Umbono WeBhayibheli

Ingabe Munye Kuphela UNkulunkulu Weqiniso?

UMOLOKI, u-Ashitoreti, uBhali, uDagoni, uMerodaki, uZeyusi, uHermesi kanye no-Arthemisi bamane nje bangabanye bonkulunkulu nonkulunkukazi abashiwo ngamagama eBhayibhelini. (Levitikusi 18:21; AbaHluleli 2:13; 16:23; Jeremiya 50:2; IzEnzo 14:12; 19:24) Kodwa, nguJehova kuphela imiBhalo embiza ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke. Engomeni yokunqoba, uMose wahola abantu bakhe lapho becula bethi: “Ngubani phakathi konkulunkulu onjengawe, Jehova?”—Eksodusi 15:11.

Kuyacaca ukuthi iBhayibheli libeka uJehova ngaphezu kwabo bonke abanye onkulunkulu. Kodwa banayiphi indima lab’ onkulunkulu abangaphansi kukaJehova? Ingabe bona, kanye nabanye onkulunkulu abaningi abebelokhu bekhulekelwa kuyo yonke le minyaka, bangonkulunkulu bangempela abangaphansi kukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, uJehova?

Onkulunkulu Abaqanjiwe

IBhayibheli lithi nguJehova kuphela onguNkulunkulu weqiniso. (IHubo 83:18; Johane 17:3) Umprofethi u-Isaya waloba amazwi ashiwo uNkulunkulu uqobo lapho ethi: “Ngaphambi kwami kwakungekho Nkulunkulu owabunjwa, nangemva kwami kwaqhubeka kungekho noyedwa. Mina—mina nginguJehova, ngaphandle kwami akekho umsindisi.”—Isaya 43:10, 11.

Bonke abanye onkulunkulu abagcini nje ngokuthi babe ngaphansi kukaJehova. Ezikhathini eziningi abekho nhlobo—bamane nje bangonkulunkulu abaqanjwe abantu. IBhayibheli lithi lab’ onkulunkulu ‘bawumkhiqizo wezandla zomuntu . . . , abakwazi ukubona noma ukuzwa noma ukudla noma ukuhogela.’ (Duteronomi 4:28) IBhayibheli lifundisa ngokucacile ukuthi nguJehova kuphela uNkulunkulu weqiniso.

Akumangalisi ukuthi imiBhalo ixwayisa ngokungananazi ngokukhulekela noma yimuphi unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaJehova. Ngokwesibonelo, umyalo wokuqala eMiyalweni Eyishumi eyanikwa uMose, isizwe sakwa-Israyeli sasendulo satshelwa ukuba singabakhulekeli abanye onkulunkulu. (Eksodusi 20:1) Kungani?

Okokuqala, ukuhlonipha unkulunkulu ongekho kuyisihlamba esikhulu kuMdali. IBhayibheli lithi abakhulekeli balab’ onkulunkulu bamanga ‘baye benana iqiniso likaNkulunkulu ngamanga, bahlonipha indalo futhi banikela inkonzo engcwele kuyo kunakuLowo owadala.’ (Roma 1:25) Ngokuvamile lab’ onkulunkulu abaqanjiwe bayizithixo ezenziwe ngezinto ezitholakala emvelweni, njengensimbi noma ukhuni. Iningi labo lifaniswa nezinto zemvelo, njengokuduma kwezulu, ulwandle kanye nomoya. Kuyacaca-ke ukuthi ukuhlonishwa kwalab’ onkulunkulu bamanga kuyisenzo sokungamhloniphi uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.

Onkulunkulu bamanga kanye nezithombe zabo bayisinengiso kuMdali. Kodwa ngokuyinhloko amazwi kaNkulunkulu okusola aqondiswe kubantu abenze lab’ onkulunkulu bamanga. Indlela azizwa ngayo ivezwe ngokunamandla kula mazwi: “Izithombe zezizwe ziyisiliva negolide, umsebenzi wezandla zomuntu wasemhlabeni. Zinawo umlomo, kodwa azikhulumi lutho; zinawo amehlo, kodwa aziboni lutho; zinazo izindlebe, kodwa azizwa lutho. Futhi akukho moya emlonyeni wazo. Labo abazenzayo bayofana nsé nazo, wonke umuntu othembela kuzo.”—IHubo 135:15-18.

Kunesinye isizathu sokuba iBhayibheli likhiphe isixwayiso esinamandla ngokukhulekela noma ubani nanoma yini ngaphandle kukaJehova uNkulunkulu. Ukukhulekela okunjalo bekuyosho ukuchitha isikhathi esiningi nomzamo omkhulu. Umprofethi u-Isaya washo la mazwi kufanele: “Ubani obumbé unkulunkulu noma obumbe umfanekiso oncibilikisiwe? Akubanga nanzuzo nhlobo.” (Isaya 44:10) IBhayibheli liphinde lithi “bonke onkulunkulu bezizwe bangonkulunkulu abangasizi ngalutho.” (IHubo 96:5) Onkulunkulu bamanga abayilutho, futhi ukukhulekela into engekho akufezi lutho.

UJesu, Izingelosi NoDeveli

ImiBhalo ngezinye izikhathi iyababiza abantu abangokoqobo ngokuthi bangonkulunkulu. Nokho, ukuhlola ngokucophelela kwembula ngokucacile ukuthi igama elithi “nkulunkulu” kulezi zenzakalo alisho ukuthi lowo muntu kumelwe akhulekelwe njengonkulunkulu. Kunalokho, ngokwezilimi zokuqala iBhayibheli elalotshwa ngazo, igama elithi “nkulunkulu” lalisetshenziselwa ukuchaza umuntu onamandla noma umuntu onesimo esifana nesikaNkulunkulu noma ohlobene eduze noNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke.

Ngokwesibonelo, amanye amavesi eBhayibhelini abhekisela kuJesu Kristu njengonkulunkulu. (Isaya 9:6, 7; Johane 1:1, 18) Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi uJesu kufanele akhulekelwe? UJesu ngokwakhe wathi: “NguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho okumelwe umkhulekele, futhi nguye yedwa okumelwe unikele kuye inkonzo engcwele.” (Luka 4:8) Ngokucacile, nakuba uJesu enamandla amakhulu futhi enesimo esifana nesikaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli alimvezi njengomuntu okufanele akhulekelwe.

Izingelosi nazo kuthiwa ‘zinjengonkulunkulu.’ (IHubo 8:5; Hebheru 2:7) Noma kunjalo, akukho lapho imiBhalo ikhuthaza abantu ukuba bakhulekele izingelosi. Empeleni, ngesinye isikhathi lapho umphostoli uJohane osekhulile ebona ingelosi washaywa uvalo kakhulu kangangokuba wawa phansi ukuze ayikhulekele. Nokho, ingelosi yathi: “Qaphela! Ungakwenzi lokho! . . . Khulekela uNkulunkulu.”—IsAmbulo 19:10.

Umphostoli uPawulu wachaza uDeveli ngokuthi “unkulunkulu walesi simiso sezinto.” (2 Korinte 4:4) ‘Njengombusi waleli zwe,’ uDeveli uye wakhuthaza ukukhulekelwa kwenqwaba yonkulunkulu bamanga. (Johane 12:31) Ngakho-ke, konke ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu abenziwe abantu, eqinisweni kuwukukhulekela uSathane. Kodwa uSathane akayena unkulunkulu okufanelekelayo ukuba simkhulekele. Uzibeke yena njengombusi, umgabadeli. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, yena ngokwakhe uyobhujiswa, kupheliswe nazo zonke izinhlobo zokukhulekela kwamanga. Uma lokho sekwenzeka, sonke isintu—yebo, yonke indalo—iyoqaphela uJehova njengokuwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu ophilayo kuze kube phakade.—Jeremiya 10:10.

WAKE WAZIBUZA?

◼ Yini efundiswa yiBhayibheli ngokukhulela izithombe?—IHubo 135:15-18.

◼ Ingabe uJesu nezingelosi kufanele bakhulekelwe njengonkulunkulu?—Luka 4:8.

◼ Ubani owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso?—Johane 17:3.

[Izithombe ekhasini 28, 29]

Izithombe kusukela kwesobunxele kuya kwesokudla: UMariya, wase-Italy; uMaya unkulunkulu wommbila, waseMexico naseMelika Ephakathi; u-Ashitorethi, waseKhanani; isithixo senhlanhla, saseSierra Leone; uBuddha, waseJapane; uChicomecóatl, wama-Aztec nabantu baseMexico; uHorus, waseGibhithe; uZeyusi, waseGrisi

[Umthombo]

Maize god, Horus falcon, and Zeus: Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum