Hlalani Nilungile!

“Hlalani nilungile, kuba uNyana womntu uza ngelixa eningacinganga ukuba lilo.”—MAT. 24:44.

1, 2. (a) Ziziphi iziganeko ekuprofetwe ngazo kwisiprofeto seBhayibhile ezinokufaniswa nokuhlaselwa yingwe? (b) Olu hlaselo luzayo lukuchaphazela njani wena?

KANGANGEMINYAKA, indoda ethile yayisonwabisa abantu ngokudlalisa izingwe. Yathi: “Xa isilwanyana sikuthemba, uziva ngathi uphiwe esona siphiwo sakha sasihle ehlabathini.” Kodwa ngo-Oktobha 3, 2003, yaphela yonke loo nto. Ngaphandle kwesizathu, enye yezi zingwe, eyayinobunzima obuziikhilogram ezili-172, yayihlasela. Le ndoda yayingayilindelanga kwaphela into yokuba ingahlaselwa.

² Kubangel’ umdla ukwazi ukuba iBhayibhile iprofeta ngohlaselo ‘lwerhamncwa,’ kwaye kufuneka sihlale silungile. (Funda iSityhilelo 17:15-18.) Lihlasela bani eli rhamncwa? Into eyothusayo ke kukuba, ihlabathi likaMtyholi liyahlulelana lize lilwe lodwa. Irhamncwa elimfusa limela iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, yaye “iimpondo ezilishumi” zimela onke amagunya epolitiki. Ziya kuyijikela iBhabhiloni Enkulu enjengehenyukazi, ubukhosi behlabathi bonqulo lobuxoki, zize ziyitshabalalise ngogonyamelo. Iza kwenzeka nini le nto? Asiwazi umhla nelixa. (Mat. 24:36) Into esiyaziyo kukuba iza kwenzeka ngelixa esingalilindelanga nokuba ixesha eliseleyo ngaphambi kokuba lufike olu hlaselo lincinane. (Mat. 24:44; 1 Kor. 7:29) Kubalulekile ke ngoko ukuba sihlale silungile ngokomoya ukuze xa olu hlaselo lusenzeka noKristu efika njengoMphumezi Wemigwebo, asihlangule! (Luka 21:28) Ukuze siyilungele yonke le nto, sinokufunda kubakhonzi bakaThixo abazingqina belungile baza ngenxa yoko bazibonela ukuzaliseka kwezithembiso zikaThixo. Ngaba siya kucamngca ngala mava enzeke ngokoqobo?

Hlala Ulungile—NjengoNowa

3. Ziziphi iimeko ezabangela ukuba kube lucelomngeni kuNowa ukukhonza uThixo ngokuthembeka?

³ UNowa wazingqina ekulungele ukubona inzaliseko yezithembiso zikaThixo, nangona iimeko zazimaxongo ngexesha lakhe apha emhlabeni. Khawuthelekelele ucelomngceni ekwafuneka uNowa ajongane nalo njengoko iingelosi ezinemvukelo zambatha imizimba yenyama zaza zahlalisana namabhinqa amahle! Iintlobano zesini ezingezozamvelo phakathi kwazo nala mabhinqa zavelisa inzala enamandla angaphaya kwawomntu, ‘amadoda anamandla’ awayeqweqwedisa abanye abantu. (Gen. 6:4) Cinga ngogonyamelo olwalulapho njengoko ezi ngxilimbela zazisonakalisa naphi na apho zidlula khona. Ekugqibeleni, ubungendawo baya busanda yaye indlela yokucinga neyokuphila yabantu yonakala ngokupheleleyo. INkosi enguMongami uYehova yawisa isigwebo esaqalisa isiphelo selo hlabathi lingamhloneliyo uThixo.—Funda iGenesis 6:3, 5, 11, 12.a

4, 5. Iimeko zethu namhlanje zifana njani nezomhla kaNowa?

