“Usindiso LolukaYehova”

NGAMAXESHA anzima kwamanye amazwe, abantu balindele ukukhuselwa nokuncedwa ngurhulumente wabo. Ngamaxesha anjalo oorhulumente benza izinto ezikhuthaza abantu ukuba babaxhase. Okukhona usanda umoya wokuthand’ izwe obangelwe zezo zinto, kokukhona isanda nemisitho yokuthand’ izwe ekhuthaza loo moya.

Xa kwenzeke intlekele kwilizwe elithile, umoya wokuthand’ izwe udla ngokubamanyanisa abantu uze ubenze basebenzisane yaye babe nobuntu phakathi kwabo. Noko ke, inqaku elikwiThe New York Times Magazine lathi “lo moya wokuthand’ izwe uyingozi yaye abanye bawubonisa ngeendlela ezimbi.” Ngoxa bebonakalisa lo moya abanye basenokuzinyathelela phantsi iinkululeko zasekuhlaleni nezingokonqulo zabantu abathile kwelo lizwe. AmaKristu okwenyaniso adla ngokunyanzelwa ukuba alalanise kwiinkolelo zawo. Enza ntoni xa kuvela iingxaki ezinjalo kwindawo ahlala kuyo? Yiyiphi imigaqo yeZibhalo ewanceda ukuba enze izinto ngobulumko aze agcine ingqibelelo kuThixo?

“Uze Ungaqubudi Kuzo”

Maxa wambi, ukukhahlela indwe kuba yindlela eqhelekileyo yokubonakalisa umoya wokuthand’ izwe. Kodwa ngokuqhelekileyo izindwe zidla ngokuba nemifanekiso yezinto ezisesibhakabhakeni, ezinjengeenkwenkwezi, nezinto ezisemhlabeni. UThixo wachaza indlela avakalelwa ngayo ngokuqubuda kwizinto ezinjalo xa wayalela abantu bakhe esithi: “Uze ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqingqiweyo okanye imbonakalo yayo nantoni na esemazulwini phezulu okanye esemhlabeni phantsi okanye esemanzini phantsi komhlaba. Uze ungaqubudi kuzo okanye uqhutyelwe ekuzikhonzeni, kuba mna Yehova Thixo wakho ndinguThixo ofuna uzinikelo olupheleleyo.”—Eksodus 20:4, 5.

Ngaba ukukhahlela okanye ukuqubuda kwindwe emela uRhulumente kwaphula umthetho kaYehova uThixo wokufuna uzinikelo olupheleleyo? AmaSirayeli amandulo ‘ayenemiqondiso,’ eyayisahlula imimandla yezizwe ezintathu ezazihlanganisene ngoxa ayesentlango. (Numeri 2:1, 2) Ithetha ngamagama esiHebhere awayechaza loo miqondiso, iMcClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia ithi: “Noko ke, akukho nalinye kulo elichaza ‘umqondiso’ esiwaziyo, ngamanye amazwi, indwe.” Ngapha koko, imiqondiso yakwaSirayeli yayingajongwa njengento engcwele, yaye kwakungekho misitho eyayisenziwa enxulumene nokusetyenziswa kwayo. Ntonje yayiyimiqondiso eyayibonisa abantu indawo ababefanele bahlanganisane kuyo.

Imifanekiso yeekherubhi kwityeya nakwitempile kaSolomon yayibonisa nje indlela eziyiyo iikherubhi zasezulwini. (Eksodus 25:18; 26:1, 31, 33; 1 Kumkani 6:23, 28, 29; Hebhere 9:23, 24) Isibakala sokuba le mifanekiso yayinganqulwa singqinwa yinto yokuba abantu ngokubanzi babengazange bayibone yaye iingelosi azinqulwa.—Kolose 2:18; ISityhilelo 19:10; 22:8, 9.

Kwakhona cinga ngenyoka yobhedu eyenziwa ngumprofeti uMoses ebudeni bokubhadula kwamaSirayeli entlango. Loo mfanekiso, yayingumqondiso yaye wawunentsingiselo yesiprofeto. (Numeri 21:4-9; Yohane 3:14, 15) Wawungazukiswa okanye unqulwe. Noko ke, kwiinkulungwane emva kwexesha likaMoses, amaSirayeli aqalisa ukwenza into engafanelekanga yokunqula loo mfanekiso, abingelele kuwo. Ngenxa yoko, uKumkani wakwaYuda uHezekiya wayalela ukuba utshatyalaliswe.—2 Kumkani 18:1-4.

Ngaba izindwe yimiqondiso nje yokwahlula isizwe kwesinye? Zifuzisela ntoni? Umbhali uJ. Paul Williams wathi: “Umqondiso oyintloko wokubonakalisa ukuzinikela kuhlanga oluthile nofanele unqulwe, yindwe.” IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Indwe, njengomnqamlezo, ingcwele.” Indwe ingumqondiso kaRhulumente. Ngoko ke, ukuqubuda kuyo okanye ukuyikhahlela kukunqula okubonisa intlonelo kuRhulumente. Isenzo esinjalo kunjengokuthi usindiso luvela kuRhulumente yaye oko akuvumelani noko iBhayibhile ikuthethayo ngokunqula izithixo.

Ngokucacileyo iZibhalo zithi: “Usindiso lolukaYehova.” (INdumiso 3:8) Usindiso aluveli kwimibutho yabantu okanye kwimiqondiso yabo. Umpostile uPawulos wabongoza amaKristu esithi: “Zintanda zam, sabani kulo unqulo-zithixo.” (1 Korinte 10:14) AmaKristu okuqala akazange abandakanyeke ekunquleni uRhulumente. Kwincwadi ethi Those About to Die, uDaniel P. Mannix uthi: “AmaKristu akazange avume . . . ukubingelela kwizinyanya zomlawuli [waseRoma]—nto leyo namhlanje esinokuyifanisa nokungavumi ukukhahlela indwe.” Oku kunjalo nakumaKristu okwenyaniso namhlanje. Ukuze akwazi ukuzinikela kuYehova ngokupheleleyo, akavumi ukukhahlela indwe yalo naluphi na uhlanga. Ngokwenjenjalo, abeka uThixo kwindawo yokuqala ngoxa ebahlonela oorhulumente nabalawuli babo. Eneneni, ayayiqonda imbopheleleko yawo yokuthobela “amagunya awongamileyo” karhulumente. (Roma 13:1-7) Noko ke, zithini iZibhalo ngokucula iingoma zobuhlanga, njengemihobe yesizwe?

Yintoni Imihobe Yesizwe?

IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Imihobe yesizwe ivakalisa ubuhlanga yaye ngokufuthi iquka ukucela ukhokelo kuThixo nokukhuselwa kwabantu okanye abalawuli.” Enyanisweni, umhobe wesizwe sisihobe okanye umthandazo owenzelwa uhlanga. Kuwo ngokuqhelekileyo kucelelwa isizwe amathamsanqa nokuba siphile ixesha elide. Ngaba amaKristu afanele abe nenxaxheba kwimithandazo enjalo?

Umprofeti uYeremiya wayephila phakathi kwabantu ababesithi bakhonza uThixo. Ukanti uYehova wamyalela esithi: “Ungasithandazeli esi sizwana, ungaphakamisi nesikhalo sokubongoza okanye umthandazo nokubongoza kum ngenxa yaso, kuba ndiya kube ndingakuphulaphulanga.” (Yeremiya 7:16; 11:14; 14:11) Kwakutheni ukuze uYeremiya anikwe lo myalelo? Kwakungenxa yokuba abantu ngexesha lakhe babengamasela, bebulala, bekrexeza, befunga ubuxoki yaye benqula izithixo.—Yeremiya 7:9.

UYesu Kristu wamisela umzekelo xa wathi: “Ndicelela bona; andiceleli ihlabathi, kodwa abo undinike bona.” (Yohane 17:9) IZibhalo zithi “ihlabathi liphela lisemandleni ongendawo” yaye “liyadlula.” (1 Yohane 2:17; 5:19) Ngoko ke, ngaba ngesazela esikhululekileyo umKristu unokuthandazela ukuba le nkqubo ihambele phambili ize ihlale ixesha elide?

Phofu ke, asiyiyo yonke imihobe yesizwe engumthandazo kuThixo. IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Imihobe yesizwe yahlukahlukene, eminye ithandazela ubukhosi eminye ukuba isizwe soyise kumadabi abalulekileyo okanye kwiingxwabangxwaba . . . eminye ivakalisa umoya wokuthand’ izwe.” Kodwa ngaba abo bafuna ukukholisa uThixo ngokwenene bayavuyiswa ziimfazwe neziphithiphithi zalo naluphi na uhlanga? Ngokuphathelele abanquli bokwenyaniso, uIsaya waprofeta esithi: “Ziwakhande amakrele azo abe ngamakhuba nemikhonto yazo ibe zizikere zokuthena imithi.” (Isaya 2:4) Umpostile uPawulos wabhala esithi: “Nakuba sisenyameni asilwi mfazwe ngokoko sikuko enyameni. Kuba izixhobo zethu zemfazwe ayizizo ezenyama.”—2 Korinte 10:3, 4.

Ngokufuthi imihobe yesizwe ivakalisa ukuba esinye isizwe siphakamile kunesinye. Le mbono ayixhaswa ziZibhalo. Kwintetho yakhe eAriyopago, umpostile uPawulos wathi: “[UYehova uThixo] wazenza ngokuphuma kumntu omnye zonke iintlanga zabantu, ukuba zihlale phezu komhlaba uphela.” (IZenzo 17:26) Umpostile uPetros wathi: “UThixo akakhethi buso, kodwa kwiintlanga zonke umntu omoyikayo aze asebenze ubulungisa wamkelekile kuye.”—IZenzo 10:34, 35.

Ngenxa yolwazi abanalo lweBhayibhile, abaninzi bagqiba ekubeni bangabi nanxaxheba ekukhahleleni indwe nasekuculeni amaculo okuthand’ izwe. Kodwa yintoni abayenzayo xa bejamelene neemeko ezibangela kubekho imbambano?

Ngentlonelo Musa Ukuba Nenxaxheba

Ezama ukumanyanisa ubukhosi bakhe, uKumkani uNebhukadenetsare waseBhabhiloni yamandulo wamisa umfanekiso omkhulu wegolide kwithafa laseDura. Wandula ke walungiselela umsitho awamema kuwo amabamba, abathetheli, iirhuluneli, abacebisi namanye amagosa aphakamileyo. Xa kukhala umculo, bonke ababehlanganisene apho babefanele baqubude baze banqule loo mfanekiso. Phakathi kwabo babelapho kwakukho amaHebhere amathathu aselula—uShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego. Babonisa njani ukuba babengenanxaxheba kulo msitho wonqulo? Njengoko umculo wawuqalisa yaye abo babehlanganisene phambi komfanekiso bequbuda, amaHebhere amathathu aqhubeka emile.—Daniyeli 3:1-12.

Namhlanje, ngokuqhelekileyo izindwe zikhahlelwa ngokolula ingalo okanye ngokubeka isandla ebunzi okanye ngasentliziyweni. Maxa wambi, kusenokwenziwa isimbo esikhethekileyo somzimba. Kwamanye amazwe, kulindeleke ukuba abantwana esikolweni baguqe ngamadolo baze bancamise indwe. Ngokuma ngokuzolileyo ngoxa abanye bekhahlela indwe, amaKristu okwenyaniso abonisa intlonelo.

