Isizathu Sokuba Simele Silazi IGama LikaThixo

“NGOKUBA bonke abasukuba bebiza egameni LIKAYEHOVA beya kusindiswa.” (Roma 10:13, Inguqulelo yesiXhosa ka-Appleyard) Ngala mazwi umpostile uPawulos wagxininisa indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuba silazi igama likaThixo. Amazwi akhe asibuyisela emva kumbuzo wethu wokuqala: Kutheni ukuze uYesu abeke ‘ukungcwaliswa’ kwegama likaThixo ekuqaleni koMthandazo wakhe Ongumzekelo, ngaphambi kwemicimbi emininzi kangaka ebalulekileyo? Ukuze sikuqonde oko, kufuneka siyiqonde ngakumbi intsingiselo yamagama amabini aphambili.

Okokuqala, igama elithi ‘ukungcwalisa’ lithetha ntoni ngenene? Ngokoqobo lithetha oku: “ukwenza ngcwele.” Kodwa ngaba igama likaThixo alisele lingcwele? Kakade linjalo. Xa silingcwalisa igama likaThixo, asilenzi libe ngcwele ngakumbi kunokuba linjalo. Kunoko, siligqala njengelingcwele, njengelibekelwe bucala, silihlonipha kakhulu. Xa sithandazela ukungcwaliswa kwegama likaThixo, sikhangele phambili kwixesha laxa yonke indalo iya kulihlonipha njengelingcwele.

Okwesibini, kanye kanye iyintoni intsingiselo yokuthi “igama”? Sibonile ukuba uThixo unegama, elinguYehova, kwanokuba igama lakhe libonakala amawakawaka ezihlandlo eBhayibhileni. Sikwaxubushe nangokubaluleka kokubuyisela elo gama kwindawo yalo efanelekileyo eBhayibhileni. Ukuba igama alikho apho, amazwi omdumisi anokuzaliseka njani: “Bakholose ngawe abalaziyo igama lakho; ngokuba akubashiyanga abakuquqelayo wena, Yehova”?—INdumiso 9:10.

Kodwa ngaba ‘ukulazi igama likaThixo’ kubandakanya nje kuphela ukwazi ngengqondo ukuba igama likaThixo ngesiHebhere nguYHWH, okanye ngesiXhosa, nguYehova? Hayi, kuthetha okungakumbi kunoko. Xa uMoses wayekwiNtaba yaseSinayi, “wehla uYehova esefini, wema khona [noMoses], wavakalisa igama likaYehova.” Oku kuvakalisa igama likaYehova kwakuquka ntoni? Kwakuquka inkcazelo eyayingeempawu zakhe: “UYehova, uYehova, uThixo onemfesane, onobabalo, ozeka kade umsindo, omninzi ngenceba nenyaniso.” (Eksodus 34:5, 6) Kwakhona, ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe, uMoses wathi kumaSirayeli: “Ndiya kuvakalisa igama likaYehova.” Walandelisa ngokuthini? Wakhankanya ezinye zeempawu Zakhe ezizukileyo, waza wenza impinda yoko uThixo wayekuphumezile kumaSirayeli ngenxa yegama Lakhe. (Duteronomi 32:3-43) Ngenxa yoko, ukwazi igama likaThixo kuthetha ukufunda oko kumelwa lilo nokunqula uThixo onelo gama.

Ekubeni uYehova eye wanxulumanisa igama lakhe neempawu anazo, iinjongo nezenzo zakhe, sinokusibona isizathu sokuba iBhayibhile isithi igama likaThixo lingcwele. (Levitikus 22:32) Linobungangamsha, likhulu, liyoyikeka yaye liyingxonde. (INdumiso 8:1; 99:3; 148:13) Ewe, igama likaThixo asinto nje emfanisayo. Limmela njengomntu. Lalingelogama nje lokwexeshana elalimele lisetyenziswe ithuba elithile lize kamva lithatyathelw’ indawo sisibizo nje esinjengesithi “Nkosi.” UYehova ngokwakhe wathi kuMoses: “UYehova . . . Ligama lam elo ngonaphakade, sisikhumbuzo sam eso kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana.”—Eksodus 3:15.

