Manyanani Ngentetho Enyulu
“Ngelo xesha ndiya kuziguqulela izizwe intetho enyulu, ukuze zinqule igama likaYehova zonke ziphela, zimkhonze ngaxhatha linye.”—ZEFANIYA 3:9.
1. Ngaba abantu bakha bamva uYehova uThixo ethetha?
INTETHO kaYehova uThixo inyulu. Kodwa ngaba abantu bakha bamva ethetha? Ewe, bakha bamva! Oko kwenzeka xa uNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu, wayesemhlabeni kwiinkulungwane ezili-19 ezadlulayo. Ngokomzekelo, xa uYesu wayebhaptizwa, uThixo waviwa esithi: “Lo nguNyana wam oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye.” (Mateyu 3:13-17) Lawo yayingamazwi enyaniso enyulu, awaviwa nguYesu noYohane uMbhaptizi ngentetho yabantu.
2. Abonisa ntoni amazwi ompostile uPawulos abhekisela ‘kwiilwimi zezithunywa zezulu’?
2 Kwiminyaka ethile kamva umpostile ongumKristu uPawulos wathetha “ngeelwimi zabantu nezezithunywa zezulu.” (1 Korinte 13:1) Kubonisa ntoni oku? Kaloku, kubonisa ukuba asingobantu kuphela abaneelwimi nentetho kodwa kwanabantu bokomoya banazo! Kambe ke, uThixo nezithunywa zezulu abaqhagamshelani ngokusebenzisa amazwi nentetho evakalayo neqondakalayo kuthi. Kutheni bengenzi njalo? Kungenxa yokuba kufuneka umoya ofana nalowo ujikeleze umhlaba ukuze kudluliselwe amaza omoya ezandi zamazwi anokuviwa ngabantu baze bawaqonde.
3. Yabakho njani intetho yoluntu?
3 Yabakho njani intetho yabantu? Bambi bathi ookhokho bethu babezama ukuqhagamshelana ngokutswina nokugquma. Incwadi ethi Evolution (Life Nature Library) ithi: “Umntu oyinkawu owayekho malunga neminyaka esisigidi eyadlulayo . . . ngokunokwenzeka wakwazi ukwenza izandi zentetho ezimbalwa.” Kodwa umbhali-mbali wezichazi-magama odumileyo uLudwig Koehler wathi: “Intetho yoluntu iyimfihlelo; isisipho sikaThixo, ingummangaliso.” Ewe, intetho yoluntu isisipho sikaThixo, kuba uThixo wanika umntu wokuqala, uAdam, intetho. Kubonakala ukuba yileyo ekugqibeleni yabizwa ngokuba sisiHebhere. Loo ntetho yayisetyenziswa ngamaSirayeli awayeyinzala ‘ka-Abram, umHebhere,’ usolusapho owayethembekile lowo ukhokho wakhe uShem wayengunyana kaNowa umakhi womkhombe. (Genesis 11:10-26; 14:13; 17:3-6) Ngenxa yentsikelelo kaThixo eyayithenjiswe uShem, kusengqiqweni ukugqiba kwelokuba intetho yakhe ayizange ichatshazelwe kokuthile okwenziwa nguYehova uThixo ngokungummangaliso kwiinkulungwane ezingama-43 ezadlulayo.—Genesis 9:26.
4. Wayengubani uNimrodi, yaye wasetyenziswa njani nguSathana uMtyholi?
4 Ngelo xesha ‘lonke ihlabathi libe lintetho-nye, limazwi manye.’ (Genesis 11:1) Omnye wabantu ababephila ngelo xesha yayiyindoda egama linguNimrodi, “igorha lezingela phambi koYehova.” (Genesis 10:8, 9) UNimrodi wasetyenziswa ngokukhethekileyo lutshaba olukhulu nolungabonakaliyo loluntu, uSathana, ekusekeni inxalenye yasemhlabeni yentlangano kaMtyholi. UNimrodi wayefuna ukuzenzela igama, ibe eso simo sengqondo sekratshi sabatyhutyha abalandeli bakhe, abaqalisa iphulo elikhethekileyo lokwakha isakhiwo esithile kwilizwe laseShinare. NgokweGenesis isahluko 11, indinyana 4, bathi: “Yizani, sizakhele umzi, nepoma lenqaba elincopho isemazulwini; sizenzele igama, hleze sichithakalele ehlabathini lonke.” Elo phulo elalichasene nomyalelo kaThixo wokuba ‘kuzaliswe umhlaba’ laphanza xa uYehova wadubaduba intetho yabo bavukeli. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ithi, “uYehova wabachithachitha kwalapho ehlabathini lonke; bayeka ukuwakha loo mzi.” (Genesis 9:1; 11:2-9) Loo mzi wawubizwa ngokuba yiBhabheli, okanye iBhabhiloni (gama elo elithetha, “Isidubedube”), “kuba kulapho uYehova wayidubaduba khona intetho yomhlaba wonke.”—Byington.
5. (a) Yintoni eyathintelwayo xa uThixo wadubaduba intetho yoluntu? (b) Sinokugqiba kwelithini ngentetho kaNowa noShem?
5 Loo mmangaliso—ukudutywadutywa kolwimi olunye loluntu—wakhokelela ekuzalisweni komhlaba njengoko uThixo wayeyalele uNowa, yaye wathintela naliphi na icebo likaSathana lokuseka unqulo lwakhe olumanyeneyo nolungacocekanga ngokusebenzisa abantu abathi bavukela iNkosi enguMongami wezulu nomhlaba. Kuyinyaniso ukuba, ngokuqhelisela unqulo lobuxoki nangaluphi na uhlobo, abantu babengamaxhoba kaMtyholi, yaye babekhonza iidemon xa benza oothixo noothixokazi, babathiya amagama ngokweelwimi zabo ezahlukahlukeneyo, baza babanqula. (1 Korinte 10:20) Kodwa inyathelo elathatyathwa ngokuphela koThixo oyinyaniso eBhabheli lakuthintela ukusekwa konqulo lobuxoki olunye nolumanyeneyo olwaluya kuzisela uMtyholi ukunqulwa ekubonakala ukuba wayekunqwenela. Kakade ke, uNowa owayelilungisa nonyana wakhe uShem abazange babandakanyeke kuloo ngxuba-kaxaka eyayikwelo lizwe laseShinare. Ngoko ke ngokusengqiqweni kunokugqitywa kwelokuba intetho yabo yaba yileyo yaqhubeka isetyenziswa nguAbram (okanye uAbraham) othembekileyo—ulwimi olo uThixo awathetha ngalo nomntu onguAdam emyezweni wase-Eden.
6. Ngomhla wePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uYehova wabonisa njani ukuba wayenokubanika abantu ubuchule bokuthetha ngeelwimi?
6 UYehova, owadubaduba intetho yantlandlolo yoluntu, ukwanokunikela amandla okuthetha ngeelwimi. Ewe, wayenza loo nto ngomhla wePentekoste ngomnyaka wama-33 weXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo! Ngokutsho kweZenzo 2:1-11, ngelo xesha abalandeli bakaYesu Kristu abamalunga ne-120 babehlanganisene kwigumbi eliphezulu eYerusalem. (IZenzo 1:13, 15) Ngequbuliso, kwavakala isandi esivela ezulwini “esinjengesomoya ovuthuza ngamandla.” Kwabonakala “iilwimi . . . , ngathi zezomlilo” zaza zahlala phezu kwabo bonke. Ngelo xesha abafundi “bazaliswa bonke ngumoya oyingcwele, baqala ukuthetha ngalwimi zimbi, njengoko umoya wayebanika ukuba bathethe baphimisele.” Ngezo lwimi bazinikwe nguThixo, bathetha “izinto ezinkulu zikaThixo.” Ibe onjani wona ummangaliso owenzekayo, njengoko amaYuda nabo baguqukele ebuYudeni abathetha iilwimi ezahlukahlukeneyo, ababevela kwiindawo ezikude njengaseMesopotami, eYiputa, eLibhi naseRoma babeqonda isigidimi esinik’ ubomi!
Intetho Enikelwa NguThixo Namhlanje!
7. Ziziphi izinto ebezisenokwenzeka ukuba abantu bebethetha yaye beqonda intetho enye ehlabathini lonke?
7 Ekubeni uThixo enokunika ubuchule bokuthetha iilwimi ezahlukahlukeneyo ngokungummangaliso, ngaba bekungayi kumangalisa ukuba enze kube nokwenzeka ukuba ehlabathini lonke kuthethwe intetho enye ize iqondwe ngabo bonke? Oko bekuya kukhuthaza ukuqondana okukhulu phakathi kwentsapho yoluntu. Kunjengokuba iThe World Book Encyclopedia isithi: “Ukuba zonke izizwe bezithetha ulwimi olunye, amaqhina ezempucuko nawezoqoqosho ebeya kuqina ngakumbi, ibe phakathi kwamazwe bekuya kubakho imeko-bume entle ngakumbi.” Kaloku, bekukho iilwimi ezingama-600 ebezicetywa ukuba zithethwe ehlabathini lonke kwiminyaka edlulileyo. Kwezi lwimi, isiEsperanto sibe lolona lunempumelelo ngenxa yokuba abantu abazizi-10 000 000 balufunda ukususela ekusekweni kwalo ngomnyaka we-1887. Kanti, imigudu yabantu yokumanyanisa uluntu ngokusebenzisa ulwimi oluthethwa lihlabathi lonke ayizange khe ibe nampumelelo nanini na. Enyanisweni, iingxaki ezingakumbi nangakumbi zibangela ukungavisisani kweli hlabathi njengoko ‘abantu abangendawo kukhona beya behambela phambili ebubini.’—2 Timoti 3:13.
8. Kwanokuba bekunokwamkelwa intetho enokuthethwa ehlabathini lonke namhlanje, yintoni ebiya kuqhubeka ikho, yaye ngoba?
8 Xa sithetha ngezonqulo, kuyimbuthumbuthu nje yesiphitha-nyongo. Kodwa ngaba asifanele kukulindela oku, ekubeni incwadi yeBhayibhile yeSityhilelo ibiza ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki ngokuthi ‘yiBhabhiloni Enkulu’? (ISityhilelo 18:2) Ewe, kuba igama elithi “Bhabhiloni” lithetha “Isidubedube.” Kwanokuba bekunokwamkelwa ulwimi oluqanjiweyo okanye intetho ethile engokwemvelo, njengesiNgesi, isiFrentshi, isiJamani okanye intetho yaseRashiya, njengentetho yehlabathi lonke, bekusaya kubakho ukungamanyani okungokonqulo nangezinye iindlela. Ngoba? Kuba “ihlabathi liphela lilele kongendawo,” uSathana uMtyholi. (1 Yohane 5:19) Ukukuzingca kumntwisiwe, ibe ngokubawa ulangazelela ukuba anqulwe luluntu lonke, kanye njengokuba wenzayo ngemihla kaNimrodi neNqaba yaseBhabheli. Ewe, ulwimi lwehlabathi lonke oluthethwa ngabantu abanesono belunokude luvulele uSathana ithuba lokuseka unqulo olumanyeneyo lukaMtyholi! Kodwa uYehova akasayi kuze akuvumele oko; eneneni, kungekudala uza kuluphelisa lonke unqulo lobuxoki, oluphenjelelwa nguMtyholi.
