Chapter 7
Yenza Ngobulumko Njengoko Ujongene Nentshabalalo
1. Kutheni abantu bafa ngokungeyomfuneko (a) xa kwatshona uTitanic? (b) xa kwadubula iNtaba iPelée?
XA BELUNYUKISWA ngumthombo onokuthenjwa ukuba kusondela intlekele, abantu abalumkileyo benza okuthile ukuze balondoloze ubomi babo. (IMizekeliso 22:3) Kodwa kuye kwatshatyalaliswa abantu abangamawaka angenakubaleka ngokungeyomfuneko ngenxa yokuba beye bathembela kwinto ephosakeleyo. Phezu kwazo nje izilumkiso zokuba bangene kumaphenyane okubasindisa, amakhulu abantu atshona nenqanawa enguTitanic ngowe-1912 ngenxa yokuba babekholelwa kwibango lokuba yayingenakutshona. Xa iNtaba iPelée eMartinique yathi yaqalisa ukukhupha udaka namatye entaba-mlilo ngowe-1902, abantu ababekufuphi naseSaint-Pierre babesoyika, kodwa ekubeni izinto zokuzingca ezazilangazelelwa ngabantu abadumileyo baloo ndawo zazisengozini, abapolitiki basekuhlaleni nomhleli wephephandaba lasekuhlaleni bafuna ukudambisa uloyiko lwabantu, bebabongoza ukuba bangayishiyi le ndawo. Ngequbuliso intaba yadubula, yaye abantu abangama-30 000 bafa.
2. (a) Sisiphi isilumkiso esingxamisekileyo esihlokonyiswayo kumhla wethu? (b) Kutheni imeko ingumcimbi onzulu kangaka nje?
2 Kumhla wethu kuhlokonyiswa isilumkiso esingxamiseke ngakumbi—asisosilumkiso esingentlekele ethile yasekuhlaleni kodwa siphathelele nokusondela kwemfazwe kaThixo yendalo iphela eyiyeyaseArmagedon. (Isaya 34:1, 2; Yeremiya 25:32, 33) Ngokuphindaphindiweyo amaNgqina kaYehova aye atyelela amakhaya abantu zwenibanzi, ebabongoza ukuba benze ngobulumko, enembono yokuba kulondolozwe ubomi babo. Ngaba uyabuthanda ubomi kangangokuba unokwenza into efunekayo, uze wenjenjalo ngokungxamisekileyo, ngaphandle kokulibazisa?
“IHLABATHI KE LIYADLULA”
3. Kutheni isimo sethu sengqondo ngehlabathi siya kuchaphazela ithemba lethu lokusinda?
3 Into ebalulekileyo kwithemba lakho lokusinda sisimo sengqondo sakho ngehlabathi. Lo gama usaphila njengomntu usehlabathini. Kodwa akuyomfuneko ukuba ube neenkanuko zalo eziphosakeleyo uze uxelise izenzo zalo zokungahlonel’ uThixo. Akuyomfuneko ukuba uzifanise nalo ngokuba nentembelo ebantwini nakumacebo abo kunokuba nentembelo kuThixo nakwinjongo yakhe. Kodwa umele wenze ukhetho; akunakukhetha omabini amacala. “Othe . . . wanga angaba sisihlobo salo ihlabathi, uzenza utshaba lukaThixo.” Ngoba? Kungenxa yokuba, njengoko iLizwi likaThixo lisixelela, “ihlabathi liphela lilele kongendawo.”—Yakobi 4:4; 1 Yohane 5:19; INdumiso 146:3-5.
4. (a) Usebenzisa iBhayibhile yakho, khawuchaze uqheliselo nesimo sengqondo esiya kuthintela abantu ekufumaneni ubomi phantsi koBukumkani bukaThixo. (b) Kutheni nawuphi na oye wazifica ngezi zinto kumele azishiye ngokukhawuleza nje?
4 Kuyaqondakala ukuba, uYehova akayi kubasindisela kuLungelelwaniso lwakhe Olutsha nolulolobulungisa abantu abanendlela yobomi enikela ubungqina bokuba babambelela koko uThixo akugwebayo. Ziziphi ezinye zezi zinto? Zininzi izinto nezimo zengqondo ihlabathi elizithabatha lula. Kodwa ukuba sifuna ukusinda kwisiphelo seli hlabathi lingendawo, ngoko, kungakhathaliseki oko kwenziwa ngabanye abantu nabakucingayo, siya kusiphulaphula isilumkiso seBhayibhile sokuba abahenyuzi, abakrexezi, amafanasini nabo bazifica ngokugqith’ emgceni ngokungcola okungokokuziphatha nehambo evakalala abayi kuba phakathi kwabasindi. Ingakhathaliseki indlela abanye abadla ngokuxoka okanye bebe ngayo, siya kuyichasa indlela enjalo yobomi. Phezu kwako nje ukuthandwa kokuqhelisela ubugqwirha bomlingo, siya kukuphepha. Nangona abanye besenokuba nomona, baqhwaye imbambano, babe nomsindo, okanye bazame ukubaleka ukatyo ngokusebenzisa iziyobisi okanye ngokuzisebenzisa ngokugqithiseleyo iziselo ezinxilisayo, asiyi kubaxelisa. Yaye ukuba siye sazifica kwezi zinto, siya kujongana nemfuneko yokuguquka. Nokuba ezinye zezi ziye zabonakala “izeziqhelekileyo” kuthi kwixa elidluleyo, siya kuzishiya. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba simthanda ngokwenyaniso uThixo, siyabuthanda ubomi, ibe iLizwi likaThixo lilumkisa ngelithi “abazenzayo izinto ezinjalo abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.”—Galati 5:19-21; Efese 5:3-7; 1 Korinte 6:9, 10; 2 Korinte 7:1; ISityhilelo 22:15.
5. (a) Ukuba ubomi buxabisekile kuthi, yintoni esimele sifunde ukuyenza? (b) Ziziphi iimpawu ezintle ezikhankanywe kwizibhalo ezisesiphelweni sesi siqendu? Zibaluleke kangakanani? Sinokuzivelisa njani?
5 Ukuba ithuba lokuphila ngonaphakade ngolonwabo libalulekile kuthi, kufuneka sifunde indlela yokukholisa uMniki wobomi, uYehova uThixo. (IZenzo 17:24-28; ISityhilelo 4:11) Ngokunenkqubela simele silisebenzise iLizwi lakhe kuzo zonke iinkalo zobomi bethu. Njengokuba sisenza oko, kungekudala siya kusiqwalasela ngokunzulu isimo sethu sengqondo ngokubhekisele kuthi nakwabanye abantu, ngezinto zethu zobuqu nangezinto esizifezayo, size siqwalasele indlela ezi zinto ezinokukuchaphazela ngayo ukuma kwethu phambi kukaThixo. Abantu abasingqongileyo basenokuzicingela njengababhetele, isizwe sabo okanye uhlanga lwabo basenokulucingela luloluphakamileyo, kodwa siya kucinga ngokunzulu ngesibhalo esithi: “UThixo uyabachasa abanekratshi, abababale abazithobileyo.”—Yakobi 4:6; Zefaniya 2:2, 3; INdumiso 149:4.
6, 7. Kutheni simele sibuhlolisise ubomi bethu ngokuvisisana neyoku-1 kaYohane 2:15-17?
6 Nakubeni abanye bezivumela ukuba bakhotyokiswe ziinkanuko ezikhuthazwa libutho elithanda izinto eziphathekayo okanye bashukunyiswe kukunqwenela udumo lobuqu, ubomi bethu siya kubuhlolisisa ngokweyoku-1 kaYohane 2:15-17, ethi: “Musani ukulithanda ihlabathi, kwanezinto ezisehlabathini. Ukuba kukho othi alithande ihlabathi, uthando lukaYise alukho kuye. Ngokuba konke okusehlabathini, inkanuko yenyama, nenkanuko yamehlo, noqhankqalazo lobu bomi, asikokuphuma kuye uYise, kokuphuma ehlabathini. Ihlabathi ke liyadlula, nenkanuko yalo; ke yena owenza ukuthanda kukaThixo uhleli ngonaphakade.” Ukuba kufuneka senze iinguqulelo, eli lixesha lokuzenza.
7 Eli hlabathi nendlela yalo yobomi aziyi kuhlala ngonaphakade. ‘Linokuzika.’ Amadoda ehlabathi asenokuzama ukubamba abalandeli bawo, ebenza bazive ukuba imigudu yawo inokuliphucula ihlabathi. Kodwa ekuphela kwendlela yokusindiswa kwintlekele esondelayo kukuphulaphula isigidimi sikaThixo sesilumkiso. Ngokubhekisele koku abantu baseNineve ngemihla yomprofeti uYona bamisela umzekelo esenza kakuhle ukuwuthabathela entliziyweni.
‘AGUQUKA NGOMEMEZO LUKAYONA’
8. AmaNineve abubonisa njani ubulumko xa uYona wanikela isilumkiso sikaThixo kuwo, yaye yaba yintoni imiphumo?
8 Ngenkulungwane yesithoba Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, uYehova wathuma uYona ukuba aye kubantu baseNineve, eyayilikomkhulu leAsiriya, ukuvakalisa ukuba, ngenxa yobubi babo, iNineve yayiza kutshatyalaliswa. Xa uYona walumkisa ngelithi kwiintsuku nje ezingama-40 babeza kutshabalala, basabela njani? Endaweni yokuhlekisa, ‘bakholwa kuThixo, bamema uzilo, bambatha ezirhwexayo.’ Ukumkani wabathelela waza wabongoza bonke abantu ukuba bathethe noThixo ngokunyanisekileyo baze babuye kwindlela yabo embi nakugonyamelo lwabo. Lo kumkani waqiqa ngelithi: “Ngubani na owaziyo ukuba akangebuyi [uThixo] . . . ekuvutheni komsindo wakhe, ukuze singabhubhi?” UYehova wabonisa inceba ngenxa yokuba bayishiyayo indlela yabo embi. Ubomi babo basindiswa.—Yona 3:2-10.
9, 10. (a) UYesu wathi amaNineve ayengumzekelo wokuxeliswa kweyiphi inkalo? (b) Ngoobani namhlanje abafana naloo maNineve?
9 Njengesohlwayo kumaYuda ayengakholwa kwinkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha lethu Eliqhelekileyo, uYesu watsalela ingqalelo kweso siganeko sembali, esithi: “Amadoda aseNineve aya kusuka eme ngomgwebo nesi sizukulwana, asigwebe; ngokuba aguquka wona ngomemezo lukaYona; ke omkhulu kunoYona nanku apha.”—Mateyu 12:41.
10 Kuthekani ngomhla wethu? Ngaba bakho abayibonisayo inguquko enjalo? Ewe, bakho; njengamaNineve, zwenibanzi kukho amawaka amaninzi, angazange azibabaze njenganqula uThixo weBhayibhile kodwa ngoku asiphulaphulayo isigidimi sikaYehova sesilumkiso. Xa befunda isizathu sokuba kuze intshabalalo kweli hlabathi, bafuna ukwenzelwa inceba nguThixo. Iingqondo neentliziyo zabo baziguqule ngokwenyaniso ngokubhekisele kwindlela yabo yobomi yangaphambili yaye ngoku bazibhokoxa ekwenzeni “imisebenzi efanele inguquko.” (IZenzo 26:20; bona kwanamaRoma 2:4.) Ngaba unqwenela ukuba ube ngomnye wabo? Ukuba kunjalo, musa ukulibazisa.
LUFUNE NGOKUNGXAMISEKILEYO UXOLO
11. (a) Yayinjani imvelaphi yamaGibheyon? (b) Kutheni abongoza ukuba abe noxolo noSirayeli?
11 Ngemihla kaYoshuwa amaGibheyon nawo enza ngobulumko ukuze ubomi bawo busindiswe. AyengamaKanan awayenendlela yobomi eyayiyeyokuziphatha okubi nethanda izinto eziphathekayo, yokunqula izithixo neyobudemon. UYehova wayalela ukuba atshatyalaliswe. Ayeyazi indlela uYehova awayemhlangule ngayo uSirayeli eYiputa kwiminyaka engama-40 ngaphambilana, ayeyazi nento yokuba ookumkani abanamandla bama-Amori ngakwimpuma yoMlambo iYordan abazange bakwazi ukuma phambi kwawo. Wonk’ umntu wayekwazi oko, ngaphandle kokusebenzisa izixhobo zomkhosi zokudiliza iindonga, iindonga ezinkulu zaseYeriko zaziwe phambi kwawo yaye isixeko saseAyi sasitshatyalaliswe sangumhlaba. (Yoshuwa 9:3, 9, 10) Abemi besixeko saseGibheyon babefuna ukuphila, kodwa babeqonda ukuba babengenakuze baphumelele emfazweni eyayinxamnye noThixo kaSirayeli. Kwakufuneka benze into ethile ngokukhawulezileyo. Yayiyintoni? Babengenako ukuzingisa ekwenzeni uxolo noSirayeli, kodwa ubuncinane bacinga ngelokuba bamele bazame. Njani?
