Isahluko Sokuqala

Umprofeti Wamandulo Owayenesigidimi Sezi Mini

Isaya 1:1

1, 2. (a) Ziziphi iimeko ezimaxongo esizibonayo ehlabathini namhlanje? (b) Elinye ilungu lebhunga laseburhulumenteni laseUnited States lakuvakalisa njani ukuxhalaba kwalo ngokudodobala kwemeko yoluntu?

 NGUBANI namhlanje ongakulangazeleliyo ukukhululeka kwiingxaki oluntyumpantyumpeka kuzo uluntu? Kodwa, kusuke kube ngathi silinde ukuza kukaNxele! Siba ngaluphuthaphutha uxolo, suke sithiwe mbende yimfazwe. Siba ngakhala ngokugcinwa komthetho nocwangco, suke kutshatshele ukuphanga, ukudlwengula nokubulala. Sitshixa zingcango, singathembi nkqu nabamelwane aba bethu. Siba ngashumayela ukuziphatha okuhle ebantwaneni bethu kuba sibathanda, suke barhiwulwe yimpembelelo engatshongo khona yoontanga babo.

² Asikuko nokuba wayehlab’ emhloleni uYobhi xa wathi, ubomi obufutshane bomntu “buzele kukuphazamiseka.” (Yobhi 14:1) Singasathethi ke khona kule mihla, kuba imeko yabantu idodobele mpela kunangaphambili. Elinye ilungu lebhunga laseburhulumenteni laseUnited States lathi: “IMfazwe Yomlomo ayisekho, kodwa ngelishwa, ixhokonxele iintlanga, nezizwe, neenkonzo ekubeni zifune ukuziphindezelela ngokuneengcwangu. . . . Seludidekile nje ulutsha lwethu lwada lwangena nasezingxakini ezinkulu, kungenxa yokuyekelela kwethu kanobom kwimilinganiselo yokuziphatha. Kungokunje sixikwe ziziqhamo zokungakhathali kwethu njengabazali, ezinjengoqhawulo-mtshato, ukuxhatshazwa kwabantwana, ukukhulelwa kwabeshumi elivisayo, ukushiya kwabo isikolo, ukusetyenziswa kweziyobisi ngokungekho mthethweni nobundlavini. Kufana nqwa nokungathi sisinde kwigongqongqo eliyiMfazwe Yomlomo, suke sahlaselwa ziintubi.”

 3. Yiyiphi incwadi yeBhayibhile enika ithemba ngokukhethekileyo ngekamva?

 ³ Nakuba kunjalo, masingalahl’ ithemba. Kuba uThixo wakha waphefumlela ndoda ithile yakuMbindi Mpuma, malunga nama-2 700 eminyaka eyadlulayo, ukuba ivakalise uthotho lweziprofeto ezazikhomba kule mihla yethu. Zona zifumaneka encwadini yeBhayibhile ebizwa ngegama lomprofeti lowo—uIsaya. Wayengubani lo Isaya, yaye kutheni sinokuthi isiprofeto sakhe, esabhalwa malunga namawaka amathathu eminyaka eyadlulayo, sikhanyisela lonke uluntu namhlanje?

Indoda Elilungisa Eyayiphila Ngexesha Lesiphithiphithi

 4. Wayengubani uIsaya, yaye wayekhonza nini njengomprofeti kaYehova?

⁴ Zisuka nje, uIsaya usichazela ukuba ‘ungunyana ka-Amotsi,’ a kwanokuba wayekhonza njengomprofeti kaThixo “ngemihla kaUziya, uYotham, uAhazi kunye noHezekiya, ookumkani bakwaYuda.” (Isaya 1:1) Makube ke oku kuthetha ukuba kwaqengqeleka malunga nama-46 eminyaka uIsaya engumprofeti kaThixo kuhlanga lwakwaYuda, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba waqalisa  ngasekupheleni kolawulo lukaUziya—malunga nonyaka wama-778 B.C.E.

5, 6. Babunjani ubomi bentsapho kaIsaya, yaye ngoba?