Kuthekani ukuba umsitho wokukhahlela indwe wenziwa ngendlela ebonisa ukuba xa umile unenxaxheba? Ngokomzekelo, masithi omnye wabafundi esikolweni ucelwe ukuba amele isikolo sonke aze akhahlele indwe ngaphandle ngoxa abanye abafundi bemi bezolile ngaphakathi kwigumbi lokufundela. Kule meko ukuma nje kubonisa ukuba ubani uyavumelana nento yokuba kubekho umfundi oya ngaphandle omele yena ekukhahleleni indwe. Ngoko ke ukuma nangayiphi na indlela kubonisa ukuba nenxaxheba kuloo msitho. Ukuba oku kunjalo, abo bafuna nje ukubonakalisa intlonelo baya kuhlala phantsi ngokuzolileyo. Kuthekani ukuba abantwana eklasini bebesele bephakamile xa kuqala lo msitho? Kule meko, ukuqhubeka simile bekungayi kubonisa ukuba sinenxaxheba.

Masithi ubani akuthiwa makakhahlele indwe kodwa ayibambe nje, mhlawumbi kumsitho okanye eklasini okanye kwenye indawo, ukuze abanye bayikhahlele. Kunokuba ‘asabe kunqulo-zithixo,’ njengokuba kuyalelwa kwiZibhalo, oko kuya kuthetha ukuba ubani uphambili kuloo msitho. Oku kunjalo nangomntu ohamba nabanye kungcelele lokuthand’ izwe. Kuba ukwenjenjalo kuya kuthetha ukuxhasa olu ngcelele lunikela imbeko kwinto ethile, umKristu wokwenyaniso ebeya kurhoxa ngenxa yesazela sakhe.

Xa kudlala imihobe yesizwe, ngokuqhelekileyo inye kuphela into umntu afanele ayenze ukubonisa ukuba uyavumelana nale ngoma, kukuphakama eme ngeenyawo. Kwimeko ezinjalo, amaKristu ahlala phantsi. Noko ke, ukuba ebesele ephakamile xa kudlala umhobe wesizwe, akuyomfuneko ukuba ade ahlale phantsi. Oku akufani nokungathi ngokukhethekileyo aye aphakamela umhobe wesizwe. Kwelinye icala, ukuba kuthiwa iqela elithile maliphakame lize licule, ngoko ke ukuphakama nje ngenxa yentlonelo kodwa angaculi bekungayi kuthetha ukuba nawo anenxaxheba.

“Yibani Nesazela Esilungileyo”

Emva kokuchaza indlela ezingenamandla ngayo izinto ezinqulwa ngabantu, umdumisi wathi: “Abo bazenzayo baya kuba njengazo kanye, bonke abo bakholosa ngazo.” (INdumiso 115:4-8) Ngoko ke, ngokucacileyo nawuphi na umsebenzi oquka ukwenziwa kwezinto zonqulo, kuquka indwe yesizwe, akuyi kwamkeleka kubanquli bakaYehova. (1 Yohane 5:21) Kwezinye iindawo zengqesho kusenokuvela ingxaki xa amaKristu ngentlonelo ebonisa ukuba akayinquli indwe noko kumelwa yiyo kodwa anqula uYehova kuphela.

Ngokomzekelo, umqeshi unokuyalela umqeshwa wakhe ukuba aphakamise okanye athobe indwe ekwisakhiwo esithile. Enoba ubani uyakwenza oko okanye akakwenzi kuxhomekeke kwindlela yena azibona ngayo iimeko. Ukuba ukuphakamisa okanye ukuthoba indwe kuyinxalenye yomsitho okhethekileyo, kukho abantu abamileyo okanye abakhahlela indwe, ngoko ukwenjenjalo kuthetha ukuba nenxaxheba kuloo msitho.

