Umbono WeBhayibheli
Usizo Osizini Lwakho
“USIZI LUSENZA SONKE SIBE ABANTWANA FUTHI—LUBHUBHISA KONKE UKUNGAFANI KWAMAZINGA OKUHLAKANIPHA. ONGQONDONGQONDO ABAZI LUTHO.”—URALPH WALDO EMERSON, UMLOBI WEZINKONDLO NEZINDABA WASEMELIKA WEKHULU LE-19.
UDOSI lokufa alubazwisi ubuhlungu nje kuphela kodwa futhi lubathena amandla abaningi abasele—indoda, inkosikazi, ubaba, umama, indodana, indodakazi, noma umngane. Abahlakaniphileyo bangase babuze imibuzo kodwa bangezwa zimpendulo eziduduzayo, nabaqinile bangakhala ngenxa yosizi kodwa bangatholi nduduzo. Abafundi beBhayibheli bangase bakhumbule ukukhala kukaDavide ekubulaweni kuka-Abisalomu oyiqili: “Hawu, ndodana yami Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami Abisalomu! Sengathi nga ngifile esikhundleni sakho, Abisalomu, ndodana yami, ndodana yami!” (2 Samuweli 18:33) Lokhu kwakungekhona ukulilela kwenkosi imbuka; kwakungubaba elilela indodana yakhe eshonile. Kungenzeka nawe wake waba nomuzwa ofanayo lapho ushonelwe.
Phakathi nesikhathi sosizi olujulile, kungase kuphakame imibuzo eyinkinga engqondweni. ‘Kungani kwenzekile? Ingabe uNkulunkulu ubazi ukuthi lokhu kuzokwenzeka? Uma ubazi, kungani engazange akuvimbele?’ Nakuba umuntu engase abe nolwazi oluhle lweBhayibheli futhi azi ukuthi abafileyo bazovuswa, imibuzo ekhathazayo ingase idinge ukuzindla okujulile ukuze athole induduzo.
Izimpendulo ezingaqondile azikulethi ukwaneliseka kwangempela, ziletha induduzo engamanga. Ukutshelwa ukuthi ‘uNkulunkulu ubemdinga othandiweyo wakho’ ngokuvamile kubangela ukumfulathela uNkulunkulu ngomoya wokudabuka. Iqiniso, njengoba litholakala eBhayibhelini, liphendula imibuzo ephathelene nosizi futhi lisondeze umuntu eduze noJehova uNkulunkulu, kunokuba limdedisele kude naye. Siyaqinisekiswa kweyesi-2 Korinte 1:3, 4 ukuthi unguYise wobubele noNkulunkulu wenduduzo yonke.
Ulwazi LukaNkulunkulu Namandla Akhe Kuyalinganisela
UJehova, uMninimandla onke, wazi konke okwenzeka endalweni yakhe enkulu. IHubo 11:4 liyasiqinisekisa: “UJehova, isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi sisezulwini; amehlo akhe ayabuka, izinkophe zakhe ziyahlola abantwana babantu.” KumaHeberu 4:13 umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Akukho-nto edaliweyo engabonakali phambi kwakhe.” Akukhona nje ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyazi kuphela kodwa uyakhathalela! UJesu wathi: “Akuthengwa yini imizwilili emibili ngendibilishi na? Kepha akuyikuwa phansi namunye kuyo ngaphandle kukaYihlo. . . . Nina niyayidlula imizwilili eminingi.”—Mathewu 10:29, 31.
Ingabe uNkulunkulu ubengakuvimbela ukufa kwangaphambi kwesikhathi kothandekayo nosizi olukulandelayo? Yebo, ubengakwenza. “KuNkulunkulu kungenzeka konke,” kusho uJesu. (Marku 10:27) Esikhathini eside esidlule, uJehova wezwa umkhuleko kaHezekiya owayesefa futhi wamphulukisa wayesenezela iminyaka ethile ekuphileni kwakhe. (Isaya 38:2-5) Akukho kungabaza ngamandla kaJehova okwenza konke akuthandayo, kodwa kufanele siqonde okwengeziwe ngentando yakhe. Sonke sike safunda ukulandisa ngabantu ababelimale ngokungathi sína noma ababegula, kodwa baphila. Ingabe uJehova wangenela endabeni yabo?
Abanye abantu banamandla angaphezu kwavamile okululama nesifiso esinamandla sokuphila. Lokhu kungase kubangele ukululama kwabo okubonakala kuyisimangaliso. Noma indlela ethile entsha yokwelapha iye yaphumelela. Ngakho, akumelwe siphethe ngokuzenzekelayo ngokuthi kungenele uJehova.—Filipi 4:13.
IZwi LikaNkulunkulu Liyachaza Ukuthi Kungani Abantu Befa
KumaRoma 5:12, umphostoli uPawulu uchaza ngendlela elula kakhulu ukuthi ukhokho wethu u-Adamu wahlubuka kuMdali wakhe futhi wagwetshelwa ukufa ngokufanelekile. Njengoba siyinzalo yakhe, siyizoni futhi sibhekene nokufa nganoma yisiphi isikhathi. Asinaso isiqinisekiso sokuphila okuqhubekayo. INkosi yasendulo ehlakaniphile uSolomoni ikwenza kucace ukuthi isikhathi nesenzakalo esingalindelekile kungafikela noma ubani nganoma isiphi isikhathi, kungaba ingozi ebucayi noma ukugulela ukufa okungalindelekile. Noma umuntu angase azalwe nokukhubazeka okufushanisa ukuphila kwakhe. USolomoni uyachaza futhi ukuthi kuNkulunkulu kukhona isikhathi nethuba lazo zonke izinto. UNkulunkulu ubeke isikhathi sokuphulukisa, hhayi oyedwa noma abambalwa kuphela, kodwa sonke isintu esikholwayo phakathi nokubusa kukaKristu Jesu.—UmShumayeli 3:1; 9:11; 1 Korinte 15:25, 26.
Khumbula lombono ongokoqobo: AmaKristu awakhululekile osizini olukhathaza uhlanga lwesintu futhi ngaleyondlela abhekana nokuhlangenwe nakho okwehlela isintu ngokuvamile. “Ukuvivinywa enikubekezelele akungaphezu kwalokho abantu ababhekana nakho ngokuvamile.”—1 Korinte 10:13, The Jerusalem Bible.
Indlela Yokululama
Ukufa kuyisikhathi sosizi esihambisana nobuqotho obukhulu ekunxuseni uJehova, uMuzwi womkhuleko. Manje kunanini ngaphambili, sondela kuNkulunkulu. Manje kunanini ngaphambili, thulula inhliziyo yakho unxusele ukuqonda, ucele amandla okuvumelana nezimo. IBhayibheli lisikhuthaza ukuba senze lokho kanye. UPetru uthi: “Niphonse izinkathazo zenu zonke phezu kwakhe, ngokuba uyanikhathalela.” (1 Petru 5:7) Yeka indlela aduduza ngayo amazwi kaNkulunkulu ku-Isaya 57:15: “Usho kanje ophakamileyo nophezulu, ohlala kuze kube-phakade, ogama lakhe lingoNgcwele, uthi: Ngihlala endaweni ephakemeyo nengcwele, kepha nakuye onomoya ochotshoziweyo nothobekileyo.” Ochotshoziwe unamathela kuYise; kunokusondelana okukhulu kunanini ngaphambili. “Lapho usondela ngokwengeziwe kuNkulunkulu, kulapho eyosondela ngokwengeziwe kuwe,” kubhala uJakobe. (Jakobe 4:8, JB) UJakobe usiqinisekisa ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uzimisele ukusinikeza ukuhlakanipha namandla adingekayo ukuze silulame.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, uyothola ukuthi uyoba umuntu onozwela ngokwengeziwe ngovivinyo nosizi lwabanye, uzwelana nabo ngokwengeziwe. Uyokwazi okwengeziwe ngendlela abanye abantu abazizwa ngayo nendlela yokunikeza amazwi enduduzo nethemba. Ungase ukwazi ukusiza odabukileyo abhekane nosizi lwakhe. Yebo, uyoba nesisa ngokwengeziwe kwabanye ekucindezelekeni kwabo.—Filipi 2:1.
Ukulahlekelwa othandekayo kungaba lusizi futhi kube buhlungu okwesikhathi esithile, mhlawumbe isikhathi eside. Nokho, ekugcineni, kungase kunikeze umbono ocace kakhudlwana wethemba elingaphambili, ithemba lokukhonza uNkulunkulu kungekho okuhlangenwe nakho okubuhlungu. Nobuntu bethu bobuKristu bungase buqine nangokwengeziwe.—1 Petru 1:6, 7.
Ngakho naphezu kobuhlungu bosizi, ungadangali! Kwenze isinqumo sakho ukuqhubeka ukhonza uNkulunkulu ngokwethembeka nangobuqotho, kube inkazimulo nodumo kuye nensindiso yakho yaphakade.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 26]
The Day Before Parting by Jozef Israels: Gift of Alice N. Lincoln, Courtesy, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston