INgxenye 5
Ukuphila Kunenjongo Enhle
1, 2. Singabona kanjani ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyasikhathalela, futhi yikuphi lapho kufanele siphendukele khona ukuze sithole izimpendulo zemibuzo ephathelene nokuphila?
1 Indlela umhlaba nezinto zawo eziphilayo ezenziwe ngayo ibonisa ukuthi uMdali wazo unguNkulunkulu onothando okhathalela ngempela. Futhi iZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli, libonisa ukuthi uyakhathalela; lisinikeza izimpendulo ezingcono kakhulu ngokuphathelene nalemibuzo: Kungani silapha emhlabeni? nothi, Siyaphi?
2 Sidinga ukuhlola iBhayibheli ukuze sithole lezozimpendulo. IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Uma nimfuna, uyakufunyanwa yinina; kepha uma nimshiya, uyakunishiya nani.” (2 IziKronike 15:2) Ngakho-ke, ukuhlola iZwi likaNkulunkulu kwembulani ngenjongo yakhe ngathi?
Isizathu Esenza UNkulunkulu Wadala Abantu
3. Kungani uNkulunkulu adala umhlaba?
3 IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu walungiselela umhlaba ngokukhethekile ecabanga ngabantu. Ngokuphathelene nomhlaba u-Isaya 45:18 uthi uNkulunkulu ‘akawudalelanga ize, kodwa wawubumba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo.’ Futhi wenza umhlaba waba nazo zonke izinto abantu ababeyozidinga, hhayi nje ukuba baphile, kodwa ukuba bajabulele ukuphila ngokugcwele.—UGenesise, isahluko 1 no-2.
4. Kungani uNkulunkulu adala abantu bokuqala?
4 EZwini lakhe, uNkulunkulu ulandisa ngokudala kwakhe abantu bokuqala, u-Adamu no-Eva, futhi embule ukuthi yayiyini injongo yakhe ngomkhaya wesintu. Wathi: “Masenze abantu ngomfanekiso wethu, basifuze, babuse phezu kwezinhlanzi zolwandle, nezinyoni zezulu, nezinkomo, nomhlaba wonke; nezilwanyana zonke ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Genesise 1:26) Abantu babeyokwengamela ‘umhlaba wonke’ nendalo yawo eyizilwane.
5. Babekwaphi abantu bokuqala?
5 UNkulunkulu wenza insimu enkulu, enjengepaki endaweni okuthiwa i-Edene, eseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Khona-ke “wayesemthatha umuntu, wambeka ensimini yase-Edene ukuba ayilime, ayigcine.” Kwakuyipharadesi elalinakho konke abantu bokuqala ababeyokudinga ukuze badle. Futhi yayihlanganisa “imithi yonke ebukekayo, emihle, edliwayo,” kanye nolunye uhlaza nezinhlobo eziningi ezithakazelisayo zezilwane eziphilayo.—Genesise 2:7-9, 15.
6. Abantu badalwa benaziphi izimfanelo ezingokwengqondo nezingokwenyama?
6 Imizimba yabantu bokuqala yayidalwe iphelele, ngakho babengeke bagule, baguge, noma bafe. Futhi babenikezwe nezinye izimfanelo, ezinjengenkululeko yokuzikhethela. Indlela ababenziwe ngayo ichazwe kuGenesise 1:27: “UNkulunkulu wamdala umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe; wamdala ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu; wabadala owesilisa nowesifazane.” Njengoba sidalwe ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu, asizange nje sinikezwe izimfanelo ezingokwenyama nezingokwengqondo kuphela kodwa futhi nezici zokuziphatha okuhle nezingokomoya, futhi lezi kumelwe zigcwaliswe uma sifuna ukujabula ngempela. UNkulunkulu wayeyonikeza izindlela zokuhlangabezana nalezozidingo kanye nesidingo sokudla, amanzi, nomoya. Njengoba uJesu Kristu asho, “akusinkwa sodwa umuntu ayakuphila ngaso kodwa ngamazwi onke aphuma emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu.”—Mathewu 4:4.
7. Yimuphi umyalo abantu bokuqala abanikezwa wona?
7 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wanika labobantu ababili bokuqala umyalo omangalisayo lapho bese-Edene: “Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba.” (Genesise 1:28) Ngakho-ke babeyokwazi ukuzala futhi baveze abantwana abaphelele. Futhi njengoba inani lomphakathi wabantu landa, babeyoba nomsebenzi ojabulisayo wokunweba imingcele yepharadesi lokuqala elinjengepaki, lase-Edene. Ekugcineni, wonke umhlaba wawuyothuthukiswa ube ipharadesi, elakhiwe abantu abaphelele, abajabulayo ababengaphila kuze kube phakade. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi ngemva kokunikeza zonke lezizinto isiqalo sazo, “uNkulunkulu wabona konke akwenzileyo; bheka, kwakukuhle kakhulu.”—Genesise 1:31; bheka neHubo 118:17.
8. Abantu kwakumelwe bawunakekele kanjani umhlaba?
8 Kusobala ukuthi abantu babeyosebenzisa umhlaba onqotshiwe ngokwenzuzo yabo. Futhi lokhu kwakuyokwenziwa ngendlela ecatshangelwe kahle. Abantu babeyoba abaphathi bomhlaba abanenhlonipho, hhayi abaphangi bawo. Ukubhujiswa komhlaba esikubonayo namuhla kumelene nentando kaNkulunkulu, futhi labo abahlanganyela kukho benza ngokuphambene nenjongo yokuphila emhlabeni. Kuyodingeka bajeze ngenxa yalokho, ngoba iBhayibheli lithi uNkulunkulu “[uyo]bhubhisa ababhubhisa umhlaba.”—IsAmbulo 11:18.
Kuseyinjongo KaNkulunkulu
9. Kungani siqiniseka ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu izogcwaliseka?
9 Ngakho, kusukela ekuqaleni kwakuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba umkhaya wabantu abaphelele uhlale epharadesi emhlabeni kuze kube phakade. Futhi kuseyinjongo yakhe! Leyonjongo iyogcwaliseka nakanjani. IBhayibheli lithi: “UJehova-Sebawoti ufungile, wathi: Impela njengokulinganisa kwami kuyakuba-njalo, nanjengokunquma kwami kuyakuma kanjalo.” “Ngikhulumile, ngiyakukufikisa; nginqumile, ngiyakukwenza.”—Isaya 14:24; 46:11.
10, 11. UJesu, uPetru, nomhubi uDavide bakhuluma kanjani ngePharadesi?
10 UJesu Kristu wakhuluma ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokubuyisela ipharadesi emhlabeni lapho etshela umuntu othile owayefuna ithemba ngesikhathi esizayo: “Uzakuba-nami eParadisi.” (Luka 23:43) Umphostoli uPetru naye wayekhuluma ngezwe elisha elizayo lapho ebikezela: “Kepha siyalindela ngesithembiso [sikaNkulunkulu] amazulu amasha [ilungiselelo elisha likahulumeni elibusa lisezulwini] nomhlaba omusha [umphakathi omusha wasemhlabeni] okukhona kuwo ukulunga.”—2 Petru 3:13.
11 Umhubi uDavide naye wabhala ngezwe elisha elizayo nokuthi liyoba khona isikhathi eside kangakanani. Wabikezela: “Abalungileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bahlale kuwo njalonjalo.” (IHubo 37:29) Kungakho uJesu athembisa: “Babusisiwe abamnene ngokuba bayakudla ifa lomhlaba.”—Mathewu 5:5.
12, 13. Fingqa injongo kaNkulunkulu enhle ngesintu.
12 Yeka ukuthi lokho kuyithemba elihle kangakanani, ukuphila kuze kube phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi ongenabo ububi, ubugebengu, ukugula, ukudabuka, nobuhlungu! Encwadini yokugcina yeBhayibheli, iZwi likaNkulunkulu elingokwesiprofetho lifingqa lenjongo enhle ngokumemezela: “[UNkulunkulu] azesule izinyembezi zonke emehlweni abo; ukufa akusayikuba-khona; nokudabuka, nokukhala, nobuhlungu akusayikuba-khona; ngokuba okokuqala kudlulile.” Liyanezela: “Wayesethi ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi: Bheka, ngenza konke kube-kusha. Wathi: Loba, ngokuba lawamazwi athembekile, aqinisile.”—IsAmbulo 21:4, 5.
13 Yebo, uNkulunkulu ucabanga ngenjongo enhle. Kuyoba izwe elisha lokulunga, ipharadesi laphakade, elabikezelwa yiLowo ongakwenza futhi oyokwenza lokho akuthembisayo, ngoba ‘amazwi akhe athembekile futhi aqinisile.’
[Izithombe ekhasini 20, 21]
UNkulunkulu wajonga ukuba abantu baphile kuze kube phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Lokho kuseyinjongo yakhe
[Isithombe ekhasini 22]
Umninindlu angabenza balandise abaqashi abacekela phansi indlu yakhe