Isahluko Seshumi Nanye

Maye Ezihlubukini!

Isaya 9:8–10:4

 1. Yisiphi isiphambeko esibi kakhulu uJerobowamu asenza?

NGESIKHATHI abantu bakaJehova besivumelwano behlukaniswe baba imibuso emibili, umbuso wasenyakatho wezizwe eziyishumi waba ngaphansi kukaJerobowamu. Le nkosi entsha yayingumbusi onekhono noshisekayo. Kodwa yayingenalo ukholo lwangempela kuJehova. Ngenxa yalokhu, yenza isiphambeko esibi kakhulu esawuthinta kabi impela umlando wombuso wasenyakatho. Ngaphansi koMthetho KaMose, ama-Israyeli ayeyalwe ukuba kathathu ngonyaka aye ethempelini laseJerusalema, manje elase lisembusweni wakwaJuda eningizimu. (Duteronomi 16:16) Esaba ukuthi lolo hambo lwasikhathi sonke lwaluzokwenza izikhonzi zakhe zicabangele ukuzihlanganisa nabafowabo baseningizimu, uJerobowamu ‘wenza amathole amabili egolide wathi kubantu: Kungaphezu kwamandla enu ukukhuphukela eJerusalema. Nangu uNkulunkulu wakho, O Israyeli, owakukhuphula ezweni laseGibithe. Khona-ke wabeka elinye eBethele, elinye walibeka kwaDani.’—1 AmaKhosi 12:28, 29.

2, 3. Isiphambeko sikaJerobowamu saba namuphi umphumela ku-Israyeli?

² Icebo likaJerobowamu labonakala lisebenza okwesikhashana. Kancane kancane abantu bayeka ukuya eJerusalema, baqala ukukhulekela amathole amabili. (1 AmaKhosi 12:30) Nokho, lo mkhuba wenkolo wokuhlubuka wawonakalisa umbuso wezizwe eziyishumi. Eminyakeni yakamuva, ngisho noJehu, owayebonise intshiseko encomeka kangaka ngokuqeda ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kwa-Israyeli, waya kokhothamela amathole egolide. (2 AmaKhosi 10:28, 29) Yini enye eyaba umphumela wesinqumo esingafanele sikaJerobowamu? Ukuntengantenga kwezombangazwe nokuhlupheka kwabantu.

³ Ngenxa yokuthi uJerobowamu wayeseyisihlubuki, uJehova wathi inzalo yakhe yayingeke ilibuse izwe, futhi ekugcineni umbuso wasenyakatho wawuyobhekana nenhlekelele embi kabi. (1 AmaKhosi 14:14, 15) Izwi likaJehova laba yiqiniso. Amakhosi akwa-Israyeli angu-7 abusa iminyaka emibili noma ngaphansi—amanye abusa izinsuku ezimbalwa nje. Enye inkosi yazibulala, kwathi ayisithupha abulawa abantu abagagamelayo abaqhwaga isihlalo sobukhosi. Ikakhulu ngemva kokubusa kukaJerobowamu II, okwaphela cishe ngo-804 B.C.E., ngesikhathi u-Uziya ebusa kwaJuda, u-Israyeli wayehlushwa iziyaluyalu, ubudlova nokubulawa kwabantu. Yilokhu okwenza uJehova wathumela ngo-Isaya isixwayiso esiqondile, noma “izwi,” embusweni wasenyakatho. “Kwaba khona izwi uJehova alithumela ngokumelene noJakobe, futhi lehlela phezu kuka-Israyeli.”—Isaya 9:8.a

