Izithembiso Ongazethemba

UMIKA, umprofethi kaNkulunkulu, wayazi ukuthi kuvamile ukuba izithembiso zingagcwaliseki. Osukwini lwakhe, ngisho nabangane abakhulu babengenakwethenjwa njalo ukugcina izwi labo. Ngakho uMika waxwayisa: “Ungabi nokholo kumngane. Ungabeki ithemba lakho kumngane oyisifuba. Qapha ukuvuleka komlomo wakho kuye olala esifubeni sakho.”—Mika 7:5.

Ingabe uMika wavumela leso simo esidabukisayo ukuba simenze angabaze zonke izithembiso? Cha! Wabonisa ukuzethemba ngokuphelele izithembiso ezenziwa uNkulunkulu wakhe, uJehova. UMika wabhala: “Mina, ngizohlala ngibheke uJehova. Ngizobonisa isimo sengqondo sokumlinda uNkulunkulu wensindiso yami.”—Mika 7:7.

Kungani uMika ayeqiniseka kangaka? Kungenxa yokuthi wayazi ukuthi uJehova uligcina njalo izwi laKhe. Konke uNkulunkulu ayekufunge kokhokho bakaMika kwenzeka ngempela. (Mika 7:20) Ukwethembeka kukaJehova esikhathini esidlule kwanika uMika isizathu esiqinile sokukholelwa ukuthi wayezoligcina izwi laKhe esikhathini esizayo.

“Akuphuthanga Nezwi Elilodwa”

Ngokwesibonelo, uMika wayazi ukuthi uJehova wakhulula ama-Israyeli ebugqilini baseGibhithe. (Mika 7:15) UJoshuwa, owayengomunye wabakhululwa, wakhuthaza amanye ama-Israyeli ukuba abe nokholo kuzo zonke izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu. Ngasiphi isisekelo? UJoshuwa wawakhumbuza: “Nazi kahle ngazo zonke izinhliziyo zenu nangayo yonke imiphefumulo yenu ukuthi akukho nelilodwa izwi kuwo wonke amazwi amahle uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu awakhulumile kini eliye laphutha. Agcwaliseke wonke kini. Akuphuthanga nezwi elilodwa kuwo.”—Joshuwa 23:14.

Ama-Israyeli ayazi kahle ukuthi uJehova wayewenzele izinto ezimangalisayo. Wayesigcwalisile isithembiso saKhe ku-Abrahama, ukhokho wawo owesaba uNkulunkulu, sokuthi inzalo yakhe yayizoba ningi njengezinkanyezi, ithathe nezwe laseKhanani. UJehova wabuye watshela u-Abrahama ukuthi inzalo yakhe yayizohlupheka iminyaka engu-400, kodwa yayizobuyela eKhanani “esizukulwaneni sesine.” Konke lokhu kwenzeka.—Genesise 15:5-16; Eksodusi 3:6-8.

Ama-Israyeli amukelwa ngezandla ezimhlophe eGibhithe ezinsukwini zikaJosefa indodana kaJakobe. Kamuva, abaseGibhithe bawaphoqa ngokhahlo ukuba abe izigqila, kodwa njengoba nje uNkulunkulu ayethembisile, ekupheleni kwenkathi yezizukulwane ezine kusukela ama-Israyeli angena eGibhithe, le nzalo ka-Abrahama yakhululwa ebugqilini baseGibhithe.a

Phakathi neminyaka engu-40 eyalandela, ama-Israyeli athola ubufakazi obengeziwe bokuthi uJehova uzigcina njalo izithembiso zakhe. Ngesikhathi ama-Amaleki ehlasela ama-Israyeli engachukuluzwanga, uNkulunkulu wabalwela abantu bakhe futhi wabavikela. Wazanelisa zonke izidingo zabo ezingokwenyama phakathi nohambo lwabo lweminyaka engu-40 ehlane futhi ekugcineni wababeka eZweni Lesithembiso. Njengoba uJoshuwa ayebukeza umlando wokusebenzelana kukaJehova nale nzalo ka-Abrahama, wayengasho ngokuqiniseka athi: “Asikho nesisodwa isithembiso esaphutha kuzo zonke izithembiso ezinhle uJehova ayezenzile endlini ka-Israyeli; zagcwaliseka zonke.”—Joshuwa 21:45.

Yakha Ukholo Ezithembisweni ZikaNkulunkulu

Ungalwakha kanjani ukholo ezithembisweni zikaJehova, njengoMika benoJoshuwa? Uye wenzeni ukuze ubethembe abanye? Uye uzame ukwazi konke ngabo. Ngokwesibonelo, ungase uthole ukuthi bathembeke kangakanani ngokuqaphela ukuthi bazama ngokwethembeka ukufeza zonke izithembiso zabo. Njengoba uya ubazi kakhudlwana, uya ngokuya ubethemba. Ungenza okufanayo ngokuqondene nokwakha ukholo ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu.

Enye indlela ongakwenza ngayo lokhu iwukuzindla ngendalo nangemithetho eyilawulayo. Ososayensi bathembele kuyo le mithetho, efana naleyo elawula indlela ingqamuzana elilodwa lomuntu elihlukana futhi liphindaphindeke ngayo ukuze likhiqize izigidi zezigidi zamangqamuzana akha umzimba wakho. Empeleni, imithetho elawula izakhi namandla endaweni yonke kumelwe ukuba yasungulwa uMenzi-mthetho onokwethenjelwa ngokuphelele. Ngokuqinisekile ungazethemba izithembiso zakhe, njengoba wethemba imithetho elawula indalo yakhe.—IHubo 139:14-16; Isaya 40:26; Hebheru 3:4.

