Izifundo Ezivela EmiBhalweni: Amose 1:1–9:15

Ukuwa Kwesizwe

“ZILUNGISELELE ukuhlangana noNkulunkulu wakho,” kusho “uJehova, uNkulunkulu-Sebawoti” esizweni sakwaIsrayeli. (Amose 4:12, 13) Isizathu? Ephuphuthekiswe ukuchuma, amaIsrayeli ayekhohlwe uMthetho wakhe futhi ayenecala lokungcolisa izwe lakhe elingcwele ngokukhonza izithombe, ukuziphatha okubi, ukuchitha igazi, nobudlova.

Njengomprofethi kaJehova, uAmose uyamiswa ukuba amemezele isigijimi sesixwayiso hhayi esizweni sakubo sakwaJuda kuphela kodwa ikakhulukazi embusweni wakwaIsrayeli wasenyakatho. Ulahla uIsrayeli ngenxa yenkambo yakhe yokuphila kokuzitika futhi ubikezela ukuwa kwakhe ekugcineni ezandleni zezizwe eziyizitha. Incwadi ka-Amose, eyalotshwa esikhathini esithile phakathi kuka-829 B.C.E. no-804 B.C.E., inikeza ukuqonda amandla kaNkulunkulu okubona kusengaphambili izinhlekelele ezizayo, futhi inikeza izixwayiso ezithile ezifika ngesikhathi.

Ukubhujiswa Okunjengomlilo Kwezitha ZikaNkulunkulu

Akekho ongabalekela izahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kwabonakala kuyiqiniso kanjani ngezizwe zaseDamaseku (iSiriya), iGaza (iFilistiya), iTire, uEdomi, uAmoni,uMowabi, noJuda! UJehova ‘akayikusiphendula’ isandla sakhe ekumelaneni nazo ngenxa yobubi bazo. Noma kunjalo, inhlekelele yazo ebikezelwe yasebenzela nje ukuba igcizelele isahlulelo uIsrayeli ayebhekene naso ngenxa yokwehluleka ukulondoloza ubuhlobo bakhe besivumelwano noNkulunkulu nokumelela imithetho yakhe.—Amose 1:1–2:16.

Lalela isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu. “Nginazile nina kuphela emindenini yonke yomhlaba,” kusho uJehova kuIsrayeli. (Amose 3:2) Nokho, inkambo yabo yesono yabonisa indelelo ngegama likaNkulunkulu nobukhosi bakhe. Abaningi babezimisele ukuceba, behlala ngokunethezeka kobuvila ‘benendlu yasebusika kanye nendlu yasehlobo,’ okwakutholakala ngokulahlekelwa kwabafowabo siqu. (Amose 3:15) Ngezilinganiso ezikhohlisayo, babekhohlise abampofu ngobugovu. Ukulahla kwabo ukukhulekela kweqiniso kwasho ukuthi isijeziso sikaJehova sase sifanelekile. Nokho, ‘uJehova wayengeke enze lutho engalwembulanga ezincekwini zakhe.’ Ngakho, uAmose ubikezela izahlulelo zikaJehova futhi uyabaxwayisa: “Zilungiselele ukuhlangana noNkulunkulu wakho.”—Amose 3:1–4:13.

UJehova Uyinsindiso

UNkulunkulu uyobonisa isihe kulabo abaphendukayo. “Ngifuneni, niphile,” kunxusa uJehova kuIsrayeli. (Amose 5:4) “Zondani okubi, nithande okuhle.” (Amose 5:15) Nokho, amazwi anjalo awanakwa. Izihlubuki zakhetha ukukhuphukela eBethele naseGiligali, izikhungo zokukhulekelwa kwezithombe, ukuze zinikele khona imihlatshelo konkulunkulu bamanga. (Amose 5:26; 1 AmaKhosi 12:28-30) Behlezi emibhedeni ehlotshisiweyo yophondo lwendlovu, abenzi bobubi abazibona belungile bagimbiliza iwayini elimnandi futhi bazijabulisa ngokudla kwekhethelo namafutha. (Amose 5:11; 6:4-6) Luyeza “usuku lukaJehova,” futhi uNkulunkulu ‘uzifungile’ ngokubhujiswa kukaIsrayeli. (Amose 5:18; 6:8) UJehova uyovusa isizwe ukuba sicindezele uIsrayeli futhi simholele ekuthunjweni.—Amose 5:1–6:14.

Yesaba uJehova, hhayi abaphikisi. Imbubhiso kaIsrayeli yayingalethwa uswebezane lwesikhonyane noma umlilo oshisa konke kulothe. UAmose wanxusela uIsrayeli kuNkulunkulu, futhi “uJehova wazisola” ngesahlulelo sakhe, ngakho asizange sikhishwe ngalendlela. Nokho, njengomakhi ohlola ukuqonda kodonga ngentambo yomthofi wokumisa, uJehova ‘akasenakumxolela’ uIsrayeli. (Amose 7:1-8, NW) Lesizwe kumelwe sichithwe. Ethukutheliswe isigijimi somprofethi, uAmasiya, umpristi wokukhulekelwa kwethole, umangalela uAmose ngokungeyikho ngecala lokuvukela isizwe futhi umyala ukuba ‘abalekele ezweni lakwaJuda angabe esaprofetha’ eBethele. (Amose 7:12, 13) Ingabe uAmose uyahoxa ngokwesaba? Cha! Ubikezela ngokungesabi ukufa kuka-Amasiya nenhlekelele ezokwehlela umkhaya wakhe. Njengoba izithelo zibuthwa ngesikhathi sokuvuna, ngakho yisikhathi ngoJehova sokuba alungise izindaba noIsrayeli. Akuyikuba nandlela yokukubalekela.—Amose 7:1–8:14.

