Bhekani Abathembekile!

“Ubani ongeke ngempela akwesabe, Jehova, futhi akhazimulise igama lakho, ngoba wena wedwa uthembekile?”—ISAMBULO 15:4.

1. Yibuphi ubufakazi uJ. F. Rutherford abunikeza ngokwethembeka kowayemandulele esikhundleni, uC. T. Russell?

UJOSEPH F. RUTHERFORD, owalandela uC. T. Russell njengomongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngo-1917, waqala inkulumo yakhe enkonzweni yomngcwabo kaRussell ngokuthi: “UCharles Taze Russell ubethembekile kuNkulunkulu, ethembekile kuKristu Jesu, ethembekile enjongweni yombuso kaMesiya. Ubethembeke ngokuphelele—yebo, uye wathembeka kwaze kwaba sekufeni.” Ngempela, lawo kwakungamazwi okuncoma amahle kakhulu ayengase ashiwo ngenceku kaJehova uNkulunkulu ekholekile. Awekho amazwi okuncoma angase ashiwo ngomuntu adlula ukuba kuthiwe uye wanqoba inselele yokwethembeka, ukuthi ubethembekile—ethembeke ngokuphelele.

2, 3. (a) Kungani ukwethembeka kuyinselele? (b) Obani abamelene namaKristu eqiniso emizamweni yawo yokwethembeka?

² Ukwethembeka kuyinselele. Ngani? Ngoba ukwethembeka kungaphambana nezithakazelo zomuntu. Abavelele kulabo abangathembekile kuNkulunkulu abefundisi beLobukholwa. Kanti futhi, akukaze nanini kube nokungathembeki okusakazeke kangaka njengasebuhlotsheni bomshado namuhla. Ukuphinga kudlangile. Ukungathembeki kuvamile nasemkhakheni wamabhizinisi. Ngokuqondene nalokhu, siyatshelwa: “Abaphathi nochwepheshe abaningi . . . bakholelwa ukuthi iziphukuphuku nezithutha kuphela ezithembekayo ezinkampanini ezikuzo namuhla.” Abantu “abathembeke kakhulu” babukelwa phansi. Umongameli wenkampani yokuxhumana nabaphathi nokufuna izisebenzi ezingabaqondisi wakubeka kanje, “kufanele uthembeke kuwe siqu kuqala futhi ugcine lapho.” Ukukhuluma ngokwethembeka komuntu kuye uqobo kuwukufiphaza lokho okushiwo yileli gama. Kusikhumbuza lokho okushiwo kuMika 7:2: “Abathembekileyo babhubhile emhlabeni.”

³ Ngezinga elikhulu nakakhulu, uSathane namademoni akhe bamelene nathi, bazimisele ukusenza singathembeki kuNkulunkulu. Kungakho kweyabase-Efesu 6:12 amaKristu etshelwa: “Asibambene negazi nenyama kodwa nawohulumeni, namagunya, nababusi bezwe balobubumnyama, nendikimba yomoya ababi esezindaweni zasezulwini.” Yebo, kudingeka silalele lesi sixwayiso: “Hlalani nisangulukile, lindani. Isitha senu, uDeveli, sihambahamba njengengonyama ebhongayo, efuna ukushwabadela othile.”—1 Petru 5:8.

4. Yikuphi ukuthambekela okwenza ukwethembeka kube nzima?

⁴ Okunye okwenza ukwethembeka kube nzima ukuthambekela kobugovu esikuzuze njengefa kubazali bethu, njengoba kushiwo kuGenesise 8:21: “Imicabango yomuntu mibi”—futhi inobugovu—“kwasebusheni bakhe.” Sonke sinenkinga umphostoli uPawulu avuma ukuthi wayenayo: “Okuhle engikufisayo angikwenzi, kodwa okubi engingakufisi yikho engikwenza umkhuba.”—Roma 7:19.

Ukwethembeka Kuyinto Ekhethekile

5, 6. Yini engase ishiwo ngalokho ukwethembeka okuyikho, futhi kuye kwachazwa kanjani?

