Ukubheka “Indlu KaNkulunkulu” Ngokwazisa
“KUNYE engikucelé kuJehova, ngiyakufuna khona: ukuba ngihlale endlini kaJehova izinsuku zonke zokuphila kwami ukubona ubuhle bukaJehova, ngibuke ithempeli lakhe.”—IHubo 27:4.
INkosi enokwazisa uDavide yabheka ithempeli likaJehova ngokwenama, noma ngenjabulo. Uzizwa ngendlela efanayo yini ngezikhungo zokukhulekela kweqiniso namuhla? Amakhaya aseBethel angaphezu kuka-95 emagatsheni e-Watch Tower Society aphakathi kwezindawo ezihlobene nokukhulekela uJehova esikhathini sethu.
“Ukubheka emuva eminyakeni yami eminingi yenkonzo yaseBethel kungenza ngigcwale ukubonga okujulile nokwazisa okukhulu, okuye kwakhula unyaka ngamunye,” kuchaza uHelga, owaqala ukusebenza ekhaya laseBethel yaseJalimane ngo-1948. UHelga ungesinye sezisebenzi ezijabulayo zaseBethel ezingu-13-828 emhlabeni wonke lezo ‘ezabona ubuhle bukaJehova’ onyakeni wenkonzo ka-1993. Lisho ukuthini ngempela igama elithi Bethel? Bangalibheka kanjani ngokwazisa lelilungiselelo bonke oFakazi BakaJehova, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bakhonza uNkulunkulu ngaphakathi eBethel noma ngaphandle?
Igama Elidinga Ukuzinikela
Igama elithi “Bethel” lifaneleka kakhulu, njengoba igama lesiHeberu elithi Behth-ʼElʹ lisho “Indlu kaNkulunkulu.” (Genesise 28:19, umbhalo waphansi we-NW) Yebo, iBethel ifana nendlu ehleleke kahle, noma ‘indlu eyakhiwe ngokuhlakanipha,’ egxilisa ukunakekela okukhulu kuNkulunkulu nentando yakhe. (IzAga 24:3) “Kunjengokuhlala emkhayeni. Sinesimiso esihlelekile sansuku zonke,” kusho uHerta ngokwazisa. Ubekhonza eBethel efanayo uHelga abekhonza kuyo iminyaka engaphezu kuka-45. Ilungu ngalinye lalomkhaya omkhulu linomsebenzi nendawo yalo, okulenza lizizwe lijabulile futhi lilondekile. Ngokuvumelana negama elithi Bethel, ukulungiselela okuhle nokuhleleka kuyisici somnyango ngamunye. Lokhu kuthuthukisa ukuthula, kwenze ukushunyayelwa kwezindaba ezinhle okuphumelelayo kwenzeke, futhi kunikeze amabandla isizathu esinengqondo sokwazisa “Indlu kaNkulunkulu.”—1 Korinte 14:33, 40.
Kungani izindawo ezinjalo zidingeka? Ngokwesibonelo, lomagazini wakhiqizwa endaweni yokunyathelisa yaseBethel. Ukushunyayelwa kwesigijimi soMbuso nokwabiwa kokudla okungokomoya, kokubili uJesu Kristu akubona kusengaphambili, kwenza amalungiselelo angokwenhlangano anjengeBethel abe abaluleke kakhulu—asekelwa izisebenzi zokuzithandela futhi abhekwa ngokwaziswa yibo bonke abakhulekeli bakaJehova.—Mathewu 24:14, 45.
Ungathanda yini ukufunda okwengeziwe ngesimiso sosuku sokusebenza salapha? Lapho uHelga noHerta behlala khona, kukhala umculo omnandi kuzo zonke izakhiwo zokuhlala ngo-6:30 ekuseni, nakuba eziningi zezisebenzi ezivamile ezingaphezu kuka-800 zivuka ekuseni ngovivi ukuze zilungiselele usuku. Ngo-7:00 ekuseni, ngoMsombuluko kuze kube uMgqibelo, umkhaya uhlangana ndawonye emahholo okudlela engxoxweni yetekisi losuku, noma ukukhulekela kwasekuseni. Kulandela ukudla kwasekuseni okunomsoco. Usuku ngalunye lokusebenza luqala ngo-8:00 ekuseni, futhi luthatha amahora ayisishiyagalombili, luphazanyiswe ukudla kwasemini kuphela. (Ngokuvamile umkhaya usebenza ingxenye yosuku ngoMgqibelo.) Kunomsebenzi omningi wokwenziwa, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kusekhishini, endaweni yokunyathelisa, elondolo, emahhovisi, emashabhu, endaweni okuhlanganiswa kuyo izincwadi, noma kukumuphi omunye umnyango.
