Chapter 11
‘Saba Uphume EBhabheli’
1. (a) Sinokwazi njani ukuba luhlobo luni lonqulo olumkholisayo uThixo? (b) UThixo usibongoza ukuba sisabe entwenini?
ABANTU abaninzi baye bangena kwiinkonzo ezininzi, befuna iimpendulo ezanelisayo kwimibuzo yabo engobomi. Baye bafumanisa ukuba iinkolelo noqheliselo ziyafana ngandlel’ ithile, ukanti kukwakho nezinto ezininzi ezahlukeneyo. Kodwa bonke abantu banokuqiniseka ukuba ziziphi na iimpendulo ezichanileyo nokuba luluphi na uqheliselo olumkholisa ngokwenene uThixo kuphela ngokusebenzisa iLizwi likaThixo njengesikhokelo. NgeBhayibhile, uMdali usenza simazi nenjongo yakhe. Kwakhona usityhilela neengcambu zonqulo lobuxoki. Ngokwenjenjalo, uyasilumkisa nxamnye noko akuchaza ‘njengeBhabheli Enkulu’ aze asibongoze ukuba ‘sisabe’ kuyo. Ngaba uye wasiphulaphula eso silumkiso?—ISityhilelo 18:4, 21; Yeremiya 51:6.
2. Iyintoni ‘iBhabhiloni Enkulu’?
2 Iyintoni ‘iBhabheli Enkulu’? Zonke iinkonzo ezimela isimo sengqondo, iinkolelo okanye uqheliselo olunemvelaphi kunqulo lweBhabhiloni yamandulo xa zihlanganisene zibumba iBhabhiloni Enkulu. Ngoko ke iimpawu ezifanisa yona zinokubonwa ngokuhlolisisa imvelaphi nonqulo lweBhabhiloni yamandulo.
3. (a) Yaqala njani iBhabhiloni yamandulo, yaye umseki wayo wakhuthaza umoya oluhlobo luni? (b) Loo moya uboniswa ngaziphi iindlela ezinkonzweni namhlanje?
3 Ngaphezulu nje kancinane kwinkulungwane emva koMkhukula womhla kaNowa, isixeko saseBhabheli (esathi kamva sabizwa ngokuba yiBhabhiloni) sakhiwa sajikeleza inqaba—umsebenzi ngokucacileyo owaxhaswa nguNimrodi. Lo Nimrodi kwizinxulumani zakhe wafaka umoya wokuvukela uYehova nomnqweno wokuba bazifunele udumo. (Genesis 10:9, 10; 11:1-9) Ngaba uyawubona loo moya namhlanje—ukutyeshelwa kweLizwi likaThixo, kwanangabo bathi bangabonqulo, nokusetyenziswa konqulo ukutsalela ingqalelo kwisiqu somntu okanye nasekuzuzweni kodumo?
4. Unqulo olubuBhabhilonirha luyigqwethe njani inyaniso engoThixo?
4 Oothixo ababengoobathathu emnye babedumile kunqulo lwamaBhabhiloni. Kwakukho ubathathu emnye owayebunjwe nguAnu, nguBel noEa; omnye wayequka uSin, uShamash noIshtar. Ukongezelela, iindawo zonqulo zaseBhabhiloni zazizaliswe yimifanekiso eqingqiweyo. Konke oku kwayisusa ingqalelo kwisibakala sokuba mnye kuphela uThixo oyinyaniso, ogama lakhe linguYehova. (Duteronomi 4:39; Yohane 17:3) Iimpawu nehambo ekwakusithiwa aba thixo babo banazo, kunye nokusetyenziswa kwemifanekiso eqinqingqiweyo engaphefumliyo, kwabangela abantu abaninzi baba nembono egqwethekileyo ngoMdali.—Yeremiya 10:10, 14; 50:1, 38; 1 Korinte 10:14, 19-22.
5. (a) Inkolelo yamaBhabhiloni engokufa, ngokwenene yayikukuhonjiswa njani kobuxoki obathethwa nguSathana kuEva? (b) Oku kukhokelele kuziphi iimfundiso?
5 AmaBhabhiloni ayekholelwa ukuba ukufa yayikukudlulela nje kolunye uhlobo lobomi, kodwa oku kwakuchasene noko uThixo wayekuxelele abazali bethu bokuqala. Izithandi zobulumko zamaGrike zayandisa le ngcamango, zisithi abantu banomphefumlo ongafiyo. Ubuxoki bokuqala bukaMtyholi babusithi, ukuba uAdam noEva babengayi kumthobela uThixo, ‘babengayi kufa’ enyameni. Ngoku abantu babexelelwa ukuba into eyayiphila ngonaphakade yayiyinxalenye engaphakathi kubo ababengenakuyibona. Le mfundiso yobuxoki yakhokelela ekubeni kukholelwe kwisihogo somlilo, kwintlambululo-miphefumlo, ekunqulweni kwezinyanya nakwezinye izinto ezininzi ngakumbi.—Genesis 3:1-5; INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekile 18:4.
6. (a) Luluphi olunye uqheliselo oluxhaphakileyo namhlanje olususela kunqulo lwaseBhabhiloni? (b) Kubi kangakanani oku?
6 Unqulo lwamaBhabhiloni lwalukwaquka ukuqheliselwa kokuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi, ukuvumisa ngemimoya engabonakaliyo, ubugqi nobugqwirha, abathi abantu ngezo zinto bafuna ukhokelo olungaphaya kwamandla emvelo olwalunokusetyenziswa ukutyebisa bona nokulawula abanye. (Daniyeli 2:27; Hezekile 21:21) Hayi indlela oluxhaphake ngayo olu qheliselo namhlanje, nangona bonke belunyukiswa ngalo eBhayibhileni! Ngokubandakanyeka kulo, abantu baye basebenzisana ngokuthe ngqo nemimoya yeedemon, efanelwe ngumvuzo obuhlungu ngenxa yezinto eyenzayo.—Duteronomi 18:10-12; Isaya 8:19; IZenzo 16:16; ISityhilelo 18:21, 23.
7. Bubuphi ubungqina obubonayo bokuba iBhabhiloni Enkulu (a) inolwalamano olungafanelekileyo nabalawuli bobupolitika? (b) ityebe kakhulu? (c) ibophelelekile ngokuphalazwa kwegazi?
7 Iyifanisa ngokubhekele phaya iBhabhiloni Enkulu, iBhayibhile isixelela ngolwalamano olungafanelekileyo enayo nabalawuli bobupolitika, ubutyebi bayo nokubopheleleka kwayo ngokuphalazwa kwegazi, kuquka elo labakhonzi bakaThixo bokwenyaniso. (ISityhilelo 17:1-6; 18:24) Imbali yeenkonzo zehlabathi kwezi nkalo yaziwa kakuhle.
LUKHULU KANGAKANANI UTHANDO LWAKHO NGENYANISO?
8. Ngokwenene ngubani uthixo weBhabhiloni Enkulu?
8 Ukuba umntu ubandakanyeke kuyo nayiphi na inxalenye yeBhabhiloni Enkulu, uba nesabelo kwimibhiyozo yayo okanye uxelisa iindlela zayo, ngubani amhlonelayo? Ngokuqinisekileyo akamhloneli uYehova. Kunoko, umntu onjalo, ngokungathi kunjalo, uqubuda phambi ‘kothixo weli phakade,’ lowo umfamekise iingqondo zoluntu.—2 Korinte 4:4.
9. Kube nokwenzeka njani ukuba uSathana alahlekise abantu abaninzi kangaka ngokonqulo?
9 Kodwa kwenzeke njani ukuba abantu abaninzi kangaka balahlekiswe ngale ndlela? IBhayibhile iphendula ngelithi baye baba ngamaxhoba omgibe kaSathana “ngenxa enokuba bengakwamkelanga ukuyithanda inyaniso.” (2 Tesalonika 2:9-12) Oku akumele kusothuse. Bangaphi abantu obaziyo abasoloko bethetha inyaniso—ekhaya, kwezoshishino, xa kufuneka bephendule ngeentsilelo zabo? Xa beboniswa oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile, ilizwi likaThixo lenyaniso, bangaphi abakuvumayo ukushiya iinkolelo okanye amasiko abo angaphambili, kwanokuguqula uhlobo lwabo lobomi, ukuze bavisisane nayo? Ngaba unjalo?
10. (a) UYehova ukhangela abantu abaluhlobo luni? (b) Sinokubonisa njani ukuba siluhlobo olunjalo lwabantu?
10 UYehova ukhangela abantu abanothando olunjalo ngenyaniso. Yena ngokwakhe ‘unguThixo wenyaniso.’ (INdumiso 31:5) Iimfundiso zeLizwi lakhe aziyontelekelelo. Ziyinyaniso. UYesu wathi, kumfazi waseSamariya: “Abanquli abayinyaniso baya kumnqula uBawo ngoMoya nangenyaniso; kuba uBawo ufuna abanjalo ukumnqula. UThixo unguMoya; abo ke bamnqulayo bamelwe kukumnqula ngoMoya nangenyaniso.” (Yohane 4:23, 24) Ngaba olu luhlobo lomntu ofuna ukuba lulo?
UKULUNGISELELA KUKATHIXO INKULULEKO
11. (a) Yintoni eyaxelwa kwangaphambili kuIsaya 49:8, 9? (b) Oko kwazaliseka nini okokuqala? (c) Kutheni ikokomdla kuthi?
11 Ukuze asilungiselele ukhokelo, kwakude kudala uYehova wabhala eBhayibhileni idinga lokukhululeka kulawulo lweBhabhiloni olwalucinezela. Oko kwazaliseka xa uKoreshi Omkhulu wakhulula amaYuda, kunye nabasebenzi basetempileni abangengomaSirayeli, ukuze bakwazi ukubuyela eYerusalem ukuya kuyakha ngokutsha itempile kaYehova. Kodwa kwakungaphelelanga konke apho oko. Okwenzekayo ngoko kwabonisa ukuhlangulwa okungakumbi okwakuza kwenzeka ngoKoreshi Omkhulu Ngakumbi, iNkosi uYesu Kristu. Ukulandela kwethu ulwalathiso lwakhe kuyasilondoloza nxamnye nokulahlekiswa ngabantu abazifunela nje kuphela udumo lwabo. KuYesu ngokukhethekileyo kusebenza esi siprofeto sithi: “Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Ngexesha elamkelekileyo ndikuphendule, ndakunceda ngemini yosindiso. Ndiya kukubumba, ndikunike ukuba ube ngumnqophiso wabantu, ukuba ulimise ilizwe, ukuba uwabe amafa angamanxuwa; uthi kubabanjwa, Phumani; kwabasemnyameni, Velani.” (Isaya 49:8, 9) Oku kwazalisekiswa njani kuYesu?
12. (a) Eso siprofeto sazalisekiswa njani kuYesu? (Luka 4:16-18) (b) Yintoni esikhuthazwa ngayo apha?
12 UYehova wayiphendula imithandazo kaYesu. Wamnceda waza wamlondoloza uNyana wakhe njengokuba uYesu wathi ngenkalipho wabubhenca ubuxoki bonqulo waza wayazisa ‘inyaniso eyayiza kubakhulula.’ (Yohane 8:32) Phezu kwayo nje imigudu ebusathana yokutshabalalisa uYesu, uYehova wamlondoloza uNyana wakhe wada umsebenzi wakhe wasemhlabeni wawugqiba. Wandula ke wavusela uYesu kubomi bokungafi ezulwini, ukuya kuqhubeka nomsebenzi wakhe wenkululeko. ‘Njengomnqophiso,’ okanye njengesifungo, uThixo wamxelela ukuba wayeza kukhulula abantu kubukhoboka beBhabhiloni Enkulu. Kanye njengokuba iqinisekile into yokuba ezulwini kukho uYesu Kristu ovusiweyo nozukisiweyo, ngokunjalo iqinisekile nento yokuba abantu abantliziyo zifanelekileyo baya kukhululwa kubumnyama bonqulo beBhabhiloni Enkulu. Ngaba uya kungenelwa kuloo nkululeko?
13. Ukususela ngowama-36 C.E. ukubhekisa phambili, uYesu wangqineka njani ‘esisikhanyiselo ezintlangeni’?
13 Ngokubhekisele kumlinganiselo wenkululeko, uYehova waxela kwangaphambili wathi: “Ndiya kukwenza isikhanyiso seentlanga, ukuba ube lusindiso lwam, ude uze eziphelweni zehlabathi.” (Isaya 49:6) Ngenxa yoko, ngowama-36 C.E. iiNtlanga, okanye abantu abangengomaYuda, baqalisa ukuziswa ebandleni likaSirayeli wokomoya. Noko ke, ukongezelelwa kweeNtlanga kwibandla lamaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya, kwakungengomlinganiselo opheleleyo uYesu awayeza kukhonza ngawo ‘njengesikhanyiso ezintlangeni.’
14. (a) UYesu wayeza kuba kukukhanya koobani abanye ‘ezintlangeni’? (b) Abo bafanekiselwa kwangaphambili ngawaphi amaqela ashiya iBhabhiloni yamandulo? (c) Ziziphi iintsikelelo zokomoya abasele bezinandipha, ngokuzalisekisa uIsaya 49:10?
14 UYesu wayesazi ukuba kwakhona wayeza kuhlanganisa “ezinye izimvu” ezaziya kunandipha ubomi obungunaphakade emhlabeni. (Yohane 10:16) Zafanekiselwa kwangaphambili ngababekhonza etempileni ababengengomaSirayeli noonyana babakhonzi bakaSolomon abathelela amaYuda ngowama-537 B.C.E. kwimfuduko yawo eyayisuka eBhabhiloni. (Ezra 2:1, 43-58) Kula maxesha anamhla isihlwele esikhulu sele siwuthobela umyalelo ‘wokuphuma’ kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu. Ngoku esi sihlwele sinandipha iintsikelelo zokomoya ezihlaziyayo ezaxelwa ngaphambili kuIsaya 49:10: “Abayi kulamba, abayi kunxanwa, abayi kubethwa sisanga nalilanga; ngokuba onemfesane kubo uya kubaqhuba, abathundezele emanzini ampompozayo.” KwiSityhilelo 7:9, 16, 17, ezi ntsikelelo ngokufanelekileyo zichazwa njengezibhekisela ‘kwisihlwele esikhulu’ ‘sezinye izimvu.’
“PHUMANI KUYO, BANTU BAM”
15. Kutheni iBhayibhile ibongoza abo baza kuba ngabantu bakaThixo ukuba baphume kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu?
15 Kumbono ophefumlelweyo umpostile uYohane waboniswa okwakuya kuthethwa kukuphunyezwa komgwebo kaThixo kwiBhabhiloni Enkulu. Ngenxa yokuqiniseka kwawo, isithunywa esasiphuma ezulwini, sithetha egameni likaThixo sabongoza sathi: “Phumani kuyo, bantu bam, ukuze ningadlelani nayo ngezono zayo, nokuze ningamkeliswa kwizibetho zayo. Ngokuba izono zayo ziye zafikelela emazulwini, nezinto zayo zokungalungisi uzikhumbule uThixo.”—ISityhilelo 18:4, 5.
16. Yintoni esenokubonisa enoba ngokwenene siwuthobele loo myalelo?
16 Amalungu oSirayeli wokomoya aye awuthobela loo myalelo, ibe ngoku abongoza abanye ukwenza okufanayo. Ayazi ukuba ukuba umntu uxubanisa unqulo lokwenyaniso nolobuxoki, akanakumkholisa uThixo. Ukuba nabani na unxulumana namaNgqina kaYehova kodwa sekunjalo engawaqhawulanga amaqhina akhe neBhabhiloni Enkulu, unokutsho njani na ukuba akayonxalenye yayo? Nokuba akayi kwiinkonzo zayo zonqulo, kanti ukuba kwindawo asebenza kuyo okanye xa enezalamane zakhe uba nesabelo kwiiholide zayo zonqulo, usachukumisa into engacocekanga. (Isaya 52:11) Ukuba uba nenxaxheba kwizithethe zentsapho ezibonakalisa ukukholelwa ekungafini komphefumlo okanye unoloyiko olusekelwe kwiinkolo ngemimoya emibi, usenesabelo kwizono zayo. Asinakuhlala singenacala. Ukuba siyakholelwa ukuba uYehova unguThixo oyinyaniso, ngoko simele sikhonze yena kuphela.—1 Kumkani 18:21.
17. (a) Njengokuba kuboniswe kwiSityhilelo 14:6, 7, kuzo zonke iindawo abantu bamenyelwa ukuba benze ntoni? (b) Ukuze banqule uYehova ngendlela eyamkelekileyo, nguwuphi omnye umyalelo abamele bawuthobele?
17 Kwenziwa esi simemo kubantu bazo zonke iintlanga nezizwe neelwimi: Thelelani ekunquleni uYehova, okuphela koThixo oyinyaniso! (ISityhilelo 14:6, 7) Ngokwenjenjalo, nimele nixelise abakhonzi bakaThixo bamandulo abathobela lo myalelo uthi: “Sabani niphume eBhabheli, nisize elowo umphefumlo wakhe.”—Yeremiya 51:6.