Ma Onyankopɔn Nni so

Me nuanom mmarima ne mmaa, anisɔ a ɛyɛ wɔ nkransɛm nwanwasoɔ yi wɔ saa nhyiamu yi mu ne m’akwanya sɛ mekasa kyerɛ mo seesei.

Mfeɛ 36 ne deɛ ɛboro saa na mayɛ Ɔsomafoɔ, na Yesrae anoboaboa nkyerɛkyerɛ no afa m’adwene nnɔmum.¹ Biribiara a ɛfa ho no yɛ me nwanwa, deɛ ɛka ho a ɛyɛ som nnwuma ne edin² Abraham, Isak, ne Yakob; wɔn abrabɔ ne wɔn yerenom; apam a Onyankopɔn ne wɔn yɛɛe a atoa mu wɔ awoɔntoatoasoɔ mu;³ abusuakuo dumienu no ahweteɛ; ne nkɔmhyɛ bebrebe a ɛfa anoboaboa ho wɔ yɛn mmerɛ yi mu.

Masua anoboaboa no ho asɛm, abɔ ho mpaeɛ, adɔ twerɛsɛm biara a ɛfa ho no mu sukɔ, ɛna mabisa Awurade no sɛ ɔnto me nteaseɛ mu.

Enti dwene m’anigyeɛ ho berɛ a ɛnkyɛreɛ mekɔɔ nhunumu foforɔ mu. Wɔ Hebrifoɔ nwomanimfoɔ mmienu mmoa so, mehunuu sɛ Hebraic nkyeraseɛ baako ma asɛmfua Yesrae yɛ “ma Onyankopɔn nni so.”⁴ Sɛ, edin pɔtee Israel kyerɛ onipa a ɔwɔ ɔpɛ sɛ ɔbɛma Onyankopɔn adi n’abrabɔ so. Saa nhunumu no ka me kraa!

Asɛmfua ɔpɛ no ho hia ma Israel Inkyeraseɛ yi.⁵ Yɛn nyinaa wɔ yɛn fahodie. Yɛbɛtumi ayɛ Israel, anaasɛ dabi. Yɛbɛtumi ama Onyankopɔn adi y’abrabɔ so, anaasɛ dabi. Yɛbɛtumi ama Onyankopɔn anya nsunsuansoɔ kɛseɛ wɔ y’abrabɔ mu, anaasɛ dabi.

Twɛn, yɛntwa y’ani nhwɛ berɛ Yakob, Abraham nana barima abrabɔ sesaeɛ. Faako a Yakob too din Peniel (a asekyerɛ ne “Onyankopɔn Anim ”),⁶ Yakob dii apereɛ wɔ akwansideɛ kɛseɛ mu. Wɔsɔɔ ne fahodie hwɛeɛ. Ɛnam saa aperedie yi mu, Yakob kyerɛɛ adeɛ a na ɛho hia no kɛse. Ɔkyerɛɛ sɛ na ɔwɔ ɔpɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛdi n’abrabɔ so. Mmuaeɛ mu no, Onyankopɔn sesaa Yakob din yɛɛ no Yesrae⁷ a ɛkyerɛ sɛ “ma Onyankopɔn nni so. Afei Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ Yesrae bɔ sɛ nhyira a wɔde guu Abraham tiri so nyinaa nso bɛyɛ ne dea.⁸

Awerɛhosɛm, Israel asefoɔ buu wɔ ne Onyankopɔn apam no so. Wɔsii nkɔmhyɛfoɔ no aboɔ na wɔn ampɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛdi wɔn abrabɔ so. Awieɛ no, Onyankopɔn bɔɔ wɔn hwetee wiase afanan so.⁹ Mmɔborɔhunu nti, akyire yi Ɔhyɛɛ bɔ sɛ Ɔbɛboaboa wɔn ano, sɛdeɛ Yesaia kaeɛ no: “Megyaa wo ɛberɛ tiawa bi [Israel]; nanso ayamhyehyeɛ kɛseɛ na mede bɛboa w’ano.”¹⁰

Hebraic nkyeraseɛ fa Yesrae a ɛwɔ adwene mu nti, Yesrae anoboaboa no de asekyerɛ foforɔ aka ho. Awurade no reboa nkorɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔpɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn di wɔn abrabɔ so no ano. Awurade reboa nkorɔfoɔ a wɔbɛpɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn yɛ nsunsuansoɔ a ɛhia kɛse wɔ wɔn abrabɔ so no ano.