Kusihlwa nangezimpelasonto, amalungu alomkhaya ahlangana namabandla aseduze emihlanganweni nasekushumayeleni kwasobala. Abazalwane abaningi baseBethel bangabadala noma izinceku ezikhonzayo kulamabandla. OFakazi basemabandleni aseduze bakwazisa ngempela lokhu kubambisana, womabili amaqembu asebenza ndawonye ngokuzwana njengendikimba eyodwa, ehloniphana futhi ezwana. (Kolose 2:19) Isisebenzi ngasinye saseBethel siyazi ukuthi isabelo saso ‘eNdlini kaNkulunkulu’ siza ngaphambi kweminye imisebenzi. Nokho, ukushisekela ukushumayela nokuhileleka emisebenzini yebandla, kanye nesimo sengqondo esilinganiselayo, kuqinisa ingokomoya lesisebenzi saseBethel, kwandisa injabulo yaso, futhi kusenze sibe ilungu lomkhaya elikhiqiza ngokwengeziwe. Yeka ukuthi lezizimfanelo zibaluleke kanjani lapho usebenza ‘endlini’ egama layo lihlobene nokuzinikela komphefumulo wonke!
Ukwenza Inkonzo YaseBethel Ibe Yimpumelelo
Yini esize oFakazi BakaJehova abangenakubalwa ukuba benze inkonzo yaseBethel ibe yimpumelelo? Amalungu omkhaya waseBethel eFrance anokuhlangenwe nakho kweminyaka eminingi aphawula ngalendlela: “Uthando ngoJehova. Ukuzimisela ukukhuthazela kungakhathaliseki ukuthi usibeka kusiphi isabelo; ukuthobeka, nokulalela isiqondiso esisinikezwa iNhlangano.” (UDenise) “Ngiphawule indlela okubaluleke ngayo ukulalela isimiso esaphawulwa uPawulu kumaRoma 12:10: ‘Ekwazisaneni nandulelane.’ Lombhalo usibonisa ukubaluleka kokungaphoqeleli ukuba umbono wethu wamukelwe, kodwa, kunalokho, ukucabangela imibono yabanye. Ngamanye amazwi, singafuni ukuvelela.” (UJean-Jacques) “Inhlonipho yethu ngenkonzo yaseBethel ingonakaliswa uma sibheka izinto ngombono wabantu, ongokwenyama,” kusho uBarbara, “ngoba lokhu kuyosenza sikhohlwe ukuthi uJehova uqondisa inhlangano yakhe. Leyonhlonipho ingaphela uma sikhubeka ngokungapheleli kwabanye.”
Wonke umuntu eBethel akaphelele, ngakho ukuzihlanganisa nabanye kudinga ukucatshangelwa ngokucophelela. Abasha noma abasanda kufika benza kahle ngokungagcini ngokuzihlanganisa nontanga yabo kuphela. Labo abangase babonakalise ukuthambekela kokukhononda noma ukucabanga okuphambene ababona abangane abakhayo eBethel noma ebandleni. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukulingisa ‘ukuhlakanipha kwaphezulu,’ okuchazwe kuJakobe 3:17, kuletha izibusiso. Lokhu “okokuqala kumhlophe, andukuba kube-nokuthula, nokuva, nokulalela, kugcwele isihawu nezithelo ezinhle; akunakungabaza, akunakuzenzisa.” Izimfanelo ezinjalo, kanye nokubhekakade nobumnene, kuyaphawuleka ‘eNdlini kaNkulunkulu,’ kwenze ukuhlala komuntu lapho kujabulise futhi kushukumise. Ngisho nezivakashi ezingebona oFakazi ngokuvamile ziyakuncoma ukuziphatha okuhle, ubungane, nomoya wenjabulo wezisebenzi.
U-Anny, oneminyaka engaphezu kuka-70 ubudala futhi obeyilungu lomkhaya waseBethel eJalimane kusukela ngo-1956, uchaza indlela ahlale ekulungele ngayo ukukhonza: “Ukuze ngihlale ngiphilile ngokomoya, ngenza umzamo omkhulu wokuzifunda njalo izincwadi zeNhlangano, ukuba khona njalo emihlanganweni, nokuhlanganyela njalo ekushumayeleni. Ngiyazama nokuhlala ngiwumqemane ngokuzivivinya njalo ekuseni, ngokungalisebenzisi njalo ikheshi, nangokuhamba kakhulu ngangokunokwenzeka, ikakhulukazi enkonzweni yasensimini.”