⁵ “Ukwethembeka” yigama elikhetheke ngempela. Ngenxa yalokho i-Insight on the Scriptures ithi: “Kubonakala sengathi awekho amagama esiNgisi akuveza ngokunembile okushiwo igama lesiHeberu nelesiGreki, kodwa elithi ‘ukwethembeka,’ njengoba lihlanganisa umqondo wokuzinikela nokukholeka, lapho lisetshenziswa ngokuqondene noNkulunkulu nenkonzo yakhe, licishe liwuveze umqondo.”a Ngokuqondene nelithi “ukwethembeka” INqabayokulinda yake yathi: “Ukukholeka, inhlonipho, uthando, isibopho, ukuzinikela. Yini lamagama afana ngayo? Ayizici ezihlukahlukene zokwethembeka.” Yebo, kunezimfanelo zokuhle eziningi kakhulu eziyizici ezihlukene zokwethembeka. Iyaphawuleka ngempela indlela ukwethembeka nokulunga okuvame ngayo ukuhlotshaniswa emiBhalweni.

⁶ Okunye okusizayo yizincazelo ezilandelayo: ‘Ukwethembeka kungabonisa ukukholeka nokuzinikela okuqhubekayo nokunokwethenjelwa, okuqinile naphezu kokuntengantenga noma isilingo.’ ‘Ukwethembeka kusikisela ukukholeka esithembisweni umuntu asenzile noma ukuzinikela ngokuqhubekayo entweni emisiwe noma ezimisweni umuntu anomuzwa wokuthi ziyambopha; leli gama alisho kuphela ukunamathela kodwa lisho nokumelana nokunxenxelwa nokushoshozelwa ukuyeka lokho kunamathela.’ Ngakho, abantu abaqhubeka bekholekile naphezu kokuvivinywa, ukuphikiswa, nokushushiswa bayakufanelekela ukubizwa ngokuthi “bathembekile.”

7. Kungahlukaniswa kanjani ukwethembeka nokukholeka?

⁷ Nokho, kulokhu kungaba kuhle ukwenza isibonelo sendlela okungahlukaniswa ngayo ukwethembeka nokukholeka. Entshonalanga ye-United States, kunesiphethu samanzi ashisayo esiphethuka cishe njalo ngemva kwehora. Sigcina isikhathi kangangokuba siye sabizwa ngokuthi Okholekileyo Wamandulo. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngezinto ezinjalo ezingaphili, njengenyanga, njengezikholekile, ngoba zingase zethenjwe. IHubo 89:37 (NW) likhuluma ngenyanga ‘njengewufakazi okholekile osesibhakabhakeni.’ Amazwi kaNkulunkulu kuthiwa akholekile. IsAmbulo 21:5 sithi: “Lowo ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi wathi: ‘Bheka! Ngenza zonke izinto zibe zintsha.’ Futhi, uthi: ‘Loba, ngoba lamazwi akholekile futhi ayiqiniso.’” Zonke lezi zinto zikholekile, zinokwethenjelwa, kodwa azikwazi ukuba nanoma yimuphi umuzwa wokunamathela kokuthile noma izimfanelo zokuziphatha okuhle, njengokwethembeka.

UJehova, UMuntu Othembeke Ngokuvelele

8. Yibuphi ubufakazi obungokomBhalo obuveza isibonelo esihle kakhulu sokwethembeka?

⁸ Ngaphandle kokungabaza, uJehova uNkulunkulu uyisibonelo esihle kakhulu sokwethembeka. UJehova uye wathembeka ohlangeni lwesintu, waze wanikela ngisho nangeNdodana yakhe ukuze abantu bathole ukuphila okumi phakade. (Johane 3:16) KuJeremiya 3:12, siyafunda: “Buya wena-Israyeli ohlehlayo, usho uJehova; angiyikuninyakamela, ngokuba [ngithembekile, NW].” Okunye okufakazela ukwethembeka kukaJehova amazwi alotshwe kusAmbulo 16:5: “Wena, okhona nowawukhona, othembekile, ulungile.” Kanti futhi, kumaHubo 145:17, siyatshelwa: “UJehova ulungile ezindleleni zakhe zonke, [uthembekile, NW] emisebenzini yakhe yonke.” Eqinisweni, uJehova uvelele kakhulu ekwethembekeni kwakhe kangangokuba isAmbulo 15:4 sithi: “Ubani ongeke ngempela akwesabe, Jehova, futhi akhazimulise igama lakho, ngoba wena wedwa uthembekile?” UJehova uNkulunkulu uthembeke ngezinga elivelele kakhulu.

