UMthetho Wothando Usezintliziyweni
“Ndiza kuwufaka umthetho wam ngaphakathi kubo, ndize ndiwubhale entliziyweni yabo.”—YEREMIYA 31:33.
1, 2. (a) Yintoni esiza kuyiqwalasela ngoku? (b) UYehova wazibonakalisa njani kwiNtaba yeSinayi?
KUMANQAKU amabini andulela eli, siye safunda ukuba xa uMoses wehla kwiNtaba yeSinayi, ubuso bakhe babunemitha ebonakalisa uzuko lukaYehova. Siye saxubusha nangesigqubuthelo esasinxitywa nguMoses. Ngoku makhe siqwalasele umbandela onxulumene noko, kodwa onentsingiselo kumaKristu namhlanje.
2 Xa uMoses wayephezulu entabeni, uYehova wamnika imiyalelo. Ngoxa amaSirayeli ayehlanganisene phambi kweNtaba yeSinayi, uThixo wazibonakalisa kuwo ngendlela ekhwankqisayo. “Kwabakho iindudumo nemibane, nelifu elinzima phezu kwentaba nesandi esikhulu sesigodlo, bangcangcazela bonke abantu ababesenkampini. . . . INtaba yeSinayi yaqhuma, kuba uYehova wehlela phezu kwayo esemlilweni; yaye umsi wayo wanyuka njengomsi weziko, yanyikima kakhulu intaba iphela.”—Eksodus 19:16-18.
3. UYehova wawanika njani amaSirayeli iMithetho Elishumi, yaye yintoni olwayiqondayo olu hlanga?
3 UYehova wathetha nabantu esebenzisa ingelosi, ebanika imithetho eyaziwa ngokuba yiMithetho Elishumi. (Eksodus 20:1-17) Ngoko ke, kwakungekho mathandabuzo okuba le mithetho ivela kuSomandla. UYehova wabhala loo mithetho kumacwecwe amatye—amacwecwe uMoses awawaphulayo xa wabona amaSirayeli enqula ithole legolide. UYehova waphinda wayibhala le mithetho ematyeni. Ngesi sihlandlo xa uMoses wehla ephethe la macwecwe, ubuso bakhe babunemitha. Bonke babeza kuqonda ukuba loo mithetho inentsingiselo ebalaseleyo.—Eksodus 32:15-19; 34:1, 4, 29, 30.
4. Kutheni iMithetho Elishumi yayibaluleke gqitha nje?
4 Amacwecwe eyayibhalwe kuwo iMithetho Elishumi abekwa kwityeya yomnqophiso kweYona Ngcwele yomnquba yaye kamva abekwa kweyetempile. Imithetho eyayikula macwecwe yayichaza imigaqo eyintloko yomnqophiso woMthetho kaMoses ikwamisela nendlela uThixo awayeza kululawula ngayo uhlanga lakwaSirayeli. Yayibonisa ukuba uYehova wayesebenzisana nabantu abathile, abantu abakhethiweyo.
5. UThixo walubonakalisa ngaziphi iindlela uthando lwakhe kumthetho awawunika amaSirayeli?
5 Loo mithetho yayityhila okungakumbi ngoYehova, ngokuyintloko uthando lwakhe ngabantu bakhe. Yangqineka isisipho esixabisekileyo kwabo bayiphulaphulayo! Omnye umphengululi wabhala: “Ayikho inkqubo yokuziphatha eyakha yamiselwa ngumntu . . . enokuphantse ifane okanye yodlule la mazwi alishumi kaThixo.” Ngokuphathelele wonke uMthetho kaMoses, uYehova wathi: “Ukuba nithe nalithobela okunene ilizwi lam, nawugcina ngenene umnqophiso wam, ngokuqinisekileyo noba yinqobo kum kwizizwana zonke, kuba umhlaba uphela ngowam. Yaye niya kuba bubukumkani kum nababingeleli nohlanga olungcwele.”—Eksodus 19:5, 6.