Ukuzidla Nokweyisa Kufanelwe Ulaka LukaNkulunkulu

 4. Yiliphi “izwi” uJehova alithumelayo ngokumelene no-Israyeli, futhi ngani?

⁴ “Izwi” likaJehova ngeke lishaywe indiva. “Ngokuqinisekile abantu bayolazi, yebo bonke ngothi lwabo, u-Efrayimi nowakhileyo eSamariya, ngenxa yokuzidla kwabo nangenxa yokweyisa kwabo enhliziyweni.” (Isaya 9:9) Amagama athi “Jakobe,” “Israyeli,” “Efrayimi,” nelithi “Samariya” wonke abhekisela embusweni wakwa-Israyeli osenyakatho, u-Efrayimi ayisizwe sawo esiqavile futhi neSamariya iyinhloko-dolobha. Izwi likaJehova ngokumelene nalowo mbuso liyisahlulelo esinzima, ngoba u-Efrayimi uye waqinisa ikhanda wahlubuka futhi weyisa uJehova isidanasi. UNkulunkulu ngeke abavikele abantu emiphumeleni yezindlela zabo ezimbi. Bayophoqeleka ukuba balalele, noma banake izwi likaNkulunkulu.—Galathiya 6:7.

 5. Ama-Israyeli azibonakalisa kanjani ukuthi awanandaba nezenzo zikaJehova zokwahlulela?

⁵ Njengoba izimo ziya ziba zimbi, abantu balahlekelwa kakhulu, balahlekelwa ngisho nayimizi yabo—ngokuvamile eyakhiwe ngezitini zodaka nezingodo ezishibhile. Ingabe lokhu kuyazithambisa izinhliziyo zabo? Bazobalalela yini abaprofethi bakaJehova, babuyele kuNkulunkulu weqiniso?b U-Isaya ubhala indlela yokweyisa abantu abasabela ngayo: “Kuwé izitini, kodwa sizokwakha ngamatshe aqoshiwe. Kugawulwé izihlahla zesikhamori, kodwa sizosebenzisa imisedari esikhundleni sazo.” (Isaya 9:10) Ama-Israyeli ayamdelela uJehova futhi alahla abaprofethi bakhe, bona abawatshela ukuthi kungani ebhekene nobunzima obungaka. Empeleni abantu bathi: ‘Singalahlekelwa izindlu ezakhiwe ngezitini zodaka nezingodo ezishibhile, kodwa sizokwenza okungcono kakhulu ngokuba sakhe kabusha ngezinto zokwakha eziphambili—amatshe aqoshiwe nemisedari!’ (Qhathanisa noJobe 4:19.) Akukho okunye uJehova angakwenza ngaphandle kokubajezisa nakakhulu.—Qhathanisa no-Isaya 48:22.

 6. UJehova ulichitha kanjani icebo leSiriya no-Israyeli lokumelana noJuda?

⁶ U-Isaya uyaqhubeka: “UJehova uyozibeka phezulu izitha zikaResini zimelane naye.” (Isaya 9:11a) INkosi yakwa-Israyeli uPheka neNkosi yaseSiriya uResini bayasizana. Babopha uzungu lokunqoba umbuso wakwaJuda wezizwe ezimbili bese bebeka inkosi ewupopayi—“indodana” ethile “kaThabeyeli,” esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaJehova saseJerusalema. (Isaya 7:6) Kodwa lolu zungu luyobhuntsha. UResini unezitha ezinamandla, futhi uJehova ‘uyozibeka phezulu zimelane naye,’ u-Israyeli. Inkulumo ethi ‘ukubeka phezulu’ isho ukuthi uyoziyeka zilwe impi eziyonqoba kuyo, eyoqothula lolu mbimbi nezinhloso zalo.

7, 8. Ukunqoba kwe-Asiriya iSiriya kuba namuphi umphumela ku-Israyeli?

⁷ Ukuqedwa kwalolu mbimbi kuqala lapho i-Asiriya lihlasela iSiriya. “Inkosi yase-Asiriya yakhuphukela eDamaseku [inhloko-dolobha yaseSiriya] yalithumba yaholela abantu balo ekudingisweni eKhiri, uResini yambulala.” (2 AmaKhosi 16:9) Njengoba eselahlekelwe umsizi wakhe onamandla, uPheka uthola ukuthi amacebo akhe ngoJuda ayabhuntsha. Eqinisweni, ngemva nje kokufa kukaResini, uPheka ubulawa uHosheya, kamuva oqhwaga isihlalo sobukhosi saseSamariya.—2 AmaKhosi 15:23-25, 30.

⁸ ISiriya, elalingumsizi ka-Israyeli, manje selikhonza ngaphansi kwe-Asiriya, umbuso ovelele kule ndawo. U-Isaya uprofetha ngendlela uJehova ayoyisebenzisa ngayo le nhlanganisela yezombangazwe entsha: “Nezitha zakhe lowo [u-Israyeli uJehova] uyoziqhubezela, iSiriya liqhumuke empumalanga namaFilisti aqhamuke ngemuva, futhi bayodla u-Israyeli ngomlomo ovulekile. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu intukuthelo yakhe ayizange ibuye, kodwa isandla sakhe sisalokhu siluliwe.” (Isaya 9:11b, 12) Yebo, iSiriya manje liyisitha sika-Israyeli, futhi u-Israyeli kumelwe alungele ukuhlaselwa yi-Asiriya kanye neSiriya. Ukuhlasela kuba impumelelo. I-Asiriya lenza umgabadeli onguHosheya abe inceku yalo, limkhokhisa intela emba eqolo. (Eminyakeni engamashumi ambalwa ngaphambili, i-Asiriya lathola isizumbulu semali eNkosini yakwa-Israyeli, uMenahemu.) Yeka ukuthi ayiqiniso kangakanani amazwi omprofethi uHoseya: “Izihambi ziwadlile amandla akhe [u-Efrayimi]”!—Hoseya 7:9; 2 AmaKhosi 15:19, 20; 17:1-3.

 9. Kungani singase sithi amaFilisti ahlasela eqhamuka “ngemuva”?

⁹ U-Isaya akasho yini ukuthi amaFilisti ayohlasela eqhamuka “ngemuva”? Yebo. Ngaphambi kokuba kusetshenziswe ikhampasi kazibuthe, amaHeberu ayechaza ukuthi into ingakuphi, ngokuyiqhathanisa nomuntu uma ebheke empumalanga. Ngakho, “impumalanga” kwakuyiphambili, kanti intshonalanga, izwe lamaFilisti elisogwini, ‘yayingemuva.’ U-Israyeli okukhulunywa ngaye ku-Isaya 9:12 kungenzeka ukuthi uhlanganisa uJuda kule ndaba, ngoba amaFilisti ahlasela uJuda ngesikhathi sokubusa kuka-Ahazi, owayephila ngesikhathi sikaPheka, athumba futhi athatha imizi nezinqaba eziningana zaseJudiya. Njengo-Efrayimi enyakatho, siyamfanela uJuda lesi sijeziso sikaJehova, ngoba naye ugcwele umoya wokuhlubuka.—2 IziKronike 28:1-4, 18, 19.

Kusukela ‘Ekhanda Kuya Emsileni’—Isizwe Sezihlubuki

10, 11. Yisiphi isijeziso uJehova azosiletha ku-Israyeli ngenxa yokuphikelela kwakhe ehlubuka?

¹⁰ Naphezu kokuhlupheka kwawo konke—naphezu kwezimemezelo ezishubile zabaprofethi bakaJehova—umbuso wasenyakatho uyaphikelela uhlubuka kuJehova. “Abantu ngokwabo ababuyelanga kuLowo obashayayo, futhi abamfunanga uJehova wamabutho.” (Isaya 9:13) Ngenxa yalokho, umprofethi uthi: “UJehova uyonquma kwa-Israyeli inhloko nomsila, ihlumela nekhwane, ngalusuku lunye. Inhloko ngumuntu osemdala futhi ohlonishwa kakhulu, umsila ngumprofethi onikeza isiyalezo samanga. Futhi labo abahola lesi sizwe yibo abasibangela ukuba sinhlanhlathe; nalabo kubo abaholwayo, yibo abasambathekiswayo.”—Isaya 9:14-16.