Mfeɛhaha ni, nkɔmhyɛfoɔ ahyɛ anoboa yi ho nkɔm,¹¹ na ɛresi seesei! Sɛ nnianim a ɛhia ma Awurade Mmaeɛ a ɛtɔ so Mmienu no, ɛyɛ dwumadie a ɛho hia pa ara wɔ ewiase mu!

Saa mfeɛ apem nnianim anoboaboa yi yɛ ankorankorɛ ko a ɛreterɛ gyedie ne honhom mu akokoɔduro de ma nkorɔfoɔ ɔpepe. Na sɛ Asɔre a Ɛwɔ hɔ ma Nna a Ɛdi Akyire Ahotefoɔ mma yi, anaasɛ “nna a ɛdi akyire Israel apamfoɔ,”¹² wɔahyɛ yɛn sɛ yɛmmoa Awurade no wɔ wɔ saa adwuma sono yi mu.¹³

Sɛ yɛka Israel anoboa ho asɛm wɔ nkatanim mmienu no ho a, na yɛrekyerɛ, ɛwɔm, asɛmpatrɛfoɔ, tɛmpol, ne abusua abakɔsɛm adwuma. Yɛ sane nso kyerɛ sɛ yɛbɛhyehyɛ gyedie ne adanseɛ wɔ nkorɔfoɔ a yɛ ne wɔn teɛ, yɛ ne wɔn yɛ adwuma , ne wɔn a yɛsom wɔn akoma mu. Berɛ biara a yɛbɛyɛ biribi de aboa obiara—wɔ nkatanim mmienu no ho—ayɛ na wɔadi wɔ ne Onyankopɔn apam so no, na yɛreboa Yesrae anoboaboa no.

Ɛnkyɛree biara, na yɛn nana barima baako yere repere wɔ honhom mu. Mɛfrɛ no “Jill.” Akɔnkyene, mpaebɔ, ne asɔfodie nhyiraa akyi, na Jill papa rewu. Na ehu abɔ no kɔsi sɛ ɔbɛhwere ne papa ne n’adanseɛ.

Dabi anadwo, me yere, Onuabaa Wendy Nelson, kaa Jill tebea no ho asɛm kyerɛɛ me. Adeɛ kyeeɛ no Wendy nyaa ateka sɛ ɔne Jill nkyɛ me mmuaeɛ sɛ ne honhom mu koo no yɛ asɛmfua koro pɛ! Asɛmfua no yɛ ɔnhunu adeɛ a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri.

Akyire yi Jill gye toomu sɛ nfitiaseɛ no ne ho yeraa no wɔ me mmuaeɛ no ho. Ɔkaa sɛ, “Na m’ani da me nana so sɛ ɔbɛhyɛ me anwanwadeɛ ho bɔ ama me papa. Mekɔɔ so dwene ho deɛ ntira a asɛmfua ɔnhunu adeɛ wɔ akyirikyiri yɛ asɛm a ɛwɔ sɛ ɔka.”