Ngomprofethi u-Isaya, owayephila ngesikhathi sikaMika, uJehova wasebenzisa ukufika ngesikhathi kwezinkathi zonyaka nomjikelezo wamanzi omangalisayo ukuze abonise ukwethenjelwa kwezwi lakhe. Izimvula zazina minyaka yonke. Zazimatisa inhlabathi okwakwenza ukuba abantu bakwazi ukutshala imbewu yabo bese bevuna umkhiqizo. Mayelana nalokhu, uJehova wathi: “Njengoba nje imvula ethululekayo yehla, neqhwa, kuvela emazulwini futhi kungabuyeli kuleyo ndawo kungazange empeleni kuwumatise umhlaba kuwenze ukhiqize futhi uhlume, futhi impela ohlwanyelayo anikwe imbewu, nodlayo isinkwa, liyoba njalo nezwi lami eliphuma emlonyeni wami. Ngeke libuyele kimi lingabanga namiphumela, kodwa ngokuqinisekile liyokwenza lokho engikujabulelayo, futhi liyophumelela ngokuqinisekile kulokho engilithumele kona.”—Isaya 55:10, 11.

Izithembiso Eziqinisekile ZePharadesi

Ukuhlola indalo kungakwakha ukuthembela kuMdali, kodwa kudingeka okwengeziwe uma ufuna ukufunda ngezithembiso eziyingxenye ‘yezwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe.’ Ukuze ufunde ngalezi zithembiso ngenjongo yokuzethemba, kudingeka uhlole ukulandisa kwemiBhalo okuphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu okuphathelene nenjongo yakhe ngomhlaba nokusebenzelana kwakhe nesintu.—2 Thimothewu 3:14-17.

Umprofethi uMika wayezethemba izithembiso zikaJehova. Wena unokulandisa okuphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu okuningi nakakhulu kunalokho uMika ayenako. Njengoba ufunda iBhayibheli futhi uzindla ngalo, nawe ungalwakha ukholo ekugcwalisekeni kwezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu. Lezi zithembiso azihileli nje inzalo ka-Abrahama engokwemvelo kuphela kodwa sonke isintu. UJehova wathembisa le nzalamizi eyesaba uNkulunkulu: “Ngenzalo yakho zonke izizwe zomhlaba ngokuqinisekile ziyobusiswa ngenxa yokuthi ulalelé izwi lami.” (Genesise 22:18) Ingxenye eyinhloko ‘yenzalo’ ka-Abrahama nguMesiya, uJesu Kristu.—Galathiya 3:16.

NgoJesu Kristu, uJehova uyoqiniseka ukuthi izibusiso zigelezela isintu esilalelayo. Futhi yini uNkulunkulu athembise ukuyenza esikhathini sethu? UMika 4:1, 2 uphendula ngala mazwi ayisiprofetho: “Engxenyeni yokugcina yezinsuku intaba yendlu kaJehova iyomiswa iqine ibe ngaphezu kwesiqongo sezintaba, futhi ngokuqinisekile iyophakanyiswa ngaphezu kwamagquma; izizwe zigobhozele kuyo. Ngokuqinisekile izizwe eziningi ziyohamba zithi: ‘Wozani sikhuphukele entabeni kaJehova nasendlini kaNkulunkulu kaJakobe; uzosifundisa izindlela zakhe, sihambe ezindleleni zakhe.’”

Labo abafunda ngezindlela zikaJehova ‘bakhanda izinkemba zabo zibe ngamageja nemikhonto yabo ibe ngocelemba.’ Noma ikuphi ukuthambekela empini kuyanyamalala. Maduze umhlaba uzogcwala abantu abalungile, futhi akekho oyobathuthumelisa. (Mika 4:3, 4) Yebo, iZwi likaNkulunkulu lithembisa ukuthi ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso ophethwe uJesu Kristu, uJehova uyosusa bonke abacindezeli emhlabeni.—Isaya 11:6-9; Daniyeli 2:44; IsAmbulo 11:18.

Ngisho nalabo abaye bahlupheka futhi bafa ngenxa yokuvukela kwabantu intando kaNkulunkulu bayovuswa benethemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni. (Johane 5:28, 29) USathane namademoni akhe, abaphehli bobubi, bayobe bengekho, nemiphumela yesono sika-Adamu iyosuswa ngomhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo. (Mathewu 20:28; Roma 3:23, 24; 5:12; 6:23; IsAmbulo 20:1-3) Siyoba njani isimo sesintu esilalelayo? Phela, siyobusiswa ngempilo ephelele kuze kube phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi!—IHubo 37:10, 11; Luka 23:43; IsAmbulo 21:3-5.

Yeka izithembiso ezimangalisayo! Kodwa ungazethemba yini? Yebo, ungazethemba. Lezi akuzona izithembiso zabantu okungenzeka banezinhloso ezinhle kodwa bebe bengenawo amandla okuzifeza. Ziyizithembiso zikaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, ongenakuqamba amanga ‘nongephuzi ngokuqondene nesithembiso sakhe.’ (2 Petru 3:9; Hebheru 6:13-18) Ungazethemba ngokuphelele zonke izithembiso eziseBhayibhelini, ngoba uMthombo wazo ‘nguJehova uNkulunkulu weqiniso.’—IHubo 31:5.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

“Akukho nelilodwa izwi kuwo wonke amazwi amahle uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu awakhulumile kini eliye laphutha.”—JOSHUWA 23:14.

[Izithombe ekhasini 4, 5]

UJehova wazigcina izithembiso zakhe ku-Israyeli oLwandle Olubomvu nasehlane

[Izithombe ekhasini 7]

UJehova wasigcwalisa isithembiso sakhe ku-Abrahama. INzalo yakhe, uJesu Kristu, iyolethela isintu izibusiso