UYehova Ufanele Abe Lithemba Lethu
‘UYehova uya kuba lithemba lakho.’—IMIZEKELISO 3:26, Appleyard’s Version.
1. Nangona abaninzi besithi bayamthemba uThixo, yintoni ebonisa ukuba abasoloko besenjenjalo?
IMALI yaseMerika ibhalwe amazwi athi “In God We Trust [Sithembele NgoThixo].” Kodwa ngaba ngokwenene bonke abantu abasebenzisa le mali, abakwelo lizwe nakwamanye, bayamthemba uThixo? Okanye ngaba bathembe loo ngqekembe ngaphezu kwento yonke? Ukuthemba imali yelo lizwe okanye neyaliphi na elinye ilizwe akunakufaniswa nokuthemba uThixo usomandla onothando, ongaze awasebenzise kakubi amandla akhe nongabawiyo. Eneneni, ulikhupha litsole elokuba ukubawa akulunganga.—Efese 5:5.
2. Sisiphi isimo sengqondo anaso amaKristu okwenyaniso ngamandla obutyebi?
2 AmaKristu okwenyaniso athemba uThixo, kungekhona ubutyebi, naloo ‘mandla abo akhohlisayo.’ (Mateyu 13:22) Ayaqonda ukuba amandla emali okukhuthaza ulonwabo nokulondoloza ubomi mancinane gqitha. Akanjalo ke amandla kaThixo uSomandla. (Zefaniya 1:18) Ngoko ke, hayi indlela esihlab’ emxholweni ngayo isibongozo esithi: “Uhlobo lwenu lobomi malube lolukhululekileyo kuthando lwemali, ngoxa nanelisekile zizinto ezikhoyo. Kuba uthe: ‘Andiyi kuze nangayiphi na indlela ndikushiye, ndingayi kuze nangayiphi na indlela ndikutyeshele’”!—Hebhere 13:5.
3. Umongo weDuteronomi 31:6 usikhanyisela ntoni ngokucaphula kukaPawulos loo ndinyana?
3 Xa wayebhalela amaKristu angamaHebhere la mazwi angasentla, umpostile uPawulos wacaphula imiyalelo kaMoses kumaSirayeli ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe: “Yomelelani nikhaliphe: musani ukoyika, musani ukungcangcazela ebusweni bazo. Ngokuba nguYehova uThixo wakho ohamba nawe; akayi kukuyekela, akayi kukushiya.” (Duteronomi 31:6) Umongo ubonisa ukuba uMoses wayewakhuthaza ukuba athembe uYehova ngokudlulela ngaphaya kokumthemba kuba nje eza kuwabonelela ngezinto eziphathekayo. Kutheni kunjalo?
4. UThixo wawabonisa njani amaSirayeli ukuba wayenokuthenjwa?
4 Ebudeni beminyaka engama-40 amaSirayeli ebhadula entlango, uThixo wayesoloko ewalungiselela izinto eziyimfuneko ukuze aphile. (Duteronomi 2:7; 29:5) Kwakhona wawakhokela. Enye indlela awawakhokela ngayo amaSirayeli kungelifu emini nomlilo ebusuku nto ezo ezawakhokelela “ezweni elibaleka amasi nobusi.” (Eksodus 3:8; 40:36-38) Lithe lakufika ixesha lokuba angene kwiLizwe Ledinga, uYehova wanyula uYoshuwa ukuba angene ezihlangwini zikaMoses. Kwakuyinto elindelekileyo ukuba abemi belo lizwe bayivungamele le nto. Kodwa ke kwakukudala uYehova ebetha ngesingqi esinye nabantu bakhe, ngoko kwakungekho mfuneko yakoyika. Zazizininzi izinto ezazenze amaSirayeli aqonda mhlophe ukuba uYehova nguThixo onokuthenjwa!
5. Imeko yamaKristu anamhlanje ifana njani neyamaSirayeli ngaphambi kokungena kwiLizwe Ledinga?
5 Nanamhlanje amaKristu athwabaza ngeenyawo etyhubela le nkqantosi yeli hlabathi likhoyo lingendawo ejongise imibombo kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo. Amanye awo ebexhine kulo mendo kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-40. Ngoku emi emdeni wehlabathi elitsha likaThixo. Ukanti kusekho iintshaba ezixabe kulo mendo, ezinyeke ukuthintela nabani na ukuba angangeni koko kuza kuba njengeLizwe Ledinga, elizuke ngaphezulu kunelamandulo elalibaleka amasi nobusi. Ngoko, hayi indlela afaneleke ngayo kumaKristu namhlanje amazwi kaMoses aphindwa nguPawulos athi: “Andiyi kuze nangayiphi na indlela ndikushiye, ndingayi kuze nangayiphi na indlela ndikutyeshele”! Bonke abo bahlala bomelele yaye bekhaliphile, benokholo yaye bemthemba uYehova, banokuqiniseka ngokufumana umvuzo.
