“Sabela Egameni LikaYehova”
“Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kushiya . . . isizwana esithobekileyo nesisweleyo, yaye okunene siya kusabela egameni likaYehova.”—ZEF. 3:12.
1, 2. Sisiphi isaqhwithi sokomfuziselo esiza kufikela abantu kungekudala?
NGABA kwakha kwafuneka ukuba usabele ngaphantsi kwebhulorho ngenxa yesiphango okanye isichotho? Ibhulorho isenokukukhusela kwisiphango okanye kwisichotho, kodwa ke, ukuba kuza inkanyamba, isenokungabi luncedo kangako.
2 Kukho olunye uhlobo lwesaqhwithi oluzayo—olunokubatshayela kuthi tu bonke abantu. ‘Yimini yesaqhwithi’ sokomfuziselo. Le “mini enkulu kaYehova” iya kuchaphazela bonke abantu. Kodwa ke, thina siya kukhuseleka. (Funda uZefaniya 1:14-18.) Sinokukhuseleka njani ebudeni ‘bemini yokuvutha komsindo kaYehova’ eza kufika kungekudala?
Imihla Yesaqhwithi Ngamaxesha Okubhalwa KweBhayibhile
3. Sisiphi ‘isiphango esineendudumo’ esafikela ubukumkani bezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli?
3 Imini kaYehova iya kuqalisa ngokutshatyalaliswa kwalo lonke unqulo lobuxoki olukhoyo emhlabeni. Ukuze sibone indlela esinokusaba ngayo, sifanele sijonge oko kwenzeka kwimbali yabantu bakaThixo bamandulo. UIsaya, owayephila kwinkulungwane yesibhozo ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, wafanisa umgwebo kaYehova owawuza kufikela ubukumkani bezizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli eziwexukileyo ‘nesiphango esineendudumo,’ ekwakungekho mntu unokukwazi ukusithintela. (Funda uIsaya 28:1, 2.) Eso siprofeto sazaliseka ngowama-740 B.C.E., xa ama-Asiriya ahlasela ezo zizwe zilishumi ezazikhokelwa nguEfrayim.
4. ‘Imini enkulu kaYehova’ yayifikela njani iYerusalem ngowama-607 B.C.E.?
4 Emva kokugwetywa kwamaSirayeli angathembekanga, ngowama-607 B.C.E., iYerusalem nobukumkani bakwaYuda zafikelwa ‘yimini enkulu kaYehova.’ Loo nto yenzeka kuba abantu bakwaYuda babesele bewexukile nabo. AmaBhabhiloni awayekhokelwa nguNebhukadenetsare asongela uYuda nesixeko sakhe esikhulu, iYerusalem. AmaYuda aya kufuna uncedo ‘kwindawo yokusabela yobuxoki,’ isivumelwano sobupolitika neYiputa. Nangona kunjalo, kanye njengesichotho, amaBhabhiloni ayitshabalalisa loo ‘ndawo yokusabela.’—Isa. 28:14, 17.
5. Yintoni eya kwenzeka kubantu bakaThixo njengeqela xa kutshatyalaliswa lonke unqulo lobuxoki?
5 Imini enkulu kaYehova eyafikela iYerusalem yayibonisa umgwebo oza kufikela iNgqobhoko ewexukileyo kumhla wethu. Ngapha koko, inxalenye eseleyo ‘yeBhabhiloni Enkulu,’ ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki, iya kutshatyalaliswa. Emva koko, inxalenye eseleyo yenkqubo kaSathana engendawo iya kutshatyalaliswa. Kodwa abantu bakaThixo njengeqela baya kusinda kuba besabela kuYehova.—ISityhi. 7:14; 18:2, 8; 19:19-21.
Ukukhuselwa Ngokomoya Nentlangulo Yokoqobo
6. Abantu bakaYehova banokuyifumana njani indawo yokusabela?
6 Abantu bakaThixo banokuyifumana njani indawo yokusabela ebudeni beli xesha lesiphelo? Sifumana indawo yokusabela yokomoya ‘ngokucinga ngegama likaThixo’ nangokumkhonza ngenzondelelo. (Funda uMalaki 3:16-18.) Noko ke, sifanele siqonde ukuba kufuneka senze okungakumbi kunokucinga nje ngagama lakhe. Sifunda oku: “Wonk’ ubani obiza egameni likaYehova uya kusindiswa.” (Roma 10:13) Kukho unxibelelwano olukhoyo phakathi kokubiza egameni likaYehova nokusindiswa nguye. Abantu abaninzi abantliziyo zinyanisekileyo banokuwubona umahluko phakathi kwamaKristu okwenene, ‘acinga ngegama lakhe’ ngentlonelo nangamaNgqina akhe, nabo bangamnquliyo.