Njengoko beya kuzama njalo, abantu abasokuze balishenxise igama likaThixo emhlabeni. “Kuthabathela ekuphumeni kwelanga, kude kuse ekutshoneni kwalo, likhulu igama lam phakathi kweentlanga; nasezindaweni zonke kuqhunyiselwa, kunikelwa igama lam umnikelo ohlambulukileyo; ngokuba likhulu igama lam phakathi kweentlanga; utsho uYehova wemikhosi.”—Malaki 1:11; Eksodus 9:16; Hezekile 36:23.

Ngenxa yoko, ukungcwaliswa kwegama likaThixo kubaluleke ngakumbi kunayo nayiphi na enye imbambano. Zonke iinjongo zikaThixo zinxulunyaniswe negama lakhe. Iingxaki zoluntu zaqalisa xa uSathana wagculela igama likaYehova ngenene embiza ngokuthi ulixoki yaye esithi akakufanele ukulawula isizwe sabantu. (Genesis 3:1-6; Yohane 8:44) Kuphela kuxa igama likaThixo lithethelelwe ngokufanelekileyo oluya kuthi uluntu lunandiphe ukukhululeka ngokupheleleyo kwimiphumo elishwangusha yobuxoki bukaSathana. Kungeso sizathu le nto amaKristu ethandaza ngamandla kangaka ukuba kungcwaliswe igama likaThixo. Kodwa kukho izinto akwanokuzenza, ukuze alingcwalise.

Sinokulingcwalisa Njani IGama LikaThixo?

Enye indlela ikukuthetha nabanye ngoYehova size salathe kuBukumkani bakhe obulawulwa nguKristu Yesu njengobukuphela kwethemba loluntu. (ISityhilelo 12:10) Abaninzi bayakwenza oku, ngenzaliseko yanamhla yamazwi omprofeti uIsaya: “Nithi ngaloo mini, Bulelani kuYehova, nqulani igama lakhe, zaziseni ezizweni izenzo zakhe, izenzo zakhe ezincamisayo; likhankanyeni igama lakhe ukuba liyingxonde. Mbetheleni uhadi uYehova; ngokuba enze ngobungangamsha; makwazeke oko ehlabathini lonke.”—Isaya 12:4, 5.

Enye indlela ikukuthobela imithetho nemiyalelo kaThixo. UYehova waxelela uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli wathi: “Ize niyigcine imithetho yam, niyenze: ndinguYehova. Ize ningalihlambeli igama lam elingcwele; ndongcwaliswa phakathi koonyana bakaSirayeli: ndinguYehova oningcwalisayo.”—Levitikus 22:31, 32.

Ukugcina kwamaSirayeli uMthetho kaYehova kwalingcwalisa njani igama lakhe? UMthetho wanikelwa kumaSirayeli ngesizinzi segama lakhe. (Eksodus 20:2-17) Ngenxa yoko, xa ayewugcina uMthetho, ayebonakalisa imbeko efanelekileyo nokulihlonipha elo gama. Ngokubhekele phaya, igama likaYehova laliphezu kwamaSirayeli njengohlanga. (Duteronomi 28:10; 2 Kronike 7:14) Xa ayesenza okufanelekileyo, oko kwakusizisa uzuko kuye, kanye njengokuba umntwana onesimilo esizisa imbeko kuyise.

Kwelinye icala, xa amaSirayeli ayesilela ukugcina uMthetho kaThixo, ayelihlambela igama lakhe. Ngaloo ndlela, izono ezinjengokwenzela izithixo amadini, ukufungela ubuxoki, ukucinezela olihlwempu nokuhenyuza zichazwa eBhayibhileni ‘njengezihlambela igama likaThixo.’—Levitikus 18:21; 19:12; Yeremiya 34:16; Hezekile 43:7.

