Chapter 9
Ngubani Okhokelayo Kwindlela Eya Kwinkululeko?
1. (a) Simele sizithobe entwenini ukuze sihlangulwe ngokukhuselekileyo ukutyhubela “imbandezelo enkulu”? (b) Oku kwacaciswa njani ngendlela uThixo awamsebenzisa ngayo uMoses?
SINGASINDISWA kweli hlabathi lingendawo size silondolozwe ukutyhubela “imbandezelo enkulu” ezayo kuphela ukuba siyalwamkela ukhokelo lukaYesu Kristu size sinikele ubungqina obeyisayo bokuba ngokwenyaniso siyamphulaphula size sihambe emanyathelweni akhe. (IZenzo 4:12) Oku kwacaciswa kakuhle kwiziganeko ezazikho ekukhululweni kwamaSirayeli okwemvelo eYiputa ngowe-1513 B.C.E. Ngokungummangaliso uYehova wakhokela uSirayeli ngokukhuselekileyo ukuwela uLwandle Olubomvu waza watshabalalisa umkhosi waseYiputa owawumlandela. Kuko konke oku, uThixo wasebenzisa uMoses ukukhokela abantu bakhe.—Yoshuwa 24:5-7; Eksodus 3:10.
2. (a) Yayingoobani ‘inkitha engumxube’ eyashiya iYiputa noSirayeli? (b) Ngokungathandabuzekiyo yintoni eyatsala uninzi lwayo? (c) Yintoni abavavanywa ngayo kungekudala?
2 Xa amaSirayeli aphumayo eYiputa enethemba lokungena kwiLizwe Ledinga, abanye bawathelela. Kunjengokuba uMoses wabhala oku kamva: “Kwenyuka ke nabo inkitha engumxube.” (Eksodus 12:38) Wawungoobani lo mxube? WawungamaYiputa okanye abanye basemzini abathelela uSirayeli. Babezibonile izibetho ezoyikekayo ezaziziswe nguYehova phezu kohlanga lwamaYiputa olwalucinezela ukuze abonise ukuba wayekuphela koThixo oyinyaniso nokuba oothixo baseYiputa yayingabobuxoki ibe babengenakubahlangula abo babebanqula. Kwakhona, ngokungathandabuzekiyo, oko bakuvayo kumaSirayeli ngethemba lobomi ‘kwilizwe elibaleka amasi nobusi’ kwavakala kulungile kubo. (Eksodus 3:7, 8; 12:12) Kodwa ngaba bakwamgqala ngokupheleleyo uMoses njengomiselwe nguThixo ukuba alawule aze ahlangule abantu Bakhe? Ngokukhawuleza babekwa eluvavanyweni.—IZenzo 7:34, 35.
3. (a) Kutheni kwakubalulekile ukulandela ulwalathiso lukaMoses? (b) Yayiyintoni intsingiselo ‘yokubhaptizelwa kuMoses’? (c) Kutheni oko kubalulekile kumaSirayeli okomoya?
3 Njengokuba uSirayeli ‘nenkitha engumxube’ babesondela kunxweme loLwandle Olubomvu, ukumkani waseYiputa nemikhosi yakhe babasukela ukuze babarhuqele emva ebukhobokeni. Ukuze bahlangulwe, kwakufuneka bahlale kunye baze balandele ulwalathiso lukaMoses, kuba uYehova wayesebenzisa uMoses ukubakhokela. Ngelifu elingummangaliso uYehova waluthintela utshaba ngoxa wayesahlula amanzi olwandle waza womisa umhlaba waselwandle. Ngokwahluke mpela koko kwenzeka kumaYiputa kamva, onke amaSirayeli ‘nenkitha engumxube’ basinda kunye noMoses ukuwela loo mhlaba wolwandle womileyo. (Eksodus 14:9, 19-31) Njengokuba babewela belungcelele, kukho iindonga zamanzi ngasekunene nangasekhohlo kwabo nelifu elibonisa ubukho bukaThixo liphezu kwabo, kwenzeka into ethile ebalulekileyo. IBhayibhile ithetha ngesi siganeko njengobhaptizo—ingelulo ubhaptizo lwasemanzini olulolokoqobo, kodwa olulolokomfuziselo phantsi kukaMoses njengomprofeti kaYehova, lowo wayethunywe nguThixo ukuba abe nguMsindisi wabo. (1 Korinte 10:1, 2) Ngokukwanjalo, onke amaSirayeli okomoya aya kusinda kwintshabalalo yeli hlabathi lingendawo amele abhaptizwe ngokufanayo kuKristu njengomsindisi aze anikele ubungqina obeyisayo bokuba anamathele ngokupheleleyo kukhokelo lwakhe. ‘Inkitha engumxube’ yanamhla imele iwapheleke.
4. Likhulu kangakanani igunya uYehova alinikele kuKristu?
4 UYehova umjizeke ngegunya elikhulu uNyana wakhe, uYesu Kristu. Ngaye uThixo uye wabangela kwaba nokwenzeka ngathi ukuba ‘asinyothule kwiphakade langoku elingendawo,’ ukuze singabandakanyeki kwintshabalalo yalo eyothusayo. (Galati 1:3-5; 1 Tesalonika 1:9, 10) NgoMoses, uYehova wanika uSirayeli imithetho eyachaphazela ikamva elikufutshane lobomi babantu. Xa bayithobelayo loo mithetho bangenelwa kakhulu. Kodwa eminye imithetho yayikwanesohlwayo sokufa ngenxa yokungathobeli. Kamva, uYesu waba nguMprofeti Omkhulu kunoMoses. Into awayifundisayo ‘yayingamazwi obomi obungunaphakade,’ yaye ukungawathobeli ngabom la mazwi kukhokelela ekufeni umntu angenakuhlangulwa kuko. Ngoko ke, hayi indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuba sikuthabathele entliziyweni oko akuthethayo!—Yohane 6:66-69; 3:36; IZenzo 3:19-23.
5. Yintoni eyenza ukuzithoba kuYesu kube nomtsalane gqitha?
5 Kwabanye abantu, into yokuzithoba kwinkokeli ayibonakali inqweneleka. Baye babona abantu abaninzi belisebenzisa kakubi igunya. Kodwa amazwi kaYesu abonakalisa into eqinisekisayo. Ngokufudumeleyo uyasimema esithi: “Yizani kum nonke nina nibulalekayo, nisindwayo ngumthwalo, ndoninika ukuphumla. Thabathani idyokhwe yam niyithwale, nifunde kum; ngokuba ndinobulali, ndithobekile ngentliziyo; noyifumanela ukuphumla imiphefumlo yenu. Kuba idyokhwe yam imnandi, nomthwalo wam ulula.” (Mateyu 11:28-30) Elinjani ithemba ukuba nomtsalane! Abo basamkelayo eso simemo sifudumeleyo, bethembela kuye ngokupheleleyo, abayi kudaniswa. (Roma 10:11) Baya kunqatyiswa njengeegusha kumhlambi womalusi onothando.
UMALUSI OLUNGE NGOKWENYANISO
6. (a) Uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwalufana njani nezimvu ezikubuhlanti bezimvu? (b) Liliphi idinga uYehova awalenzayo ngokubhekisele kumalusi wezi “zimvu,” yaye oku kwazalisekiswa njani?
6 Uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwalunjengomhlambi weegusha ongokaYehova. Wanikela uMthetho womnqophiso, owasebenza njengeendonga ezikhuselayo zobuhlanti beegusha, ebathintela kwindlela yobomi beeNtlanga ezingahlonel’ uThixo. Lo mnqophiso wakwalathisela abaneentliziyo ezisabelayo kuMesiya. (Efese 2:14-16; Galati 3:24) UYehova waxela kwangaphambili oku ngokubhekisele kuloo Kumkani unguMesiya nonguMalusi: “Ndomisa phezu kwawo [umhlambi weegusha zam] umalusi abe mnye, awaluse, umkhonzi wam uDavide.” (Hezekile 34:23, 31) Oku akuzange kuthethe ukuba uDavide, ngoko owayefile, kwakhona wayeza kuthi ngokobuqu alawule njengokumkani phezu kwabantu bakaThixo. Kunoko, kumnombo kaDavide wasebukhosini uYehova wayeza kuvelisa ukumkani ongumalusi owayeya kuthi uThixo ngaye abangele kubekho unqabiseko. (Yeremiya 23:5, 6) Kwizihlandlo ezahlukahlukeneyo abantu ngokuxokayo babezibanga bengabasindisi abanguMesiya, kodwa ngonyaka wama-29 C.E., uYehova wasebenzisa uYohane uMbhaptizi ukwazisa uYesu Kristu ‘kwizimvu’ zikaSirayeli njengalowo wayethunywe ngokwenyaniso nguThixo, uMesiya owayeneziqinisekiso ezichanileyo. Lo yayinguNyana wasezulwini kaThixo, obomi bakhe bathi bafuduselwa kwisibeleko sentombi enyulu yomYuda ukuze azalelwe kumnombo wasebukhosini bukaDavide. Igama elithi Davide lithetha “othandiweyo,” ngoko, ngokufanelekileyo, emva kokubhaptizwa kukaYesu emanzini, uYehova ngokucacileyo wavakalisa oku esezulwini: “Wena unguNyana wam oyintanda, endikholisiweyo nguye.”—Marko 1:11.
7. (a) ‘Njengomalusi olungileyo,’ uYesu wabubonisa njani ubunzulu benkxalabo yakhe enothando ‘ngezimvu’? (b) Oko kwakwahluke njani kwihambo yoomesiya bobuxoki bangaphambili?
7 Ngaphantsi kweenyanga ezine ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uYesu wathi: “Ndim umalusi olungileyo; umalusi olungileyo, ubomi bakhe ubuncamela izimvu.” (Yohane 10:11) Indima yakhe wayenza yahluka kuleyo yoomesiya bobuxoki ababezile ngaphambilana, esithi: “Ongangeniyo ngalo isango ebuhlantini bezimvu, osuka akhwele ngandawo yimbi, lowo ulisela nesihange. Ke yena ongena ngalo isango ngumalusi wezimvu. Umgcini-sango uyamvumela lowo; zithi nezimvu zilive izwi lakhe, azibize ezakhe izimvu ngamagama, azikhokelele phandle zona. Xa athe wazikhupha ezakhe izimvu, uhamba phambi kwazo, zithi nezimvu zimlandele; ngokuba zilazi izwi lakhe. Ke owasemzini azingemlandeli; zosuka zimbaleke, ngokuba zingalazi izwi labasemzini.”—Yohane 10:1-5, 8.
8. (a) UYesu wawakhokelela ‘kubuphi ubuhlanti bezimvu’ obutsha amaYuda awayemlandela? (b) Bangaphi abazise kobu buhlanti?
8 Abo babekubuhlanti bezimvu bamaYuda nabasabelayo kukhokelo lomnqophiso woMthetho bamamkela uYesu njengoMesiya xa uYohane uMbhaptizi ‘njengomgcini-sango’ wathi wamazisa. Bazingqina ‘bezizimvu’ zikaYesu, yaye wabakhokelela kubuhlanti bezimvu obutsha bokomfuziselo, obubobukaYehova. Obu buhlanti babuthetha ulwalamano olukholekileyo noYehova ngokwesizinzi somnqophiso omtsha, owenziwa noSirayeli wokomoya waza wenziwa wafaneleka ngegazi likaYesu. Ngalo mnqophiso kwaba nokwenzeka ngabo ukuzuza ubomi basezulwini noKristu ‘njengembewu’ ka-Abraham ezaziya kuthi ngayo iintsikelelo zifumaneke ebantwini bazo zonke iintlanga. (Hebhere 8:6; 9:24; 10:19-22; Genesis 22:18) UYesu Kristu, owavuswa nguThixo kwelabafileyo waza wabuyiselwa kubomi basezulwini, ‘ulisango’ lobu buhlanti bezimvu bomnqophiso omtsha. Ngokuvisisana nenjongo kaYise, kobu buhlanti ungenise kuphela inani elilinganiselweyo—i-144 000 kuphela—okokuqala phakathi kwamaYuda, waza kamva waqokelela phakathi kwamaSamariya neeNtlanga. NjengoMalusi Olungileyo, uYesu mvu nganye yakhe uyazi ngegama aze azinyamekele ngothando nangokobuqu yaye anikele nengqalelo kuzo.—Yohane 10:7, 9; ISityhilelo 14:1-3.
9. Ngoobani ‘abangabezinye izimvu’ uYesu abhekisela kubo, yaye bahlanganiswa nini?
9 Phofu ke, uYesu ukwalusa kwakhe akakupheleliseli kulo “mhlambi mncinane” ozuza uBukumkani basezulwini. (Luka 12:32) Kwakhona wathi: “Ndinazo nezinye izimvu, ezingezizo ezobu buhlanti; nazo ezo ndimelwe kukuza nazo; zaye ziya kuliva izwi lam, zibe mhlambi mnye, nomalusi abe mnye.” (Yohane 10:16) Ziingoobani ezi zimvu? Zingabantu abangekho kumnqophiso omtsha; abangawo amaSirayeli okomoya. Kodwa banxulunyaniswe ngokusondeleyo namalungu athanjisiweyo kaSirayeli wokomoya ngoxa la malungu eselapha emhlabeni yaye esafuna olu hlobo lokwaluswa uYesu aluchazayo. “Ezinye izimvu” zingabantu abathe, ebudeni bale mihla yokugqibela, bahlanganiswa kwilungiselelo likaYehova lobomi obungunaphakade emhlabeni ngesizinzi sokukholwa kwabo kwixabiso ledini legazi likaYesu. ‘Bakwasisihlwele esikhulu’ seSityhilelo 7:9, 10, 14, yaye ke banethemba lokusinda kwimbandezelo enkulu ezayo.
10. Yintoni efunekayo ukuze ube ngomnye wabo ‘bezinye izimvu’?
10 Ukuze afanelekele ingcaciso yeBhayibhile ‘yezinye izimvu’ ezinjalo ezilondolozwa nezigcinwa nguMalusi Olungileyo, umntu umele ‘alive’ ilizwi Lakhe aze anikele ubungqina bokuba ngokwenyaniso uyinxalenye ‘yomhlambi omnye’ oquka iindlalifa zokwenyaniso zoBukumkani basezulwini. Ngaba uyakwenza oko? Uliphulaphula ngokwenyameko kangakanani ilizwi lakhe?
11. Yintoni eya kunikela ubungqina bokuba ngokwenyaniso ‘siyakuva’ okwathethwa nguYesu kuYohane 15:12?
11 Ngokungathandabuzekiyo uyazi ukuba uYesu wathi: “Nguwo lo umthetho wam, wokuba nithandane, njengoko ndanithandayo nina.” (Yohane 15:12) Ubuchaphazela njani ubomi bakho loo mthetho? Ngaba uthando olubonisayo luhlobo olwaboniswa nguYesu? Ngaba ngokwenyaniso lolokuzincama? Ngaba izenzo neendlela ovakalelwa ngazo zinikela ubungqina bothando olulolo hlobo kubo bonke abakwibandla lamaKristu nakumalungu endlu yakho?
12. (a) Ukuba ngokwenene ‘siyafundiswa ngoYesu,’ oko kuya kusibangela senze inguqulelo engakanani? (b) Ngoko, yintoni esimele sibe siyayenza ngezinto esizifundayo eBhayibhileni?
12 Umpostile uPawulos uthi ukuba ngokwenyaniso ‘siyamva’ uYesu ibe ‘sifundiswa ngaye,’ bonke ubuntu bethu buya kuguquka. Siya kubususa ubuntu obuvisisana nendlela yethu yobomi bangaphambili ibe siya kuba ‘nomntu omtsha,’ obonakalisa iimpawu ezintle zikaYehova. (Efese 4:17-24; Kolose 3:8-14) Njengokuba ufundisisa iBhayibhile, ngaba ucinga ngokunzulu ngezinto ngokobuqu ekufuneka wenze uhlengahlengiso kuzo ukuze ukholise uThixo? Ngaba ngokunyanisekileyo uyazenza iinguqulelo ezinjalo? Ngaba uyawuphawula umsebenzi obalulekileyo uYesu awayalela ukuba wenziwe kumhla wethu—ukushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani obamiselwa nguThixo—ibe ngaba uyazifuna iindlela zokuba nesabelo kuwo? Ngaba ukuxabisa kwakho ubabalo lukaThixo alubonise kuwe kukushukumisela ukuba ube nomnqweno osuk’ entliziyweni wokwenjenjalo?—Mateyu 24:14.
13. (a) Ukuba asilumkanga, zisenokusilahlekisa njani iintliziyo zethu? (b) Ngoko, simele silandele emanyathelweni kaKristu ukusa kuwuphi umlinganiselo?
13 Kufuneka silumke singavumeli iintliziyo zethu zisilahlekise. Izigidi zabantu zithi ziyakholelwa kuYesu Kristu, ibe mhlawumbi zinokuthetha ngezinye zezinto awazifundisayo, kodwa zisebenzisa kuphela oko zikufumana kuzilungele. Bambi basenokukuphepha ukuzifica ngokugqith’ emgceni kwihambo abayibona iphosakele ngokunzulu. Ithemba lobomi obungunaphakade kumhlaba oyiParadisi phantsi koBukumkani bukaThixo lisenokuvakala lilungile kubo, ibe basenokukunandipha ukunxulumana ngoku nabo ngokunyanisekileyo bazabalazela ukusebenzisa imigaqo yobuKristu kubomi babo. Kodwa ukuba sifuna ukuba phakathi kwabo basindela ‘kumhlaba omtsha,’ simele siyiphulaphule ngenyameko yonk’ into uYesu ayithethayo. Kubalulekile ukuqonda ukuba asinakuwalathisa ngokunempumelelo amanyathelo ethu. Simele simphulaphule uNyana kaThixo, lowo wathunywa nguYehova njengoMsindisi wabantu Bakhe, size sihambe ngenyameko emanyathelweni akhe.—Yeremiya 10:23; Mateyu 7:21-27; 1 Petros 2:21.