Chapter 19

“Sivile Ukuba UThixo Unani”

1, 2. (a) Yintoni exelwa kwangaphambili nguZekariya 8:23 ngomhla wethu? (b) Ungubani uThixo okubhekiselwe kuye apha, ibe iBhayibhile iligxininisa njani igama lakhe lobuqu?

“SIYA kuhamba nani, ngokuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.” Oko koko kwaxelwa ngaphambili yiBhayibhile ngento eyayiya kuthethwa ngabantu abaphuma kuzo zonke iintlanga kumhla wethu. (Zekariya 8:23) Yaye ungubani lo Thixo isiprofeto sikaZekariya esibhekisela kuye? Asishiywanga sithandabuza. Kule ncwadi yeBhayibhile incinane ngokwentelekiso igama lakhe lobuqu libonakala izihlandlo ezili-135. LinguYEHOVA!

² Wathi ngegama lakhe lobuqu, elithi Yehova: “Ligama lam elo ngonaphakade, sisikhumbuzo sam eso kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana.” (Eksodus 3:15) Ukubaluleka kwelo gama kuboniswe sisibakala sokuba libonakala phantse izihlandlo ezingama-7 000 kwicandelo leBhayibhile elipheleleyo elibhalwe ngesiHebhere—oko okungaphezu kwesimbuku esihlanganisiweyo samagama anjengoNkosi noThixo. Njengoko kwaxelwa kwangaphambili, kule “mihla yokugqibela” elo gama liye lanxulunyaniswa ngokubalaseleyo neqela elinye labantu.

“SIYA KUHAMBA NANI”

3. Njengoko kwaxelwa kwangaphambili nguZekariya 8:20-23, (a) ngoobani ababeya kuquqela uYehova? (b) yaye ngokunxulumana noobani?

³ Ngokubhekisele koku, umprofeti uZekariya, ngexesha lokwakhiwa kwakhona kwetempile kaYehova kwiYerusalem yamandulo, waphefumlelwa nguThixo ukuba abhale oku: “Utsho uYehova wemikhosi ukuthi, Kusaya kuza izizwe, nabemi bemizi emininzi. Baya kuhamba abemi bomnye baye komnye, bathi, Masihambe siye kumbongoza uYehova, simquqele uYehova wemikhosi; bathi abo, Siya kuhamba nathi. Izizwe ezininzi neentlanga ezinamandla ziya kuza kumquqela uYehova wemikhosi eYerusalem, zimbongoze uYehova. Utsho uYehova wemikhosi ukuthi, Ngezo mini aya kuthi abambe amadoda alishumi asezilwimini zonke zeentlanga, abambe esondweni lengubo yendoda engumYuda, athi, Siya kuhamba nani, ngokuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.”—Zekariya 8:20-23.

4. Kutheni le nto esi siprofeto singasebenzi kumahlelo obuYuda okanye kwiNgqobhoko?

⁴ Inzaliseko elinganiselweyo esi siprofeto esasinayo ngokunxibelelene nokwakhiwa kwakhona kwetempile yaseYerusalem, ukususela ngemihla kaZerubhabheli, yalatha phambili kwinzaliseko ezuke ngakumbi kumhla wethu. Ngokunxibelelene nabaphi abantu? Ngokuqinisekileyo kwakungayi kuba sengqiqweni ngabo ‘baquqela uYehova’ ukuba baphethukele ebantwini abathi ngenxa yeenkolo bangakuvumi nokulibiza igama likaThixo, njengokuba esenjenjalo amaYuda okwemvelo abambelela kunqulo lwawo lwesithethe. Babengenakuphethukela nakwiNgqobhoko, elandela isiko lamaYuda lokuphepha ukusebenzisa igama likaThixo. Abantu kumhla wethu abaphethukeli kwiYerusalem yasemhlabeni ukuze banqule uYehova. Njengokuba uYesu waxela kwangaphambili, uThixo wayilahla itempile yakhe apho, ibe yatshatyalaliswa ngowama-70 C.E., yaye ayizange ibuye yakhiwe ukuza kuthi ga namhla. Kuye nawuphi na umntu onengqiqo oku kubonisa ukuba uThixo akahambisani namaSirayeli angengomaKristu.—Mateyu 23:37, 38; thelekisa eyoku-1 yooKumkani 9:8, 9.

5. IZibhalo ziyifanisa njani (a) ‘iYerusalem’ emela uYehova namhlanje? (b) ‘indoda engumYuda’ uZekariya awaprofeta ngayo?

⁵ ‘IYerusalem’ namhlanje emela uYehova kumaHebhere 12:22 ichazwe ‘njengomzi woThixo ophilileyo, kwiYerusalem yasemazulwini.’ Kwananjengokuba iYerusalem yamandulo yayingumqondiso obonakalayo wolawulo lukaYehova, ‘iYerusalem yasemazulwini’ buBukumkani bukaThixo obungoMesiya apho uYesu Kristu wabekwa khona njengoKumkani ekupheleni kwamaXesha eeNtlanga ngowe-1914. (1 Kronike 29:23; Luka 21:24) Loo rhulumente unabameli apha emhlabeni, abo babuvakalisa ngokunyanisekileyo njengobukuphela kwethemba eliqinisekileyo loluntu. Abaqala ukuvakalisa ukuba uBukumkani babumiselwe ngowe-1914 yayingabaseleyo ‘bomhlambi omncinane.’ Ngokomoya, aba ‘bangamaSirayeli kaThixo.’ ‘BangamaYuda’ okomoya uZekariya awaprofeta ngawo. (Luka 12:32; Galati 6:16; Roma 2:28, 29) Ukususela ngowe-1931, ngenxa yokuthanda kwabo uThixo nokuxabisa kwabo imbopheleleko yokwazisa ukuba uYehova unguThixo oyinyaniso nonguSomandla, baye bamkela igama elithi amaNgqina kaYehova.—Isaya 43:10-12.

BAFANISWA NJANI?

6. (a) Yintoni eye yeyisa izigidi zabantu ngokufaniswa kwabantu uThixo anabo namhlanje? (Qwalasela ingongoma ibenye ngexesha; ufunde izibhalo.) (b) Yiyiphi ingongoma okanye iingongoma eziye zakuchukumisa kakhulu?

⁶ Ngenxa yesibakala sokuba la maYuda okomoya aye athi ngokuthembekileyo ayiphumeza imbopheleleko yawo njengamaNgqina kaYehova, izigidi zabantu abanyanisekileyo jikelele ehlabathini ziye zancedwa ukuze ‘ziquqele uYehova.’ Ziye zaqonda ukuba uYehova ngokwenyaniso unaba bantu abathwele igama lakhe. Yintoni ebeyiselayo koku? Zizinto ezininzi, phakathi kwazo kukho ezi zibalulekileyo:

(1) Iinkolelo zamaNgqina kaYehova zonke zisekelwe eBhayibhileni—kungekhona kwizibhalo ezizodwa kodwa zisekelwe kulo lonke iLizwi likaThixo. Kunokuba afundise izinto eziphuma kuwo, amaNgqina kaYehova imibuzo ayiphendula ngokubonisa oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile. Abeka uYehova ngokumvumela athethe. (Thelekisa uYohane 7:16-18.)

(2) IBhayibhile ithi uThixo ezintlangeni wayeya kuzithabathela ‘abantu belakhe igama.’ (IZenzo 15:14) Babeya kunqula igama lakhe yaye babeza kuzibhokoxa ukuze balazise kuwo wonk’ umhlaba. (Isaya 12:4, 5) Zwenibanzi, amaNgqina kaYehova angabantu abanxulumene ngokuphawulekayo negama likaThixo lobuqu, elithi Yehova.

(3) AmaNgqina kaYehova anokutya okuninzi kokomoya nokwanelisayo. Into ayifundayo eZibhalweni kwanomphumo oku okunawo kwimbono yawo ngobomi iwenza abe ngabantu abonwabileyo, ngokwahlukileyo kwihlabathi ngokubanzi. Oku koko uYehova wathi kwakuya kwenzeka kubakhonzi bakhe. (Isaya 65:13, 14; thelekisa uMateyu 4:4.)

(4) AmaNgqina kaYehova asebenzisa iLizwi likaThixo ukumisela umlinganiselo wawo wehambo nokuze akhokele izigqibo zawo kwimicimbi yamihla le yobomi—ezintsatsheni zawo, emisebenzini, esikolweni, ekukhetheni ukuzonwabisa, ekwahluleni uqheliselo olumele luphetshwe, ekugqibeni ngeyona misebenzi ixabisekileyo amele abandakanyeke kuyo. UYehova wathembisa ukuba ‘wayeza kuwulungelelanisa umendo’ wabo benza oku. (IMizekeliso 3:5, 6)

(5) Inkqubo yokuvelela emabandleni amaNgqina kaYehova iyileyo yayisetyenziswa kwibandla likaThixo lenkulungwane yokuqala, apho abadala babengumzekelo emhlambini yaye besebenza kunye ngenxa yoBukumkani bukaThixo endaweni yokuba ludidi lwesifundisi esiphakamileyo. (1 Petros 5:2, 3; 2 Korinte 1:24)

(6) AmaNgqina kaYehova akabandakanyeki kwimicimbi yobupolitika yehlabathi kodwa enza umsebenzi iBhayibhile ewandlalela amaKristu okwenyaniso, ongulo, ukushunyayelwa kweendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo kulo lonke ihlabathi ukuze zibe bubungqina ngaphambi kokufika kwesiphelo. (Mateyu 24:14; thelekisa uYohane 17:16; 18:36.)

(7) AmaNgqina kaYehova athandana ngokwenene, njengokuba uYesu wathi abafundi bakhe bokwenyaniso babeya kwenjenjalo. Ibala lolusu, imvelaphi yobuzwe, iimeko zoqoqosho, ubuhlanga, ulwimi—ayikho enye yezi zinto ebangela ubani amjongele phantsi omnye. Phezu kwako nje ukungafezeki kwawo ngokobuntu, onke amanyene ngokwenyaniso njengobuzalwana bezizwe ngezizwe, yaye ngenxa yoku anikela lonke uzuko kuThixo. (Yohane 13:35; thelekisa IZenzo 10:34, 35.)

(8) NjengamaKristu okuqala, kumaxesha anamhla amaNgqina kaYehova ahlala ekhonza uThixo phezu kwayo nje intshutshiso. Ekholose ngoThixo, akaphindezeli kubachasi bawo. Njengokuba kwakunjalo kwixa elidluleyo, uThixo uye wangqineka enabakhonzi bakhe ukuze abahlangule. (Yeremiya 1:8; Isaya 54:17)

7. (a) Angoobani la “madoda alishumi”? (b) Abunikela njani ubungqina bokuba uYehova ngokwenene uye waba nguThixo wawo?

⁷ Ezi zizizathu ezimbalwa nje kuphela ezibonisa isizathu sokuba, njengoko kwaxelwa kwangaphambili, “amadoda alishumi asezilwimini zonke zeentlanga” abe ngenkoloseko yokwenyaniso athi kwintsalela yeendlalifa zoBukumkani: “Siya kuhamba nani, ngokuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.” (Zekariya 8:23) IZibhalo zisebenzisa igama elithi “alishumi” ukumela into epheleleyo ngemicimbi yasemhlabeni, ngoko la “madoda alishumi” amela bonke abangena kunqulo lokwenyaniso ngoku ‘benabazalwana’ bakaKristu abathanjiswe ngomoya. Abanxulumani nje nentsalela ezintlanganisweni zayo kodwa bazifanisa njengabanquli boThixo wayo, onguYehova. Bahlulela ubomi babo kuye ngoYesu Kristu baze bakufuzisele oku ngokubhaptizwa emanzini, ngaloo ndlela bebonakalisa ukuba bafuna ‘ukuthelela kuYehova.’ Ngoko ngovuyo baba nesabelo kumsebenzi owenziwa emhlabeni wonke ngamangqina akhe.—Zekariya 2:11; Isaya 61:5, 6.

IMIZEKELO EFANELE KUKUXELISWA

8. (a) Yintoni eyabangela ukumkanikazi waseShebha ukuba aye eYerusalem? (b) Wenza ntoni akufika, yaye waba yintoni umphumo? (c) Kungqineke njani ukuba kukho abantu abafana naye kumhla wethu? (INdumiso 2:10-12)

⁸ Bambi abenza oku bafana nokumkanikazi waseShebha ngemihla kaSolomon. Ekude lee “waluva udaba lukaSolomon, olusingisele kwigama likaYehova.” Wayengazange athethe ngokobuqu noSolomon yaye engazange abe kwitempile kaYehova eYerusalem. Wayeyithandabuza noko into yokuba konke oku kwakulunge ngendlela awayekuve ngayo. Kodwa wenza umgudu ukuze azibonele, mhlawumbi ehamba umgama ongama-2 250 eekhilomitha ngenkamela ukuze enjenjalo. Wazifumana iimpendulo kuyo yonke ‘imibuzo yakhe elukhuni [exakayo, NW],’ waza wadanduluka ngokuthi: “Uyabona, bendingaxelelwanga nesiqingatha esi.” Akazange akwazi ukuzibamba ekugqibeni ngelithi uYehova uyabathanda abamnqulayo. (1 Kumkani 10:1-9) Bambi abaziwayo ehlabathini baye bawuxelisa umzekelo wakhe namhlanje, ibe abaninzi abangabantu abaphantsi ngakumbi baye benjenjalo. Bayabubona ubungqina bokuba amaNgqina kaYehova akakhangeli mntwini kodwa akhangela kuYesu Kristu, uSolomon Omkhulu, njengoKumkani wawo. Iimpendulo abazinikwayo ezivela kwiLizwi likaThixo ziyazanelisa iingqondo neentliziyo zabo, ibe baziva beshukunyiselwe ukuba bawathelele ekuzukiseni uYehova.—Thelekisa uLuka 11:31.

9. (a) Isimo sengqondo sikaRahabhi sasahluke ngayiphi indlela kweso sikakumkanikazi waseShebha? (b) Yintoni eyaphawulekayo ngeziganeko ezakhokelela ekulondolozweni kukaRahabhi nendlu yakhe? (c) Yintoni ephawula abantu abafana noRahabhi namhlanje?

⁹ Abanye bafana noRahabhi waseYeriko, owayesele eyisekile ziingxelo awayezifumene zokuba uThixo kaSirayeli “nguye uThixo emazulwini phezulu, nasehlabathini phantsi apha.” (Yoshuwa 2:11) Xa iintlola ezivela kwaSirayeli zathi zangena kwelo lizwe, wazamkela, wazifihla waza wachanaba ubomi bakhe ukuze azikhusele. Wayenokholo waza wanikela ubungqina balo ngemisebenzi yakhe, esima kwicala labantu bakaYehova. (Hebhere 11:31; Yakobi 2:25) Wayilandela ngenyameko imiyalelo awayinikwayo ukuze alondolozwe. URahabhi wakwabonakalisa inkxalabo enothando ngoyise nonina, ngabazalwana noodade bakhe, ebavulel’ indlela yokuba basindiswe ukuba babeza kuzithobela izinto ezazifuneka ukuze basinde. (Yoshuwa 2:12, 13, 18, 19) Ngenxa yoko yena nendlu yakhe basindiswa xa iYeriko nabemi bayo abanqula uBhahali bathi batshatyalaliswa. (Yoshuwa 6:22, 23) Oku kunentsingiselo enamandla kumhla wethu. Kubonisa ukuba uYehova uya kubasindisa abantu abafana noRahabhi. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba bafana naye? Banokholo kuYehova, bazinxulumanisa namalungu kaSirayeli wokomoya, balulandela ngokusondeleyo ulwalathiso olunikelwa ngeli jelo baze ngokunyanisekileyo bazabalazele ukunceda amalungu asondeleyo eentsapho zabo nezinye izalamane ukuze babone ubulumko bokwenza okufanayo.

10. (a) Njengokuba isiprofeto sikaZekariya sibonisa, yintoni ngokwenene etsala abantu ukuze banxulumane namaNgqina kaYehova? (b) Sinokubonisa njani, ngesimo sengqondo nangezenzo, ukuba ukuthanda uYehova ngokwenyaniso kuyinto ezalise iintliziyo zethu?

¹⁰ Kakade ke, into ebatsala ngokwenene abantu bazo zonke iintlanga ukuba banxulumane namaNgqina kaYehova, nguYehova uThixo ngokwakhe. ILizwi lakhe liyabatsala. Isiqhamo somoya wakhe kubomi babakhonzi bakhe sinomtsalane kubo. Njengokuba beqhelana kakuhle neziqhamo zakhe neendlela aqhubana ngazo noluntu, bayalinqwenela ixesha laxa igama likaThixo liya kuthethelelwa kuko konke ukungcikivwa okufunjwe kulo nguSathana nangabantu abangathembekanga. Bazabalazela ukusingatha imicimbi yabo ngendlela eya kukholisa uMdali wabo neya kushukumisa abanye bamzukise. (1 Petros 2:12) Ngazo zonke iintliziyo zabo bayathandaza, njengokuba uYesu wafundisa abafundi bakhe ngokuthi: “Bawo wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho. Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini.” (Mateyu 6:9, 10) Yaye, ngokuvisisana nomthandazo wabo, banikela inkonzo engcwele kuThixo bemanyene ngokupheleleyo nabo banikela ubungqina obungenakuphazanywa bokuba ‘bangabantu begama [likaYehova].’