UJosiya Othobekile Wayezuze Umusa KaJehova

KMELWE ukuba uJosiya inkosana yakwaJuda eneminyaka emihlanu ubudala wethukile. Unina, uJedida, uyalila. UJedida unesizathu sokukhala ngoba uyisemkhulu kaJosiya, iNkosi uManase, ufile.—2 AmaKhosi 21:18.

Manje uyise kaJosiya, u-Amoni, uzokuba inkosi yakwaJuda. (2 IziKronike 33:20) Ngemva kweminyaka emibili (659 B.C.E.), u-Amoni ubulawa izinceku zakhe. Abantu bayababulala laba bakhi bozungu futhi babeke uJosiya omncane abe inkosi. (2 AmaKhosi 21:24; 2 IziKronike 33:25) Phakathi nokubusa kuka-Amoni, uJosiya wayeselejwayele iphunga lempepho elaligcwala yonke indawo eJerusalema ngenxa yama-altare amaningi ayesophahleni lwezindlu abantu ababekhothamela kuwo onkulunkulu bamanga. Wawungabona abapristi abangamaqaba bezulazula nabantu abazinikezele—ngisho nalabo ababezisholo ukuthi bakhulekela uJehova—befunga unkulunkulu uMilkomu.—Zefaniya 1:1, 5.

UJosiya uyazi ukuthi u-Amoni wayenze okubi ngokuthi akhulekele onkulunkulu bamanga. UJosiya, inkosi esencane yakwaJuda, naye ugcina eseziqonda kahle izimemezelo zomprofethi kaNkulunkulu uZefaniya. Lapho uJosiya eseneminyaka engu-15 ubudala (ngo-652 B.C.E.), wayesebuse iminyaka engu-8 futhi ezimisele ukulalela amazwi kaZefaniya. Nakuba esengumfana, uJosiya uqala ukufuna uJehova.—2 IziKronike 33:21, 22; 34:3.

UJosiya Uthatha Isinyathelo!

Kudlula iminyaka emine futhi aqale ukuqothula inkolo yamanga kwaJuda naseJerusalema (ngo-648 B.C.E.). Uqothula izithombe, izigxobo ezingcwele abhidlize nama-altare okushisa impepho asetshenziselwa ukukhulekela uBali. Izithombe zonkulunkulu bamanga zigaywa zibe impuphu ethathwa iyochithwa emathuneni alabo ababezenzela imihlatshelo. Ama-altare ayesetshenziselwa ukukhulekela okungahlanzekile ayangcoliswa futhi abhidlizwe.—2 AmaKhosi 23:8-14.

Ukuqothula kukaJosiya kwakusaqhubeka lapho uJeremiya, indodana yompristi ongumLevi, efika eJerusalema (ngo-647 B.C.E.). UJehova uNkulunkulu usebeke uJeremiya osemncane njengomprofethi wakhe futhi yeka indlela azimemezela ngomfutho ngayo izigijimi zikaJehova ngokumelene nenkolo yamanga! Cishe uJosiya wayenguntanga kaJeremiya. Nokho, naphezu kokuqothula kukaJosiya ngesibindi nezimemezelo zikaJeremiya ayezenza ngokungesabi, ngokushesha abantu babuyela ekukhulekeleni kwamanga.—Jeremiya 1:1-10.

Ukutholakala Kwento Enganakuqhathaniswa!

Kudlula iminyaka engaba mihlanu. UJosiya oneminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-25 useneminyaka engu-18 ebusa. Ubiza uShafani, unobhala; uMahaseya, umbusi womuzi nomgcini-mbhalo uJowa. Inkosi iyala uShafani: ‘Tshela uHilikiya umpristi omkhulu athathe imali eqoqwe ngabalindimnyango bethempeli kubantu, ayinike izisebenzi ukuze zilungise indlu kaJehova.’—2 AmaKhosi 22:3-6; 2 IziKronike 34:8.

Ekuseni ngovivi, abalungisi bethempeli basebenza ngomfutho. Ngokuqinisekile uJosiya ubonga uJehova njengoba izisebenzi zilungisa umonakalo endlini kaNkulunkulu owawubangelwé okhokho bakhe abathile ababi. Njengoba umsebenzi uqhubeka, kungena uShafani elethe umbiko. Kodwa  uphetheni? Bheka, uphethe umqulu! Uyachaza ukuthi uHilikiya umpristi omkhulu uthole “incwadi yomthetho kaJehova eyalotshwa ngesandla sikaMose.” (2 IziKronike 34:12-18) Yeka okutholakele—ngokungangabazeki ikhophi yokuqala yoMthetho!

