AmaNgqina Nxamnye NooThixo Bobuxoki
“Ningamangqina am, utsho uYehova, nina ningumkhonzi wam endimnyulileyo.”—ISAYA 43:10.
1. Ngubani uThixo oyinyaniso, yaye uphakame ngaziphi iindlela koothixo abaninzi abanqulwayo namhlanje?
NGUBANI uThixo oyinyaniso? Namhlanje, lonke uluntu lujamelene nale mbambano ibaluleke kunene. Nangona abantu benqula oothixo abaninzi, Mnye kuphela onokusinika ubomi nekamva elonwabisayo. Mnye kuphela ekunokuthiwa ngaye: “Ngaye sinobomi yaye siyashukuma yaye sikho.” (IZenzo 17:28, NW) Eneneni, mnye kuphela uThixo onelungelo lokunqulwa. Njengokuba ingoma eculwa ezulwini kwincwadi yeSityhilelo isitsho: “Ufanele, Nkosi [“Yehova,” NW], ukwamkela uzuko, nembeko, namandla; ngokuba inguwe owadala zonke izinto, nangenxa yokuthanda kwakho zikho, zadalelwa oko.”—ISityhilelo 4:11.
2, 3. (a) Exoka uSathana walucela umngeni njani ilungelo likaYehova lokunqulwa? (b) Waba yintoni umphumo wokona kukaEva kuEva nabantwana bakhe, yaye waba yintoni umphumo kuSathana?
2 Emyezweni wase-Eden, ngobuxoki uSathana wacela umngeni ilungelo likaYehova lokunqulwa. Esebenzisa inyoka, waxelela uEva ukuba, ukuba wayenokuvukela umthetho kaYehova aze atye emthini owalelweyo nguYehova, wayeya kufana noThixo. Wathi: “Kuba esazi uThixo ukuba, mhlana nithe nadla kuzo, oqabuka amehlo enu, nibe njengoThixo, nazi okulungileyo nokubi.” (Genesis 3:5) UEva wayikholelwa inyoka waza watya kwisiqhamo esalelweyo.
3 Kakade ke, uSathana wayexoka. (Yohane 8:44) Ekuphela kwendlela uEva awaba “njengoThixo” ngayo xa wonayo kukuba wayithabathela kuye imbopheleleko yokugqiba ngoko kulungileyo nokuphosakeleyo, nto leyo wayefanele ayiyekele kuYehova. Yaye phezu kwabo nje ubuxoki bukaSathana, ekugqibeleni wafa. Ngoko okuphela komntu owangenelwayo ngokona kukaEva nguSathana. Eneneni, injongo kaSathana angazange ayichaze xa wayebongoza uEva ukuba one yayikukuba yena abe nguthixo. Xa uEva wonayo, waba ngumlandeli kaSathana wokuqala ongumntu, yaye kungekudala wathelelwa nguAdam. Inkoliso yabantwana babo ayizange iphelele nje ngokuzalelwa “esonweni” kodwa yawela ngaphantsi kwempembelelo kaSathana, yaye ngexeshana elifutshane, kwabakho ihlabathi liphela elahlukanisiweyo noThixo oyinyaniso.—Genesis 6:5; INdumiso 51:5.
4. (a) Ngubani uthixo weli hlabathi? (b) Yintoni le ifuneka ngokungxamisekileyo?
4 Elo hlabathi latshatyalaliswa ngoMkhukula. (2 Petros 3:6) Emva koMkhukula kwavela elinye ihlabathi elahlukanisiweyo noYehova, yaye lisekho. IBhayibhile ithi ngalo: “Ihlabathi liphela lilele kongendawo.” (1 Yohane 5:19) Ngokwenza kwalo nxamnye noko kufunwa ngumthetho kaYehova, eli hlabathi liphumeza iinjongo zikaSathana. Unguthixo walo. (2 Korinte 4:4) Sekunjalo, unguthixo ongenamandla. Akanakubenza bonwabe abantu okanye abanike ubomi; nguYehova kuphela onokwenza oko. Ngenxa yoko, abantu abafuna ubomi obunentsingiselo nehlabathi elilunge ngakumbi bamele baqale bafunde ukuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso baze bafunde ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe. (INdumiso 37:18, 27, 28; INtshumayeli 12:13) Ngaloo ndlela ke kukho imfuneko engxamisekileyo yokuba amadoda nabafazi abanokholo banikele ubungqina, okanye bavakalise inyaniso, ngoYehova.
5. Liliphi ‘ilifu lamangqina’ uPawulos awalikhankanyayo? Bala abanye babantu abadwelisileyo.
5 Kwasekuqaleni, bebekho abantu abathembekileyo abanjalo emhlabeni. Umpostile uPawulos, kumaHebhere isahluko 11, unikela uludwe lwabo aze ababize ngokuba ‘lilifu elingakanana lamangqina.’ (Hebhere 12:1) Unyana wesibini ka-Adam noEva, uAbheli, wayengowokuqala kuludwe lukaPawulos. Kwakhona uEnoki noNowa bayakhankanywa ngexesha langaphambi koMkhukula. (Hebhere 11:4, 5, 7) Omnye obalaseleyo nguAbraham, ukhokho wohlanga lwamaYuda. UAbraham, obizwa ngokuba “sisihlobo sikaThixo,” waba ngumawokhulu kaYesu, “ingqina elithembekileyo, eliyinyaniso.”—Yakobi 2:23; ISityhilelo 3:14.
Ukungqinela Inyaniso Kuka-Abraham
6, 7. Ubomi nezenzo zika-Abraham zaba bubungqina bokuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso ngaziphi iindlela?
6 UAbraham wakhonza njani njengengqina? Ngokholo lwakhe olomeleleyo nokumthobela ngokunyaniseka uYehova. Xa wayalelwa ukuba aphume kwisixeko saseUre aze aye kuphila kwilizwe elikude, uAbraham wathobela. (Genesis 15:7; IZenzo 7:2-4) Abantu abazulayo ngokufuthi bayayeka ukuhambahamba baze baphile ubomi obunqabiseke ngakumbi ezixekweni. Ngenxa yoko, xa uAbraham wasishiyayo isixeko ukuze aye kuhlala ezintenteni, wanikela ubungqina obunamandla bokukholosa ngoYehova uThixo. Intobelo yakhe yaba bubungqina kwabo babeyibona. UYehova wamsikelela ngokutyebileyo uAbraham ngokholo lwakhe. Nangona wayehlala ezintenteni, uAbraham wayephumelela ngezinto eziphathekayo. Xa uLote nentsapho yakhe bathinjwayo, uYehova wamphumelelisa uAbraham xa wayesukelisa, kangangokuba wakwazi ukubahlangula. Umfazi ka-Abraham wafumana unyana ekwaluphaleni kwakhe, yaye ngaloo ndlela idinga likaYehova lokuba uAbraham wayeya kuba nguyise wembewu lazaliseka. NgoAbraham, abantu babona ukuba uYehova nguThixo ophilayo owazalisekisayo amadinga akhe.—Genesis 12:1-3; 14:14-16; 21:1-7.
7 Ekubuyeni kwakhe evela kuhlangula uLote, uAbraham wahlangatyezwa nguMelkitsedeke, ukumkani waseSalem (kamva eyabizwa ngokuba yiYerusalem), owamkela uAbraham, esithi: “uAbram woThixo Osenyangweni.” (NW) Ukumkani waseSodom naye wamhlangabeza waza wafuna ukumpha izipho. UAbraham akazange azamkele. Ngoba? Wayengafuni kubekho amathandabuzo ngoMthombo weentsikelelo zakhe. Wathi: “Isandla sam ndisiphakamisele kuYehova uThixo Osenyangweni, uMninimazulu nehlabathi, ukuba andiyi kuthabatha nosinga, nokuba ngumtya wembadada, ukuba andiyi kuthabatha kuko konke okwakho; ukuze ungatsho ukuthi, Mna ndimtyebisile uAbram.” (Genesis 14:17-24) Elinjani ukubalasela ingqina uAbraham awayelilo!