¹¹ ‘Inhloko nehlumela’ kufanekisela “umuntu osemdala futhi ohlonishwa kakhulu”—abaholi besizwe. ‘Umsila nekhwane’ kubhekisela kubaprofethi bamanga abakhuluma amazwi ajabulisa abaholi babo. Isazi seBhayibheli siyabhala: “AbaProfethi bamanga babizwa ngokuthi umsila ngoba ngokuziphatha babengcole kunabo bonke abantu, beyizincelebane nabasekeli bababusi abakhohlakele.” UProfesa Edward J. Young uthi ngalaba baprofethi bamanga: “Babengebaholi, kodwa njengoba babelandela abaholi, babemane bakhohlise futhi bakitaze, kuhle komsila wenja otshikizayo.”—Qhathanisa neyesi-2 Thimothewu 4:3.

Ngisho ‘Nabafelokazi Nezintandane’ Bayizihlubuki

12. Ukonakala kujule kangakanani emphakathini wakwa-Israyeli?

¹² UJehova unguMvikeli wabafelokazi nezintandane. (Eksodusi 22:22, 23) Nokho, lalela lokho u-Isaya akushoyo manje: “UJehova ngeke ajabule ngisho nangezinsizwa zabo, futhi engeke abe nesihe nasezintandaneni nakubafelokazi babo; ngoba bonke bayizihlubuki nabenzi bokubi yilowo nalowo mlomo ukhuluma okungenangqondo. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu intukuthelo yakhe ayizange ibuye, kodwa isandla sakhe sisalokhu siluliwe.” (Isaya 9:17) Ukuhlubuka kungcolise zonke izigaba zomphakathi, kuhlanganise nabafelokazi nezintandane! Ngesineke, uJehova uthuma abaprofethi bakhe, ethemba ukuthi abantu bazozishintsha izindlela zabo. Ngokwesibonelo, uHoseya uyancenga: “O Israyeli, buyela kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, ngoba ukhubekile esiphambekweni sakho.” (Hoseya 14:1) Kumelwe ukuba kubuhlungu kuMvikeli wabafelokazi nezintandane ukuthi uzokwahlulela nabo pho!

13. Yini esingayifunda esimweni sosuku luka-Isaya?

¹³ Njengo-Isaya, nathi siphila ‘ezikhathini ezibucayi’ ezandulela usuku lukaJehova lokwahlulela ababi. (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo-ke ukuba amaKristu eqiniso ahlale ehlanzekile ngokomoya, ngokuziphatha nangokwengqondo, kungakhathaliseki isimo akuso ekuphileni, ukuze alondoloze umusa kaNkulunkulu. Ngamunye wethu makabe nesikhwele ngobuhlobo bakhe noJehova. Makungabi bikho muntu osephunyukile ‘eBabiloni Elikhulu’ oyophinde ‘ahlanganyele nalo izono zalo.’—IsAmbulo 18:2, 4.

Ukukhulekela Kwamanga Kuzala Ubudlova

14, 15. (a) Uba yini umphumela wokukhulekela amademoni? (b) U-Isaya uprofetha ukuthi u-Israyeli uzobhekana nakuphi okunye ukuhlupheka?

¹⁴ Ukukhulekela kwamanga eqinisweni kuwukukhulekela amademoni. (1 Korinte 10:20) Njengoba kwabonakala ngaphambi kweSikhukhula, ithonya lamademoni lidala ubudlova. (Genesise 6:11, 12) Akumangalisi-ke ukuthi lapho u-Israyeli eba isihlubuki, eqala ukukhulekela amademoni, ubudlova nobubi buyagcwala ezweni.—Duteronomi 32:17; IHubo 106:35-38.

¹⁵ Ngamagama acacile, u-Isaya uchaza ukusakazeka kobubi nobudlova kwa-Israyeli: “Ububi buye bokheleka njengomlilo; buyokudla buqede izihlahla zomunga nokhula. Buyothungeleka emahlozini ehlathi, futhi ayokhushulelwa phezulu njengokufuquka komusi. Izwe liye lathungelwa ngomlilo ngokufutheka kukaJehova wamabutho, futhi abantu bayoba njengokudla komlilo. Akekho oyobonisa ububele ngisho nakumfowabo. Umuntu uyogawula ngakwesokunene futhi ngokuqinisekile uyolamba; umuntu uyokudla ngakwesobunxele, futhi ngokuqinisekile ngeke baneliseke. Yilowo nalowo uyokudla inyama yengalo yakhe, uManase u-Efrayimi, u-Efrayimi uManase. Bobabili bayomelana noJuda. Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu intukuthelo yakhe ayizange ibuye, kodwa isandla sakhe sisalokhu siluliwe.”—Isaya 9:18-21.

16. Amazwi ka-Isaya 9:18-21 agcwaliseka kanjani?

¹⁶ Njengelangabi elithungela izihlahla zomunga, ubudlova buyabhebhetheka futhi ngokushesha bufinyelela “emahlozini ehlathi,” buthungele umlilo wequbula omkhulu wobudlova. Abakhulumeli beBhayibheli uKeil noDelitzsch bachaza izinga lobudlova “njengokuzibhubhisa komuntu okunonya ngaphezu kwakho konke phakathi nempi yombango eneziphithiphithi. Bengenamizwelo yothando, badlana bodwa kodwa banganeliseka.” Cishe isizwe sakwa-Efrayimi nesakwaManase zigagulwa ngamagama lapha ngoba yizona ezimelela umbuso wasenyakatho, futhi njengenzalo yamadodana kaJosefa amabili, yizona ezihlobene kakhulu kulezi zizwe eziyishumi. Kodwa naphezu kwalokhu, ubudlova obuphakathi kwazo njengezihlobo buthi gozololo kuphela lapho belwa noJuda eningizimu.—2 IziKronike 28:1-8.

Abahluleli Abonakele Babhekana Nomahluleli Wabo

17, 18. Yikuphi ukonakala okukhona esimisweni sika-Israyeli somthetho nesokuphatha?

¹⁷ UJehova ube esegxilisa iso lakhe lokwahlulela kubahluleli bakwa-Israyeli abonakele nezinye izikhulu. Basebenzisa kabi amandla abo ngokuphanga abantu abaphansi nabahluphekile abeza kubo befuna ubulungisa. U-Isaya uthi: “Maye kulabo abamisa iziqondiso ezilimazayo, nakulabo abathi ngoba bahlale beloba njalo, balobe inkathazo yodwa, ukuze basunduze abaphansi ecaleni lomthetho futhi bahlwithe ubulungisa kwabahluphekileyo kubantu bami, ukuze abafelokazi babe yimpango yabo, futhi baphange ngisho nezintandane!”—Isaya 10:1, 2.

¹⁸ UMthetho kaJehova wenqabela zonke izinhlobo zokungabi nabulungisa: “Akumelwe nenze ukungabi nabulungisa ekwahluleleni. Akumelwe uphathe ophansi ngokukhetha, futhi akumelwe ukhethe ubuso boyisikhulu.” (Levitikusi 19:15) Njengoba ziwushaya indiva lowo mthetho, lezi zikhulu zizimisela ezazo “iziqondiso ezilimazayo” ukuze zivumele isenzo esifana nokweba okunesihluku ngokwedlulele—ukuthatha izimpahla ezingatheni zabafelokazi nezintandane. Yebo, onkulunkulu bamanga bakwa-Israyeli abakuboni lokhu kungabi nabulungisa, kodwa uJehova uyakubona. Ngo-Isaya, uJehova manje ugxilisa ukunaka kwakhe kulaba bahluleli ababi.

19, 20. Sizoshintshwa kanjani isimo sabahluleli abonakele bakwa-Israyeli, futhi kuzokwenzekani ‘enkazimulweni’ yabo?

