Ngaba Ungenile Ekuphumleni KukaThixo?
“Umntu ongene ekuphumleni kukaThixo naye uphumle kwimisebenzi yakhe.”—HEBHERE 4:10.
1. Kutheni ukuphumla kuyinto enqweneleka kangaka?
UKUPHUMLA. Hayi indlela elimnandi nelithandeka ngayo eli gama! Ekubeni siphila kwihlabathi lanamhlanje lobomi obukhawulezayo nobumaxhaphetshu, inkoliso yethu iya kuvuma ukuba kuye kuthi qabu noko yakuhlab’ ikhefu kancinane. Enoba siselula okanye sibadala, sitshatile singatshatanga, sisenokuziva sicinezelekile yaye sidinwe siyimfe zizinto zobomi bemihla ngemihla. Kwabo bangenamandla okanye abagulayo, usuku ngalunye luba lucelomngeni. Kunjengoko iZibhalo zisitsho, “yonke indalo ihleli igcuma kunye kwaye isentlungwini kunye de kube ngoku.” (Roma 8:22) Xa umntu ephumla akuthethi kuthi ulivila. Abantu bayakufuna yaye bamele baphumle.
2. UYehova uqale nini ukuphumla?
2 KwanoYehova uThixo ebephumle. Kwincwadi yeGenesis, sifunda oku: “Agqitywa ke amazulu nehlabathi, nawo wonke umkhosi wezo zinto. Wawugqiba ke uThixo ngomhla wesixhenxe umsebenzi wakhe awawenzayo; waphumla ngomhla wesixhenxe kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe awawenzayo.” UYehova wawenza wakhetheka ‘umhla wesixhenxe,’ kuba ingxelo ephefumlelweyo iyaqhubeka isithi: “Wawusikelela uThixo umhla wesixhenxe, wawungcwalisa.”—Genesis 2:1-3.
UThixo Waphumla Emsebenzini Wakhe
3. Ziziphi izinto ezingenakuba zizizathu zokuphumla kukaThixo?
3 Kwakutheni ukuze uThixo aphumle “ngomhla wesixhenxe”? Kakade ke, akazange aphumle kuba ediniwe. UYehova ‘ukhaliphile ngamandla’ yaye ‘akatyhafi okanye adinwe.’ (Isaya 40:26, 28) Engazange kananjalo uThixo aphumle kuba efuna ukukhe athi khebevu okanye enze enye into, kuba uYesu wasixelela oku: “UBawo uhleli esebenza de kwaba ngoku, nam ndihlala ndisebenza.” (Yohane 5:17) Phofu ke, “uThixo unguMoya” yaye akakhe angazivi mnandi ngokwasemzimbeni aze abe neentswelo ezithile njengokuba kunjalo kwizidalwa zokwenyama.—Yohane 4:24.
4. “Umhla wesixhenxe” wawahluke njani ‘kwimihla’ emithandathu engaphambili?
4 Sinokusiqonda njani isizathu sokuba uThixo aphumle “ngomhla wesixhenxe”? Ngokuphawula ukuba, nangona uThixo wayekholiswe gqitha koko wayekuphumezile ebudeni bexesha elide ‘lemihla’ emithandathu yokudala, wawusikelela ngokukhethekileyo “umhla wesixhenxe” ewuvakalisa ‘njengongcwalisiweyo.’ IConcise Oxford Dictionary ichaza igama elithi “ukungcwalisa” “njengelisetyenziswa ngokukhethekileyo okanye ngokufanelekileyo (kuthixo othile okanye kwinjongo ethile yonqulo).” Ngaloo ndlela, ukusikelela kukaYehova “umhla wesixhenxe” ewuvakalisa njengongcwalisiweyo kubonisa ukuba wona kunye ‘nokuphumla’ kwakhe kumele ukuba kunxibelelene nokuthanda nenjongo yakhe engcwalisiweyo ngaphezu kokuba kunxibelelene nazo naziphi na iintswelo zakhe. Zinxibelelene njani?
