Khumbula UMdali Wakho Ozukileyo!
“Uze umkhumbule ke uMdali wakho . . . ingekezi imihla yobubi.”—INTSHUMAYELI 12:1.
1. Abantu abaselula abazahlulele kuThixo bafanele bafune ukubusebenzisa njani ubutsha babo namandla abo?
UYEHOVA unika abakhonzi bakhe amandla okuba benze ukuthanda kwakhe. (Isaya 40:28-31) Oku kunjalo kungakhathaliseki nokuba mingaphi iminyaka yabo. Kodwa ngokukhethekileyo abantu abaselula abazahlulele kuThixo bafanele bafune ukusebenzisa ubutsha babo namandla abo ngobulumko. Ngoko ke, banikela ingqalelo kwisiluleko ‘seNtshumayeli,’ uKumkani uSolomon kaSirayeli wamandulo. Yabongoza: “Uze umkhumbule ke uMdali wakho ngemihla yobutsha bakho, ingekezi imihla yobubi, ingekafiki iminyaka owothi ngayo, Ayindiyolele.”—INtshumayeli 1:1; 12:1.
2. Yintoni efanele yenziwe ngabantwana bamaKristu azahluleleyo?
2 Isibongozo sikaSolomon sokukhumbula uMdali Ozukileyo ngemihla yobutsha okokuqala sasibhekiswe kumlisela nomthinjana wakwaSirayeli. Wawuzalelwa kuhlanga oluzahlulele kuYehova. Kuthekani ngabantwana bamaKristu azahluleleyo namhlanje? Ngokuqinisekileyo, bafanele bahlale bemkhumbula uMdali wabo Ozukileyo. Ukuba benjenjalo, baya kumbeka baze bazizuzele iingenelo.—Isaya 48:17, 18.
Imizekelo Emihle Yexa Elidluleyo
3. Nguwuphi umzekelo owamiselwa nguYosefu, uSamuweli noDavide?
3 Abantu abaselula abaninzi ekuthethwe ngabo eBhayibhileni bamisela imizekelo emihle yokukhumbula uMdali wabo Ozukileyo. Ukususela ebutsheni bakhe, uYosefu, unyana kaYakobi, wamkhumbula uMdali wakhe. Xa umfazi kaPotifare walinga uYosefu ukuba aziphathe kakubi ngokwesini kunye naye, wala ngokungqongqo waza wathi: “Ndingathini na ke ukwenza obu bubi bukhulu kangaka, ndone kuThixo?” (Genesis 39:9) USamuweli ongumLevi akazange akhumbule uMdali wakhe ngoxa wayesengumntwana kuphela kodwa wamkhumbula ubomi bakhe bonke. (1 Samuweli 1:22-28; 2:18; 3:1-5) UDavide osemtsha waseBhetelehem ngokuqinisekileyo wamkhumbula uMdali wakhe. Ukukholosa kwakhe ngoThixo kwabonakala xa wayephambi kwengxilimbela yomFilisti uGoliyati waza wathi: “Wena uza kum unekrele, nentshuntshe, nomkhonto; ke mna ndiza kuwe egameni likaYehova wemikhosi, uThixo wezintlu zakwaSirayeli omngcikivileyo. Namhlanje uYehova uya kukunikela esandleni sam, ndikubulale, ndikunqumle intloko, . . . wazi wonke umhlaba ukuba amaSirayeli anaye uThixo; lazi lonke eli bandla, ukuba akungakrele, akungantshuntshe ukusindisa kukaYehova; ngokuba imfazwe yekaYehova; woninikela ke esandleni sethu.” Kungekudala emva koko, uGoliyati wayefile ibe amaFilisti asaba.—1 Samuweli 17:45-51.
4. (a) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba intwazana engumSirayeli eyayithinjwe eSiriya noKumkani uYosiya oselula bamkhumbula uMdali wethu Ozukileyo? (b) UYesu owayeneminyaka eli-12 ubudala wabonisa njani ukuba uyamkhumbula uMdali wakhe?
