UYosiya Othobekileyo Wafumana Inkoliseko KaYehova

INKOSANA eneminyaka emihlanu yakwaYuda enguYosiya imele ukuba iyatyhwatywha. Unina uYedediya wenza isijwili. UYedediya ukhaliswa ngumphanga kayisemkhulu, uKumkani uManase.—2 Kumkani 21:18.

Ngoku uyise kaYosiya, uAmon, uza kuba ngukumkani wakwaYuda. (2 Kronike 33:20) Kwiminyaka emibini kamva (ngowama-659 B.C.E.), uAmon ugwintwa zizicaka zakhe. Abantu bayababulala abo bapheke eli yelenqe baze bathwese uYosiya oselula njengokumkani. (2 Kumkani 21:24; 2 Kronike 33:25) Ebudeni bolawulo luka-Amon, uYosiya wayede waliqhela ivumba leziqhumiso elalizalise umoya waseYerusalem ngenxa yezibingelelo ezininzi ezazikumaphahla ezindlu abantu ababequbuda kuzo phambi koothixo bobuxoki. Kaloku wawunokubabona ababingeleli abangabahedeni besenza ungcelele, kwaye abanquli—kwanabanye ababesithi banqula uYehova—befunga ngoMalekam.—Zefaniya 1:1, 5.

UYosiya uyazi ukuba uAmon wenze ubungendawo ngokunqula oothixo bobuxoki. Lo kumkani uselula wakwaYuda uya ekhanyelwa nazizibhengezo ezenziwa ngumprofeti kaThixo uZefaniya. Xa uYosiya esiba neminyaka eli-15 ubudala (ngowama-652 B.C.E.), sele ekunyaka wesibhozo wolawulo lwakhe kwaye uzimisele ukuthobela amazwi kaZefaniya. Eseyinkwenkwana, uYosiya uqalisa ukufuna uYehova.—2 Kronike 33:21, 22; 34:3.

UYosiya Uthabatha Amanyathelo!

Kudlula iminyaka emine kwaye uYosiya uqalisa iphulo lokucoca unqulo lobuxoki eYerusalem (ngowama-648 B.C.E.). Utshabalalisa imifanekiso eqingqiweyo, izibonda ezingcwele kunye nezibingelelo zeziqhumiso ezisetyenziswa kunqulo lukaBhahali. Imifanekiso eqingqiweyo yoothixo bobuxoki icolwa ibe ngumgubo othi kamva usasazwe emangcwabeni abo bebebingelela kuyo. Izibingelelo ebezisetyenziselwa unqulo olungahlambulukanga ziyahlanjelwa zize zitshatyalaliswe.—2 Kumkani 23:8-14.

Kuxa lishushu kanye iphulo lokucoca likaYosiya xa uYeremiya, unyana wombingeleli ongumLevi, esiza eYerusalem (ngowama-647 B.C.E.). UYehova uThixo umisele uYeremiya oselula ukuba abe ngumprofeti, kwaye hayi indlela azivakalisa ngenkalipho ngayo izigidimi zikaYehova ezinxamnye nonqulo lobuxoki! UYosiya wayebulingana noYeremiya ngobudala. Noko ke, phezu kwalo nje iphulo likaYosiya lokucoca ngenkalipho kunye nezigidimi ezazikhutshwa nguYeremiya owayengoyiki ngokoyikiswa, ngokukhawuleza abantu baphinda babuyele kunqulo lobuxoki.—Yeremiya 1:1-10.

Kufunyanwa Into Enexabiso Elingenakulinganiswa!

Kudlula iminyaka emalunga nemihlanu. UYosiya oneminyaka engama-25 ubudala sele eneminyaka eli-18 elawula. Ubiza uShafan, unobhala; noMahaseya, intloko yesixeko; noYowa umgcini wengxelo. Ukumkani uyalela uShafan esithi: ‘Yitsho kuHilekiya, umbingeleli omkhulu, ukuba athabathe imali ehlanganiswe ngabagcini-mnyango betempile ebantwini ayinike abo benza umsebenzi ukuze balungise indlu kaYehova.’—2 Kumkani 22:3-6; 2 Kronike 34:8.