Abaningi abanokuhlangenwe nakho ngokuphila kwaseBethel bangavumelana no-Anny. Abalokothi bayeke ukufunda, noma ukusebenza. Impilo engokomzimba ibizela ukuba balale ngokwanele futhi bavivinye umzimba babuye balinganisele ekudleni nasophuzweni. Okubaluleke ngaphezu kwakho konke, abawushayi indiva umthandazo womuntu siqu nesifundo seBhayibheli.
Ukuyazisa Ngokujulile Inkonzo Engcwele EBethel
“Usebenzaphi?” umbuzo ovame ukubuzwa kumalungu aseBethel. Izabelo zomsebenzi zihlukene kakhulu, kodwa ngamunye ufanelwe ukwaziswa ngokujulile yibo bonke. Ngani? Ngoba isabelo ngasinye—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi siwukusebenzisa umshini onyathelisa ukudla okungokomoya, ukuhlanza izingubo, ukupheka nokuhlanzela umkhaya, noma ukwenza umsebenzi wasehhovisi—kuhilela inkonzo engcwele. Njengoba kuboniswe ngenhla, amaKristu awakhethi. Khumbula ukuthi yonke imisebenzi edingekile eyayenziwa abapristi namaLevi ethempelini, emagcekeni alo nasemahholo okudlela, yonke yayibhekwa njengenkonzo engcwele kuJehova. Leyomisebenzi yayihlanganisa ukuhlaba nokulungisa izilwane zokwenza umhlatshelo, ukugcwalisa izibani ngamafutha, ngisho nokuhlanza nokwenza imisebenzi yabalindi. Ngokufanayo, isabelo ngasinye eBethel siwumsebenzi owanelisayo nobalulekile “emsebenzini weNkosi,” ngakho uyilungelo elingavamile.—1 Korinte 15:58.
Cabangela kafushane isici esisodwa esingavimbela ukubheka kwethu “Indlu kaNkulunkulu” ngokwazisa. AmaKristu eBethel nangaphandle kumelwe amelane nomhawu nomona, ‘okungukubola kwamathambo.’ (IzAga 14:30) Akekho onesizathu sokuba nomhawu ngamalungelo enkonzo ezisebenzi zaseBethel. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ayikho indawo yomona emkhayeni waseBethel, okungomunye wemisebenzi yenyama. Linda ngokuthobeka—leso iseluleko esinengqondo kulowo ongase abonakale enganakiwe lapho abanye benikezwa amalungelo amakhudlwana. Ngaphezu kwalokho, abantu abanezimo ezihluke kakhulu ngokwezimali bahlala ndawonye eBethel. Yeka ukuthi kukhungathekisa kanjani uma othile ebheka izimo zakhe “eziqhathanisa nezomunye umuntu”! Ukwaneliswa ‘ukudla nezambatho’ kusize abaningi ukuba baqhubeke ngokwethembeka iminyaka eminingi ‘eNdlini kaNkulunkulu.’—Galathiya 5:20, 26; 6:4; 1 Thimothewu 6:8.
OFakazi BakaJehova nezinye izigidi zizuza kakhulu ngezinkonzo ezingakhokhelwa ezenziwa eBethel—umsebenzi owenziwa ngaphandle kobugovu oshukunyiswa uthando ngoNkulunkulu nomakhelwane. Njengezinye izindawo ezingokwasezulwini, amakhaya aseBethel nezindawo zokunyathelisa ze-Watch Tower Society kusekelwa ngokwezimali iminikelo yokuzithandela. (2 Korinte 9:7) NjengeNkosi uDavide namakhosi nezinduna zakwa-Israyeli, singabonisa ukwazisa kwethu ‘ngeNdlu kaNkulunkulu’ ngokusekela iNhlangano ngokuziphatha okuhle nangokwezimali. (1 IziKronike 29:3-7) Manje ake sibone ukuthi kungenzeka kanjani ukuba ‘sibone ubuhle bukaJehova’ eBethel.
Izibusiso ‘Endlini KaNkulunkulu’
Lapho usemhlanganweni, uba nawo yini umuzwa ojulile wokwaneliseka, njengoba uzungezwe abakhulekeli bakaJehova abajabulayo? Cabanga nje ngakho, isisebenzi saseBethel sinelungelo lokukhonza uJehova phakathi kweqembu labazalwane nsuku zonke! (IHubo 26:12) Yeka amathemba ayingqayizivele okukhula ngokomoya lokho okuwanikezayo! Umzalwane othile waphawula ukuthi wafunda okwengeziwe kokumsiza ukuba alolonge ubuntu bakhe esikhathini esingangonyaka eseBethel ngaphezu kokuba enza eminyakeni emithathu kwenye indawo. Ngani? Ngoba akukho ndawo lapho ake waba nethuba khona lokubona nokulingisa ukholo lwabantu abaningi kangaka abavuthiwe abangamaKristu.—IzAga 13:20.
EBethel, kunjengokungathi umuntu uzungezwe abeluleki abanokuhlangenwe nakho. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunenzuzo yokuzwa ukukhulumela okulungiselelwe kahle kunikezwa phakathi nokukhulekela kwasekuseni naseSifundweni Se-Nqabayokulinda somkhaya waseBethel nalapho kulalelwe izinkulumo ngoMsombuluko kusihlwa. Abasanda kufika bathola iziyalezo eSikoleni SaseBethel Sabaqalayo futhi babelwa ukuba bafunde lonke iBhayibheli phakathi nezinyanga zokuqala ezingu-12.
Imibiko nokuhlangenwe nakho kwezivakashi ezivela kwamanye amazwe kunikeza isikhuthazo esengeziwe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amalungu eNdikimba Ebusayo noma abameleli bayo bavakashela amahhovisi egatsha. “Nakuba benokuningi kokukwenza,” kusho uHelga, “ngaso sonke isikhathi labazalwane bayazinika ithuba lokuxoxaxoxa ngobungane noma ukumomotheka.” Yeka ukuthi kukhuthaza kanjani ukuzibonela ngawakho ukuziphatha okukhuthazayo nokunesizotha kwamadoda anjalo athembekile!
Ikakhulukazi eBethel umuntu angayibona ngokuseduze indlela inhlangano kaNkulunkulu esebenza ngayo nendlela umoya wakhe ongcwele ozishukumisela ngayo ezenzweni izinhliziyo nezandla ezivumayo. “EBethel umuntu uzizwa esondelene kakhulu ‘nesikhungo somsebenzi,’” kuchaza umzalwane othile, obekhonza eBethel yaseFrance kusukela ngo-1949. Uyaqhubeka: “Ngingasho ngokuqinisekile ukuthi kimina iBethel iwuhlobo lwenkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele olungivumela ukuba nginikele isikhathi esiningi namandla enkonzweni kaJehova futhi ngikhonze abazalwane abaningi kakhulu.” Futhi akuyona yini injongo yethu yangempela ekuphileni leyo—ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu? EBethel umuntu ‘angadumisa usuku lonke.’ Yeka isibusiso!—IHubo 44:8, qhathanisa ne-NW.
Njengoba sesibonile, umuntu osebenza ekhaya laseBethel angabona ubuhle bukaJehova futhi athole izibusiso eziningi. (Heberu 6:10) Ingabe inkonzo ‘eNdlini kaNkulunkulu’ ingaba okuthile okubalulekile kuwe? Labo phakathi koFakazi BakaJehova abaneminyaka esukela kwengu-19 ubudala, abajabulela impilo enhle engokomoya nengokomzimba, ‘abafakazelwa kahle ngabazalwane’ njengoThimothewu, bangafaka izicelo zokukhonza eBethel. (IzEnzo 16:2) Abaningi baye benza inkonzo yaseBethel yaba umsebenzi wabo kukho konke ukuphila kwabo, njengalabo abacashunwe ngenhla. Isifiso esijulile somhubi—‘ukuhlala endlini kaJehova izinsuku zonke zokuphila kwakhe’—sibe yiqiniso kubona.
OFakazi BakaJehova bawuhlonipha kakhulu umoya wokuzidela oboniswa ngabazalwane babo nodade eBethel, abanakekela izabelo ngokuzithandela nangokujabula. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sikhonza uJehova eBethel noma kwenye indawo, ngamunye wethu unesizathu esihle sokuzizwa njengeNkosi uDavide—ukubheka “Indlu kaNkulunkulu” ngokwazisa, noma ngenjabulo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 31]
LamaKristu aye ajabulela inkonzo engcwele eBethel yaseJalimane amashumi amaningi eminyaka