1. Vamwe vanhu vanofungei panyaya yokunamata Mwari?

VANHU vakawanda mazuva ano vanobvuma kuti zvitendero zvikuru hazvina zvazviri kuita kuti zvibatsire vanhu. Vamwe vanobvumawo kuti Mwari haafariri zvitendero zvakadaro nokuti hazvidzidzisi chokwadi uye muzvitendero izvozvo munoitwa zvinhu zvakaipa. Asi vanodavira kuti muzvitendero zvose mune vanhu vanonamata Mwari nemwoyo wose uye kuti Mwari anogamuchira kunamata kwevanhu ivavo. Vanoona pasina chikonzero chokuti vanhu ivavo vabude muchitendero chenhema vonamata Mwari vasina kubatana nacho. Asi ndiwo maonero anoita Mwari here? Ngationei mhinduro yacho nokuongorora nhoroondo iri muBhaibheri yevanamati vechokwadi vaJehovha.

2. Ndivanaani vakazova vanhu vaJehovha vakasarudzwa uye chii chaivasiyanisa nevamwe? (Ona mufananidzo uri panotangira nyaya ino.)

² Makore anenge 4 000 akapfuura, Jehovha aiva nevanhu vake vaakasarudza vaiva panyika. Abrahamu uyo ainzi “baba  vevaya vose vanotenda,” aitungamirira mhuri yaiva nevanhu vaisvika mazana. (VaR. 4:11; Gen. 14:14) Madzimambo omuKenani aimuti “muchinda mukuru” uye aimuremekedza. (Gen. 21:22; 23:6, Bhaibheri Dzvene MuChiShona Chanhasi.) Jehovha akaita sungano naAbrahamu nevana vake. (Gen. 17:1, 2, 19) Mwari akaudza Abrahamu kuti: “Iyi ndiyo sungano yangu yamuchachengeta, iri pakati pangu nemi, kunyange nevana vako vanokutevera: Vanhurume venyu vose vanofanira kudzingiswa. . . . Uye chichava chiratidzo chesungano pakati pangu nemi.” (Gen. 17:10, 11) Abrahamu pamwe nevarume vose veimba yake vakabva vadzingiswa. (Gen. 17:24-27) Kudzingiswa ndiko kwaisiyanisa vana vaAbrahamu nevamwe vanhu vose kuchiratidza kuti ndivo chete vaiva vanhu vaJehovha.

3. Zvakafamba sei kuti vana vaAbrahamu vawande?

³ Muzukuru waAbrahamu, Jakobho kana kuti Israeri, aiva nevanakomana 12. (Gen. 35:10, 22b-26) Nokufamba kwenguva, vanakomana ava vakazova misoro yemhuri yemadzinza 12 aIsraeri. (Mab. 7:8) Jakobho nemhuri yake vakatamira kuIjipiti nemhaka yenzara. Panguva iyoyo, mwanakomana waJakobho ainzi Josefa akanga ava mutevedzeri waFarao uye aiona nezvokutengeswa kwezvokudya. (Gen. 41:39-41; 42:6) Vazukuru vaJakobho vakaramba vachiwanda, vakava “ungano yemarudzi.”—Gen. 48:4; verenga Mabasa 7:17.

4. Pakutanga, vaIjipiti vaiva neukama hwakaita sei nevaIsraeri?

⁴ VaIsraeri vakaramba vachigara munyika yeGosheni yaiva muIjipiti kwemakore anoti pfuurei 200. (Gen. 45:9, 10) Zvinoita sokuti kwemakore anenge 100 ekutanga, vaiva nerugare nevaIjipiti, vachigara mumataundi maduku vachifudza makwai avo nemombe dzavo. Vainge vagamuchirwa zvakanaka naFarao uyo aizivana naJosefa. (Gen. 47:1-6) VaIjipiti vaisemeswa nevafudzi vemakwai. (Gen. 46:31-34) Kunyange zvakadaro, vakaramba vachigara nevaIsraeri.

5, 6. (a) Zvinhu zvakachinja sei kuvanhu vaMwari pavaiva muIjipiti? (b) Mosesi akaponeswa sei uye Jehovha akaitirei vanhu vake vose?

⁵ Zvisinei, zvinhu zvakazongoerekana zvachinja. “Kwapera nguva yakati, muIjipiti makamuka mumwe mambo mutsva akanga asingazivi Josefa. Iye akati kuvanhu vake: ‘Tarirai! Vanhu vevanakomana vaIsraeri vawanda uye vava nesimba kutipfuura.’ Naizvozvo vaIjipiti vakaita kuti vanakomana vaIsraeri vave varanda vanodzvinyirirwa. Vakaramba vachiita kuti upenyu hwavo huome nokuvaitisa basa rouranda rakaoma rokukanya dhaka nokugadzira zvidhinha, nokuita kuti vaite uranda hwemarudzi ose vachishanda muminda, ihwo uranda hwavo hwemarudzi ose hwavakavaitisa sevaranda vaidzvinyirirwa.”—Eks. 1:8, 9, 13, 14.

⁶ Farao akatorayira kuti vanakomana vose vechiHebheru vaurayiwe pavaizvarwa. (Eks. 1:15, 16) Panguva iyoyo ndipo pakazvarwa Mosesi. Paakanga ava nemwedzi mitatu, amai vake vakamuviga mutsanga dzaiva murwizi rwaNire uye akaonekwa nemwanasikana waFarao. Akabva amutora uye akazomuchengeta semwana wake. Mosesi paainge achiri muduku akarerwa naamai vake chaivo vokubereka vainge vakatendeka vainzi Jokebhedhi uye akazova mushumiri waJehovha akavimbika. (Eks. 2:1-10; VaH. 11:23-25) Jehovha akaona kutambura kwaiita vanhu vake uye akafunga zvokuvanunura achishandisa Mosesi. (Eks.  2:24, 25; 3:9, 10) Saka vaizova vanhu ‘vakadzikinurwa’ kana kuti vakanunurwa naJehovha.—Eks. 15:13; verenga Dheuteronomio 15:15.

7, 8. Jehovha akaitei kuti vanhu vake vave rudzi rutsvene?

⁷ Kunyange zvazvo Jehovha akanga asati aita kuti vaIsraeri vave rudzi, aivaona sevanhu vake. Ndokusaka Mosesi naAroni vakanzi vaudze Farao kuti: “Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari waIsraeri, ‘Rega vanhu vangu vaende kurenje kuti vanondiitira mutambo.’”—Eks. 5:1.

⁸ Farao akanga asingadi kuti vaIsraeri vaende. Saka kuti Jehovha anunure vanhu vake pakudzvinyirirwa kwavaiitwa nevaIjipiti, akaunza matambudziko gumi uye akaparadza Farao nemauto ake muGungwa Dzvuku. (Eks. 15:1-4) Mwedzi mitatu isati yapera, Jehovha akaita sungano nevaIsraeri paGomo reSinai uye akavavimbisa kuti: “Kana mukanyatsoteerera inzwi rangu uye mukachengeta sungano yangu, muchabva mava pfuma yangu chaiyo pakati pemamwe marudzi ose, . . . rudzi rutsvene.”—Eks. 19:5, 6.

9, 10. (a) Sezvinotaurwa pana Dheuteronomio 4:5-8, Mutemo waisiyanisa sei vaIsraeri nevamwe vanhu? (b) VaIsraeri vaifanira kuratidza sei kuti vaiva “rudzi rutsvene kuna Jehovha”?

⁹ VaHebheru pavaiva kuIjipiti vasati vava varanda, mhuri dzavo dzaitungamirirwa nemadzibaba avo. Sezvaingoitwa nevamwe vashumiri vaJehovha vainge vararama kare, misoro yemhuri iyi yaishanda sevatongi uye vapristi kumhuri dzavo. (Gen. 8:20; 18:19; Job. 1:4, 5) Zvisinei, Jehovha akashandisa Mosesi kupa vaIsraeri mutemo waizovasiyanisa nemamwe marudzi. (Verenga Dheuteronomio 4:5-8; Pis. 147:19, 20.) Mutemo wakaita kuti pave nevanhu vaingomirira kuita basa roupristi chete uye pavewo ‘nevarume vakuru’ vaiva neruzivo neuchenjeri vaitonga mhosva. (Dheut. 25:7, 8) Mutemo waitaura zvaifanira kuitwa pakunamata uye pamagariro erudzi rutsva urwu.

¹⁰ VaIsraeri pavainge vava kuda kupinda muNyika Yakapikirwa, Jehovha akadzokororazve mitemo yake uye Mosesi akavaudza kuti: “Kana ari Jehovha, nhasi aita kuti imi mutaure kuti muchava vanhu vake, pfuma yake chaiyo, sezvaakakupikirai, uye kuti muchachengeta mirayiro yake yose, uye kuti achakuisai pamusorosoro pemamwe marudzi ose aakaita, zvichizoita kuti pave nokurumbidzwa nomukurumbira norunako, pamunova rudzi rutsvene kuna Jehovha Mwari wenyu.”—Dheut. 26:18, 19.

11-13. (a) Ndivanaani vakabatana nevanhu vaMwari vakasarudzwa? (b) Munhu aisava muIsraeri aifanira kuitei kana aida kunamata Jehovha?

¹¹ Kunyange zvazvo Jehovha ainge ava nerudzi rwaakasarudza panyika, haana kurambidza mamwe marudzi kuuya kuzomunamata. Somuenzaniso, akabvumira “boka guru revamwe vanhu vakanga vakavhengana” kuti ribatane nevanhu vake paakavabudisa muIjipiti. Boka iroro raisanganisira vaIjipiti. (Eks. 12:38) Zvichida pakati pavo paiva ‘nevashandi vaFarao’ vakateerera shoko raJehovha pakataurwa nezvedambudziko rechinomwe.—Eks. 9:20.

¹² VaIsraeri pavainge vava kuda kuyambuka Joridhani kuti vanotora nyika yeKenani, Mosesi akavaudza kuti vaifanira “kuda mutorwa” ari pakati pavo. (Dheut. 10:17-19) Vanhu vaMwari vaifanira kugamuchira chero vatorwa vaida kuteerera mitemo yakapiwa naMosesi. (Revh. 24:22) Vamwe vanhu vaiva vatorwa vakava  vanamati vaJehovha. Somuenzaniso, muMoabhi ainzi Rute aida kushumira Jehovha. Akaudza Naomi aiva muIsraeri kuti: “Vanhu venyu vachava vanhu vanguwo, naMwari wenyu Mwari wanguwo.” (Rute 1:16) Vanhu ava vemamwe marudzi vakatendeuka vakava vanamati vaJehovha uye vanhurume vacho vakabvuma kudzingiswa. (Eks. 12:48, 49) Jehovha akavagamuchira kuti vavewo pamwe nevanhu vake vaakasarudza.—Num. 15:14, 15.

¹³ Temberi yaSoromoni payakatsaurirwa kuna Jehovha, Soromoni akaratidza kuti vanhu vaisava vaIsraeri vaigonawo kunamata Jehovha. Akati: “Kana munhu wokune imwe nyika asiri wevanhu venyu vaIsraeri anobva kunyika iri kure nokuda kwezita renyu guru uye nokuda kworuoko rwenyu rune simba noruoko rwenyu rwakatambanudzwa, vakauya vakanyengetera vakatarira kuimba ino, teererai muri kumatenga, muri panzvimbo yenyu yamunogara isingachinji, muitire munhu wacho wokune imwe nyika maererano nezvose zvaanoshevedzera kwamuri; kuti marudzi ose enyika azive zita renyu, akutyei sezvinoitwa nevanhu venyu vaIsraeri, uye kuti azive kuti zita renyu rakashevedzwa paimba ino yandavaka.” (2 Mak. 6:32, 33) Kunyangewo panguva yakararama Jesu, chero munhu aida kunamata Jehovha asi asiri muIsraeri aigona kuva pamwe nevanhu vaJehovha.—Joh. 12:20; Mab. 8:27.

14-16. (a)  VaIsraeri vaizova zvapupu zvaJehovha pakudii? (b) Jehovha anotarisira kuti vanhu vake vaitei?

¹⁴ VaIsraeri vainamata Mwari wavo Jehovha, asi mamwe marudzi ainamata vanamwari vawo. Panguva yakararama muprofita Isaya, Jehovha akafananidza zvaiitika munyika nezvinoitwa mudare redzimhosva. Akati vanamwari vemarudzi vaunze zvapupu zvaizovapupurira kana vaiva vechokwadi achiti: “Marudzi ngaaungane ose panzvimbo imwe chete, uye mapoka emarudzi ngaaungane. Ndiani pakati pawo angataura izvi? Uye angaita kuti tinzwe zvinhu zvokutanga here? Ngaagovere zvapupu zvawo, kuti anzi akarurama, kana kuti iwo ngaanzwe ati, ‘Ichokwadi!’”—Isa. 43:9.

 ¹⁵ Vanamwari vemamwe marudzi vakashaya uchapupu hwairatidza kuti vaiva vechokwadi. Vaingova zvidhori zvisingatauri uye zvaitoda kutakurwa. (Isa. 46:5-7) Asi Jehovha akaudza vanhu vake vaIsraeri kuti: “Imi muri zvapupu zvangu, . . . mushumiri wangu wandakasarudza, kuti muzive uye mutende mandiri, kuti munzwisise kuti ndini Iye mumwe chete. Ndisati ndavapo hapana Mwari akaumbwa, uye pashure pangu pakaramba pasina mumwe. Ini—ndini Jehovha, kunze kwangu hakuna mumwe muponesi. . . . Naizvozvo imi muri zvapupu zvangu, . . . uye ini ndini Mwari.”—Isa. 43:10-12.

¹⁶ Vanhu vaJehovha vaifanira kupupurira vachitaura zvinonzwika uye zvakajeka kuti Jehovha ndiye chete Mwari wechokwadi. Jehovha akavati, “vanhu vandakazviumbira, kuti varondedzere kurumbidzwa kwangu.” (Isa. 43:21) Vaizivikanwa sevanhu vaJehovha. Sezvo Jehovha ainge avanunura muIjipiti, aitarisira kuti vamuteerere uye vamukudze saChangamire wavo. Tingati zvavaifanira kuita zvakafanana nezvakazotaurwa nemuprofita Mika kuti zvinofanira kuitwa nevanhu vaMwari vemazuva ano. Akati: “Marudzi ose, achafamba rumwe norumwe nezita ramwari warwo; asi isu, tichafamba nezita raJehovha Mwari wedu nokusingagumi, kunyange nokusingaperi.”—Mika 4:5.

17. Nei Jehovha akaona vaIsraeri ‘somuzambiringa wakaipa’?

¹⁷ Zvinosiririsa kuti vaIsraeri havana kuramba vakatendeka kuna Mwari wavo Jehovha. Vakatanga kunamata vanamwari vematanda uye vematombo sezvaiitwa nemamwe marudzi. Makore anenge 2 800 akapfuura, muprofita Hosiya akanyora kuti: “Israeri muzambiringa uri kuramba uchiipa. . . . Akaita kuti atari dzake dziwande. . . . Mwoyo yavo yava nounyengeri; zvino vachawanikwa vaine mhosva.” (Hos. 10:1, 2) Makore anenge 150 akazotevera, Jeremiya akanyorera vanhu vaJehovha vasina kutendeka mashoko okuti: “Ndakanga ndakudyara somuzambiringa mutsvuku wakanaka kwazvo, wose zvawo uri mbeu yechokwadi. Naizvozvo wandichinjira sei kuva nhungirwa dzakaipa dzomumwe muzambiringa? . . . Vanamwari vako vawakazvigadzirira varipiko? Ngavasimuke kana vangakuponesa panguva yedambudziko rako. . . . “Vanhu vangu—vakandikanganwa.”—Jer. 2:21, 28, 32.

18, 19. (a) Jehovha akaprofita sei kuti aizova nevanhu vatsva vanodanwa nezita rake? (b) Tichakurukurei munyaya inotevera?

¹⁸ VaIsraeri vaifanira kubereka zvibereko zvakanaka nokunamata Jehovha sezvapupu zvake zvakatendeka, asi vakabereka zvibereko zvakaora nokuti vakatanga kunamata zvidhori. Ndokusaka Jesu akaudza vatungamiriri vechiJudha vaiva nounyengeri kuti: “Muchatorerwa umambo hwaMwari hwopiwa rudzi runobereka zvibereko zvahwo.” (Mat. 21:43) Vaya chete vaiva ‘musungano itsva’ yainge yataurwa naJehovha achishandisa muprofita Jeremiya ndivo vaizova rudzi rutsva, kureva Israeri waMwari. Akataura nezvevanhu ava achiti: “Ndichava Mwari wavo, uye ivo vachava vanhu vangu.”—Jer. 31:31-33.

¹⁹ VaIsraeri pavakapanduka, Jehovha akaronga kuti pave naIsraeri waMwari kutanga muna 33 C.E. Asi mazuva ano vanhu vake ndivanaani? Vanhu vanotsvaka Mwari nomwoyo wose vangaziva sei vanamati vechokwadi vaMwari? Izvi ndizvo zvichakurukurwa munyaya inotevera.