Iminyaka yobumnyama bentshabalalo nokufa okwaphawula ukuphela kobukumkani bakwaYuda, yayimele ukuba izise ukuphelelwa lithemba nakweyona ntliziyo yomeleleyo ukuba kwakungengayo inkuthazo yamazwi obuprofeti abathunywa bakaThixo. NgoYeremiya eseYerusalem, ngoDaniyeli ekwinkundla yaseBhabheli, ngoHezekile ekwiindonga zeKebhare, uYehova, ngenceba, wayenza yacaca injongo yaKhe engunaphakade wanika ingqiniseko yentumekelelo yaKhe yokuzalisekisa kubantu baKhe abanyuliweyo izithembiso ezibhalwe ezincwadini zikaMoses. Oko wayethe uya kukwenzela abo bathe banyaniseka kuYe, ngokuqinisekileyo wayeza kukwenza. “[Li]lizwi likaThixo eliphilileyo, elihleliyo ngonaphakade.” 1 Petros 1:23. AN 464.1
Ngemihla yokubhadula entlango, uYehova wayenze umsindleko omkhulu wokuba abantwana baKhe bahlale bewakhumbula amazwi omthetho waKhe. Emva kokulima elaseKanan, imiyalelo engcwele kwakufuneka iphindaphindwe yonke imihla kuwo onke amakhaya; kwakufuneka ibhalwe ngokucacileyo emigubasini nasemasangweni, isasazwe kumacwecwe ezikhumbuzo. Kwakufuneka kubhalwe umculo ngayo ukuze iculwe ngabatsha nabadala. Ababingeleli kwakufuneka befundise le mithetho ingcwele kwimihlangano yabantu bonke baze abalawuli belizwe bayenze isifundo sabo semihla ngemihla. “Uze ucinge ngayo imini nobusuku,” uYehova wamyalela uYoshuwa ngokubhekiselele encwadini yomthetho, “ukuze ugcine, ukwenze konke okubhaliweyo kuyo; ngokuba woba nokuphumelela ngendlela yakho oko, ukwenze ngengqiqo oko.” Yoshuwa 1:8. AN 464.2
Okwakubhalwe nguMoses, kwafundiswa nguYoshuwa kuwo onke amaIsrayeli. “Akwabakho nalinye ilizwi kuwo onke amazwi abewise uMoses umthetho ngawo, angalilesanga uYoshuwa phambi kwebandla lonke lamaIsrayeli, nabafazi, nabantwana, nowasemzini ohamba phakathi kwawo.” Yoshuwa 8:35. Oku kwakuhambelana nomyalelo owawuthe ngqo kaYehova wokwenza ukuba kubekho ukuphindwa kwasesidlangalaleni kwamazwi encwadi yomthetho rhoqo ngeminyaka esixhenxe, ngexesha lesiDlo semiNquba. “Makuqokelelwe bonke abantu [IBHAYIBHILE], amadoda, nabafazi, nabantwana, nomphambukeli osemasangweni akho,” iinkokeli zasemoyeni zikaIsrayeli zaziyalelwe, “ukuze “beve, . . . bafunde ukumoyika uYehova uThixo wenu, yonke imihla enidla ubomi ngayo, kuloo mhlaba eniwela iYordan nisiya kuwuma.” Duteronomi 31:12, 13. AN 465.1
Ukuba eli cebiso laliphulaphulwe kwiinkulungwane ezalandelayo, wawuya kubanjani umahluko kwimbhali kaIsrayeli! Kuphela ngokunika imbeko kwiLizwi likaThixo eliNgcwele eligcinwe lisonwabisa iintliziyo zabantu,ekwakunokwenza ukuba bathembe ukuyizalisekisa injongo engcwele. Yaba kukuxabisa umthetho kaThixo okwanika uIsrayeli amandla ngexesha lokulawula kukaDavide nakwiminyaka yokuqala kulawulo lukaSolomon; kwakungokholo kwilizwi eliphilileyo ukuze uhlaziyo lwenzeke ngemihla kaEliya nekaYosiya. Kwaye kukwezi ziBhalo zenyaniso, elona lifa lityebileyo likaIsrayeli, apho uYeremiya wabhenela khona kumalinge akhe okuzisa uhlaziyo. Kuyo yonke indawo awayelungiselela kuyo wahlangana nabantu enesibheno, esithi, “Waveni amazwi alo mnqophiso,” amazwi aya kubazisela ukuyiqonda ngokupheleleyo injongo kaThixo yokugqithisela kuzo zonke iintlanga ukuyazi inyaniso esindisayo. Yeremiya 11:2. AN 466.1