9. Bamanyaniswa njani abantu bazo zonke iintlanga nezizwe ngoku?
9 Kanti, isibakala esimangalisayo sikukuba kanye ngoku abantu abalungileyo bazo zonke iintlanga nezizwe bayamanyaniswa. Oku kwenzeka ngendlela kaThixo nangenxa yonqulo lwakhe. Namhlanje, uThixo wenza kube nokwenzeka ngabantu ukufunda nokuthetha ekuphela kwentetho enyulu emhlabeni. Ibe ngokwenene iyintetho yehlabathi lonke. Eneneni, namhlanje uYehova uThixo ufundisa abantu abaninzi, abaphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga, le ntetho inyulu emhlabeni jikelele. Oku kukuzalisekiswa kwedinga likaThixo lesiprofeto elavakaliswa ngomprofeti nengqina lakhe uZefaniya: “Ngelo xesha ndiya kuziguqulela izizwe intetho enyulu [ngokoqobo, “umlebe ococekileyo”], ukuze zinqule igama likaYehova zonke ziphela, zimkhonze ngaxhatha linye.” (Zefaniya 3:9) Iyintoni le ntetho inyulu?
Ukuchazwa Kwentetho Enyulu
10. Iyintoni intetho enyulu?
10 Intetho enyulu yinyaniso kaThixo efunyanwa kwiLizwi lakhe, iZibhalo Ezingcwele. Ngokukodwa iyinyaniso engoBukumkani bukaThixo, obuya kuzisa uxolo nezinye iintsikelelo kuluntu. Intetho enyulu ayifuni nokuzibona iimpazamo zonqulo nonqulo lobuxoki. Imanyanisa bonke abo bayithethayo kunqulo olunyulu, olucocekileyo noluhlaziyayo lukaThixo ophilileyo noyinyaniso, uYehova. Namhlanje, ukuthethwa kweelwimi ezinokuba ngama-3 000 kubangela ukungaqondani kwabantu yaye ubukho bamakhulukhulu eenkonzo zobuxoki buyaludida uluntu. Ngoko hayi indlela esivuya ngayo kuba uThixo eguqulela izizwe kule ntetho inyulu nemangalisayo!
11. Intetho enyulu iye yabenzela ntoni abantu bazo zonke iintlanga nezizwe?
11 Ewe, le ntetho ithethwa kakuhle ngabantu bazo zonke iintlanga nezizwe. Njengekuphela kwentetho enyulu yokomoya emhlabeni, ingamandla amanyanisayo. Ibangela ukuba bonke abayithethayo ‘banqule igama likaYehova, ukuze bamkhonze ngaxhatha linye,’ okanye ngokoqobo, “babambisane.” Ngaloo ndlela bakhonza uThixo “ngokungqinelanayo,” “ngokungqinelana kwengqiqo enye nangaxhatha linye ngokumanyeneyo.” (The New English Bible; The Amplified Bible) Inguqulelo kaSteven T. Byington ifundeka ngolu hlobo: “Ngelo xesha mna [Yehova uThixo] ndiya kuyiguqula icoceke imilebe yazo zonke izizwe, khon’ ukuze zonke zibize egameni likaYehova zize zisebenzisane enkonzweni yakhe.” Intsebenziswano enjalo yeelwimi ezininzi ehlabathini jikelele enkonzweni kaThixo ikho kuphela phakathi kwamaNgqina kaYehova. Namhlanje kumazwe angama-212, aba bavakalisi boBukumkani abangaphezu kwezigidi ezine bashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ngeelwimi zoluntu ezininzi. Kanti, amaNgqina ‘athetha nto-nye’ yaye ‘agqibelele ngqiqweni-nye, nasicamangweni sinye.’ (1 Korinte 1:10) Oku kunjalo ngenxa yokuba, kungakhathaliseki ukuba aphi na ehlabathini, onke amaNgqina kaYehova athetha intetho enye enyulu, edumisa yaye ezukisa uYise wasezulwini.
Funda Intetho Enyulu Ngoku!
12, 13. (a) Kutheni ufanele uzixhalabise ngokuthetha intetho enyulu? (b) Kutheni amazwi akuZefaniya 3:8, 9 engawembaluleka kangaka namhlanje?
