Chapter 23

“Nidinga Ukubekezela”

1. (a) Kungani oFakazi BakaJehova bengabantu abajabula ngempela? (b) Kodwa isiphi iseluleko kumaHeberu 10:36 esisebenza kithina sonke?

LABO abaye bathembela kuJehova bangabantu abajabula ngempela kunabo bonke emhlabeni namuhla. Bayazi ukuthi iseluleko esingcono kakhulu sokubhekana ngokuphumelelayo nezinkinga zokuphila singatholakalaphi—eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Abesabi uma bebheka esikhathini esizayo, ngoba bayazi ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu iyini ngalomhlaba. (Jeremiya 17:7, 8; IHubo 46:1, 2) Nokho, umphostoli uPawulu wabhalela amaKristu ayekanye nawo: “Ngokuba nidinga ukubekezela, ukuze seniyenzile intando kaNkulunkulu namukele isithembiso.” (Heberu 10:36) Yini ebangela lesidingo sokubekezela?

2. Kungani abafundi bakaJesu babedinga ukukhuthazela?

² Ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe siqu, uJesu waxwayisa abaphostoli bakhe ngalokho okwakungaphambili, ethi: “Uma beningabezwe, izwe belizakuthanda okwalo, kepha lokhu ningesibo abezwe kodwa nganikhetha mina ezweni, kungalokho izwe linizonda. Khumbulani izwi enganitshela lona mina lokuthi: Inceku ayinkulu kunenkosi yayo. Uma bengizingele mina, nani bayakunizingela; uma begciné izwi lami, nelenu bayakuligcina. Kepha konke lokho bayakukwenza kini ngenxa yegama lami, ngokuba bengamazi ongithumileyo.” (Johane 15:19-21) Yeka ukuthi lokho kuye kwaba yiqiniso kanjani!

3. (a) Kukanjani abafundi bakaJesu beshushiswa ‘ngenxa yegama likaJesu’? (b) Kungayiphi ingqondo abashushisi ‘abangamazi’ ngayo Lowo owathuma uJesu? (c) Ubani ngokuyinhloko obangela ukushushiswa?

³ Abalandeli bakaJesu bayizisulu zokuzondwa ngoba baphila phakathi kwezwe elenqaba okumelelwe ubuKristu beqiniso. Ukuthi Kristu kusho “Ogcotshiweyo.” UJesu Kristu uyilowo ogcotshwe uJehova ukuba abe yiNkosi, abuse umhlaba wonke. Ngakho uma uJesu ethi abafundi bakhe babeyoshushiswa ‘ngenxa yegama lakhe,’ wayesho ukuthi ukushushiswa kwakuyoba ngenxa yokunamathela kwabo kuyena njengeNkosi kaJehova yobuMesiya, ngenxa yokulalela kwabo uKristu ngaphezu kwanoma imuphi umbusi wasemhlabeni, ngenxa yokunamathela ngokwethembeka eMbusweni wakhe bangahileleki ezindabeni zohulumeni babantu. UJesu wanezela ukuthi ukuphikiswa kwakuyoba ngenxa yokuba abashushisi “bengamazi ongithumileyo”—okungukuthi, bayenqaba ukuqaphela uJehova uNkulunkulu njengoMbusi weNdawo Yonke. (Qhathanisa noEksodusi 5:2.) Ubani ongumphehli oyinhloko walokhu kushushiswa? USathane uDeveli.—IsAmbulo 2:10.

4. (a) Ukugcwaliseka kwesAmbulo 12:17 kukuthinta kanjani ukuphila kwethu? (b) Iyini injongo kaSathane?

⁴ Ikakhulukazi kusukela uSathane axoshwa ezulwini ngemva kokuzalwa koMbuso kaJehova wobuMesiya ngo-1914, ukucindezelwa kwamaKristu eqiniso kuye kwakhula. Ungakweyi. UDeveli namademoni akhe balwa ngokusemandleni abo wonke nalabo abaye bama ngasohlangothini loMbuso kaNkulunkulu ezandleni zikaJesu Kristu. Ngokuqondene nalokhu, isAmbulo 12:17 siyaphawula: “Udrako [uSathane uDeveli] wamthukuthelela owesifazane [inhlangano kaNkulunkulu yasezulwini enjengomfazi], wamuka, wayokulwa nabaseleyo benzalo yakhe, [abalandeli bakaKristu abagcotshwe ngomoya emhlabeni], labo abagcina imiyalo kaNkulunkulu nabanobufakazi bukaJesu.” “Ezinye izimvu,” nazo zizithola zingené shi kulempi. Ngezindlela zobuqili uSathane uzama ukuziyenga noma ukuziphoqelela ukuba ziyeke ukulalela imiyalo kaNkulunkulu. Ufuna ukwenza buthaka abese elibhubhisa ngokuphelele ingokomoya lazo. Injongo yakhe iwukuthulisa ukumemezela ngoJesu njengeNkosi kaJehova yobuMesiya. Kodwa kulempi engokomoya izinceku ezithembekile zikaJehova ziyanqoba.