Kwiminyaka yokugqibela yokreqo lukaYuda, izibongozo zomprofeti zazibonakala zingathi zinegalelo elincinane kakhulu; kwathi, ngexesha imikhosi yamaKaledi yayibuya okwesithathu nokokugqibela ukuba ingqinge iYerusalem, labaleka ithemba ebantwini. UYeremiya waprofeta ngentshabalalo egqibeleleyo; kwaza kwabangokuzingisa kwakhe ukuba kunikezelwe okwenza ukuba ekugqibeleni aphoswe entolongweni. UThixo Yena akazange asiyekele ekuphelelweni lithemba isisalela esithembekileyo esasisahleli esixekweni. Kanti nangexesha uYeremiya wayesabekwe phantsi kweliso elibukhali ngabo babehlekisa ngezigidimi zakhe, kwafika kuye iintyilelo ezintsha ngokubhekiselele kwintumekelelo yeZulu ukuxolela nokusindisa, izinto ezo ezazisoloko zingumthombo ongatshiyo wentuthuzelo ebandleni likaThixo ukususela ngaloo mini ukuza ngoku. AN 466.2
Ebambelele ngokuqinileyo kwizithembiso zikaThixo, uYeremiya, ngomzekeliso owenziwayo, wabonisa phambi kwabemi besixeko esifikelele esiphelweni ukholo lwakhe oluqinileyo ekuzalisekeni ekugqibeleni kwenjongo kaThixo ngabantu baKhe. Phambi kwamangqina, ngokuthobela nonophelo konke okusemthethweni, wathenga ngeshumi elinesixhenxe eshekele zesilivere, intsimi yooyisemkhulu eyayikummandla kaAnatoti, owawukufuphi. AN 466.3
Ngokokubona komntu, ukuthengwa kwalo mhlaba kummandla osele uphantsi kolawulo lwamaBhabheli, kwabonakala kusisenzo sobuyatha. Umprofeti ngokwakhe wayexele kwangaphambili ngokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem, ukubhuqwa kukaYuda, nokutshatyalaliswa ngokupheleleyo kobukumkani. Wayesoloko eprofeta ngexesha elide lokuthinjwa kwiBhabheli eyayikude. Sele ekhulile eminyakeni, wayengenakho ukuthemba ukuba angafumana ulutho kwintengo ayenzileyo. Noko kunjalo, ukufunda kwakhe iziprofeto ezazibhalwe kwiziBhalo kwadala ngaphakathi entliziyweni yakhe ukukuqonda ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba uYehova wayejonge ukubuyisela ebantwaneni abasekuthinjweni oko babenako kwakudala, eZweni leDinga. Ngeliso lokholo, uYeremiya wababona ababethinjiwe bebuya ekupheleni kweminyaka yengcikivo bephinda ukuwuma umhlaba wooyise. Ngokuthenga ilifa lika-Anatoti, wayesenza oko awayenakho ukukhuthaza abanye ngethemba elazisa intuthuzelo kweyakhe intliziyo. AN 469.1
Wathi akuba ewasayinile amaphepha okunikwa umhlaba, wafumana iintsayino zamangqina, uYeremiya wayalela uBharuki owayembhalela: “Thabatha ezi ncwadi, incwadi yentengo le itywiniweyo, nencwadi le ivulekileyo, uzibeke esityeni somdongwe, ukuze zihlale imihla emininzi. Ngokuba utsho uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaIsrayeli, ukuthi, Kuya kubuya kuthengwe izindlu, namasimi, nezidiliya, kweli lizwe.” Yeremiya 32:14, 15. AN 469.2
Wawutyhafisa kakhulu umbono kaYuda ngexesha loku kuthengiselana kungaqhelekangakangangokubakwakamsinyane kwakuba kugqitywe imininingwana nokulungiselelwa kokugcinwa kwengxelo ebhaliweyo, ukholo lukaYeremiya, nangona lungashukunyiswanga, ngoku lwavavanywa kakhulu. Ingaba, ngokuzama kwakhe ukukhuthaza uYuda, wenza ngobuganga? Kulangazelelo lwakhe lokumisa ukuthenjwa kwezithembiso zelizwi likaThixo, ingaba wenza ukuba kubekho ithemba eliphuthileyo? Abo babengene kulwalamano lomnqophiso noThixo kwakuse kukudala bawagculela amalungiselelo awenziwa ngenxa yabo. Ingaba izithembiso kwabo banyuliweyo zazingaze zizaliseke ngokupheleleyo? AN 470.1
Edidekile emoyeni, ethotyelwe phantsi yintlungu ngenxa yokuphatheka kakubi kwabo balayo ukuguquka ezonweni zabo, umprofeti wabhenela kuThixo ukuba anike ukukhanya okungaphezulu ngokubhekiselele kwinjongo yezulu ngabantu. AN 470.2
