waqhubeka efunda kuye. Akazange azixelele ukuba wazi yonk’ into. Emva koko, uEliya wathathwa sisaqhwithi somoya, waza uElisha wabuyela kuMlambo iYordan. Ukufika kwakhe apho, wabetha amanzi omlambo ngesambatho sikaEliya waza wathi: “Uphi na uYehova uThixo kaEliya?” Amanzi aphinda ahlukana.—2 Kumkani 2:8-14.

¹⁶ Ngaba uphawule ukuba ummangaliso kaElisha wokuqala ufana twatse nokaEliya wokugqibela? Isifundisa ntoni loo nto? UElisha akazange acinge ukuba, ekubeni inguye ngoku ophetheyo, umele enze izinto ngokwahlukileyo kuEliya. Kunoko, ukuxelisa kwakhe uEliya kwabonisa ukuba wayemhlonela umqeqeshi wakhe, nto leyo eyenza abanye abaprofeti bamthemba. (2 Kumkani 2:15) UElisha waba ngumprofeti iminyaka eyi-60, yaye uYehova wamnika amandla okwenza imimangaliso emininzi kunaleyo yenziwa nguEliya. Bangafunda ntoni abazalwana abaqeqeshwayo kulo mzekelo?

17. (a) Abazalwana abaqeqeshwayo bangamxelisa njani uElisha? (b) UYehova angabasebenzisa njani ethubeni abazalwana abaqeqeshwayo abathembekileyo?

¹⁷ Xa ufumana igunya elingakumbi ebandleni, ungacingi ukuba kufuneka wenze izinto ngendlela eyahluke mpela kunale ufike kusenziwa ngayo. Ukhumbule ukuba, utshintsho lumele lwenziwe kuphela xa kuyimfuneko ebandleni naxa kukho ulwalathiso oluvela kwintlangano kaYehova. Awunakusuka utshintshe izinto kuba nje ufuna. Xa uElisha engazange atshintshe indlela kaEliya yokwenza izinto, wabonisa ukuba uyamhlonela umqeqeshi wakhe, nabanye abaprofeti batsho bamthemba. Ukuba nawe ke uqhubeka uzisebenzisa iindlela zomqeqeshi wakho ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni, ubonisa ukuba uyabahlonela abadala abanamava, yaye abazalwana noodade baza kukuthemba. (Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 4:17.) Njengoko usiba namava, uya kutsho ukwazi ukwenza utshintsho oluya kunceda ibandla lilandele intlangano kaYehova, esoloko ihambela phambili. Ethubeni uYehova angakunceda wenze izinto ezinkulu kunabadala abakuqeqeshayo, kanye njengokuba wenzayo kuElisha.—Yohane 14:12.

18. Kutheni kungxamisekile ukuba kuqeqeshwe abazalwana emabandleni?

¹⁸ Sinethemba lokuba la macebiso akweli nqaku nelilandulelayo aza kukhuthaza abadala abangakumbi ukuba baqeqeshe abazalwana. Kwaye sithandazela nokuba abazalwana abangakumbi bavume ukuqeqeshwa nokusebenzisa izinto abazifundayo ukuze banyamekele abantu bakaYehova. Loo nto iya kuwaqinisa amabandla ehlabathini lonke ize incede ngamnye wethu ukuba ahlale ethembekile kula maxesha abangela imincili.

1. Kutheni simele sibhinq’ omfutshane ukuze ubuhlobo bethu noYehova buhlale bomelele?

UKUBA sele uliNgqina likaYehova elibhaptiziweyo, uneyona nto ixabisekileyo. Unobuhlobo obusondeleyo noYehova. Kodwa ihlabathi likaSathana lifuna ukubuqhawula obo buhlobo, ibe nokungafezeki kwethu kunokubenza buthathaka. Ngenxa yaloo nto, sonke simele sibhinq’ omfutshane ukuze sigcine ubuhlobo bethu noYehova bomelele.

2. (a) Buyintoni ubuhlobo? (Jonga umbhalo osemazantsi.) (b) Sinokubomeleza njani ubuhlobo bethu noYehova?

