Chapter 9
Ubani Oholela Enkululekweni?
1. (a) Yini okumelwe sizithobe kuyo ukuze sisindiswe “osizini olukhulu”? (b) Lokhu kwafanekiswa kanjani indlela uNkulunkulu asebenzisa ngayo uMose?
KUPHELA uma samukela ukuhola kukaJesu Kristu futhi sinikeza ubufakazi obuqinisekayo bokuthi simlalela ngempela futhi sihamba ezinyathelweni zakhe, singasinda kulelizwe elibi futhi silondolozwe siphile sidlule “osizini olukhulu” oluzayo. (IzEnzo 4:12) Lokhu kwaboniswa kahle ezenzakalweni eziphathelene nokukhululwa kwamaIsrayeli emvelo eGibithe ngo-1513 B.C.E. Ngokuyisimangaliso uJehova wangenisa amaIsrayeli ekulondekeni ngokuwawelisa uLwandle Olubomvu wabhubhisa amabutho aseGibithe ayewalandela. Kukho konke lokhu, uNkulunkulu wasebenzisa uMose ukuba ahole abantu bakhe.—Joshuwa 24:5-7; Eksodusi 3:10.
2. (a) Obani ‘ababeyingxubevange yabantu’ abashiya iGibithe namaIsrayeli? (b) Yini ngokungangabazeki eyakhanga abaningi babo? (c) Yini ngokushesha abavivinywa ngokuqondene nayo?
2 Lapho amaIsrayeli ephuma eGibithe enethemba lokungena eZweni leSithembiso, abanye bazihlanganisa nawo. Njengoba uMose abhala kamuva: “Kwenyuka nabo ingxubevange yabantu.” (Eksodusi 12:38) Babengobani laba? KwakungabaseGibithe noma abanye bezizwe abazihlanganisa namaIsrayeli. Babezibonile izishayo ezesabekayo uJehova ayezilethe phezu kwesizwe esicindezelayo saseGibithe ukubonisa ukuthi wayewukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso nokuthi onkulunkulu baseGibithe babengabamanga futhi bengenakubasindisa labo ababebakhulekela. Futhi, ngokungangabazeki, lokho abakuzwa kumaIsrayeli ngethemba lokuphila ‘ezweni elichichima ubisi nezinyosi’ kwazwakala kukuhle kubo. (Eksodusi 3:7, 8; 12:12) Kodwa ingabe nabo babemqaphele ngokugcwele uMose njengalowo owamiswa uNkulunkulu ukuba abe umbusi nomkhululi wabantu baKhe? Ngokushesha bavivinywa.—IzEnzo 7:34, 35.
3. (a) Kungani kwakubalulekile ukulandela ukuqondisa kukaMose? (b) Kwakusho ukuthini ‘ukubhapathizelwa kuMose’? (c) Kungani lokho kubalulekile kumaIsrayeli angokomoya?
3 Njengoba uIsrayeli, kanye ‘nengxubevange yabantu,’ babesondela ogwini loLwandle Olubomvu, inkosi yaseGibithe namabutho ayo yabasukela ukuze ibabuyisele emuva ebugqilini. Ukuze basinde, kwakumelwe bahlale bendawonye futhi balandele ukuqondisa kukaMose, ngoba uJehova wayesebenzisa uMose ukuba abahole. Ngefu elinamandla uJehova wasivimbela isitha lapho esahlukanisa amanzi olwandle futhi omisa nesihlabathi solwandle. Ngokuphambene kakhulu nalokho okwenzeka kwabaseGibithe kamuva, wonke uIsrayeli ‘nengxubevange yabantu’ wabaleka noMose wawela emhlabathini owomile. (Eksodusi 14:9, 19-31) Njengoba babehamba bewela, kunodonga lwamanzi ngakwesokudla nangakwesobunxele sabo, nefu lokuba khona kukaNkulunkulu emakhanda abo, kwenzeka okuthile okubalulekile. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngakho ngokuthi ubhapathizo—hhayi ubhapathizo loqobo emanzini, kodwa okungokomfanekiso ukubhapathizelwa kuMose njengomprofethi kaJehova, owayethunywe uNkulunkulu ukuba abe uMkhululi wabo. (1 Korinte 10:1, 2) Ngokufanayo, wonke amaIsrayeli angokomoya ayosinda ekubhujisweni kwalelizwe elibi kumelwe abhapathizwe ngobhapathizo olufanayo kuKristu njengomkhululi futhi anikeze ubufakazi obanelisayo bokuthi anamathela eduze ekuholeni kwakhe. Eyanamuhla “ingxubevange yabantu” kumelwe ihambisane nawo.
4. Lingakanani igunya uJehova aye walinikeza uKristu?
4 UJehova uye wanikeza iNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, igunya elikhulu. Ngaye uNkulunkulu uye wenza kwaba nokwenzeka ngathi ukuba ‘sikhululwe esimisweni sezinto samanje esibi,’ ukuze singahlanganyeli ekusaseni laso elimnyama. (Galathiya 1:3-5; 1 Thesalonika 1:9, 10) NgoMose, uJehova wanikeza amaIsrayeli imithetho eyayithinta amathemba abantu okuphila ngalesosikhathi. Uma belalela leyomithetho babezuza kakhulu. Kodwa eminye imithetho futhi yayinesijeziso sokufa ngokungalaleli. Kamuva, uJesu waba umprofethi omkhulu kunoMose. Akufundisa ‘kwakungamazwi okuphila okuphakade,’ futhi ukwehluleka ngamabomu ukulalela lamazwi kuholela ekufeni okungenakukhululwa. Ngakho-ke, yeka ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukuba sikuthathe ngokungathi sína akushoyo!—Johane 6:66-69; 3:36; IzEnzo 3:19-23.
5. Yini eyenza ukuzithoba kuJesu kube okukhanga kakhulu?
5 Kwabanye abantu, umqondo wokuzithoba kumholi awubonakali ungofiselekayo. Baye babona okuningi kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kabi kwegunya. Kodwa amazwi kaJesu abonisa isimo esiqinisekisayo. Usimema ngomusa: “Zanini kimi nina nonke enikhatheleyo nenisindwayo, mina ngizakuniphumuza. Bekani ijoka lami phezu kwenu, nifunde kimi, ngokuba ngimnene, ngithobile ngenhliziyo; khona imiphefumulo yenu iyakufumana impumuzo. Ngokuba ijoka lami lihle, nomthwalo wami ulula.” (Mathewu 11:28-30) Yeka ithemba elikhangayo! Labo abasabela kulesosimemo somusa, bethembela ngokuphelele kuye, ngeke badumazeke. (Roma 10:11) Bayothola ukulondeka okunjengalokho kwezimvu zomhlambi kamelusi onothando.
UMELUSI WOQOBO OMUHLE
6. (a) Isizwe sakwaIsrayeli sasifana kanjani nezimvu ezisesibayeni? (b) Isiphi isithembiso uJehova asenza ngokuqondene nomelusi ‘walezizimvu,’ futhi sagcwaliswa kanjani?
6 Isizwe sakwaIsrayeli sasifana nomhlambi wezimvu kaJehova. Walungiselela isivumelwano soMthetho, esasisebenza njengothango oluvikelayo esibayeni sezimvu, ubavimbela endleleni yokuphila yeZizwe ezingamesabi uNkulunkulu. Futhi waqondisa abasabelayo kuMesiya. (Efesu 2:14-16; Galathiya 3:24) Ngokuqondene naleyoNkosi yobuMesiya enguMelusi, uJehova wabikezela: “Ngiyakumisa umalusi phezu [kwezimvu zami], azaluse: inceku yami uDavide.” (Hezekeli 34:23, 31) Lokhu kwakungasho ukuthi uDavide, owayesefile ngalesosikhathi, wayezophinde futhi abuse ngokoqobo njengenkosi kubantu bakaNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, ohlwini lukaDavide lobukhosi uJehova wayezomisa inkosi engumalusi uNkulunkulu ayezonikeza ngayo ukulondeka. (Jeremiya 23:5, 6) Ngezikhathi ezihlukahlukene abantu abathile babezisholo ukuthi bangabakhululi bobuMesiya, kodwa ngonyaka ka-29 C.E., uJehova wasebenzisa uJohane uMbhapathizi ukuba ethule uJesu Kristu ‘ezimvini’ zakwaIsrayeli njengalowo othunywe uNkulunkulu ngempela, uMesiya owayenobufakazi obuqinisekile. Lona kwakuyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu yasezulwini, ekuphila kwayo kwadluliselwa esizalweni sencasakazi engumJuda ukuze izalelwe ohlwini lobukhosi lukaDavide. Igama elithi Davide lisho “othandekayo,” ngakho-ke, ngokufanelekile, ngemva kokubhapathizwa kukaJesu emanzini, uJehova wamemezela ngokuzwakalayo esezulwini: “Wena uyiNdodana yami ethandekayo; ngithokozile ngawe.”—Marku 1:11.