Umthetho Obhalwe Entliziyweni
6. Nguwuphi umthetho oye wangqineka uxabiseke ngakumbi kunemithetho eyayibhalwe ematyeni?
6 Eneneni, loo mithetho kaThixo yayixabiseke gqitha. Noko ke, ngaba ubusazi ukuba amaKristu athanjisiweyo anento exabiseke ngakumbi kunemithetho ebhalwe ematyeni? UYehova waxela kwangaphambili ngomnqophiso omtsha ongafaniyo nomnqophiso woMthetho awawenza nohlanga lakwaSirayeli. “Ndiza kuwufaka umthetho wam ngaphakathi kubo, ndize ndiwubhale entliziyweni yabo.” (Yeremiya 31:31-34) UYesu, uMlamleli womnqophiso omtsha, akazange abanike umthetho obhaliweyo abalandeli bakhe. Wabethelela umthetho kaYehova ezingqondweni nasezintliziyweni zabafundi bakhe ngezinto awayezithetha nawayezenza.
7. Ngoobani abanikwa “umthetho kaKristu” ekuqaleni, yaye ngoobani abawamkelayo kamva?
7 Lo mthetho ubizwa ngokuba ‘ngumthetho kaKristu.’ Ekuqaleni wawunganikwanga uhlanga loSirayeli wokwemvelo, olwaluyinzala kaYakobi, kodwa wawunikwe uhlanga lokomoya, “uSirayeli kaThixo.” (Galati 6:2, 16; Roma 2:28, 29) USirayeli kaThixo uyilwa ngamaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya. Kamva, waquka “isihlwele esikhulu” esiphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga esifuna ukunqula uYehova. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 10; Zekariya 8:23) ‘Njengomhlambi omnye onomalusi omnye,’ omabini la maqela amkela “umthetho kaKristu,” ewuvumela ukuba ulawule konke akwenzayo.—Yohane 10:16.
8. Nguwuphi umahluko ophakathi koMthetho kaMoses nomthetho kaKristu?
8 Ngokungafaniyo noSirayeli wokwemvelo, owayenyanzelekile ukuba athobele uMthetho kaMoses kuba wayezalelwe kuwo, amaKristu aphantsi komthetho kaKristu ngokuzithandela, imibandela enjengohlanga lukabani okanye indawo azalelwe kuyo ayisebenzi. Afunda ngoYehova neendlela zakhe yaye alangazelela ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe. Ekubeni enomthetho kaThixo ‘ngaphakathi kuwo,’ ngokungathi kunjalo, ubhalwe ‘entliziyweni yawo,’ amaKristu athanjisiweyo akamthobeli uThixo kuba nje enokubohlwaya abo bangamthobeliyo; okanye kuba enyanzelekile. Ukuthobela kwawo kusekelwe kwizizathu ezibalulekileyo nezivakalayo, yaye abo bezinye izimvu ngokufanayo bayathobela kuba banomthetho kaThixo ezintliziyweni zabo.
Imithetho Esekelwe Eluthandweni
9. UYesu wabonisa njani ukuba imithetho kaYehova isekelwe kuthando?
9 Imithetho nemimiselo kaYehova isekelwe kwinto enokushwankathelwa ngegama elinye: uthando. Lo nto ibisoloko ingundoqo kunqulo lokwenyaniso yaye iya kusoloko injalo. Xa wabuzwa ukuba nguwuphi owona Mthetho mkhulu, uYesu wathi: “Mthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho iphela nangomphefumlo wakho uphela nangengqondo yakho iphela.” Umthetho wesibini wawusithi: “Mthande ummelwane wakho njengawe siqu.” Wandula ke wathi: “Kule miyalelo yomibini kuxhomekeke uMthetho uphela, nabaProfeti.” (Mateyu 22:35-40) Ngaloo ndlela uYesu wayebonisa ukuba, asiyoMithetho Elishumi kuphela esekelwe kuthando, kodwa kwaneZibhalo zesiHebhere.