Ngokufanayo, amaKristu aye anikwa imiyalelo egameni likaThixo. (Yohane 8:28) Yaye nawo, anxulumene ‘nabantu begama likaYehova.’ (IZenzo 15:14) Ngenxa yoko, umKristu othandaza ngokunyanisekileyo athi, “Malingcwaliswe igama lakho” uya kulingcwalisa elo gama ebomini bakhe ngokuthobela yonke imiyalelo kaThixo. (1 Yohane 5:3) Oku bekuya kuquka ukuthobela imiyalelo eyanikelwa nguNyana kaThixo, uYesu, owahlala emzukisa uYise.—Yohane 13:31, 34; Mateyu 24:14; 28:19, 20.

Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokubulawa kwakhe, uYesu wabalaselisa ukubaluleka kwegama likaThixo kumaKristu. Emva kokuba ethe kuYise: “Ndabazisa igama lakho, ndandiya kubazisa,” uhlabela mgama achaze athi, “ukuze uthando ondithande ngalo lube kubo, nam ndibe kubo.” (Yohane 17:26) Ukufunda kwabafundi igama likaThixo kwabandakanya ukwazi kwabo ngokobuqu uthando lukaThixo. UYesu wenza kwaba nokwenzeka ngabo ukuba baqhelane noThixo njengoYise wabo onothando.—Yohane 17:3.

Indlela Elikuchaphazela Ngayo

Kwintlanganiso yenkulungwane yokuqala yabapostile abangamaKristu namadoda amakhulu eYerusalem, umfundi uYakobi wathi: “USimon lo ukucacisile ukuba wathini na ekuqaleni uThixo ukuzivelela iintlanga, ukuba kuzo alinyulele abantu elakhe igama.” Ngaba unokufaniswa nabo uThixo aye wabanyula ukuba babe ‘ngabantu belakhe igama’ ukuba uyasilela ukulisebenzisa okanye ukulithwala elo gama?—IZenzo 15:14.

Nangona abaninzi bekuthandabuza ukulisebenzisa igama elithi Yehova, ibe nabaguquleli abaninzi beBhayibhile belishiya kwiinguqulelo zabo, izigidi zabantu ehlabathini jikelele ziye ngovuyo zalamkela ilungelo lokuthwala igama likaThixo, lokulisebenzisa kungekuphela nje ekunquleni kodwa kwincoko yemihla ngemihla, nelokulivakalisa kwabanye. Ukuba uthile ebethetha nawe ngoThixo weBhayibhile waza wasebenzisa igama elithi Yehova, ubuya kumnxulumanisa naliphi iqela lonqulo? Kukho nje iqela elinye ehlabathini elisebenzisa igama likaThixo ngokuthe rhoqo kunqulo lwalo, kanye njengokuba abanquli bakhe bamaxesha amandulo babesenjenjalo. BangamaNgqina kaYehova.

Igama elisekelwe eBhayibhileni elithi amaNgqina kaYehova, liwafanisa la maKristu ‘njengabantu begama likaThixo.’ Baneqhayiya lokulithwala elo gama, kuba lilo uYehova uThixo awalinika abanquli bokwenyaniso. KuIsaya 43:10, sifunda oku: “Ningamangqina am, utsho uYehova, nina ningumkhonzi wam endimnyulileyo.” Wayexubusha ngabani apha uThixo? Qwalasela ezinye zeendinyana ezandulelayo.

Kwindinyana yesi-5 ukusa kweyesi-7 zesi sahluko sinye, uIsaya uthi: “Musa ukoyika, ngokuba ndinawe: ndiya kuyizisa imbewu yakho ivela empumalanga, ndikubuthe nasentshonalanga. Ndiya kuthi kumntla, Ethe; nakumzantsi, Musa ukuthintela; nazise oonyana bam bevela kude, neentombi zam zivela eziphelweni zehlabathi: yonke into ebizwe ngegama lam, endiyidalele uzuko lwam, endiyibumbileyo, endiyenzileyo.” Kumhla wethu, ezo ndinyana zibhekisela kubantu bakaThixo buqu aye wabaqokelela bevela kuzo zonke iintlanga ukuze bamzukise nokuze babe ngamangqina akhe. Ngaloo ndlela igama likaThixo alifanisi nje yena kuphela kodwa likwasinceda sifanise abakhonzi bakhe bokwenyaniso emhlabeni namhlanje.

Iintsikelelo Zokwazi Igama LikaThixo

UYehova uyabakhusela abo balithandayo igama lakhe. Umdumisi wathi: “Ngokuba enamathele kum, ndomsiza; ndimse engxondeni, ngokuba elazi igama lam.” (INdumiso 91:14) Kwakhona uyabakhumbula: “Ke kaloku abamoyikayo uYehova bathetha elowo nowabo; uYehova wazibaza iindlebe, weva; incwadi yokukhumbuza phambi kwakhe yabhalelwa abamoyikayo uYehova, abacinga ngegama lakhe.”—Malaki 3:16.

Ngaloo ndlela, iingenelo zokwazi nokulithanda igama likaThixo azipheleliselwanga kobu bomi kuphela. Kuluntu oluthobelayo uYehova uthembise ubomi obungunaphakade kulonwabo emhlabeni oyiParadisi. UDavide waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale athi: “Ngokuba abenzi bobubi baya kunqunyulwa; ke bona abamthembayo uYehova, baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe. Ke bona abalulamileyo baya kulidla ilifa ilizwe, baziyolise ngobuninzi boxolo.”—INdumiso 37:9, 11.

Oku kuya kwenzeka njani? UYesu wayinikela impendulo. KwakuMthandazo Ongumzekelo okwamnye apho wasifundisa ukuba sithandaze sithi, “Malingcwaliswe igama lakho,” wongezelela wathi: “Mabufike ubukumkani bakho, makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini.” (Mateyu 6:9, 10) Ewe, uBukumkani bukaThixo obulawulwa nguYesu Kristu buya kulingcwalisa igama likaThixo buze kwakhona buzise iimeko ezilungileyo kulo mhlaba. Buya kuphelisa ubungendawo buze bushenxise imfazwe, ulwaphulo-mthetho, indlala, ukugula nokufa.—INdumiso 46:8, 9; Isaya 11:9; 25:6; 33:24; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4.

Unokubunandipha ubomi obungunaphakade phantsi kobo Bukumkani. Njani? Ngokwazi uThixo. “Bubo ke obu ubomi obungunaphakade, ukuba mabakwazi, wena ukuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, naye uYesu Kristu omthumileyo.” (Yohane 17:3) AmaNgqina kaYehova aya kukuvuyela ukukunceda uzondle ngolu lwazi lunik’ ubomi.—IZenzo 8:29-31.

Kuthenjwa ukuba inkcazelo ekule ncwadana ikweyisele kwelokuba uMdali unegama lobuqu elixabiseke gqitha kuye. Limele lixabiseke gqitha nakuwe. Kwanga ungakuqonda ukubaluleka kokulazi nokulisebenzisa elo gama, ingakumbi ekunquleni.

Yaye ngamana ungazimisela ukuthi njengoko umprofeti uMika ngokungenaloyika wathi kwiinkulungwane ezininzi ezadlulayo: “Kuba zonke izizwe zihamba, sona eso egameni lothixo waso; thina ke sihamba egameni likaYehova uThixo wethu, ngonaphakade kanaphakade.”—Mika 4:5.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 28]

‘Ukwazi igama likaThixo’ kuthetha okungakumbi kunokwazi nje ngentloko isibakala sokuba igama lakhe nguYehova

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 30]

Igama likaYehova ‘linobungangamsha, likhulu, liyoyikeka yaye liyingxonde.’ Zonke iinjongo zikaThixo zinxulumene negama lakhe

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 29]

Kwinqaku elalikwiAnglican Theological Review (kaOktobha 1959), uGqr. Walter Lowrie wabalaselisa imfuneko yokwazi igama likaThixo. Wabhala oku: “Ebantwini kubaluleke kunene ukwazi igama lokoqobo, igama lobuqu, lalowo simthandayo, lowo sithetha naye, okanye kwanelalowo sithetha ngaye. Kunjalo kanye ke ngolwalamano lomntu noThixo. Umntu ongamaziyo uThixo ngegama ngenene akamazi njengomntu, akakuqhelanga nokuthetha naye (nto leyo ethethwa kukuthandaza), ibe akanakumthanda, ukuba umazi nje njengamandla angengomntu.”