Ithemba Elisekelwe Kulwazi Nakubuhlobo
6, 7. (a) Yintoni eyavavanya intembelo ka-Abraham kuYehova? (b) Usenokuba wayeziva njani uAbraham xa wayethabatha uhambo olusinge kwindawo awayeza kunyusa kuyo idini ngoIsake?
6 Ngenye imini ukhokho wamaSirayeli uAbraham wakha wayalelwa ukuba anyuse idini ngonyana wakhe uIsake. (Genesis 22:2) Yintoni eyenza lo bawo onothando abe nentembelo engagungqiyo kuYehova kangangokuba avume kwangoko ukuthobela? EyamaHebhere 11:17-19 iyaphendula: “Ngokholo uAbraham, xa wavavanywayo, wafana ngathi wamnikela uIsake, yaye loo mntu wayezamkele ngochulumanco izithembiso walinga ukunikela ngonyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, nangona kwakuthiwe kuye: ‘Oko kuya kubizwa ngokuba “yimbewu yakho” kuya kuba ngoIsake.’ Kodwa wakubalela ekuthini uThixo wayekwazi ukumvusa kwanakwabafileyo; yaye khona apho wamamkela kanjalo ngendlela yomzekeliso.”
7 Ungalibali ke ukuba uAbraham noIsake bathabatha iintsuku ezintathu ngaphambi kokuba bafike kwindawo elaliza kunyuswa kuyo elo dini. (Genesis 22:4) UAbraham wayenexesha elininzi lokucingisisa nzulu ngoko wayecelwe ukuba akwenze. Ngaba sinokuyithelekelela indlela awayevakalelwa ngayo? Ukuzalwa kukaIsake kwabangela uvuyo olwalungalindelekanga. Loo nyhweba bayenzelwa nguThixo yenza uAbraham nomkakhe owayeludlolo, uSara, basondela ngakumbi kuThixo. Ngokuqinisekileyo emva koko baba nomdla wokwazi ukuba wayeya kuphelela phi uIsake nenzala yakhe. Ngaba yayiphelil’ into ebithethwa, ngenxa yoko kwakufunwa nguThixo?
8. Intembelo ka-Abraham kuThixo yadlulela njani ngaphaya kokukholelwa ukuba wayenako ukumvusa uIsake?
8 Sekunjalo, uAbraham wayenentembelo esekelwe kulwazi lwakhe, intembelo eba phakathi kwabahlobo abasenyongweni. Ekubeni ‘wayengumhlobo kaYehova,’ uAbraham “wakholwa kuYehova, kwaza kwabalelwa kuye njengobulungisa.” (Yakobi 2:23) Intembelo ka-Abraham kuYehova yadlulela ngaphaya kokukholelwa nje ukuba uThixo wayeya kumvusa uIsake. UAbraham wayeqinisekile kananjalo ukuba oko uYehova wayesithi akwenze kwakuyinto efanelekileyo, nangona uAbraham wayengayazi yonke ingcombolo. Sasingekho isizathu sokuba athandabuze ukuba uYehova wayesenza okulungileyo ngokwenza eso sicelo. Emva koko, intembelo ka-Abraham yomelezwa xa ingelosi kaYehova yangenelela ukuze uIsake angabulawa aze anyuswe njengedini.—Genesis 22:9-14.
9, 10. (a) UAbraham wayebonakalise nini ngaphambili ukuba nentembelo kuYehova? (b) Sisiphi isifundo esibalulekileyo esinokusifunda kuAbraham?
9 UAbraham wayebonakalise intembelo efanayo kubulungisa bukaYehova kwakwiminyaka engama-25 ngaphambili. Akuba elunyukisiwe ngokutshatyalaliswa kweSodom neGomora, ngokuzenzekelayo wanxuba akucinga ngamalungisa awayehlala kuzo, kuquka umtshana wakhe uLote. UAbraham wawa ngedolo phambi kukaThixo esithi: “Makube lee kuwe ukwenza ngokwendawo enjalo ukubulala olilungisa kunye nongendawo, ilungisa libe njengongendawo; makube lee kuwe. Umgwebi wehlabathi lonke akayi kwenza okusesikweni yini na?”—Genesis 18:25.