10. Sazi njani ukuba uthando lusisiseko somthetho kaKristu?
10 Ngaba ukuthanda uThixo nommelwane sisiseko somthetho osezintliziyweni zamaKristu? Ngokuqinisekileyo! Umthetho kaKristu uquka ukuthanda uThixo ngokusuka entliziyweni ukwaquka nomthetho omtsha—amaKristu amele akulungele ukuzincama ngenxa yokuthanda amanye. Amele athandane ngendlela uYesu awayebathanda ngayo abafundi bakhe, waza ngokuzithandela wancamela abahlobo bakhe ubomi bakhe. Wafundisa abafundi bakhe ukuba bathande uThixo baze bathandane kanye njengokuba wayebathanda. Indlela ebalaseleyo abathandana ngayo lolona phawu luyintloko abonwa ngalo amaKristu okwenyaniso. (Yohane 13:34, 35; 15:12, 13) UYesu wade wabayelela ukuba bathande neentshaba zabo.—Mateyu 5:44.
11. UYesu walubonisa njani uthando kuThixo nasebantwini?
11 UYesu wamisela umzekelo ogqibeleleyo ekuboniseni uthando. Njengesidalwa sasezulwini esinamandla, wamkela ilungelo lokuhambisela phambili izilangazelelo zikaYise emhlabeni. Ngaphandle nje kokuncama ubomi bakhe bokuba ngumntu ukuze abanye baphile ngonaphakade, wabonisa abantu indlela abafanele baphile ngayo. Wayethobekile, enobubele nolwazelelelo, enceda abo bacinezelekileyo. Wadlulisela “namazwi obomi obungunaphakade,” ngenzondelelo enceda abanye bazi uYehova.—Yohane 6:68.
12. Kutheni kunokuthiwa ukuthanda uThixo nommelwane kunxulumene ngokusondeleyo?
12 Eneneni, ukuthanda uThixo nommelwane, kunxulumene ngokusondeleyo. Umpostile uYohane wathi: “Uthando luvela kuThixo . . . Ukuba umntu uthi: ‘Ndiyamthanda uThixo,’ kodwa abe emthiyile umzalwana wakhe, ulixoki. Kuba lowo ungamthandiyo umzalwana wakhe, ambonileyo, akanako ukumthanda uThixo, angambonanga.” (1 Yohane 4:7, 20) UYehova ungumthombo wothando kwaye uluthando. Yonke into ayenzayo iphenjelelwa luthando. Ekubeni senziwe ngokomfanekiso wakhe siyakwazi ukubonisa uthando kwabanye. (Genesis 1:27) Ngokubonisa uthando kummelwane, sibonisa ukuba siyamthanda uThixo.
Ukumthanda Kuthetha Ukumthobela
13. Ukuze simthande uThixo, yintoni esimele siyenze kuqala?
13 Sinokumthanda njani uThixo esingenakumbona? Inyathelo lokuqala elibalulekileyo kukuba simazi. Asinako ukumthanda okanye simthembe ngokupheleleyo umntu esingamaziyo. Ngenxa yoko, iLizwi likaThixo lisikhuthaza ukuba sazi uThixo ngokufunda iBhayibhile, ngokuthandaza nangokunxulumana nabo sele bemazi nabamthandayo. (INdumiso 1:1, 2; Filipi 4:6; Hebhere 10:25) Iingxelo zeVangeli ezine zixabiseke ngokwenene, kuba zityhila ubuntu bukaYehova njengoko buboniswa bubomi nobulungiseleli bukaYesu Kristu. Umnqweno wethu wokuthobela uThixo nokuxelisa ubuntu bakhe ukhula ngakumbi njengoko simazi yaye sisiba nombulelo ngothando awalubonakalisa kuthi. Ewe, ukuthanda uThixo kuquka ukuthobela.