Uhlanga Lwamangqina
8. UMoses walubonisa njani ukholo olukhulu kuYehova?
8 UMoses, inzala ka-Abraham, naye uyavela kuludwe lukaPawulos lwamangqina. UMoses washiya ubutyebi baseYiputa waza kamva ngenkalipho wamelana nomlawuli welo lizwe linamandla ukuze akhokelele abantwana bakaSirayeli enkululekweni. Wayifumana phi inkalipho? Kukholo lwakhe. UPawulos uthi: “[UMoses] wakrota, wanga uyambona lowo ungenakubonwa.” (Hebhere 11:27) Oothixo baseYiputa babebonakala, wawunokubachukumisa. Nanamhlanje, abantu basachukunyiswa yimifanekiso yabo eqingqiweyo. Kodwa uYehova, nangona engabonakali, wayengumntu wokwenene kuMoses ngaphezu kwabo bonke abo thixo bobuxoki. UMoses wayengabuthandabuzi ubukho bukaYehova nokuba wayeya kubavuza abanquli Bakhe. (Hebhere 11:6) UMoses waba lingqina elibalaseleyo.
9. Uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwalumele lumkhonze njani uYehova?
9 Emva kokukhokelela amaSirayeli enkululekweni, uMoses waba ngumlamli womnqophiso phakathi koYehova nenzala ka-Abraham ngoYakobi. Ngenxa yoko, uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwaba ngabantu abakhethekileyo kuYehova. (Eksodus 19:5, 6) Okwesihlandlo sokuqala, ubungqina babuza kunikelwa sisizwe. Amazwi uYehova awawathetha ngoIsaya, malunga neminyaka engama-800 kamva, ngokusisiseko ayesebenza ukususela ekuqaliseni kobukho bolo hlanga: “Ningamangqina am, utsho uYehova, nina ningumkhonzi wam endimnyulileyo; ukuze nazi, nikholwe ndim, niqonde ukuba ndim.” (Isaya 43:10) Olu hlanga lutsha lwaluza kukhonza njengamangqina kaYehova njani? Ngokholo nentobelo yalo nangezenzo zikaYehova ngenxa yalo.
10. Imisebenzi yamandla uYehova awayenza ngenxa kaSirayeli yanikela ubungqina ngayiphi indlela, yaye ngawuphi umphumo?
10 Malunga neminyaka engama-40 emva kokusungulwa kwakhe, uSirayeli wayelungele ukuthabatha iLizwe Ledinga. Iintlola zenjenjeya ukuya kuhlola isixeko saseYeriko, yaye uRahabhi, ummi waseYeriko, wazikhusela. Kwakutheni? Wathi: “Sivile ukuba uYehova wawomisa amanzi oLwandle oluBomvu phambi kwenu ekuphumeni kwenu eYiputa; noko nakwenzayo kookumkani bobabini bama-Amori, ababephesheya kweYordan, ooSihon no-Ogi, enabasingela phantsi. Sivile ke, zanyibilika iintliziyo zethu, akwaba sabakho kuqina kwamxhelo mntwini ngenxa yenu; ngokuba uYehova uThixo wenu nguye uThixo emazulwini phezulu, nasehlabathini phantsi apha.” (Yoshuwa 2:10, 11) Ingxelo yemisebenzi kaYehova yamandla yashukumisela uRahabhi nentsapho yakhe ekubeni bayishiye iYeriko noothixo bayo bobuxoki baze banqule uYehova namaSirayeli. Ngokucacileyo, uYehova wayenikele ubungqina obunamandla ngamaSirayeli.—Yoshuwa 6:25.
