Unokumthemba UThixo

UNOKUMTHEMBA uThixo neLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile, ngokupheleleyo. Emva kokuba ithembe uThixo ubomi bayo bonke, enye indoda eneminyaka engaphezu kwe-100 ubudala, yanikela isizathu sokuba imthembe, yathi: “Namhla ndihamba ngendlela yoluntu lonke. Niyazi ngentliziyo yenu yonke, nangomphefumlo wenu wonke, ukuba akuwanga phantsi nalinye ilizwi emazwini onke alungileyo, abewathethile uYehova uThixo wenu ngani; onke enzekile kuni; akuwanga phantsi nalinye ilizwi kuwo.” (Akekeliswe sithi.)—Yoshuwa 23:14.

Le ndoda, uYoshuwa, inkokeli yoSirayeli wamandulo, yakubona ukuthembeka kukaThixo neLizwi lakhe ngokupheleleyo. Yonke into uThixo awayeyithembise uSirayeli yenzeka. Ukuba uya usiba nolwazi olungakumbi ngoMdali neLizwi lakhe, unokumthemba ngokufanayo nawe. UKumkani uDavide, owaba ngumkhonzi kaThixo kamva, wakuchaza ngale ndlela: “Bathembele ngawe, [Yehova], bonke abakwaziyo; kaloku akuzange ubafulathele abo bakufunayo.”—INdumiso 9:10, TE.

UThixo Akanakuze Akuphoxe

Okukhona usiya ‘ulazi igama likaThixo’ noko kuthethwa lelo gama—iinjongo, imisebenzi neempawu zakhe—kokukhona uya kumthemba ngakumbi. UnguMhlobo onokuthenjwa ongenakuze akuphoxe okanye angalizalisekisi ilizwi lakhe. Yaye musa ukuphazanyiswa luhanahaniso lwabo bathi bangabameli bakhe baze emva koko benze ubuqhetseba kwabanye. Abantu abanjalo iBhayibhile ibachaza njengabangathembekanga. Abantu bonqulo abahanahanisayo bathetha enye into kanti bathi lala gusha ndikuchebe. Njengoko umpostile uPetros walumkisayo, bayawuxhaphaza umhlambi wabo. UPetros wabhala: “Eya kunyeliswa ngenxa yabo indlela yenyaniso. Bathi benokubawa, banibonelele ngamazwi alalanisayo.”—2 Petros 2:2, 3.

Abantu abanjalo abangobameli bakaThixo. Abalihloneli iLizwi lakhe. Kutheni ungazihlolisisi ngokwakho iingxelo ezingoThixo nobungqina obungaye njengoko butyhilwe eBhayibhileni? ‘Kodwa,’ usenokubuza, ‘kutheni ndifanele ndithembe iBhayibhile ngaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye incwadi?’ Kuyinyaniso ukuba kuye kwakho ubuqhetseba obungokonqulo ukutyhubel’ imbali, kodwa iBhayibile yona yahlukile. Qwalasela ezi zizathu zilandelayo zokuthemba iBhayibhile.

Izizathu Zokuthemba IBhayibhile

Unokuyithemba iBhayibhile kuba amadinga ayo neziprofeto zayo asoloko ezaliseka. Nanku umzekelo woku. Nangona kwakusenokubonakala kungakholeleki kuSirayeli othinjiweyo, uYehova uThixo, umbhali weBhayibhile, wathembisa ukuba wayeya kukhulula abantu bakhe ababethinjwe yiBhabhiloni enamandla aze ababuyisele eYerusalem. Lalibonakala ilidinga elingenakuzaliseka ngenxa yokuba iBhabhiloni yayiligunya lehlabathi elalilawula ngelo xesha yaye yayiyitshabalalise ngokupheleleyo iYerusalem. Kodwa malunga neminyaka engamakhulu amabini ngaphambi koko, uYehova wade wabiza ngegama umlawuli ongumPersi uKoreshi njengowayeya kubhukuqa iBhabhiloni aze akhulule abantu Bakhe yaye wachaza kusengaphambili indlela owawuya kusilela ngayo umlambo owawukhusele iBhabhiloni. Unokusifunda esi siganeko kuIsaya 44:24–45:4.

Incwadi ethi Ukuqiqa Ngezibhalo ichaza indlela elazalisekiswa ngayo eli dinga: “UKoreshi wayengekazalwa xa esi siprofeto sabhalwayo. . . . Esi siprofeto sazaliseka ngokweenkcukacha ukususela ngowama-539 B.C.E. UKoreshi wajika amanzi oMlambo umEfrati aba lichibi elenziwe ngumntu, amasango omlambo waseBhabhiloni ngokungakhathali ayeshiywe evulekile ebudeni bomsitho owawusesixekweni, yaye iBhabhiloni yawela kumaMedi namaPersi phantsi koKoreshi. Emva koko, uKoreshi wakhulula abathinjwa abangamaYuda waza wababuyisela eYerusalem benemiyalelo yokuphinda bakhe itempile kaYehova.”a Onke amadinga awenziwa nguThixo afana neli, nazo zonke iziprofeto eziseBhayibhileni, ziye zazaliseka ngokuchanileyo.

Omnye umzekelo wokuzaliseka kwesiprofeto sisibakala sokuba ukuthemba abantu kuye kwancipha kwinkulungwane yethu. IBhayibhile yakuxela ngenx’ engaphambili oku njengophawu lwexesha esiphila kulo, kuba ixesha elaqalisa ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi I ngowe-1914 ilibiza ngokuthi ‘yimihla yokugqibela’ yaye ithi liya kuzisa “amaxesha anomngcipheko.” Isichazela ukuba ngemihla yethu abantu baya kuba “ngabazithandayo, . . . abaqhankqalazi, abakratshi, . . . abangabuleliyo, abangengcwele, abangenabubele, abangenatarhu, abatyholi, . . . abancethezi, izityhuthutyhuthu, abathiwe lwale likratshi.” Kwakhona yaxela kwangaphambili ukuba: “Abantu abangendawo noosiyazi, kukhona baya kuhambela phambili.” (2 Timoti 3:1-4, 13) Oko koko siye sakubona kwixesha lethu.

Unokuyithemba iBhayibhile kuba ichane ngokupheleleyo. Akukho namnye owakhe wakucel’ umngeni ngokuphumelelayo ukuchana kweBhayibhile. Isazinzulu esidumileyo uMhlekazi uIsaac Newton sathi: “Ndifumana iingxelo ezingakumbi ezichanileyo eBhayibhileni kunayo nayiphi na imbali engekho ngokonqulo.” Ayinankohliso ‘njengeencwadi zeziganeko zemihla ngemihla’ zikaHitler! Yaye iBhayibhile yahluke njani kwezinye iincwadi zamandulo? Incwadi ethi The Bible From the Beginning ithi: “Kwii-MSS. [manuscripts (imibhalo-ngqangi)] zamandulo eziliqela ezingqina indlela eyabhalwa ngayo, naxa ujonga indlela emininzi ngayo iminyaka phakathi kwee-MSS. zokuqala nezesibini, iBhayibhile izodlula zonke iincwadi zamandulo ezamaGrike nezamaRoma [ezo zikaHomer, nezikaPlato, nezabanye]. . . . Zonke ii-MSS. zamaGrike nezamaRoma azithathi nento le xa zithelekiswa nezeBhayibhile. Ayikho incwadi yamandulo engqinelwe kakuhle kangaka njengeBhayibhile.” Yonke into engeBhayibhile ibonisa indlela echane ngokuphelele ngayo.

Unokuyithemba iBhayibhile kuba ichane kuko konke ekuthethayo. IBhayibhile ithi uThixo “ulaneka izulu langasentla enyanyeni, axhome ihlabathi phezu kokungeni.” (Yobhi 26:7) Kunokuba ilandele iingcamango ezingachananga zelo xesha, ezinjengokuba umhlaba uxhaswe ziindlovu, iBhayibhile yathetha ngoko kwaye kwamiselwa njengenyaniso engokwenzululwazi—ukuba umhlaba ‘uxhonywe’ kokungeni. Ukongezelela koko, ngaphezu kweminyaka engamawaka amabini ngaphambi kwexesha likaColumbus, iBhayibhile yachaza ngokucacileyo ukuba umhlaba ungqukuva.—Isaya 40:22.

Unokuyithemba iBhayibhile ngenxa yokunyanisa nokungqala kwayo. Ababhali beBhayibhile abazange baguqule nto. Naxa oko babekuthetha kwakuthetha kakubi ngabo, ngababesebenza nabo, nangabalawuli babo bazichaza ngokunyanisekileyo ezo ziganeko. Ngokomzekelo, kwincwadi yakhe yevangeli umpostile uMateyu wavuma ngokuphandle ukuba maxa wambi abapostile bakaYesu Kristu babebonisa ukungabi nalukholo, babesilwa elowo efuna ukuba mkhulu, bade bamshiya uYesu ukubanjwa kwakhe.—Mateyu 17:18-20; 20:20-28; 26:56.