AMAKRISTU KUMELWE ASABELE KANJANI?

5. Iziphi izinyathelo ohulumeni abaye bazithathela oFakazi BakaJehova?

⁵ Izikhulu eziningi zawohulumeni ziyaqaphela ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova bangabantu abagcina umthetho nokuthi banethonya eliphilisayo emphakathini. Nokho, bonke ohulumeni babantu bayingxenye yesimiso sezinto sezwe likaSathane. (1 Johane 5:19; IsAmbulo 13:2) Ngakho-ke akumelwe kumangalise uma abanye ohulumeni benqabela imihlangano yalabo abakhulekela uNkulunkulu weqiniso, bevimbela izincwadi zabo zeBhayibheli, benqabela ukushumayela kwabo ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, yebo, baze bababophe nokubabopha futhi babahluphe ngokomzimba. Uma uba ngaphansi kokucindezelwa okunjalo, yini oyoyenza?

6. (a) Isiphi isimo okumelwe sibe naso ngasezikhulwini zikahulumeni? (b) Kodwa yini esizimisele ngokuqinile ukuyenza? (c) Ngisho nakuba sishushiswa, singaqhubeka kanjani sijabula?

⁶ Abaphostoli bakaJesu Kristu babezihlonipha izikhulu zombuso. Lapho beshushiswa, abazange baphindisele. Kodwa uma beyalwa ukuba bayeke ukwenza lokho okuyalwa uNkulunkulu, baphendula ngesibindi: “Simelwe ukulalela uNkulunkulu kunabantu.” (IzEnzo 5:29; Roma 12:19; 1 Petru 3:15) Ngisho nalapho ukuphila kwabo kusongelwa, ukwesaba ukufa akuzange kubenze bahlehle okholweni. Babazi ukuthi bakhonza “uNkulunkulu ovusa abafileyo.” (2 Korinte 1:9; Heberu 2:14, 15) Nakuba beshushiswa, babejabula—bejabula ngoba babazi ukuthi bathokozisa uNkulunkulu, bejabulela ukuba nethuba lokuhlanganyela ekulwelweni kwegama lakhe nokubonisa ukwethembeka kwabo eNkosini yakhe egcotshiwe. (IzEnzo 5:41, 42; Mathewu 5:11, 12) Ingabe yilolo uhlobo lomuntu oyilo? Ingabe uzihlanganisa ngokusobala nalabo ababhekana nokunjalo? UEbedi-Meleki wayengomunye ongazange ahlehlele emuva ngokwesaba. Wayengubani?

7. (a) Wayengubani uEbedi-Meleki, futhi kungani esithakazelisa manje? (b) Uma ezwa ukuthi uJeremiya uphonswe emgodini wodaka, isiphi isinyathelo esathathwa uEbedi-Meleki, futhi ngani?

⁷ UEbedi-Meleki wayengumEtiyopiya owesaba uNkulunkulu owayehlala eJerusalema phakathi nenkathi yokubhujiswa kwalo yiBabiloni. Wayeqashwe emkhayeni weNkosi uSedekiya. Ngalesosikhathi uJeremiya wayekhonza njengomprofethi kaJehova eMbusweni wakwaJuda nezizwe ezizungezile. Ngenxa yokuthi wayememezela ngokungesabi isigijimi sikaNkulunkulu esiyisixwayiso, waba isisulu sokushushiswa okunzima. Ngenxa yokushoshozela kwezikhulu ezithile eJerusalema, waze waphonswa nasemgodini ukuba ashone odakeni afe. Nakuba uEbedi-Meleki ayengeyena umIsrayeli, waqaphela uJeremiya njengomprofethi kaJehova. Lapho ezwa ngokwakwenzekile, uEbedi-Meleki ngokushesha wafuna inkosi esangweni lomuzi ukuba isize uJeremiya. Enza ngokweziyalezo zenkosi, ngokushesha wathola amadoda angama-30, kanye nezintambo nezindwangu ezindala. Wayala uJeremiya ukuba afake izindwangu ngaphansi kwamakhwapha akhe ukuze angahuzulwa izintambo, base bemdonsa umprofethi bamkhipha emgodini.—Jeremiya 38:4-13.

8. Isiphi isithembiso esiqinisekisayo uJehova asithumelela uEbedi-Meleki, futhi ngani?

⁸ UEbedi-Meleki wayekhathazeke ngokufanelekile ngalokho izikhulu ezazingakwenza kuye ngenxa yokuphazamisa uzungu lwazo, kodwa ukukhathazeka kwakhe kwakungelutho kunenhlonipho ngomprofethi kaJehova nokuthembela kwakhe kuNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova waqinisekisa uEbedi-Meleki ngoJeremiya: “Bheka, ngiyakwehlisela amazwi ami kulomuzi kube-kubi, kungabi-kuhle, abe-ngaphambi kwakho ngalolosuku. Kepha ngiyakukophula ngalolosuku, usho uJehova, unganikelwa esandleni sabantu obesabayo. Ngokuba ngiyakukukhulula nokukukhulula, awuyikuwa ngenkemba, kepha ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba-yimpango kuwe, ngokuba ungethembile, usho uJehova.”—Jeremiya 39:16-18.

9. (a) Kukanjani “ezinye izimvu” bezinjengoEbedi-Meleki? (b) Ngakho-ke, isithembiso sikaJehova kuEbedi-Meleki sisho ukuthini ‘kwezinye izimvu’ namuhla?

⁹ Yeka ukuthi siyigugu kanjani lesosithembiso ezincekwini zikaJehova namuhla! NjengoEbedi-Meleki, “ezinye izimvu” zibona ukungalungi okwenziwa esigabeni sikaJeremiya sanamuhla, insali egcotshiwe, nemizamo eyenziwayo yokuvimbela ukushumayela kwayo ngesigijimi sikaJehova. Azizange zingabaze ukuthatha noma isiphi isinyathelo ezingasithatha ukuze zivikele futhi zisekele isigaba esigcotshiwe. Ngakho-ke, ngokufanelekile isithembiso sikaJehova kuEbedi-Meleki siyaziqinisa, siqinisa ukuthembela kwazo ekutheni uNkulunkulu ngeke abavumele abaphikisi bazibhubhise kodwa uyozivikela njengeqembu embubhisweni yezwe ezayo zingene ‘emhlabeni [waKhe] omusha’ wokulunga.

10. Kukuziphi izimo zokuphila lapho amaKristu ebhekana khona nokushushiswa?

¹⁰ Akubona bonke abahamba ezinyathelweni zikaJesu Kristu abasongelwa ngokuboshwa, kodwa bonke babhekana nokushushiswa ngendlela ethile. (2 Thimothewu 3:12) Izinkulungwane zomame abangamaKristu, namadoda, baye ngokwethembeka babekezelela ukuphikiswa okunzima iminyaka eminingi emakhaya abo. Nabantwana futhi, ngenxa yesifiso sabo sokukhonza uJehova, baye badelwa ngabazali. (Mathewu 10:36-38) Intsha engamaKristu nayo ingase ibhekane nokushushiswa esikoleni; abantu abadala, ezindaweni abasebenza kuzo. Bonke oFakazi BakaJehova bayakunambitha njengoba behlanganyela ekufakazeni obala ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Kubo bonke abanjalo, amazwi kaJesu ayasebenza: “Ngokukhuthazela kwenu niyakuzuza imiphefumulo yenu.”—Luka 21:19.

11. (a) Iziphi ezinye izimo eziwukuvivinywa okunzima kwabaningi? (b) Ubani omunye owabhekana nalezizinto, futhi ngani?

¹¹ Kwabaningi, kunezinye izimo ezibavivinyayo. Bangase bagule kanzima, ukugula okuthatha eningi injabulo yokuphila. Noma, mhlawumbe babhekene nezimo ezinzima kakhulu ezingokomnotho. Ngezinye izikhathi, kungenzeka ukuthi izinkulumo zabangane abaseduze azizinhle futhi zingezonya. Endabeni yenzalamizi enguJobe, uSathane wasebenzisa zonke lezindlela ngomzamo wokwephula ubuqotho bakhe. Thina siyosabela kanjani uma sizithola sisezimweni ezifanayo?—Jakobe 5:11.

12. (a) Kungani uNowa adinga ukukhuthazela ngokukhethekile enkonzweni yakhe? (b) Isimo siye safana kanjani osukwini lwethu?

¹² Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kuthiwani uma singakutholi ukusabela okuhle kangako emizamweni yethu yokufakaza ngezinjongo zikaJehova? Nalokho futhi, kudinga ukukhuthazela. Khumbula, kuyo yonke iminyaka uNowa ayeshumayela ngayo ngaphambi kukaZamcolo, umkakhe kuphela namadodana akhe nomkawo abahlanganyela naye ekukhonzeni uJehova. Sonke isintu ‘asinakanga.’ (Mathewu 24:39) Kungokufanayo namuhla, iningi ‘alinaki.’ Nokho, kwezinye izindawo, lapho kwake kwangaba nakusabela okuhle esigijimini soMbuso, manje sekunenala yesivuno sabakhulekeli bakaNkulunkulu weqiniso. Bayajabula labo abakhuthazela phakathi neminyaka yokunganakwa noma ukuphikiswa okusobala futhi manje abahlanganyela kulenala yokuvuna!

‘BAYAJABULA LABO ABAQHUBEKA BEKHUTHAZELA’

13. (a) Ukuze siqhubeke sikhuthazela, yini okumelwe silokhu sinombono wayo? (b) Yini esidinga ukuyiqaphela ngokuqondene nezindlela zikaSathane?

¹³ Ukuze ugweme ukulahlekelwa amathemba amangalisayo okuphila ‘emhlabeni omusha,’ kubalulekile ukukhumbula njalo ngokukhanyayo impikiswano enkulu ebhekene nendalo yonke—impikiswano yobukhosi bendawo yonke. Ingabe singasohlangothini lukaJehova ngokungahlehli? Ingabe sikuqaphela ngokugcwele ukuthi kunezinhlangothi ezimbili kuphela, ukuthi akukho ukuba phakathi nendawo? Ukuze singabi ngabasala enkundleni kulempi, sidinga ukuqaphela ukuthi kokubili inzondo nokuhuha kuyizindlela ezisetshenziswa uSathane ukuze aphule ubuqotho bethu, uze asibangele siyeke ukulalela uNkulunkulu, ukuze asiphambukise emsebenzini obalulekile wokufakazela uMbuso wobuMesiya.—1 Petru 5:8, 9; Marku 4:17-19.

14. (a) Yibuphi ubuhlobo okumelwe sibuhlakulele, futhi nobani? (b) Uyosisiza kanjani?

¹⁴ Kumelwe futhi sihlakulele ukwethembela okuphelele kuJehova. Yeka ukuthi kungaba ubuwula kanjani ukuzizamela ngamandla ethu kuphela ukuba sigweme izihibe zobuqili zesitha esingaphezu kwabantu! Kodwa uma sithembela kuJehova ngenhliziyo yethu yonke, khona-ke uma sibhekene nobunzima futhi sibhekene nesilingo siyosondela kuye. (Efesu 6:10, 11; IzAga 3:5, 6) UJehova akasiphoqeleli ukuba sihambe ngendlela ethile. Angeke asihole ngokuphambene nentando yethu. Kodwa uma siphendukela eZwini lakhe ukuze lisiqondise, sithandaza kuye ukuze sithole amandla futhi sihlale siseduze nenhlangano yakhe, uyoqondisa izinyathelo zethu. Futhi uyosiqinisa ngobufakazi obuvuselelwe bothando lwakhe olungenakwehluleka.—Roma 8:38, 39.

15. (a) Ubani okufanele eze kuqala ekuphileni kwethu? (b) Kufanele sizibheke kanjani izimo ezivivinya ukholo lwethu?

¹⁵ Ubunzima nezilingo obhekana nazo kuyokubeka ovivinyweni. Ubani ombeka kuqala ekuphileni kwakho? Impikiswano kaSathane iwukuthi sonke sizikhathalela thina ngokuyinhloko. Abantu abaningi banjalo. UJesu Kristu wayehlukile. Ingabe unjalo nawe? Ingabe usufundile ukuba ubeke kuqala ukudunyiswa kwegama likaJehova? Uma kunjalo, khona-ke, esikhundleni sokubalekela izimo ezivivinya ukholo lwakho, uyokwazi ukuhlangabezana nazo ngokuqondile, uthandaze kuJehova ukuba akunikeze ukuhlakanipha kokuzisebenzisela ukudumisa yena. Usizi obhekana nalo luyoveza ukukhuthazela; ukukhuthazela ngenxa yothando lwakho ngoJehova luyokulethela umusa wakhe. “Ubusisiwe umuntu okhuthazela ekulingweni; ngokuba esevivinyekile uyakwamukeliswa umqhele wokuphila othenjisiwe iNkosi kwabayithandayo.”—Jakobe 1:2-4, 12; Roma 5:3, 4.

16. Yimuphi umgomo okumelwe sifune ukuwufinyelela?

¹⁶ Akwanele ukuba uyeke usaqala nje enkonzweni kaJehova noma ukhuthazele isikhashana nje. Sisemncintiswaneni, futhi umklomelo uya kulabo abaze bayofika entanjeni. Bonke labo abasaqhubeka bekhuthazela amehlo abo bewabeke emklomelweni bayojabula uma lesimiso esidala sibhujiswa! Yeka amathemba akhazimulayo abalindele!—Heberu 12:1-3; Mathewu 24:13.