11. Yiyiphi imbopheleleko ababenayo bonke abazali abangamaSirayeli ngokunikela ubungqina?
11 Ngoxa amaSirayeli ayeseseYiputa, uYehova wathuma uMoses kuFaro waza wathi: “Yiya kuFaro; kuba mna ndiyiqaqadekisile intliziyo yakhe, nentliziyo yabakhonzi bakhe, ukuze ndibonakalalise le miqondiso yam phakathi kwalo ilizwe; ukuze ubalise, ezindlebeni zonyana wakho nezonyana wonyana wakho, izenzo ezincamisileyo endizenzileyo kumaYiputa, nemiqondiso yam endiyibonakalalisileyo phakathi kwawo, ukuze nazi ukuba ndinguYehova.” (Eksodus 10:1, 2) AmaSirayeli athobelayo ayeya kuxelela abantwana bawo ngezenzo zikaYehova zokukhalipha. Abantwana bawo, bona, babeya kuxelela ababo abantwana, yaye oko kwakuya kwenziwa ukusuka kwisizukulwana ukusa kwisizukulwana. Ngaloo ndlela, izenzo zikaYehova zamandla zaziya kukhunjulwa. Nanamhlanje, abazali banembopheleleko yokunikela ubungqina kubantwana babo.—Duteronomi 6:4-7; IMizekeliso 22:6.
12. Ukusikelela kukaYehova uSolomon noSirayeli kwaba bubungqina njani?
12 Intsikelelo kaYehova etyebileyo kuSirayeli xa wayethembekile yayibubungqina kwiintlanga ezazimngqongile. Kunjengokuba uMoses watshoyo emva kokubalisa iintsikelelo ezithenjiswe nguYehova: “Zibone zonke izizwe zehlabathi, ukuba igama likaYehova libizwe phezu kwakho, zikoyike.” (Duteronomi 28:10) USolomon wanikwa ubulumko nobutyebi ngenxa yokholo lwakhe. Ngaphantsi kwakhe olo hlanga lwaphumelela yaye lwanandipha ixesha elide loxolo. Ngokuphathelele elo xesha sifunda oku: “Baye bevela ezintlangeni zonke, besiza kuva ubulumko bukaSolomon bevela kookumkani bonke bomhlaba, ababebuvile ubulumko bakhe.” (1 Kumkani 4:25, 29, 30, 34) Oyena ubalaseleyo phakathi kweendwendwe zikaSolomon ngukumkanikazi waseShebha. Emva kokuzibonela ngawakhe indlela uYehova awayelusikelele ngayo olo hlanga nokumkani walo, wathi: “Makabongwe uYehova uThixo wakho, okunoneleleyo, wakubeka etroneni yakhe, ukuba ube ngukumkani kuYehova uThixo wakho, ngokuwathanda kukaThixo wakho amaSirayeli.”—2 Kronike 9:8.
13. Bubuphi obona bungqina busenokuba baphumelela kakhulu obanikelwa nguSirayeli, yaye singenelwa njani kubo?
13 Umpostile uPawulos wakhankanya obona bungqina busenokuba baphumelela kakhulu obanikelwa ngamaSirayeli. Xa wayexubusha ngoSirayeli wenyama nebandla lamaKristu laseRoma, wathi: “Ayephathiswe amazwi angcwele kaThixo.” (Roma 3:1, 2, NW) Ukususela kuMoses, amaSirayeli athile athembekileyo aphefumlelwa ukubhala iinkqubano zikaYehova noSirayeli, kwaneziluleko zakhe, imithetho yakhe, neziprofeto zakhe. Ngale mibhalo abo babhali bamandulo banikela ubungqina kuzo zonke izizukulwana ezaziya kulandela—kuquka esethu namhlanje—ngokuba mnye kuphela uThixo, yaye igama lakhe nguYehova.—Daniyeli 12:9; 1 Petros 1:10-12.
14. Kwakutheni ukuze abanye ababenikela ubungqina ngoYehova batshutshiswe?
14 Okulusizi kukuba ngokufuthi uSirayeli wasilela ukubonisa ukholo, kwaza kwafuneka uYehova athumele amangqina kuhlanga lwakhe. Inkoliso yawo yatshutshiswa. UPawulos wathi abanye “benziwa intlekisa, batyakatywa; phezu koko ke baviswa imixokelelwane nentolongo.” (Hebhere 11:36) Amangqina athembekileyo ngokwenene! Hayi indlela okulusizi ngayo ukuba ngokufuthi babetshutshiswa ngamanye amalungu ohlanga lukaYehova olukhethiweyo! (Mateyu 23:31, 37) Eneneni, isono solo hlanga saba sikhulu kangangokuba ngowama-607 B.C.E., uYehova wavumela amaBhabhiloni ayitshabalalisa iYerusalem netempile yayo aza athabathela inkoliso yamaSirayeli asindileyo ekuthinjweni. (Yeremiya 20:4; 21:10) Ngaba eso yaba sisiphelo sohlanga olungqinela igama likaYehova? Hayi.
Uvavanyo Loothixo
15. Ubungqina banikelwa njani kwanasekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni?
15 Kwanasekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, amalungu athembekileyo olo hlanga akazange abe mathidala ukunikela ubungqina ngokuba nguThixo kukaYehova nangamandla akhe. Ngokomzekelo, ngenkalipho uDaniyeli wachaza amaphupha kaNebhukadenetsare, wacacisa umbhalo owawuseludongeni lukaBheleshatsare, waza wala ukulalanisa ngaphambi koDariyo kumbandela womthandazo. Namanye amaHebhere amathathu, xa alayo ukuqubuda kumfanekiso, anikela ubungqina obumangalisayo kuNebhukadenetsare.—Daniyeli 3:13-18; 5:13-29; 6:4-27.
16. UYehova wakuxela kwangaphambili njani ukubuyela kukaSirayeli kwilizwe lakhe, yaye yayiya kuba yintoni injongo yoku kubuyela?
16 Nangona kunjalo, uYehova wayenenjongo yokuba kwakhona kubekho isizwe esinikela ubungqina emhlabeni wakwaSirayeli. UHezekile, owayeprofeta phakathi kwamaYuda awayesekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni, wabhala oko uYehova wayezimisele ukukwenza ngelo lizwe laliyinkangala: “Ndiya kwandisela abantu phezu kwenu, yonke indlu kaSirayeli, yonke iphela, imiwe imizi, akhiwe amanxuwa.” (Hezekile 36:10) Kutheni uYehova wayeza kwenza oku? Ngokuyintloko ukuze angqinele igama lakhe. Esebenzisa uHezekile wathi: “Andenzi ngenxa yenu, ndlu kaSirayeli; ndenza ngenxa yegama lam elingcwele, enilihlambeleyo ezintlangeni.”—Hezekile 36:22; Yeremiya 50:28.
17. Yintoni umongo wamazwi akuIsaya 43:10?
17 Kuxa wayeprofeta ngokubuya kukaSirayeli ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni awathi umprofeti uIsaya waphefumlelwa ukubhala amazwi akuIsaya 43:10, esithi uSirayeli wayelingqina likaYehova, umkhonzi wakhe. KuIsaya 43 nakwesama-44, uYehova uchazwa njengoMdali, uMbumbi, uThixo, oyiNgcwele, uMsindisi, uMkhululi, uKumkani noMenzi kaSirayeli. (Isaya 43:3, 14, 15; 44:2) Ukuthinjwa kukaSirayeli kwavunyelwa ngenxa yokuba olo hlanga lwathi gqolo ukusilela ukumzukisa ngolo hlobo. Sekunjalo, babesengabantu bakhe. UYehova wayethe kubo: “Musa ukoyika; ngokuba ndikukhulule ngokukuhlawulela; ndikubizile ngegama lakho, ungowam.” (Isaya 43:1) Ukuthinjwa kukaSirayeli eBhabhiloni kwakuza kuphela.