⁴ UYesu waprofeta wathi imihla yethu yayiya kufana neyemihla kaNowa. (Mat. 24:37) Ngokomzekelo, nathi siyaphazanyiswa yimimoya engendawo. (ISityhi. 12:7-9, 12) Ngemihla kaNowa, ezi demon zaye zambatha imizimba yenyama. Nangona ngoku zingasakwazi ukwambatha imizimba yenyama, zizimisele ukulawula abantu abadala nabaselula ngokufanayo. Ezi demon zithand’ amanyala ziyoliswa kukubukela izenzo ezingendawo nezithob’ isidima zabo zinokubonakalisa apha emhlabeni.—Efe. 6:11, 12.

⁵ ILizwi likaThixo lichaza uMtyholi ‘njengesibulala-mntu’ yaye lithi “unamandla okubangela ukufa.” (Yoh. 8:44; Heb. 2:14) Akanawo amandla okubangela ukufa ngokungqalileyo. Kodwa ke, esi sidalwa somoya sikhohlakeleyo sikhuthaza ukuqhathwa nokuhendwa kwabantu. Siphembelela abantu ukuba babe ngababulali. Ngokomzekelo, umntwana omnye kwabali-142 ozalwayo eUnited States uza kubulawa ngomnye umntu. Ekubeni luxhaphake kangaka ugonyamelo, ngaba uYehova akayi kuyiphawula loo nto namhlanje njengoko wenzayo ngemihla kaNowa? Ngaba akayi kuluthathela amanyathelo?

6, 7. UNowa nentsapho yakhe babonisa njani ukuba babenokholo yaye bemoyika uThixo?

⁶ Ngexesha elifanelekileyo, uNowa waye waziswa ngesigqibo sikaThixo sokubangela umkhukula emhlabeni, ukuze yonke inyama itshatyalaliswe. (Gen. 6:13, 17) UYehova wayalela uNowa ukuba akhe umkhombe omile okwebhokisi enkulu. UNowa nentsapho yakhe baqalisa ukusebenza. Yintoni eyabancedayo bathobela baza bahlala bekulungele ukufika komgwebo kaThixo?

⁷ Ukholo olunamandla nokoyika uThixo zabangela ukuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe benze oko uThixo wayebayalela kona. (Gen. 6:22; Heb. 11:7) Njengentloko-ntsapho, uNowa wahlala ephaphile ngokomoya waza wakuphepha ukonakaliswa lihlabathi lamandulo. (Gen. 6:9) Wayesazi ukuba intsapho yakhe kwakufuneka ilumkele ukuba nogonyamelo nesimo sengqondo semvukelo sabantu eyayiphila phakathi kwabo. Kwakubalulekile ukuba ingazixakekisi gqitha ngezinto zobomi zemihla ngemihla. UThixo wayeyinike umsebenzi, ibe kwakubalulekile ukuba yonke intsapho isekele ubomi bayo kuwo.—Funda iGenesis 6:14, 18.

UNowa Nentsapho Yakhe Bazingqina Belungile

8. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba amalungu entsapho kaNowa ayezinikele kuThixo?

⁸ Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ijolisa ingqalelo kwintloko-ntsapho uNowa, kodwa ke nomfazi kaNowa noonyana noomolokazana bakhe babengabanquli bakaYehova. Umprofeti uHezekile wayingqina le nto. Wathi ukuba uNowa wayephila ngemihla kaHezekile, abantwana bakhe babengayi kusindiswa ngenxa yobulungisa bukayise kuphela. Babebadala ngokwaneleyo ukuba bathobele okanye bangathobeli. Ngoko, babeye bayingqina into yokuba bayamthanda uThixo neendlela zakhe. (Hez. 14:19, 20) Intsapho kaNowa yayiyamkela imfundiso yakhe, inokholo olufana nolwakhe, kwaye ayizange ivumele impembelelo yabanye abantu ukuba iyithintele kumsebenzi ewunikwe nguThixo.

9. Yiyiphi imizekelo yokholo olufana nolukaNowa esinokuthetha ngayo namhlanje?

⁹ Kukhuthaza ngokwenene namhlanje ukubona iintloko-ntsapho ezenza konke okusemandleni azo ukuze zixelise uNowa phakathi kobuzalwana bethu obusehlabathini jikelele! Ziyaqonda ukuba akwanelanga ukondla, ukunxiba, ukuzenzela ikhusi nokufundisa iintsapho zazo. Zikwamele zinyamekele iimfuno zazo zokomoya. Ngokwenjenjalo, zizingqina zikulungele oko uYehova aza kukwenza kungekudala.

10, 11. (a) Yiyiphi indlela esiqinisekileyo ukuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe babevakalelwa ngayo xa babesemkhumbini? (b) Nguwuphi umbuzo esifanele sizibuze wona?

¹⁰ Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uNowa, inkosikazi yakhe, oonyana noomolokazana bakhe basebenza iminyaka engama-50 besakha lo mkhumbi. Njengoko babewakha, bamele ukuba bangena bephuma kuwo kangangezihlandlo eziliqela. Bawungciba ukuze ungangenwa ngamanzi, bafaka ukutya baza bangenisa izilwanyana. Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wabo. Ekugqibeleni iyafika imini ebilindelwe. Ngumhla we-17 wenyanga yesibini yonyaka wama-2370 B.C.E., ibe bangena ngaphakathi komkhumbi. UYehova uvala umnyango, kwaye imvula iqalisa ukuna. Ezi ayizozantyalantyala ziqhelekileyo zasekuhlaleni. Uphahla lwamanzi, okanye ulwandle olusesibhakabhakeni, luyagqabhuka, kwaye amanzi agaleleka kumkhumbi. (Gen. 7:11, 16) Abantu abangekho kumkhumbi bayafa ngoxa abo bangaphakathi besindiswa. Imel’ ukuba yayivakalelwa njani intsapho kaNowa? Yayinombulelo ongazenzisiyo ngokwenene. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo yayivakalelwa kukuba, ‘Sivuya ngokwenene kuba siye sahamba noThixo oyinyaniso saza sazigqina silungile!’ (Gen. 6:9) Ngaba unokuzithelekelela ungaphaya kweArmagedon, intliziyo yakho izaliswe luxabiso olufanayo?

¹¹ Ayikho into enokuthintela uSomandla ekuzalisekiseni isithembiso asenzileyo sokuphelisa le nkqubo yezinto kaSathana. Zibuze, ‘Ngaba ndiqiniseke ngokupheleleyo ukuba zonke izinto azithembisileyo uThixo ziya kuzaliseka ngokweenkcukacha nokuba zonke ziya kwenzeka ngexesha alimisileyo?’ Ukuba kunjalo, zingqine ulungile ngokuyikhumbula ‘imini kaYehova’ eza ikhawulezile.—2 Pet. 3:12.

UMoses Wahlala Ephaphile

12. Yintoni eyayisenokumphazamisa ngokomoya uMoses?

¹² Makhe sixubushe ngomnye umzekelo. Ngokwembono yabantu, uMoses wayebonakala izinto zimhambela kakuhle kakhulu eYiputa. Njengonyana wentombi kaFaro, kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayejongwa njengomntu obekekileyo kwaye esitya okona kutya kusemgangathweni, enxiba impahla yodidi, kwaye ehlala kwindawo etofotofo. Wafumana nemfundo ephakamileyo. (Funda iZenzo 7:20-22.) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayeza kufumana ilifa elikhulu.

13. UMoses wenza njani ukuze aqhubeke ejonge kwizithembiso zikaThixo?

¹³ Kucacile ukuba, imfundiso eyafunyanwa nguMoses esemncinane yamenza wabona ukuba lwalububudenge unqulo-zithixo lwamaYiputa. (Eks. 32:8) Imfundo yaseYiputa kunye nobunewunewu basebhotwe azizange zibangele ukuba uMoses alushiye unqulo lwenene. Umel’ ukuba wacamngca ngezithembiso ezazenziwe nguThixo kooyisemkhulu waza wanqwenela ngokwenene ukuzingqina ekulungele ukwenza ukuthanda kukaThixo. Ngapha koko, uMoses waxelela oonyana bakaSirayeli oku: “UYehova . . . uThixo ka-Abraham, uThixo kaIsake noThixo kaYakobi, undithumile kuni.”—Funda iEksodus 3:15-17.

14. Ukholo nenkalipho kaMoses zavavanywa njani?

¹⁴ Ngokwahlukileyo kwimifanekiso eyayimela izithixo ezingaphiliyo zaseYiputa, uYehova, wayenguThixo wenene kuMoses. Waphila “ngokungathi uyambona Lowo ungabonakaliyo.” UMoses wayekholelwa ukuba abantu bakaThixo babeya kukhululwa, kodwa wayengazi ukuba yayiya kwenzeka nini loo nto. (Heb. 11:24, 25, 27) Umnqweno wakhe wokubona amaHebhere ekhululekile wabonakala xa walwela ikhoboka lomSirayeli elalixhatshazwa. (Eks. 2:11, 12) Noko ke, lalingekafiki ixesha elalibekwe nguYehova, ngoko uMoses kwafuneka abalekele kwilizwe elikude. Ngokuqinisekileyo kwakunzima kuye ukushiya ubomi obutofotofo bebhotwe laseYiputa aye kuhlala entlango. Sekunjalo, uMoses wazingqina elungile ngokwenza yonke into awayeyalelwa nguYehova ukuba ayenze. Ngenxa yoko, uThixo wamsebenzisa xa wayehlangula abazalwana bakhe emva kokuba echithe iminyaka engama-40 kwaMidiyan. Ethobela ulwalathiso lukaThixo, uMoses wabuyela eYiputa. Ngoku lalifikile ixesha lokuba uMoses enze umsebenzi kaThixo ngendlela uThixo afuna ngayo. (Eks. 3:2, 7, 8, 10) Uthe akubuyela eYiputa, uMoses, ‘eyona ndoda ilulamileyo kubantu bonke,’ kwafuneka abe nokholo nenkalipho ukuze eme phambi koFaro. (Num. 12:3) Akazange abe nezi mpawu isihlandlo esinye nje kuphela, kodwa wabeth’ ebuyelela njengoko izibetho zaziqhubeka, engazi nokuba kwakuya kufuneka aphindaphinde kangaphi ukuya phambi koFaro.

15. Yintoni eyaqhuba uMoses ukuba ahlale ejonge amathuba okuzukisa uYise osezulwini nangona kwakukho iziphazamiso?

¹⁵ Kwiminyaka engama-40 eyalandelayo, ukususela ngowe-1513 B.C.E. ukuya kowe-1473 B.C.E., uMoses wajongana nokuphoxeka. Sekunjalo, wakhangela amathuba okuzukisa uYehova waza wawakhuthaza ngomphefumlo uphela amanye amaSirayeli ukuba enjenjalo. (Dut. 31:1-8) Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba wayelithanda igama likaYehova nolongamo lwakhe ngaphezu kwelakhe igama. (Eks. 32:10-13; Num. 14:11-16) Nathi simele siqhubeke sixhasa ulawulo lukaThixo kwanaxa siphoxeka okanye siphazamiseka, siqinisekile ukuba indlela azenza ngayo izinto ilumkile, inobulungisa kwaye ibhetele ngaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye. (Isa. 55:8-11; Yer. 10:23) Ngaba uvakalelwa njalo nawe?

Hlala Uphaphile!

16, 17. Kutheni uMarko 13:35-37 enentsingiselo ebalulekileyo kuwe?

¹⁶ “Hlalani nikhangele, hlalani niphaphile, kuba anazi ukuba ixesha elimisiweyo linini na.” (Marko 13:33) UYesu wakhupha eso silumkiso xa wayexubusha ngomqondiso owawuza kuphawula isiphelo sale nkqubo ingendawo yezinto. Khawuve amazwi okuqukumbela esiprofeto esibalaseleyo sikaYesu abhalwe nguMarko athi: “Ngoko ke hlalani nilindile, kuba anazi ukuba inkosi yendlu iza kufika nini, enoba xa sele imini ihambile okanye ezinzulwini zobusuku okanye ekulileni kweenkuku okanye ngonyezi; ukuze xa ifika ngequbuliso, inganifumani nilele. Kodwa oko ndikutsho kuni ndikutsho kubo bonke, Hlalani nilindile.”—Marko 13:35-37.

¹⁷ Isibongozo sikaYesu sisenza sicinge. Wathetha ngamaxesha amane okulinda ebudeni bobusuku. Ngexesha lokulinda lokugqibela kwakudla ngokuba nzima ukuhlala uphaphile, kuba laliqalisa malunga neyesithathu kusasa liye kutsho ekuphumeni kwelanga. Iingcali zemfazwe zithi eli lelona xesha lihle lokuhlasela utshaba, uba sethubeni elihle lokulufumana ‘lulele.’ Ngokufanayo ke nangoku, xa abantu bekobunzulu ubuthongo ngokomoya, kusenokuba nzima kakhulu kuthi ukuhlala siphaphile. Ngaba siyathandabuza ukuba kufuneka ‘sihlale siphaphile’ yaye ‘sikhangele’ phambili kwisiphelo ekuprofetwe ngaso nokuhlangulwa kwethu?

18. NjengamaNgqina kaYehova, liliphi ilungelo elingenakulinganiswa nanto esinalo?

¹⁸ Umqeqeshi wezilwanyana okhankanywe ekuqaleni wasinda kuhlaselo lwengwe. Kodwa isiprofeto seBhayibhile siyibeka icace gca into yokuba unqulo lobuxoki nayo yonke inkqubo engendawo yezinto aziyi kusinda kwisiphelo esizayo. (ISityhi. 18:4-8) Ngamana bonke abakhonzi bakaThixo, abaselula nabakhulileyo, bangabona indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuzingqina beyilungele imini kaYehova njengoNowa nentsapho yakhe. Siphila kwihlabathi elingamhloneliyo uThixo apho abefundisi bonqulo lobuxoki, kuquka abo bathi uThixo akaziwa kwaye engenakwaziwa kunye nabo bathi uThixo akakho, benyelisa uMdali ngezinto abazithethayo. Kodwa ke thina asinakuzivumela ukuba sichaphazeleke. Masicingisise ngemizekelo esithethe ngayo size sihlale siwakhangele amathuba okulwela nokuzukisa uYehova ‘njengoThixo woothixo,’ ewe, “uThixo omkhulu, onamandla nowoyikekayo.”—Dut. 10:17.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Ngaba Usakhumbula?

• Kutheni kwaye kwafuneka ukuba uNowa azibeke kwindawo yokuqala iimfuno zentsapho yakhe?

• Ixesha esiphila kulo lifana twatse ngayiphi indlela nomhla kaNowa?

• Kutheni uMoses waye wagcina amehlo akhe ejonge kwizithembiso zikaYehova nangona wayephoxekile?

• Ziziphi iziprofeto zeBhayibhile ezikwenza uhlale uphaphile ngokomoya?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

UNowa nentsapho yakhe baqhubeka bejonge umsebenzi kaYehova

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Izithembiso eziqinisekileyo zikaThixo zanceda uMoses ukuba ahlale ethe qwa