UJosiya umagange ukuzwa wonke amazwi ale ncwadi. Njengoba uShafani efunda, inkosi izama ukubona ukuthi umyalo ngamunye usebenza kanjani kuyo nakubantu. Ikakhulukazi ihlatshwa umxhwele indlela le ncwadi ekugcizelela ngayo ukukhulekela kweqiniso futhi ibikezele izinhlupho nokudingiswa okwakuzoza uma abantu behileleka enkolweni yamanga. Manje eqaphela ukuthi yayingagcinwa yonke imithetho kaNkulunkulu, uJosiya udabula izingubo zakhe futhi akhiphe umyalo awubhekise kuHilikiya, uShafani, nakwabanye: ‘Buzani kuJehova ngamazwi ale ncwadi, ngokuba inkulu intukuthelo kaJehova esivuthelayo ngoba okhokho bethu abawalalelanga amazwi ale ncwadi.’—2 AmaKhosi 22:11-13; 2 IziKronike 34:19-21.

IZwi LikaJehova Liyadluliselwa

Izithunywa zikaJosiya ziya kuHulida umprofethikazi eJerusalema futhi zibuya nombiko. UHulida udlulisele izwi likaJehova, elibonisa ukuthi izinhlekelele ezilotshwe encwadini esanda kutholakala zizokwehlela isizwe esihlubukile. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi uJosiya uyazithoba kuJehova uNkulunkulu, ngeke kudingeke ukuba abhekane nale nhlekelele. Uzobuthelwa koyise futhi abekwe ethuneni lakhe ngokuthula.—2 AmaKhosi 22:14-20; 2 IziKronike 34:22-28.

Ingabe isiprofetho sikaHulida sasinembile, njengoba nje uJosiya afela empini? (2 AmaKhosi 23:28-30) Yebo, ngoba indlela abuthwa ‘ngokuthula’ ngayo lapho eseyiswa ethuneni lakhe ihlukile ‘ebubini’ obabuzokwehlela uJuda. (2 AmaKhosi 22:20; 2 IziKronike 34:28) UJosiya wafa ngaphambi kwenhlekelele yango-609-607 B.C.E. lapho abaseBabiloni bevimbezela futhi bebhubhisa iJerusalema. Futhi ‘ukubuthelwa komuntu koyise’ akusho ukuthi ngeke afe ngesihluku. Kusetshenziswe inkulumo efanayo lapho kubhekiselwa kukho kokubili ukufa ngesihluku nokufa ngaphandle kwesihluku.—Duteronomi 31:16; 1 AmaKhosi 2:10; 22:34, 40.

Ukukhulekela Kweqiniso Kuyanda

UJosiya uqoqa abantu ethempelini futhi abafundele “onke amazwi encwadi yesivumelwano” ayetholakele endlini kaJehova. Khona-ke wenza isivumelwano ‘sokulandela uJehova nokugcina imiyalo yakhe nobufakazi bakhe kanye nezimiso zakhe ngenhliziyo yonke nangomphefumulo wonke ukuqinisa amazwi alesi sivumelwano alotshwe kule ncwadi.’ Bonke abantu bayasamukela lesi sivumelwano.—2 AmaKhosi 23:1-3.

Manje inkosi uJosiya iqala omunye umkhankaso futhi ngokusobala omkhulu ngokumelene nokukhulekelwa kwezithombe. Abapristi bonkulunkulu bezizwe baphelelwa umsebenzi. Abapristi abangamaLevi abahileleke ekukhulekeleni okungcolile balahlekelwa ilungelo labo lokukhonza e-altare likaJehova, futhi izindawo eziphakemeyo ezazakhiwe phakathi nokubusa kweNkosi uSolomoni zenziwa zingakufanelekeli ukukhulekela. Futhi ukuqothula kuhlanganisa nendawo eyayikade ingeyombuso wezizwana eziyishumi zakwa-Israyeli, esikhathini esingaphambili ezachithwa abase-Asiriya (ngo-740 B.C.E.).