14. Kutheni kunokuthiwa imiyalelo kaThixo ayikho nzima?
14 Xa sithanda abantu abathile, siye sizazi izinto abazithandayo nabangazithandiyo, size senze ngokuvisisana noko. Asifuni ukungabakholisi abo sibathandayo. Umpostile uYohane wabhala: “Ukumthanda uThixo kuko ukuthi, siyigcine imiyalelo yakhe; kwaye ayinzima imiyalelo yakhe.” (1 Yohane 5:3) Imiyalelo yakhe ayikho nzima kwaye ayikho mininzi. Sikhokelwa luthando kwizinto esizenzayo. Akuyomfuneko ukuba sicengceleze imithetho emininzi ngendlela esifanele senze ngayo izinto; ukuthanda kwethu uThixo kuko okusikhokelayo. Ukuba ke siyamthanda uThixo, kumele kusivuyise ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe. Ngenxa yoko uThixo uye akholiswe sithi, yaye siyangenelwa, ulwalathiso lwakhe lusoloko luyinzuzo kuthi.—Isaya 48:17.
15. Yintoni eya kusenza sixelise uYehova? Cacisa.
15 Ukuthanda uThixo kusenza sixelise iimpawu zakhe. Xa sithanda umntu othile, siye sithande neempawu zakhe size sizame ukufana naye. Cinga ngololwamano ababenalo uYehova noYesu. Babekunye ezulwini mhlawumbi kangangamawaka ezigidi zeminyaka. Babethandana ngokunzulu nangokunyanisekileyo. UYesu wayefana noYise wasemazulwini ngokugqibeleleyo kangangokuba wade wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Lowo undibonileyo mna umbonile noBawo.” (Yohane 14:9) Njengoko sizama ukwazi nokuqonda uYehova noNyana wakhe, sitsho sifune ukufana nabo. Ukuthanda kwethu uYehova, nokuncedwa ngumoya oyingcwele kuya kusenza ‘sibuhlube ubuntu obudala kunye noqheliselo lwabo, size sambathe ubuntu obutsha.’—Kolose 3:9, 10; Galati 5:22, 23.
Ukusebenza Kothando
16. Umsebenzi wokushumayela nokufundisa ubonisa njani ukuba siyamthanda uThixo nommelwane?
16 NjengamaKristu, ukuthanda kwethu uThixo nommelwane kusenza sibe nenxaxheba kumsebenzi wokushumayela ngoBukumkani nokwenza abafundi. Ngokwenza njalo, sikholisa uYehova uThixo, “othanda ukuba zonke iintlobo zabantu zisindiswe zize zifikelele elwazini oluchanileyo lwenyaniso.” (1 Timoti 2:3, 4) Ngenxa yoko kuyasivuyisa ukunceda abanye ukuze umthetho kaKristu ubhalwe ezintliziyweni zabo. Sivuyiswa nakukubona ubuntu babo butshintsha ukuze babonakalise iimpawu zikaYehova. (2 Korinte 3:18) Eneneni, ukunceda abanye bazi uThixo sesona sipho sixabisekileyo sinokubapha sona. Abo bavumayo ukuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova banokuba ngabo ngonaphakade.
17. Kutheni kububulumko ukuhlakulela ukuthanda uThixo nommelwane kunezinto eziphathekayo?
17 Siphila kwihlabathi elizixabise nelizithanda gqitha izinto eziphathekayo. Sekunjalo, izinto eziphathekayo azinakubakho ngonaphakade. Zinokubiwa okanye ziguge. (Mateyu 6:19) IBhayibhile iyasilumkisa: “Ihlabathi liyadlula nenkanuko yalo, kodwa lowo wenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” (1 Yohane 2:16, 17) Ewe, uYehova uya kuhlala ngonaphakade kwanabo bamthandayo nabamkhonzayo. Ngaba asibobulumko ukuhlakulela ukuthanda uThixo nabantu kunokuba sisukele izinto zehlabathi, ezizokwexeshana?
18. Omnye umvangeli wasemazweni walubonisa njani uthando lokuzincama?
18 Abo bazabalazela ukubonisa uthando badumisa uYehova. Cinga ngoSonia, ongumvangeli wasemazweni eSenegal. Wafundela iBhayibhile elinye ibhinqa elinguHeidi, elasulelwa ngentsholongwane kaGawulayo, iHIV ngumyeni walo ongakholwayo. Emva kokuba umyeni wakhe efile, uHeidi wabhaptizwa, kodwa kungekudala impilo yakhe yaba mandundu, yaye walaliswa esibhedlele ngenxa yokugula nguGawulayo. USonia uthi: “Abasebenzi basesibhedlele benza konke abanako, kodwa babembalwa. Kwacelwa ebandleni abo iimeko zabo zibavumelayo ukuba baye kumnceda esibhedlele. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ndahlala phantsi emethini ecaleni kwebhedi yakhe ndincedisa ekumnyamekeleni de wafa. Ugqirha ophetheyo wathi: ‘Eyona ngxaki yethu inkulu kukuba kwanezalamane zidla ngokuwashiya kwesinomhlwa amalungu eentsapho zawo xa zisazi ukuba anoGawulayo. Yenzeka njani into yokuba uthi ungazalani nokuzalana naye, yaye uphuma kwelinye ilizwe nohlanga olwahlukileyo, uzibeke engozini?’ Ndamxelela ukuba, uHeidi ebefana nodadewethu esizalwa ngumntu omnye. Ngenxa yololwamano endandinalo nalo dadewethu mtsha, kwakundivuyisa ukumnyamekela.” Kakade ke, uSonia akazange asulelwe kukugula kuloo migudu yakhe yothando enyamekela uHeidi.
19. Ekubeni sinomthetho kaThixo ezintliziyweni zethu, yintoni esifanele siyenze?
19 Imizekelo emininzi yothando lokuzincama inokufunyanwa kubakhonzi bakaYehova. Akukho mthetho ubekiweyo ukuze wahlule abantu bakaThixo namhlanje. Kunoko, sibona ukuzaliseka koko kubhalwe kumaHebhere 8:10: “‘Nguwo lo umnqophiso endiya kunqophisana ngawo nendlu kaSirayeli emva kwaloo mihla,’ utsho uYehova. ‘Ndiza kuyibeka imithetho yam engqondweni yabo, ndize ndiyibhale ezintliziyweni zabo. Yaye ndiza kuba nguThixo wabo, bona babe ngabantu bam.’” Ngamana singahlala siwuthanda umthetho wothando uYehova awubhale ezintliziyweni zethu, sisebenzise naliphi na ithuba elivelayo ukubonisa uthando.
20. Kutheni umthetho kaKristu uyinto exabiseke gqitha?
20 Kuvuyisa ngokwenene ukukhonza uThixo nabazalwana abasehlabathini lonke abanothando! Abo banomthetho kaKristu ezintliziyweni zabo banandipha into exabiseke gqitha kweli hlabathi lingenaluthando. Abanandiphi uthando lukaYehova nje kuphela kodwa bakwavuyiswa luthando oluluqilima lwabazalwana abasehlabathini lonke. “Khangela! Hayi indlela ekulunge nekuthandeka ngayo ukuba abazalwana bahlale ndawonye ngomanyano!” Nangona amaNgqina kaYehova eziintlanga ngeentlanga, ethetha iilwimi ezininzi yaye enezithethe ezahlukahlukeneyo, amanyene ngendlela engathethekiyo kunqulo lwawo. Olu manyano luyamkholisa uYehova. Umdumisi wabhala: “UYehova wayalela ukuba kubekho intsikelelo apho [phakathi kwabantu abamanyaniswe luthando], kwanobomi ukusa kwixesha elingenasiphelo.”—INdumiso 133:1-3.
Ngaba Unokuphendula?
• Yayibaluleke kangakanani iMithetho Elishumi?
• Uyintoni umthetho obhalwe ezintliziyweni?
• Unayiphi indima “umthetho kaKristu”?
• Sinokubonisa njani ukuba siyamthanda uThixo nommelwane?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
AmaSirayeli ayenemithetho ebhalwe kumacwecwe amatye
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]
KumaKristu umthetho kaThixo ubhalwe ezintliziyweni zawo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]
USonia kunye nentombazana yaseSenegal kwindibano yesithili yowama-2004