Ngubani UYehova?

“NGUBANI na uYehova?” Loo mbuzo wabuzwa kwiminyaka engama-3 500 eyadlulayo nguFaro onekratshi, ukumkani waseYiputa. Kubonakala ukuba indelelo yamshukumisela ukuba ongezelele oku: “Andimazi uYehova.” Amadoda amabini awayemi phambi koFaro ngelo xesha ayemazi uYehova. Yayingabazalwana bokwenyama uMoses noAron, besizwe sakwaSirayeli sabaLevi. UYehova wayebathume ukuba bayalele umlawuli waseYiputa ukuba andulule amaSirayeli ukuya kwenza umthendeleko wonqulo entlango.—Eksodus 5:1, 2.

UFaro wayengafuni mpendulo kumbuzo wakhe. Ngaphantsi kwegunya lakhe, ababingeleli babekhuthaza ukunqulwa kwamakhulu oothixo bobuxoki. Kaloku, uFaro ngokwakhe wayejongwa njengothixo! Ngokutsho kwentsomi yamaYiputa, wayengunyana wothixo welanga uRa nomfanekiselo wothixo onentloko kakhetshe uHorus. UFaro wayebizwa ngezibizo ezinjengesithi “thixo oligorha” nesithi “sonini-nanini.” Ngoko kwakungamangalisi ukuba abe wayenokubuza ngendelelo athi: “Ngubani na uYehova, ukuba ndiphulaphule izwi lakhe?”

Kwakungeyomfuneko ukuba uMoses noAron bawuphendule loo mbuzo. UFaro wayesazi ukuba uYehova nguThixo owayenqulwa ngamaSirayeli, awayebulaleka ngelo xesha kubukhoboka baseYiputa. Kodwa uFaro nayo yonke iYiputa kungekudala babeza kwazi ukuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso. Ngokufanayo namhlanje, uYehova uya kwenza igama lakhe nokuba nguThixo kwakhe kwaziwe ngumntu ngamnye osemhlabeni. (Hezekile 36:23) Ngoko sinokungenelwa ngokuqwalasela indlela uYehova uThixo awalizukisa ngayo igama lakhe kwiYiputa yamandulo.

Wongamile Koothixo BaseYiputa

Xa ngendelelo uFaro wabuza ukuba wayengubani na uYehova, wayengazilindelanga izinto ezamehlelayo. UYehova wasabela, esizisa izibetho ezilishumi phezu kweYiputa. Ezo zibetho zazingajoliswanga nje kolo hlanga. Zazijoliswe koothixo baseYiputa.

Ezi zibetho zabonisa ukongama kukaYehova ngaphezu koothixo baseYiputa. (Eksodus 12:12; Numeri 33:4) Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wengxokozelo eyayilapho xa uYehova waguqula amanzi oMlambo umNayile nawo onke amanzi aseYiputa aba ligazi! Ngenxa yalo mmangaliso, uFaro nabantu bakhe baqonda ukuba uYehova wayongamile kunothixo womNayile, uHapi. Kwakhona ukufa kweentlanzi kumlambo umNayile yaba sisibetho kunqulo lwamaYiputa, kuba iintlobo ezithile zeentlanzi zazihlonelwa ngokunzulu.—Eksodus 7:19-21.

Ngokulandelayo, uYehova wezisa isibetho samasele phezu kweYiputa. Oku kwaluthoba udumo lothixokazi wamasele waseYiputa, uHeqt. (Eksodus 8:5-14) Isibetho sesithathu sazidida izazi zobugqi, ezingazange zikwazi ukulinganisa ummangaliso kaYehova wokuguqula uthuli lube ziingcongconi. Zadandulula zisithi: “Ngumnwe kaThixo!” (Eksodus 8:16-19) Uthixo wamaYiputa uThoth, owayehlonelwa ngokuvelisa ubugqi, akazange akwazi ukunceda abo babezenza oosiyazi.

