Imithetho KaThixo Iyingenelo Kuthi

“Hayi indlela endiwuthanda ngayo umthetho wakho!”—INDUMISO 119:97.

1. Sisiphi isimo sengqondo esixhaphakileyo namhlanje ngokuphathelele ukuthobela imithetho kaThixo?

UKUTHOBELA imithetho kaThixo asinto ithandwayo namhlanje. Kwabaninzi, ukuthobela igunya elongamileyo elingabonakaliyo kubonakala kuyinto engekho ngqiqweni. Siphila kwixesha apho abantu bakholelwa ukuba imigaqo iyaguquguquka, apho kungekho migaqo icacileyo yokwahlula okulungileyo kokubi, nalapho kwiimeko ezininzi izinto zingachazwa ngokungqalileyo enoba zilungile okanye ziphosakele. (IMizekeliso 17:15; Isaya 5:20) Lubhenca indlela yokucinga eqhelekileyo phakathi kwebutho labantu abaninzi abangenamdla elunqulweni, uhlolisiso olusandul’ ukwenziwa lubonisa ukuba “inkoliso yabantu baseMerika ifuna ukuzigqibela ngoko kulungileyo noko kuyingenelo.” Inkoliso ikhetha uThixo “ongekho ngqongqo. Imithetho engekho ngqongqo. Ayifuni balawuli bangqongqo abanemilinganiselo yokuziphatha okanye eminye imilinganiselo ethile.” Omnye umhlalutyi ngemicimbi yasekuhlaleni uthi namhlanje “kulindeleke ukuba abantu bazigqibele ngokwabo ngoko kuthethwa kukuphila ngendlela ethe tye nokuziphatha okuhle.” Wahlabela mgama esithi: “Naliphi na igunya eliphakamileyo lifanele livisisanise imithetho yalo neemfuno zabantu bokwenene.”

2. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ekukhankanywa kuyo umthetho okwesihlandlo sokuqala inxulumene njani ngokusondeleyo neentsikelelo kunye nenkoliseko kaThixo?

² Ekubeni abantu abaninzi bekuthandabuza ukuxabiseka kwemithetho kaYehova, kufuneka someleze ulweyiseko lwethu lokuba imilinganiselo kaThixo iyingenelo kuthi. Kubangel’ umdla ukuqwalasela ingxelo yeBhayibhile ekukhankanywa kuyo umthetho okwesihlandlo sokuqala. KwiGenesis 26:5, amazwi kaThixo athi: “UAbraham . . . waqhubeka eyigcinile imfanelo yakhe kum, imiyalelo yam, imimiselo yam, nemithetho yam.” Loo mazwi athethwa kwiinkulungwane ngaphambi kokuba uYehova anike inzala ka-Abraham uluhlu lwemithetho eneenkcukacha. UThixo wamvuza njani uAbraham ngentobelo yakhe, kuquka ukuthobela imithetho Yakhe? UYehova uThixo wamthembisa: “Ngokuqinisekileyo ziya kuzisikelela ngembewu yakho zonke iintlanga zomhlaba.” (Genesis 22:18) Ngaloo ndlela, ukuthobela imithetho kaThixo kunxulumene ngokusondeleyo nokuzuza iintsikelelo kunye nenkoliseko kaThixo.

3. (a) Omnye umdumisi wathi uvakalelwa njani ngomthetho kaYehova? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esifanele sinikele ingqalelo kuyo?