“Awu, Nkosi yam Yehova!” wathandaza, “Yabona, walenza izulu nehlabathi ngamandla akho amakhulu, nangengalo yakho eyolukileyo; akukho nto ikunqabeleyo. Unguwenza inceba kumawaka, uphindezela ubugwenxa booyise esondweni loonyana babo emva kwabo; uloThixo mkhulu, uligorha, ugama lakhe linguYehova wemikhosi; ucebo likhulu, uzenzo zincamisileyo ngamandla; umehlo avulekileyo phezu kweendlela zonke zoonyana babantu, ukuba umnike ulowo ngokweendlela zakhe, nangokweziqhamo zezenzo zakhe; wamisayo imiqondiso nezimanga ezweni laseYiputa, unanamhla nakumaIsrayeli nakwabanye abantu, wazenzela igama, njengoko kunjalo namhla. Wabakhupha abantu bakho amaIsrayeli ezweni leYiputa ngemiqondiso, nangezimanga, nangesandla esithe nkqi, nangengalo eyolukileyo, nangoloyikiso olukhulu.Wabanika elilizwe wabafungelayo ooyise,ukuba woba nikailizwe elibaleka amasi nobusi. Beza ke balihlala; kodwa abaliphulaphula izwi lakho, abahamba ngomyalelo wakho; konke owabawiselayo umthetho ngako ukuba bakwenze, abakwenza; wabahlisela ke bonke obu bubi.” Iindima 17-23. AN 470.3
Imikhosi kaNebhukadenetsare yayise iza kuzihlasela ngamandla iindonga zeZiyon. Amawaka atshabalala kwilinge lokugqibela lokukhusela isixeko. Amawaka amaninzi ayesifa yindlala nesifo. Isiphelo seYerusalem sasesitywiniwe. Imikhosi yotshaba engqingayo yayise izivelele iindonga. “Yabona, iindonga zokungqinga,” waqhubeka umprofeti nokuthandaza kuThixo; “zifikile kulo mzi, ukuba ziwuthimbe; umzi ke unikelwe esandleni samaKaledi alwayo nawo ngekrele, nangendlala, nangendyikitya yokufa. Ilizwi owalithethayo lenzekile; nali ulibona. Ke wena, Nkosi yam Yehova, uthe kum, zithengele intsimi ngemali, ungqinise amangqina; wakubona ukuba umzi lo unikelwe esandleni samaKaledi.” Iindima 24, 25. AN 471.1
Umthandazo womprofeti waphendulwa ngobubele. “Kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya” ngaloo yure yoxinzelelo, xa ukholo lomthunywa wenyaniso lwaluvavanywa oku kokungathi kungomlilo, lisithi, “Yabona, ndinguYehova, uThixo wenyama yonke; kukho nto indinqabeleyo na? Iindima 26, 27. Umzi wawuza kuwela esandleni samaKaledi kungekudala; amasango awo namabhotwe ayeza kutshiswa ngomlilo; kodwa, sekunjalo, into yokuba intshabalalo yayisondele baye abemi baseYerusalem beza kusiwa ekuthinjweni, yonainjongo engunaphakade kaYehovangoIsrayelikwakusafuneka izalisekile. Ekuwuphenduleni ngakumbi umthandazo womkhonzi waKhe, uYehova wathetha oku ngokubhekiselele kwabo izohlwayo zaKhe zazibafikele: AN 471.2
“Yabona, ndiyababutha emazweni onke, endabagxothela kuwo ngomsindo wam, nangobushushu bam, nangoburhalarhume obukhulu; ndobabuyisela kule ndawo, ndibahlalise bekholosile. Baya kuba ngabantu bam, mna ndibe nguThixo wabo; ndibanike intliziyo enye, nendlela enye, ukuze bandoyike imihla yonke, kulunge kubo, nakoonyana babo emva kwabo. Ndiya kubenzela umnqophiso ongunaphakade, ukuba ndingabuyi ekubalandeleni, ukuba ndibenzele okulungileyo, ndibeke ukundoyika entliziyweni yabo, ukuze bangandishiyi. Ndoba nemihlali ngabo, ndibenzele okulungileyo, ndibatyale kweli lizwe ndinyanisile, ngentliziyo yam yonke nangomphefumlo wam wonke. AN 472.1
“Ngokuba utsho uYehova ukuthi, Njengoko ndabaziselayo aba bantu bonke obu bubi bukhulu kangaka, ndiya kwenjenjalo ukubazisela konke okulungileyo endikuthethayo ngabo. Kuya kuthengwa amasimi kweli lizwe nithi, Kusenkangala, alinabantu nankomo, linikelwe esandleni samaKaledi. Baya kuthenga amasimi ngemali, bawabhale encwadini itywinwe; bathabathe amangqina ezweni lakwaBhenjamin, nangeenxa zonke kwiYerusalem, nasemizini yakwaYuda, nasemizini yasezintabeni, nasemizini yasezithabazini, nasemizini yelasezantsi; ngokuba ndiya kukubuyisa ukuthinjwa kwabo; utsho uYehova. Iindima 37-44. AN 472.2
Ukuqinisekisa ezi ngqinisekiso zokuhlangulwa nokubuyiselwa,“kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya okwesibini,esavalelwe entendelezweni yentolongo, lisithi: AN 472.3
“Utsho uYehova, uMenzi woku; uYehova, uMyili woku, ukuba akuzimase; ugama lakhe linguYehova ukuthi, Ndinqule, ndikuphendule, ndikuxelele izinto ezinkulu ezinqabileyo, ongazaziyo. Ngokuba utsho uYehova, uThixo kaIsrayeli, ngazo izindlu zalo mzi, nangezindlu zokumkani wakwaYuda ezidiliziweyo ngenxa yeendonga zokungqinga, nangenxa yekrele; . . . Yabona, ndiwubopha ngezinto ezibotshwayo, eziphilisayo, ndibaphilise, ndibatyhilele ukuphuphuma koxolo nenyaniso. Ndiya kukubuyisa ukuthinjwa kukaYuda nokuthinjwa kukaIsrayeli, ndibakhe njengokwasekuqaleni. Ndobahlambulula ebugwenxeni babo bonke. . . . Lo mzi uya kuba ligama lemihlali kum, indumiso nesihombo kwiintlanga zonke zehlabathi, eziya kukuva konke okulungileyo endikwenzayo kuwo, zinkwantye, zigungqe ngenxa yokulunga konke, nangenxa yoxolo lonke, endiwenzela lona. AN 473.1
“Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Kuya kubuya kuviwe kule ndawo, nitshoyo ukuthi, ilinxuwa, ayinabantu, ayinankomo, emizini yakwaYuda, nasezitratweni zaseYerusalem, . . . izwi lemihlali nezwi lemivuyo; izwi lomyeni nezwi lomtshakazi; izwi labathi, Bulelani kuYehova wemikhosi ngokuba elungile uYehova, ngokuba ingunaphakade inceba yakhe; abazisa imibulelo endlwini kaYehova. Ngokuba ndiya kukubuyisa ukuthinjwa kwelizwe, limiwe njengokwasekuqaleni, utshilo uYehova. AN 473.2
“Utsho uYehova wemikhosi ukuthi, Kule ndawo ilinxuwa, ingenabantu, ingenankomo, nasemizini yayo yonke, kuya kubuya kubekho ikriwa labalusi, ababuthela imihlambi yabo kulo. Emizini yasezintabeni, nasemizini yasezithabazini, nasemizini yelasezantsi, nasezweni lakwaBhenjamin, nangeenxa zonke eYerusalem, nasemizini yakwaYuda, iya kubuya igqithe imihlambi phantsi kwezandla zoyibalayo; utsho uYehova. AN 474.1
“Yabona, kuza imihla, utsho uYehova, endiya kulimisa ilizwi elilungileyo, endalithethayo kwindlu kaIsrayeli nakwindlu kaYuda.” Yeremiya 33:1-14. AN 474.2
Lathuthuzelwa njalo ibandla likaThixo ngenye yezona yure zazimnyama zongquzulwano olude nemikhosi yobubi. USathana wayebonakala ngathi uyoyisa kwimizamo yakhe yokutshabalalisa uIsrayeli; kodwa uYehova wayelawula phezu kwaziganeko zelo xesha, kwathi kwiminyaka eyayiza kulandela, kwafuneka ukuba abantu baKhe balifumane ithuba lokulungisa oko kwadlulayo. Isigidimi saKhe esiya ebandleni sasisithi: AN 474.3
“Musa ukoyika, mkhonzi wam Yakobi, . . . ungaqhiphuki mbilini, Israyeli; ngokuba,uyabona, ndiya kukusindisa usekude, nembewu yakho ezweni ethinjelwe kulo, abuye uYakobi, azole, onwabe, angagubhi. Ngokuba ndinawe, utsho uYehova, ukuze ndikusindise.”“ngokuba ndiya kukubopha, ndiyipholise imivumbo yakho.” Yeremiya 30:10, 11, 17. AN 474.4
Ngemini yovuyo yokubuyiselwa, izizwe zikaIsrayeli owahlukeneyo ziya kumanywa ngokutsha zibe ngabantu abanye. UYehova uya kwamkelwa njengomlawuli “kwimizalwane yonke yakwaIsrayeli.” “Baya kuba ngabantu bam [KJV].” Watsho. “Memelelani ngoYakobi, nivuye, nitsholoze ngentloko yeentlanga; vakalisani, dumisani, yithini, [474] Basindise, Yehova, abantu bakho, amasalela akwaIsrayeli Yabona, ndiyabazisa bevela ezweni lasentla, ndibabuthe eziphelweni zehlabathi; beneemfama neziqhwala; . . . Baya kuza belila, ndibakhokele betarhuzisa; ndibase emilanjeni yamanzi ngendlela ethe tye, bengakhubeki kuyo; kuba ndinguyise kuIsrayeli, uEfrayim ngowamazibulo am.” Yeremiya 31:1, 7-9. AN 474.5
Bethobekile emehlweni ezizwe, abo bakha baziwa njengabathandiweyo liZulu ngaphezu kwezizwe zomhlaba, babeza kufunda ekuthinjweni isifundo sokuthobela esifuneka kakhulu kulonwabo lwabo lwexesha elizayo. Bade basifunde esi sifundo, uThixo wayengenakho ukubenzela konke awayelangazelela ukukwenza. “Ndokuthethisa ngokusesikweni, ndingathi umsulwa kwakanye,” watsho echaza injongo yaKhe yokubohlwaya ukuze balungelwe ngokwasemoyeni. Yeremiya 30:11. Kanti ke abo wayebanike uthando lwaKhe olunobubele babengabekelwanga ecaleni umphelo; phambi kwezizwe zomhlaba wayeza kubonakalalisa icebo laKhe lokukhupha uloyiso koko kubonakala ngathi kukoyiswa, ukusindisa endaweni yokutshabalalisa. Umprofeti wanikwa isigidimi: AN 475.1
“Umchithachithi kaIsrayeli uya kumbutha, amgcine njengomalusi egcina umhlambi wakhe. Ngokuba uYehova ummisele wamkhulula uYakobi; umhlawulele wamkhulula esandleni sowomeleleyo kunaye. Baya kuza bamemelele ezindulini zaseZiyon, basinge kwizinto ezilungileyo zikaYehova, engqoloweni, nasewayinini entsha, naseolini, nasemgqekwini weegusha, neenkomo; imiphefumlo yabo ibe njengomyezo onyelwa ngamanzi uvunde;bangabi saphinda bathe amandla. . . . ndisenze isijwili sabosibe yimihlali, ndibathuthuzele, ndibavuyise, bangabi nasingqala. Ndowuseza uhluthe umphefumlo wababingeleli ngamafutha, bahluthe abantu bam zizinto zam ezilungileyo; utsho uYehova.” AN 475.2
“Utsho uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaIsrayeli, ukuthi, Basaya kulithetha eli lizwi ezweni lakwaYuda nasemizini yakhona, ekukubuyiseni kwam ukuthinjwa kwabo, lokuthi, UYehova makakusikelele, khaya lobulungisa, ntaba yobungcwele. Aya kuma khona amaYuda nemizi yawo yonke kunye; abalimi, nabahamba emathanga benemihlambi yabo. Ngokuba ndiyawuseza uhluthe umphefumlo wonke othe amandla.” AN 476.1
“Yabona, kuza imihla, utsho uYehova, endiya kwenza umnqophiso omtsha nendlu kaIsrayeli nendlu kaYuda; ungabi njengomnqophiso endawenza noyise ngomhla endababambayo ngesandla, ukuba ndibakhuphe ezweni leYiputa; umnqophiso wam abasuka bawaphula bona, nangani bendiyindoda yabo; utsho uYehova. Nguwo ke lo umnqophiso, endiya kuwenza nendlu kaIsrayeli emva kwaloo mihla, utsho uYehova: ndiya kuwubeka umyalelo wam emibilinini yabo, ndiwubhale ezintliziyweni zabo, ndibe nguThixo wabo, babe ngabantu bam; bangabi safundisa elowo ummelwane wakhe; elowo umzalwana wakhe, besithi, Mazini uYehova; ngokuba bonke bephela baya kundazi, kuthabathela kwabancinane kuse kwabakhulu, utsho uYehova; ngokuba ndiya kubuxolela ubugwenxa babo, ndingabi sasikhumbula isono sabo.” Yeremiya 31:10-14, 23-25, 31-34. AN 476.2