Ungubani UJehova?

UJEHOVA watshela omunye wabakhulekeli bakhe abathembekile: “Akukho-muntu ongangibona, aphile.” (Eksodusi 33:20) “UNkulunkulu uwuMoya,” futhi abantu abanakumbona ngamehlo abo enyama. (Johane 4:24) Njengoba nje ukubuka ilanga ngokuqondile emini bebade kungase konakalise amehlo akho, kungaba inhlekelele ngokufanayo ngathi ukubona uMthombo wamandla omkhulu ongadalanga ilanga lethu elikhazimulayo nje kuphela kodwa nezinye izinhlobo zelanga ezingenakubalwa ezisendaweni yonke.

Ngokujabulisayo, akudingeki ukuba sibone uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi ngaye. IBhayibheli liyasitshela ukuthi ngubani Lowo owasilungisela lelo phasela elimangalisayo, umhlaba, futhi lembule nobuntu bakhe. Ngakho kuyazuzisa ukuhlola iBhayibheli ukuze sizwe ngoBaba owasinika ukuphila nowasilungiselela ikhaya elijabulisayo ukuze sijabulele lokho kuphila kulo.

Ukubaluleka Kwegama Lakhe

Wonke amagama anezincazelo, ngisho noma abaningi bengase bangazazi namuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, igama elivamile lesiNgisi elithi David livela egameni lesiHeberu elisho ukuthi “Othandekayo.” Igama loMdali, elithi Jehova, nalo linencazelo. Ithini? Olimini lokuqala lweBhayibheli isiHeberu, igama laphezulu lilotshwe ngezinhlamvu ezine, ezithi YHWH, futhi livela izikhathi ezicishe zibe ngu-7 000 engxenyeni yesiHeberu yeBhayibheli. Igama laphezulu liqondwa njengelisho ukuthi “Ubangela Kube Khona.” Kusikisela ukuthi uJehova ngokuhlakanipha uzenza abe yinoma yini adinga ukuba yiyo ukuze afeze izinjongo zakhe. UnguMdali, uMahluleli, uMkhululi, uMsekeli Wokuphila, ngakho-ke angazifeza izithembiso zakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngesiHeberu igama elithi Jehova lisesimweni esibonisa isenzo esisenziwa. Yebo, uJehova usabangela ukuba abe umfezi wezinjongo zakhe. UnguNkulunkulu ophilayo!

Izimfanelo ZikaJehova Ezivelele

IBhayibheli lichaza uMdali ngokuthi “uNkulunkulu ogcwele isihe, onomusa, ophuza ukuthukuthela, novamé ubumnene neqiniso, ogcinela abayizinkulungwane umusa, othethelela ububi neziphambeko nezono.” (Eksodusi 34:6, 7) Igama elithi “ubumnene” lihumusha igama lesiHeberu elibaluleke kakhulu. Lisho umusa ozihlanganisa nokuthile ngothando kuze kube yilapho injongo yaleyo nto isifezekile. Lingahunyushwa nangokuthi “uthando oluthembekile.” Umusa kaJehova uzihlanganisa nezidalwa zakhe ngothando abese efeza injongo yakhe emangalisayo. Ubungeke yini ulwazise uthando olunjalo oluvela kuLowo oye wakunika ukuphila?

UJehova uyephuza ukuthukuthela futhi uyashesha ukuthethelela amaphutha ethu. Kuyajabulisa ukuba seduze nomuntu onjalo. Nokho, lokho akusho ukuthi uyakushalazela ukwenziwa kobubi. Uthi: “Mina-Jehova ngithanda ukulunga, ngizonda ukuphanga kanye nokubi.” (Isaya 61:8) NjengoNkulunkulu wobulungisa, ngeke azibekezelele phakade izoni ezidelelayo eziphikelelayo ebubini bazo. Ngakho, singaqiniseka ukuthi ngesikhathi sakhe esifanele, uJehova uzokulungisa ukungabi nabulungisa obukuleli lizwe. Ngeke abashalazele abahluphekayo.

Akulula ukulondoloza ukulinganisela okuphelele phakathi kothando nobulungisa. Uma ungumzali, ingabe ukuthola kunzima ukunquma ukuthi ungazikhuza nini, kanjani nangezinga elingakanani izingane zakho lapho ziziphatha ngokungafanele? Kudingeka ukuhlakanipha okukhulu ukuze ulinganisele ubulungisa nesihawu sothando. Leyo mfanelo uJehova uyibonisa kakhulu lapho esebenzelana nabantu. (Roma 11:33-36) Ngokuqinisekile, ukuhlakanipha koMdali kungabonwa yonke indawo, ngokwesibonelo ezimangalisweni zendalo ezisizungezile.—IHubo 104:24; IzAga 3:19.

Nokho, akwanele ukuba nokuhlakanipha. Ukuze afeze intando yakhe, uMdali kumelwe abe nanamandla, futhi iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi unamandla kakhulu: “Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu, nibone. Ngubani odalile lezozinto na? Nguye okhipha ibandla lazo ngezibalo, abize zonke ngamagama; ngobuningi bamandla akhe nangobukhulu bezikhwepha zakhe ayisilali neyodwa.” (Isaya 40:26) UJehova wenza izinto “ngobuningi bamandla akhe.” Ingabe imfanelo enjalo ibingeke ikudonsele kuye?