10 Lo solusapho unguAbraham wayeyisekile ukuba uYehova akanakuze enze nantoni na engebobulungisa. Kamva umdumisi wavuma ingoma esithi: “Ulilungisa uYehova ngeendlela zakhe zonke, unenceba ngezenzo zakhe zonke.” (INdumiso 145:17) Siya kube siyatyapha xa sizibuza oku: ‘Ngaba ndiyakwamkela oko uYehova avumela ukuba kwenzeke kum ndingakhange ndibuthandabuze ubulungisa bakhe? Ngaba ndeyisekile kwelokuba nayiphi na into ayivumelayo iya kuba yingenelo kum nakwabanye?’ Ukuba impendulo yethu ithi ewe, sifunde isifundo esibalukileyo kuAbraham.
Ukubonakalisa Intembelo Kwabanyulwe NguYehova
11, 12. (a) Kuye kwafuneka babe nentembelo kwiyiphi inkalo abakhonzi bakaThixo? (b) Yintoni esenokuba yingxaki kuthi maxa wambi?
11 Abo bagqala uYehova njengethemba labo bakwanentembelo nakubantu uYehova akhetha ukubasebenzisa ekuphumezeni iinjongo zakhe. KumaSirayeli, oku kwakuthetha ukuthemba uMoses ibe kamva kowangena ezihlangwini zakhe, uYoshuwa. KumaKristu okuqala, kwakuthetha ukuba nentembelo kubapostile nakumadoda amakhulu ebandla laseYerusalem. Kuthi namhlanje, kuthetha ukuba nentembelo ‘kwikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi’ elimiselwe ukusinika ‘ukutya kwethu kokomoya ngexesha elifanelekileyo,’ kunye nenxalenye yalo eyila iQumrhu Elilawulayo.—Mateyu 24:45.
12 Phofu ke, ukuba nentembelo kwabo bakhokelayo ebandleni lamaKristu kunceda kwathina. Sixelelwa oku: “Bathobeleni abo bakhokelayo phakathi kwenu nize nibalulamele, kuba bahlala beyilindile imiphefumlo yenu njengabo baya kunikela ingxelo; ukuze bakwenze oku ngovuyo kungekhona ngokuncwina, kuba oku bekuya kwenza umonakalo kuni.”—Hebhere 13:17.
Kuphepheni Ukuphelelwa Yintembelo Kwabo Banyulwe NguYehova
13. Siziphi isizathu esinaso sokubonakalisa intembelo kwabo bamiselwe ukuba bakhokele?
13 IBhayibhile iyasinceda ukuba silungelelane xa sibonakalisa ukuba ntembelo kwabo bakhokelayo kubantu bakaYehova. Mhlawumbi siyazibuza: ‘Ngaba uMoses wakha wazenza iimpazamo? Ngaba abapostile babesoloko bebonakalisa isimo sengqondo esinjengesikaKristu, uYesu awayefuna babe naso?’ Iimpendulo zizicacele. UYehova ukhethe ukusebenzisa amadoda anyanisekileyo nazinikeleyo ukuba akhokele abantu bakhe, nangona engafezekanga. Ngokufanelekileyo, ngoxa abadala bengafezekanga, kusafuneka siqonde ukuba ‘bamiselwe ngumoya oyingcwele ukuba babe ngabaveleli, baluse ibandla likaThixo.’ Kufuneka sibaxhase yaye sibahlonele.—IZenzo 20:28.
14. Yintoni ephawulekayo ngokukhetha kukaYehova uMoses njengenkokeli kunoAron okanye uMiriyam?
14 UAron wayemdala ngeminyaka emithathu kuMoses, kodwa bobabini babebancinane kunodadewabo, uMiriyam. (Eksodus 2:3, 4; 7:7) Kwaye ekubeni uAron wayeliciko ngaphezu kukaMoses, wamiselwa ukuba akhonze njengesithethi somninawa wakhe. (Eksodus 6:29–7:2) Ukanti, ukuze akhokele amaSirayeli, uYehova akazange akhethe umafungwashe, uMiriyam, okanye iqhakraqhakra leciko, uAron. Ukukhetha kwakhe uMoses kwenziwa ngenxa yezibakala neemfuno zelo xesha. Xa uAron noMiriyam basithelwa yile nkalo izicaceleyo okwexeshana, bakhalaza besithi: “UYehova uthethe ngoMoses yedwa yini na? Akathethanga nangathi yini na?” UMiriyam, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba wayephambili kule nquleqhu, wohlwaywa kanobom ngenxa yokungahloneli lowo ukhethwe nguYehova, yena noAron ababefanele bamgqale ‘njengendoda ebilulamile kunene kunabantu bonke abasemhlabeni.’—Numeri 12:1-3, 9-15.