Ukususela ekuseni, abo balungisa itempile basebenza ngenkuthalo. Ngokuqinisekileyo uYosiya uyambulela uYehova kuba abasebenzi belungisa umonakalo owawenziwe ngabanye bookhokho bakhe abangendawo endlwini kaThixo. Njengoko umsebenzi uqhubeka, kugaleleke uShafan ezokunikela ingxelo. Yintoni ngoku le? Tyhini, uphethe umsongo! Uyachaza ukuba uMbingeleli Omkhulu uHilekiya uye wafumana “incwadi yomthetho kaYehova ngesandla sikaMoses.” (2 Kronike 34:12-18) Elinjani lona ithamsanqa—ngokuqinisekileyo yayingumbhalo wantlandlolo woMthetho!

UYosiya ulangazelela ukuva onke amazwi akule ncwadi. Njengoko uShafan efunda, ukumkani uzama ukubona indlela umyalelo ngamnye osebenza ngayo kuye nakubantu. Uchukunyiswa nangakumbi yindlela le ncwadi elubethelela ngayo unqulo lokwenyaniso nendlela ezixela kusengaphambili ngayo izibetho kunye nokuthinjwa okwakuza kwenzeka xa abantu bebandakanyeka kunqulo lobuxoki. Ngoku eqonda ukuba ibingathotyelwa yonke imiyalelo kaThixo, uYosiya ukrazula iingubo zakhe aze anike uHilekiya, uShafan nabanye lo myalelo: ‘Buzani kuYehova ngokuphathelele amazwi ale ncwadi; kuba kukhulu ukuvutha komsindo kaYehova nxamnye nathi ngenxa yokuba ookhokho bethu bengazange bawaphulaphule amazwi ale ncwadi.’—2 Kumkani 22:11-13; 2 Kronike 34:19-21.

ILizwi LikaYehova Liyaqinisekiswa

Abathunywa bakaYosiya baya kuHulida umprofetikazi oseYerusalem baze babuye nengxelo. UHulida uyaliqinisekisa ilizwi likaYehova, ebonisa ukuba iintlekele ezibhalwe kwincwadi esandul’ ukufunyanwa ziza kuhla kolo hlanga luwexukileyo. Noko ke, ngenxa yokuzithoba kwakhe kuYehova uThixo, akuyi kuba yimfuneko ukuba uYosiya azibone ezo ntlekele. Uza kuhlanganiswa kookhokho bakhe aze asiwe engcwabeni lakhe ngoxolo.—2 Kumkani 22:14-20; 2 Kronike 34:22-28.

Ngaba isiprofeto sikaHulida sasichanile, ekubeni uYosiya wafela edabini? (2 Kumkani 23:28-30) Ewe, kuba ‘uxolo’ awahlanganiswa ngalo engcwabeni lakhe lahlukile ‘kwintlekele’ eyayiza kufikela uYuda. (2 Kumkani 22:20; 2 Kronike 34:28) UYosiya wafa ngaphambi kwentlekele yowama-609 ukusa kowama-607 B.C.E. xa amaBhabhiloni angqinga aza atshabalalisa iYerusalem. Yaye ‘ukuhlanganiswa kukabani kookhokho bakhe’ akuthethi kuthi akayi kufa ngogonyamelo. Kusetyenziswa ibinzana elifanayo xa kuthethwa ngokufa ngogonyamelo kwanangokulala ngoxolo.—Duteronomi 31:16; 1 Kumkani 2:10; 22:34, 40.

Unqulo Lokwenyaniso Luhambela Phambili

UYosiya uhlanganisa abantu baseYerusalem etempileni aze abafundele “onke amazwi encwadi yomnqophiso” eyayifunyenwe endlwini kaYehova. Emva koko wenza umnqophiso “wokulandela uYehova nokugcina imiyalelo yakhe nezingqino zakhe nemimiselo yakhe ngentliziyo yonke nangomphefumlo wonke ngokuphumeza amazwi alo mnqophiso awayebhalwe kule ncwadi.” Bonke abantu bema emnqophisweni.—2 Kumkani 23:1-3.

Ngoku uKumkani uYosiya uqalisa elinye iphulo lokuphelisa unqulo-zithixo elibonakala lilikhulu nangakumbi. Ababingeleli boothixo basemzini abakwaYuda baphelelwa ngumsebenzi. Ababingeleli abangabaLevi ababandakanyeke kunqulo olungahlambulukanga balahlekelwa lilungelo lokukhonza esibingelelweni sikaYehova, yaye iindawo eziphakamileyo ezazakhiwe ebudeni bolawulo lukaKumkani uSolomon zachazwa njengezingalufanelekelanga unqulo. Eli phulo libandakanya nomhlaba owawusakuba ngowobukumkani bezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli, ngaphambilana obabubhukuqwe ngama-Asiriya (ngowama-740 B.C.E.).