¹⁹ “Niyokwenzani nina madoda ngosuku lokuhanjelwa nasencithakalweni, lapho ifika ivela kude? Niyobalekela kubani ukuze nithole usizo, futhi niyoyishiyaphi inkazimulo yenu, ngaphandle kokuba umuntu akhothame ngaphansi kweziboshwa futhi abantu baqhubeke bewela ngaphansi kwalabo ababulewe?” (Isaya 10:3, 4a) Abafelokazi nezintandane abanabo abahluleli abathembekile abangakhala kubo. Yeka indlela okufaneleka ngayo-ke ukuthi manje uJehova ubuza labo bahluleli ababi abangama-Israyeli ukuthi bazophendukela kubani njengoba uJehova ebenza balandise manje. Yebo, sebezofunda ukuthi “kuyinto esabekayo ukuwela ezandleni zikaNkulunkulu ophilayo.”—Heberu 10:31.

²⁰ “Inkazimulo” yalaba bahluleli ababi—isithunzi, udumo namandla abawathola ngenxa yengcebo nesikhundla sabo—iyoba okwesikhashana. Abanye bayoba iziboshwa zempi, ‘bakhothame,’ noma baqojame, phakathi kwezinye iziboshwa, abanye bebe bebulawa, izidumbu zabo zimbozwe ngabafele empini. “Inkazimulo” yabo ihlanganisa nengcebo etholakale ngomgunyathi, eyophangwa izitha.

21. Ngenxa yezijeziso ezitholwe ngu-Israyeli, ingabe uJehova useyekile ukubathukuthelela?

²¹ U-Isaya uphetha lesi siqeshana sokugcina ngesixwayiso esisangulukisayo: “Ngenxa yakho konke lokhu [bonke omaye isizwe esiye sabathola] intukuthelo yakhe ayizange ibuye, kodwa isandla sakhe sisalokhu siluliwe.” (Isaya 10:4b) Yebo, kunokwengeziwe uJehova azokusho ku-Israyeli. Isandla sikaJehova esiluliwe ngeke sifinyezwe engakawuchithi umbuso wasenyakatho ohlubukayo.

Ungalokothi Ube Isisulu Samanga Nokuzikhathalela Kwabanye

22. Singafunda siphi isifundo kulokho okwehlela u-Israyeli?

²² Izwi likaJehova alithumela ngo-Isaya lamsinda u-Israyeli futhi ‘alibuyelanga kuye lingabanga namiphumela.’ (Isaya 55:10, 11) Umlando ulandisa ngesiphetho esibuhlungu sombuso wakwa-Israyeli wasenyakatho, futhi singacabanga nje ngokuhlupheka okwadingeka izakhamuzi zakhona zikukhuthazelele. Izwi likaNkulunkulu liyogcwaliseka ngendlela efanayo nakulesi simiso sezinto samanje, ikakhulu kweLobukholwa eliyisihlubuki. Yeka indlela okubaluleke ngayo-ke ukuba amaKristu angayilaleli inkulumo-ze engamanga, ephikisana noNkulunkulu! Ngenxa yeZwi likaNkulunkulu, izindlela zikaSathane ezihlakaniphile sezadalulwa kudala, ukuze zingasiphambi njengoba kwenzeka kubantu bakwa-Israyeli wasendulo. (2 Korinte 2:11) Kwangathi sonke singeyeke ukukhonza uJehova “ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:24) Uma senza kanjalo, isandla sakhe esiluliwe ngeke sibashaye abakhulekeli bakhe njengoba sashaya u-Efrayimi ohlubukayo; izingalo zakhe ziyobanga ngemfudumalo, futhi uyobasiza bahambe emgwaqweni oya ekuphileni okumi phakade epharadesi emhlabeni.—Jakobe 4:8.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 139]

Ububi nobudlova bubhebhetheka kwa-Israyeli kuhle komlilo wequbula

[Isithombe ekhasini 141]

UJehova uyobenza balandise labo abadlala ngabanye