18. Ukukhululwa kukaSirayeli eBhabhiloni kwangqina njani ukuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso?
18 Eneneni, uYehova wenza ukukhululeka kwamaSirayeli eBhabhiloni kwaba luvavanyo loothixo. Wacel’ umngeni oothixo bobuxoki beentlanga ukuba beze namangqina abo, waza wabiza uSirayeli njengengqina lakhe. (Isaya 43:9, 12) Xa wamkhululayo uSirayeli ekuthinjweni, wangqina ukuba oothixo baseBhabhiloni babengengothixo konke konke yaye nguye kuphela uThixo oyinyaniso. (Isaya 43:14, 15) Xa wathi malunga neminyaka engama-200 ngaphambi kwesi siganeko, watyumba uKoreshi umPersi njengomkhonzi wakhe owayeya kukhulula amaYuda, wanikela ubungqina obubhekele phaya bokuba unguThixo. (Isaya 44:28) USirayeli wayeza kukhululwa. Ngoba? UYehova uyacacisa: ‘[ukuze uSirayeli] abalise indumiso yam.’ (Isaya 43:21) Oku kwakuya kuvula ithuba elibhekele phaya lokunikela ubungqina.
19. Bubuphi ubungqina obanikelwa ngokukhuthaza kukaKoreshi amaSirayeli ukuba abuyele eYerusalem nazizenzo zamaYuda athembekileyo emva kokuba ebuyele?
19 Lakuba lifikile ixesha, uKoreshi umPersi wayoyisa iBhabhiloni njengokuba kwakuprofetiwe. UKoreshi, nangona wayengumhedeni, wavakalisa ukuba uYehova nguThixo xa wakhupha esi sibhengezo kumaYuda awayeseBhabhiloni: “Ubani ophakathi kwenu, ebantwini bakhe bonke, uThixo wakhe makabe naye, anyuke aye eYerusalem ekwaYuda, ayakhe indlu kaYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli (nguye uThixo), eseYerusalem.” (Ezra 1:3) AmaYuda amaninzi enjenjalo. Enjenjeya ukusinga kwiLizwe Ledinga aza akha isibingelelo apho yayikhona itempile ngaphambili. Phezu kwako nje ukutyhafiswa nokuchaswa ngamandla, ekugqibeleni akwazi ukuyakha itempile nesixeko saseYerusalem. Konke oku kwenzeka, njengokuba uYehova wayetshilo, ‘kungekhona ngobukroti, kungekhona ngamandla; kodwa ngomoya wam.’ (Zekariya 4:6) Ezi zinto zanikela ubungqina obubhekele phaya bokuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso.
20. Phezu kwabo nje ubuthathaka bukaSirayeli, kunokuthiwani ngokunikela kwabo ubungqina kwigama likaYehova kwelo hlabathi lamandulo?
20 Ngaloo ndlela, uYehova waqhubeka emsebenzisa uSirayeli, nangona wayeluhlanga lwabantu abangafezekanga nabanemvukelo maxa wambi, njengengqina lakhe. Ngelo xesha langaphambi kobuKristu, olo hlanga, netempile nababingeleli balo, lwalusisazulu sonqulo lokwenyaniso emhlabeni. Nabani na ofunda kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere ngezenzo zikaYehova mayela noSirayeli akanakuba namathandabuzo ngokuba mnye kuphela uThixo oyinyaniso, yaye igama lakhe nguYehova. (Duteronomi 6:4; Zekariya 14:9) Noko ke, kwakuza kunikelwa ubungqina obubalasele ngakumbi kwigama likaYehova, yaye siza kuxubusha ngoku kwinqaku elilandelayo.
Uyakhumbula Na?
◻ UAbraham wabunikela njani ubungqina bokuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso?
◻ Luluphi uphawu olubalaseleyo lukaMoses olwamenza walingqina elithembekileyo?
◻ USirayeli wanikela ubungqina ngoYehova ngaziphi iindlela njengesizwe?
◻ Ukukhululwa kukaSirayeli eBhabhiloni kwabonisa njani ukuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
Ngokholo nentobelo yakhe, uAbraham wanikela ubungqina obumangalisayo bokuba nguThixo kukaYehova