Thembela KuYehova
“Thembela kuYehova, ugcine indlela yakhe; wokuphakamisa, ulidle ilifa ilizwe: ekunqanyulweni kongendawo wobonela.”—INDUMISO 37:34.
1, 2. Uluntu lubonakala lumi phi, yaye iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo zibandakanyeke njani?
NGOKWENGQONDO, intsapho yoluntu iye yafikelela kwelona nqanaba liphakamileyo kwezenkqubela. Ngenxa yokwenza kwayo umgudu, ekugqibeleni iye yafikelela kwixesha lenyukliya. Amandla eathom abonakala enako ukuvelisa amandla amakhulu yaye ngaloo ndlela abangele ukuba kwenziwe izinto eziluncedo ehlabathini jikelele. Okubonakala kungekho ngqiqweni kukuba, kwakhona aye abangela ukuba isizwe sabantu sizizisele ingozi eqatha.
2 Yintoni ethintela intsapho yoluntu ukuba ingazitshabalalisi ngembubhiso yenyukliya? Kusengabonakala ngathi ziZizwe Ezimanyeneyo, eziqhayisa ngokuba namazwe angamalungu anokuba li-159 naneendidi ezininzi zoorhulumente. Ngokwezobupolitika, aba rhulumente bayaphikisana, ngamnye ukholelwa ukuba ulawulo lwakhe longamile, ewe, lolona lulungileyo. Ngoko ke, iZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ngokwazo ziliqumrhu elingavisisaniyo. Ikratshi nomnqweno wobuhlanga wokufuna inkululeko zizinto ezixhaphakileyo kuzo. Ngaphezu koko, amazwe aliqela aye akakholelwa kuThixo, esiba ngangabukholelwayo ubukho bukaThixo.
3. Indlela iNgqobhoko emjonga ngayo uThixo yahluke njani kuleyo yena uThixo azijonga ngayo?
3 Igama elithi iNgqobhoko lisasebenza kumazwe angafuniyo ukujongwa njengangenabuthixo kodwa azibabaza ekholelwa kuYesu Kristu odibene ‘noThixo uYise’ oziziqu ezithathu xa edibene noYesu ‘noMoya oyi Ngcwele.’ Kuthiwa amalungu kaBathathu Emnye ayalingana. Kodwa uYise kaYesu wathuma umprofeti uIsaya ukuba abhale la mazwi amchaza kakuhle: “NdinguYehova, lilo elo igama lam; andiluniki omnye uzuko lwam, nendumiso yam andiyiniki imifanekiso eqingqiweyo.” (Isaya 42:8) Lo Yehova, okanye uYahweh (The Jerusalem Bible), uzenzele ingxelo engokwembali engenakuthelekiswa nanto.
4. IZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ziphambukisa uluntu entwenini?
4 IZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ziye azabonisa mbeko nangqalelo liyifaneleyo igama likaThixo, nto leyo engazisi luzuko kuzo. Uluntu, ngoku olujamelene neyona ngxaki inzima, azilukhuthazi ukuba luthembele kumntu onelo gama. Kanti, Lowo ubizwa ngokufanelekileyo ngokuba ‘unguThixo wethemba,’ kuba kaloku uye wandlala isiseko sekuphela kwethemba eliphilileyo uluntu olunokuba nalo ngoku. (Roma 15:13) Ithemba alinikelayo liye lomeleza laza lazimasa amadoda nabafazi abaninzi.
Ithemba—Lantlandlolo!
5. Sandlalwa nini isizinzi sethemba?
5 Isizinzi sokuba nelo themba sandlalwa ntlandlolo kwimbali yentsapho engabantu. Ewe, sandlalwa ngaphambi nje kokugxothwa kwabazali bethu bokuqala kwikhaya labo elingumyezo wase-Eden kuMbindi Mpuma. Ingxelo ebhalwe ngolwimi lwesiHebhere mayela naloo myezo, okanye iParadisi, asiyontsomi, ingelilo nebali lobuxoki labantu abatyekayo ekunquleni uMdali wabo.—Genesis 2:7-3:24.