Jill papa wuui akyire yi no, asɛmfua ɔnhunu adeɛ wɔ akyirikyiri no kɔɔ so baa m’adwene mu. Ɔbuee n’akoma mu dɔɔ sukɔ mpo tee aseɛ sɛ ɔnhunu adeɛ wɔ akyirikyiri no kyerɛɛ sɛ “ɔhunu deɛ ɛbɛn no.” Na n’adwendwen hyɛɛ aseɛ hinhimiiɛ. Jill kaa sɛ, “ɔnhunu adeɛ wɔ akyirikyiri no maa me gyaee, dweneeɛ, nyaa yaresa. Saa asɛmfua no hyɛ m’a asomdwoeɛ ma seesei. Ɛkae me ma mebue me nhunumu mu na mehwehwɛ daa nkwa no. Ɛkae me sɛ yei yɛ nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛfiri ɔsoro na me papa da so tease na ɔdɔ me na ɔhwehwɛ me.. Mɔnhunu adeɛ wɔ akyirikyiri no de me akɔ Onyankopɔn nkyɛn.”

M’ani gye y’asebaa hoɔfɛfoɔ no ho. Wɔ saa akoma-sɛeɛ yi berɛ mu wɔ n’abrabɔ mu, ɔdɔfoɔ Jill resua agye Onyankopɔn pɛ de ma ne papa, ne daankwa de ma n’ankasa abrabɔ. Sɛ ɔyii sɛ ɔbɛma Onyankopɔn adi so no, ɔrenya asomdwoeɛ.

Sɛ yɛbɛma ho kwan a, akwan bebree wɔ hɔ a saa Hebraic nkyerɛmu fa Yesrae ho yi bɛtumi aboa yɛn. Dwene ho sɛdeɛ yɛn mpaeɛ ma asɛmpatrɛfoɔ—ne yɛn ankasa mmɔden a yɛde bɛboa Yesrae ano—bɛtumi asesa sɛ saa nsusuiɛ yi wɔ adwene mu. Y ɛtaa bɔ mpaeɛ sɛ yɛ ne asɛmpatrɛfoɔ no bɛhunu nkorɔfoɔ a wɔasiesie wɔn ho agye Yesu Kristo nsɛmpa mmaeɛ bio no nokorɛ. Medwene ho, hwan na yɛbɛdi wɔn anim berɛ a yɛkotosrɛ ahwehwɛ nkorɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔpɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛdi wɔn abrabɔ so.

Wɔbɛtumi de yɛn akɔ wɔn a wɔnnyee Onyankopɔn anaasɛ Yesu Kristo nnii da nanso seesei wɔreteamu asua Wɔn ho nsɛm ne Wɔn anigyeɛ nhyehyɛeɛ no. Afoforɔ nso wɔbɛtumi “awo wɔn wɔ apam“ no mu¹⁴ nanso wɔayera afiri apam kwan no so. Seesei wɔbɛtumi ayɛ krado sɛ wɔ sakyera, asane wɔn akyi, na wɔama Onyankoɔn adi wɔn so. Yɛbɛtumi aboa wɔn berɛ a yɛrebae yɛn nsa mu ne y’akoma mu agye wɔn atom. Na ebinom a wɔde yɛn bɛkɔ wɔn hɔ no anya atenka dada sɛ wɔahwere biribi wɔ wɔn abrabɔ mu. Wɔn nso, kɔn dɔ sɛ wɔnya mayɛ ne anigyeɛ a ɛba nkorɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔpɛ sɛ Onyankopɔ nni wɔn abrabɔ so.

Asɛmpa no atena a ɛreboa Yesrae ano no mu trɛ. Ɔkwan wɔ hɔ ma obiara a wayɛ krado sɛ ɔbɛsɔ Yesu Kristo asɛmpa no mu. Ɔhonufoɔ biara bɛyɛ Onyankopɔn apam mma no mu koro,¹⁵ sɛ ɛnam awoɔ so anaasɛ abayɛn so. Obiara bɛyɛ odiadeni wɔ deɛ Onyankopɔn ahyɛ Israel mma nokorɛfoɔ nyinaa ho bɔ!¹⁶

Yɛn mubiara wɔ ɔsoro nnepa ɛfiri sɛ obiara yɛ Onyankopɔn ba. Obiara yɛ pɛ wɔ N’anim. Nokwasɛm a ɛwɔ saa nokorɛ yi ho yɛ kɛseɛ. Anuanom mmarima ne mmaa, mesrɛ montie deɛ merebɛka yi yie. Onyankopɔn nnɔ nnipakuo bi nsene afoforɔ. Ne nkyerɛkyerɛ wɔ saa asɛm yi ho yɛ pefee. Ɔto nsa frɛ obiara sɛ wɔmmra Ne nkyɛn, “tuntum ne fitaa, akoa ne fahodieni, ɔbarima ne ɔbaa.”¹⁷

Mehyɛ mo bɔ sɛ mo gyinabea wɔ Onyankopɔn anim mmfa honam ahosuo ho. Adom anaasɛ ɔtan wɔ Onyankopɔn hɔ gyina ahofama a mowɔ ma Onyankopɔn ne Ne mmaransɛm, na ɛnyɛ mo honam ahosuo.

Medi awerɛhoɔ sɛ yɛ nuanom mmarima ne mmaa tuntumfoɔ a wɔwɔ wiase nyinaa kɔ nnipa nyiyimu ne adwemmɔne yea mu. Ɛnnɛ mefrɛ asɔremma a wɔwɔ babiara sɛ wɔnyɛ akannifoɔ wɔ nneyɛɛ ne suban a ɛyɛ adwemmɔne gyaeɛ mu. Mesrɛ mo sɛ monkyerɛ obuo mma Onyankopɔn mma.

Asɛmmisa ma yɛn mu biara, ɛmfa ho ne nnipakuo a yɛfiri mu no, yɛ adekorɔ. Wo wɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn adi w’abrabɔ so? Wo wɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn anya nsunsuansoɔ ɛho hia wɔ w’abrabɔ mu? Wobɛma Ne nsɛm, Ne mmaransɛm, ne N’apam anya nsunsuansoɔ wɔ deɛ woyɛ no wɔ dabiara no so? Wobɛma Ne nne ho kwan adi ɛnne foforɔ biara anim? Wo wɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma deɛ Ɔhia sɛ woyɛ biara adi wo nsusuiɛ foforɔ biara so? Wo wɔ ɔpɛ sɛ wobɛma wopɛ akɔhyɛ Ne deɛ mu?¹⁸

Dwene ho sɛdeɛ saa ɔpɛ no bɛtumi ahyira woɔ. Sɛ woyɛ osugyani na worehwehwɛ onniawieɛ hokani a, wopɛ sɛ wobɛyɛ “Yesraeni” no bɛboa wo wɔ deɛ wobɛfa no yɔnkoɔ ne sɛdeɛ wobɛyɛ no.

Sɛ woaware ɔyɔnkoɔ a wabu n’apam so a, wopɛ sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn adi w’abrabɔ so bɛma w’apam a wo ne Onyankopɔn wɔ no ɛnsɛe. Agyenkwa no bɛsiesie w’akoma a abubuo no. Ɔsoro bɛbue berɛ a worehwehwɛ ahunu sɛdeɛ wobɛkɔ w’anim. Worenhia sɛ wobɛfom kwan anaasɛ wodwendwene.

Sɛ wowɔ nsɛmmisa a ɛyɛ nokorɛ fa asɛmpa no anaasɛ Asɔre no ho a, berɛ a woyɛ w’adwene sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn adi wo so no, wɔde wo bɛkɔ ama woahunu na woate nokorɛ a ɛwie pɛyɛ a ɛbɛkyerɛ w’abrabɔ na aboa wo ama woagyina pintinn wɔ apam kwan no so.

Berɛ a woahyia sɔhwɛ no--mpo sɛ nsɔhwɛ no ba berɛ a woayɛ mmrɛ anaasɛ aka wo nko ara anaasɛ wɔnte wo aseɛ—dwene akokoɔduro a wobɛtumi aboa ano berɛ a woma Onyankopɔn kwan sɛ ɔnni w’abrabɔ so na wokotosrɛ no sɛ ɔnhyɛ wo den.

