1, 2. (a) Kunyaka wesine wolawulo lukaYehoyakim, yiyiphi ingxaki awahlangabezana nayo uBharuki? (b) UYehova wamnceda njani uBharuki?

 UMBHALI othembekileyo kaYeremiya uBharuki wayetyhafile. Yayingunyaka wesine wolawulo lukaKumkani uYehoyakim ongendawo, okanye malunga nowama-625 B.C.E. UYeremiya waxelela lo mbhali ukuba abhale kumqulu wencwadi onke amazwi uYehova awathethe kumprofeti ngeYerusalem noYuda, izinto awazithetha kwiminyaka engaphezu kwengama-23 yokuprofeta kukaYeremiya. (Yer. 25:1-3; 36:1, 2) UBharuki akazange awafundele ngoko nangoko amaYuda oko kwakuqulethwe ngulo mqulu. Wayeza kukufunda ngonyaka olandelayo. (Yer. 36:9, 10) Kodwa ngaba kwakukho into eyayimkhathaza uBharuki?

² UBharuki wakhalaza esithi: “Yeha, ke mna, kuba uYehova wongezelele intlungu kwingqaqambo yam! Ndityhafile ngenxa yokuncwina kwam.” Kusenokwenzeka ukuba nawe ukhe uzive utyhafile maxa wambi, enoba oko uyakuchaza okanye ukugcina entliziyweni. Enokuba wakwenza njani oku uBharuki, uYehova wayephulaphule. UMhloli weentliziyo zabantu wayeyazi into eyayikhathaza uBharuki yaye esebenzisa uYeremiya, wamlungisa. (Funda uYeremiya 45:1-5.) Usenokuzibuza isizathu sokuba uBharuki azive etyhafe ngolu hlobo. Ngaba yayisisabelo awayesinikiwe okanye mhlawumbi ziimeko awayeza kusiphumeza kuzo? Ingxaki yayisentliziyweni yakhe. Kuyabonakala ukuba uBharuki ‘wayefuna izinto ezinkulu.’ Zaziyintoni ezo zinto?  UYehova wamqinisekisa ukuba uza kumnika ntoni xa ethe wasamkela isiluleko nolwalathiso lwakhe? Yaye sinokufunda ntoni kumava kaBharuki?

 3. Wawuyintoni oyena nobangela wengxaki kaBharuki?

³ Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uBharuki wayezazi ezo ‘zinto zinkulu.’ Lo mbhali wayesazi ukuba “amehlo [kaThixo] asezindleleni zomntu, yaye onke amanyathelo akhe uyawabona.” (Yobhi 34:21) Yayingesosabelo esasibangela ukuba uBharuki avakalelwe kukuba ‘akanandawo yokuphumla’ ngoxa wayekhuphela amazwi esiprofeto sikaYeremiya. Yindlela awayekujonga ngayo okona kwakubonakala kukukhulu—oko kwakusentliziyweni yakhe. Ekubeni wayezifuna ngamandla “izinto ezinkulu,” uBharuki wazilibala ezona zinto zibalulekileyo, ezaziphathelele ukuthanda kukaThixo. (Fil. 1:10) INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha ichaza umongo wesibizo esisetyenzisiweyo ize iwuguqulele ngokuthi ‘waqhubeka efuna.’ Ngoko le yayingeyongcinga nje edlulayo. UBharuki wayesele ezifuna ezi ‘zinto zinkulu’ xa uYehova wayemlumkisa ukuba ayiyeke loo ngcinga. Nangona unobhala kaYeremiya owayethembekile wayesenza ukuthanda kukaThixo, kwangaxeshanye wayelangazelela ukuzifunela “izinto ezinkulu.”

4, 5. Kutheni kusenokwenzeka ukuba “izinto ezinkulu” ezazifunwa nguBharuki zaziquka ukufumana udumo, yaye kutheni isilumkiso sikaYehova sasifanelekile nje?

⁴ Enye into ekusenokwenzeka ukuba yayikhathaza uBharuki ludumo nesikhundla. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayengengonobhala kaYeremiya nje kuphela. KuYeremiya 36:32, kuthethwa ngaye ‘njengonobhala.’ Ubungqina babembi bezinto zakudala bubonisa ukuba wayeligosa eliphezulu ebukhosini. Eneneni, kusetyenziswa isibizo esifanayo ‘nakuElishama unobhala,’ owayephakathi kweenkosana zakwaYuda. Oku kubonisa ukuba uBharuki wayengena “kwigumbi lokudlela likanobhala” ‘elalisendlwini yokumkani’  njengomnye wabantu ababesebenza noElishama. (Yer. 36:11, 12, 14) Ngoko ke, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uBharuki wayelelona gosa lifundileyo kwindlu yasebukhosini. Umntakwabo uSeraya wayeligosa lendlu kaKumkani uZedekiya yaye wayehambe nokumkani xa esiya kwenza izinto ezibalulekileyo eBhabhiloni. (Funda uYeremiya 51:59.) Njengegosa lendlu, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uSeraya wayenyamekela impahla nendawo eza kuhlala kuyo ikumkani xa ingekho sekhaya, yaye eso yayisisikhundla esiphezulu.

⁵ Sinokusiqonda isizathu sokuba umntu oqhele isikhundla eziphezulu atyhafiswe kukubhala izigidimi zokugwetywa kukaYuda, ezibhala ngokulandelelana kwazo. Phofu ke, ukuxhasa kukaBharuki umprofeti kaThixo kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakusibeka esichengeni isikhundla nomsebenzi wakhe. Yaye khawucinge ngemiphumo eyayiza kwenzeka xa uYehova echithe oko wayekwakhile, njengoko sifunda kuYeremiya 45:4. “Izinto ezinkulu” awayecinga ngazo uBharuki—enoba kukufumana isikhundla esingakumbi kwinkundla yasebukhosini okanye ubutyebi bezinto eziphathekayo—zaziza kuba lilize. Ukuba uBharuki wayefuna isikhundla kwinkqubo yakwaYuda eyayigwetyiwe ngelo xesha, uThixo wayenesizathu sokumlumkisa ngolo tyekelo lwakhe.

6, 7. Ukuba ukufuna kukaBharuki “izinto ezinkulu” kuthetha ukufuna izinto eziphathekayo, isimo sakhe sengqondo sasiza kufuna nesabaphi abantu bexesha lakhe?

⁶ Kwelinye icala, kusenokwenzeka ukuba ‘izinto ezinkulu’ ezazifunwa nguBharuki zaziquka izinto eziphathekayo. Iintlanga ezazingqonge uYuda zazixhomekeke kwizikhundla nobutyebi. UMowabhi wayethembele ‘kwimisebenzi nobuncwane’ bakhe. UAmoni wenza okufanayo. Esebenzisa uYeremiya uYehova wathi iBhabhiloni ‘yayinentabalala yobuncwane.’ (Yer. 48:1, 7; 49:1, 4; 51:1, 13) Noko ke, isibakala sikukuba uThixo wazigweba ezo ntlanga.

⁷ Ukuba uBharuki wayefuna indlu nobutyebi, unokusiqonda isizathu sokuba uYehova amlumkise nxamnye nezo  zinto. Xa uThixo ‘esolula isandla sakhe nxamnye’ namaYuda, izindlu namasimi awo ayeza kunikelwa kwiintshaba. (Yer. 6:12; 20:5) Masithi wawuphila kunye noBharuki eYerusalem. Inkoliso yamadoda elizwe lakho—kuquka iinkosi, ababingeleli, nokumkani ngokwakhe—ivakalelwa kukuba ifanele ilwe neBhabhiloni ehlaselayo. Sekunjalo, uvile ngesigidimi sikaYeremiya esithi: “Khonzani ukumkani waseBhabhiloni nize niqhubeke niphila.” (Yer. 27:12, 17) Ngaba bekuya kuba lula ukuthobela olo lwalathiso lukaThixo ukuba ubunezinto ezininzi kweso sixeko? Ngaba indlela ozijonga ngayo ezo zinto unazo ibiya kubangela ukuba uthobele isilumkiso sikaYeremiya okanye ulandele ikhondo labaninzi? Eneneni, zonke izinto ezixabisekileyo zakwaYuda naseYerusalem, kuquka ezo zazisetempileni, zaqokelelwa zasiwa eBhabhiloni. Ngoko ukufuna ukuqokelela izinto eziphathekayo kwakuza kuba lilize. (Yer. 27:21, 22) Ngaba ikho into esinokuyifunda apha?

8, 9. Kutheni unokuthi ukufumana kukaBharuki umphefumlo wakhe njengexhoba kwakubalulekile?

⁸ Ngoku khawucinge ngale meko: UBharuki wayeza kufumana ntoni ngokuthobela umyalelo kaThixo? Umphefumlo wakhe. Wayeza kuba ‘lixhoba’ elithinjiweyo. (Funda uYeremiya 45:5.) Bambalwa gqitha abantu abasindayo. Yayingoobani? Ngabo bathobela ulwalathiso lukaThixo lokuzinikezela kumaKhaledi. (Yer. 21:9; 38:2) Abanye basenokuzibuza, ‘Ngaba kuphela komvuzo abawufumanayo ngokuthobela kwabo?’

 ⁹ Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wemeko yeYerusalem xa yayingqingwe yiBhabhiloni. IYerusalem yabandezeleka kakhulu ngexesha elide lokungqingwa kwayo. Ngokwahlukileyo koko, iSodom yona yabhukuqwa ngephanyazo. Kusengqiqweni ukuthi, ukutshatyalaliswa kweSodom kumele ukuba kwakunyamezeleka. (IZili. 4:6) UBharuki wabhala isiprofeto sokuba abemi baseYerusalem babeza kubulawa likrele, yindlala okanye indyikitya yokufa. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayibona inzaliseko yeso siprofeto. IYerusalem yaphelelwa kukutya. Yayisothusa ngokwenene into yokuba kwisixeko apho oomama, ngokuqhelekileyo ‘abanemfesane,’ babebilisa yaye besitya abantwana babo. (IZili. 2:20; 4:10; Yer. 19:9) Sekunjalo, uBharuki wasinda. Phezu kwazo nje ezo ziphithiphithi, ubomi baba lixhoba,  babufana nomvuzo onikwa abantu aboyise emkhosini. Licacile elokuba, uBharuki wasamkela isiluleko sikaThixo sokungafuni “izinto ezinkulu.” Ngenxa yoko uYehova wamxhasa, kuba wasinda.—Yer. 43:5-7.

10, 11. Ingxelo kaBharuki isichaphazela njani thina namhlanje nangokwabantu ngabanye?

¹⁰ Nangona uBharuki wayexakekile esenza ukuthanda kukaThixo, kangangethuba elithile wayesilwa nomnqweno wokufuna “izinto ezinkulu.” UYehova wamlumkisa ngengozi awayejamelene nayo ibe wasindiswa kwintlekele yokomoya nasekufeni. Ngokufanayo noBharuki, ngaba nathi sinokonganyelwa yiminqweno eyendeleyo, kwangaxeshanye sibe sixakekile enkonzweni kaYehova?

¹¹ Eyona nto imele ukuba yayilucelomngeni ngamandla kuBharuki, kukufuna ukuzenzela igama. Mhlawumbi wayede azibuze: ‘Ngaba ndiza kukwazi ukuhlala “ndingunobhala”? Ngaba andinakunyukela kwisikhundla esingaphezulu kunesi?’ Kuthekani ke ngathi? Khawuzibuze, ‘Ngaba “ndinamabhongo” afihlakele entliziyweni okufuna ukuzenzela igama kweli hlabathi ngoku okanye kwikamva?’ Amanye amaKristu aselula anokuzibuza lo mbuzo, ‘Ngaba impumelelo nokufuna ukuzenzela imali ngemfundo kunokundeza ndizifunele “izinto ezinkulu”?’

12. Omnye umzalwana wenza ntoni ukuze azukise uYehova, yaye ucinga ntoni wena ngokhetho awalwenzayo?

¹² Omnye umzalwana okhonza kwikomkhulu lehlabathi wayeneminyaka eli-15 ubudala xa wayenikwa imali yokuya eyunivesithi. Ootitshala bakhe bothuka xa engayamkeli kuba efuna ukuba nguvulindlela. Kodwa wayesakuthanda ukufunda. Waba ngumthunywa wevangeli kwisiqithi esisemagqagaleni. Apho kwafuneka afunde ulwimi oluthethwa ligcuntswana labantu abangaphezu kwe-10 000. Sasingekho isichazi-magama solo lwimi, ngoko wazenzela esakhe.  Ekugqibeleni walwazi kakuhle olo lwimi waza wacelwa ukuba aguqulele ezinye zeempapasho zamaKristu. Kamva, kwenziwa isichazi-magama sokuqala solo lwimi kusetyenziswa esakhe. Kwenye indibano yesithili wathi: “Ukuba ndandivumile ukuya eyunivesithi, nantoni na endandiya kuyifeza ngokuya kwam apho yayiya kuba yeyokuzizukisa. Kodwa ngoku andinaso nesinye isidanga. Ngoko ke, lonke uzuko lwento endiyenzileyo luya kuYehova.” (IMize. 25:27) Ucinga ntoni wena ngokhetho awalwenzayo xa wayeneminyaka eli-15 ubudala? Kangangeminyaka ebexhamla amalungelo amaninzi entlanganweni. Wena unqwenela ukuzisebenzisa njani iziphiwo onazo? Kunokuba uzifunele uzuko, ngaba uzimisele ukudumisa uYehova?

13. Kutheni abanye abazali bemele bacingisise ngovavanyo awayejamelene nalo uBharuki?

¹³ Kukho nenye ingozi: ukuzifunela “izinto ezinkulu” okanye sisebenzise iintsapho zethu nabanye. Usenokuba uye wabona abazali behlabathi besenza izinto ngendlela yokuba abantwana babo baphumeze izinto ezingakumbi kunezo baye baziphumeza ebomini okanye ukuze bazingombe isifuba ngabo. Mhlawumbi uye weva abanye abazali besithi: “Andifuni umntwana wam asokole njengam” okanye besithi “ndifuna umntwana wam aye eyunivesithi ukuze angatsali nzima.” Nabo abazali abangamaKristu banokuvakalelwa ngolo hlobo. Liyinyaniso elokuba umntu usenokuthi, ‘Andizifuneli izinto ezinkulu.’ Kodwa ngaba akunakwenzeka ukuba usebenzisa omnye umntu, unyana okanye intombi yakhe ukuze azifumanele ezo zinto? Njengokuba uBharuki esenokuba wazama ukuzifunela uzuko ngesikhundla sakhe, umzali usenokunqwenela ukuzifunela uzuko ngempumelelo yabantwana bakhe. Sekunjalo, ngaba “umgocagoci weentliziyo” akanakuyibona loo nto, kanye njengoko wenzayo kuBharuki? (IMize. 17:3) Ngaba asimele sicele uThixo ahlolisise iingcamango zethu, njengokuba wenzayo uDavide? (Funda INdumiso 26:2; Yeremiya  17:9, 10.) UYehova usenokusebenzisa iindlela ezahlukahlukeneyo zokusilumkisa kwingozi yokuzifunela “izinto ezinkulu,” njengakule ngxubusho kaBharuki.

14, 15. Ubutyebi bunokuba ‘zizinto ezinkulu’ njani kuthi?

¹⁴ Kusenokwenzeka ukuba “izinto ezinkulu” uBharuki awayezifunela zona yayizizinto eziphathekayo. Njengokuba kuye kwaboniswa, ukuba uBharuki wayezithanda ngokugqithisileyo izinto awayenazo nomhlaba wakhe owawukwaYuda, kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakuya kuba nzima ukuba athobele umthetho kaThixo wokuzinikela kumaKhaledi. Umele ukuba uye wayibona into yokuba umntu osisityebi udla ngokuthembela ‘kwizinto zexabiso’ anazo, kodwa iBhayibhile ithi azimkhuseli ngokwenene, nangona yena ‘enengcamango’ yokuba ziyamkhusela. (IMize. 18:11) Bonke abakhonzi bakaYehova banokungenelwa ngokuba ihlale inkenteza ezingqondweni zabo into yokuba kufuneka balungelelane kwindlela abazijonga ngayo izinto eziphathekayo njengoko kuchazwe kwiLizwi lakhe. (Funda IMizekeliso 11:4.) Abanye basenokuqiqa ngelithi, ‘Kutheni ndingenakukhe ndizivise nje nokuba kukancinane ngezinto ezifumaneka kweli hlabathi?’

¹⁵ Ukuzithanda ngokugqithisileyo izinto zeli hlabathi kunokwenza umKristu anqwenele izinto eziyinxalenye yale nkqubo yezinto idlulayo. UYeremiya noBharuki abazange bavakalelwe ngaloo ndlela. Kwiminyaka kamva, uYesu walumkisa abantu ababeza kuba besaphila ‘ekutyhilekeni koNyana womntu.’ UYesu wathi kubo: “Khumbulani umkaLote.” Bekuya kufaneleka ukuwabongoza ngale ndlela amaKristu: ‘Khumbulani uYeremiya noBharuki.’ (Luka 17: 30-33) Ngoko xa sizithanda kakhulu izinto eziphathekayo, kuya kuba nzima ukukusebenzisa oko kwathethwa nguYesu. Naku omele ungakulibali—uBharuki wasisebenzisa isilumkiso sikaThixo waza waqhubeka ephila.