³ Omnye wabadumisi—mhlawumbi inkosana yakwaYuda leyo yayiza kuba ngukumkani kwixa elizayo—wachaza indlela avakalelwa ngayo esebenzisa igama ekungaqhelekanga ukuba linxulunyaniswe nomthetho. Wathi kuThixo: “Hayi indlela endiwuthanda ngayo umthetho wakho!” (INdumiso 119:97) Wayengadanduluki nje ngenxa yemincili. Wayechaza uxabiso analo ngokuthanda kukaThixo njengoko kwandlalwe emthethweni. UYesu Kristu, uNyana kaThixo ofezekileyo, wayevakalelwa ngendlela efanayo. Kwaprofetwa ngoYesu njengalowo uthi: “Ukwenza ukuthanda kwakho, Thixo wam, kundiyolisile, nomthetho wakho ungaphakathi ezibilinini zam.” (INdumiso 40:8; Hebhere 10:9) Kuthekani ngathi? Ngaba siyavuyiswa kukwenza ukuthanda kukaThixo? Ngaba seyisekile ngendlela eluncedo neyingenelo ngayo imithetho kaYehova? Ukuthobela kwethu imithetho kaThixo kunayiphi indima kunqulo lwethu, kubomi bethu bemihla ngemihla, xa sisenza izigqibo, nakulwalamano lwethu nabanye? Ukuze sithande umthetho kaThixo, kufuneka siqonde isizathu sokuba kufanelekile ngoThixo ukumisela nokugunyazisa ukusetyenziswa kwemithetho.

UYehova—UMmisi-mthetho Ofanelekileyo

4. Kutheni uYehova engoyena Mmisi-mthetho ufanelekileyo?

⁴ NjengoMdali, uYehova ngoyena Mmisi-mthetho ufanelekileyo kwindalo iphela. (ISityhilelo 4:11) Umprofeti uIsaya wathi: “UYehova nguMmisi-mthetho wethu.” (Isaya 33:22) Umisele imithetho yemvelo elawula indalo ephilayo nengaphiliyo. (Yobhi 38:4-38; 39:1-12; INdumiso 104:5-19) Njengendalo kaThixo, umntu ufanele ayithobele imithetho kaYehova yemvelo. Yaye nangona umntu enelungelo lokuzikhethela, ekwazi ukusebenzisa ingqondo, wonwaba kuphela xa ezithoba kwimithetho kaThixo enokuthanani nokuziphatha naleyo iphathelele izinto zokomoya.—Roma 12:1; 1 Korinte 2:14-16.

5. Umgaqo ofumaneka kwabaseGalati 6:7 uyinyaniso njani ngokuphathelele imithetho kaThixo?

⁵ Njengoko sisazi, imithetho kaYehova yemvelo ayinakwaphulwa. (Yeremiya 33:20, 21) Ukuba umntu wenza ngokuchasene nemithetho ethile yemvelo—njengomthetho womxhuzulane—uvuna akuhlwayeleyo. Ngokufanayo, imithetho kaThixo enokuthanani nokuziphatha ayinakuguqulwa yaye ubani akanakuyityeshela okanye ayaphule aze angohlwaywa. Nayo imele ithotyelwe njengemithetho yakhe yemvelo, nangona imiphumo isenokungabonakali ngokukhawuleza. “UThixo akanakwenziwa intlekisa. Loo nto ayihlwayelayo umntu, uya kuvuna kwayona.”—Galati 6:7; 1 Timoti 5:24.

Oko Kugutyungelwayo NguMthetho KaYehova

6. Yintoni equkiweyo kwimithetho kaThixo?

⁶ Indlela ebalaseleyo owachazwa ngayo umthetho kaThixo kuseMthethweni kaMoses. (Roma 7:12) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, endaweni yoMthetho kaMoses, uYehova uThixo wamisela “umthetho kaKristu.”a (Galati 6:2; 1 Korinte 9:21) NjengamaKristu aphantsi ‘komthetho ogqibeleleyo wenkululeko,’ siyaqonda ukuba ulwalathiso lukaThixo alupheleliselwanga nje kwiinkalo ezithile zobomi bethu, njengeenkolelo ezisisiseko okanye unqulo oluthile lwesithethe. Imilinganiselo yakhe igubungela zonke iinkalo zobomi bethu, kuquka imicimbi yentsapho, ezoshishino, indlela yokuphatha abantu besini esahlukileyo, isimo sengqondo ngokubhekisele kwamanye amaKristu nokuba nenxaxheba kunqulo oluyinyaniso.—Yakobi 1:25, 27.