Esinye isizathu esibalaseleyo sokuthemba iBhayibhile sesokuba icebiso leBhayibhile liye langqineka lisebenza kwaye liyingenelo ngalo lonke ixesha abantu bethembela ngalo ngokupheleleyo baze balisebenzise. (IMizekeliso 2:1-9) Icebiso leBhayibhile lahluke ngeyona ndlela kumacebiso “eengcali” adla ngokungachani ekuhlangabezaneni neengxaki zobomi. Ngokuphathelele icebiso lababhali bemihlathi abanikela amacebiso anjalo kumaphephandaba esizwe amaninzi, iThe Sunday Times yaseLondon iyabuza: “Ngaba amawaka abantu nyaka ngamnye azityand’ igila kubantu abangenabuchule abanikela amacebiso nje ngokungakhathali?” Ababhali beBhayibhile babenganikeli nje amacebiso ngokungakhathali. Babhala icebiso elithembekileyo, eliphefumlelwe nguThixo eliye laphumelela kangangexesha elide.—2 Timoti 3:16, 17.

UEllen, oneminyaka emalunga nama-30 ubudala nowonwabileyo emtshatweni wakhe, uthi: “Icebiso leBhayibhile landikhusela kwikhondo engelalonakalise ubomi bam. Abazali bam ababeqhawule umtshato, babengalithembanga ilungiselelo lomtshato, enyanisweni baye bandikhuthaza ukuba ndihlalisane kunokuba nditshate. Xa ndicinga ngokuzinza ukufunda iBhayibhile okuye kwakuzisa kubomi bam, ndiyavuya kuba ndiye ndathemba iBhayibhile nangaphezu kwecebiso labazali bam.”—Bona amaEfese 5:22-31; Hebhere 13:4.

UFlorence uthi: “Ndandineminyaka eli-14 ubudala kuphela xa ndaqalisa ukufunda oko iBhayibhile ikuthethayo ngezinto ezithile. Ngoku xa ndicinga emva phayaa ngeminyaka yee-1960 nengxaki abazifaka kuyo oontanga bam ngokulandela imilinganiselo yokuziphatha yezo ntsuku, ndinombulelo gqitha ngokhuseleko icebiso leBhayibhile elandinika lona ndiselula, ndiselibhinqa elingenamava.”—Bona eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 6:9-11.

UJames uthi: “Mna, ndandingumngcakazi ovunyiweyo, nditshaya yaye ndiyindlamanzi.” Uhlabela mgama enjenje: “Ndiyawazi umonakalo oku okuye kwawubangela ebantwini abaninzi nakwiintsapho zabo. Ngaphambili ndandingakuboni ukubaluleka kweBhayibhile kwiingxaki zam. Kodwa sithetha nje ndiyibona kakuhle indlela eyandinceda ngayo ukuba ndicinge ngokulungileyo yaye yandinceda ndahlala ndiphila ngendlela esemgangathweni.”—Bona eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 7:1.

UMary Anne wayeceba ukuzibulala ngenxa yeengcinezelo zobomi neengxaki ezingokweemvakalelo ezazibangelwa ziinkathazo awayekuzo. Uthi: “Ngelo xesha ukuzibulala kwabonakala ikuphela kwesicombululo. Kodwa iBhayibhile yakuguqula ukucinga kwam. Koko ndandikufunda eBhayibhileni kuphela okwabangela ndingazibulali.”—Bona abaseFilipi 4:4-8.

Yintoni eyanceda bonke aba bantu? Bakhulisa ukuthemba uThixo neLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile ngokupheleleyo. UThixo waba njengomhlobo onokuthenjwa nothandekayo obasebezela icebiso ngamaxesha kaxakeka. (Thelekisa uIsaya 30:21.) Bafunda imigaqo yeBhayibhile eyabanceda bakwazi ukuhlangabezana neengcinezelo namajingi-qhiwu obomi. Yaye bafunda ukuthemba amadinga amangalisayo avela kuThixo ongenakuxoka—njengedinga ‘lomhlaba omtsha’ omhle ongenabuqhetseba, ubuxoki nokuxhaphaza nongenantlungu, ukugula kwanokufa!—2 Petros 3:13; INdumiso 37:11, 29; ISityhilelo 21:4, 5.

Nawe unokuzakhela ithemba elinjalo. Ihlabathi namhlanje lisenokukwenza ungathembi nto, kodwa qiniseka ukuba ukuthembela kwakho ngoThixo nangeLizwi lakhe akunakuze konakaliswe. Abapapashi beli phephancwadi baya kukuvuyela ukulungiselela ubani oya kukunceda umazi ngakumbi uThixo neLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8]

Malunga neminyaka engama-200 ngaphambili, umprofeti kaThixo waxela ngenx’ engaphambili indlela eyayiya kubhukuqwa ngayo iBhabhiloni

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UMhlekazi uIsaac Newton wayifumana iBhayibhile inokuthenjwa