Kuzaliseka amazwi awayethethwe ‘yindoda yakwaThixo’ engachazwanga ngagama kwiminyaka engama-300 ngaphambilana, uYosiya utshisa amathambo ababingeleli bakaBhahali kwisibingelelo esasakhiwe nguKumkani uYerobhoham I eBheteli. Iindawo eziphakamileyo ziyashenxiswa apho nakwezinye izixeko, kwaye ababingeleli abanqula izithixo benziwa imibingelelo kwakwezo zibingelelo bebesebenzela kuzo.—1 Kumkani 13:1-4; 2 Kumkani 23:4-20.

Kuqhutywa IPasika Eyimbalasane

Izenzo zikaYosiya zokukhuthaza unqulo olunyulu ziyaxhaswa nguThixo. Lo kumkani uza kumbulela uThixo kuba, ngayo yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe abantu “abaphambukanga ekulandeleni uYehova uThixo wookhokho babo.” (2 Kronike 34:33) UYosiya wayenokusilibala njani isiganeko esibalaseleyo esenzeka ngonyaka we-18 wolawulo lwakhe?

Ukumkani uyalela abantu esithi: “Yenzani ipasika kuYehova uThixo wenu ngokuvisisana noko kubhalwe kule ncwadi yomnqophiso [esandul’ ukufunyanwa].” (2 Kumkani 23:21) UYosiya uvuyiswa kukubona abantu besabela kakuhle. Kulo mthendeleko, wenza umnikelo ngamaxhoba ePasika angama-30 000 kunye neenkomo ezingama-3 000. Enjani yona iPasika! Xa kuthelekiswa iminikelo yayo, amalungiselelo awenziwe ngobunono kunye nenani labanquli, iyazigqwesa zonke iiPasika ezaqhutywa ukususela ngemihla yomprofeti uSamuweli.—2 Kumkani 23:22, 23; 2 Kronike 35:1-19.

Wenzelwa Isimbonono Akufa

Kuyo yonke iminyaka eseleyo yolawulo lwakhe oluthabathe iminyaka engama-31 (ukususela ngowama-659 ukusa kowa-629 B.C.E.), uYosiya ulawula njengokumkani olungileyo. Ngasekupheleni kolawulo lwakhe, ufumanisa ukuba uFaro Neko uceba ukunqumla kwelakwaYuda xa eyokukhawulela imikhosi yaseBhabhiloni nokuze ancede uKumkani waseAsiriya eKarkemishe ngakuMlambo umEfrate. Ngesizathu esingachazwanga, uYosiya uyaphuma eyokulwa nalo mYiputa. UNeko uthuma abathunywa kuye, esithi: “Yeka ukuze kulunge kuwe ngenxa kaThixo, okunye nam, yaye ungamenzi akonakalise.” Kodwa uYosiya uzenza mntu wumbi aze azame ukujika amaYiputa eMegido.—2 Kronike 35:20-22.

Lehl’ ishwangusha kukumkani wakwaYuda! Abatoli botshaba bayamchana, kwaye uxelela abakhonzi bakhe oku: “Ndothuleni, kuba ndingxwelerhekile kakhulu.” Bayamothula uYosiya kwinqwelo yakhe yokulwa, bamkhwelise kwenye, baze basinge eYerusalem. Akufika apho okanye esendleleni eya kweso sixeko, uYosiya uyaqhawuka. Ingxelo ephefumlelweyo ithi: “Ngaloo ndlela wafa waza wangcwatyelwa emangcwabeni ookhokho bakhe; yaye onke amaYuda neYerusalem amzilela uYosiya.” UYeremiya wamenzela isimbonono, kwaye ukususela ngoko lo kumkani waqhubeka esenzelwa izimbonono ngezihlandlo ezikhethekileyo.—2 Kronike 35:23-25.

Ewe, uKumkani uYosiya wenza impazamo engathethekiyo xa walwa namaYiputa. (INdumiso 130:3) Noko ke, ukuthobeka kunye nokulumela ngokuqinileyo unqulo lokwenyaniso kwabangela ukuba uThixo akholiswe nguye. Hayi indlela ubomi bukaYosiya obubonisa kakuhle ngayo ukuba uYehova uyakholiswa ngabakhonzi bakhe abantliziyo zithobekileyo!—IMizekeliso 3:34; Yakobi 4:6.

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UKumkani uYosiya oselula wamfuna ngokunyaniseka uYehova

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UYosiya wazitshabalalisa iindawo eziphakamileyo waza wakhuthaza unqulo lokwenyaniso