Egcwalisa amazwi ayekhulunywe “umuntu kaNkulunkulu” ongashiwongo ngegama eminyakeni engu-300 ngaphambili, uJosiya ushisa amathambo abapristi bakaBali e-altare elalakhiwe iNkosi uJerobowamu I eBethele. Lapho, nakweminye imizi kususwa izindawo eziphakeme, futhi abapristi abakhonza izithombe benziwa imihlatshelo kuwona kanye ama-altare ababewakhile.—1 AmaKhosi 13:1-4; 2 AmaKhosi 23:4-20.

Kwenziwa IPhasika Elikhulu

Izenzo zikaJosiya zokuthuthukisa ukukhulekela kweqiniso zisekelwe ngokwaphezulu. Uma nje isaphila, le nkosi iyombonga uNkulunkulu ngokuthi abantu “abasukanga ekumlandeleni uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.” (2 IziKronike 34:33) Futhi uJosiya angasikhohlwa kanjani isenzakalo esimangalisayo esenzeka ngonyaka we-18 wokubusa kwakhe?

Inkosi iyala abantu: “Yenzelani uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu iphasika njengokulotshiwe kule ncwadi yesivumelwano.” (2 AmaKhosi 23:21) UJosiya uyajabula lapho ebona ukusabela okuhle. Kulo mkhosi, unikela ngezilwane zePhasika ezingu-30 000 nomhlambi wezinkomo ezingu-3 000. Yeka iPhasika! Ngeminikelo, amalungiselelo ahlelwe kahle nangenani labakhulekeli, leli Phasika liwedlula wonke aseke enziwa kusukela ezinsukwini zomprofethi uSamuweli.—2 AmaKhosi 23:22, 23; 2 IziKronike 35:1-19.

 Lapho Efa Ulilelwa Kakhulu

Kuyo yonke iminyaka engu-31 yokubusa kwakhe (659-629 B.C.E.), uJosiya ubusa njengenkosi enhle. Ngasekupheleni kokubusa kwakhe, uthola ukuthi uFaro Nekho uhlela ukudabula kwelakwaJuda ayovimba amabutho aseBabiloni ngaleyo ndlela asize inkosi yase-Asiriya eKharikemishi ngaseMfuleni i-Ewufrathe. Ngenxa yesizathu esithile esingashiwongo, uJosiya uyahamba ayolwa nabaseGibithe. UNekho uthumela izithunywa kuye, athi: “Yeka ukuze kube kuhle kuwe ngenxa kaNkulunkulu, okanye nami, futhi ungamenzi ukuba akuchithe.” Kodwa uJosiya uyaziguqula futhi uzama ukuhlehlisa laba abaseGibithe ukuba babuyele emuva eMegido.—2 IziKronike 35:20-22, qhathanisa ne-NW.

Kuyihambela kabi inkosi yakwaJuda! Amabutho esitha alwa ngemicibisholo ayasinemba isisulu sawo, futhi utshela izinceku zakhe: “Ngikhipheni, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe kakhulu.” Ziyamkhipha uJosiya enqoleni yakhe yempi, zimfake kwenye, futhi zilibangise eJerusalema. Kuleyo ndawo noma esendleleni eya kulo muzi, uJosiya ulibona uyaligcina. Ukulandisa okuphefumulelwe kuthi, ‘wafa, wembelwa emathuneni awoyise. Wonke uJuda neJerusalema wamlilela uJosiya.’ UJeremiya wamlilela, futhi kusukela lapho kwakukhulunywa ngale nkosi ezingomeni zokulila ezenzakalweni ezikhethekile.—2 IziKronike 35:23-25.

Yebo, iNkosi uJosiya yenza iphutha elikhulu ngokulwa nabaseGibithe. (IHubo 130:3) Noma kunjalo, ukuzithoba nokuqina ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso kwayilethela umusa kaNkulunkulu. Yeka ukuthi ukuphila kukaJosiya kuyichaza kanjani indlela uJehova abonisa ngayo umusa ezincekwini zakhe ezizinikezele ezithobekile ngenhliziyo!—IzAga 3:34; Jakobe 4:6.

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INkosi uJosiya esencane yamfuna ngobuqotho uJehova

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UJosiya waqothula izindawo eziphakeme futhi wathuthukisa ukukhulekela kweqiniso