12. (a) Phezu kwayo nje indlela awayisebenzisayo, kutheni amaGibheyon asindiswayo nje? (b) Ziziphi iinguqulelo ekwafuneka azenze, ibe nguwuphi umsebenzi awawunikwayo ukuba awenze?
12 Benza ngobulumko, bethumela kuYoshuwa amadoda awayebonakele ethabathe uhambo olude gqitha. Akufika kuYoshuwa, athi ayevela kwilizwe elikude, nokuba ayeve izinto ezinkulu uYehova awayezenzile yaye, njengabameli babantu bawo, babezele ukuzinikela njengezicaka nokuze bacele ukuba kwenziwe umnqophiso nabo. UYoshuwa nezikhulu zakwaSirayeli bavuma. Kamva, xa le nkohliso yaba selubala, ngokuthobekileyo amaGibheyon avuma ukuba ayesoyikela ubomi bawo ibe akuvuma nokwenza nantoni na ekwakufuneka eyenzile. (Yoshuwa 9:4-25) UYehova wawuqwalasela wonke lo mcimbi. Akazange akhohliswe. Wayenokubona ukuba ayengazami ukonakalisa abantu bakhe, njengokuba amaMowabhi athi enjenjalo ngaphambilana, ibe wawuvuyela umnqweno wawo onyanisekileyo wokufuna ukuhlala. Ngoko wawavumela ukuba anikwe umsebenzi ophantsi kwabaLevi kumnquba ongcwele, aqokelele iinkuni aze akhe namanzi, ngaloo ndlela exhasa unqulo lukaYehova. Kakade ke, ukuze amkeleke kwinkonzo enjalo, kwakufuneka alahle uqheliselo lwawo olungacocekanga lwangaphambili.—Yoshuwa 9:27; Levitikus 18:26-30.
13. (a) Sinokungenelwa njani kwelo bali lisisiprofeto nelingamaGibheyon? (b) Ukuze basindiswe nguYoshuwa Omkhulu, kufuneka benze ntoni abantu namhlanje?
13 Ngenxa yesibakala sokuba siphila ngasekupheleni ‘kwemihla yokugqibela,’ kubo bonke abantu abafuna ukusinda kubalulekile ukuba benze ngokungalibazisi, yaye babe ngabanyaniseke ngokupheleleyo. UYesu Kristu, ongumgwebi omiselwe nguYehova namhlanje, akanakuqhathwa njengokuba uYoshuwa waqhathwayo. Ekuphela kwendlela abantu abanjalo abanokungena ngayo kwilungiselelo naye ukuze basindiswe kumgwebo kufuneka ukuba baluvakalise ekuhleni ukholo lwabo kuYehova njengoThixo oyinyaniso. (Thelekisa IZenzo 2:17-21.) Kwakhona bamele bamamkele uYesu Kristu ngokweendima uThixo amabele zona baze emva koko baphile njengabantu abangengobathandi bendlela yobomi yeli hlabathi ligwetyiweyo. Ngoko bamele babe ngabakhonzi bakaThixo abathobekileyo, benikela inkonzo engcwele kuye ngokunxulumana nebandla labantu bakhe.—Yohane 17:16; ISityhilelo 7:14, 15.
14. Kutheni ukuhlangula kukaYehova amaGibheyon kwimikhosi yotshaba kunentsingiselo nje kuthi?
14 Kungekudala emva kokuba amaGibheyon aye azinxulumanisa nabantu bakaYehova, aba phantsi kwengcinezelo enkulu. Ookumkani abahlanu bama-Amori bahlasela amaGibheyon bewanyanzelela ukuba abuyele kwicala lawo, elichasene noSirayeli. AmaGibheyon athumela isicelo esingxamisekileyo kuYoshuwa efuna uncedo, ibe intlangulo ayifumanayo yaba yeyona imangalisayo kuyo yonke imbali. UYehova wabangela ukuba utshaba ludideke, ewisa isichotho esivela ezulwini, waza wabangela ukuba imini ibe nde ngokungummangaliso de uSirayeli wabe ulubulele ngokupheleleyo utshaba. (Yoshuwa 10:1-14) Oko kusindiswa kwamaGibheyon kwakusisiprofeto sentlangulo engummangaliso ngokude kwangakumbi yesihlwele esikhulu sabanquli boThixo oyinyaniso kwimfazwe yendalo iphela yaseArmagedon. Ithuba lokungenelwa kuloo ntlangulo livulelwe abantu bazo zonke iintlanga ukuba benza ngobulumko ngoku. Ngaba uzabalazela ukuba ulifumane elo thuba?—ISityhilelo 7:9, 10.