15, 16. UKalebhi wazingqina njani enentembelo kuYehova?
15 Xa kwathunyelwa iintlola ezili-12 ukuba ziye kuhlola iLizwe Ledinga, ezili-10 zabuya nengxelo engentle. Zawatsho agevezel’ amadolo luloyiko amaSirayeli ngokuwabalisela ‘ngeengxilimbela’ zakwaKanan. Ngenxa yoku amaSirayeli “abakrokrela ooMoses noAron.” Kodwa asizizo zonke iintlola ezingazange ziphelelwe yintembelo kuMoses nakuYehova. Sifunda oku: “Wabazolisa uKalebhi abantu phambi koMoses, wathi, Masinyuke kwangoku, silihluthe; ngokuba siya kuleyisa kakade.” (Numeri 13:2, 25–33; 14:2) UKalebhi wayengeyedwa kule nto kuba nenye intlola eyayikunye naye, uYoshuwa, yamngqinela. La madoda abonisa ukuba ayemenze ithemba lawo uYehova xa athi: “Ukuba uYehova usinonelele, wosisa kwelo zwe, asinike; lilizwe elibaleka amasi nobusi. Kodwa . . . musani ukuboyika abantu belo zwe nina . . . uYehova unathi; musani ukoyika.” (Numeri 14:6-9) Bavuzwa ngenxa yokuthemba kwabo uYehova. Kubantu abakhulu ababephila ngelo xesha, kuphela nguKalebhi, uYoshuwa kunye nabathile kubaLevi abafumana ilungelo lokungena kwiLizwe Ledinga.
16 Kwiminyaka ethile kamva uKalebhi wathi: “Ke mna ndakuzalisa ukumlandela uYehova uThixo wam. . . . Khangela ke ngoko, uYehova undisindisile njengoko watshoyo, le minyaka imashumi mane anamihlanu, kususela koko walithethayo uYehova elo lizwi kuMoses, oko amaSirayeli abehamba entlango; yabona ke, ngoku namhla ndiminyaka imashumi asibhozo anamihlanu ndizelwe. Ndisomelele nanamhla, kwanjengamini wandithumayo uMoses; njengoko ayenjalo amandla am oko, asenjalo nangoku amandla am.” (Yoshuwa 14:6-11) Phawula ukuba uKalebhi wayeyindoda enesimo sengqondo esihle ngobomi, ethembekileyo neyayinamandla. Kodwa, uYehova akazange akhethe uKalebhi ukuba angene ezihlangwini zikaMoses. Eli lungelo lanikwa uYoshuwa. Sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova wayeyazi into ayenzayo ngokukhetha yena, ibe wayehlab’ ekhangele.
17. Yintoni esenokuba yenza kwaba ngathi uPetros wayengafanelanga kunikwa mbopheleleko?
17 Umpostile uPetros wayikhanyela iNkosi yakhe kwade kwakathathu. Kwaye ngokudyuduzela wayithabathela ezandleni zakhe imicimbi, wayithi tshece indlebe yesicaka sombingeleli omkhulu. (Mateyu 26:47-55, 69-75; Yohane 18:10, 11) Bambi basenokuthi uPetros lo wayelityutyusi elingalungelelananga lendoda, elalingafanelwe kunikwa amalungelo akhethekileyo. Ukanti, ngubani owanikwa izitshixo ezithathu zoBukumkani, ilungelo lokuvulela amaqela amathathu indlela esa kubizo lwasezulwini? Akakho omnye ngaphandle kukaPetros.—IZenzo 2:1-41; 8:14-17; 10:1-48.
18. Yiyiphi impazamo ekhankanywa nguYude esimele siyiphephe?
18 Le mizekelo isifundisa ukuba singawudeli umqulu singekawuvuli. Ukuba sinentembelo kuYehova, asiyi kubathandabuza abo abakhethileyo. Nangona ibandla lakhe lasemhlabeni liyilwe ngabantu abangafezekanga, nabaneempazamo, ubasebenzisa ngamandla. UYude, umninawa kaYesu ngonina, walumkisa amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala esithi kukho abathile ‘abathetha ngokutshabhisayo ngabo bazukileyo.’ (Yude 8-10) Singaze sifane nabo ke thina.
19. Kutheni singenaso isizathu sokuphelelwa yintembelo ngabo bakhethwe nguYehova?
19 Kuyabonakala ukuba uYehova uye anike abo baneempawu ezikhethekileyo iimbopheleleko ezithile eziyimfuneko ukuze bakhokele abantu bakhe ngendlela afuna bahambe ngayo ngelo xesha. Masizame ukuyiqonda le nkalo, singaphelelwa yintembelo kwabo bakhethwe nguThixo, kodwa masanele kukukhonza ngokuthobeka kuloo ndawo uYehova asibeke kuyo njengabantu ngabanye. Ngaloo ndlela soba simenza ithemba lethu uYehova.—Efese 4:11-16; Filipi 2:3.
Ukuba Nentembelo Kubulungisa BukaYehova
20, 21. Yintoni esinokuyifunda kwindlela uThixo awaqhubana ngayo noMoses?
20 Ukuba maxa wambi siye sizithembe ngokugqith’ emgceni size singamthembi kangako uYehova, makhe sifunde okuthile kuMoses. Xa wayeneminyaka engama-40 ubudala, wasuka amadlu efuna ukukhulula amaSirayeli ekuthinjweni kwelaseYiputa. Nangona imigudu yakhe yayijoliswe kokuhle, ayizange yenze ukuba amaSirayeli akhululwe ngoko nangoko, ingazange ibangele ukuba izinto zimhambele kakuhle. Eneneni, kwanyanzeleka ukuba abhace. Kuphela kusemva kweminyaka engama-40 yokuqeqeshwa kabuhlungu kwilizwe lasemzini awathi wakufanelekela ukutyunjelwa ukwenza oko wayefuna ukukwenza. Ngesi sihlandlo wayeqinisekile ngokuxhaswa nguYehova kuba ngoku izinto zazisenziwa ngendlela kaYehova nangexesha elimiselwe Nguye.—Eksodus 2:11–3:10.
21 Ngamnye wethu usenokuzibuza: ‘Ngaba maxa wambi ndimhambela phambili uYehova nabadala abamiselweyo bebandla, ndizama ukukhawulezisa izinto okanye ndisenza ngendlela yam? Kunokuba ndivakalelwe kukuba ndivinjwa amalungelo athile, ngaba ndilamkela ngezandl’ ezishushu ixesha eliqhubekayo lokuqeqeshwa?’ Phofu ke, ngaba ikho into ebalulekileyo esiyifunde kuMoses?
22. Phezu kwako nje ukuphulukana nelungelo elikhulu, uMoses wavakalelwa njani ngoYehova?
22 Ukongezelela koko, sinokufunda enye into kuMoses. INumeri 20:7-13 isixelela ngempazamo awayenzayo, eyamenza waphulukana nento enkulu kakhulu. Waphulukana nelungelo lokukhokelela amaSirayeli kwiLizwe Ledinga. Ngaba wasabela ngelithi uYehova wayemdlel’ indlala? Ngaba wazenza ikheswa, ngokungathi kunjalo, equmbe esisifu ngenxa yokuba uThixo engamphathanga ngandlela? Ngaba uMoses waphelelwa yintembelo kubulungisa bukaYehova? Impendulo ifumaneka kumazwi awathethwa nguMoses kuSirayeli ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe. Ethetha ngoYehova, uMoses wathi: “Ugqibelele umsebenzi wakhe, ngokuba zonke iindlela zakhe zisesikweni; nguThixo wentembeko, tu ubugqwetha; lilungisa, uthe tye yena.” (Duteronomi 32:4) Ngokuqinisekileyo uMoses wayilondoloza intembelo yakhe kuYehova de kwasa esiphelweni. Kuthekani ngathi? Ngaba ikho into esiyenzayo njengabantu ngabanye ukomeleza intembelo yethu kuYehova nakubulungisa bakhe? Sinokukwenza njani oko? Makhe sibone.
Ubunokuphendula Uthini?
◻ AmaSirayeli ayenaziphi izizathu zokuthembela kuYehova?
◻ Ngokuphathelele intembelo, yintoni esiyifundayo kuAbraham?
◻ Kutheni sifanele sikuphephe ukuphelelwa yintembelo ngabakhethwe nguYehova?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
Ukuthemba uYehova kuquka ukuhlonela abo bakhokelayo ebandleni