UNkulunkulu “WeTestamente Elidala”—Ingabe UnguNkulunkulu Wothando?

“UNKULUNKULU weTestamente Elidala, okungukuthi uYahweh wobuJuda, ungunkulunkulu weziqalekiso, unkulunkulu wentukuthelo, unkulunkulu womhawu, futhi angikwazi ukuzizwa ngisondelene naye.” Kusho kanjalo uYouji Inoue, umpristi waseJapane ongumKatolika, kwelinye lamaphephandaba aphambili eJapane iAsahi Shimbun, esihlokweni esithi “AmaJapane NobuKristu.” Kodwa, eqhubeka, ekugcineni loNkulunkulu “wathuthuka futhi waguqukela ekubeni uNkulunkulu weTestamente Elisha, okungukuthi, uNkulunkulu uJesu afundisa ngaye.”

Eqinisweni, umfundisi ulnoue akuyena yedwa onombono onjalo. Kodwa ingabe uyavumelana naye? Ingabe nawe unomuzwa wokuthi uNkulunkulu “weTestamente Elidala,” noma imiBhalo yesiHeberu, unguNkulunkulu ononya, nophindiselayo lapho eqhathaniswa noNkulunkulu “weTestamente Elisha,” noma imiBhalo yesiGreki yamaKristu?

Ubuntu bungashintsha kubantu. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli linxusa labo abathanda uNkulunkulu ukuba ‘bembathe umuntu omusha owadalwa ngokukaNkulunkulu ekulungeni nasebungcweleni beqiniso.’ (Efesu 4:24) Ngokutadisha iBhayibheli nokusebenzisa lokho abaye bakufunda, abaningi ekuqaleni ababenomhawu, intukuthelo, nokunye, baye benza ushintsho olukhulu, ukuze manje babonise ekuphileni kwabo kwansuku zonke izithelo zikamoya—“uthando, nokujabula, nokuthula, nokubekezela, nobubele, nobuvi, nokukholeka, nobumnene, nokuzithiba.”—Galathiya 5:22, 23.

Kodwa ingabe kungashiwo okufanayo ngoMdali, uJehova uNkulunkulu? Ingabe uye “wathuthuka futhi washintsha” esuka ekubeni “uNkulunkulu wentukuthelo” eba uNkulunkulu wobuKristu wothando, njengoba abanye bengambiza kanjalo?

UJehova—Uhlala EnguNkulunkulu Wothando

“UNkulunkulu uluthando,” kubhala umphostoli uJohane. (1 Johane 4:8) Kulokhu wayekhuluma iqiniso laphakade: UMdali, uJehova wayenguye, usenguye, futhi uyohlala enguNkulunkulu wothando olungaguquki. Futhi kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni, umlando weBhayibheli usekela leyonkulumo.

Lapho uJehova edala umhlaba, ngothando wawenza ukuba ube yikhaya elifanelekile lesintu. (Isaya 45:18) Kamuva, lapho edala indoda yokuqala nowesifazane, uAdamu no-Eva, wabenza “ngomfanekiso wakhe,” okungukuthi, wabanikeza izimfanelo zaphezulu ezinjengothando, ukwahlulela ngokulunga, ukuhlakanipha, namandla. Futhi wabeka phambi kwabo ithemba lokuba nabantwana, ukwenza wonke umhlaba ube yipharadesi, nokuhlala kuwo kuze kube phakade. (Genesise 1:27, 28) Ingabe konke lokhu kwakungebona ubufakazi bukaNkulunkulu wothando?

Lapho abantu ababili bokuqala behlulwa isilingo uSathane asiletha ngenyoka, abazilahlekiselanga izibusiso ezihlala njalo bona ngokwabo kuphela kodwa futhi nangenzalo yabo eyayingakazalwa. Kulesikhathi esibucayi, uJehova wamemezela isiprofetho sokuqala esibhalwe eBhayibhelini, sokuthi, ‘inzalo yowesifazane’ ethenjisiwe yayizochoboza ikhanda lenyoka. (Genesise 3:15) Ingabe lesithembiso sethemba nokukhululwa sasingekhona okunye ukubonakaliswa okuvelele kothando lukaNkulunkulu?

Cishe eminyakeni eyizi-2 000 kamuva, uJehova wathembisa inceku yakhe ethembekile uAbrahama: “Nangenzalo yakho ziyakubusiswa izizwe zonke zomhlaba,” kanjalo embula ukuthi ‘inzalo yowesifazane’ yayiyoza ngohlu lomkhaya ka-Abrahama. (Genesise 22:18) Lesithembiso saqinisa ithemba lokukhululwa futhi sabonisa ukuthi uthando lukaJehova ngesintu aluzange luncishiswe ukuhamba kwesikhathi. Lapho enza lesithembiso wayecabanga ngesikhathi esizayo esinezibusiso ngesintu. Ngempela unguNkulunkulu wothando!

Uthando LukaNkulunkulu NgoIsrayeli

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova uNkulunkulu wakhulula amaIsrayeli ebugqilini eGibithe ngo-1513 B.C.E. futhi wenza nawo isivumelwano soMthetho ngoMose. Emthethweni wesibili kweyishumi, uJehova wathi: “Ngokuba mina-Jehova uNkulunkulu wakho nginguNkulunkulu onomhawu [“uNkulunkulu ofuna ukuzinikela okuphelele,” NW], ngihambela ububi bawoyise kubantwana kuso isizukulwane sesithathu nesesine sabangizondayo, kepha ngibenzela umusa abayizinkulungwane abangithandayo, bagcine imiyalelo yami.”—Eksodusi 20:5, 6.

NjengoMbusi nomyeni wabo, uJehova wayenelungelo lokufuna ukuzinikela okukhethekile kubantu bakhe ababesesivumelwaneni, uIsrayeli. (Isaya 54:5; Jeremiya 3:14) Lapho abantu bakhe bengathembeki futhi bephendukela njalo konkulunkulu bamanga, kwakungekhona yini okunengqondo ukuba uJehova, ngenxa yothando ayenalo ngabo, abasole, ebonisa ukuthi wayengayivumeli futhi eyilahla inkambo yabo engalungile?

Ezikhathini eziningi, uJehova wabonisa ukukhathalela okujulile ngabantu bakhe futhi wabanxusa ukuba babuyele kuye. (Isaya 55:7) Nakuba abajezisa ngenxa yezono zabo, ekugcineni evumela ukuba isizwe sabo sichithwe futhi bathunjelwe ezweni okungelona elabo, ngesikhathi esifanele wababuyisela emuva ezweni labo. Ingabe konke lokhu kubonisani ngoJehova? Ingabe unguNkulunkulu onomhawu, inzondo, nophindiselayo? Cha! Kunalokho, kubonisa ukuthi “unguNkulunkulu ogcwele isihe, onomusa, ophuza ukuthukuthela, novame ubumnene neqiniso.”—Eksodusi 34:6; Nehemiya 9:17; Joweli 2:13; Nahume 1:2, 3.

Uthando Olwaboniswa NgeNdodana Yakhe

Emakhulwini eminyaka edlule, uJehova wanikeza imininingwane eyengeziwe ngokuqondene ‘nenzalo yowesifazane’ ‘nenzalo ka-Abrahama,’ futhi lwabaprofethi baKhe wabikezela ukuza kukaMesiya. Lapho isikhathi esimisiwe sifika, uNkulunkulu wabonisa uthando lwakhe ngendlela engakaze ibe khona ngaphambili—ngokuthumela emhlabeni iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba ibe umhlatshelo wesihlengo.

Umphostoli uJohane wabhala ngalelilungiselelo elimangalisayo: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Ngenxa yokuthi uthando lukaNkulunkulu ngeNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, lukhulu kakhulu, abanye ngokuyiphutha baye baphetha ngokuthi akanakuba yilowo Nkulunkulu okukhulunywe ngaye emiBhalweni yesiHeberu njengoletha ukwahlulela nesijeziso.

Kodwa ingabe uNkulunkulu uJesu afundisa ngaye uhluke kakhulu kuNkulunkulu ochazwe emiBhalweni yesiHeberu? Noma kungenxa yokuthi abantu baye bakhetha ukubheka lokho abakufunayo kuphela? Ingabe lombhalo owaziwayo, kaJohane 3:16, awubonisi yini ngokucacile ukuthi uma umuntu ‘engakholwa’ yiNdodana, ‘uyobhubha’? Ngokungaphezulu, uJohane waqhubeka wathi: “Ongakholwa yiNdodana kayikubona ukuphila, kodwa intukuthelo kaNkulunkulu ihlezi phezu kwakhe.” (Johane 3:36) Uma lokhu kunganciphisa ubukhulu bothando lukaNkulunkulu, khona-ke kungani ukusola kwakhe amaIsrayeli angathembekile nabanye emiBhalweni yesiHeberu kumelwe kumenze uNkulunkulu ongenalo uthando?

Injongo Yothando KaNkulunkulu Ngawe

Ngomprofethi wakhe uMalaki, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Mina-Jehova angiguquki.” (Malaki 3:6) Akazange ahlale enguNkulunkulu wothando ongaguquki kuphela kodwa futhi injongo yakhe yothando ngokuqondene nesintu nomhlaba iye yahlala ingaguqukanga. Njengoba uJehova ayebeke phambi kuka-Adamu noEva ithemba lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi, ngokunjalo loNkulunkulu wothando ufuna ukuba ube phakathi kwalabo abayophila phakade ngenjabulo kuleloPharadesi. (Luka 23:43; 2 Petru 3:13; IsAmbulo 21:4) Kodwa yini edingekayo? UJesu wathi: “Ukuphila okuphakade yilokhu ukuba bazi wena-Nkulunkulu wedwa oqinisileyo, nomthumileyo, uJesu Kristu.” (Johane 17:3) OFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukukusiza ukuba ufunde ngoJehova, uNkulunkulu wothando olungaguquki.