12 Kutheni le nto ufanele uzixhalabise ngokuthetha intetho enyulu? Phakathi kwezinye izinto, kungenxa yokuba ubomi bakho buxhomekeke ekuyifundeni nasekuyithetheni. Ngaphambi nje kokuba uThixo enze idinga ‘lokuguqulela iintlanga kwintetho enyulu,’ walumkisa ngelithi: “Yilindeleni kum, utsho uYehova, ide ibe yimini yokuvuka kwam, ndithimbe. Ngokuba kulunge kum ukuhlanganisa iintlanga, ndibuthe izikumkani, ukuze ndiyiphalaze ingqumbo yam phezu kwazo, konke ukuvutha komsindo wam; kuba liya kutshiswa ngumlilo wekhwele lam lonke ihlabathi.”—Zefaniya 3:8.
13 Loo mazwi athethwa yiNkosi enguMongami uYehova okwesihlandlo sokuqala kwiinkulungwane ezingama-26 ezadlulayo kwelakwaYuda, elalinekomkhulu eliyiYerusalem. Kodwa loo mazwi ayenentsingiselo ngokukodwa kumhla wethu kuba iYerusalem yayifuzisela iNgqobhoko. Ibe ixesha lethu, ukususela ekumiselweni koBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini ngowe-1914, liyimini kaYehova yokuhlanganisa iintlanga nokubutha izikumkani. Uye wazihlanganisela ndawonye zonke enikela ingqalelo yakhe kuzo ngomsebenzi omkhulu wokunikela ubungqina. Nako oku kuye kwazishukumisela ukuba ziyichase injongo yakhe. Noko ke, uYehova uThixo ngenceba yakhe ubangela abantu abaphuma kuzo zonke ezi ntlanga bamanyane ekuthetheni intetho enyulu. Ngayo, bonke abafuna ukuphila kwihlabathi lakhe elitsha alithembisileyo basenokumkhonza bemanyene ngaphambi kokuba zonke iintlanga zidliwe yimbonakaliso ebumlilo yengqumbo kaThixo “emfazweni yaloo mini inkulu kaThixo, uSomandla,” ngokuqhelekileyo ebizwa ngokuba yiArmagedon. (ISityhilelo 16:14, 16; 2 Petros 3:13) Okonwabisayo kukuba, abo bathetha intetho enyulu nabanqula igama likaYehova ngokholo njengabanquli bokwenyaniso abamanyeneyo baya kukhuselwa nguThixo ebudeni bencopho yaloo ntlekele yehlabathi. UThixo uya kubangenisa bekhuselekile kwihlabathi elitsha, apho iya kuba yintetho enyulu kuphela eya kuthi ekugqibeleni ithethwe lulo lonke uluntu.
14. Esebenzisa uZefaniya, uThixo wabonisa njani ukuba ukusinda kwisiphelo sale nkqubo yezinto kufuna inyathelo elikhawulezileyo?
14 Esebenzisa umprofeti wakhe uZefaniya, uYehova ukwenza kucace ukuba abo banethemba lokusinda kwisiphelo sale nkqubo ikhoyo yezinto bamele bathabathe inyathelo elikhawulezileyo. Ngokutsho kukaZefaniya 2:1-3, uThixo uthi: “Zihlanganiseni nizihlanganise, luhlangandini lungadaniyo, ungekazali ummiselo (kuba imini le idlula njengomququ), kungekanifikeli ukuvutha komsindo kaYehova, ingekanifikeli imini yomsindo kaYehova. Funani uYehova, nonke balulamileyo belizwe, bakwenzileyo okusesikweni kwakhe; funani ubulungisa, funani ululamo, mhlawumbi nositheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.”
15. (a) UZefaniya 2:1-3 wazaliseka njani okokuqala? (b) Ngoobani abasindayo ekuphumezeni kukaYehova umgwebo kuYuda, yaye oku kusinda kuya kufana nantoni namhlanje?