5. Yintoni eyenziwa nguThixo ebudeni ‘bemihla’ yokuqala emithandathu yokudala?
5 Ebudeni ‘bemihla’ emithandathu engaphambili yokudala, uThixo wayedale yonke imijikelo nemithetho elawula ukusebenza komhlaba nayo yonke into ewungqongileyo waza wayenza yasebenza. Ngoku izazinzulu zifunda indlela eziyilwe ngokumangalisa ngayo ezi zinto. Ngasekupheleni ‘komhla wesithandathu,’ uThixo wadala isibini sokuqala sabantu waza wasibeka ‘kumyezo wase-Eden ngasempumalanga.’ Ekugqibeleni, uThixo wavakalisa injongo yakhe ngentsapho yabantu nangomhlaba ngala mazwi angokwesiprofeto: “Qhamani, nande, niwuzalise umhlaba niweyise; nibe nobukhosi ezintlanzini zolwandle, nasezintakeni zezulu, nasezintweni zonke eziphilileyo ezinambuzelayo emhlabeni.”—Genesis 1:28, 31; 2:8.
6. (a) Ekupheleni ‘komhla wesithandathu,’ uThixo wavakalelwa njani kuko konke oko wayekudalile? (b) Ungcwaliswe ngayiphi ingqiqo “umhla wesixhenxe”?
6 Njengoko “umhla wesithandathu” wokudala wawusondela esiphelweni, le ngxelo isixelela ukuba: “Wakubona uThixo konke akwenzileyo, nanko, kulungile kunene.” (Genesis 1:31) UThixo wayanelisekile ngento yonke awayeyidalile. Ngaloo ndlela waphumla, okanye wanqumama, ekwenzeni umsebenzi ongakumbi wokudala emhlabeni. Noko ke, ugqibelele yaye umhle unjalo loo myezo uyiparadesi, wawugubungela nje indawo encinane, yaye babebabini kuphela abantu emhlabeni. Kwakuza kuthabatha ixesha ukuba umhlaba nentsapho yabantu ifikelele imeko uThixo awayefuna iyifikelele. Ngenxa yoko, wamisela “umhla wesixhenxe” owawuza kuvumela konke awayekudale ‘kwimihla’ emithandathu engaphambili ukuba kusebenze ngokuvisisana nokuthanda kwakhe okungcwele. (Thelekisa eyabase-Efese 1:11.) Kwakuya kuthi ngasekupheleni ‘komhla wesixhenxe,’ umhlaba wonke ube yiparadesi emiwe ngonaphakade yintsapho yabantu abafezekileyo. (Isaya 45:18) “Umhla wesixhenxe” ugcinelwe, okanye unikelwe, ekusebenzeni nasekuzalisekeni kokuthanda kukaThixo ngomhlaba nangoluntu. ‘Ungcwaliswe’ ngaloo ngqiqo ke lo mhla.
7. (a) UThixo waphumla ngayiphi ingqiqo ‘ngomhla wesixhenxe’? (b) Ziya kuba njani izinto xa “umhla wesixhenxe” usiya ngasesiphelweni?
7 Ngoko ke uThixo waphumla kumsebenzi wakhe wokudala “ngomhla wesixhenxe.” Kufana nokuthi wakhe wee xhaa waza wavumela ukuba oko wayekwenzile kukhe kusebenze. Wayenentembelo epheleleyo yokuba ekupheleni ‘komhla wesixhenxe,’ yonke into yayiya kuhamba ngendlela afuna ngayo. Kwanokuba kwakuya kuvela imiqobo, yayiya koyiswa. Lonke uluntu oluthobelayo lwaluya kungenelwa xa ukuthanda kukaThixo kusenzeka ngokupheleleyo. Akukho nto inokuxaba endleleni kuba uThixo uwusikelele “umhla wesixhenxe,” waza “wawungcwalisa.” Elinjani ukuzuka ithemba kuluntu oluthobelayo!
USirayeli Wasilela Ukungena Ekuphumleni KukaThixo
8. AmaSirayeli aqalisa ukuyibhiyozela nini yaye njani iSabatha?
8 Uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwangenelwa kwilungiselelo likaYehova lokusebenza nokuphumla. Kwanangaphambi kokuba anike amaSirayeli uMthetho kwiNtaba yeSinayi, esebenzisa uMoses, uThixo wawaxelela oku: “Niyabona ke, uYehova uninike isabatha; kungenxa yoko athe ngomhla wesithandathu waninika isonka semihla emibini. Hlalani elowo endaweni yakhe; makungaphumi mntu endaweni yakhe ngomhla wesixhenxe.” Umphumo waba kukuba ‘abantu baphumle ngomhla wesixhenxe.’—Eksodus 16:22-30.
9. Kutheni singathandabuzi ukuba umthetho weSabatha waba lutshintsho olwamkelwa ngezandl’ ezishushu ngamaSirayeli?
9 Eli lungiselelo lalilitsha kumaSirayeli, awayesandul’ ukuhlangulwa ebukhobokeni baseYiputa. Nangona amaYiputa nezinye iintlanga ayebala ixesha ngeentsuku ezintlanu ukuya kwezilishumi, kusenokwenzeka ukuba amaSirayeli awayengamakhoboka ayengawunikwa umhla wokuphumla. (Thelekisa iEksodus 5:1-9.) Ngoko kusengqiqweni ukugqiba kwelokuba abantu bakwaSirayeli baluvuyela olu tshintsho. Kunokuba bagqale iSabatha njengomthwalo okanye umqathango, bafanele ukuba babekuvuyela ukuyigcina. Enyanisweni, uThixo kamva wabaxelela ukuba iSabatha yayiya kubakhumbuza ngobukhoboka babo eYiputa nangokubahlangula kwakhe.—Duteronomi 5:15.
10, 11. (a) Yintoni amaSirayeli awayenokukhangela phambili ekuyifumaneni ukuba ayethobele? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze amaSirayeli asilele ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo?
10 Ukuba amaSirayeli awayephume eYiputa noMoses ayethobele, ayeya kufumana ilungelo lokungena ‘ezweni ledinga elibaleka amasi nobusi.’ (Eksodus 3:8) Akufika apho ayeya kufumana ukuphumla kokwenene, kungekhona ngeSabatha kuphela kodwa ubomi bawo bonke. (Duteronomi 12:9, 10) Noko ke, oko akuzange kwenzeke. Ethetha ngawo, umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Ngoobani ke abo bevayo ukanti bacaphukisa ngomsindo okrakra? Abakhange na, enyanisweni, benjenjalo bonke abo baphuma eYiputa phantsi kukaMoses? Ngaphezu koko, ngoobani abo uThixo wazotheka ngabo kangangeminyaka engamashumi amane? Yayingengabo na abo bonayo, abazidumbu zabo zawa entlango? Kodwa ngoobani na awafunga kubo ukuba abafanele bangene ekuphumleni kwakhe ngaphandle kwabo benza ngokungenantobelo? Ngoko siyabona ukuba ababanga nakungena ngenxa yokuswela ukholo.”—Hebhere 3:16-19.
11 Esinjani ukuba namandla isifundo kuthi! Ngenxa yokuswela kwaso ukholo kuYehova, eso sizukulwana asizange sikufumane ukuphumla esasithenjiswe kona. Kunoko, saphelela entlango. Yasisithela into yokuba njengenzala ka-Abraham, sasinxibelelene ngokusondeleyo nokuthanda kukaThixo kokusikelela zonke iintlanga zomhlaba. (Genesis 17:7, 8; 22:18) Kunokuba sisebenzisane nokuthanda kukaThixo, saphazanyiswa ngokupheleleyo ngooquwe noofezela nayiminqweno yaso yokuzingca. Ngamana singangaze siwele kwelo khondo!—1 Korinte 10:6, 10.