7. Nika imizekelo yemithetho kaThixo ebalulekileyo.

⁷ Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile ithi: “Abahenyuzi, nabanquli-zithixo, nabakrexezi, namadoda agcinelwe iinjongo ezingezozamvelo, namadoda alala namadoda, namasela, nabantu ababawayo, namanxila, nabatshabhisi, nabaphangi abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.” (1 Korinte 6:9, 10) Ewe, ukukrexeza nohenyuzo “asikokuthandana” nje. Izenzo zobufanasini “aziyondlela nje yahlukileyo yokuphila.” Kukwaphula umthetho kaYehova. Kunjalo nangezinto ezinjengokuba, ukuxoka nokuhleba. (INdumiso 101:5; Kolose 3:9; 1 Petros 4:15) UYakobi wakugxeka ukuqhayisa, ngoxa uPawulos wanikela icebiso lokuba siphephe intetho yobudenge nokuqhula okungamanyala. (Efese 5:4; Yakobi 4:16) KumaKristu, yonke le mithetho yokuziphatha iyinxalenye yomthetho kaThixo ogqibeleleyo.—INdumiso 19:7.

8. (a) Unjani umthetho kaYehova? (b) Yintoni intsingiselo esisiseko yegama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “umthetho”?

⁸ Loo mithetho isisiseko ifumaneka kwiLizwi likaYehova, ibonisa ukuba umthetho wakhe awuloludwe nje lwemimiselo engqongqo. Isisiseko sobomi obulungeleleneyo nobunenjongo, yaye ubani uzuza iingenelo kuzo zonke iinkalo zokuziphatha. Umthetho kaThixo uyakha, usesikweni yaye uyafundisa. (INdumiso 119:72) Igama elithi “umthetho” ngokweendlela alisebenzise ngayo umdumisi, liguqulelwe ngokusuka kwigama lesiHebhere elithi toh·rahʹ. Omnye umphengululi weBhayibhile uthi: “Eli gama lithatyathwe kwisenzi esithetha ukwalathisa, ukukhokela, ukujolisa. Ngoko ke, intsingiselo yalo . . . ithetha umgaqo olawula ihambo.” Kumdumisi, umthetho wawusisipho esivela kuThixo. Ngaba asifanele siwuxabise ngendlela efanayo, siwuvumele ukuba uxonxe ubomi bethu?

9, 10. (a) Kutheni sifuna ukhokelo olunokuthenjwa? (b) Yiyiphi ekuphela kwendlela esinokufumana ngayo ubomi obonwabisayo nobuphumelelayo?

⁹ Zonke izidalwa zifuna ulwalathiso nokhokelo olunokuthenjwa. Kunjalo ngoYesu nezinye iingelosi, eziphakamileyo kunomntu. (INdumiso 8:5; Yohane 5:30; 6:38; Hebhere 2:7; ISityhilelo 22:8, 9) Ukuba ezi zidalwa zifezekileyo zinokungenelwa kukhokelo lukaThixo, kubeka phi ke kubantu abangafezekanga! Imbali yabantu namava ethu akungqine kuyinyaniso oko kwathethwa ngumprofeti uYeremiya: “Ndazi kakuhle, Yehova, ukuba ayikho semntwini wasemhlabeni indlela yakhe. Asikokomntu ohambayo ukwalathisa inyathelo lakhe.”—Yeremiya 10:23.

¹⁰ Ukuba sinqwenela ukuphila ubomi obonwabisayo nobunempumelelo, simele sifune ukhokelo lukaThixo. UKumkani uSolomon wayiphawula ingozi yokuphila ngemilinganiselo ubani azibekele yona, angaphili ngokuvisisana nokhokelo oluvela kuThixo, waza wathi: “Kukho indlela ethe tye phambi komntu, kodwa emva koko ziindlela zokufa.”—IMizekeliso 14:12.

Izizathu Zokuthanda Umthetho KaYehova

11. Kutheni sifanele sibe nomnqweno wokuqonda umthetho kaThixo?

¹¹ Sifanele sihlakulele umnqweno onzulu wokuqonda umthetho kaYehova. Umdumisi wavakalisa umnqweno onjalo xa wathi: “Vula amehlo am, ukuze ndikhangele kwizinto ezimangalisayo ezisemthethweni wakho.” (INdumiso 119:18) Okukhona sisazi uThixo neendlela zakhe, kokukhona siya kubuqonda ngakumbi ubunyaniso bamazwi kaIsaya athi: “Mna, Yehova, ndinguThixo wakho, Lowo ukufundisa okuyingenelo kuwe, Lowo ukubangela unyathele endleleni ofanele uhambe ngayo. Owu ukuba nje kuphela okunene ubunganikela ingqalelo kwimiyalelo yam!” (Isaya 48:17, 18) UYehova ukunqwenela ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba abantu bakhe bakuphephe ukwehlelwa yintlekele baze babunandiphe ubomi ngokunikela ingqalelo kwimiyalelo yakhe. Makhe sihlolisise ezinye zezizathu eziphambili zokuba sifanele siwuthande umthetho kaThixo.

12. Isibakala sokuba uYehova esazi kakuhle simenza njani abe ngoyena Mmisi-mthetho ofanelekileyo?

¹² Umthetho kaThixo uvela kuLowo usazi kakuhle. Ekubeni uYehova enguMdali wethu, kusengqiqweni ukucinga ukuba ibe nguye osazi ukusuka nokuhlala. (INdumiso 139:1, 2; IZenzo 17:24-28) Abahlobo abasenyongweni, izalamane kwanabazali bethu abanakusazi njengokuba uYehova esazi. Kaloku, uThixo usazi nangaphezu kokuba thina sizazi! Ayinakuthelekiswa nanto indlela uMenzi wethu aziqonda ngayo iintswelo zethu zokomoya, indlela esivakalelwa ngayo, indlela esicinga ngayo neentswelo zethu zokwenyama. Njengoko ephethulela ingqalelo yakhe kuthi, ubonisa ukuba uyazi kakuhle indlela esibunjwe ngayo neminqweno yethu. UYehova uyaziqonda iintsilelo zethu, kodwa uyawazi namandla esinawo okwenza okuhle. Umdumisi uthi: “Kuba yena uyakwazi ukuyilwa kwethu, ekhumbula ukuba siluthuli.” (INdumiso 103:14) Ngaloo ndlela, sinokuziva sinqabisekile ngokomoya njengoko sifuna ukuhamba emthethweni kaThixo, sizithoba ngokuvumayo kukhokelo lwakhe.—IMizekeliso 3:19-26.

13. Kutheni sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova unomdla ngokwenene kuthi?

¹³ Umthetho kaThixo uvela kuLowo usithandayo. UThixo unenkxalabo enzulu ngempilo-ntle yethu. Ngaba akazange azincame anikele ngoNyana wakhe ukuba abe “yintlawulelo ngenxa yabaninzi”? (Mateyu 20:28) Ngaba uYehova akasithembisanga ukuba ‘akayi kusiyekela sihendwe ngaphaya koko sinokukuthwala’? (1 Korinte 10:13) Ngaba iBhayibhile ayisiqinisekisi ukuba ‘usikhathalele’? (1 Petros 5:7) Akukho namnye umntu onomdla onyanisekileyo wokunika indalo engabantu ukhokelo oluyingenelo ngaphezu koYehova. Uyakwazi oko kusifaneleyo yaye uyayazi nento enokusenza sonwabe okanye enokusenza sinxunguphale. Nangona singafezekanga yaye sisenza iimpazamo, ukuba sisukela ikhondo lobulungisa, ubonakalisa uthando kuthi ngeendlela eziya kubangela ukuba sizuze ubomi neentsikelelo.—Hezekile 33:11.

14. Yiyiphi indlela ebalulekileyo owahluke ngayo umthetho kaThixo kwiingcamango zabantu?

¹⁴ Umthetho kaThixo ngokuqinisekileyo awuguquguquki. Kula maxesha siphila kuwo azaliswe ziziphithiphithi, uYehova akaguquguquki, wayekho ukususela ephakadeni kude kuse ephakadeni. (INdumiso 90:2) Ethetha ngaye, wathi: “NdinguYehova, anditshintshanga.” (Malaki 3:6) Imilinganiselo kaThixo, njengoko yandlalwe eBhayibhileni, inokuthenjwa ngokupheleleyo—ngokungafaniyo neengcamango zabantu ezihlala ziguquka. (Yakobi 1:17) Ngokomzekelo, kangangeminyaka izazi ngengqondo bezikhuthaza ukufekethiswa kwabantwana, kodwa kamva ezinye ziye zayiguqula indlela ezicinga ngayo zaza zavuma ukuba bezenze impazamo. Imilinganiselo nokhokelo lwehlabathi ngokuphathelele lo mbandela iguquguquka ngokungathi ivuthuzwa ngumoya. Noko ke, iLizwi likaYehova aliguquguquki. Kangangeenkulungwane iBhayibhile iye yanikela isiluleko ngendlela yokukhulisa abantwana ngothando. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Nani, boyise, musani ukubacaphukisa abantwana benu, kodwa qhubekani nibakhulisela kwingqeqesho nasekweyiselweni kwengqondo kuYehova.” (Efese 6:4) Hayi indlela okuthuthuzela ngayo ukwazi ukuba sinokuthembela kwimilinganiselo kaYehova, ayisokuze iguquke!

Iintsikelelo Kwabo Bathobela Imithetho KaThixo

15, 16. (a) Uya kuba yintoni umphumo xa sisebenzisa imilinganiselo kaYehova? (b) Imithetho kaThixo inokuba lukhokelo oluphilileyo njani emtshatweni?

¹⁵ Esebenzisa umprofeti wakhe uIsaya, uThixo wathi: ‘Ilizwi lam eliphuma emlonyeni wam liya kuphumelela ngokuqinisekileyo.’ (Isaya 55:11) Njengoko sizabalazela ukulandela imilinganiselo efumaneka kwiLizwi lakhe, siya kuphumelela, senze okuhle size sonwabe.

¹⁶ Phawula indlela imithetho kaThixo elukhokelo olusengqiqweni ngayo ukuze umtshato uphumelele. UPawulos wabhala: “Umtshato mawubekeke phakathi kwenu nonke, nesilili somtshato masingadyojwa, kuba uThixo uya kubagweba abahenyuzi nabakrexezi.” (Hebhere 13:4) Amaqabane omtshato kufuneka ahlonelane yaye athandane: “Ngamnye wenu makamthande umfazi wakhe njengoko ezithanda; ke yena umfazi, makabe nentlonelo enzulu ngendoda yakhe.” (Efese 5:33) Uhlobo lothando oluyimfuneko luchazwe kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 13:4-8: “Uthando luzeka kade umsindo yaye lunobubele. Uthando alunakhwele, alugwagwisi, alukhukhumali, aluziphathi ngokungandilisekanga, alufuni ezalo izilangazelelo, alucaphuki. Alunanzondo. Alubi nemihlali ngentswela-bulungisa, kodwa luvuyisana nenyaniso. Luthwala izinto zonke, lukholelwa izinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lunyamezela izinto zonke. Uthando aluze lutshitshe.” Umtshato onothando olunjengolu uya kuphumelela.