4 Omnye umntu oselula owakhumbula uMdali wakhe Ozukileyo yintombazana engumSirayeli eyayithinjiwe. Yanikela ubungqina obuhle kumfazi womthetheli-mkhosi waseSiriya uNahaman kangangokuba waya kumprofeti kaThixo, wanyangwa iqhenqa, waza waba ngumnquli kaYehova. (2 Kumkani 5:1-19) UKumkani uYosiya oselula ngenkalipho waphakamisa unqulo olunyulu lukaYehova. (2 Kumkani 22:1–23:25) Kodwa owona mzekelo ubalaseleyo womntu owakhumbula uMdali wakhe Ozukileyo esemncinane nguYesu waseNazarete. Phawula oko kwenzekayo xa wayeneminyaka eli-12 ubudala. Abazali bakhe baya naye eYerusalem ePasikeni. Xa kubuywa, baphawula ukuba uYesu akakho; ngoko bajika baya kumkhangela. Ngosuku lwesithathu, bafika exubusha imibuzo eseZibhalweni nabafundisi etempileni. Ephendula unina owayexhalabile, uYesu wabuza: “Bekutheni na ukuze nihambe nifunana nam? Beningazi na ukuba ndimele ndibe sendlwini kaBawo?” (Luka 2:49) Kwakuyingenelo kuYesu ukuzuza inkcazelo yokomoya etempileni, ‘indlu kaYise.’ Namhlanje, iHolo yoBukumkani yamaNgqina kaYehova yeyona ndawo ibalaseleyo yokufumana ulwazi oluchanileyo ngoMdali wethu Ozukileyo.
Khumbula UYehova Ngoku!
5. Ngamazwi akho, ungakuchaza njani oko kwathethwa yiNtshumayeli njengoko kubhalwe kwiNtshumayeli 12:1?
5 Umnquli kaYehova ozinikeleyo unqwenela ukuqala inkonzo Yakhe ngokukhawuleza kangangoko kunokwenzeka aze akhonze uThixo ubomi bakhe bonke. Noko ke, umntu ochithela ubutsha bakhe kwilize ngenxa yokungakhumbuli uMdali wakhe ulindelwe yintoni? Iphefumlelwe nguThixo iNtshumayeli ithi: “Uze umkhumbule ke uMdali wakho ngemihla yobutsha bakho, ingekezi imihla yobubi, ingekafiki iminyaka owothi ngayo, Ayindiyolele.”—INtshumayeli 12:1.
6. Bubuphi ubungqina obubonisa ukuba uSimeyon noAna abalupheleyo bamkhumbula uMdali wabo Ozukileyo?
6 Akukho namnye oyoliswa ‘yimihla yobubi’ yokwaluphala. Kodwa abantu abalupheleyo abakhumbula uThixo bayavuya. Ngokomzekelo, uSimeyon owalupheleyo wayifunqula imveku enguYesu esetempileni waza ngovuyo wavakalisa oku: “Ngoku, Nkosi enguMongami, uyalindulula likhululekile ikhoboka lakho ngoxolo ngokovakaliso lwakho; ngenxa yokuba amehlo am ayibonile indlela yakho yokusindisa oyilungisileyo emehlweni awo onke amaqela abantu, ukhanyiselo lokushenxisa isigqubuthelo ezintlangeni nozuko lwabantu bakho uSirayeli.” (Luka 2:25-32) UAna owayeneminyaka engama-84 ubudala naye wamkhumbula uMdali wakhe. Wayesoloko esetempileni yaye wayekho xa imveku enguYesu yayisiwe apho. “Kwaye kanye ngelo lixa wasondela waza waqalisa ukumbulela uThixo nokuthetha ngaye lo mntwana kubo bonke abo babelindele intlangulo yeYerusalem.”—Luka 2:36-38.
