Ngaba Ukulungele Ukusinda?
“Ngena, wena nayo yonke indlu yakho, emkhombeni, kuba nguwe endimbone elilungisa phambi kwam phakathi kwesi sizukulwana.”—GENESIS 7:1.
1. Liliphi ilungiselelo lokusinda awalenzayo uYehova ngexesha likaNowa?
UYEHOVA “wazisa unogumbe phezu kwehlabathi labantu abangenabuthixo” ngexesha likaNowa, kodwa wenza nelungiselelo lokusinda. (2 Petros 2:5) UThixo oyinyaniso wanika uNowa olilungisa imiyalelo ecacileyo ngendlela yokwakha umkhombe wokusindisa ubomi ebudeni bomkhukula wehlabathi lonke. (Genesis 6:14-16) Njengomkhonzi othembekileyo kaYehova, ‘uNowa wenza njengako konke oko uThixo abemyalele kona.’ Enyanisweni, “wenza kanye njengoko.” Ngokuyinxenye kungenxa yokuthobela kukaNowa le nto sisaphila namhlanje.—Genesis 6:22.
2, 3. (a) Abantu bexesha likaNowa basabela njani koko kwakusenziwa nguNowa? (b) Yintoni awayenentembelo kuyo uNowa ekungeneni kwakhe emkhombeni?
2 Ukwakha umkhombe kwakungengomsebenzi ulula. Abantu abaninzi bamele ukuba bamangaliswa gqitha koko kwenziwa nguNowa nentsapho yakhe. Sekunjalo, abazange bakholelwe ukuba ukusinda kwakuxhomekeke ekungeneni kwabo kuloo mkhombe. Ekugqibeleni, umonde kaThixo kwelo hlabathi lingendawo waphela.—Genesis 6:3; 1 Petros 3:20.
3 Emva kokusebenza nzima kukaNowa nentsapho yakhe kangangamashumi eminyaka, uYehova wathi kuNowa: “Ngena, wena nayo yonke indlu yakho, emkhombeni, kuba nguwe endimbone elilungisa phambi kwam phakathi kwesi sizukulwana.” Enokholo nentembelo elizwini likaYehova, “uNowa wangena emkhombeni, kunye noonyana bakhe nomfazi wakhe noomolokazana bakhe.” UYehova waluvala ucango ukuze abanquli bakhe bakhuseleke. Ekufikeni kukaNogumbe emhlabeni, umkhombe wangqineka ulilungiselelo elithembekileyo likaThixo losindiso.—Genesis 7:1, 7, 10, 16.
Indlela Ixesha LikaNowa Elifana Ngayo Nelethu
4, 5. (a) UYesu walifanisa nantoni ixesha lobukho bakhe? (b) Ixesha lethu lifana njani nelikaNowa?
4 “Kanye njengokuba yayinjalo imihla kaNowa, buya kuba njalo ubukho boNyana womntu.” (Mateyu 24:37) Ngala mazwi uYesu wayebonisa ukuba ixesha lobukho bakhe obungabonakaliyo laliya kufana nexesha likaNowa, yaye ngokwenene kuye kwaba njalo. Ngokukodwa ukususela ngowe-1919, kuye kwavakaliswa isilumkiso esifanayo neso savakaliswa nguNowa, sivakaliswa kubantu bazo zonke iintlanga. Ubukhulu becala, baye basabela ngendlela efanayo neyabantu bexesha likaNowa.
5 UYehova walitshabalalisa ngoMkhukula elo hlabathi ‘lalizele lugonyamelo.’ (Genesis 6:13) Into yokuba uNowa nentsapho yakhe abazange babe nanxaxheba kolo gonyamelo, kunoko baqhubeka ngoxolo nomsebenzi wokwakha umkhombe, yayizicacele kubo bonke abantu ababebukele. Nanamhlanje imeko iyafana. Abantu abanyanisekileyo ‘bayawubona umahluko phakathi kwelungisa nongendawo, phakathi kwalowo ukhonza uThixo nalowo ungamkhonziyo.’ (Malaki 3:18) Ukunyaniseka, ububele, ukuba noxolo, nokukhuthala kwamaNgqina kaYehova kuyanconywa ngabantu abanyanisekileyo ababukeleyo yaye ezi mpawu zenza abantu bakaThixo bahluke ehlabathini. AmaNgqina ayalugatya lonke uhlobo logonyamelo yaye avumela umoya kaYehova ukuba uwalathise. Kungako nje enoxolo yaye esukela ikhondo lobulungisa.—Isaya 60:17.
6, 7. (a) Yintoni abangazange bayiqonde abantu bexesha likaNowa, yaye bafana njani nabantu banamhlanje? (b) Yiyiphi imizekelo ebonisa ukuba ngokuqhelekileyo amaNgqina kaYehova agqalwa njengawahlukileyo?
6 Abantu bexesha likaNowa abazange bayiqonde into yokuba uNowa wayexhaswa nguThixo yaye wayesenza ngokomyalelo wakhe. Ngoko abazange bakugqale njengento ebalulekileyo ukushumayela kwakhe, yaye abazange basithobele nesilumkiso sakhe. Kuthekani namhlanje? Nangona abantu abaninzi bewuncoma umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova kunye nokuziphatha kwawo, inkoliso yabo ayizigqali njengento ebalulekileyo iindaba ezilungileyo nesilumkiso seBhayibhile. Abamelwane, abaqeshi, okanye izalamane zisenokuwancoma amaKristu okwenyaniso, kodwa zisuke zikhalaze ngokuthi, “Akwaba nje bebengengawo amaNgqina kaYehova!” Ingongoma ebasitheleyo aba bantu yeyokuba into enceda amaNgqina abonakalise uphawu lothando, uxolo, ububele, ukulunga, ubulali nokuzeyisa, kukuba alathiswa ngumoya oyingcwele kaThixo. (Galati 5:22-25) Oku bekufanele kubenze basikholelwe isigidimi sawo.
7 Ngokomzekelo, eRashiya amaNgqina kaYehova ayesakha iHolo yoBukumkani. Kwafika ndoda ithile yaza yathetha nomnye wabasebenzi isithi: “Ayiqhelekanga le nto ndiyibonayo—akukho mntu utshayayo, akukho mntu uthukayo nonxilileyo! Ngaba ningamaNgqina kaYehova?” Lo msebenzi wayibuza wathi, “Ukuba ndingathi asingawo, ngaba ubuya kundikholelwa?” Le ndoda yakhawuleza yathi, “Bendingayi kukukholelwa.” Kwesinye isixeko saseRashiya, usibonda wedolophu wachukumiseka gqitha kukubona amaNgqina esakha iHolo yawo yoBukumkani entsha. Wathi nangona wayekade ecinga ukuba zonke iinkonzo ziyafana, emva kokubona ukunyaniseka nokungazingci kwamaNgqina kaYehova, akasacingi ngaloo ndlela. Le yimizekelo nje emibini ebonisa ukuba abantu bakaYehova bahlukile kwabo bangaphili ngokwemilinganiselo yeBhayibhile.
8. Ukusinda kwethu ekuphelisweni kweli hlabathi lingendawo kuxhomekeke entwenini?
8 Ngaphambi nje kokutshatyalaliswa ngoMkhukula ‘kwehlabathi lamandulo,’ uNowa ‘wayengumshumayeli othembekileyo wobulungisa.’ (2 Petros 2:5) Kule mihla yokugqibela yale nkqubo yezinto, abantu bakaYehova bavakalisa imilinganiselo yakhe yobulungisa neendaba ezilungileyo eziphathelele indlela yokusindela kwihlabathi elitsha. (2 Petros 3:9-13) Njengoko uNowa nentsapho yakhe ehlonel’ uThixo basindiswayo ngomkhombe, ukusinda kwabantu namhlanje kuxhomekeke ekunxulumaneni kwabo ngokholo nangokunyanisekileyo nenxalenye yasemhlabeni yentlangano kaYehova yendalo iphela.
Kufuneka Sibe Nokholo Ukuze Sisinde
9, 10. Kutheni kubalulekile nje ukuba nokholo ukuze sisinde ekuphelisweni kwenkqubo yezinto kaSathana?
9 Yintoni amele ayenze umntu ukuze asinde ekutshatyalalisweni kamsinya kweli hlabathi lisemandleni kaSathana? (1 Yohane 5:19) Okokuqala umele aqonde ukuba kuza kufuneka akhuseleke. Ngoko umele asebenzise amalungiselelo okumkhusela. Abantu bexesha likaNowa baqhubeka nobomi babo bemihla ngemihla, bengayiboni imfuneko yokukhuseleka kwintlekele ezayo. Ikho enye into ababengenayo—ukholo kuThixo.
10 Kwelinye icala, uNowa nentsapho yakhe bayibona imfuneko yokukhuseleka nokusindiswa. Kwakhona babonisa ukholo kuMongami Wendalo Iphela, uYehova uThixo. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi: “Ngaphandle kokholo akunakwenzeka ukumkholisa kakuhle [uYehova], kuba lowo uzayo kuThixo umele akholwe ukuba ukho nokuba ungumvuzi wabo bamfuna ngenyameko.” UPawulos wongezelela wathi: “Ngokholo uNowa, emva kokunikwa isilumkiso sobuthixo sezinto ezingekabonwa, wabonisa uloyiko lobuthixo waza wakha umkhombe wokusindisa indlu yakhe; yaye ngalo olo kholo waligwebela isohlwayo ihlabathi, waza waba yindlalifa yobulungisa bokholo.”—Hebhere 11:6, 7.
11. Yintoni esinokuyifunda kwindlela uYehova aye wabakhusela ngayo abantu kumaxesha adluleyo?
11 Ukuze sisinde ekuphelisweni kwale nkqubo ingendawo yezinto, simele senze okungakumbi kunokukholelwa nje ukuba iza kutshatyalaliswa. Simele sibonise ukholo, siwasebenzise ngokupheleleyo amalungiselelo kaThixo osindiso. Simele sibonise ukholo kwidini lentlawulelo loNyana kaThixo, uYesu Kristu. (Yohane 3:16, 36) Noko ke, simele sikhumbule ukuba kuphela ngabo babengaphakathi emkhombeni kaNowa abasindayo kuMkhukula. Ngokufanayo, izixeko zokusabela ezazikho kwilizwe lakwaSirayeli zazimkhusela umntu obulele omnye ngengozi kuphela ukuba wayebalekela apho aze ahlale apho de kufe umbingeleli omkhulu. (Numeri 35:11-32) Kwisibetho seshumi esafikela iYiputa ngexesha likaMoses, amazibulo amaYiputa abulawa, kodwa awamaSirayeli asindiswa. Ngoba? UYehova wayemyalele wathi uMoses: ‘AmaSirayeli amele athabathe inxalenye yegazi lemvana yePasika, atshize emigubasini yomibini nakumphezulu womnyango wendlu aya kulityela kuyo. Yaye ze kungaphumi namnye kuni ngomnyango wendlu yakhe kude kuse.’ (Eksodus 12:7, 22) Liliphi izibulo lakwaSirayeli elalinokudelela loo myalelo kaThixo lize liphumele ngaphandle kwendlu etshizwe ngegazi kwimigubasi yomibini nakumphezulu womnyango?
12. Nguwuphi umbuzo ngamnye wethu afanele azibuze wona, yaye ngoba?
12 Ngoko sinesizathu esihle sokucinga nzulu ngemeko yethu. Ngaba siyalisebenzisa ilungiselelo likaYehova lokusikhusela ngokomoya? Xa imbandezelo enkulu ifika, baya kuba nemincili nombulelo abo baye benjenjalo. Abanye baya kulila yaye bazisole.
Uhlengahlengiso Lokusinceda Sifanelekele Ukusinda
13. (a) Uhlengahlengiso oluye lwenziwa entlanganweni luye lwafeza yiphi injongo? (b) Chaza olunye uhlengahlengiso oluye lwenziwa.
13 UYehova uye wenza uhlengahlengiso kwinxalenye yasemhlabeni yentlangano yakhe. Oku kuye kwaliqinisa ngakumbi ilungiselelo lakhe lokusikhusela ngokomoya. Ukususela ngeminyaka yee-1870 ukusa kowe-1932, abadala nabadikoni babekhethwa ngokuvotelwa ngamalungu ebandla. Ngowe-1932 ukuvotelwa kwabadala kwathatyathelw’ indawo yikomiti yenkonzo eyayinyulwa libandla ukuze incedise lowo umiselwe njengomalathisi wenkonzo. Ebudeni bowe-1938 kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba bonke abo bakwizigxina zenkonzo ebandleni bamiselwe ngokobuthixo. Ngaphantsi kolwalathiso lweQumrhu Elilawulayo lamaNgqina kaYehova, ukususela ngowe-1972 bekusenziwa uncomelo lwabo bamiselwayo, aze amabandla afumane iileta ezibamisela ngokobuthixo abaveleli nezicaka zolungiselelo ezinconyelweyo. Ekuhambeni kweminyaka, uye wanda umsebenzi weQumrhu Elilawulayo, nto leyo ebangele ukuba kwenziwe uhlengahlengiso ekusingathweni komsebenzi walo.
14. Luluphi ucwangciso lokuqeqesha abalungiseleli oluye lwaqaliswa ngowe-1959?
14 Ngeminyaka yee-1950 kwahlolisiswa ngenyameko iNdumiso 45:16, nto leyo eyakhokelela ekubeni kwenziwe ucwangciso lokuqeqesha abalungiseleli. Eso sibhalo sithi: “Esikhundleni sookhokho bakho iya kuba ngoonyana bakho, oya kubamisela njengeenkosana emhlabeni wonke.” Abadala abakhokelayo emabandleni baqeqeshelwa ukusingatha izabelo zobuthixo ngoku nasemva kweArmagedon. (ISityhilelo 16:14, 16) Kwaqaliswa ilungiselelo leSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani ngowe-1959. Ngelo xesha, kwakuqhutywa isikolo kangangenyanga sokuqeqesha izicaka zamabandla, njengoko abaveleli abongamelayo babebizwa njalo ngoko. Ngoku esi sikolo siquka bonke abaveleli kunye nezicaka zolungiselelo. Emva koko, aba bazalwana baqeqesha amanye amaNgqina kaYehova akumabandla abakhonza kuwo. Ngaloo ndlela, wonk’ ubani uyancedwa aphucule ubumoya bakhe kunye negalelo aba nalo ekuvakaliseni iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani.—Marko 13:10.
15. Ziziphi iindlela ezimbini elikhuselwa ngazo ibandla lamaKristu?
15 Abantu abafuna ukuba yinxalenye yebandla lamaKristu bamele bafikelele imilinganiselo ethile. Ngokusengqiqweni, abagculeli bale mihla abamkelekanga ebandleni, kanye njengokuba bengazange bavunyelwe ukuba bangene nasemkhombeni kaNowa. (2 Petros 3:3-7) Ukususela ngowe-1952, amaNgqina kaYehova aye anikel’ ingqalelo ngakumbi kwilungiselelo lokukhusela ibandla ngokususa kubudlelane aboni abangaguqukiyo. Kodwa bona abenzi-bubi abaguqukayo bancedwa ngothando ukuba ‘bazenzele umendo othe tye iinyawo zabo.’—Hebhere 12:12, 13; IMizekeliso 28:13; Galati 6:1.
16. Injani imeko yokomoya yabantu bakaYehova?
16 Ukuchuma kwabantu bakaYehova ngokomoya akuyonto imangalisayo, kungeyiyo nento eyenzeke ngengozi. Esebenzisa umprofeti uIsaya, uYehova wathi: “Khangelani! Abakhonzi bam baya kudla, kodwa nina niya kulamba. Khangelani! Abakhonzi bam baya kusela, kodwa nina niya kunxanwa. Khangelani! Abakhonzi bam baya kuba nemihlali, kodwa nina niya kudana. Khangelani! Abakhonzi bam baya kumemelela ngovuyo ngenxa yemeko elungileyo yentliziyo, kodwa nina niya kukhala ngenxa yentliziyo ebuhlungu yaye niya kubhomboloza ngenxa yokuwa umoya.” (Isaya 65:13, 14) UYehova uyaqhubeka esinika intabalala yokutya kokomoya okusexesheni nokunempilo, ukuze sihlale somelele ngokomoya.—Mateyu 24:45.
Zilungiselele Ukusinda
17. Yintoni eya kusinceda ukuze sikulungele ukusinda?
17 Kubaluleke ngakumbi ngoku kunangaphambili ukuba ‘sinyamekelane, sivuselelane eluthandweni nasemisebenzini emihle, singakutyesheli ukuhlanganisana kwethu ndawonye, njengoko kulisiko labathile ukwenjenjalo, kodwa sikhuthazane.’ (Hebhere 10:23-25) Ukuba lilungu elikhutheleyo lelinye lamabandla angaphezu kwama-98 000 amaNgqina kaYehova kuya kusinceda ukuba sikulungele ukusinda. Siya kuxhaswa ngabo sikholwa nabo njengoko sizabalazela ukubonakalisa “ubuntu obutsha” yaye sizama ngentliziyo yethu yonke ukunceda abanye bafunde ngelungiselelo likaYehova losindiso.—Efese 4:22-24; Kolose 3:9, 10; 1 Timoti 4:16.
18. Yintoni ekwenza uzimisele ukuhlala ebandleni lamaKristu?
18 USathana nehlabathi lakhe elingendawo bakulangazelela ngamandla ukusikhupha ebandleni lamaKristu. Kodwa sinako ukuboyisa sihlale ebandleni, size sisinde ekuphelisweni kwale nkqubo ingendawo yezinto. Ngamana uthando lwethu ngoYehova nombulelo esinawo ngamalungiselelo akhe othando ungasishukumisela ekubeni sizimisele ngakumbi kunangaphambili ukulwisana nemizamo kaSathana. Ukucamngca ngeentsikelelo esizinandiphayo kuya kusenza sizimisele ngakumbi. Ezinye zezi ntsikelelo ziza kuxutyushwa kwinqaku elilandelayo.
Ubuya Kuphendula Uthini?
• Ixesha lethu lifana njani nexesha likaNowa?
• Luluphi uphawu olubalulekileyo ukuze sisindiswe?
• Luluphi uhlengahlengiso oluye lwalomeleza ilungiselelo likaYehova lokusikhusela?
• Singakulungiselela njani ukusinda?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]
Abantu bexesha likaNowa abazange basigqale njengesibalulekileyo isigidimi sakhe
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]
Kunomvuzo ukuzigqala njengezibalulekileyo izilumkiso zikaThixo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]
Iyintoni injongo yeSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
Ngoku lixesha lokuba sihlale ebandleni lamaKristu