6. Yintoni eyabangela ukuba uluntu lufune ithemba?
6 Ngaphezu kweminyaka engama-4 000 kamva, umpostile uPawulos ongumKristu waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale oku: “Isono sangena ngamntu mnye ehlabathini, kwangena ke ukufa ngaso isono; kwaza ngokunjalo ukufa kwabatyhutyha abantu bonke, ekubeni bonke bonayo.” (Roma 5:12) Komnye wemibhalo yakhe, wathi wamchaza lo mntu mnye unetyala, esithi: “Kuye uAdam bafa bonke, ngokunjalo nakuye uKristu baya kudliswa ubomi bonke.” (1 Korinte 15:22) Kwisahluko sesi-3 seVangeli yakhe, ugqirha ogama linguLuka walanda umlibo wokuzalwa kukaYesu ukuya emva kuAdam, owathi, ngaphambi kokuba agxothwe e-Eden, weva isigidimi sikaYehova sethemba.—Luka 3:23-38.
7. UThixo wenza ntoni ekhuthazayo ngoxa uAdam wayesaphila?
7 Kuyinto ezenzekelayo ukuba ufanele ufune ukuwazi amazwi eso sigidimi. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba usifunde, phawula into yokuba kangangethuba elide uYehova ebengumniki wethemba. Ekuqaleni uAdam wayengunyana kaThixo wasemhlabeni, ibe uThixo wamvumela ukuba avelise inzala. Ukuba ubuyibone kwangaphambili imeko emanyumnyezi, ubusenokubakhuthaza okanye ubanike ithemba abantwana bakho. UThixo wathi wenza into efanayo. Emva kokuba uAdam eve uThixo ekhupha isigwebo kuye, weva amazwi ethemba kwinzala yakhe.
8. IGenesis 3:15 yasinikela njani isizinzi sethemba?
8 Ayesithini loo mazwi ayephuma kuThixo onika ithemba? Ebhekisa “kwinyoka” eyayibandakanyekile kwisono sika-Adam, uThixo wathi: “Ndiya kumisa ubutshaba phakathi kwakho nomfazi, naphakathi kwembewu yakho nembewu [inzala] yakhe; yona iya kukutyumza intloko, wena uya kuyityumza isithende.” (Genesis 3:14, 15) Usenokuthi nqa ukuba yintoni enik’ ithemba kuloo mazwi. Okokuqala, sifunda ukuba ‘inyoka’ yayiza kutyunyuzwa intloko.
9. Yayingubani ‘inyoka’ ekwakubhekiselwa kuyo kwiGenesis 3:14, 15?
9 KwiSityhilelo 12:9 kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Yaphoswa phantsi inamba enkulu, inyoka yakudala, leyo kuthiwa nguMtyholi, uSathana ke, lowo ulilahlekisayo elimiweyo liphela; yaphoswa emhlabeni, nezithunywa zayo zaphoswa kunye nayo.” Ewe, ‘inyoka’ eyayibandakanyekile e-Eden yayisisidalwa sokomoya esingendawo esibizwa ngokuba nguSathana uMtyholi. Loo nyoka yokomfuziselo ayizange nje kuphela ibe nezithunywa ezulwini kodwa iye yaba ‘nembewu’ apha emhlabeni, ‘mbewu’ leyo eya kuthi ngexesha elifanelekileyo ityunyuzwe ingabikho kunye naye.
10. UYesu wakuqinisekisa njani ukuchazwa ‘kwenyoka’?
10 Eqinisekisa oku kuchazwa kukaMtyholi ‘eyinyoka’ eyabangela ukuwa kwabazali bethu bokuqala, uYesu Kristu wathi kwiinkokeli zonqulo zakwaYuda kwinkulungwane yokuqala: “Nina ningaboyihlo uMtyholi, neenkanuko zoyihlo niyathanda ukuzenza. Yena waye esibulala-mntu kwasekuqaleni; akemi enyanisweni . . . Xa sukuba ethetha ubuxoki, uthetha okukokwakhe; ngokuba ulixoki, noyise wawo.” (Yohane 8:44) Kwakhona uYesu wababiza abo bachasi bonqulo ngokuthi “nzalandini yamarhamba.”—Mateyu 12:34; 23:33.
Ithemba Lagcinwa Liqaqambile
11. IGenesis 3:15 inikela siphi isizathu esongezelelekileyo sokuba nethemba?
11 Ngokwenene idinga elingokobuthixo lokutyunyuzwa kwentloko yenyoka yokomfuziselo lezisa ithemba elifudumez’ intliziyo kuyo yonke intsapho yabantu eyayisaza kubakho. Sinokusibona isizathu soko ngokuhlola ezinye iinkalo zeGenesis 3:15. Kukhankanywe ‘imbewu’ yomfazi. Ukufaniswa kwaloo ‘mbewu’ kwayekwa kuyimfihlelo kangangethuba elide. Kodwa kwakucacile ukuba uYehova uThixo wayeza kuyenza loo ‘mbewu’ yayingekaqondwa ibe nobutshaba nenyoka yokomfuziselo ‘nembewu’ yayo echasene noThixo. Kwathenjiswa, ewe, kwaqinisekiswa ukuba, ‘imbewu yomfazi’ yayiza koyisa! Ukoyisa kwayo kwathi kwandlalwa njengethemba loluntu. Ngoko amalungu entsapho yabantu ayenokuba nethemba lokuza kwaloo ‘mbewu yomfazi.’
12. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, yintoni eyongezelelekileyo eyatyhilwayo ‘ngembewu yomfazi’?
12 Kangangeenkulungwane kamva, uThixo watyhila ukuba le ‘mbewu’ yayinguNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, owathunyelwa emhlabeni ukuza kuba nguMesiya nokunikela ubomi bakhe njengedini lentlawulelo. (Genesis 22:17, 18; Galati 3:16; 1 Yohane 2:2; ISityhilelo 5:9, 10) Ngenxa yesi sizathu amaNgqina kaYehova awathembelanga kwiZizwe Ezimanyeneyo. Athembele kuYesu Kristu ophilayo, osiSithethi esiyiNtloko sikaYehova uThixo. Sinokuba nentembelo yokuba uKristu uyaphila, ekubeni wavuswayo kwabafileyo ukuze ahlaliswe ngasekunene kukaYehova ezulwini. Kunjengokuba uPawulos esithi: “Ukuba singabathembele kuKristu kobu bomi bodwa [bomi obo obuquka inkulungwane yethu yama-20], soba sizezona ntsizana kubantu bonke. UKristu yena kunje uvukile kwabafileyo, waba yintlahlela yabalele ukufa.” (1 Korinte 15:19, 20) Njengoko kuye kwandlalwa ngokufuthi kweli phephancwadi ngokuphuma eBhayibhileni, kungokunje uYesu Kristu umiselwe njengoKumkani wasezulwini.—ISityhilelo 11:15.
13, 14. AmaNgqina kaYehova athembele kubani, ibe yintoni ayenzayo ngako oko?
13 Kambe ke, uYesu akamthabathelanga indawo uYehova njengethemba loluntu. INdumiso 37:34 isasebenza: “Thembela kuYehova, ugcine indlela yakhe; wokuphakamisa, ulidle ilifa ilizwe; ekunqanyulweni kongendawo wobonela.” Kuseyimfuneko ukuba sithembele kuYehova size sikhuthaze bonke abantu ukuba bayeke ukuthembela kwimibutho eyenziwe ngabantu.
14 Ngokuvisisana nesi sibakala, amaNgqina kaYehova akhuthele, eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani kumazwe angania-208. Awanakuyekiswa ekwenzeni njalo. Imibutho yezobupolitika, encediswa nekhuthazwa ziintlangano zonqulo, ayinalo ilungelo elingokobuthixo lokuzama ukuwathintela. Sinokuqhubeka singamaNgqina kaYehova size sithembele kuye, njengokuba wenzayo uDavide waseBhetelehem, owabhala oku:
15. UKumkani uDavide wayenethemba elinjani kuYehova?
15 “UYehova ngumalusi wam, andisweli lutho. Wenza ukuba mandibuthe emakriweni aluhlaza; undithundezela emanzini angawokuphumla. Uyawubuyisa umphefumlo wam; undikhaphela ezindleleni zobulungisa ngenxa yegama lakhe. Nokuba ndihamba emfuleni wethunzi lokufa, andiyi koyika bubi, ngokuba unam wena; intonga yakho, umsimelelo wakho, uyandithuthuzela. Undilungisela isithebe phambi kwababandezeli bam, uyithambisa ngeoli intloko yam, indebe yam iyaphalala. Inene, ndiya kulandelwa kokulungileyo nenceba yonke imihla yobomi bam, ndihlale endlwini kaYehova imihla emide.”—INdumiso 23.
16. Kungani kunokuthiwa uYesu wayenembono efanayo nekaDavide?
16 UKumkani uDavide wayengumalusi wokomoya owamiselwa nguYehova kwizizwe zikaSirayeli wamandulo, yaye wahlahl’ indlela yokuba iYerusalem ibe likomkhulu lolo hlanga, apho unyana wakhe uSolomon walawula khona iminyaka engama-40. Ngesizathu esibalulekileyo, kwathethwa ngoYesu Kristu ‘njengonyana kaDavide.’ (Luka 1:31; 18:39; 20:41) Ukuba uDavide wathembela kuYehova uThixo, inzala yakhe yasemhlabeni uYesu Kristu yayiya kwenza okufanayo. Ibe yenjenjalo.
17. Bubuphi ubungqina obukhoyo bokuba uYesu wathembela kuYehova?
17 Njengobungqina bokuba uYesu Kristu, oyeyona nzala idumileyo kaDavide yasemhlabeni, wasilandela isiluleko esikwiNdumiso 37:34 xa wayekhupha umoya wokugqibela kumthi wentuthumbo, wathi: “Bawo, ndiyawunikela ezandleni zakho umoya wam.” (Luka 23:46) Wayecaphula yaye ezalisekisa amazwi kaDavide akwiNdumiso 31:5, awayebhekiswa kuThixo: “Ndiwuyaleza umoya wam esandleni sakho.” Ithemba likaYesu alizange lidaniswe, njengokuba lingazange lidaniswe nelikaKumkani uDavide. UKristu wavuswa kwelabafileyo kusuku lwesithathu. Kwiintsuku ezingamashumi amane kamva wabuyela kuYise wasezulwini. Ekupheleni kwamaXesha eeNtlanga ngowe-1914, uYehova wamphakamisa uNyana wakhe ukuba abe nguMlawuli womhlaba.
Lingoku Ixesha Lokuba Nethemba
18. Kutheni namhlanje kulixesha elifanelekileyo nje lokuba nethemba?
18 Namhlanje, njengokuba unyaka omtsha wama-6014 A.M. (Kunyaka Wehlabathi) uqhubekisela intsapho yoluntu phambili kwikamva, liliphi ithemba intsapho engabantu enokuba nalo? Ngoku loo mbuzo ufaneleke ngokona kona kuba sisondele kwiminyaka eli-1 900 ngokwexesha lasemva kokubhalwa kweBhayibhile. Sekulixesha elide uDavide wabhala INdumiso 37:34.
19. UYehova wamenzela ntoni uYesu, nto leyo esinika ithemba?
19 UYehova uThixo, uThixo onguSomandla owathi wavusa uYesu kwabafileyo, umlungiselele indima ezuke ngakumbi lee kunaleyo ithelekelelwa ngabantu abanombono omfutshane ngezinto. Ngokuvusa nangokuphakamisela ngasekunene kwakhe emazulwini uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, uYehova uThixo usenze sanesizathu esingakumbi sokukhangela Kuye ngethemba elingaxengaxengiyo, ngethemba lethu elipheleleyo. Lisenokuthetha ukuba sophila ubomi obungunaphakade elonwabeni, kanye njengokuba umbhali ophefumlelweyo uPawulos esithi: “[Sisindiselwa] ethembeni.”—Roma 8:24.
20. Kutheni le nto sinokuthi uYehova ‘usenguThixo wethemba’?
20 Umpostile uhlabela mgama esithi: “Ke ithemba elise libonwa asithemba; kuba oko akubonayo umntu, angaba usakuthembeleni na? Ukuba ke sithembe ukuzuza oko singakuboniyo, sikulinda kakhulu, sinomonde.” (Roma 8:24, 25) Ngoko elo themba lantlandlolo lisaqaqambile, ewe, lisondela kwinzaliseko ezukileyo kwisizwe esingabantu. (2 Petros 3:13; ISityhilelo 21:4, 5) Ngenxa yokuba eli ilithemba loluntu lonke, lifanele laziswe kubo bonke abantu. Le yimbono ‘yoThixo wethu wethemba.’
21, 22. Yintoni esinokulindela ukuba intlanga zinokuyenza kwixeshana elingephi elizayo?
21 Ngoku ngaphezu kwawo onke amaxesha lithuba lakhe lokuba afeze oku. Kwanakwixesha lethu xa ezinye iintlanga ezingamalungu eZizwe Ezimanyeneyo ziye zavelisa ubugcisa obungokwenzululwazi bokusebenzisa iathom, iinkokeli zaba rhulumente azikuboni kuyimfuneko ukuyekela kulowo ukrelekrele ngakumbi ukuba acombulule iingxaki.—Thelekisa iGenesis 11:6.
22 Ngendlela engazange ibonwe ngaphambili, iinkonzo ezidumileyo zizama ukuzikhusela nakuba ziphelelwe ngamacebo. Impembelelo yazo eyahlukanisayo imele ishenxiswe ingabikho. IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba amagunya aya kukubanga ukongama kwawo aze azahlukanise neenkonzo ezifuna inzuzo eziye zazama kangangethuba elide ukumfimfitha yonke into ezinoyifumana kule nkqubo yehlabathi yezinto. Ngoko, ayimangalisi into yokuba abezobupolitika babe baya kuthabatha eli nyathelo. Ngokwembono yabo, ukuphumelela kwabo ekuhlaseleni unqulo kuya kubonisa ukuba akukho Thixo ufanele kukunqulwa nokukhonzwa. Isiprofeto sibonisa ukuba baya kuthi ke baphethukele kumangqina kaThixo, asaseleyo. Baya kuwajonga amaNgqina kaYehova njengento ekulula ukuyihlasela ekuqukumbeleni iphulo labo elichasene noThixo.—ISityhilelo 17:12-17; Hezekile 38:10-23.
23, 24. UYehova uya kusabela njani xa iintlanga zihlasela abantu bakhe?
23 Phofu ke, ekugqibeleni baya kuthi bakubone ukoyiswa okulihlazo okumele kufikele lowo unobuganga bokulwa no Yehova wemikhosi, ongazange oyiswe edabini. Oko kuya kwenza kucace ngaphandle kwempazamo ukuba bebenqula umchasi oyintloko woThixo omnye oyinyaniso, obizwa ngokuba, ‘yinyoka,’ uSathana, “uthixo weli phakade.”—2 Korinte 4:4.
24 Enjani yona indlela abaya kuhlaziswa ngayo! Oko babethemba ukukwenza kuya kungqineka kuyindelelo enkulu, kubangela ingqumbo yoThixo wezulu nomhlaba ngenxa yokuthanda ubulungisa. Unokuthi kubantu abangento yanto: “Kuba iingcinga zam asizizo iingcinga zenu, neendlela zenu asizizo iindlela zam, utsho uYehova. Inene, njengokuba izulu liwuphakamele umhiaba, ngokunjalo iindlela zam ziziphakamele iindlela zenu, neengcinga zam ziziphakamele iingcinga zenu. Kuba, njengokuba kusihla imvula nekhephu ezulwini, ingabuyeli kulo ingathanga iwunyakamise umhiaba uvunde, iwuhlumise, iwenze untshule, imnike imbewu umhlwayeli, imnike isonka odlayo: liya kuba njalo ilizwi lam eliphuma emlonyeni wam; aliyi kubuyela kum lilambatha, lingakwenzanga endikuthandayo, lingakuphumelelisanga oko ndilithumela kuko.”—Isaya 55:8-11.
25. Ngoko, kutheni le nto sinesizathu esilungileyo sokukhangela kuYehova ‘njengoThixo wethu wethemba’?
25 Lo Mdali wabantu uye wayenza intliziyo yayechukumiseka gqitha, njengokuba neyakhe injalo. “Ngokuba utsho uYehova wemikhosi ukuthi, Undithume ukuphuthuma uzuko ezintlangeni ezanibhunyulayo; ngokuba onichukumisayo, uchukumisa ukhozo Iweliso lakhe.” (Zekariya 2:8) Ngoko ke, amaNgqina kaYehova kuya kufuneka athembele kuYehova. Uya kulizalisekisa elo themba ukuze ulongamo Iwendalo iphela lube luhle luze luhonjiswe ngendlela ebalaseleyo. Uya kuzingqina ngokupheleleyo ukuba ungoyena uphakamileyo, usomandla, uThixo ongunaphakade, oye waphumeza awona mathemba aphakamileyo kwizidalwa zakhe ezisezulwini nezisemhlabeni. Haleluya!—INdumiso 150:6.
Ubuya Kuphendula Njani?
◻ Kutheni ithemba leentlanga liyinkohliso nje?
◻ UThixo wasinika njani isizinzi sethemba kwiGenesis 3:15?
◻ Yayiyintoni imbono kaYesu ngeNdumiso 37:34?
◻ Yintoni ngoku esenza sibe nesizathu sethemba?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
Njengokuba izimvu zilandela umalusi wazo, ngokunjalo uDavide wakhangela kuYehova waza wathembela kuye
[Inkcazelo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.