizwe esiyisigqila kwakuyoba imbibizane enzima kwezezomnotho eGibithe.

UFaro waphaka ibutho lakhe futhi waxosha u-Israyeli waze wayofinyelela ePhi-Hahiroti. (Eksodusi 14:6-9) Ngokwezempi, isimo sasibonakala sisihle ngabaseGibithe ngoba ama-Israyeli ayevaleleke phakathi kolwandle nezintaba. Kodwa uJehova wathatha isinyathelo ukuze avikele ama-Israyeli ngokubeka ifu phakathi kwawo nabaseGibithe. Ngasohlangothini lwabaseGibithe, “kwakukhona ifu nobumnyama,” ngaleyondlela livimbela ukuba bahlasele. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ifu lalikhanya, ‘likhanyisela’ u-Israyeli ‘ebusuku.’—Eksodusi 14:10-20.

AbaseGibithe babezimisele ukuphanga nokubhubhisa kodwa bavinjelwa yifu. (Eksodusi 15:9) Lapho lisuka, yeka isimangaliso! Amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu ayesehlukene, futhi ama-Israyeli ahamba emhlabathini owomile awelela ngaphesheya! UFaro namabutho akhe bahlokoma bangena phakathi olwandle, bezimisele ukuthumba nokuphanga ababekade beyizigqila zabo. Nokho, umbusi waseGibithe oqhoshayo akazange amqaphele uNkulunkulu wamaHeberu. UJehova waqala ukubadunga abaseGibithe, ekhipha amasondo ezinqoleni.—Eksodusi 14:21-25a.

“Masibaleke ebusweni bukaIsrayeli!” kukhala amadoda anamandla aseGibithe, “ngokuba uJehova uyabalwela emelene nabaseGibithe.” Lokhu kuqaphela kwafika sekwephuze kakhulu kuFaro namadoda akhe empi. Elondekile ogwini olungakolunye uhlangothi, uMose welulela isandla sakhe ngasolwandle, futhi amanzi abuyela emuva, abulala uFaro namabutho akhe.—Eksodusi 14:25b-28.

Izifundo Ezifundiswa Okuhlangenwe Nakho

Khona-ke, ungubani uJehova? UFaro oqhoshayo wayithola impendulo kulowombuzo. Izenzakalo eGibithe zabonisa ukuthi uJehova uwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso, ohluke ngokuphelele ‘konkulunkulu bezizwe abayize.’ (IHubo 96:4, 5, qhathanisa ne-NW.) Ngamandla akhe asabekayo, uJehova ‘wenza izulu nomhlaba.’ Futhi unguMkhululi Omkhulu, ‘owakhipha abantu bakhe uIsrayeli ezweni laseGibithe ngezibonakaliso nangezimangaliso, nangesandla esinamandla, nangengalo eyeluliweyo, nangengebhe enkulu.’ (Jeremiya 32:17-21) Yeka indlela lokhu okwafakazela ngayo ukuthi uJehova angabavikela abantu bakhe!

UFaro wafunda lezozifundo ngokuhlangenwe nakho okubuhlungu. Eqinisweni, isifundo sokugcina saba ukufa kwakhe. (IHubo 136:1, 15) Wayeyobe uhlakaniphe kakhulu ukuba wabonisa ukuthobeka lapho ebuza, “Ngubani uJehova?” Khona-ke lowombusi wayeyokwenza ngokuvumelana nempendulo ayithola. Ngokujabulisayo, abantu abaningi abathobekile namuhla bayafunda ukuthi uJehova ungubani. Kodwa ubuntu baKhe bunjani? Yini ayifuna kithi? Kwangathi isihloko esilandelayo singandisa ukwazisa kwakho ngaLowo okuwukuphela kwakhe ogama lakhe linguJehova.—IHubo 83:18.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.