Kunethemba ngalabo abathembela kuJehova. ‘Angiyikuyichitha nokho ngokuphelele indlu kaJakobe,’ kusho uJehova. Kusenethemba ngabathile benzalo kaJakobe kodwa hhayi ngezoni. Imbubhiso yazo iqinisekile. Noma kunjalo, uJehova ‘uyobuyisa abathunjiweyo’ bakwaIsrayeli.—Amose 9:1-15.

Izifundo esizifundayo namuhla: Labo abazenza izitha zikaNkulunkulu bayokwahlulelwa njengabafanele ukufa. Nokho, noma yibaphi abalalela isigijimi sesixwayiso saphezulu sokuba baphenduke bayothola umusa kaJehova futhi baqhubeke bephila. Uma simesaba uNkulunkulu, asiyikubavumela abaphikisi basivimbele ukuba senze intando yakhe.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 22]

IZINGCAPHUNO ZEBHAYIBHELI ZIYAHLOLWA

○ 1:5—Imizi yasendulo yayinezindonga eziphakeme namasango amakhulu. Ukuze kuhluthulelwe lamasango, kwakuncikiswa imigoqo emide yensimbi noma yebronze kuwo ngaphakathi. ‘Ukwaphula umgoqo waseDamaseku’ kwakusho ukuthi inhloko-dolobha yase-Aramu yayiyowela kwabaseAsiriya. Kwakuyoba sengathi amasango omuzi wayo awanakuhluthulelwa ngoba imigoqo yawo iphuliwe.—2 AmaKhosi 16:8, 9.

○ 4:1—Abesifazane abathanda ukunethezeka ababehlala eSamariya kwabhekiselwa kubo ngokuthi ‘izinkomo zaseBashani.’ Amadlelo aseBashani anothile anezela ekukhiqizweni kwezilwane zohlobo oluhle. (Duteronomi 32:14; Hezekeli 39:18) Ngokusobala ‘lezinkomo zaseBashani’ ezinobugovu zagqugquzela ‘amakhosi,’ noma abayeni bazo, ukuba baqhwage abampofu imali ukuze bagcwalise “izindlu” zabo “zophondo lwendlovu.” (Amose 3:15) Nokho, izenzo ezinjalo zaphumela esijezisweni saphezulu.

○ 4:6—Inkulumo ethi “ukuhlanzeka kwamazinyo” ichazwa inkulumo ehambisana nayo ethi ‘ukuswela isinkwa.’ Kanjalo kubonakala sengathi ibhekisela esikhathini sendlala, lapho amazinyo ehlanzekile ngoba kungekho lutho oludliwayo. Ngokusobala, uJehova wayebonise ukungawamukeli kwakhe umbuso wezizwe eziyishumi okhonza izithombe ngokuthumela indlala ezweni, njengoba ayexwayisile esikhathini eside ngaphambili. (Duteronomi 28:48) Nokho, lenkulumo noma ezinye zesahlulelo saphezulu azizifinyelelanga izinhliziyo zalabantu abaphula isivumelwano.—Amose 4:6, 8-11.

○ 5:2—Ngesikhathi uAmose ememezela isiprofetho sakhe, abantu kuhlanganise nezwe lakwaIsrayeli kwakungakanqotshwa futhi kungakathunjwa omunye umbuso. Kanjalo, babizwa ngokuthi intombi. Nokho, eminyakeni embalwa nje kuphela, uIsrayeli oyintombi wayeyowela kumaAsiriya futhi ‘athunjelwe ngaphesheya kweDamaseku.’ (Amose 5:27) UAmose wayeqiniseke kangako ngembubhiso kaIsrayeli ngenxa yokungathembeki kwakhe kangangokuba uyichaza ngokuthi seyenzekile kakade.

○ 7:1—’Utshani obusikiwe benkosi’ ngokunokwenzeka babubhekisela enteleni eyayifunwa yinkosi ukuze ithole ukudla kwezilwane zayo namahhashi ayo. Intela yenkosi kwakumelwe ikhokhwe kuqala, ngemva kwalokho abantu babengathola “utshani,” noma uhlaza, ukuze bakusebenzisele izidingo zabo. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba benze kanjalo, kwafika isikhonyane futhi sakudla lokho okwakutshalwe kamuva.

○ 8:2, NW—Izithelo zasehlobo zazikhiwa ngasekupheleni kwenkathi yokuvuna. Ngakho ukuphela konyaka wokulima kwakufanekisela ukuthi uIsrayeli wayefinyelele esiphelweni sakhe. “Angisayikumxolela,” kusho uJehova. Isizwe sasesikufanele ukukhishwa kwesahlulelo sakhe.

○ 9:7—Ngenxa yokhokho bawo abathembekile, uJehova wakhetha amaIsrayeli, wakhulula okhokho bawo ebugqilini baseGibithe, futhi wawaletha eKhanani. Kodwa ayengenasizathu sokuqhosha ngalokhu, ngoba ububi bawo bawanikeza ukuma okufana nokwamaKushe. (Qhathanisa namaRoma 2:25.) Ngokufanayo, ukukhululwa eGibithe kwakungesona isiqinisekiso sokuvunyelwa kwaphezulu okuqhubekayo njengoba kwakunjalo nangeqiniso lokuthi amaFilisti namaAramu ayehlala ezindaweni ezingezona izindawo zawo zokuqala. Ukuba abohlu lozalo lwezinzalamizi ezithembekile kwakungeke kuwasindise amaIsrayeli. Ukuma okuvunyelwe uNkulunkulu kuxhomeke ekuthobeleni intando yakhe.—Amose 9:8-10; IzEnzo 10:34, 35.