Kwelinye icala, ukuba akukho msitho xa kuphakanyiswa okanye kuthotywa indwe, ngoko ukwenjenjalo kuthetha nje ukulungisa isakhiwo ukuze sisetyenziswe, ukuvula okanye ukuvala iingcango, nokuvula nokuvala iifestile. Kwiimeko ezinjalo, indwe kuphela nje imela uRhulumente, yaye ukuyiphakamisa okanye ukuyithoba phakathi kweminye imisebenzi kungumbandela wobuqu oshiyelwa kwisazela sikabani esiqeqeshwe ngeBhayibhile. (Galati 6:5) Isazela somnye umntu sinokumnyanzela ukuba acele umphathi wakhe acele omnye umqeshwa aphakamise aze athobe indwe. Ukanti omnye umKristu usenokuvakalelwa kukuba isazela sakhe siyamvumela ukuba aphathe indwe logama nje oko kungabandakanyi umsitho. Enoba agqiba ukwenza ntoni na, abanquli bokwenyaniso bafanele babe “nesazela esilungileyo” kuThixo.—1 Petros 3:16.

Akukho ndawo eZibhalweni ekwalelayo ukusebenza okanye ukubakho kwizakhiwo zikawonke-wonke, ezinjengeeofisi zikamaspala nezikolo, apho kuxhonywe indwe yesizwe. Kwakhona izitampu, amacwecwe enombolo yenqwelo-mafutha, okanye ezinye izinto ezenziwe ngurhulumente zisenokuba nendwe. Ukusebenzisa ezo zinto akwenzi ubani abe nenxaxheba ekunquleni. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo, asibobukho bendwe okanye umfanekiso wayo, kodwa yinto ubani ayenzayo xa eyibona.

Ngokufuthi izindwe ziye zincanyathiselwe kwiifestile, kwiingcango, kwiinqwelo-mafutha, kwiidesika okanye kwezinye izinto. Kukwathengiswa neempahla ezinophawu lwendwe. Kwamanye amazwe, akuvumelekanga ukunxiba iimpahla ezinjalo. Enoba ukwenjenjalo bekungayi kwaphula umthetho, bekuya kubonisa ntoni ngendlela loo mntu alijonga ngayo ihlabathi? Ngokuphathelele abalandeli bakhe, uYesu Kristu wathi: “Abayonxalenye yehlabathi, kanye njengoko nam ndingeyonxalenye yehlabathi.” (Yohane 17:16) Okungamele kulityalwe yindlela oko okuwachaphazela ngayo amanye amakholwa. Ngaba kunokusenzakalisa isazela sabathile? Ngaba oku kunokusenza buthathaka isigqibo sabo sokuhlala beqinile elukholweni? UPawulos waluleka amaKristu esithi: “Niqiniseke ngezinto ezibaluleke ngakumbi, khon’ ukuze ningabi nasiphako yaye ningakhubekisi abanye.”—Filipi 1:10.

‘Nithantamise Kubo Bonke’

Njengokuba iimeko zehlabathi ziwohloka kula “maxesha amanqam,” kusenokwenzeka ukuba uza kuya usanda umoya wokuthand’ izwe. (2 Timoti 3:1) Ngamana abo bathanda uThixo bangangaze balibale ukuba usindiso luvela kuYehova kuphela. Sifanele sizinikele kuye kuphela. Xa kwathiwa mabenze into engavisisani nokuthanda kukaYehova abapostile bakaYesu bathi: “Simele sithobele uThixo njengomlawuli kunabantu.”—IZenzo 5:29.

Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Ikhoboka leNkosi akufuneki lilwe, kunoko kufuneka lithantamise kubo bonke.” (2 Timoti 2:24) Ngaloo ndlela, amaKristu azabalazela ukuba seluxolweni, ukuba nentlonelo nokuthantamisa njengoko ethembele kwisazela sawo esiqeqeshwe ngeBhayibhile xa esenza izigqibo zobuqu ngokuphathelele ukukhahlelwa kwendwe nokucula umhobe wesizwe.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Ngokuqiniseka kodwa ngentlonelo, amaHebhere amathathu akhetha ukukholisa uThixo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

UmKristu ufanele enze ntoni ebudeni bomsitho wokuthand’ izwe?