Bible Society of South Africa
Izicwangciso zokufunda
Come to Me
Come to Me – Day 19
Xanthe Galanis

Come to Me – Day 19

Hear the word of the Lord

Itekisi yeBhayibhile

UISAYA 66

2Kaloku zidalwe ndim zonke ezi zinto;

zikho nje ziphuma kwezi zandla.”

Ewe, utsho uNdikhoyo.

“Ke yena umntu ondikholisayo

ngulo uzithobayo nozohlwayayo –

nditsho ondihlonela ngentobeko.

3Kambe owenza intando yakhe,

noba uxhel' inkomo yedini,

nqwa nesibulala mntu;

noba wenza umnikelo ngegusha,

umatwa nowenz' idini ngenja;

noba wenza umnikelo weenkozo,

nqwa nobingelela ngegazi lehagu;

ewe, noba undenzela isiqhumiso,

ufana nonqula *umfanekiso.

Izinto ezimanyumnyezi zizo azilangazelelayo.

UISAYA 66:2-3XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

UISAYA 66

18Ndiyazazi iingcinga nezenzo zabo. Ngoko ke ndiyeza; ndiza kuziqokelela zonke izizwe. Zakufika ke ziya kuwabona amandla am.

19“Kambe ke ndomisa umqondiso phakathi kwazo, ndibasindise abanye bazo, ndibathumele kwiintlanga ezikude, ezo zingazange zive ngodumo lwam, zingawabonanga amandla nobungangamsha bam: eTashishe, eLibhiya, naseLidiya – kwezo ncutshe zeentolo – eTubhali, nakwelamaGrike. Phakathi kwezi ntlanga ke bobubhengeza ubungangamsha bam. 20Kwezi ntlanga ke bobuya nawo amawenu abe njengomnikelo kum. Bobuya nawo beze nawo entabeni yam eyodwa eJerusalem. Baya kuza behamba ngamahashe neemeyile neenkamela, bekhwele ezinqwelweni nasezikhotshini, oku kwamaSirayeli esizisa umnikelo weenkozo endlwini kaThixo, ewuphethe ngezitya ezifanelekileyo. 21Abanye bazo ke ndobenza ababingeleli nabaLevi,” utsho uNdikhoyo.

22“Kwanjengokuba amazulu amatsha nehlabathi elitsha –

nditsho la ndiza kuwadala –

aya kuhlala ehleli phambi kwam,

koba njalo kwigama lakho nakwizizukulwana zakho.

23Ngayo yonke imibhiyozo yokuthwasa kwenyanga –

nditsho nangaleyo *yoMhla woPhumlo –

izizwe zonke ziya kuza zigxalathelana,

zize kundinqula.”

Lowo ke ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.

24“Ke bona baya kuyibona imizimba yâbo bantu bafe ngenxa yokuvukelana nam. Ezo mpethu ziyimemethayo azisoze zife, kanti nomlilo obatshisayo soze ucime. Lowo ke yoba ngumbono omanyumnyezi kulo lonke uluntu.”

UISAYA 66:18-24XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

Isaiah ends with a picture of God’s final judgement and the reward of the righteous in the earth made new. God’s glory will be proclaimed to all nations and people from all nations will come to him and worship. A new heaven and a new earth are revealed. What a marvellous conclusion to this beautiful word declared through Isaiah!

However, although Isaiah 66 ends on a note of apocalyptic decisiveness and hope (66:18-24), the beginning of the chapter provides one more warning: “This is the one I esteem,” God says, “he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word” (66:2). A few verses later, Isaiah directly addresses the faithful as “you who tremble at his word” (66:5). They are contrasted with those who do not answer or listen when the Lord calls and speaks (66:4). These key verses summarise Isaiah’s message – the opposite of sin is not religion, but humble obedience.

In every generation, what ultimately distinguishes the true from the false, among God’s people, is not those who put on the best show of being a Christian, it is those who remain faithful to the word of God.

Do you tremble at God’s word? Do you take God’s words seriously or do you expect God to conform to your own wishes, desires and expectations? Do you accept those parts of the Bible that you agree with and reject those that you consider inconvenient or wrong? If God’s word conflicts with your culture, which do you follow?

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