Kodi Yehova Ndani?

“YEHOVA ndani?” Funso limenelo linafunsidwa zaka 3,500 zapitazo ndi Farao wonyada, mfumu ya Igupto. Mwachiwonekere, mwano unamsonkhezera kuwonjezera kuti: “Sindimdziŵa Yehova.” Amuna aŵiri amene anaimirira pamaso pa Farao panthaŵiyo anamdziŵa Yehova. Iwo anali paubale wawo Mose ndi Aroni, a fuko la Israyeli la Levi. Yehova anali atawatuma kukauza wolamulira wa Iguptoyo kutumiza Aisrayeli m’chipululu kuti akachite phwando lakulambira.​—Eksodo 5:1, 2.

Farao sanafune yankho lililonse pa funso lakelo. Pansi pa ulamuliro wake, ansembe anachilikiza kulambiridwa kwa mazana ambiri a milungu yonama. Eya, Farao iye mwiniyo anawonedwanso kukhala mulungu! Malinga ndi nthanthi za Chiigupto, iye anali mwana wa mulungu wa dzuŵa wotchedwa Ra ndi kuti anali wobadwanso kuchokera kwa mulungu Horus wokhala ndi mutu wa kabaŵi. Farao anatchedwa ndi maina aulemu onga “mulungu wamphamvu” ndi “wamuyaya.” Motero sikunali kodabwitsa kuti iye anafunsa monyodola kuti: “Yehova ndani, kuti ndimvere mawu ake?”

Mose ndi Aroni sanafunikire kuyankha funso limenelo. Farao anadziŵa kuti Yehova anali Mulungu wolambiridwa ndi Aisrayeli, ovutika panthaŵiyo muukapolo kwa Aigupto. Koma Farao ndi Aigupto onse posapita nthaŵi akaphunzira kuti Yehova ndiye Mulungu wowona. Mofananamo lerolino, Yehova adzachititsa dzina lake ndi Umulungu wake kudziŵika kwa aliyense padziko lapansi. (Ezekieli 36:23) Chotero tikhoza kupindula mwakupenda mmene Yehova Mulungu analemekezera dzina lake m’Igupto wakale.

Woposa Milungu ya Chiigupto

Pamene Farao anafunsa mwamwano kuti Yehova ndani, sanayembezere kuti akakumana ndi zimene zinamgwera. Yehova iye mwiniyo anamyankha, mwakukantha Igupto ndi miliri khumi. Miliri imeneyo sinakanthe mtundu wokhawo. Inakanthanso milungu ya Igupto.

Miliriyo inasonyeza ukulu wa Yehova pa milungu ya Chiigupto. (Eksodo 12:12; Numeri 33:4) Talingalirani kulira kumene kunalipo pamene Yehova anasanduliza mtsinje wa Nile ndi madzi onse a Igupto kukhala mwazi! Mwa chozizwitsa chimenechi, Farao ndi anthu ake anaphunzira kuti Yehova anali wamphamvu kuposa mulungu wa Nile, Hapi. Imfa ya nsomba za m’Nile inalinso nkhonya pa chipembedzo cha Aigupto, popeza kuti mitundu ina ya nsomba inali kulambiridwa.​—Eksodo 7:19-21.

Chotsatira, Yehova anakantha Igupto ndi mliri wa achule. Zimenezi zinanyazitsa mulungu wachikazi wa achule wa Chiigupto, Heqt. (Eksodo 8:5-14) Mliri wachitatu unakhwethemula ansembe amatsenga, amene analephera kukopera chozizwitsa cha Yehova chakusanduliza fumbi kukhala nsabwe. Iwo anadzuma nati chili “chala cha Mulungu ichi.” (Eksodo 8:16-19) Mulungu wa Chiigupto Thoth, wonenedwa kukhala woyambitsa machenjera a matsenga, analephera kuthandiza atakatiwo.

Farao anali kuphunzira kumdziŵa Yehova. Yehova anali Mulungu amene anakhoza kulengeza chifuno chake kupyolera mwa Mose ndiyeno kuchikwaniritsa mwakukantha Aigupto ndi miliri yozizwitsa. Yehova anakhozanso kuyambitsa ndi kuthetsa miliriyo malinga ndi chifuniro chake. Komabe, chidziŵitsochi sichinamsunthe Farao kuti agonje kwa Yehova. M’malo mwake, wolamulira wa Igupto wodzitukumulayo anapitirizabe mouma khosi kutsutsa Yehova.

Mkati mwa mliri wachinayi, mizaza inasakaza nthaka, kuwaloŵera m’nyumba zawo, ndipo mwinamwake inadzaza mpweya wonsewo, umene nawonso unalambiridwa mwa mulungu wotchedwa Shu kapena mwa mulungu wachikazi Isis, mfumukazi ya kumwamba. Dzina Lachihebri la kachilombo kameneka latembenuzidwa “mzaza,” “chimphanga,” ndi “mnangalire.” (New World Translation; Septuagint; Young) Ngati mnankafumbwe anaphatikizidwamo, ndiko kuti Aiguptowo anakanthidwa ndi tizilombo timene anatiwona kukhala topatulika, ndipo anthuwo sakanatha kuyenda popanda kutitswanya ndi mapazi. Mulimonse mmene zinaliri, mliri umenewu unaphunzitsa Farao kanthu kena katsopano ponena za Yehova. Ngakhale kuti milungu ya Igupto sinathe kutetezera oilambira ku mizaza, Yehova anakhoza kutetezera anthu ake. Mliri umenewu limodzi ndi inayo yotsatira inakantha Aigupto koma osati Aisrayeli.​—Eksodo 8:20-24.

Mliri wachisanu unali chaola pa zifuyo za Aigupto. Mliri umenewu unanyazitsa Hathor, Apis, ndi mulungu wachikazi wa mlengalenga wathupi la ng’ombe wotchedwa Nut. (Eksodo 9:1-7) Mliri wachisanu ndi chimodzi unadzetsa zilonda pa anthu ndi nyama zomwe, ukumachititsa manyazi milungu yotchedwa Thoth, Isis, ndi Ptah, yonenedwa monyenga kukhala ndi mphamvu zochiritsa.​—Eksodo 9:8-11.

Mliri wachisanu ndi chiŵiri unali matalala amphamvu, okhala ndi moto woyaka. Nkhonya imeneyi inanyazitsa mulungu Reshpu, wonenedwa kukhala mkulu wa mphezi, ndi Thoth, wonenedwa kulamulira mvula ndi mabingu. (Eksodo 9:22-26) Nkhonya yachisanu ndi chitatu, mliri wa dzombe, unawonetsa ukulu wa Yehova pa Min, mulungu wopatsa nthaka mphamvu yakubala, wolingaliridwa kukhala wotetezera zomera. (Eksodo 10:12-15) Nkhonya yachisanu ndi chinayi, mdima wa masiku atatu m’Igupto, inanyazitsa milungu ya Chiigupto yonga milungu ya dzuŵa Ra ndi Horus.​—Eksodo 10:21-23.

Mosasamala kanthu ndi miliri isanu ndi inayi yosakazayo, Farao anakanabe kumasula Aisrayeli. Kuuma mtima kwake kunachititsa Igupto kutayikiridwa kwakukulu pamene Mulungu anadzetsa mliri wakhumi ndi womalizira​—imfa ya mwana wachisamba aliyense wa munthu ndi nyama. Ngakhale mwana wachisamba wa Farao anafa, chinkana kuti anawonedwa kukhala mulungu. Chotero Yehova ‘anapereka ziweruzo pa milungu yonse ya Igupto.’​—Eksodo 12:12, 29.

Tsopano Farao anaitana Mose ndi Aroni nati: “Ukani, tulukani pakati pa anthu anga, inu ndi ana a Israyeli; ndipo mukani katumikireni Yehova, monga mwanena. Muka nazoni zoŵeta zanu zazing’ono ndi zazikulu, monga mwanena; chokani, ndi kundidalitsa inenso.”​—Eksodo 12:31, 32.

Wopulumutsa Anthu Ake

Aisrayeli anachoka, koma posapita nthaŵi Farao analingalira kuti iwo anali kungoyendayenda m’chipululu popanda cholinga. Ndiyeno iye ndi atumiki ake anafunsa kuti: “Ichi nchiyani tachita, kuti talola Aisrayeli amuke osatigwiriranso ntchito?” (Eksodo 14:3-5) Kutaikiridwa ndi mtundu waukapolo umenewu kukagwetsa chuma cha Igupto.

Farao anakonzekeretsa magulu ake ankhondo nalondola Aisrayeli mpaka ku Pihahiroti. (Eksodo 14:6-9) Malinga ndi kamenyedwe ka nkhondo, mkhalidwe unawoneka kuwakhalira bwino Aigupto chifukwa chakuti Aisrayeli anali atatsekerezedwa pakati pa nyanja ndi mapiri. Koma Yehova anachitapo kanthu kutetezera Aisrayeliwo mwakuika mtambo pakati pa iwo ndi Aigupto. Kumbali ya Aigupto, “mtambo unachita mdima,” motero ukuwalepheretsa kuukira. Kumbali inayo, mtambowo unali woŵala, “unaunikira usiku” kwa Aisrayeli.​—Eksodo 14:10-20.

Aigupto anali ofunitsitsa kufunkha zinthu ndi kuwononga koma anatsekerezedwa ndi mtambowo. (Eksodo 15:9) Pamene unachotsedwa, ha, nchozizwitsa chotani nanga! Madzi a Nyanja Yofiira anali atalekanitsidwa, ndipo Aisrayeli anali kuolokera tsidya linalo panthaka youma! Farao ndi magulu ake ankhondo anagudukira kuloŵa m’nyanjayo, ali otsimikiza mtima kugwira ndi kufunkha akapolo awo akalewo. Komabe, wolamulira wa Igupto wouma khosiyo anali ataderera Mulungu wa Ahebri. Yehova anayamba kuchititsa Aiguptowo kusokonezeka, akumagulula magudumu a magaleta awo.​—Eksodo 14:21-25a.

“Tithaŵe pamaso pa Israyeli,” anafuula motero amuna amphamvu a Igupto, “pakuti Yehova ali kuwagwirira nkhondo pa Aaigupto.” Kuzindikira kumeneku kunabwera mochedwa mwa Farao ndi amuna ake. Ali m’chisungiko kutsidya linalo, Mose anatambasulira dzanja lake ku nyanjayo, ndipo madziwo anabwerera, akumapha Farao ndi magulu ake ankhondo.​—Eksodo 14:25b-28.

Maphunziro Operekedwa ndi Chokumana Nacho

Chotero pamenepa, kodi Yehova ndani? Farao wonyadayo anapeza yankho pa funso limenelo. Zochitika m’Igupto zinasonyeza kuti Yehova ali Mulungu yekha wowona, wosiyana kotheratu ndi ‘milungu yopanda pake’ ya mitundu. (Salmo 96:4, 5) Mwamphamvu yake yowopsayo, Yehova ‘analenga kumwamba ndi dziko lapansi.’ Iye alinso Mpulumutsi Wamkulu, Uyo amene ‘anatulutsa anthu ake Israyeli m’dziko la Igupto, ndi zizindikiro, zozizwitsa, ndi dzanja lamphamvu, ndi mantha ambiri.’ (Yeremiya 32:17-21) Ha, zimenezi zinatsimikizira bwino lomwe chotani nanga kuti Yehova akhoza kutetezera anthu ake!

Farao anaphunzira zimenezo mwa chokumana nacho choŵaŵa. Ndipotu phunziro lake lomalizira linamtayitsa moyo wake. (Salmo 136:1, 15) Iye akanakhala wanzeru akanasonyeza kudzichepetsa pamene anafunsa kuti, “Yehova ndani?” Pamenepo wolamulira uja akanachita mogwirizana ndi yankho limene analandira. Mokondweretsa, anthu ambiri odzichepetsa lerolino akuphunzira amene Yehova ali. Ndipo kodi Iye ali ndi umunthu wotani? Kodi iye amafunanji kwa ife? Lolani kuti nkhani yotsatira ikulitse chiyamikiro chanu kwa Uyo yekhayo amene dzina lake ndi Yehova.​—Salmo 83:18.

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 3]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.