Uphawu lwemicabango

Okufanele Ukukhumbule

“UJesu Uzothi Kubo Bonke Abakwa-Israyeli, ‘Buyelani Ekhaya ’”

Ehlane laseSinayi, uMose waqoqela abantwana bakwa-Israyeli endaweni ephansi nentaba. Lapho iNkosi yamemezela ukuthi Ifuna ukuguqula leliqembu lezigqila ezisanda kukhululwa libe ngabantu abanamandla. Yathi, “Niyokuba ngumbuso wabapristi kimi, nesizwe esingcwele” (Eksodusi 19:6). Yabathembisa ukuthi babezoqhakaza futhi bachume, noma bezungezwe yizitha ezinkulu kakhulu nezinamandla kakhulu (bheka ku Duteronomi 28:1–14).

Konke lokhu kwakuzokwenzeka hhayi ngoba abakwa-Israyeli babebaningi noma benamandla noma benekhono. INkosi yachaza ukuthi kwakuzokwenzeka “uma nililalela izwi lami impela, futhi nigcina nesivumelwano sami” (Eksodusi 19:5). Kwakungamandla kaNkulunkulu, hhayi awabo, ayezobenza babe namandla.

Kodwa-ke abakwa-Israyeli abazange balilalele njalo izwi Lakhe, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi bayeka ukugcina isivumelwano Sakhe. Abaningi baqala ukukhonza abanye onkulunkulu futhi sebenza nemikhuba yamasiko ayebazungezile. Balahla yona kanye into eyabenza baba yisizwe, esihlukile kubo bonke abantu—ubuhlobo babo besivumelwano neNkosi. Ngaphandle kwamandla kaNkulunkulu ayebavikele (bheka 2 AmaKhosi 17:6–7), kwakungekho lutho lokuvimba izitha zabo (bheka 2 IziKronike 36:12–20).

Ukuhlakazeka

Izikhathi eziningana phakathi kweminyaka engama-735 nama-720 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu, abase-Asiriya bahlasela uMbuso waseNyakatho wakwa-Israyeli, okwakuhlala kuwo izizwe eziyishumi kweziyishumi nambili, bathumba izinkulungwane zabakwa-Israyeli bazimukisa ezingxenyeni ezahlukahlukene zoMbuso wase-Asiriya (bheka 2 AmaKhosi 17:1–7).¹ Lama-Israyeli aziwa ngokuthi “yizizwe ezilahlekile,” ngoba asuswa ezweni lawo futhi ahlakazeka phakathi kwezinye izizwe. Kodwa futhi babelahlekile ngomqondo ojulile: ngokuhamba kwesikhathi balahlekelwa umuzwa wabo wokuzazi njengabantu besivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu.

Ngoba umbuso waseningizimu wakwaJuda, kwesinye isikhathi wawulunge ngaphezu koMbuso waseNyakatho, wona wathi ukuhlala.² Kodwa ekugcineni abantu bakhona nabo bayifulathela iNkosi. Abase-Asiriya bahlasela futhi banqoba iningi loMbuso WaseNingizimu; yiJerusalema kuphela eyalondolozwa ngokuyisimangaliso (bheka 2 AmaKhosi 19; Isaya 10: 12–13). Kamuva, phakathi kweminyaka engama-597 nengama-580 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu, abaseBabiloni babhubhisa iJerusalema, kuhlanganise nethempeli, futhi bathumba izakhamuzi eziningi zedolobha (bheka 2 AmaKhosi 24–25; 2 IziKronike 36]; uJeremiya 39; 52). Cishe eminyakeni engama-70 kamuva, insali yakwaJuda yavunyelwa ukubuyela eJerusalema ukuyokwakha kabusha ithempeli. Abaningi, nokho, bahlala eBabiloni.³

Njengoba izizukulwane zazidlula, abakwa-Israyeli ababevela kuzo zonke izizwe “[babehlakazekile]… phakathi kwezizwe zonke abangazazanga” (uZakariya 7:14; bheka futhi naku Amose 9: 8–9). Abanye babehanjiswe yiNkosi baya kwamanye amazwe (bheka ku 2 Nefi 1:1–5; uOmini 1:15–16). Abanye babeshiye kwa-Israyeli bebalekela ukuthunjwa (bheka 2 AmaKhosi 25:22–26; uJeremiya 42:13–19; 43:1–7) noma ngezizathu zombangazwe noma ezomnotho.⁴