7. (a) ‘Njengomelusi omuhle,’ uJesu wakubonisa kanjani ukujula kothando lwakhe ngokuqondene ‘nezimvu’? (b) Lokho kwehluka kanjani ekuziphatheni komesiya bamanga bangaphambili?
7 Ezinyangeni ezingaphansi kwezine ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wathi: “Ngingumalusi omuhle. Umalusi omuhle udela ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yezimvu.” (Johane 10:11) Wabonisa ukungafani kwendima yakhe naleyo yomesiya bamanga ababefike ngaphambili, ethi: “Ongangeni ngesango esibayeni sezimvu, kodwa ekhwela ngenye indawo, lowo uyisela nomphangi. Kepha ongena ngesango ungumalusi wezimvu. Umlindisango uyamvulela lowo; nezimvu ziyalizwa izwi lakhe; ubiza ezakhe izimvu ngamagama, aziholele phandle. Nxa esezikhiphile ezakhe zonke, uhamba phambi kwazo, izimvu zimlandele, ngokuba zilazi izwi lakhe. Kepha umfokazi azisoze zamlandela, kodwa ziyakumbalekela, ngokuba zingalazi izwi labafokazi.”—Johane 10:1-5, 8.
8. (a) Isiphi “isibaya” esisha uJesu aholela kuso amaJuda ayemlandela? (b) Bangaki aye wabaletha kulesibaya?
8 Labo abasesibayeni sezimvu samaJuda abasabela ekuholeni kwesivumelwano soMthetho bamamukela uJesu njengoMesiya lapho uJohane uMbhapathizi ‘njengomlindisango’ emethula. Bazibonakalisa ‘beyizimvu’ zikaJesu, futhi wabaholela esibayeni esisha esingokomfanekiso, esingesikaJehova. Lesibaya samelela ubuhlobo obuyigugu noJehova ngesisekelo sesivumelwano esisha, esenziwa noIsrayeli ongokomoya futhi senziwa sasebenza ngegazi likaJesu. Ngalesivumelwano kwenzeka ngabo ukuba bazuze ukuphila kwasezulwini noKristu ‘njengenzalo’ ka-Abrahama leyo izibusiso ezaziyofikela abantu bazo zonke izizwe ngayo. (Heberu 8:6; 9:24; 10:19-22; Genesise 22:18) UJesu Kristu, lowo uNkulunkulu amvusa kwabafileyo wambuyisela ekuphileni kwasezulwini, ‘uyisango’ lalesibaya sezimvu sesivumelwano esisha. Ngokuvumelana nenjongo kaYise, uye wangenisa kulesibaya inani elilinganiselwe kuphela—izi-144 000 kuphela—okokuqala elivela kumaJuda, futhi kamuva kumaSamariya nakwabeZizwe. NjengoMelusi oMuhle, uJesu wazi ngayinye yezimvu zakhe ngegama futhi uzinikeza ukunakekela kothando komuntu siqu.—Johane 10:7, 9; IsAmbulo 14:1-3.
9. Zingobani “ezinye izimvu” uJesu abhekisela kuzo, futhi zibuthwa nini?
9 Nokho, uJesu akagcini nje kuphela ngokwelusa ‘lomhlambi omncane’ ozuza uMbuso wasezulwini. (Luka 12:32) Wathi futhi: “Nezinye izimvu nginazo ezingesizo ezalesisibaya; nalezo ngimelwe ukuziletha; ziyakuzwa izwi lami, kube-mhlambi munye nomalusi munye.” (Johane 10:16) Zingobani lezi? Zingabantu abangekho esivumelwaneni esisha; abasiwo amaIsrayeli angokomoya. Kodwa bahlanganiswa eduze namalungu kaIsrayeli ongokomoya lapho wona esesemhlabeni futhi esadinga uhlobo lokweluswa uJesu aluchazayo. “Ezinye izimvu” zingabantu, labo phakathi nalezinsuku zokugcina, ababuthelwa ngaphakathi kwamalungiselelo kaJehova okuphila okuphakade emhlabeni ngesisekelo sokholo lwabo enanini lomhlatshelo legazi likaJesu. Ziyefana ‘nesixuku esikhulu’ sesAmbulo 7:9, 10, 14, ngakho zinethemba lokusinda osizini olukhulu oluzayo.
10. Ukuze ube ngomunye walezo “ezinye izimvu,” yini edingekayo?
10 Ukuze afanelane nencazelo yeBhayibheli ‘yezinye izimvu’ ezivikelwa futhi zilondolozwe uMalusi oMuhle, umuntu kumelwe ‘alalele’ izwi laKhe futhi anikeze ubufakazi bokuthi ngempela uyingxenye ‘yomhlambi owodwa’ ohlanganisa izindlalifa zoqobo zoMbuso wasezulwini. Ingabe uyakwenza lokho? Ulilalela ngokunakekela kangakanani izwi lakhe?
11. Yini eyonikeza ubufakazi bokuthi ‘sikulalela’ ngempela okwashiwo uJesu kuJohane 15:12?
11 Ngokungangabazeki uyazi ukuthi uJesu wathi: “Yiló umyalo wami wokuba nithandane, njengalokho nginithandile.” (Johane 15:12) Lowomyalo ukuthinta kanjani ukuphila kwakho? Ingabe uthando olubonisayo lufana nolwaboniswa uJesu? Ingabe ngempela lungolokuzidela? Ingabe izenzo zakho nemizwa yakho kunikeza ubufakazi bothando olunjalo kubo bonke abasebandleni lobuKristu nasemalungwini omkhaya wakho?
12. (a) Uma ngempela ‘sifundiswa kuJesu,’ kuyokwenza ushintsho olungakanani kithina? (b) Ngakho-ke, yini okumelwe ngabe siyayenza ngezinto esizifunda eBhayibhelini?
12 Umphostoli uPawulu uphawula ukuthi uma ‘simuzwa’ ngempela uJesu futhi ‘sifundiswa kuye,’ bonke ubuntu bethu buyoshintsha. Siyobukhumula ubuntu obuhambelana nezindlela zethu zangaphambili zokuphila sembathe “umuntu omusha,” obonisa izimfanelo ezinhle zikaJehova. (Efesu 4:17-24; Kolose 3:8-14) Njengoba utadisha iBhayibheli, ingabe ucabanga ngokungathi sína ngezindawo lapho wena siqu kudingeka ulungise khona ukuze uthokozise uNkulunkulu? Ingabe uyalwenza ushintsho olunjalo ngobuqotho? Ingabe uyawuqaphela umsebenzi obalulekile uJesu ayala ukuba wenziwe osukwini lwethu—ukushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu omisiwe—futhi ingabe ufuna izindlela zokuhlanganyela kuwona? Ingabe ukwazisa ngomusa kaNkulunkulu ongakufanele kuvusa isifiso esisuka enhliziyweni sokwenza kanjalo?—Mathewu 24:14.
13. (a) Uma singaqapheli, izinhliziyo zethu zingasidukisa kanjani? (b) Khona-ke, izinyathelo zikaKristu kumelwe sizilandele ngezinga elingakanani?
13 Kumelwe siqaphele izinhliziyo zethu zingasidukisi. Izigidi zabantu zithi ziyakholelwa kuJesu Kristu, futhi mhlawumbe zingase zicaphune izinto ezithile azifundisa, kodwa zisebenzisa kuphela lezo ezizithola zivumelana nazo. Abanye bangase bagweme ukuhileleka ekuziphatheni abakucabangela njengokubi kakhulu. Ithemba lokuphila emhlabeni oyiPharadesi ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu lingase lizwakale lilihle kubona, futhi bangase bakujabulele ukuhlanganyela manje nalabo abazama ngobuqotho ukusebenzisa izimiso zobuKristu ekuphileni kwabo. Kodwa uma sifuna ukuba phakathi kwalabo abayosindela “emhlabeni omusha,” kumelwe silalele ngokunakekela konke lokho uJesu akushoyo. Kubalulekile ukuqaphela ukuthi asinakuziqondisa izinyathelo zethu ngokuphumelelayo. Kumelwe silalele iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, leyo ethunywe uJehova njengoMkhululi wabantu baKhe, bese sihamba ngokunakekela ezinyathelweni zayo.—Jeremiya 10:23; Mathewu 7:21-27; 1 Petru 2:21.