UFaro wayeza kumazi ukuba ungubani na uYehova. UYehova nguThixo owayenokuvakalisa injongo yakhe esebenzisa uMoses aze ayiphumeze ngokuzisa izibetho ezingummangaliso phezu kwamaYiputa. Kwakhona uYehova wayenokuziqalisa aze aziphelise ezo zibetho ngokuthanda kwakhe. Noko ke, olu lwazi, aluzange lumshukumisele uFaro ukuba azithobe kuYehova. Kunoko, lo mlawuli unekratshi waseYiputa ngobuntamo-lukhuni waqhubeka emchasa uYehova.

Ebudeni besibetho sesine, izibawu zalonakalisa ilizwe, zangena ezindlwini, yaye mhlawumbi zazilibubu emoyeni, okwayenye into eyayinqulwa neyayimelwa nguthixo onguShu okanye nguthixokazi uIsis, ukumkanikazi wezulu. Igama lesiHebhere esibizwa ngalo esi sinambuzane liye laguqulelwa ngokuthi “isibawu,” “ikhalane,” nelithi “ibhungane.” (New World Translation; Septuagint; Young) Ukuba yinkubabulongwe eyayibandakanyekile, amaYiputa afumana isibetho sezinambuzane awayezijonga njengezingcwele, yaye abantu babengenakukuphepha ukuzityumza ngeenyawo. Phofu ke, esi sibetho samfundisa enye into entsha uFaro ngoYehova. Nangona oothixo bamaYiputa babengenakubakhusela abanquli babo kwizibawu, uYehova wayenokubakhusela abantu bakhe. Esi sibetho kunye nazo zonke ezalandelayo zathwaxa amaYiputa kodwa kungekhona amaSirayeli.—Eksodus 8:20-24.

Isibetho sesihlanu yaba yindyikitya yokufa kwemfuyo yamaYiputa. Esi sibetho samhlazisa uHathor, uApis, nothixokazi wesibhakabhaka uNut, owayenomzimba onjengowenkomo. (Eksodus 9:1-7) Isibetho sesithandathu sezisa amathumba kubantu nasezinkomeni, simthobela phantsi uthixo onguThoth, uIsis, noPtah, ababebalaseliswa ngokuphosakeleyo njengabanamandla okuphilisa.—Eksodus 9:8-11.

Isibetho sesixhenxe yaba sisichotho esikhulu, esasinomlilo olenyayo phakathi kwamatye esichotho. Esi sibetho samhlazisa uthixo uReshpu, owayecingelwa engumakhwekhwetha wombane, noThoth, ekwakusithiwa uyakwazi ukulawula imvula neendudumo. (Eksodus 9:22-26) Isibetho sesibhozo, isibetho seenkumbi, sabonisa ukongama kukaYehova kuthixo wendyebo uMin, mhlawumbi owayengumkhuseli wezilimo. (Eksodus 10:12-15) Isibetho sesithoba, esaba bubumnyama obagubungela iYiputa iintsuku ezintathu, sezisa ugculelo kwabo thixo baseYiputa abanjengoothixo belanga uRa noHorus.—Eksodus 10:21-23.

Phezu kwazo nje izibetho ezisithoba ezitshabalalisayo, uFaro waqhubeka engavumi ukukhulula amaSirayeli. Ukuqaqadeka kwentliziyo yakhe kwaba yilahleko enkulu eYiputa xa uThixo wezisa isibetho seshumi nesisesokugqibela—ukubulawa kwamazibulo abantu naweenkomo. Kwanonyana wamazibulo kaFaro watshabalala, nangona wayejongwa njengothixo. Ngaloo ndlela uYehova ‘wenza izigwebo koothixo bonke baseYiputa.’—Eksodus 12:12, 29.

Ngoku uFaro wabiza uMoses noAron waza wathi: “Sukani niphume phakathi kwabantu bam, nina aba noonyana bakwaSirayeli, nihambe niye kumkhonza uYehova, njengokutsho kwenu; nempahla yenu emfutshane neenkomo zenu zithabatheni, njengoko natshoyo, nihambe; nam nindisikelele.”—Eksodus 12:31, 32.

Umlondolozi Wabantu Bakhe

AmaSirayeli anduluka, kodwa kamsinya emva kokuba endulukile kuFaro kwabonakala ngathi ayezulazula nje entlango. Yena nabakhonzi bakhe babuza: “Siyenzele ntoni na le nto, yokusuka simndulule uSirayeli ekusikhonzeni?” (Eksodus 14:3-5) Ukukhululwa kolu hlanga lungamakhoboka kwakuza kuba yilahleko enkulu kwezoqoqosho eYiputa.

UFaro wahlanganisa umkhosi wakhe waza wasukela uSirayeli wada waya kufika ePi-hahiroti. (Eksodus 14:6-9) Ngakwezomkhosi, imeko yayibonakala intle kumaYiputa kuba amaSirayeli ayevingceleke phakathi kolwandle neentaba. Kodwa uYehova wawakhusela amaSirayeli ngokubeka ilifu phakathi kwawo namaYiputa. KumaYiputa, “kwabakho ilifu nobumnyama,” ngaloo ndlela lithintela uhlaselo. Kwelinye icala, ilifu laliqaqambile, ‘libukhanyisela ubusuku’ kumaSirayeli.—Eksodus 14:10-20.

AmaYiputa ayezimisele ukuphanga aze atshabalalise kodwa athintelwa lilifu. (Eksodus 15:9) Xa laphakamayo, onjani wona ummangaliso! Amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu ayehlulelene phakathi, yaye amaSirayeli ayewelela kwelinye icala ehamba kumhlaba owomileyo! UFaro nemikhosi yakhe baphoseleka elunxwemeni lolwandle bezimisele ukubamba baze baphange abo babesakuba ngamakhoboka abo. Noko ke, lo mlawuli unekratshi waseYiputa wayemjongela phantsi uThixo wamaHebhere. UYehova waqalisa ukuwadubaduba amaYiputa, encothula amavili eenqwelo zawo zokulwa.—Eksodus 14:21-25a.

Amadoda anobukroti aseYiputa adanduluka esithi: “Masisabe phambi kwamaSirayeli, kuba uYehova uyawalwela, esilwa namaYiputa.” UFaro namadoda akhe bakuqonda oku sele beshiywe lixesha. Ekhuselekile kwelinye icala lonxweme, uMoses wasolula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, aza amanzi abuyela endaweni yawo, ebulala uFaro nomkhosi wakhe.—Eksodus 14:25b-28.

Izifundo Ezifundiswa Ngamava

Ngoko ke, ngubani uYehova? UFaro onekratshi wayifumana impendulo yaloo mbuzo. Iziganeko ezenzeka eYiputa zabonisa ukuba uYehova ungokuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, ongafaniyo konke konke ‘noothixo abangento yanto’ beentlanga. (INdumiso 96:4, 5) Ngamandla akhe angummangaliso, uYehova ‘wenza izulu nehlabathi.’ Kwakhona unguMhlanguli Omkhulu, Lowo ‘wabakhuphayo abantu bakhe amaSirayeli ezweni laseYiputa ngemiqondiso, nangezimanga, nangesandla esithe nkqi, nangoloyikiso olukhulu.’ (Yeremiya 32:17-21) Hayi indlela oku ekwakungqina ngayo ukuba uYehova unokubakhusela abantu bakhe!

UFaro wazifunda ezo zifundo ngamava abuhlungu. Enyanisweni, isifundo sokugqibela saba kukufa kuye. (INdumiso 136:1, 15) Wayeya kuba ngolumke ngakumbi ukuba wayebonakalise ukuthobeka xa wabuzayo esithi, “Ngubani na uYehova?” Ngoko loo mlawuli ngewayenze ngokuvisisana nempendulo awayifumanayo. Okuvuyisayo kukuba, abantu abaninzi abathobekileyo namhlanje bafunda ukuba ungubani na uYehova. Yaye unohlobo olunjani lobuntu? Yintoni afuna siyenze? Ngamana inqaku elilandelayo lingalukhulisa uxabiso onalo ngaLowo ukuphela kogama linguYehova.—INdumiso 83:18.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.