uJona
uJona uthunywa eNiniveUJona esiswini senhlanzikazi yasolwandle sekwaba umfanekiso owaziwa kakhulu, ochaza ukuthi oPhezukonke angehliselana ekujuleni kwezingqinamba, adudulelane ezandleni zokubhujiswa, ukuze kugcine kuphunyukelekile, kwaphulukundleleka ezibophweni zonya nenzondo nasekuzikhukhumeza nokubandlulula, kukhululekeke ukuphila ngokungubufakazi bothando loPhezukonke olungenamkhawulo.
Ezincwadini zabaphrofethi, le yehlukile: Ayisiyo-nje inqolobane yamazwi omphrofethi, yethula udaba olubalulekile empilweni yomphrofethi othize. Ubuciko le ngxoxo ebekwé ngabo bukhombisa ukuthi umgomo wayo akusikho-nje ukwethula umbiko ngokwenzakele, yethula umbono othile eshumayeza ngawo.
UJona uthunywa eNinive, okwakuwumuzi abakwaIzrayeli ababewuthatha ngokuthi uyikhaya lobubi nenkohlakalo yokufulathelana noPhezukonke; kuthiwa akayobikezela kwabakhona ngesahlulelo sesijeziso esiqondiswé kubo. Uzama ukuyigwema le nkonzo ajutshelwé kuyo ngokuthi abalekele kude, entwela olwandle – kungengakho ukuthi wayebesaba abaseNinive, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi wayezama ukubagodlela, abancishe leli thuba abaliphiwayo lokuphenduka nokuphepha olakeni [uJona 4,2]. Ngokumenzekelelayo ezama konke lokho, kusoshwé ukuthi afunde ukuthi umuso kaSmakade awuqondene kuphela-nje nabakwaIzrayeli, uqondiswé kubo bonke abashayekayo, baphendukele kuye. AbaseNinive, ngokukhombisa kwabo ngendlela emangalisayo ukuzimisela ukuzisola baphendukele ekumaziseni oPhezukonke, kanye nendlela abasebenza emkhunjini ababenokumazisa nokuzimisela ukumkhonza oPhezukonke, kuyisibonelo sokuthi izizwe zonke ezingaphandle kwesakwaIzrayeli zingethathwe ngokuthi zonke ngothi lwazo ziyanhlanhlatha, zifanele ukwahlulelwa nokujeziswa ngokufulathelana kwazo noPhezukonke.
Lwalusematheni lolu daba ikakhulukazi ezikhathini zeminyaka engamakhulu amahlanu kuya kwezamakhulu amane ngaphambi kwale nkathi esiphile kuyo [500/400 ph.Khr.] lapho abakwaJuda – belandela intshumayelo yoEzra noNehemiya – base beya ngokuya bezibandlulula kwezinye izizwe kanti-ke futhi kwabezinye izizwe kwase kuvama ukuthi ziphendukele okholweni lwabakwaIzrayeli. Mhlawumbe yalotshwa le ndaba ngenhloso yokudala ubufakazi: OPhezukonke uzimisele ukuhlenga untu lonke ngothi lwalo, isizwe sakwaIzrayeli („uJona“) sithunywa ukwedlulisela leso simemo kuwonke wonke.
Okwenza yaduma, yaziwa kangaka, le ndaba ngoJona akusiwo-nje lo mqondo ewuqukethe, kodwa yinhlanzikazi yasolwandle lo mphrofethi ayesesiswini sayo izinsuku ezintathu nobusuku obuthathu ekuzameni kwakhe ukugwema inkonzo ayejutshelwé kuyo. UJona esiswini senhlanzikazi yasolwandle sekwaba umfanekiso owaziwa kakhulu, ochaza ukuthi oPhezukonke angehliselana ekujuleni kwezingqinamba, adudulelane ezandleni zokubhujiswa, ukuze kugcine kuphunyukelekile, kwaphulukundleleka ezibophweni zonya nenzondo nasekuzikhukhumeza nokubandlulula, kukhululekeke ukuphila ngokungubufakazi bothando loPhezukonke olungenamkhawulo.
Ukuqondakala ngokupheleleyo kwalokho okwehlela uJona kuhamba kuhambe kuze kuvele ngokuFa nokuVuka kukaJesu waseNazaretha [uMathewu 12,40]. UJesu nguye phela okwathi ngendlela ayephila eshumayela ngayo ekuphatheni nasekuhlalisaneni kwakhe nababebandlululwa, wenza ubufakazi obedlula bonke ngothando lukaYise olungenamkhawulo. Aké siqhathanise-nje uJona esahlukweni sokugcina sale ncwadi lapho – emva kwakho konke okwase kwenzakele – ayelokhu esabambelele ekutheni bajeziswe abaseNinive, simqhathanise nendodana enkulu kulo mzekeliso osencwadini yevangeli ngokukaLukha esahlukweni seshumi nanhlanu [Lukha 15,11-32] !
Umtapo: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia 2. Auflage; Die Lexikon-Bibel. ISBN 3-438-01653-2 Seite 959;
© Ben Khumalo-Seegelken, http://www.benkhumalo-seegelken.de/