⁵ Kuncinane esikwaziyo ngobomi bukaIsaya, xa kuthelekiswa noko sikwaziyo ngabanye abaprofeti. Siyayazi yona into yokuba wayetshatile kwanokuba umfazi wakhe wambiza ngokuba ‘ngumprofetikazi.’ (Isaya 8:3) Ithetha ngobomi bomtshato bukaIsaya, iCyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature kaMcClintock noStrong ithi, “olu thumo lwalungeyonxalenye nje yobomi bakhe, kodwa lwalububomi bakhe.” Kungenzeka ke ukuba, naye umfazi kaIsaya wayeprofeta, njengoko babesenza nabanye abafazi abathile bamandulo ababehlonel’ uThixo kwaSirayeli.—ABagwebi 4:4; 2 Kumkani 22:14.

⁶ Ubuncinane uIsaya nomkakhe babenoonyana ababini, ababathiya amagama anentsingiselo yesiprofeto. Owamazibulo, uShehare-yashubhi, wahamba noIsaya ukuya kubhengeza izigidimi zikaThixo kuKumkani ongendawo uAhazi. (Isaya 7:3) Oku kwenza kucace ukuba uIsaya nomkakhe babemnqula uThixo njengentsapho—onjani wona ukuba mhle umzekelo kwizibini ezitshatileyo namhlanje!

 7. Chaza iimeko zakwaYuda ngomhla kaIsaya.

⁷ Ngexesha lokuphila kukaIsaya nentsapho yakhe kwakukho isiphithiphithi kwaYuda. Wawuba ngajonga kwezobupolitika ufike kuluqhushululu, kwiinkundla zamatyala kunyotywa, lona unqulo ludlakazwe luhanahaniso. Ezincochoyini zeenduli kwakuthe thande intabalala yezibingelelo zoothixo bobuxoki. Nkqu nookumkani abathile babekhuthaza unqulo lobuhedeni. Ngokomzekelo, uAhazi akanelanga nje ukukunyamezela ukunqulwa kwezithixo ngabantu bakhe kodwa naye wabandakanyeka ngokoqobo kuko, wenza isithethe ‘sokudlulisa inzala yakhe emlilweni’ ebingelela ngayo kuthixo wamaKanan uMoleki. b (2 Kumkani  16:3, 4; 2 Kronike 28:3, 4) Uz’ ukhumbule ke ukuba aba bantu babenze umnqophiso kunye noYehova!—Eksodus 19:5-8.

 8. (a) Nguwuphi umzekelo owamiselwa nguKumkani u-Uziya noYotham, yaye ngaba abantu balulandela ukhokelo lwabo? (b) UIsaya wayibonisa njani inkalipho phakathi kwabantu ababenemvukelo?

⁸ Kuyancomeka noko ukuba, abanye ngexesha likaIsaya—kuquka nabalawuli abambalwa—balumela ngeenyawo unqulo lokwenyaniso. Omnye wabo yayinguKumkani u-Uziya, owenza “oko kuthe tye emehlweni kaYehova.” Kodwa, babekho nangexesha lokulawula kwakhe abantu ‘ababesabingelela baze baqhumise nemibingelelo kwiindawo eziphakamileyo.’ (2 Kumkani 15:3, 4) NoKumkani uYotham “waqhubeka esenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaYehova.” Noko ke, “abantu babesenza ngokonakala.” (2 Kronike 27:2) Kubonakala ukuba, phantse ngalo lonke ixesha lokuprofeta kukaIsaya, ubukumkani bakwaYuda babukwimeko engaginyisi mathe kwaphela ngokomoya nangokokuziphatha. Nayiphi na impembelelo entle yookumkani yayifika itsho kwiintloko ezilukhuni okwelitye lenyengane. Kucacile ukuba, ukuvakalisa izigidimi zikaThixo kubantu ababelukhuni ngolo hlobo kwakungeyondlwan’ iyanetha. Sekunjalo, xa uYehova wabuza esithi, “Ndothuma bani na, ngubani na owosiyela?” uIsaya akazange aphozise maseko. Kunoko wadanduluka wathi: “Ndikho! Thuma mna.”—Isaya 6:8.