16. Chaza imeko apho abakhonzi bakaThixo baye bakwazi ukubeka izinto eziphathekayo kwindawo yazo.

¹⁶ Cinga ngabazalwana baseRomania xa kwakulawula amaKomanisi. Xa egqogqa amakhaya amaNgqina, amagosa karhulumente ayekhe aphange izinto zawo, ngakumbi ezo ayenokuzithengisa. (IZili. 5:2) Abazalwana noodade abaninzi babekulungele ukuphulukana nezinto zabo. Abanye kwafuneka bashiye izinto nemizi yabo ngoxa babefuduswa, sekunjalo, bayigcina ingqibelelo yabo kuYehova. Xa unokuba kwimeko enjalo, ngaba ukuthanda izinto eziphathekayo kuya kwenza kube nzima ukuhlala unyanisekile kuThixo?—2 Tim. 3:11.

17. Yiyiphi indlela abasenokuba baba luncedo ngayo abanye abantu ababephila ngexesha likaYeremiya noBharuki?

¹⁷ Kuyabonakala ukuba uYeremiya noBharuki baxhaswa ngabantu ababephila ngexesha labo. UZefaniya wayeprofeta ngexesha lokulawula kukaYosiya, kanye ngexesha uYeremiya awayengumprofeti ngalo. Yintoni amele ukuba uYeremiya wayeyicinga ngamazwi akuZefaniya 1:18? (Wafunde.) Ngaba unomfanekiso kaYeremiya exelela uBharuki la mazwi aphefumlelweyo? Omnye umntu owayephila ngelo xesha nguHezekile, owathinjelwa  eBhabhiloni ngowama-617 B.C.E. Ezinye izinto awayezenza nezigidimi awayezidlulisela zaziphathelele amaYuda akowabo, ngoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba uYeremiya wayesiva ngezinto ezazithethwa nezazisenziwa nguHezekile, yaye kwakunjalo nangoHezekile. Oko kwakuquka amazwi akuHezekile 7:19. (Wafunde.) Kanye njengokuba uYeremiya noBharuki babenokuzuza kuloo mazwi aphefumlelweyo, nathi sinokuzuza. Ngosuku lukaYehova abantu baya kufuna uncedo koothixo babo. Sekunjalo, abo thixo nobutyebi babo abuyi kubasindisa.—Yer. 2:28.

18. ‘Ngumphefumlo’ kabani esifuna ukuwufumana njengexhoba, yaye sinokukwenza njani oko?

¹⁸ Simele sikhumbule ukuba into asithembise yona uYehova ukuba siya kuyifumana njengexhoba, ‘yimiphefumlo’ yethu. Kwanaxa kukho igcuntswana labakhonzi bakhe abafayo xa betshutshiswa ‘kwimbandezelo enkulu’ apho iimpondo zerhamncwa lezopolitiko zihlasela unqulo, oko akuyi kuthetha ukuba kuphelile ngabo bathembekileyo. Kuqinisekisiwe ukuba “umphefumlo” wabo uya kuphila kwakhona ukuze banandiphe ‘ubomi benene’ kwihlabathi elitsha. (ISityhi. 7:14, 15; 1 Tim. 6:19) Noko ke, sinokuqiniseka ukuba inkoliso yabakhonzi bakaThixo abahlala bethembekile ngelo xesha iza kutyhubela imbandezelo enkulu. Qiniseka ukuba xa uThixo ezizisela intlekele iintlanga, akukho namnye othembekileyo oya kuba phakathi kwabo “babuleweyo nguYehova.”—Yer. 25:32, 33.

19. Ukuqwalasela umzekelo kaYeremiya noBharuki kuye kwakunceda njani ukuze ukwazi ukuphepha ukuzifunela “izinto ezinkulu”?

¹⁹ Bambi basenokungayiginyi ncam into yokuba baya kusinda kuphela ngokuba ‘imiphefumlo’ yabo ibe lixhoba, kodwa oko akumele kubadimaze. Khumbula ukuba ngoxa abantu baseYerusalem babebulawa yindlala, uYehova wamnyamekela  uYeremiya. Njani? UKumkani uZedekiya wavalela uYeremiya kwiNtendelezo Yabalindi waza wayalela ukuba anikwe “isonka esibusazinge mihla le esivela kwisitrato sababhaki, de saphela sonke isonka esixekweni.” (Yer. 37:21) Ngenxa yoko uYeremiya waqhubeka ephila. UYehova unokusebenzisa naziphi na iindlela azithandayo ukuze anyamekele abantu bakhe. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo uya kubanyamekela abantu bakhe, kuba ubathembise ngobomi obungunaphakade. UBharuki wasinda xa kwakutshatyalaliswa iYerusalem ngokuthi ‘angazifuneli izinto ezinkulu.’ Nathi sinokukhangela phambili ekusindeni kwiArmagedon ukuze sidumise uYehova ngokufumana ‘imiphefumlo’ yethu ibe lixhoba esiya kulinandipha ngonaphakade.