9, 10. Yimuphi umlando wokwethembeka uJehova azenzela wona ekusebenzelaneni kwakhe nesizwe sakwa-Israyeli?

⁹ Umlando wesizwe sakwa-Israyeli ikakhulukazi uqukethe ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokwethembeka kukaJehova kubantu bakhe. Ezinsukwini zaBahluleli, u-Israyeli wahlehla kaninginingi ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso, kodwa uJehova wazisola ngokuphindaphindiwe futhi wamsindisa. (AbAhluleli 2:15-22) Kuwo wonke amakhulu amahlanu eminyaka u-Israyeli enamakhosi, uJehova wabonisa ukwethembeka kwakhe kuleso sizwe.

¹⁰ Ukwethembeka kukaJehova kwambangela ukuba ababekezelele abantu bakhe, njengoba kuphawulwe kwezesi-2 IziKronike 36:15, 16: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise wathuma kubo ngezandla zezithunywa zakhe, ethuma njalonjalo, ngokuba wahawukela abantu bakhe nendawo yakhe yokuhlala; kepha baziklolodela izithunywa zikaNkulunkulu, bawadelela amazwi akhe, babaphatha kabi abaprofethi bakhe, yaze yavuka intukuthelo kaJehova ngabantu bakhe, kwaze kwangabakho ukwelashwa.”

11. Yikuphi ukuqiniseka noma induduzo ukwethembeka kukaJehova okusinikeza khona?

¹¹ Ngenxa yokuthi uJehova uthembeke ngendlela evelele, umphostoli uPawulu wayengabhala, njengoba kulotshwe kweyabaseRoma 8:38, 39: “Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi nakufa nakuphila nazingelosi nawohulumeni nazinto ezikhona manje nazinto ezizayo namandla nakuphakama nakujula nanoma iyiphi enye indalo ngeke kukwazi ukusihlukanisa nothando lukaNkulunkulu olukuKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.” Yebo, uJehova uyasiqinisekisa: “Angisoze ngakushiya noma ngakulahla.” (Heberu 13:5) Ngempela, kuyaduduza ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu uthembeke njalo!

UJesu Kristu, INdodana Ethembekile

12, 13. Yibuphi ubufakazi esinabo bokwethembeka kweNdodana kaNkulunkulu?

¹² UJesu Kristu walingisa uJehova ngokuphelele ekubhekaneni nenselele yokwethembeka futhi usakwenza namanje. Umphostoli uPetru walicaphuna kufanele iHubo 16:10 walisebenzisa kuJesu Kristu kuzEnzo 2:27: “Ngeke ushiye umphefumulo wami eHayidese, futhi ngeke uvumele othembekileyo wakho ukuba abone ukonakala.” UJesu Kristu ubizwa kufanele ngokuthi “othembekileyo.” Kukho konke, uthembekile kuYise naseMbusweni kaNkulunkulu othenjisiwe. USathane waqale wazama ukuphula ubuqotho bukaJesu ngokusebenzisa izilingo, izinto ezaziyomenza abe nobugovu. Ehluleka kulokho, uDeveli waphendukela ekumshushiseni, ekugcineni wabangela ukufa kukaJesu esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa. UJesu akazange nanini achezuke ekwethembekeni kwakhe kuYise wasezulwini, uJehova uNkulunkulu.—Mathewu 4:1-11.

¹³ UJesu Kristu uye wathembeka kubalandeli bakhe ngokuvumelana nesithembiso esilotshwe kuMathewu 28:20: “Bhekani! Nginani izinsuku zonke kuze kube isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.” Egcwalisa leso sithembiso, ubelokhu ehola phezu kwebandla ngokwethembeka kusukela ngePentekoste lika-33 C.E. kuze kube manje.