Isigidimi Sosindiso

 9. Lithetha ukuthini igama likaIsaya, yaye oku kuhlobene njani nesigidimi sencwadi yakhe?

⁹ Igama likaIsaya lithetha ukuthi “Usindiso lukaYehova,” yaye singatsho ukuba yayiseso kanye isigidimi sakhe. Yinyaniso ukuba, uIsaya wayekhe aprofete nangomgwebo. Kodwa wayesoloko echankcatha phezu kwesigidimi sosindiso. Wayiphindaphinda into yokuba, ngexesha elifanelekileyo uYehova wayeza kuwakhulula amaSirayeli ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, abuyisele intsalela yawo eZiyon aze aphinde alibuyisele kwimeko yalo entle ilizwe lawo. Khawuluthelekelele uvuyo olukhulu awaba nalo uIsaya, ngokuvavwa ngelungelo elingako lokuprofeta nokubhala ngokubuyiselwa kweYerusalem awayenegugu ngayo!

10, 11. (a) Kutheni incwadi kaIsaya ibangel’ umdla nje kuthi namhlanje? (b) Incwadi kaIsaya iyalathisela njani ingqalelo kuMesiya?

 ¹⁰ Kodwa ke thina zisichaphazela njani ezi zigidimi zomgwebo nezosindiso? Kaloku okuvuyisayo kukuba, iingenelo ezikhomba kuzo iziprofeto zikaIsaya aziyi kuxhamlwa luhlanga lwakwaYuda kuphela. Kunoko, izigidimi zakhe zinentsingiselo ekhethekileyo kumhla wethu. UIsaya usizobela umfanekiso-ngqondweni omhle wendlela uBukumkani bukaThixo obuya kuzisa ngayo iintsikelelo ezizukileyo kumhlaba wethu kamsinya. Kangangokuba ubhala indima enkulu ngokuza kukaMesiya, owayeza kulawula njengoKumkani woBukumkani bukaThixo. (Daniyeli 9:25; Yohane 12:41) Akufane nje negama lakhe linentsingiselo ebufana neyegama likaYesu elithetha ukuthi “UYehova Ulusindiso.”

¹¹ Kakade ke, uYesu wazalwa emva kweenkulungwane ezisixhenxe ukususela kumhla kaIsaya. Kodwa iziprofeto ezisencwadini kaIsaya zimchaza ngokuthe ngqo nangokuchanileyo uMesiya, ngokungathi wayezibonele ngamehlo ubomi bukaYesu basemhlabeni. Omnye umthombo waphawula ukuba ngenxa yoku, maxa wambi incwadi kaIsaya ibizwa ngokuthi “yiVangeli Yesihlanu.” Kungako nje noYesu nabapostile bakhe bacaphula kanobom encwadini yeBhayibhile kaIsaya ukuze bacacise ukuba uMesiya ungubani na.

12. Kutheni simele siyifundisise ngolangazelelo incwadi kaIsaya?

¹² UIsaya usizobela umfanekiso-ngqondweni ozukileyo ‘wamazulu amatsha nomhlaba omtsha’ ekuya kuthi kuwo ‘ukumkani alawule ngobulungisa’ neenkosana zilawule ngokusesikweni. (Isaya 32:1, 2; 65:17, 18; 2 Petros 3:13) Ngoko incwadi kaIsaya yalatha kwithemba elifudumez’ intliziyo loBukumkani bukaThixo, phantsi kukaMesiya uYesu Kristu omiselwe njengoKumkani. Hayi indlela elukhuthazo ngayo kuthi ukuba suku ngalunye sihlale silulindele ngovuyo ‘usindiso lukaYehova’! (Isaya 25:9; 40:28-31) Ngoko, masisihlolisise ngolangazelelo isigidimi esixabisekileyo esisencwadini kaIsaya. Ukuba senjenjalo, iya kuqina ngakumbi intembelo yethu kumadinga kaThixo. Yaye, siya kweyiseka nangakumbi kukuba ngokwenene uYehova unguThixo wosindiso lwethu.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Imibuzo YeSifundo]

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Wayengubani UIsaya?

INTSINGISELO YEGAMA LAKHE: “Usindiso lukaYehova”

INTSAPHO: Wayetshatile, ubuncinane enoonyana ababini

INDAWO AWAYEHLALA KUYO: EYerusalem

IMINYAKA YENKONZO: Malunga nama-46 eminyaka, ukususela malunga nowama-778B.C.E. ukusa emva kowama-732B.C.E.

OOKUMKANI BAKWAYUDA NGEXESHALAKHE: U-Uziya, uYotham, uAhazi, uHezekiya

ABAPROFETI BEXESHA LAKHE: UMika, uHoseya, uOdedi

 [Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]

UIsaya nomkakhe babemnqula uThixo njengentsapho