Kusekho Uphumlo Oluzayo
12. Liliphi ithemba awayesenalo amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala, ibe ayenokulizalisekisa njani?
12 Emva kokuchaza ngokusilela kukaSirayeli ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo ngenxa yokuswela ukholo, uPawulos uguqulela ingqalelo yakhe kwamanye amakholwa. Njengoko kuboniswe yeyamaHebhere 4:1-5, wawaqinisekisa ukuba “kusele isithembiso sokungena ekuphumleni [kukaThixo].” UPawulos wawabongoza ukuba aqhelisele ukholo ‘kwiindaba ezilungileyo,’ kuba “thina baqhelisele ukholo siyangena ekuphumleni.” Ekubeni uMthetho wawusele uthatyathelwe indawo lidini lentlawulelo likaYesu, apha uPawulos wayengabhekiseli ekuphumleni kokoqobo kweSabatha. (Kolose 2:13, 14) Ngokucaphula iGenesis 2:2 neNdumiso 95:11, uPawulos wayebongoza amaKristu angamaHebhere ukuba angene ekuphumleni kukaThixo.
13. Xa wayecaphula INdumiso 95, kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos atsalele ingqalelo kwigama elithi “namhlanje”?
13 Ithuba lokungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo limele ukuba laba ‘ziindaba ezilungileyo’ kumaKristu angamaHebhere, kanye njengokuba iSabatha ifanele ukuba yaba ‘ziindaba ezilungileyo’ kumaSirayeli awayephila ngaphambi kwawo. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos wabongoza amanye amakholwa ukuba angaphindi impazamo eyenziwa ngamaSirayeli entlango. Ecaphula oko ngoku kufumaneka kwiNdumiso 95:7, 8, watsalela ingqalelo kwigama elithi “namhlanje,” nangona kwakukudala uThixo waphumlayo ekudaleni. (Hebhere 4:6, 7) Wayefuna ukuthini ke bethu uPawulos? Wayefuna ukuthi ‘umhla wesixhenxe,’ owabekelwa ecaleni nguThixo ukuze avumele injongo yakhe ngomhlaba nangoluntu iphunyezwe ngokupheleleyo, wawusaqhubeka. Ngoko amaKristu ayemele akhawuleze asebenzisane naloo njongo kunokuba athi swii lusukelo lokuzingca. Waphinda wavakalisa esi silumkiso: “Musani ukuzenza lukhuni iintliziyo zenu.”
14. UPawulos wabonisa njani ukuba “uphumlo” lukaThixo lwaluseza?
14 Ukongezelela, uPawulos wabonisa ukuba “uphumlo” olwaluthenjisiwe lwalungengombandela nje wokuya kuhlala kwiLizwe Ledinga phantsi kolawulo lukaYoshuwa. (Yoshuwa 21:44) UPawulos wema ngelithi: “Kuba ukuba uYoshuwa wabakhokelela kwindawo yokuphumla, uThixo ngengathanga kamva wathetha ngomnye umhla.” Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos wongezelela: “Abantu bakaThixo basasalelwe luphumlo lwesabatha.” (Hebhere 4:8, 9) Luyintoni olo “phumlo lwesabatha”?
Ngena Kuphumlo LukaThixo
15, 16. (a) Linayiphi intsingiselo ibinzana elithi “uphumlo lwesabatha”? (b) Kuthetha ntoni ‘ukuphumla emisebenzini kabani’?
15 Ibinzana elithi “uphumlo lwesabatha” liguqulelwe ngokusuka kwigama lesiGrike elithetha “ukugcina isabatha.” (Kingdom Interlinear) UNjingalwazi uWilliam Lane uthi: “Eli binzana lafumana le ntsingiselo yahluke kancinane kumyalelo weSabatha owawuvela kubuYuda usekelwe kwiEksodus 20:8-10, apho kwakugxininiswa into yokuba ukuphumla nokudumisa yintlaka nexolo . . . [Eli binzana] libethelela inkalo ekhethekileyo yokubhiyoza nokugcoba, eyayidluliselwa kukunqula nokudumisa uThixo.” Ngoko ke, uphumlo oluthenjisiweyo alukokukhululwa nje emsebenzini. Kukutshintsha kumsebenzi oqobayo nolilize, ukuya kwinkonzo evuyisayo nezukisa uThixo.