Abantu Abangaphelele Ababethembekile

14. Yisiphi isibonelo sokwethembeka esabekwa uJobe?

¹⁴ Kuthiwani-ke ngabantu abangaphelele? Bangathembeka kuNkulunkulu? Sinesibonelo esivelele sikaJobe. USathane wenza impikiswano yakhanya bhá endabeni yakhe. Ingabe uJobe wayethembekile kuJehova uNkulunkulu, noma ingabe wayemkhonza ngenxa nje yobugovu? USathane waqhosha ethi angenza uJobe afulathele uJehova ngokubangela uJobe izinkinga. Lapho uJobe eselahlekelwe yikho konke ayenakho, zonke izingane zakhe, ngisho nempilo yakhe, umkakhe wamnxusa: “Thuka uNkulunkulu, ufe.” Kodwa uJobe wathembeka, ngoba wathi kuye: “Ukhuluma njengalokhu owesifazane oyisiwula ekhuluma. Siyakwamukela okuhle kuphela kuNkulunkulu, singamukeli nokubi, na? Kukho konke lokho uJobe akonanga ngomlomo wakhe.” (Jobe 2:9, 10) Eqinisweni, kulabo okwakufanele babe abaduduzi bakhe, uJobe wathi: “Noma [uNkulunkulu] engibulala, ngiyobeka ithemba kuye.” (Jobe 13:15, New International Version) Akumangalisi ukuthi uJobe wamukeleka kuJehova! Ngakho-ke, uJehova watshela u-Elifazi umThemani: “Intukuthelo yami iyavuthela wena nabangane bakho ababili, ngokuba anikhulumanga okulungileyo ngami njengenceku yami uJobe.”—Jobe 42:7, 10-16; Jakobe 5:11.

15. Yibuphi ubufakazi obungokomBhalo esinabo bokwethembeka kwezinceku eziningi zikaJehova uNkulunkulu?

¹⁵ Bonke abesilisa nabesifazane bokholo abachazwe kumaHeberu isahluko 11 bangase babizwe ngokuthi abathembekileyo. Abagcinanga nje ngokukholeka kodwa futhi bathembeka lapho bebhekene nezingcindezi. Ngakho, sifunda ngalabo “okwathi ngokholo . . . bavala imilomo yezingonyama, bamisa amandla omlilo, baphunyuka osikweni lwenkemba . . . Yebo, abanye bamukela ukulingwa kwabo ngokuhlekwa insini nangokubhaxabulwa, impela, okungaphezu kwalokho, ngezibopho nangamatilongo. Bakhandwa ngamatshe, baquliswa, banqunywa ngokusahwa, bafa ngokubulawa ngenkemba, bazulazula bembethe izikhumba zezimvu, izikhumba zezimbuzi, kuyilapho beswela, besosizini, bengaphansi kokuphathwa kabi.”—Heberu 11:33-37.

16. Yisiphi isibonelo sokwethembeka esabekwa umphostoli uPawulu?

¹⁶ ImiBhalo YamaKristu YesiGreki inikeza futhi isibonelo esivelele somphostoli uPawulu. Washo kufanele kumaKristu aseThesalonika mayelana nenkonzo yakhe: “Ningofakazi, noNkulunkulu unguye, bendlela esaba ngayo ngabathembekile nabalungile nabangenakusoleka kini nina makholwa.” (1 Thesalonika 2:10) Sinobunye ubufakazi bokwethembeka kukaPawulu emazwini akhe alotshwe kweyesi-2 Korinte 6:4, 5, lapho sifunda khona ukuthi: “Ngazo zonke izindlela sizitusa njengezikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu, ngokukhuthazelela okuningi, ngezinsizi, ngokuswela, ngobunzima, ngokushaywa, ngamatilongo, ngeziyaluyalu, ngemishikashika, ngokuqwasha ebusuku, ngezikhathi zokungabi nakudla.” Konke lokhu kufakazela ukuthi umphostoli uPawulu wayezihlonipha ngoba wayethembekile.

Abathembekile Ezikhathini Zanamuhla

17. Yimaphi amazwi kaJ. F. Rutherford abonisa ukuthi wayezimisele ukwethembeka?

¹⁷ Ezikhathini zanamuhla, sinesibonelo esihle esikhulume ngaso esethulweni sethu. Phawula lokho okushiwo encwadini ethi Ukulondeka Komhlaba Wonke Ngaphansi ‘KweNkosi Yokuthula,’ ekhasini 146 ngaphansi kwesihlokwana esithi “Ukwethembeka Phakathi Nesikhathi Sokuboshwa.” Kuthiwa lapho: “Ebonisa ukwethembeka enhlanganweni kaJehova phakathi nesikhathi sokuboshwa kwakhe, umongameli we-Watch Tower Society, uJoseph F. Rutherford, ngo-December 25, 1918, wabhala okulandelayo: ‘Ngenxa yokuthi ngenqaba ukuvumelana neBabiloni, kodwa ngazama ngokwethembeka ukukhonza iNkosi yami, ngisejele, okuyinto engiyibongayo. . . . Ngingakhetha ukwamukelwa yiyo ngibe sejele, kunokuba ngivumelane noma nginqotshwe yiSilo ngikhululeke bese ngihalaliselwa yilo lonke izwe.’”b

18, 19. Yiziphi izibonelo esinazo ezivelele zokwethembeka ezikhathini zanamuhla?

¹⁸ Sinezibonelo ezinhle kakhulu zokwethembeka zamanye amaKristu amaningi aye akhuthazelela ukushushiswa. Phakathi kwabantu abanjalo abathembekile kunoFakazi BakaJehova baseJalimane phakathi nombuso wamaNazi, njengoba kuboniswe kuyi-video ethi Purple Triangles, esakazwa kabanzi ngolimi lwesiNgisi. Abanye abaphawulekayo, oFakazi BakaJehova abaningi abathembekile base-Afrika, njengabaseMalawi. Lapho, omunye unogada wasejele wafakazela ukwethembeka koFakazi, ethi: “Abasoze bayekethisa. Bamane nje bayanda.”

¹⁹ Umuntu ofunda izi-Ncwadi Zonyaka ZoFakazi BakaJehova zamuva nakanjani uyohlatshwa umxhwele ukwethembeka okwaboniswa amaKristu eqiniso, njengawaseGreece, eMozambique, nasePoland. Amaningi awo abhekana nokuhlushwa okubuhlungu; amanye abulawa. Ikhasi 177 le-Ncwadi Yonyaka yesiNgisi ka-1992 linezithombe zabesilisa abangu-9 abangamaKristu e-Ethiopia ababhekana nenselele yokwethembeka kwaze kwaba sezingeni lokubulawa. NjengoFakazi BakaJehova, asijabuli yini ngokuba nezibonelo eziningi ezinhle kangaka ezisikhuthaza ukuba sibhekane nenselele yokwethembeka?

20. Uba yini umphumela uma sihlala sithembekile?

²⁰ Ngokumelana ngokwethembeka nokulingwa nezingcindezi, sakha ukuzihlonipha. Ngakho-ke, uhlangothi lukabani lwempikiswano yokwethembeka esifuna ukutholakala kulo? Ngokuhlangabezana nenselele yokwethembeka, sithatha uhlangothi lukaJehova uNkulunkulu lwempikiswano futhi sifakazele ukuthi uSathane uDeveli ungumqambimanga owonakele, omubi ngempela! Ngaleyo ndlela sizuza ukwamukelwa uMenzi wethu, uJehova uNkulunkulu, nomvuzo wokuphila okumi phakade ngenjabulo. (IHubo 37:29; 144:15b) Ukuthi kuhilelani ukuhlangabezana nenselele yokwethembeka kuzocatshangelwa ngokulandelayo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

Ungaphendula Kanjani?

◻ Kungani ukuba othembekile kuyinselele?

◻ Kungani kungase kuthiwe elithi “ukwethembeka” liyigama elikhetheke ngempela?

◻ Yiziphi izibonelo ezingokomBhalo esinazo zabantu abangaphelele abaye bathembeka?

◻ Yiziphi izibonelo zanamuhla ezinhle zokwethembeka esinazo?

[Isithombe ekhasini 11]

UCharles Taze Russell

[Isithombe ekhasini 12]

UJesu waba ‘ngothembekileyo’ kaJehova ngempela

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

UJobe, wazibonakalisa ethembekile kuNkulunkulu, nakuba ayengaphelele

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

UPawulu wabeka isibonelo esihle sokwethembeka kuJehova