7, 8. Yiyiphi indlela amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala awasindiswa ngayo, ibe loo nto ifana njani noko kuza kwenzeka namhlanje?
7 Sekunjalo, ukusindiswa kwethu akuphelelanga ekukhuselweni ngokomoya kuphela. Abantu bakaThixo bathenjiswa ukuba baza kusindiswa ngokoqobo. Oku sikubona kwinto eyenzeka ngowama-66 C.E. emva kokuba umkhosi wamaRoma owawukhokelwa nguCestius Gallus, uhlasele iYerusalem. UYesu waprofeta wathi imihla yaloo mbandezelo yayiya ‘kunqunyulwa.’ (Mat. 24:15, 16, 21, 22) Oku kwenzeka xa imikhosi yamaRoma yathi ngokungalindelekanga yayeka ukurhangqa isixeko, nto leyo eyabangela ukuba kubekho ‘inyama,’ engamaKristu okwenene, ‘esindayo.’ Akwazi ukusaba kweso sixeko nakwiindawo ezikufutshane. Amanye awela iYordan aza afumana indawo yokusabela ezintabeni kwimpuma yaloo mlambo.
8 Oko kwenzeka kuloo maKristu kuyafana noko kuza kwenzeka kubantu bakaThixo namahlanje. Kwixa elidluleyo, amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala afuna indawo yokusabela, ibe nabakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje baya kwenza okufanayo. Kodwa ke, oku akuyi kuthetha ukusabela kwindawo ethile yokoqobo, ekubeni amaKristu okwenyaniso esasazeke ehlabathini jikelele. Sekunjalo, njengohlanga, ‘abanyuliweyo’ kunye namaqabane abo anyanisekileyo baya kusinda ngokoqobo kwisiphelo seNgqobhoko ewexukileyo ngokusabela kuYehova nakwintlangano yakhe efana nentaba.
9. Ngoobani abaye bazama ukwenza igama likaYehova lilityalwe? Yenza umzekelo.
9 Kwelinye icala, iNgqobhoko ifanelwe yintshabalalo ngokuba negalelo ekugcineni amarhamente ayo esebumnyameni ngokomoya nangokuthiya kwayo igama likaThixo. KumaXesha Aphakathi, igama likaThixo belisaziwa kakhulu eYurophu. Elo gama, elalimelwa ngoonobumba abane besiHebhere ekuthiwa yiTetragrammaton nelalidla ngokuguqulelwa ngokuthi YHWH (okanye JHVH), lalibhalwa kwiingqekembe zemali, kudonga olungaphambili lwendlu, kwiincwadi ezininzi nakwiiBhayibhile, nkqu nakwiicawa zamaKatolika namaProtestanti. Noko ke, mvanje kukho umkhwa wokulisusa igama likaThixo kwiinguqulelo zeBhayibhile nokungalisebenzisi nakwiyiphi na into. Enye into eye yabonisa oku kutshanje yiLeta eyayisiya kwiiNkomfa ZooBhishophu ‘ezazingeGama LikaThixo,’ eyabhalwa ngoJuni 29, 2008, eyakhutshwa yiCongregation for Divine Worship and the Descipline of the Sacraments. Kule leta, iCawa YamaRoma Katolika yacebisa yathi iTetragrammaton ifanele isuswe kuze endaweni yayo kufakwe igama elithi ‘Nkosi.’ IVatican yayalela ukuba igama likaThixo lingasetyenziswa okanye lingabizwa xa kuculwa naxa kuthandazwa ebudeni beenkonzo zamaKatolika. Ezinye iinkokeli zonqulo ezikwiNgqobhoko nezingaphandle kwayo ziye zabangela ukuba inkitha yabantu ingamazi uThixo wokwenene.
Ukukhuselwa Kwabo Bangcwalisa Igama LikaThixo
10. Igama likaThixo lizukiswa njani namhlanje?
10 Ngokwahlukileyo koko kwenziwa zezinye iinkonzo, amaNgqina kaYehova ayalizukisa igama likaThixo. Ayalingcwalisa ngokulisebenzisa ngendlela enesidima. UYehova uyakholiswa ngabo bamthembayo yaye uba yiyo nantoni na afuna ukuba yiyo ukuze abasikelele aze abakhusele abantu bakhe. “Uyabazi abo bafuna kuye indawo yokusabela.”—Nah. 1:7; IZe. 15:14.
11, 12. Ngoobani kumaYuda amandulo abaphakamisa igama likaYehova, yaye ngoobani abaye benjenjalo kumhla wethu?
11 Nangona uninzi lwamaYuda amandulo lwaye lwawexuka, akho ‘awasabela egameni likaYehova.’ (Funda uZefaniya 3:12, 13.) Xa uThixo wohlwaya amaYuda angenalukholo ngokuvumela amaBhabhiloni ukuba awoyise aze awathimbe, bakho abasindayo, abanjengoYeremiya, uBharuki noEbhedimeleki. Babephila “phakathi” kwesizwe esiwexukileyo. Abanye bona bahlala bethembekile xa babesekuthinjweni. Ngowama-539 B.C.E., amaMedi namaPersi awayekhokelwa nguKoreshi ayoyisa iBhabhiloni. Kungekudala uKoreshi wakhupha umyalelo wokuba intsalela yamaYuda ibuyele kwilizwe layo.
12 Xa wayeprofeta ngabo babeza kubuyiselwa kunqulo lokwenene, uZefaniya wathi uYehova wayeza kubasindisa aze agcobe ngabo. (Funda uZefaniya 3:14-17.) Oku kuye kwenzeka nakumhla wethu. Emva kokumiselwa koBukumkani bukaThixo ezulwini, uYehova wakhulula intsalela yabathanjiswa kubukhoboka bokomoya beBhabhiloni Enkulu. Nanamhlanje usagcoba ngabo.
13. Bakhululeke njani abantu bazo zonke iintlanga?
13 Abo banethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade emhlabeni baye baphuma nabo kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu yaye bakhululekile kwiimfundiso zonqulo lobuxoki. (ISityhi. 18:4) Ngenxa yoko, amazwi akuZefaniya 2:3 athi, “Funani uYehova, nonke balulamileyo bomhlaba,” azaliseka ngomlinganiselo omkhulu kumhla wethu. Sithetha nje, abalulamileyo bazo zonke iintlanga, enoba banethemba lokuphila ezulwini okanye emhlabeni, basabela egameni likaYehova.
Igama LikaThixo Asilokhubalo
14, 15. (a) Ziintoni eziye zasetyenziswa ngabanye njengekhubalo? (b) Yintoni engafanele isetyenziswe njengekhubalo?
14 Amanye amaSirayeli ayeyijonga itempile njengekhubalo elaliza kuwakhusela ezintshabeni. (Yer. 7:1-4) Nangaphambidlana, amaSirayeli ayejonga ityeya yomnqophiso njengekhubalo elaliya kuwakhusela edabini. (1 Sam. 4:3, 10, 11) UConstantine Omkhulu wabhala oonobumba besiGrike u-khi no-rho, abamela igama elithi “Kristu” ngesiGrike, kumakhaka amajoni akhe ngethemba lokuba aya kuwakhuselwa edabini. NoKumkani uGustav Adolph II waseSweden, owalwa kwiMfazwe Yeminyaka Engamashumi Amathathu, kukholelwa ukuba wayenxiba ikhola yentsimbi eboniswe kwiphepha lesi-7. Phawula ukuba igama elithi Iehova libhalwe ngendlela ebonakalayo kule khola.
15 Abanye abantu bakaThixo baye bafumana indawo yokusabela kuYehova ngokubiza igama lakhe ngokuvakalayo xa behlaselwa ziidemon. Sekunjalo, into ebhalwe igama likaThixo ayifanele igqalwe njengekhubalo ngokungathi inamandla okukhusela ngomlingo. Ukusabela egameni likaYehova akuthethi loo nto.
Indawo Yokusabela Namhlanje
16. Sinokuyifumana njani indawo yokusabela ngokomoya namhlanje?
16 Namhlanje bonke abantu bakaThixo bafumana indawo ekhuselekileyo yokusabela ngokomoya. (INdu. 91:1) “Ikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi” nabadala bebandla bayasilumkisa ngemikhwa yehlabathi enokuba yingozi. (Mat. 24:45-47; Isa. 32:1, 2) Cinga ngendlela esiye salunyukiswa ngayo ngokuthanda izinto eziphathekayo nangendlela ezo zilumkiso eziye zasikhusela ngayo kwintlekele yokomoya. Kuthekani ngengozi yokuba nesimo sengqondo sokungakhathali, esinokukhokelela ekubeni siyekelel’ umxakatho enkonzweni kaYehova? ILizwi likaThixo lithi: ‘Ukungabi nankathalo kweziyatha kuko okuya kuzibulala. Yena ke ondiphulaphulayo, uya kuhlala ngonqabiseko aze angaphazamiseki ekunkwantyiseni kwentlekele.’ (IMize. 1:32, 33) Ukuzama ukuziphatha ngendlela ecocekileyo nako kusinceda sihlale sikhuselekile ngokomoya.
17, 18. Yintoni enceda izigidi zabantu ukuba zisabele egameni likaYehova?
17 Kwakhona, cinga ngokhuthazo esilufumana kwikhoboka elithembekileyo lokuba sithobele umyalelo kaYesu wokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani kulo lonke elimiweyo. (Mat. 24:14; 28:19, 20) UZefaniya wathetha ngotshintsho olwaluya kunceda abantu bafumane indawo yokusabela kwigama likaThixo. Sifunda oku: “Ngoko izizwana ndiya kuzinika ukuba zitshintshele kulwimi olusulungekileyo, ukuze zonke zibize egameni likaYehova, ukuze zimkhonze ngaxhatha linye.”—Zef. 3:9.
18 Luyintoni ulwimi olusulungekileyo? Ulwimi olusulungekileyo yinyaniso ngoYehova uThixo neenjongo zakhe ezifumaneka kwiLizwi lakhe eliphefumlelweyo. Uthetha olu lwimi ke xa uxelela abanye ngoBukumkani bukaThixo ngendlela echanileyo nangendlela obuya kulingcwalisa ngayo igama lakhe, xa ugxininisa ukuthethelelwa kolongamo lukaThixo naxa uthetha ngovuyo ngeentsikelelo ezingunaphakade eziya kufunyanwa ngabantu abathembekileyo. Ngenxa yokuba bebaninzi abantu abathetha olu lwimi lomfuziselo, baya besanda abantu ‘ababiza egameni likaYehova nabamkhonza ngaxhatha linye.’ Izigidi zabantu ehlabathini jikelele zifumana indawo yokusabela kuYehova.—INdu. 1:1, 3.
19, 20. Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile ukukholosa ‘ngendawo yokusabela yobuxoki’ kwasilela njani?
19 Abantu ehlabathini bajamelana neengxaki ezibonakala zingenakulungiseka. Ngenxa yokuphelelwa lithemba kwiingxaki zabo, abaninzi baye bathembela kubantu abangafezekanga. Okanye babhenela kwimibutho yezopolitiko, kanye njengoko amaSirayeli amandulo ayekhe athembele kwezinye iintlanga, esakha ubuhlobo kunye nazo. Sekunjalo, siyazi ukuba loo nto ayizange iwancede amaSirayeli. Akukho rhulumente namhlanje, nkqu nentlangano yeZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, oya kuzisombulula ngokupheleleyo iingxaki zabantu. Ngoko ke, kutheni simele sigqale imibutho yezopolitiko nokwakha ubuhlobo kunye nayo njengendawo yokusabela? IBhayibhile iyibiza ngokuthi ‘yindawo yokusabela yobuxoki.’ Nawe ufanele uyijonge njalo kuba bonke abo bathembela ngayo baya kuphoxeka kakhulu.—Funda uIsaya 28:15, 17.
20 Kungentsuku zatywala isichotho somfuziselo semini kaYehova siza kuwufikela umhlaba. Imizamo eyenziwa ngabantu ayinakukwazi ukubakhusela; enoba zizixhobo zenyukliya okanye bubutyebi. UIsaya 28:17 uthi: “Isichotho simele sitshayele indawo yokusabela yobuxoki, namanzi aya kukhukulisa yona kanye indawo yokuzifihla.”
21. Ziziphi iingenelo esiya kuzifumana xa sisenza ngokuvisisana nomxholo wonyaka wama-2011?
21 Abantu bakaThixo baya kufumana unqabiseko lokwenene kuThixo wabo uYehova, ngoku nakwixesha elizayo. Igama likaZefaniya elithetha ukuthi “UYehova Ufihlile,” libhekisela kumthombo wokwenene wokukhuselwa. Kufanelekile ke ngoko ukuba umxholo wonyaka wama-2011 ube leli cebiso lobulumko: “Sabela egameni likaYehova.” (Zef. 3:12) Sifanele sisabele ngoku egameni likaYehova size sikholose ngaye ngokupheleleyo. (INdu. 9:10) Masihlale sisikhumbula esi siqinisekiso siphefumlelweyo esithi: “Yinqaba eyomeleleyo igama likaYehova. Ilungisa libalekela kulo lize likhuseleke.”—IMize. 18:10.
Ngaba Uyakhumbula?
• Sinokusabela njani egameni likaYehova ngoku?
• Kutheni singafanele sikholose ‘ngendawo yokusabela yobuxoki’?
• Yiyiphi indawo yokusabela esiqinisekiswa ukuba siza kuyifumana kwixesha elizayo?
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 6]
Umxholo wonyaka wama-2011 uthi: “Sabela egameni likaYehova.”—Zefaniya 3:12.
[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Thüringer Landesmuseum Heidecksburg Rudolstadt, Waffensammlung “Schwarzburger Zeughaus”