Ungamethemba UNkulunkulu

UNGAMETHEMBA ngokuphelele uNkulunkulu neZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli. Ngemva kokuthemba uNkulunkulu ukuphila kwayo konke, indoda ethile, eyevile eminyakeni eyikhulu ubudala, yanikeza lesi sizathu sethemba layo: “Bhekani, namuhla ngiyahamba indlela yomhlaba wonke; niyazi ezinhliziyweni zenu zonke nasemiphefumulweni yenu yonke ukuthi akuphuthanga nento eyodwa kuzo zonke izinto ezinhle azikhuluma uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ngani; kwenziwa konke kini, akuphuthanga nento eyodwa kukho.” (Omalukeke sizenzele.)—Joshuwa 23:14.

Lendoda, uJoshuwa, umholi ka-Israyeli wasendulo, yakubona ukwethembeka ngokuphelele kukaNkulunkulu neZwi lakhe. Konke uNkulunkulu akuthembisa abakwa-Israyeli kwafezeka. Lapho wazi okwengeziwe ngoMdali nangeZwi lakhe, ungamethemba ngendlela efanayo. Umkhulekeli kaNkulunkulu wakamuva, iNkosi uDavide, wakubeka ngalendlela: “Nabalaziyo igama lakho bayakwethemba wena; ngokuba wena-Jehova awubashiyi abakufunayo.”—IHubo 9:10.

UNkulunkulu Akasoze Akudumaze

Lapho ulazi ngokwengeziwe ‘igama likaNkulunkulu’ nalokho elikushoyo—izinjongo, imisebenzi, nezimfanelo zakhe—kulapho uyomethemba khona ngokwengeziwe. UnguMngane onokwethenjelwa ongasoze akudumaze noma angasifezi isithembiso sakhe. Futhi ungadunyazwa ubuzenzisi balabo abathi bangabameleli bakhe kodwa ababophela abanye uzungu. Abantu abanjalo iBhayibheli lithi abathembekile. Abazenzisi benkolo basho lokhu kodwa benze okuphambene. Njengoba umphostoli uPetru axwayisa, baxhaphaza imihlambi yabo. UPetru wabhala: “Ngenxa yalaba indlela yeqiniso kuyokhulunywa ngayo ngokuchapha. Futhi, ngokukhanuka bayonixhaphaza ngamazwi enkohliso.”—2 Petru 2:2, 3.

Abantu abanjalo abammeleli uNkulunkulu. Bayalihlambalaza iZwi lakhe. Kungani ungazihloleli wena siqu umlando nobufakazi bukaNkulunkulu njengoba buvezwe eBhayibhelini? Ungase ubuze, ‘Kodwa kungani kufanele ngithembe iBhayibheli ngaphezu kwanoma iyiphi enye incwadi?’ Kuyiqiniso ukuthi kuye kwaba nezenzo ezimbi zenkolo ezingenakubalwa kuwo wonke umlando, kodwa iBhayibheli lihlukile. Cabangela izizathu ezilandelayo zokuthemba iBhayibheli.

Izizathu Zokuthemba IBhayibheli

Ungalethemba iBhayibheli ngoba izithembiso neziprofetho zalo ngaso sonke isikhathi ziyafezeka. Nasi nje isibonelo esisodwa. Nakuba kwakungase kubonakale kungakholeki ku-Israyeli owayedingisiwe, uJehova uNkulunkulu, umlobi weBhayibheli, wayethembise ukuthi wayeyomkhulula ekuthunjweni iBabiloni elinamandla futhi ambuyisele eJerusalema. Kwakubonakala kuwukulinda umnyama ongenafu ngoba iBabiloni laliwumbuso wezwe onamandla ngaleso sikhathi futhi lilenze incithakalo ngokuphelele iJerusalema. Kodwa eminyakeni engaba ngu-200 kusengaphambili, uJehova waze wambiza ngisho nangegama umbusi wasePheresiya uKoresi njengowayezogumbuqela iBabiloni abese ekhulula abantu baKhe futhi wabikezela indlela umfula oyisivikelo saseBabiloni owawuyohluleka ngayo ukulivikela. Ungakufunda lokhu kulandisa ku-Isaya 44:24–45:4.