Berɛ a wopɛ kɛseɛ ne sɛ wobɛma Onyankopɔn adi wo so, na wobɛyɛ Yesraeni no, w’agyinasie bebree bɛyɛ mmrɛ. Nsɛm bebree bɛyɛ deɛ ɛnyɛ nsɛm! Wonim sedeɛ wobɛsi asiesie wo ho afa. Wonim deɛ ɛwɔ sɛ wohwɛ na wokenkan, beaeɛ a ɛwɔ sɛ wodi wo mmerɛ, ne wɔn a ɛsɛ sɛ wode wo ho bɔ wɔn. Wonim deɛ ɛsi w’ani so a wopɛ sɛ wo nsa ka. Wonim nipa su a nokorɛ mu wopɛ sɛ wobɛyɛ.

Afei, me nuanom mmarima ne mmaa, ɛhia gyedie ne akokoɔduro sɛ yɛbɛma Onyankopɔn adi so. Ɛhia ma nsiyɛ, honhom mu adwumaden a yɛde sakyera na ɛyi honam mu nipa firi hɔ ɛnam Yesu Kristo Mpata no so.¹⁹ Ɛhia ma daadaa mmɔdemmɔ a ɛnsesa na ɛnyini ankasa suban a yɛde sua asɛmpa no, de sua bebree fa Soro Agya no ne Yesu Kristo ho asɛm, de hwehwɛ na yɛyi ankasa yikyerɛ ano.

Wɔ saa amanehunu mmerɛ yi mu a Ɔsomafoɔ Paul hyɛɛ ho nkɔm no,²⁰ Satan mpo rebɔmmɔden sɛ ɔmmfa ne taeɛ a ɔtaa Onyankopɔn nhyehyɛeɛ no nsie. Bɔne a asi ne bo abu so. Ɛno nti, ɔkwan a yɛbɛfa so anya yɛn tiri adidi mu wɔ honhom mu ne sɛ yɛbɛma ho kwan ama Onyankopɔn adi y’abrabɔ so, asua ate Ne nne, na yɛde y’ahoɔden bɛboa wɔ Yesrae anoboaboa no mu.

Afei, sɛn na Awurade te nka fa nkorɔfoɔ a wɔbɛma Onyankopɔn adi wɔn soɔ? Nifae bɔɔ no tɔfa yie: “[Awurade no] dɔɔ wɔn a wɔde no bɛyɛ wɔn Nyankopɔn. Hwɛ, ɔdɔɔ yɛn agyanom, na ɔnewɔn yɛɛ apam, aane, mpo Abraham, Isak, ne Yakob; na ɔkae apam no a wayɛ no.”²¹

Na deɛn na Awurade pɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ma Yesrae? Awurade ahyɛ sɛ “ɔbɛko [yɛn]ko, ne [yɛn] mma ko, ne yɛn mma mma [ko] de kɔsi awoɔntoatoasoɔ mmiɛnsa ne nan so”!²²

Berɛ a mo sua mo twerɛsɛm bosome nsia a ɛdi hɔ no, mehyɛ mo nkoran sɛ mo ntwerɛ deɛ Awurade ahyɛ bɔ sɛ ɔde bɛma Israel apamfoɔ no nyinaa nto hɔ. Menim sɛ ɛbɛyɛ mo nwanwa! Dwene saa bɔhyɛ yi ho. Mo ne mo mmusua ne mo nnamfonom nni ho nkɔmmɔ. Afei di so na hwehwɛ saa bɔhyɛ yinom sɛ ɛbɛba mu wɔ mo ankasa abrabɔ mu.

Me nuanom mmarima ne mmaa adɔfoɔ, berɛ a mo yɛ mo adwene sɛ mo bɛma Onyankopɔn adi mo so no, mo bɛhunu ama mo ho sɛ Yɛn Nyankopɔn yɛ Onyankopɔn nwanwani.”²³ Sɛ nnipa yi, yɛyɛ N’apam mma, na ɔde Ne din bɛfrɛ yɛn Yei na medi ho adanseɛ wɔ Yesu Kristo din kronkron no mu, amen.