UNkulunkulu Wazo Zonke Izizwe

Ungase uzibuze: ‘Kodwa uJehova akayena yini uNkulunkulu “weTestamente Elidala,” uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wasendulo?’ Yiqiniso ukuthi uJehova wazembula kuma-Israyeli. Nokho, ngenxa yokuthi wadala umbhangqwana wokuqala ongabantu, uJehova unguNkulunkulu “eqanjwe ngaye yonke imikhaya . . . emhlabeni.” (Efesu 3:15) Uma ukholelwa ukuthi kuyafaneleka ukuba uhloniphe okhokho bakho, ngeke yini kube okufanelekile ukukhothamela Lowo owanika umuntu wokuqala, ukhokho wethu sonke, ukuphila, ezisuka kuye zonke izinhlu zozalo ezikhona emhlabeni namuhla?

UMdali wesintu akanawo umqondo olinganiselwe. Yiqiniso, ngesinye isikhathi wayenobuhlobo obukhethekile nesizwe sakwa-Israyeli. Kodwa ngisho nangaleso sikhathi, wayamukela wonke umuntu obiza igama lakhe. Inkosi ehlakaniphile yakwa-Israyeli lapho ithandaza kuJehova yathi: “Owezizwe ongesiye owabantu bakho uIsrayeli, lapho evela ezweni elikude ngenxa yegama lakho . . . , mawuzwe wena ezulwini, . . . wenze njengakho konke lowezizwe akhala ngakho kuwe, ukuze bonke abantu bomhlaba bazi igama lakho.” (1 AmaKhosi 8:41-43) Kuze kube namuhla, abantu bazo zonke izizwe bangamazi uJehova futhi babe nobuhlobo obunenjongo naye. Kodwa lokho kukuthinta kanjani wena?

Izinzuzo Zokwazi UJehova

Uma sibuyela emfanekisweni osesihlokweni esandulele, uma uthola iphasela elisongwe kahle, ungafuna ukuthola ukuthi singesani leso sipho. Kufanele sisetshenziswe futhi sinakekelwe kanjani? Ngokufanayo, sifuna ukwazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayecabangani lapho esilungiselela umhlaba. IBhayibheli lithi ‘akawudalelanga ize,’ kodwa “wawubumba ukuba kuhlalwe kuwo,” okusho ukuthi, isintu sihlale kuwo.—Isaya 45:18.

Nokho, abantu abaningi abazange basinakekele lesi sipho soMdali. Bayawonakalisa umhlaba, okuyinto uJehova angayithandi neze. Nokho, ngokuvumelana nencazelo yegama lakhe, uJehova uzimisele ukufeza injongo yakhe yasekuqaleni ngesintu nomhlaba. (IHubo 115:16; IsAmbulo 11:18) Uzowulungisa umhlaba abese ewunika labo abazimisele ukuphila njengabantwana bakhe abalalelayo ukuba bahlale kuwo.—Mathewu 5:5.

Incwadi yokugcina yeBhayibheli ichaza indlela izinto eziyoba ngayo lapho lokho kwenzeka: “Bheka! Itende likaNkulunkulu likanye nesintu, uyohlala naso, futhi siyoba abantu bakhe. . . . Futhi uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni aso, futhi ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.” (IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Ngaleso sikhathi akekho oyochiphiza izinyembezi zosizi noma alile ngenxa yokulahlekelwa othandekayo. Akekho oyokhalela usizo, ephelelwe ithemba noma esezinhlungwini zezifo ezibulalayo. Ngisho ‘nokufa kumelwe kwenziwe ize.’ (1 Korinte 15:26; Isaya 25:8; 33:24) Lokhu kuchaza uhlobo lokuphila uJehova ayefuna silujabulele kwasekuqaleni lapho edala okhokho bethu bokuqala.

Yebo, manje ungazibona kusengaphambili lezi zimo zepharadesi phakathi kwabakhulekeli bakaJehova. Uyabatshela: “NginguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho okufundisile okukusizayo, okuholile ngendlela omelwe ukuhamba ngayo.” (Isaya 48:17) UJehova unguBaba onomusa osifundisa indlela engcono kakhulu yokuphila, thina zingane zakhe. Iziqondiso zakhe azinika abantu zinikeza isivikelo sothando, hhayi imingcele engadingekile. Ukuzilandela kuyophumela enkululekweni yangempela nasenjabulweni, njengoba nje kulotshiwe: “Manje uJehova unguMoya; futhi lapho kunomoya kaJehova khona, kukhona inkululeko.” (2 Korinte 3:17) Ngokulandela iziqondiso eziseBhayibhelini, labo abamukela ukubusa kwakhe manje bajabulela ukuthula kwengqondo lokho ngolunye usuku okuyogcwala kulo lonke izwe lesintu.—Filipi 4:7.

Yeka ukuthi uJehova unguBaba omuhle kanjani! Ingabe uzimisele ukufunda okwengeziwe ngaLowo owadala zonke izimangaliso zendalo? Labo abazimisele, bangajabulela izinzuzo ezingenakuqhathaniswa ngisho namanje. Futhi ngesikhathi esizayo bayothola izibusiso ezingunaphakade.

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

Igama laphezulu elilotshwe ngezinhlamvu ezine zesiHeberu lingabonwa ezindongeni zamasonto amaningi amadala