17. Ziziphi iingenelo zokuphila ngemilinganiselo kaYehova ngokuphathelele ukusetyenziswa kotywala?

¹⁷ Obunye ubungqina bokuba imilinganiselo kaYehova iyingenelo, sisibakala sokuba uyabugweba ubunxila. Akakholiswa ‘nakukuzinikela kwiwayini eninzi.’ (1 Timoti 3:3, 8; Roma 13:13) Abantu abaninzi abayityeshelayo imilinganiselo kaThixo ngokuphathelele lo mbandela bathwaxwa zizifo ezibangelwa okanye ezenziwa mandundu kukusela ngokugqithiseleyo. Betyeshela isiluleko seBhayibhile sokusela ngobungcathu, abanye baye baba nomkhwa wokusela ngokugqithiseleyo ukuze “baphumle kamnandi.” Zininzi iingxaki ezibangelwa kukusela ngokugqithiseleyo, ziquka ukungabi nantlonelo, iingxabano phakathi kwamalungu entsapho okanye ukuqhekeka kwentsapho, ukuchithwa kwemali nokuphelelwa ngumsebenzi. (IMizekeliso 23:19-21, 29-35) Ngaba imilinganiselo kaYehova ephathelele ukusetyenziswa kotywala ayisikhuseli?

18. Ngaba imithetho kaThixo iluncedo kwimibandela ephathelele imali? Chaza.

¹⁸ Imilinganiselo kaThixo iye yangqineka iluncedo nakwimibandela ephathelele imali. IBhayibhile ikhuthaza amaKristu ukuba anyaniseke yaye akhuthale. (Luka 16:10; Efese 4:28; Kolose 3:23) Ngenxa yokuba elandela esi siluleko, amaKristu amaninzi aye anyuselwa kwizikhundla eziphezulu okanye aye aqhubeka esebenza kwiindawo zawo zempangelo xa abanye bephelelwa ngumsebenzi. Umntu uyakwazi ukulondoloza imali xa ephepha ukukhotyokiswa yimikhwa engavisisaniyo neZibhalo, enjengokungcakaza, ukutshaya nokusebenzisa kakubi iziyobisi. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, unokucinga nangeminye imizekelo yendlela ekuyingenelo ngayo ngokwezoqoqosho ukusebenzisa imilinganiselo kaThixo.

19, 20. Kutheni kulikhondo lobulumko ukuthobela nokubambelela kwimithetho kaThixo?

¹⁹ Kulula ukuba abantu abangafezekanga baphambuke kwimithetho nemilinganiselo kaThixo. Khawucinge ngamaSirayeli kwiNtaba yeSinayi. UThixo wathi kuwo: “Ukuba nithe nalithobela okunene ilizwi lam, nawugcina ngenene umnqophiso wam, ngokuqinisekileyo noba yinqobo kum kwizizwana zonke.” Aphendula athi: “Konke akuthethileyo uYehova sikulungele ukukwenza.” Ukanti, akhetha ukulandela ikhondo elahluke ngokupheleleyo koko! (Eksodus 19:5, 8; INdumiso 106:12-43) Ngokwahlukileyo kuwo, masithobele imilinganiselo kaThixo size sibambelele kuyo.

²⁰ Ikhondo lobulumko nelonwabisayo kukubambelela kwimithetho engenakuthelekiswa nanto, esiyinikwe nguYehova yokusikhokela ebomini bethu. (INdumiso 19:7-11) Ukuze siphumelele ekwenzeni oku, kufuneka siqonde ukubaluleka kwemigaqo evela kuThixo. Lowo ngumxholo wenqaku elilandelayo.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Ngaba Usakhumbula?

• Kutheni sinokuba nentembelo yokuba imithetho kaThixo iyingenelo kuthi?

• Kutheni sifanele siwuthande umthetho kaYehova?

• Imithetho kaThixo iyingenelo ngaziphi iindlela?

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]

UAbraham wasikelelwa gqitha ngenxa yokuthobela kwakhe umthetho kaYehova

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]

Amaxhala obomi obuxakekileyo banamhlanje abangela abaninzi baphambuke emthethweni kaThixo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Njengenqaba enesibane sokukhanyisela iinqanawa eyakhiwe elulwalweni, umthetho kaThixo awuguquguquki