7. Injani imeko yabo baye baluphalela enkonzweni kaThixo?
7 AmaNgqina kaYehova anamhlanje aye aluphalela enkonzweni kaThixo anokuba buhlungu ngenxa yokusikelwa umda yiminyaka. Ukanti, hayi indlela onwabe ngayo nendlela esiyixabisa ngayo inkonzo yawo yokuthembeka! ‘Anovuyo lukaYehova,’ kuba ayazi ukuba ulithabathele kuye igunya lakhe elingenakoyiswa kulo mhlaba wamisela uYesu Kristu njengoKumkani onamandla wasezulwini. (Nehemiya 8:10) Ngoku lixesha lokuba abaselula nabadala banikel’ ingqalelo kwesi sibongozo: “Umlisela kwanomthinjana, amadoda amakhulu kunye nabafana: Mabalidumise igama likaYehova, ngokuba liyingxonde igama lakhe yena yedwa; indili yakhe ingaphezu komhlaba nezulu.”—INdumiso 148:12, 13.
8, 9. (a) Ngoobani “Imihla yobubi” engenamvuzo kubo, yaye kutheni kunjalo? (b) Ungayichaza njani iNtshumayeli 12:2?
8 “Imihla yobubi” yokwaluphala ayinamvuzo—mhlawumbi iyanxunguphalisa kakhulu—kwabo bangamkhumbuliyo uMdali wabo Ozukileyo nabangaziqondiyo iinjongo zakhe ezizukileyo. Abanayo ingqiqo yokomoya enokubanceda ekulweni nezilingo zokwaluphala nezinto eziye zakhathaza uluntu ukususela ekugxothweni kukaSathana ezulwini. (ISityhilelo 12:7-12) Ngenxa yoko, iNtshumayeli isibongoza ukuba sikhumbule uMdali wethu “lingekabi mnyama ilanga, nokukhanya, nenyanga, neenkwenkwezi, engekabuyi amafu emva kwemvula.” (INtshumayeli 12:2) Iyintoni intsingiselo yala mazwi?
9 USolomon ufanisa ixesha lobutsha nehlobo lasePalestina xa ilanga, inyanga, neenkwenkwezi zikhanya kwisibhakabhaka esingenamafu. Ngelo xesha izinto zibonakala ziqaqambe kakhulu. Noko ke, ekwaluphaleni imihla yomntu ifana nexesha lasebusika lengqele neemvula, apho iingxaki ziza ziyimvula enye emva kwenye. (Yobhi 14:1) Hayi indlela ekulusizi ngayo ukwazi ngoMdali kodwa ungamkhonzi ngexesha lasehlotyeni lobomi! Ngexesha lasebusika lokwaluphala ebomini, izinto ziba luzizi, ingakumbi kwabo baye bawayeka amathuba okukhonza uYehova ngexesha lobutsha babo ngenxa yokusukela izinto ezililize. Noko ke, kungakhathaliseki ukuba sibangakanani ‘masimlandele uYehova ngokuzeleyo,’ njengoko wenzayo uKalebhi, isinxulumani esinyanisekileyo sikamprofeti uMoses.—Yoshuwa 14:6-9.
Imiphumo Yokwaluphala
10. Yintoni efanekiselwa (a) ‘ngabagcini bendlu’? (b) ‘ngamadoda anobukroti’?
10 USolomon ubuya athethe ngeengxaki ‘zemini abaya kungevezela ngayo abagcini bendlu, agobe amadoda anobukroti, ziyeke iintokazi ezisilayo ngokuba zimbalwa, kube mnyama kwabakhangela ngeefestile.’ (INtshumayeli 12:3) ‘Indlu’ ifanekisela umzimba womntu. (Mateyu 12:43-45; 2 Korinte 5:1-8) “Abagcini” bayo ziingalo nezandla, ezikhusela umzimba zize ziwuncede kwiimfuno zawo. Ekwaluphaleni ngokufuthi ziyangcangcazela ngenxa yokungabi namandla, ukuba novalo nokuba nedumbe. “Amadoda anobukroti”—imilenze—akasezontsika zomeleleyo kodwa abuthathaka yaye agobile kangangokuba iinyawo ziyashixiza nje. Ukanti, ngaba akuvuyiswa kukubona abo balupheleyo ukholwa nabo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu?