Lezi zehlakalo sizibiza ngokuthi ukuhlakazeka kuka-Israyeli. Futhi kubalulekile ukwazi ngalokhu kuhlakazeka ngezizathu eziningana. Okokuqala, kuyisihloko esikhulu seTestamente eliDala: Abaprofethi abaningi beTestamente eliDala babengofakazi bokwehla ngokomoya okwaholela ekuhlakazekeni kuka-Israyeli. Bakubona ngaphambilini ukuhlakazeka futhi baxwayisa ngakho, futhi abanye babo baze baphila phakathi nakho.⁵ Lokho kuyasiza ukukhumbula lapho ufunda izincwadi zika-Isaya, zikaJeremiya, zika-Amose, nezinye izincwadi eziningi engxenyeni yokugcina yeTestamente eliDala. Unalomqondo engqondweni, ngesikhathi ufunda iziprofetho zabo nge-Asiriya neBabiloni, ukukhonza izithombe nokuthunjwa, incithakalo nokubuyiselwa ekugcineni, uzokwazi ukuthi bakhuluma ngani.

Ukuqonda ukuhlakazeka kuka-Israyeli kuzokusiza ukuthi uyiqonde kangcono iNcwadi kaMormoni, ngoba iNcwadi kaMormoni iyindaba ekhuluma ngegatsha lakwa-Israyeli elihlakazekile (bheka ku 1 Nefi 15:12). Lendaba iqala ngomndeni kaLehi obaleka eJerusalema cishe ngonyaka wama-600 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu, ngaphambi nje kokuba abaseBabiloni bahlasele. ULehi wayengomunye walabo baprofethi abaprofetha ngokuhlakazeka kuka-Israyeli.⁶ Futhi umndeni wakhe wasiza ukugcwalisa leso siprofetho, wathatha igatsha labo lendlu yakwa-Israyeli walitshala ngakolunye uhlangothi lomhlaba, eMelika.

abantu bashiya idolobha elivuthayo

The Destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuzar-adan(Ukubhujiswa kweJerusalema nguNebuzaradani), nguWilliam Brassey Hole, © Providence Collection/ogunyazwe ku goodsalt.com

Ukuqoqwa

Ukuhlakazeka kuka-Israyeli, nokho, kumane nje kuyingxenye yendaba. INkosi ayibakhohlwa abantu baYo, futhi Ayibashiyi ngokuphelele, noma bona sebeYishiyile. Iziprofetho eziningi zokuthi u-Israyeli wayezohlakazeka zazihambisana nezithembiso eziningi zokuthi ngelinye ilanga uNkulunkulu wayezobaqoqa.⁷

Lolo suku lunamuhla—usuku lwethu. Ukuqoqwa sekuqalile. Ngonyaka we-1836, izinkulungwane zeminyaka ngemva kokuba uMose aqoqele abantwana bakwa-Israyeli phansi kweNtaba iSinayi, uMose wavela eThempelini laseKirtland ukuyonika uJoseph Smith “izikhiye zokuqoqa u-Israyeli kusuka kumagumbi amane omhlaba” (IMfundiso NeziVumelwano 110:11). Manje, ngaphansi kokuqondiswa kwalabo abaphethe lezi zikhiye, izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ziyaqoqwa kuzo zonke izizwe lapho izinceku zeNkosi zikwazi ukuya khona.

UMongameli uRussell M. Nelson ubize lokhu kuqoqwa ngokuthi “yinto ebaluleke kunazo zonke eyenzeka emhlabeni namuhla. Akukho okunye okuqhathaniswa ngobukhulu, akukho okunye okuqhathaniswa ngokubaluleka, akukho okunye okuqhathaniswa ngobukhosi. Futhi uma ukhetha, uma ufuna, ungaba yingxenye enkulu yako.”⁸

Ukwenza kanjani lokho na? Kusho ukuthini ukuqoqa u-Israyeli? Ngabe kusho ukubuyisela izizwe eziyishumi nambili emuva ezweni ezake zahlala kulo na? Empeleni, kusho okuthile okukhulu kakhulu, okwaphakade. Njengoba uMongameli uNelson achaza:

“Uma sikhuluma ngokuqoqwa, simane sisho leliqiniso eliyisisekelo: zonke izingane zikaBaba wethu oseZulwini, ezisonhlangothini zombili zesisitho, ufanele ukuzwa umyalezo wevangeli elibuyiselwe likaJesu Kristu. …

“Ngaso sonke isikhathi uma wenza noma yini esiza noma ngubani—ohlangothini ngalunye lwesisitho—uma uthatha isinyathelo sokwenza izivumelwano noNkulunkulu futhi uthola izimiso ezibalulekile zokubhabhadiswa nezethempeli, usiza ukuqoqa u-Israyeli. Kulula kanjalo nje.”⁹

Lokhu kwenzeka, njengoba u-Isaya asho, “ngabanye ngabanye” (Isaya 27:12) noma, njengoba uJeremiya abikezela, “abe munye edolobheni, babe babili emndenini” (Jeremiya 3:14.

Ukuqoqa u-Israyeli kusho ukubuyisela abantwana bakaNkulunkulu kuYe. Kusho ukubabuyisela ebuhlotsheni besivumelwano naYe. Kusho ukuvuselela “isizwe esingcwele” Ahlongoza ukusisungula kudala (Eksodusi 19:6).

Woza ekhaya

Njengomgcini wesivumelwano, uyingxenye yendlu yakwa-Israyeli.¹⁰ Uqoqiwe, futhi ungumqoqi. Indaba eyindumezulu yomlando eyaqala ngesivumelwano phakathi kukaNkulunkulu no-Abrahama yakhela kuvuthondaba lwayo, futhi wena ungumdlali ophambili. Manje sekuyisikhathi lapho “uJesu ezothi kubo bonke abakwa-Israyeli, ‘Buyelani ekhaya.’”¹¹

Lona ngumlayezo wabaqoqi: Wozani ekhaya esivumelwaneni. Wozani ekhaya eSiyoni. Wozani ekhaya kuJesu Kristu, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli, futhi uzoniletha ekhaya kuNkulunkulu, uYihlo.

Imithombo okuthathwe kuyo lemfundiso

1. Izizwe eziyishumi ezathunjwa yi-Asiriya kwakunguRubeni, uSimeyoni, u-Isakare, uZebuloni, uDani, uNafetali, uGadi, u-Asheri, u-Efrayimi noManase. Amalunga esizwe sakwaLevi asakazeka kuzo zonke izindawo zezinye izizwe ukuze enze imisebenzi yawo yobupristi.

2. Umbuso waseNingizimu wawunezizwe zakwaJuda nezakwaBenjamini ikakhulukazi. Kodwa-ke, amalunga ezinye izizwe eziningana ayehlala lapho futhi (bheka 2 IziKronike 11:14–17). Isibonelo, uLehi, owayehlala eJerusalema, wayengowesizwe sakwaManase.

3. Bheka ku Ezra 1; 7; Nehemiya 2. Umbuso waseBabiloni wawunqotshwe uMbuso wasePheresiya. Kwakuyinkosi yasePheresiya, uKoresi, eyavumela amaqembu amaningana amaJuda ayedingisiwe ukuba abuyele eJerusalema.

4. Ngonyaka wama-70 emva kokuzalwa kukaKristu, iJerusalema nethempeli lalo kwaphinde kwabhujiswa ngamaRoma, kulokhu amaJuda asala ahlakazekela ezizweni eziningi zomhlaba.

5. Bheka ku Jeremiya 29:18; uHezekeli 22:15; uHoseya 9:17; u-Amose 9:9; 1 Nefi 1:13.

6. Bheka ku 1 Nefi 1:13, 18–20; 10:12–14.

7. Bheka ku Isaya 5:26; 27:12; 54; uJeremiya 16:14–15; 29:14; 31:10; uHezekeli 11:17; 34:12; 37:21–28; Zakariya 10:8; 1 Nefi 10:14; 22:25; 3 Nefi 16:1–5; 17:4.

8. URussell M. Nelson noWendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel” (umhlangano wentsha womhlaba wonke, ngoJuni 3, 2018), isengezo se New Era ne Ensign, 8, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

9. URussell M. Nelson noWendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” 15, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

10. Bheka ku 2 Nefi 30:2.

11. “Now Let Us Rejoice,” Hymns, no. 3.