Incwadi ethi Ukubonisana NgemiBhalo ichaza indlela lesi sithembiso esagcwaliseka ngayo: “UKoresi wayengakazalwa ngesikhathi kubhalwa lesi siprofetho. . . . Lesi siprofetho sagcwaliseka ngokuningiliziwe kusukela ngo-539 B.C.E. UKoresi waphambukisa amanzi oMfula i-Ewufrathe aba ichibi lokwenziwa, amasango omfula aseBabiloni ayekwa evulekile ngokunganaki ngesikhathi sedili emzini, iBabiloni lawela kumaMede namaPheresiya ngaphansi kukaKoresi. Ngemva kwalokho, uKoresi wakhulula amaJuda athunjiwe wawabuyisela emuva eJerusalema ewanika umyalo wokwakha futhi ithempeli likaJehova lapho.”a Zonke izithembiso ezenziwe uNkulunkulu njengalesi, zonke iziprofetho eziqukethwe iBhayibheli, ziye zafezeka ngokungenaphutha.

Esinye isibonelo sesiprofetho esigcwalisekayo yilona kanye iqiniso lokuthi ukwethembeka kuye kwancipha ekhulwini lethu leminyaka. IBhayibheli labikezela lokhu njengesici sesikhathi esiphila kuso, ngoba libiza inkathi eyaqala ngeMpi Yezwe I ngo-1914 ngokuthi ‘izinsuku zokugcina’ futhi lithi zaziyoletha “izikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo.” Lakwenza kwaziwa ukuthi osukwini lwethu abantu babeyoba “abazithandayo, . . . abazazisayo, abazidlayo, . . . abangabongiyo, abangathembekile, abangenakho ukusondelana ngokomzwelo okungokwemvelo, abangafuni sivumelwano, abanyundeli, . . . abakhapheli, abanenkani, abakhukhumele ngokuziqhenya.” Futhi labikezela: “Abantu ababi nabakhohlisi bayoqhubeka besuka kokubi baye kokubi kakhulu.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1-4, 13) Yilokho kanye esiye sakubona esikhathini sethu.

Ungalethemba iBhayibheli ngoba lineqiniso elimsulwa. Akekho umuntu oye wakubekela inselele ngokuphumelelayo ukuba neqiniso kweBhayibheli. Usosayensi odumile uSir Isaac Newton wathi: “Ngithola izimpawu eziqiniseke ngokwengeziwe zokwethembeka eBhayibhelini kunanoma imuphi omunye umlando ongengcwele.” Lapha akukho ukuphamba ‘njengezincwadi zezenzakalo zokuphila’ zikaHitler! Futhi iBhayibheli lihluke kanjani kwezinye izincwadi zasendulo? Ethi The Bible From the Beginning ithi: “Emibhalweni eminingi yasendulo efakazela umbhalo, neminyaka eminingi eye yadlula phakathi kwemibhalo yokuqala nefakazelayo, iBhayibheli liphuma phambili ezincwadini ezihlonishwayo [njengalezo zikaHomer, uPlato, nabanye]. . . . Isiyonke imibhalo yasendulo imbalwa uma iqhathaniswa neyeBhayibheli. Ayikho incwadi yasendulo efakazelwa njengeBhayibheli.” Yonke into ekhuluma ngeBhayibheli ibonisa ukuthi lineqiniso elimsulwa.

Ungalethemba iBhayibheli ngoba linembe ngokuphelele kukho konke elikushoyo. IBhayibheli lithi uNkulunkulu “welula inyakatho phezu kwendawo engenalutho; uphanyeka umhlaba phezu kweze.” (Jobe 26:7) Kunokuba liphinde izinkolelo-mbono ezazithandwa ngaleso sikhathi, njengokuthi umhlaba usekelwe izindlovu, iBhayibheli lasho lokho kamuva okwafakazelwa njengeqiniso elingokwesayensi—ukuthi umhlaba ‘uphanyekwe’ emkhathini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-2000 ngaphambi kwesikhathi sikaColumbus, iBhayibheli lakubeka ngokusobala ukuthi umhlaba uyindilinga.—Isaya 40:22.

Ungalethemba iBhayibheli ngenxa yokwethembeka nobuqotho balo. Abalobi beBhayibheli abazange baqambe amanga. Ngisho nalapho lokho ababekusho kwakubamelela kabi, abantu bezwe lakubo, nababusi babo, bawabika ngokwethembeka amaqiniso. Ngokwesibonelo, evangelini lakhe umphostoli uMathewu wavuma obala ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi abaphostoli bakaJesu Kristu babonisa ukuntula ukholo, balwa befuna ukuvelela, futhi bahlamuka ngisho noJesu lapho eboshwa.—Mathewu 17:18-20; 20:20-28; 26:56.

