Incwadi YeBhayibheli Yama-28—UHoseya
Umlobi: UHoseya
Yalotshelwa: ESamariya (Isifunda)
Ukuloba Kwaphela: Ngemva kuka-745 B.C.E.
Isikhathi Esihlanganisiwe: Ngaphambi kuka-804–ngemva kuka-745 B.C.E.
1, 2. (a) Ngezinye izikhathi zibizwa ngokuthini izincwadi zokugcina ezingu-12 zemiBhalo YesiHeberu? (b) Yini eyaziwayo ngoHoseya, futhi isiprofetho sakhe siphathelene nobani?
IZINCWADI zokugcina ezingu-12 zemiBhalo yesiHeberu ngokuvamile kubhekiselwa kuzo ngokuthi “abaprofethi abangabalulekile.” Inkulumo esetshenziswa ngokuvamile eJalimane ethi, “abaprofethi abancane,” ibonakala ifaneleka ngokwengeziwe, ngoba lezincwadi azizona nakancane ezingabalulekile, nakuba ubude bazo zihlangene busebuncane kunekaIsaya noma ekaJeremiya. EBhayibhelini lesiHeberu, zazibhekwa njengomqulu owodwa futhi zibizwa ngokuthi “Eziyishumi Nambili.” Mhlawumbe zaqoqelwa ndawonye ngalendlela ngenjongo yokuzilondoloza, njengoba umqulu owodwa omncane wawungase ulahleke kalula. Njengoba kunjalo ngencwadi ngayinye yalezi ezingu-12, eyokuqala iqanjwe ngomlobi wayo, uHoseya, ogama lakhe liwukufushaniswa kwelithi Hoshaya, elisho ukuthi “Osindiswe UJah; UJah Usindisile.”
2 Kulencwadi eqanjwe ngegama lakhe, akukho lutho olwembuliwe ngoHoseya ngaphandle kokuthi wayeyindodana kaBeri. Iziprofetho zakhe cishe ziphathelene noIsrayeli kuphela, njengoba uJuda ethintwa kancane nje; futhi nakuba uHoseya engasho lutho ngeJerusalema, nokho, isizwe sakwaIsrayeli esiyinhloko, uEfrayimi, sigagulwa ngegama izikhathi ezingu-37 futhi inhloko-dolobha yakwaIsrayeli, iSamariya, izikhathi ezingu-6.
3. UHoseya waprofetha isikhathi eside kangakanani, futhi babengobani abanye abaprofethi balenkathi?
3 Ivesi lokuqala lalencwadi lisitshela ukuthi uHoseya wakhonza njengomprofethi kaJehova isikhathi eside ngokungavamile, kusukela ngasekupheleni kokubusa kweNkosi yakwaIsrayeli uJerobowamu II kuze kube sekubuseni kukaHezekiya kwaJuda. Lokho kusukela nganeno kuka-804 B.C.E. kuze kube ngemva kuka-745 B.C.E., iminyaka engengaphansi kwengu-59. Ngokungangabazeki isikhathi sakhe senkonzo yobuprofethi sangenela naseminyakeni ethile yokubusa kukaJerobowamu II noHezekiya. Phakathi nalesikhathi uAmose, uIsaya, uMika, no-Odedi babengabanye abaprofethi bakaJehova abathembekile.—Amose 1:1; Isaya 1:1; Mika 1:1; 2 IziKr. 28:9.
4. Yiziphi izingcaphuno nokugcwaliseka kweziprofetho okuqinisekisa ubuqiniso bencwadi kaHoseya?
4 Ubuqiniso besiprofetho buqinisekiswa ukucashunwa kwaso izikhathi eziningana emiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki. UJesu ngokwakhe wacaphuna uHoseya 10:8 ekukhipheni isahlulelo eJerusalema: “Khona bayakuqala ukuthi ezintabeni: Welani phezu kwethu, nasemagangeni: Sisibekeleni.” (Luka 23:30) Yona futhi lendinyana icashunwe ngokwengxenye kusAmbulo 6:16. UMathewu ucaphuna uHoseya 11:1 ekuboniseni ukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho: “Ngayibiza indodana yami iphume eGibithe.” (Math. 2:15) Isiprofetho sikaHoseya sokubuyiselwa kwawo wonke uIsrayeli sagcwaliseka ngokuthi abaningi ababevela embusweni wezizwe eziyishumi bazihlanganise noJuda ngaphambi kokuthunjwa kwakhe futhi inzalo yabo yayiphakathi kwalabo abaphindela ngemva kokuthunjwa. (Hos. 1:11; 2 IziKr. 11:13-17; 30:6-12, 18, 25; Ezra 2:70) Kusukela esikhathini sikaEzra, lencwadi iye yathatha indawo yayo eyifanele ohlwini lwezincwadi zeBhayibheli zesiHeberu ‘njengezwi likaJehova ngoHoseya.’—Hos. 1:2, NW.
