Jose Wamapendo - Ni tabibu wa Karibu - Imbeni Malaika 9) Lyrics
Lyrics
Ni tabibu wa karibu; tabibu wa ajabu; na rehema za daima; ni dawa yake njema.
Imbeni, malaika, sifa za Yesu Bwana; pweke limetukuka jina lake Yesu.
Hatufai kuwa hai, wala hatutumai, ila yeye kweli ndiye atupumzishaye.
Imbeni, malaika, sifa za Yesu Bwana; pweke limetukuka jina lake Yesu.
Dhambi pia na hatia ametuchukulia; Twenendeni na amani hata kwake mbinguni.
Huliona tamu jina, la Yesu kristo Bwana, yuna sifa mwenye kufa asishindwe na kufa.
Kila mume asimame, sifa zake zivume; Wanawake na washike kusifu jina lake.
Na vijana wote tena, wampendao sana,
waje kwake wawe wake kwa utumishi wake.
Video
TENZI ZA ROHONI MIX PART 1 BY DANIEL SIFUNA. KAZI YANGU IKIISHA, UKINGONI, AMINI AMINI. WITH LYRICS.
Meaning & Inspiration
When we sit with the old hymns, there is a specific, grounded weight to the words that cuts through the noise of our current era. The piece Ni tabibu wa Karibu performed by Jose Wamapendo, often found within the collection of Tenzi za Rohoni, brings us back to the basics of why we follow Christ. It frames Jesus as the great physician, a concept found in the gospel of Mark where Jesus reminds us that the healthy have no need of a doctor, but the sick do. We spend so much time chasing temporary fixes for our spiritual ailments, but these lyrics direct our gaze toward the only one who offers rehema za daima, or everlasting mercy. It is a bold claim that his grace is the only medicine capable of healing the brokenness we carry.
The theology here is firmly rooted in the substitutionary atonement of Christ. When the lyrics state that he has taken our sins and guilt upon himself, they mirror the promise in Isaiah 53:5, where we read that he was wounded for our transgressions. This is not just a song; it is a confession of our utter inadequacy. We admit, as the lyrics suggest, that we have no merit to be alive or to hope outside of his work. This humbles the spirit. It strips away our self-righteousness. If we are to find peace as we move toward the heavenly gates, it must be because he has paved the way, carrying the weight that would have otherwise crushed us.
There is something powerful about the call for everyone—men, women, and youth—to stand up and praise his name. It echoes the psalmist's invitation in Psalm 148, where creation itself is commanded to lift up his name. This is not an invitation for a select few; it is a summons to the entire church. When we sing that he is the one who defeated death so that he would not be conquered by it, we are standing on the bedrock of the resurrection. We do not serve a dead leader; we serve the living King who broke the power of the grave. The focus on his singular, elevated name brings us back to Philippians 2:9, confirming that God has highly exalted him and given him the name above every name. Keep your eyes on that name, for it is the only prescription for a world that is running out of time.