15 Loo mazwi azaliseka okokuqala kuYuda wamandulo neYerusalem. Abantu abanesono bakwaYuda abazange basabele kakuhle kwisibongozo sikaThixo, njengoko oko kwabonakaliswa kukuphumeza kwakhe umgwebo kubo esebenzisa amaBhabhiloni ngomnyaka wama-607 B.C.E. Ekubeni uYuda ‘wayeluhlanga olungadaniyo,’ phambi koThixo, ngokunjalo iNgqobhoko iye yaba ‘luhlanga’ olungenazintloni phambi koYehova. Phofu ke, ngenxa yokuthobela ilizwi likaThixo, amaYuda athile nabanye basinda, phakathi kwabo kwakukho uYeremiya umprofeti kaYehova othembekileyo. Omnye wabasindayo yaba ngumKushi ogama linguEbhedi-meleki kwakunye nenzala kaYonadabhi. (Yeremiya 35:18, 19; 39:11, 12, 16-18) Ngokufanayo namhlanje, “isihlwele esikhulu” ‘sezinye izimvu’ zikaYesu esihlanganiswe siphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga siya kusinda kwiArmagedon size singene kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo. (ISityhilelo 7:9; Yohane 10:14-16) Kuphela ngabo bafunda baze bathethe intetho enyulu abaya kuba ngabasindi abachwayitileyo.
16. Ubani umele enze ntoni ukuze afihlwe ‘ngemini yomsindo kaYehova’?
16 Kwanjengokuba kwakungummiselo kaYehova ukuba uYuda neYerusalem zitshayelwe kuphele, neNgqobhoko imele icinywe igama. Eneneni, ukutshatyalaliswa kwalo lonke unqulo lobuxoki kusondele, ibe abo banqwenela ukusinda bamele benze okuthile ngoku. Bamele benjenjalo ‘ngaphambi kokuba imini leyo idlule njengomququ,’ ivuthuzwe ngokukhawuleza ngumoya, njengaxa kuseliwa ingqolowa emoyeni esandeni. Ukuze sihlangulwe kwingqumbo kaThixo, simele sithethe intetho enyulu size sisabele kwisilumkiso sikaThixo ingekasifikeli imini yokuvutha komsindo kaYehova. Ngomhla kaZefaniya nanamhlanje, abalulamileyo bafuna uYehova uThixo, kunye nobulungisa nolulamo. Ukufuna kwethu uYehova kuthetha ukumthanda ngentliziyo, ngomphefumlo, ngengqondo nangamandla ethu ephela. (Marko 12:29, 30) Kuya kwandula ke ‘mhlawumbi basitheliswe ngemini yomsindo kaYehova [abo benjenjalo].’ Kodwa kutheni esi siprofeto sisithi “mhlawumbi”? Kungenxa yokuba usindiso luxhomekeke ekuthembekeni nasekunyamezeleni. (Mateyu 24:13) Abo benza ngokuvisisana nemilinganiselo kaThixo yobulungisa baze baqhubeke bethetha intetho enyulu baya kusitheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.
17. Yiyiphi imibuzo ekusafuneka siyiqwalasele?
17 Ekubeni imini yomsindo kaYehova isondele ibe usindiso luxhomekeke ekufundeni nasekusebenziseni intetho enyulu, ngoku kulixesha lokuba kubandakanyekwe nzulu ekuyifundisiseni nasekuyithetheni. Kodwa umntu unokuyifunda njani intetho enyulu? Yaye unokungenelwa njani ngokuyithetha?
Ubuya Kuphendula Uthini?
◻ Yabakho njani intetho yoluntu?
◻ Iyintoni intetho enyulu?
◻ Kutheni amazwi akuZefaniya 3:8, 9 engawembaluleka kangaka namhlanje?
◻ Yintoni esimele siyenze ukuze sifihlwe ‘ngemini yomsindo kaYehova’?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
EBhabheli, uThixo waluchithachitha uluntu ngokudubaduba intetho yalo