5. UJehova wajezisela uIsrayeli kuphi ukungathembeki?
5 Kungani uJehova athuma uHoseya ukuba abe umprofethi wakhe kwaIsrayeli? Kwakungenxa yokungathembeki kukaIsrayeli nokuzingcolisa ngokukhulekela uBali, eqa isivumelwano sikaJehova. EZweni Lesithembiso, amaIsrayeli ayengabantu bezolimo, kodwa ngokwenza kanjalo awamukelanga nje kuphela indlela yokuphila yabaseKhanani kodwa nenkolo yabo nokukhulekela kwabo uBali, unkulunkulu ofanekisela amandla emvelo okukhiqiza. Osukwini lukaHoseya uIsrayeli wayesekushiye ngokuphelele ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova waphendukela emikhosini exokozelayo, yobudakwa eyayihlanganisa ukuba nobuhlobo bobulili nezifebe zasethempelini. UIsrayeli wabonga uBali ngokuchuma. Wayengathembekile kuJehova, engamfanele, ngalokho kwakudingeka ukuba ayalwe. UJehova wayezombonisa ukuthi izinto zakhe ezibonakalayo zazingaveli kuBali, ngalokho wathuma uHoseya ukuba axwayise uIsrayeli ngokuthi kwakuyosho ukuthini ukwehluleka ukuphenduka. Ngemva kokuba uJerobowamu II esefile, uIsrayeli wabhekana nenkathi esabeka kakhulu. Ukubusa okuletha ingebhe njengoba kwabulawa kukho ababusi abaningana, kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaba sekuthunjweni yiAsiriya ngo-740 B.C.E. Phakathi nalesikhathi, izingxenye ezimbili zazilwa zodwa, enye ifuna ukwakha ubuhlobo neGibithe, futhi enye, ifuna ukubakha neAsiriya. Alikho iqembu elalithembela kuJehova.
6. Yini eyembulwa yindlela kaHoseya yokuloba?
6 Indlela kaHoseya yokuloba yembula okuningi. Ngokuvamile unomusa nozwela ngendlela abeka ngayo amagama futhi ugcizelela ngokuphindaphindiwe umusa kaJehova wothando nobubele. Ugxila esibonakalisweni ngasinye esincane sokuphenduka asibonayo. Ngezinye izikhathi ulimi lwakhe luyahlaba futhi luqhutshwa imizwelo. Nakuba engenaso isigqi, usivalile isikhala saso ngokusebenzisa amandla nokugcizelela. Uveza umuzwa onamandla kakhulu, futhi umqondo uwushintsha ngokushesha.
7. Yini efanekiselwa ukungathembeki kukaGomere nokubuya kwakhe kamuva?
7 Ekuqaleni komsebenzi wakhe wobuprofethi, uHoseya wayalwa ukuba athathe “umfazi ophingayo.” (1:2) Ngokuqinisekile uJehova wayenenjongo ngalokhu. KuJehova uIsrayeli wayebe njengomfazi ongathembekile, ophingayo. Nokho, wayeyombonisa uthando lwakhe futhi azame ukumzuza. UmkaHoseya, uGomere, angakufanekisela ngokunembile lokhu. Kuyaqondakala ukuthi ngemva kokuzalwa komntwana wokuqala, waba ongathembekile futhi ngokusobala wathola abanye abantwana ngokuphinga. (2:5-7) Lokhu kuboniswa ukusho kombhalo ukuthi “wamzalela [uHoseya] indodana” kodwa kungashiwo lutho olubhekisela kumprofethi ngokuqondene nokuzalwa kwabanye abantwana ababili. (1:3, 6, 8) Isahluko 3, amavesi 1-3, abonakala ekhuluma ngokuphinda kukaHoseya athathe uGomere, emthenga sengathi uyisigqila, futhi lokhu kuyafanelana nokuphinda kukaJehova athathe abantu bakhe ngemva kokuba bephendukile enkambweni yabo yokuphinga.