16 Oku kudandalaziswa ngamazwi alandelayo kaPawulos: “Kuba umntu ongene ekuphumleni kukaThixo naye uphumle kwimisebenzi yakhe, kanye njengoko noThixo wenjenjalo kweyakhe.” (Hebhere 4:10) UThixo akazange aphumle ngomhla wesixhenxe wokudala kuba ediniwe. Kunoko, wanqumama kumsebenzi wokudala emhlabeni ukuze umsebenzi wezandla zakhe uphuhle yaye ufumane uzuko olupheleleyo, nto leyo eyayiza kumzisela indumiso nembeko. Njengezidalwa zikaThixo, nathi sifanele singene sithi gingci kwelo lungiselelo. Sifanele ‘siphumle kwimisebenzi yethu,’ ngamany’ amazwi, sifanele siyeke ukuzama ukuzenza abafanelekileyo kuThixo kuba sinyeke usindiso. Kunoko, sifanele sibe nokholo lokuba usindiso lwethu luxhomekeke kwidini lentlawulelo likaYesu Kristu, eziya kuthi ngalo zonke izinto zivisisaniswe nenjongo kaThixo.—Efese 1:8-14; Kolose 1:19, 20.
ILizwi LikaThixo Linika Amandla
17. Liliphi ikhondo elalandelwa ngamaSirayeli emvelo esimele siliphephe?
17 AmaSirayeli asilela ukungena kuphumlo oluthenjisiweyo lukaThixo ngenxa yokungathobeli nokuswela kwawo ukholo. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos wabongoza amaKristu angamaHebhere esithi: “Ngoko ke masenze unako-nako wokungena koko kuphumla, ngokoyikela ukuba nabani na usengawela kwisizekelo esinye sokungathobeli.” (Hebhere 4:11) Inkoliso yamaYuda enkulungwane yokuqala yayingenalukholo kuYesu, ibe uninzi lwawo lwabandezeleka kabuhlungu xa inkqubo yezinto yamaYuda yafikelela esiphelweni ngowama-70 C.E. Hayi indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuba sibe nokholo kwilizwi lesithembiso likaThixo namhlanje!
18. (a) Ziziphi izizathu ezabekwa nguPawulos zokuqhelisela ukholo kwilizwi likaThixo? (b) Kungayiphi indlela ilizwi likaThixo ‘elibukhali ngakumbi kunalo naliphi na ikrele elintlangothi-mbini’?
18 Sinezizathu ezibambekayo zokuba nokholo kwilizwi likaYehova. UPawulos wabhala: “Ilizwi likaThixo liphilile kwaye linamandla yaye libukhali ngakumbi kunalo naliphi na ikrele elintlangothi-mbini ibe lihlaba de kuse ekwahlulweni komphefumlo nomoya, nokwamalungu nomongo wawo, yaye liyakwazi ukuqonda iingcamango nozimiselo lwentliziyo.” (Hebhere 4:12) Ewe, ilizwi, okanye isigidimi sikaThixo, ‘sibukhali ngakumbi kunalo naliphi na ikrele elintlangothi-mbini.’ AmaKristu angamaHebhere kwakufuneka akhumbule okwenzeka kooyisemkhulu. Abazange banikele ngqalelo kumgwebo kaYehova wokuba babeya kuphelela entlango, bazama ukungena kwiLizwe Ledinga. Kodwa uMoses wabalumkisa: “Ama-Amaleki namaKanan akhona phambi kwenu, niya kuwa likrele.” Xa loo maSirayeli aqinisa iintamo aza afunza phambili, “ehla ama-Amaleki namaKanan abehleli kuloo ntaba, abaxabela, abaqoba kwasa eHorma.” (Numeri 14:39-45) Ilizwi likaYehova libukhali ngaphezu kwalo naliphi na ikrele elintlangothi-mbini, ibe nabani na olityeshela ngabom uya kuthi shu engabaselwanga.—Galati 6:7-9.