11. Ngentetho efuziselayo, ngoobani “iintokazi ezisilayo” ‘nabakhangela ngeefestile’?
11 “Ziyeke iintokazi ezisilayo ngokuba zimbalwa”—njani? Kusenokwenzeka ukuba amazinyo abolile okanye akhutshiwe, kusele nje ambalwa ukuba akho phofu. Ukuhlafuna ukutya okuqinileyo kunzima okanye akuhlafuneki nje ngokupheleleyo. ‘Abakhangela ngeefestile’—amehlo namandla okuqiqa asinceda sibone—banorhatyazo, ukuba phofu basabona.
12. (a) ‘Iingcango ezingasesitratweni zivalwe njani’? (b) Ucinga ntoni ngabavakalisi boBukumkani abalupheleyo?
12 INtshumayeli ihlabela mgama, “zivalwe iingcango ngasesitratweni, kwakubon’ ukuba sidambile isandi sokusila, evuka kwazisathetha iintaka, zinqwile zonke iintombi zengoma.” (INtshumayeli 12:4) Iingcango ezimbini zomlomo—imilebe—azisavuleki kangako okanye azisavuleki kwaukuvuleka ukuze zivakalise oko ‘kusendlwini,’ okanye emzimbeni, kwabo balupheleyo bangamkhonziyo uThixo. Akukho nto bayisa ‘esitratweni’ kubomi bangaphandle. Kodwa kuthekani ngabavakalisi boBukumkani abanenzondelelo nabakhulileyo? (Yobhi 41:14) Basenokuba bayacothoza baye kwindlu ngendlu, yaye kwabanye kusenokuba nzima ukuthetha, kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo bayamdumisa uYa!—INdumiso 113:1.
13. INtshumayeli izichaza njani ezinye iingxaki zabo balupheleyo, kodwa yintoni eyinyaniso ngamaKristu alupheleyo?
13 Ingxolo yelitye lokusila ayisengako kuba ukutya kuhlafunwa ngeentsini. Umntu owalupheleyo akalali ngokuzolileyo kumandlalo wakhe. Uphazanyiswa nakukuntyiloza kwentaka. Zimbalwa iingoma azivumayo, kwaye nayiphi na ingoma ayivumayo uyivuma ngelizwi eliyekeyeke. “Zonke iintombi zeengoma”—iinowuthi zomculo—“zinqwilile.” Umntu owalupheleyo akawuva kakuhle umculo neengoma eziculwa ngabanye. Noko ke, abathanjiswa abakhulileyo namaqabane abo, bambi kubo nabo abasekho batsha, baphakamisa amazwi abo bevuma iingoma zokudumisa uThixo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu. Hayi indlela okusivuyisa ngayo ukuba babe phakathi kwethu, bedumisa uYehova ebandleni!—INdumiso 149:1.
14. Ziziphi izinto ezoyikwa ngabantu abalupheleyo?
14 Hayi indlela ekulusizi ngayo kwabaninzi abalupheleyo, ingakumbi abo baye bamtyeshela uMdali wabo! INtshumayeli ithi: “Naxeshikweni baya kuzoyika iindawo eziphakamileyo, neento eziqhiphula umbilini zibe sendleleni; utyatyambe umamangile, uchabachabase umqhathu, utshitshe umnqweno [“lize ligqabhuke iqunube,” NW]; ngokuba umntu esiya ekhayeni lakhe laphakade, bajikajike ezitratweni abambambazeli.” (INtshumayeli 12:5) Xa bephezulu kwizinyuko abaninzi abalupheleyo boyika ukuwa. Kwanokukhangela nje into ephezulu kunokubenza babe nesiyezi. Ukuba kufuneka baye ezitratweni eziphithizelayo, bayoyika xa becinga ngeengozi ezinokubehlela okanye ukuhlaselwa ngamasela.
