Ekugcineni—Wonke Umuntu Uyoba Nendlu Esezingeni Elifanele!

NGAPHANDLE nje kwaseNairobi, eKenya, kunendawo yeZizwe Ezihlangene engamahektare angu-56 okuthiwa yiGigiri, ehlanganisa nekomkhulu le-UN-HABITAT. Le ndawo yokuhlala iwuphawu lokuzibopha kwamazwe ngamazwe ekuxazululeni inkinga yembulunga yonke yokuntuleka kwezindlu. Uma uhambahamba ngasemzileni okule ndawo okuthiwa iGigiri Nature Trail, ubona ubufakazi obuhlaba umxhwele balokho okungafezwa ngemizamo ebumbene nemali eyanele. Lapha, indawo eyayingamili lutho iye yashintshwa yaba indawo yokuzilibazisa enhle futhi enazo zonke izinto, eyenzelwe izisebenzi nezivakashi.

Nokho, ebangeni elingamakhilomitha ambalwa nje ukusuka lapho, kunendawo entsha yemijondolo ekhula kancane kancane. Le ndawo iyisikhumbuzo esikhungathekisayo sokuthi iyinkathazo kangakanani inkinga ekhona manje yokuntuleka kwezindlu. Le mijondolo, eyakhiwe ngodaka nezintingo kanye nongcwecwe, inobukhulu obungamamitha-skwele angu-16. Imihubhe eyihlukanisayo inezitamukoko zamanzi angcolile anuka phú. Ukuze zithole amanzi, izakhamuzi zalapha zikhokha imali ephindwe kahlanu kunekhokhwa izakhamuzi zase-United States. Iningi labantu abangaba ngu-40 000 abahlala lapha lineminyaka ephakathi kuka-20 no-30 ubudala. Laba bantu abawona amavila noma abantu abayizinokwe. Beza lapha bezofuna imisebenzi eNairobi eseduze.

Isimanga ukuthi abaholi bomhlaba bahlangana lapha endaweni ehlanzekile, enazo zonke izinto futhi ekhangayo bezoqophisana ngekusasa lamadoda, abesifazane nezingane abampofu abahlala emijondolo eyakhelene nale ndawo. Unobhala-jikelele weZizwe Ezihlangene uthi iqiniso elikhungathekisayo ukuthi “umhlaba unayo ingcebo, ulwazi namandla” okungakuthuthukisa ngokuphawulekayo ukuphila kwabantu abahlala emijondolo. Pho, yini okudingeka yenziwe? UMnu. Annan uyaphetha: “Ngiyethemba ukuthi . . . bonke abahilelekile [bayokwazi] ukunqoba ukunganaki nokuzithela ngabandayo kwabaholi bezombusazwe okuye kwaba isithiyo sentuthuko.”

Kodwa liqiniseke kangakanani lelo themba? Yini engashukumisa abaholi bezombusazwe bomhlaba nabezifunda kanye nomasipala ukuba babekele eceleni izinto zabo abazithandayo basebenzele ukuthola ikhambi eliyozuzisa bonke abantu? Nokho, ukhona uMuntu onengcebo, ulwazi namandla okuqeda le nkinga esibhekene nayo manje. Kanti okubaluleke nakakhulu ukuthi unozwela futhi uzimisele ukuthatha isinyathelo ngokushesha. Empeleni, uhulumeni wakhe usuyichazile kakade yonke indlela ahlele ukuyixazulula ngayo ngokuphelele le nkinga yembulunga yonke yokuntuleka kwezindlu.

Uhlelo Olusha Lokwakhiwa Kwezindlu

EBhayibhelini, uMdali wethu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, usinikeza imininingwane yalokho ajonge ukukwenza. Uyathembisa: “Ngidala amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha.” (Isaya 65:17) Lokho kuyoletha ushintsho olukhulu. Lo hulumeni ‘ongamazulu’ amasha uyofeza lokho ohulumeni babantu abakhona manje abahlulekayo ukukufeza. UMbuso, noma uhulumeni kaNkulunkulu, uyoqinisekisa ukuthi wonke umuntu owakha umphakathi omusha wesintu emhlabeni ujabulela impilo enhle, ukulondeka nokuzihlonipha. Ngaphambili, u-Isaya watshelwa ukuthi labo abayoba amalungu alo mphakathi omusha wasemhlabeni bayoqoqwa phakathi ‘nengxenye yokugcina yezinsuku.’ (Isaya 2:1-4) Lokhu kusho ukuthi lolu shintsho seluseduze impela.—Mathewu 24:3-14; 2 Thimothewu 3:1-5.

Okuphawulekayo ukuthi emazwini alotshwe kwamanye amavesi ka-Isaya isahluko 65, uNkulunkulu uthembisa ukuthi ngaleso sikhathi uyokupha wonke umuntu indlu ayozinza kuyo. Uthi: “Ngokuqinisekile bayokwakha izindlu bahlale kuzo; . . . Ngeke bakhe kuhlale omunye.” (Isaya 65:21, 22) Ake ucabange nje ekugcineni usunendlu esezingeni elifanele endaweni ehlanzekile futhi elondekile epharadesi elihle ngokumangalisayo! Ubani ongafisi ukuphila endaweni enjalo? Kodwa ungaqiniseka kanjani ngalokho uNkulunkulu akuthembisile?

Isithembiso Ongasethemba

Ekuqaleni lapho uNkulunkulu edala u-Adamu no-Eva, akazange abashiye dengwane ogwadule. Kunalokho, wababeka ensimini yase-Edene, ipaki elihle eliheleza umoya ohlanzekile futhi elinamanzi amaningi nenala yokudla. (Genesise 2:8-15) U-Adamu watshelwa ukuba ‘agcwalise umhlaba,’ hhayi ukuba awuminyanise ngabantu. (Genesise 1:28) Kusukela ekuqaleni, uNkulunkulu wayehlose ukuba wonke umuntu olapho ajabulele ukuhleleka nobumbano kanye nenala yezinto ezinhle.

Kamuva, ngosuku lukaNowa, umphakathi wesintu wagcwala ubudlova nokuziphatha okubi, futhi ngenxa yalokho “umhlaba wonakala emehlweni kaNkulunkulu weqiniso.” (Genesise 6:11, 12) Ingabe uNkulunkulu wasishalazela lesi simo? Cha. Wathatha isinyathelo ngokushesha. Ngenxa yegama lakhe nangenxa kaNowa olungile nenzalo yakhe, waletha iSikhukhula embulungeni yonke ukuze ahlanze umhlaba. Ngakho lapho uNowa nomkhaya wakhe befika ekhaya labo elisha ngemva kokuphuma emkhunjini, babuye batshelwa ukuba basakazekele kuyo yonke indawo, ‘bande bagcwalise umhlaba.’—Genesise 9:1.

Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile futhi, uNkulunkulu wanikeza ama-Israyeli ifa ayelithembise ukhokho wawo u-Abrahama. Lelo Zwe Lesithembiso lachazwa ‘njengezwe elihle nelibanzi, eligeleza ubisi noju.’ (Eksodusi 3:8) Ngenxa yokungalaleli kwawo, ama-Israyeli azulazula ehlane iminyaka engu-40 engenandawo yokuzinza. Kodwa ekugcineni uNkulunkulu wawanika indawo ayengazinza kuyo, egcwalisa izwi lakhe. Umlando ophefumulelwe uyabika: ‘UJehova wawanika ukuphumula nxazonke. Asikho nesisodwa isithembiso esaphutha kuzo zonke izithembiso ezinhle uJehova ayezenzile endlini ka-Israyeli; zagcwaliseka zonke.’—Joshuwa 21:43-45.

Ukuba Nendlu Ekugcineni!

Kusobala-ke ukuthi amazwi kaJehova aku-Isaya isahluko 65 awazona izethembiso ezingasoze zagcwaliseka. NjengoMdali wazo zonke izinto, ngokuqinisekile unawo amandla okwenza konke okudingekayo ukuze ahlanze umhlaba futhi afeze lokho ayekuhlosile ngawo kusukela ekuqaleni. (Isaya 40:26, 28; 55:10, 11) Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli liyasiqinisekisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyafuna ukukwenza lokho. (IHubo 72:12, 13) Esikhathini esidlule wathatha isinyathelo ukuze anikeze abantu abalungile izindlu ezisezingeni elifanele, futhi uzobuye enze okufanayo maduzane nje.

Empeleni, lapho iNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, ifika emhlabeni, yafundisa abalandeli bayo ngokukhethekile ukuthi bathandazele ukuba ‘intando kaNkulunkulu yenzeke emhlabeni njengasezulwini.’ (Mathewu 6:10) Wabonisa ukuthi umhlaba uyoba ipharadesi. (Luka 23:43) Ake ucabange ukuthi kusho ukuthini lokho. Ngeke kuphinde kube khona imijondolo, amaxhokovana, omalala esikhotheni, noma abantu abaxoshwe ezindlini abahlala kuzo. Yeka ukuthi kuyoba isikhathi esijabulisa kangakanani leso! Ekugcineni, wonke umuntu uyoba nendlu ethi yena ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu!

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 26]

UKWAKHIWA KWEZINDLU KWA-ISRAYELI WASENDULO

Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi ama-Israyeli, njengabantu baseKhanani ababehlala lapho ngaphambi kwawo, ayethanda izindlu ezakhiwe ngamatshe, njengoba lezi zakhiwo zaziqine kakhudlwana futhi nezigebengu zingakwazi ukungena kalula. (Isaya 9:10; Amose 5:11) Kodwa emathafeni, izindonga zezindlu zazakhiwa ngezitini ezomiswe ngelanga noma ezishiswe kohhavini. Uphahla lwezindlu eziningi lwaluyisicaba, futhi ngezinye izikhathi kwakwakhiwa elinye ikamelo ngaphezu kwalo. Ngokuvamile, kwakuba khona uhhavini egcekeni kanti ngezinye izikhathi kwakuye kube khona nomthombo noma ithangi lamanzi.—2 Samuweli 17:18.

UMthetho KaMose wawuhlanganisa nezimiso eziningana maqondana nezindlu. Njengoba ungase ulindele, ukulondeka yikona ngokuyinhloko okwakubalulekile. Kwakumelwe kwakhiwe umthangala ophahleni oluyisicaba ukuze kuvikelwe izingozi. Umyalo weshumi wawuxwayisa ama-Israyeli ukuba angayifisi indlu yomunye umuntu. Noma ubani okwakumelwe athengise indlu yakhe wayeqhubeka enelungelo lokuyihlenga, okungenani okwesikhathi esithile.—Eksodusi 20:17; Levitikusi 25:29-33; Duteronomi 22:8.

Indlu kwa-Israyeli yayibuye ibe yindawo ebalulekile yokufunda ngezinto ezingokomoya. Obaba banikezwa isiqondiso ngokukhethekile sokuba bafundise abantwana babo ngezimfuneko zikaNkulunkulu lapho behleli emizini yabo, futhi kwakungamelwe neze kube nezinto zokukhulekela izithombe endlini.—Duteronomi 6:6, 7; 7:26.

[Isithombe]

Kwa-Israyeli wamandulo, imizi yayisetshenziselwa izinto ezingokomoya, njengokugubha uMkhosi Wamadokodo

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 28]

IZINDLU ZOKUQALA

IBhayibheli alisitsheli ukuthi umuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu, wayenayo yini indlu. Kodwa incwadi kaGenesise 4:17 ithi uKhayini “wakha umuzi wawuqamba ngegama lendodana yakhe u-Enoke.” Ngokwezindinganiso zanamuhla, cishe lo muzi wawuyinxuluma nje elibiyelwe. Lokhu kulandisa akusitsheli ukuthi hlobo luni lwezindlu olwalwakhiwe lapho. Mhlawumbe wonke lo muzi wawakhiwe amalungu aseduze omndeni kaKhayini.

Ezikhathini zokuqala, abantu babevame ukuhlala ematendeni. UJabale, omunye wozalo lukaKhayini, kuthiwa ‘unguyise walabo abahlala ematendeni futhi abanemfuyo.’ (Genesise 4:20) Cishe kwakulula ukumisa amatende nokuthutha nawo ukusuka kwenye indawo kuya kwenye.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izizwe eziningi zaqala ukwakha amadolobha anezindlu eziningi zikanokusho. Ngokwesibonelo, emzini wase-Uri, lapho inzalamizi u-Abrama (u-Abrahama) yake yahlala khona, imivubukulo ibonisa ukuthi ezinye izakhamuzi zazihlala ezindlini ezinethezekile ezibhandiwe futhi zicakiwe ezazinamakamelo angu-13 noma angu-14. Cishe abantu abaningi ngaleso sikhathi babekufisa ukuba nezindlu ezinjalo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

UNkulunkulu uthembisa abalungileyo izindlu ezilondekile