19. “Lihlaba” ngamandla kangakanani ilizwi likaThixo, yaye kutheni sifanele siqonde ukuba siza kuziphendulela kuThixo?
19 Hayi indlela ilizwi likaThixo elitsho ngamandla ngayo xa “lihlaba de kuse ekwahlulweni komphefumlo nomoya, nokwamalungu nomongo wawo”! Ligqobhoza kwiingcamango zomntu kutsho kubonakale, ngokungathi kunjalo lityhubela de liye kutsho kumongo wamathambo! Nangona amaSirayeli awayekhululwe kubukhoboka baseYiputa ayevumile ukuwugcina uMthetho, uYehova wayesazi ukuba ezintliziyweni zawo ayengawaxabisi amalungiselelo nezinto ezifunwa nguye. (INdumiso 95:7-11) Kunokuba enze ukuthanda kwakhe, ayexhalabele ukwanelisa iminqweno yawo yokwenyama. Ngenxa yoko, akazange angene ekuphumleni okuthenjisiweyo kukaThixo, kunoko aphelela entlango. Kufuneka siyinikele ingqalelo le nto, kuba “akukho sidalwa singabonakaliyo emehlweni [kaThixo], kodwa zonke izinto zize yaye zibhenceke ekuhleni emehlweni alowo simele siphendule kuye.” (Hebhere 4:13) Ngoko ngamana singaluzalisekisa uzinikelo lwethu kuYehova yaye ‘singarhwaqeleli emva entshabalalweni.’—Hebhere 10:39.
20. Yintoni eza kwenzeka kungekudala, kwaye yintoni esimele siyenze ngoku ukuze singene ekuphumleni kukaThixo?
20 Nangona “umhla wesixhenxe”—umhla kaThixo wokuphumla—usaqhubeka, ukubeke esweni ukusebenza kwenjongo yakhe ngokuphathelele umhlaba noluntu. Kungentsuku zatywala, uKumkani onguMesiya, uYesu Kristu, uza kuthabatha amanyathelo okususa bonke abachasi bokuthanda kukaThixo emhlabeni, kuquka uSathana uMtyholi. Ebudeni boLawulo Lwewaka Leminyaka lukaKristu, uYesu nabo alawula kunye nabo abali-144 000 baya kwenza umhlaba noluntu lube kwimeko uThixo awayeyifuna. (ISityhilelo 14:1; 20:1-6) Ngoku lixesha lokuba sibonise ukuba ubomi bethu busekelwe ekuthandeni kukaYehova uThixo. Kunokuzenza abafanelekileyo kuThixo size sifune ukuhambisela phambili izilangazelelo zethu, ngoku lixesha lokuba ‘siphumle emisebenzini yethu’ size sisebenzele izilangazelelo zoBukumkani ngentliziyo epheleleyo. Ngokwenjenjalo nangokuhlala sithembekile kuBawo wethu wasezulwini, uYehova, siya kuba nelungelo lokufumana uphumlo lukaThixo ngoku nangonaphakade.
Ngaba Unokuchaza?
◻ Kwakutheni ukuze uThixo aphumle ‘ngomhla wesixhenxe’?
◻ Luluphi uphumlo awayeza kulufumana amaSirayeli, kodwa kwakutheni ukuze asilele ukungena kulo?
◻ Yintoni esimele siyenze ukuze singene kuphumlo lukaThixo?
◻ Kungayiphi indlela elithi ilizwi likaThixo liphile, libe namandla yaye libe bukhali ngaphezu kwalo naliphi na ikrele elintlangothi-mbini?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]
AmaSirayeli ayigcina iSabatha, kodwa akazange angene kuphumlo lukaThixo. Ngaba uyasazi isizathu soko?