² Ngaba uyakholelwa nyhani ukuba uYehova ukho? Ngaba umjonga njengoMhlobo wakho? Ngaba awungethandi ukuba ubuhlobo bakho naye bomelele nangakumbi? UYakobi 4:8 uthi: “Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.” Ubuhlobo bakho noYehova bakhiwa nguwe naye.a (Funda umbhalo osemazantsi.) Ukuba uyazisondeza kuye, naye uya kuzisondeza kuwe. Okukhona uzisondeza kuye, kokukhona eya kuba ngumntu wokwenene kuwe, ibe niya kusondelelana kangangokuba ude uvakalelwe njengoYesu xa wathi: “Lowo undithumileyo uyinene” futhi “mna ndiyamazi.” (Yohane 7:28, 29) Kodwa ke ungazisondeza njani kuYehova?

3. Sinokunxibelelana njani noYehova?

³ Ukuba uyafuna ukusondela kuYehova, kubalulekile ukuba nihlale ninxibelelana. Kodwa inokwenzeka njani loo nto? Khawucinge ngendlela eninxibelelana ngayo nomhlobo wakho ohlala kude. Ninokuhlala nibhalelana nize nifowunelane. Nawe unokuthetha noYehova ngokuhlala uthandaza. (Funda iNdumiso 142:2.) Kodwa ke ungamvumela njani uYehova ukuba naye athethe nawe? Kufuneka ulifunde rhoqo ilizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile, uze ucinge nzulu ngaloo nto uyifundayo. (Funda uIsaya 30:20, 21.) Makhe sibone ukuba ukunxibelelana ngolu hlobo noYehova kunokumenza njani abe nguMhlobo wakho wokwenene.

MVUMELE UYEHOVA ATHETHE NAWE XA UFUNDA IBHAYIBHILE

4, 5. UYehova uthetha njani nawe xa ufunda iBhayibhile? Zekelisa.

⁴ Siyayazi into yokuba iBhayibhile inomyalezo kaThixo oya kubo bonke abantu. Kodwa ngaba inokukunceda wena ukuba usondele kuYehova? Ewe! Njengoko uqhubeka uyifunda yonk’ imihla iBhayibhile, qwalasela indlela ovakalelwa ngayo ngale nto uyifundayo. Emva koko, cinga indlela onokuyisebenzisa ngayo. Xa uyenza le nto, uvumela ukuba uYehova athethe nawe. Uba nguMhlobo onokukunceda, ibe nawe uyasondela kuye.—Hebhere 4:12; Yakobi 1:23-25.

⁵ Ngokomzekelo, uvakalelwa njani xa ufunda la mazwi kaYesu athi: “Musani ukuziqwebela ubuncwane emhlabeni”? Ukuba uzama ngamandla akho onke ukumbeka kwindawo yokuqala ebomini bakho, uya kutsho ubone ukuba uYehova uyakholiswa nguwe. Kodwa usenokuthi xa ufunda la amazwi kaYesu, uqonde ukuba kufuneka ubenze lula ubomi bakho uze umsebenzele ngakumbi uThixo. Ukuba kunjalo, uYehova uyakunceda wazi kakuhle ukuba yintoni wena onokuyenza ukuze usondele kuye.—Mateyu 6:19, 20.

6, 7. (a) Xa sifunda iBhayibhile, yintoni eyenzekayo kuthando lwethu nolukaYehova? (b) Sifanele sibe yintoni esona sizathu sethu sokufunda iBhayibhile?

⁶ Xa siyifunda iBhayibhile, siye sibone izinto esinokuzitshintsha ukuze simkhonze kakuhle uYehova. Kodwa siye sibone nezinto ezintle azenzayo kunye nendlela athandeka ngayo, zinto ezo zisenza simthande nangakumbi. Ibe njengoko sisiya simthanda nangakumbi, naye uya esithanda, ngaloo ndlela ubuhlobo bethu naye buya busomelela.—Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 8:3.

⁷ Ukuba sifuna ukusondela kuYehova, kubalulekile ukuba siyifunde ngeenjongo ezintle iBhayibhile. Kaloku uYesu wathi: “Oku kuthetha ubomi obungunaphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, wena ukuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, nangalowo umthumileyo, uYesu Kristu.” (Yohane 17:3) Zininzi izinto ezintsha nezibangela umdla esinokuzifumana eBhayibhileni xa siyifunda, kodwa esona sizathu sethu sokuyifunda sifanele sibe kukumazi kakuhle uYehova.—Funda iEksodus 33:13; iNdumiso 25:4.

8. (a) Abanye basenokuvakalelwa njani ngokohlwaya kukaYehova uKumkani uAzariya? (b) Ukuba umazi nyhani uYehova, yintoni onokuqiniseka ngayo?

⁸ Xa uYehova enguMhlobo esisondeleyo kuye, asiyi kuba nangxaki xa iBhayibhile ingasoloko isichazela isizathu sokuba azenze ngendlela ethile ezinye izinto. Ngokomzekelo, xa uAzariya wayengukumkani kwaYuda, abantu babenqula izithixo. UAzariya akazange ayenze yena loo nto. “Waqhubeka esenza oko kuthe tye emehlweni kaYehova.” (2 Kumkani 15:1-5) Kodwa uYehova wamohlwaya ngesifo seqhenqa. Kwakutheni? Le nxalenye yeli bali ayisicaciseli. Ngoko uvakalelwa njani ngale nto wayenzayo uYehova? Ngaba iyakukhathaza, ikwenza ucinge ukuba uYehova wayemdlel’ indlala uAzariya, emohlwaya ngaphandle kwesizathu? Ayifanelanga ikukhathaze. Kaloku, ukuba umazi nyhani uYehova, uyazi ukuba ingqeqesho yakhe isoloko ilungile. Usoloko esohlwaya “ukusa kumlinganiselo ofanelekileyo.” (Yeremiya 30:11) Ngoko ke, nangona ungazi ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uYehova ohlwaye uAzariya, unako ukuqiniseka ukuba akazange amdlel’ indlala.

9. Yiyiphi ingcombolo esinceda siqonde ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uYehova amohlwaye ngeqhenqa uAzariya?

⁹ IBhayibhile iyasichazela iinkcukacha ezingakumbi ngobomi bukaKumkani uAzariya, owayekwabizwa ngokuthi nguKumkani u-Uziya. (2 Kumkani 15:7, 32) Xa liqhubeka eli bali kweyesi-2 yeziKronike 26:3-5, 16-21, siva ukuba wenza “okulungileyo emehlweni kaYehova.” Kodwa ke kuphinda kuthiwe, kamva “intliziyo yakhe yaba nekratshi ukusa kwinqanaba lokonakala.” Lo kumkani wazama ukwenza into ekwakuvumeleke ababingeleli kuphela ukuba bayenze. Ababingeleli abayi-81 bazama ukumnqanda. Wenza ntoni ngaloo nto? Ikratshi lakhe lalisele liqatsele kangangokuba wade waba nomsindo! Le ngcombolo isinceda siqonde ukuba kwakutheni ukuze uYehova amohlwaye ngeqhenqa lo kumkani.

10. Kutheni kungeyomfuneko ukusoloko sizazi izizathu zokuba uYehova enze izinto ngendlela ethile? Yintoni enokukwenza uyithembe into yokuba uYehova usoloko esenza okulungileyo?

¹⁰ Isifundisa ntoni yonke le nto? Eli bali likaKumkani uAzariya linengcombolo eyaneleyo ukusinceda siqonde isizathu sokuba uYehova amohlwaye. Kodwa uza kuthini xa iBhayibhile ingasiniki zonke iinkcukacha? Ngaba uza kuthandabuza ukuba uYehova wenze okulungileyo? Okanye ngaba uza kubona ukuba iBhayibhile ineenkcukacha ezininzi ezisenza siyithembe into yokuba uThixo usoloko esenza okulungileyo? (Duteronomi 32:4) Njengoko usiya umazi kakuhle uYehova, uya kumthanda uze umthembe nangakumbi. Xa kunjalo ke, akuyomfuneko ukufuna ukwazi isizathu sayo yonk’ into ayenzayo. Njengoko ufunda iBhayibhile, uza kuya ubuqonda ubuntu bukaYehova uze usondele kuye.—INdumiso 77:12, 13.

XA UTHANDAZA UTHETHA NOYEHOVA

11-13. Uyazi njani into yokuba uYehova uyayiphulaphula imithandazo? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

¹¹ Xa sithandaza, siyasondela kuYehova. Siyamdumisa, simbulele, simcele nokuba asincede. (INdumiso 32:8) Kodwa ukuze ube ngumhlobo osondeleyo kaYehova, umele weyiseke ukuba uyayiva imithandazo.

¹² Abanye abantu bathi uThixo akayimameli imithandazo, ibe ukuthandaza yindlela nje yokukwenza uzive