Mutu 11

“Thaŵani Pakati pa Babulo”

ANTHU ambiri achoka m’chipembedzo china kumka m’chinzake, akumafunafuna mayankho okhutiritsa mafunso awo onena za moyo. Amapeza kufanana kwakutikwakuti m’zikhulupiriro ndi m’machitidwe, ndiponso kusiyana kochuluka. Koma kuli kokha mwa kugwiritsira ntchito Mawu a Mulungu mwini monga chitsogozo chakuti aliyense angatsimikizire mayankho amene ali owona ndi machitidwe amene ali okondweretsadi Mulungu. Kupyolera mwa Baibulo, Mlengi amatichititsa kuzoloŵerana naye ndi chifuno chake. lye anativumbuliranso magwero a kulambira konyenga. Mwa kutero, amatichenjeza chimene amachitcha kukhala “Babulo Wamkulu” ndipo amatifulumizitsa “kuthaŵa” pakati pake. Kodi mwalabadira chenjezo limenelo?—Chivumbulutso 18:4, 21; Yeremiya 51:6.

² Kodi “Babulo Wamkulu” nchiyani? Zitawonedwa mwachiungwe, zipembedzo zonse zimene zimachirikiza mikhalidwe, zikhulupiriro kapena zizoloŵezi zimene ziri ndi magwero ake m’chipembedzo cha Babulo wakale zimapanga Babulo Wamkulu. Chifukwa cha chimenecho mikhalidwe yake yodziŵikitsa ingadziŵidwe mwa kupenda magwero ndi chipembedzo cha Babulo wakale weniweniyo.

³ Zoposa kwambiri zaka zana limodzi pambuyo pa Chigumula cha tsiku la Nowa, mzinda wa Babele (pambuyo pake unadzatchedwa Babulo) unamangidwa mokweteza nsanja—ntchito imene mwachiwonekere inachirikizidwa ndi Nimrode. Nimrode ameneyu analoŵetsa mwa anzake mzimu wopandukira Yehova ndi chikhumbo cha kudzifunira kutchuka. (Genesis 10:9, 10; 11:​1-9) Kodi mukuwona mzimu umenewo lerolino—kunyalanyaza Mawu a Mulungu, ngakhale awo odzitcha kukhala achipembedzo, ndi kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kwa chipembedzo kudziwonetsera kapena ngakhale kupeza kutchuka?

⁴ Milungu ya utatu inali yotchuka m’chipembedzo cha Babulo. Panali utatu wopangika ndi Anu, Bel ndi Ea; wina unaphatikizapo Sin, Shamash ndi Ishtar. Ndiponso, mafano anadzaza malo olambirira a Babulo. Zonsezi zinachotsa lingaliro pa chenicheni chakuti kuli Mulungu wowona mmodzi yekha, amene dzina lake ndiro Yehova. (Deuteronomo 4:39; Yohane 17:3) Mikhalidwe ndi khalidwe zowonedwa kukhala za milungu yawo, limodzi ndi kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kwa mafanizo opanda moyo, zinapatsa anthu ambiri lingaliro lolakwika la Mlengi.​—⁠Yeremiya 10:10, 14; 50:1, 38; 1 Akorinto 10:14, 19-22.

⁵ Ababulo anakhulupirira kuti imfa inali njira yokha yomkera kumtundu wina wa moyo, koma zimenezi zinatsutsa zimene Mulungu anauza makolo athu oyambirira. Anzeru Achigiriki anayambitsa lingaliro limeneli, akumanena kuti anthu ali ndi moyo wosafa. Bodza loyamba la Mdyerekezi linali lakuti ngati Adamu ndi Hava sakamvera Mulungu, iwo ‘sakanafa ndithu’ m’thupi. Tsopano anthu analinkuuzidwa kuti chimene chinakhala ndi moyo kosatha chinali mbali yamkati mwawo imene iwo sanathe kuwona. Chiphunzitso chonyenga chimenechi chinachititsa kukhulupirira helo wamoto, purigatoriyo, kulambira makolo ndi zina zambiri.—Genesis 3:1-5; Mlaliki 9:5, 10; Ezekeli 18:4.

⁶ Chipembedzo cha Babulo chinaphatikizaponso kachitidwe ka kupenda nyenyezi, kuombeza, matsenga ndi kubwebweta, mwa zimene anthu afunafuna chitsogozo chauzimu chimene chinatha kugwiritsiridwa ntchito kuzilemeretsa ndi kulamulira ena. (Danieli 2:27; Ezekieli 21:21) Machitidwe amenewa ndiofala chotani nanga lerolino, ngakhale kuli kwakuti iwo onse akutsutsidwa m’Baibulo! Mwa kuwachita, anthu adziloŵetsa mwachindunji m’manja mwa ziŵanda zimene zimafuna mtengo wankhalwe kaamba ka mapindu amene izo zimapereka.​—⁠Deuteronomo 18:10-12; Yesaya 8:19; Machitidwe 16:16; Chivumbulutso 18:21, 23.

⁷ Podziŵikitsa Babulo Wamkulu mowonjezereka, Baibulo limasimba zigwirizano zake zoipa ndi olamulira andale zadziko, chuma chake ndi kukhetsa kwake mwazi, kuphatikizapo uja wa atumiki owona a Mulungu. (Chivumbulutso 17:1-6; 18:24) Mbiri ya zipembedzo za dziko m’mbali zimenezi njodziŵika kwambiri.

KODI KUKONDA KWANU CHOWONADI NKWAKUKULU MOTANI?

⁸ Ngati munthu ali wa mbali iriyonse ya Babulo Wamkulu, amachita nawo mapwando ake kapena amatsanzira njira zake, kodi ndani amene motero amalemekezedwa? Ndithudi si Yehova. Mmalo mwake, munthu wotero, kwenikweni akuŵerama pamaso pa “mulungu wanthaŵi yapansi pano,” amene wachititsa khungu maganizo a anthu.—2 Akorinto 4:4.

⁹ Koma kodi ndimotani mmene kwakhalira kotheka kuti anthu ambirimbiri asochezedwe m’njira imeneyi? Baibulo limayankha kuti agwidwa mumsampha wa Satana “popeza chikondi cha chowonadi sanachilandira.” (2 Atesalonika 2:9-12) Zimenezi siziyenera kutidabwitsa. Kodi ndi anthu angati amene mukudziŵa amene amalankhula chowonadi nthaŵi zonse​—⁠panyumba, m’bizinesi, pamene asonyezedwa zolakwa zawo? Posonyezedwa chimene Baibulo, mawu a Mulungu a chowonadi, limanena, amanena, kodi ndi angati amene ali ofunitsitsa kuleka zikhulupiriro kapena miyambo yawo yakale, ngakhale kusintha kakhalidwe kawo, kuti agwirizane nacho? Kodi mu mukutero?

¹⁰ Yehova akufunafuna anthu amene ali ndi chikondi choterocho cha chowonadi. lye mwiniyo ali “Mulungu wa chowonadi.” (Salmo 31:5) Ziphunzitso za Mawu ake siziri zoyerekezera. Izo ziri chowonadi. Kwa mkazi wina Msamariya, Yesu anati: “Olambira owona adzalambira Atate m’mzimu ndi m’chowonadi; pakuti Atate afuna otere akhale olambira ake. Mulungu ndiye mzimu; ndipo omlambira iye ayenera kumlambira mu mzimu ndi m’chowonadi.” (Yohane 4:23, 24) Kodi inu mufuna kukhala munthu wa mtundu umenewo?

MAKONZEDWE A MULUNGU A CHIMASUKO

¹¹ Kuti atilinganizire chitsogozo, kalekale Yehova anachititsa lonjezo la kuomboledwa ku ulamuliro wotsendereza wa Babulo kulembedwa m’Baibulo. Linakwaniritsidwa pamene Koresi Wamkulu anamasula Ayuda, kuphatikizapo Anetini osakhala Aisrayeli, motero iwo anatha kubwera ku Yerusalemu kukamanga kuchisi wa Yehova. Koma sizinali zokhazo. Chimene chinachitika panthaŵiyo chinasonya ku chiombolo chamtsogolo kupyolera mwa Koresi Wamkuluyo, Ambuye Yesu Kristu. Kutsatira kwathu malangizo ake kumatitetezera ku kusochezedwa ndi anthu amene amafunafuna kokha mbiri ya iwo eni. Makamaka kwa Yesu ulosiwo unagwirako ntchito umene umati: “Atero Yehova, Nthaŵi yondikomera ndakuyankha Iwe, ndi tsiku la chipulumutso ndakuthandiza; ndipo ndidzakusunga ndi kupatsa Iwe ukhale pangano la anthu, kuti ukhazikitse dziko, nuwaloŵetse m’zoloŵa zopasuka m’malo abwinja; ndi kunena kwa iwo amene ali omangidwa, Mukani, kwa iwo amene ali m’mdima, Dziwonetseni nokha.” (Yesaya 49:8, 9) Kodi ndimotani mmene umenewu unakwaniritsidwira mwa Yesu?

¹² Yehova anayankha mapemphero a Yesu. Anathandizadi ndi kutetezera Mwana wake pamene Yesu molimba mtima anavumbula chinyengo chachipembedzo nadziŵitsa ‘chowonadi chimene chikamasula anthu.’ (Yohane 8:32) Mosasamala kanthu za zoyesayesa za Satana za kuwononga Yesu, Yehova anatetezera Mwana wake kufikira ntchito yake padziko lapansi itachitidwa. Kenako anaukitsira Yesu kumoyo wosakhoza kufa kumwamba, kumeneko kukapitirizabe ntchito yake ya kumasula. Mulungu anampatsa monga “pangano,” kapena chitsimikizo, chakuti pakakhala kumasulidwa kwa anthu ku ukapolo wa Babulo Wamkulu. Monga momwedi kuliri Yesu Kristu woukitsidwa ndi wolemekezedwa kumwamba, chomwechonso nkotsimikizirika kuti anthu owona mtima adzawomboledwa kumdima wachipembedzo wa Babulo Wamkulu. Kodi mudzapindula ndi chiombolo chimenecho?

¹³ Ponena za ukulu wa chimasukocho, Yehova adaneneratu kuti: “Ndidzakupatsanso ukhale kuunika kwa amitundu, kuti ukhale chipulumutso changa mpaka kumalekezero a dziko lapansi.” (Yesaya 49:6) Chifukwa cha chimenecho, mu 36 C.E., akunja, kapena anthu amitundu yosakhala Yachiyuda, anayamba kuloŵetsedwa mu mpingo wa Israyeli wauzimu. Komabe, kuwonjezeredwa kwa Akunja kumpingo Wachikristu wodzozedwa ndi mzimu, sikunali mlingo wokwanira umene Yesu akutumikira monga “kuunika kwa amitundu.”

¹⁴ Yesu anadziŵa kuti akasonkhanitsanso “nkhosa zina” zimene zikakhala ndi moyo wosatha padziko lapansi. (Yohane 10:16) Izo zinaphiphiritsiridwa ndi Anetini osakhala Aisrayeli ndi ana a atumiki a Solomo amene anagwirizana ndi Ayuda mu 537 B.C.E. m’kutuluka kwawo ku Babulo. (Ezara 2:1, 43-58) Kufikira tsopano khamu lalikulu la amenewa m’nthaŵi zamakono lalabadira lamulo la “kutuluka” m’Babulo Wamkulu. Amenewa tsopano akulandira madalitso auzimu otsitsimutsa onenedweratu pa Yesaya 49:10: “Iwo sadzakhala ndi njala, pena ludzu; ngakhale thukuta, pena dzuŵa silidzawatentha; pakuti iye amene wawachitira chifundo, adzawatsogolera, ngakhale pa akasupe amadzi adzawatsogolera.” Pa Chivumbulutso 7:9, 16, 17, madalitso amenewa moyenerera agwiritsiridwa ntchito ku “khamu lalikulu” la “nkhosa zina.”

“TULUKANI MMENEMO, ANTHU ANGA”

¹⁵ Mmasomphenya ouziridwa mtumwi Yohane anasonyezedwa chimene kuperekedwa kwa chiweruzo cha Mulungu kudzatanthauza kwa Babulo Wamkulu. Polingalira kutsimikizirika kwake, mngelo wina wochokera kumwamba, molankhulira Mulungu, anafulumiza kuti: “Tulukani m’menemo, anthu anga; kuti mungayanjane ndi machimo ake, ndi kuti mungalandireko ya miliri yake; pakuti machimo ake anaunjikizana kufikira m’mwamba, ndipo Mulungu anakumbuka zosalungama zake.”—Chivumbulutso 18:4, 5.

¹⁶ Ziŵalo za Israyeli wauzimu zalabadira lamulo limenelo, ndipo tsopano zikufulumiza ena kuti achite mofanana. Zimadziŵa kuti ngati munthu akusanganiza kulambira kowona ndi konyenga, sangakondweretse Mulungu. Ngati aliyense akugwirizana ndi Mboni za Yehova koma sanadulebe zigwirizano zake ndi Babulo Wamkulu, anganene bwanji kuti saali mbali yake? Ngakhale ngati samapita kumapemphero ake, komabe ngati iye amachita nawo maholide ake achipembedzo kumalo ake a ntchito kapena ndi achibale ake, iye adakakhudzabe chonyasa. (Yesaya 52:11) Ngati iye amachita miyambo yabanja imene imasonyeza kukhulupirira kusafa kwa moyo kapena kuwopa mizimu yoipa kwamwambo, iye adakagaŵanabe machimo ake. Sitingakhale okaikakaika. Ngati tikhulupirira kuti Yehova ndiye Mulungu wowona, pamenepo tiyenera kutumikira iye yekha.​—⁠1 Mafumu 18:21.

¹⁷ Kwa anthu a mitundu yonse ndi mafuko ndi malirime chiitano chosonkhezera chikuperekedwa: Loŵani m’kulambira Yehova, Mulungu wowona yekha! (Chivumbulutso 14:6, 7) Kuti mutero, muyeneranso kutsanzira atumiki akale a Mulungu amene analabadira lamulo lakuti: “Thaŵani pakati pa Babulo, yense apulumuke moyo wake.”​—⁠Yeremiya 51:6.

1. (a) Kodi ndimotani mmene tingadziŵire mtundu wa kulambira umene umakondweretsa Mulungu? (b) Kodi Mulungu akutilimbikitsa kuthaŵa ku chiyani?

2. Kodi “Babulo Wamkulu” nchiyani?

3. (a) Kodi ndimotani mmene Babulo wakale anayambira, ndipo kodi ndimzimu wotani umene muyambitsi wake analimbikitsa? (b) Kodi ndim’njira ziti zimene mzimu umenewo umasonyezedwa m’zipembedzo lerolino?

4. Kodi ndimotani mmene chipembedzo Chababulo chinaipitsira chowonadi chonena za Mulungu mwiniyo?

5. (a) Kodi ndimotani mmene chikhulupiriro cha Babulo chonena za imfa chinaliridi kuwonjezeredwa kwa bodza la Satana kwa Hava? (b) Kodi chimenechi chatsogolera ku ziphunzitso zina zotani?

6. (a) Kodi ndimachitidwe ena otani amene ali ofala lerolino ali ndi magwero awo m’chipembedzo cha Babulo? (b) Kodi ngowopsa motani?

7. Kodi ndiumboni wotani umene mumawona wakuti Babulo Wamkulu (a) ali ndi zigwirizano zoipa ndi olamulira andale zadziko? (b) ali ndi chuma chambiri? (c) akuchititsa kukhetsa nwazi?

8. Kodi ndani kwenikweni ali mulungu wa Babulo Wamkulu?

9. Kodi kwakhala kotheka motani kwa Satana kusocheza anthu ambirimbiri mwachipembedzo?

10. (a) Kodi Yehova akufunafuna anthu a mtundu wotani?

(b) Kodi tingasonyeze motani kuti ndife mtundu umenewo?

11. (a) Kodi nchiyani chimene chikunenedweratu pa Yesaya 49:8, 9? (b) Kodi nliti pamene chimenecho chinakhala ndi kukwaniiritsidwa kwake koyamba? (c) Kodi nchifukwa ninji chiri chotikondweretsa lerolino?

12. (a) Kodi ndimotani mmene ulosi umenewo unakwaniritsidwira mwa Yesu? (Luka 4:16-18) (b) Kodi muli chilimbikitso chotani mu umenewu kwa ife?

13. Kuyambira 36 C.E. kumkabe mtsogolo, kodi ndimotani mmene Yesu anakhaliradi “kuunika kwa amitundu”?

14. (a) Kodi Yesu anayenera kukhala kuunika kwa ayaninso ochokera mwa “mitundu”? (b) Kodi amenewa anaphiphiritsiridwa ndi timagulu totani timene tinasiya Babulo wakale? (c) Kodi ndimadalitso auzimu otani amene iwo akukhala nawo kufikira tsopano, m’kukwaniritsidwa kwa Yesaya 49:10?

15. Kodi nchifukwa ninji Baibulo limafulumiza awo amene akakhala anthu a Mulungu kutuluka m’Babulo Wamkulu?

16. Kodi nchiyani chimene chingasonyeze kuti kaya talabadiradi lamulo limenelo?

17. (a) Monga momwe kwasoyezedwera pa Chivumbulutso 14:6, 7, kodi anthu kulikonse akuitanidwa kuchitanji? (b) Kuti alambire Yehova movomerezeka, kodi ndilamulo lina lotani limene iwo ayenera kumvera?