15. ‘Umamangile utyatyamba’ njani, yaye umqhathu ‘uchabachabasa’ njani?
15 Kumntu owalupheleyo, ‘umamangile uyatyatyamba,’ ekucaca ukuba kubhekiswa ekujikeni kweenwele zakhe zibe ngwevu, zigqibele ngokuba mhlophe qhwa. Iinwele ezingwevu ziphuma njengokutyatyamba kwamagqabi amhlophe omthi womamangile. Njengoko ‘echabachabasa,’ mhlawumbi ekhokhoba ejingisa iingalo okanye ebambelele esinqeni ezo ngqiniba zigoso zijonge phezulu, ubonakala njengomqhathu. Noko ke, ukuba nabani na kuthi ukhangeleka ngolo hlobo, makabonise abanye ukuba siphakathi komkhosi kaYehova weenkumbi onamandla nohamba ngesantya esiphezulu!—Bona IMboniselo kaMeyi 1, 1998, iphepha 8-13.
16. (a) Kuthetha ukuthini ‘ukugqabhuka kwequnube’? (b) Yintoni ‘ikhaya lomntu laphakade,’ ziziphi iimpawu zokusondela kokufa ezibonakalayo?
16 Umntu owalupheleyo akasenamdla kangako ekutyeni, kwanokuba ukutya okuphambi kwakhe kunencasa njengequnube. Uhlobo lwamaqunube ekuthethwa ngalo apha belusetyenziselwa ukuvuselela umnqweno wokutya. ‘Ukugqabhuka kwequnube,’ kuxa umntu omdala ephelelwa ngumdla wokutya, kwanesi siqhamo asikwazi ukuvuselela umnqweno wakhe wokutya. Izinto ezinjalo zibonisa ukuba ukufuphi ‘nekhaya lakhe laphakade,’ ingcwaba. Iya kuba likhaya lakhe ngonaphakade ukuba akakhange amkhumbule uMdali wakhe yaye uye walandela ikhondo lobungendawo kangangokude uThixo angamkhumbuli eluvukweni. Iimpawu zokusondela kokufa zibonakala ngezikhalazo neencwina eziphuma kwiingcango zomlomo womntu owalupheleyo.
17. “Intambo yesilivere” iqhawuka njani, yaye yintoni enokuba ifanekiselwa ‘liselwa legolide’?
17 Siyabongozwa ukuba simkhumbule uMdali wethu “ingekaqhawuki intambo yesilivere, lityumke iselwa legolide, uqhekeke umphanda emthonjeni, yaphuke ivili iwe equleni.” (INtshumayeli 12:6) “Intambo yesilivere” kungenzeka ukuba ngumnqonqo. Umntu akanakungafi xa eli jelo lingummangaliso lidlulisela imiyalezo engqondweni lonakele ngokupheleleyo. “Iselwa legolide” linokubhekisela engqondweni, eselukakayini olufana negophe, oxokonyezelwe kulo umnqonqo. Noxa ukuyifanisa negolide kuthetha ukuxabiseka kwayo, ukuyeka kwengqondo ukusebenza ngunozala wokufa.
18. Yintoni ‘ivili esequleni’ yokomfuziselo, yaye kwenzeka ntoni yakwaphuka?
18 “Umphanda emthonjeni” yintliziyo, empompa igazi ukuba lijikeleze emzimbeni. Xa umntu efile, intliziyo ifana nomphanda oqhekekileyo, oqhekekele emthonjeni kuba ingasenako ukwamkela ukugcina nokumpompa igazi ukuze londle, lihlaziye umzimba. ‘Ivili ewele equleni’ iyayeka ukujikeleza, kuphele ukujikeleza kwegazi elinik’ ubomi. Ngaloo ndlela, uYehova watyhilela uSolomon ukuba igazi liyajikeleza emzimbeni, kude kudala ngaphambi kokuba ugqirha wenkulungwane ye-17 uWilliam Harvey abonise ukuba liyajikeleza.
19. Asebenza njani ekufeni amazwi akwiNtshumayeli 12:7?
19 INtshumayeli yongezelela yathi: “Lungekabuyeli emhlabeni uthuli, njengoko belunjalo, umoya ubuyele kuThixo owawunikayo.” (INtshumayeli 12:7) Xa “ivili” yaphukile, umzimba womntu, owawenziwe ngothuli lomhlaba, ubuyela eluthulini. (Genesis 2:7; 3:19) Umphefumlo uyafa ngenxa yokuba umoya, okanye amandla obomi, avela kuThixo abuyela kuMdali wethu.—Hezekile 18:4, 20; Yakobi 2:26.
Liyintoni Ikamva Labo Bamkhumbulayo?
20. Yintoni eyayicelwa nguMoses kumthandazo wakhe obhalwe kwiNdumiso 90:12?
20 USolomon wakubonisa ngokucacileyo ukubaluleka kokukhumbula uMdali wethu Ozukileyo. Ngokuqinisekileyo, ubomi obufutshane ngentelekiso nobuzele ziinkathazo asikuphela kwabo, kwabo bamkhumbulayo uYehova baze benze ukuthanda kwakhe ngentliziyo yabo iphela. Enoba baselula okanye sele bekhulile, banesimo sengqondo esifana nesikaMoses, owathandaza wathi: “Sazise kanye ukuyibala imihla yethu, ukuze sizuze intliziyo elumkileyo.” Ngokunyanisekileyo lo mprofeti kaThixo olulamileyo wayenqwenela ukuba uYehova ambonise, okanye amfundise, yena nabantu bakwaSirayeli ukuba babonakalise ubulumko, bayixabise ‘imihla yeminyaka yabo’ baze bayisebenzise ngendlela eyamkelekileyo kuThixo.—INdumiso 90:10, 12.
21. Ukuba siza kubala imihla yethu ukuze kuzukiswe uYehova, yintoni esimele siyenze?
21 AmaKristu aselula ngokukodwa afanele azimisele ukusinikel’ ingqalelo isiluleko seNtshumayeli sokukhumbula uMdali. Anjani wona ukuba mahle amathuba anawo okunikela inkonzo engcwele kuThixo! Noko ke, kungakhathaliseki ukuba sibangakanani, ukuba sifunda ukubala imihla yethu ukuze kuzukiswe uYehova kweli ‘xesha lokuphela,’ singakwazi ukuqhubeka siyibala kude kube ngonaphakade. (Daniyeli 12:4; Yohane 17:3) Kakade ke, ukuze senjenjalo, simele simkhumbule uMdali wethu Ozukileyo. Yaye simele siyiphumeze yonke imbopheleleko yethu kuThixo.
Unokuphendula Uthini?
◻ Kutheni abantu abaselula bebongozwa ukuba bakhumbule uMdali wabo?
◻ Yiyiphi imizekelo eseZibhalweni yabo bakhumbula uMdali wabo Ozukileyo?
◻ Yiyiphi eminye imiphumo yokwaluphala echazwe nguSolomon?
◻ Liyintoni ikamva labo bakhumbula uYehova?
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]
UDavide, intombazana engumSirayeli eyayithinjiwe, uAna noSimeyon bamkhumbula uYehova
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]
AmaNgqina kaYehova alupheleyo anikela inkonzo engcwele kuMdali wethu Ozukileyo