8. Yimaphi amagama asetshenziswa ngokuthekelana kulencwadi?
8 Umbuso wakwaIsrayeli wasenyakatho wezizwe eziyishumi, okuqondiswe kuwo ngokuyinhloko amazwi esiprofetho sikaHoseya, wawaziwa futhi ngokuthi uEfrayimi, okuyigama lesizwe esasivelele embusweni. Lamagama, elithi Israyeli nelithi Efrayimi, asetshenziswa ngokuthekelana kulencwadi.
OKUQUKETHWE INCWADI KAHOSEYA
9. Amagama abantwana bakaGomere abonisani ngendlela uJehova ayeyosebenzelana ngayo noIsrayeli?
9 Inkambo kaIsrayeli yokuphinga iyafanekiswa (1:1–3:5). “Umfazi ophingayo” kaHoseya uzalela umprofethi indodana, uJizreyeli. Kamuva uba nabanye abantwana ababili, indodakazi, uLo-Ruhama, okusho ukuthi “[Yena] Ongahawukelwanga,” nendodana, uLo-Ami, okusho ukuthi “Abangesibo Abantwana Bami.” Lamagama amabili aqanjwa uJehova ukuze abonise ukuthi ‘akasayikuyihawukela indlu yakwaIsrayeli’ nokuba agcizelele ukuyilahla kwakhe isiyonke njengabantu bakhe. (1:2, 6, 9) Nokho, abantwana bakwaJuda noIsrayeli, ‘njengamadodana kaNkulunkulu ophilayo,’ kumelwe baqoqelwe ebunyeni ngaphansi kwenhloko eyodwa, “ngokuba luyakuba-lukhulu usuku lukaJizreyeli.” (1:10, 11) Behlanziwe ekukhulekeleni uBali kokuphinga, abantu bakaNkulunkulu bayobuyela kuJehova futhi bamamukele njengendoda yabo. (2:16) UJehova uyonikeza uIsrayeli ukulondeka futhi uyozimisela yena abe ngumkakhe kuze kube-phakade ngokulunga, ngokwahlulela, ngomusa wothando, ngobubele, nangokwethembeka. Ngokuvumelana negama elithi Jizreyeli (okusho ukuthi “UNkulunkulu Uyohlwanyela Imbewu”), uJehova uyathembisa: “Ngiyakuzitshalela yena ezweni, . . . ngithi kwababengesibo abantu bami: Ningabantu bami, bona bathi: UnguNkulunkulu wethu.” (2:23) Njengomfazi ophendukayo ekuphingeni kwakhe, “abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bayakubuya, bamfune uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo noDavide inkosi yabo.”—3:5.
10. Uyoba yini umphumela wokwenqaba kwesizwe ulwazi?
10 Izahlulelo ezingokwesiprofetho ngokumelene noEfrayimi (noJuda) (4:1–14:9). Ivesi lokuqala lesahluko 4 lethula izixwayiso ezingokwesiprofetho ezilandelayo: “UJehova unokuphikisana nabakhileyo ezweni, lokhu kungekho-qiniso, namusa, nakumazi uNkulunkulu ezweni.” Uyoba yini umphumela walesimo? “Ngokuba ukulahlile ukwazi nami ngiyakukulahla wena, ungabi-ngumpristi wami; lokhu ukhohliwe umthetho kaNkulunkulu wakho nami ngiyakukhohlwa abantwana bakho,” usho uJehova. (4:1, 6) Wona kanye umoya wobufebe uye wabangela ukuba uIsrayeli anhlanhlathe. Kuyoba nokujeziswa kukaIsrayeli noJuda abanjengesifebe, kodwa bayomfuna uJehova lapho bezithola ‘besosizini.’—5:15.
11. UHoseya ubanxusa uthini abantu, kodwa kungani kungumaye kubo?
11 UHoseya unxusa abantu: “[Ma]sibuyele kuJehova, . . . uyakusiphulukisa.” UJehova ujatshuliswa uthando nolwazi lwaphezulu kunemihlatshelo neminikelo yokushiswa, kodwa uthando lukaEfrayimi noJuda “[lu]njengamazolo amuka ekuseni.” (6:1, 4) UEfrayimi “unjengejuba elidukiswayo lingenangqondo.” Abantu baya eGibithe naseAsiriya beyofuna usizo kunokuba baye kuJehova. (7:11) Kungumaye kubo. Ngani? Banovalo, beceba izinto ezimbi, beqa isivumelwano sikaJehova, futhi bayaphambuka emthethweni wakhe. “Ngokuba bahlwanyele umoya, bayakuvuna isivunguvungu.” (8:7) UJehova uyokhumbula ububi babo futhi abahambele ngezono zabo. “Babe-ngabazulazulayo phakathi kwabezizwe.” (9:17) UIsrayeli ungumvini owenabileyo onhliziyo yawo ihlukene. Esikhundleni sokuhlwanyela ngokulunga futhi avune ngomusa, uIsrayeli ulimé ububi futhi wavuna okubi. “Ngayibiza indodana yami iphume eGibithe,” kukhumbuza uJehova. (11:1) Yebo, wamthanda uIsrayeli esengumntwana, kodwa uIsrayeli umzungezile ngamanga nangenkohliso. UJehova uyeluleka: “Buyela wena kuNkulunkulu wakho, ugcine umusa nokulunga, ulindele uNkulunkulu wakho njalonjalo.”—12:6.
12. (a) Yini uHoseya ayifingqayo esahlukweni se-13? (b) Yikuphi ukubuyiselwa okuthenjiswayo?
12 Esahlukweni se-13, uHoseya ufingqa konke lokho okwenzeka ngaphambili ngokuphathelene nesithembiso sikaIsrayeli sokuqala nokunakekela kukaJehova kothando, kanye nokukhohlwa kukaIsrayeli nokugcina kwesizwe ngokuhlubuka kuJehova. UJehova uthi: “Ngikuniké inkosi ngentukuthelo yami, ngayisusa ngolaka lwami.” (13:11) Kodwa-ke kuyoba nokubuyiselwa: “Ngiyakubahlenga esandleni sendawo yabafileyo, ngibahlawulele ekufeni; ziphi izifo zakho, kufa, kuphi ukuchitha kwakho, ndawo yabafileyo, na?” (13:14) Nokho, siyoba esesabekayo ngempela isiphetho seSamariya elihlubukayo.
13. Yikuphi ukunxusa okuphetha incwadi kaHoseya, futhi obani abazohamba ezindleleni zikaJehova?
13 Incwadi iphetha ngokunxusa okudabukisa inhliziyo: ‘Buyela kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, Israyeli, ngokuba ukhubekile ngobubi bakho. Cela uxolo, unikele ngezinkunzi zezindebe zakho. UJehova uyokubonisa ububele nothando. Uyoba njengamazolo aqabulayo kuwe, futhi wena uyoqhakaza njengomnduze nomnqumo.’ Abahlakaniphile nabaqondayo bayoziqonda lezizinto: “Ngokuba izindlela zikaJehova zilungile; abalungileyo bayakuhamba ngazo, kepha abaphambukayo bayakukhubeka ngazo.”—14:1-6, 9.
ISIZATHU SOKUBA IBE NENZUZO
14. Yikuphi ukugcwaliseka okunembile kwesiprofetho sikaHoseya okumelwe kuphawulwe?
14 Incwadi kaHoseya iqinisa ukholo eziprofethweni zikaJehova eziphefumlelwe. Konke uHoseya akuprofetha ngokuphathelene noIsrayeli noJuda kwenzeka. UIsrayeli washiywa izithandwa zakhe phakathi kwezizwe ezingomakhelwane ezikhulekela izithombe futhi wavuna isivunguvungu sembubhiso eyayivela eAsiriya ngo-740 B.C.E. (Hos. 8:7-10; 2 AmaKh. 15:20; 17:3-6, 18) Nokho, uHoseya wayebikezele ukuthi uJehova wayeyobonisa ububele kuJuda futhi amsindise, kodwa hhayi ngamandla ezempi. Lokhu kwagcwaliseka lapho ingelosi kaJehova ibulala ama-Asiriya angu-185 000 ayesongela iJerusalema. (Hos. 1:7; 2 AmaKh. 19:34, 35) Nakuba kunjalo, uJuda wayehlanganisiwe esahlulelweni sikaHoseya 8:14: “Ngiyakuthuma umlilo emizini yakhe, uqede izindlu zayo zobukhosi,” isibikezelo esaba nokugcwaliseka okwesabekayo lapho uNebukadinesari ebhubhisa uJuda neJerusalema, ngo-609-607 B.C.E. (Jer. 34:6, 7; 2 IziKr. 36:19) Iziprofetho eziningi zikaHoseya zokubuyiselwa zagcwaliseka lapho uJehova eqoqela ndawonye uJuda noIsrayeli, futhi ‘baphuma ezweni’ lokuthunjwa kwabo ngo-537 B.C.E.—Hos. 1:10, 11; 2:14-23; 3:5; 11:8-11; 13:14; 14:1-9; Ezra 2:1; 3:1-3.
15. Abalobi bemiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki bazisebenzisa kanjani izingcaphuno ezisencwadini kaHoseya?
15 Ukubhekisela kwabalobi bemiBhalo yamaKristu YesiGreki esiprofethweni sikaHoseya nakho kunenzuzo kakhulu ukuba sikucabangele namuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, uPawulu usebenzisa ngokunamandla uHoseya 13:14 ekuxoxeni ngovuko: “Kufa, kuphi ukunqoba kwakho na? Kufa, luphi udosi lwakho na?” (1 Kor. 15:55) Ekugcizeleleni umusa kaJehova ongasifanele njengoba uboniswa ezitsheni zomusa, uPawulu ucaphuna kuHoseya 1:10 no-2:23: “Njengalokhu esho nakuHoseya ukuthi: Ngiyakubiza abangesiso isizwe sami ngokuthi isizwe sami, nongathandiwe ngokuthi uthandiwe; nasendaweni lapha kwathiwa kubo: Anisibo abantu bami, lapho bayakubizwa ngokuthi abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.” (Roma 9:25, 26) UPetru uzibeka ngamazwi akhe zona lezindinyana ezikuHoseya lapho ethi: “Ekade naningesiso isizwe, kepha manje niyisizwe sikaNkulunkulu, enaningahawukelwanga, kepha manje nihawukelwe.”—1 Pet. 2:10.
16. Yimaphi amazwi kaHoseya uJesu awaphinda njengabonisa izimfuneko zikaJehova zokukhulekela?
16 Kanjalo, isiprofetho sikaHoseya sibonakala singagcwaliseki nje kuphela ekubuyeleni kwensali yangosuku lukaZerubabele kodwa nasekuqoqeni kukaJehova komusa insali engokomoya eba ‘abathandiweyo bakaNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ Ngokuphefumlelwa uHoseya wabona izimfuneko zalokhu. Akukhona ukukhulekela kokuzibonakalisa ngokulandela imicikilisho ethile, kodwa emazwini kaHoseya 6:6 (uJesu awaphinda kuMathewu 9:13 naku-12:7): “Ngifuna uthando, hhayi umhlatshelo; ngifuna ukumazi uNkulunkulu kuneminikelo yokushiswa.”
17. (a) Yini edingekayo nganoma ubani okhubekela ekuphingeni ngokomoya? (b) Yisiphi isithembiso soMbuso esijabulisayo esisencwadini kaHoseya?
17 Umfanekiso womfazi ophingayo owalingiswa ngokucace kakhulu ekuphileni kwakhe siqu uHoseya ubonisa ukuthi uJehova uyabenyanya labo abamshiyayo baphendukele ezindleleni zokukhulekela izithombe nokukhulekela kwamanga, ngaleyondlela bephinga ngokomoya. Bonke abaye bakhubeka ebubini kumelwe babuyele kuJehova ngokuphenduka kweqiniso futhi ‘banikele ngemilomo yabo njengangezinkunzi.’ (Hos. 14:2; Heb. 13:15) Laba bangajabula nensali yabantwana bakwaIsrayeli abangokomoya ekugcwalisekeni kwesithembiso soMbuso sikaHoseya 3:5: “Ngasemuva abantwana bakwaIsrayeli bayakubuya, bamfune uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo noDavide inkosi yabo, babuyele kuJehova benovalo nakukho okuhle kwakhe ngezinsuku ezizayo.”