Esinye isizathu esivelele sokuthemba iBhayibheli ukuthi iseluleko seBhayibheli ngaso sonke isikhathi siye sabonakala siwusizo futhi sinenzuzo lapho abantu besethemba futhi besisebenzisa. (IzAga 2:1-9) Iseluleko seBhayibheli siphikisana ngokuphawulekayo neseluleko “sochwepheshe” esiguquguqukayo ngokuphathelene nokubhekana nezinkinga zokuphila. Ngokuqondene nabalobeli bamaphephandaba abanikeza iseluleko esinjalo emaphephandabeni amazwe amaningi, i-Sunday Times yaseLondon yabuza: “Ingabe izinkulungwane zabantu minyaka yonke zithululela izifuba kulezi zimfundamakhwela ezinekhono empeleni ezinikeza iseluleko ngokushwampuluza?” Abalobi beBhayibheli babengashwampuluzi. Babeloba iseluleko esinokwethenjelwa, esiphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu esiye sazibonakalisa sithembekile kuwo wonke umlando.—2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.

“Iseluleko seBhayibheli sangivikela enkambweni eyayingase yonakalise ukuphila kwami,” kusho u-Ellen, osevile eminyakeni engu-30 futhi osemshadweni ojabulisayo. “Abazali bami, ababehlukanisile, babengalithembi ilungiselelo lomshado, futhi eqinisweni bangikhuthaza ukuba ngihlale nje nomuntu othile kunokuba ngishade naye. Uma ngicabanga ngokusimama engiye ngakuthola ekuphileni ngenxa yokulandela izimiso zeBhayibheli, ngiyajabula ngokuthi ngathemba iBhayibheli ngisho nangaphezu kweseluleko sabazali bami siqu.”—Bheka eyabase-Efesu 5:22-31; Heberu 13:4.

“Ngangineminyaka engu-14 kuphela lapho ngiqala ukufunda lokho okushiwo iBhayibheli ngezinto,” kusho uFlorence. “Manje lapho ngibheka emuva ngawo-1960 nezinkathazo ontanga yami abazibangela zona ngokulandela izindinganiso nokuziphatha kwangaleso sikhathi, ngibonga ngiyanconcoza ngesivikelo engasinikezwa iseluleko seBhayibheli njengowesifazane osemusha, ongenakho okuhlangenwe nakho.”—Bheka eyoku-1 Korinte 6:9-11.

“Mina,” kusho uJames, “ngangibanjwe ukugembula, ukubhema, nokuphuza.” Uyaqhubeka: “Ngiyawazi umonakalo lokhu okuye kwawubangela abantu abaningi nemikhaya yabo. Ekuqaleni ngangingakuboni ukuhlangana kweBhayibheli nezinkinga zami. Kodwa sengiyibona ngokusobala indlela elangithonya ngayo ukuba ngicabange okuhle futhi langisiza ukuba ngilondoloze indlela yokuphila enempilo.”—Bheka eyesi-2 Korinte 7:1.

UMary Anne wayecabanga ukuzibulala ngenxa yokucindezela kokuphila nobunzima obungokomzwelo okwakubangelwa isizinda esinezinkathazo. Uthi: “Ukuzibulala kwabonakala kuwukuphela kwekhambi ngaleso sikhathi. Kodwa iBhayibheli lakulungisa ukucabanga kwami. Engakufunda eBhayibhelini yikona kuphela okwabangela ukuba ngingazibulali.”—Bheka eyabaseFilipi 4:4-8.

Yini eyasiza bonke laba bantu? Bahlakulela ukumethemba ngokuphelele uNkulunkulu neZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli. UNkulunkulu waba njengomngane othembekile, othandekayo owayebahlebela iseluleko ezikhathini zobunzima. (Qhathanisa no-Isaya 30:21.) Bafunda izimiso zeBhayibheli ezabasiza ukuba babhekane nokucindezela nezinkinga zokuphila. Futhi bafunda ukuthemba izithembiso ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu ongenakuqamba amanga—njengesithembiso ‘somhlaba omusha’ omuhle ongenakho ukukhohlisa, amanga, nokuxhaphaza nongenalo usizi, ukugula, ngisho nokufa!—2 Petru 3:13; IHubo 37:11, 29; IsAmbulo 21:4, 5.

Ungakuhlakulela ukuthemba okunjalo. Izwe namuhla lingase likudumaze lapho uthembele kulo, kodwa ungaqiniseka ukuthi ukuthembela kwakho kuNkulunkulu naseZwini lakhe ngeke kwephulwe nanini. Abanyathelisi balomagazini bayokujabulela ukuhlela ukuba othile akusize umazi kangcono uNkulunkulu neZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

Eminyakeni engaba ngu-200 kusengaphambili, umprofethi kaNkulunkulu wabikezela indlela iBabiloni elaliyogumbuqelwa ngayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

USir Isaac Newton wathola ukuthi iBhayibheli linokwethenjelwa