Sinjani Isimo Sakho Sengqondo Sokulinda?
EZWENI lanamuhla, bambalwa abantu abakujabulelayo ukulinda othile noma into ethile. Baphelelwa isineke. Nokho, imiBhalo ikhuthaza abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuba bahlakulele ‘isimo sengqondo sokulinda.’ Ngokungafani nabantu ababemzungezile, umprofethi uMika wathi: “Ngizobonisa isimo sengqondo sokumlinda uNkulunkulu wensindiso yami.”—Mika 7:7; IsiLilo 3:26.
Nokho, kusho ukuthini ukulinda uJehova? UmKristu kufanele amlinde kanjani uNkulunkulu? Ingabe kukhona izindlela ezifanele nezingafanele zokwenza lokhu? Okwenzeka kumprofethi uJona wangekhulu lesishiyagalolunye B.C.E. kusinikeza isifundo kule ndaba.
Isibonelo Sendlela Engafanele Yokulinda
UJehova uNkulunkulu wayala uJona ukuba ahambe ayoshumayela kubantu baseNineve, inhlokodolobha yoMbuso Wase-Asiriya. INineve lalaziwa ‘njengomuzi wokuchithwa kwegazi’ ngenxa yabantu bakhona ababengenamahloni ezenzweni zabo zobudlova nonya, okuyiqiniso elifakazelwa kahle yizazimlando nabavubukuli. (Nahume 3:1) UJona waqale wazama ukusibalekela lesi sabelo, kodwa uJehova waqiniseka ukuthi lo mprofethi ugcina eyile eNineve.—Jona 1:3–3:2.
“UJona wangena emzini ibanga lohambo lwezinyawo losuku olulodwa, futhi wayelokhu ememezela ethi: ‘Kusele izinsuku ezingamashumi amane kuphela, bese iNineve ligumbuqelwa.’” (Jona 3:4) Imizamo kaJona yaba nemiphumela ephawulekayo: “Amadoda aseNineve aqala ukuba nokholo kuNkulunkulu, amemezela ukuzila ukudla agqoka indwangu yesaka, kusukela komkhulu kunawo wonke kuwo kuya komncane kunawo wonke.” (Jona 3:5) Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova, uNkulunkulu ‘ongafisi ukuba kubhubhe namunye kodwa ofisa ukuba bonke baphenduke,’ wawusindisa lo muzi.—2 Petru 3:9.
Wenzenjani-ke uJona? Ukulandisa kuthi: “Nokho, kuJona kwakungathandeki neze, futhi wavutha ngentukuthelo.” (Jona 4:1) Kungani? Kungenzeka ukuthi uJona waba nomuzwa wokuthi ukungagcwaliseki kwesibikezelo sakhe sembubhiso ngosuku oluthile kumehlisa isithunzi sakhe sokuba umprofethi. Kusobala ukuthi wayekhathazeke kakhulu ngedumela lakhe kunokusindiswa kwabanye abantu nokubabonisa isihe.
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi uJona akazange aze afinyelele eqophelweni lokuba akuyeke ngokuphelele ukuba ngumprofethi. Noma kunjalo, walinda ukuze ‘abone ukuthi kwakuyokwenzekani ngalo muzi.’ Yebo, waqala ukuba nesimo sengqondo sokuthukuthela, ethi uyoke abone ukuthi iyozala nkomoni. Lapho eqaphela ukuthi izinto zazingenzeki ngendlela ayeyilindele, wazakhela idokodo, wahlala emthunzini, wayeselinda lapho enyukubele ukuze abone ukuthi kuyokwenzekani. Nokho, uJehova akazange asithande isimo sengqondo sikaJona, ngakho wakulungisa ngothando ukucabanga kwalo mprofethi wakhe onhlanhlathayo.—Jona 4:5, 9-11.
Okwenza UJehova Abekezele
Nakuba iNineve laphenduka futhi lasindiswa, kamuva labuyela ezindleleni ezimbi. Ngabaprofethi uNahume noZefaniya, uJehova wabikezela ukubhujiswa kwalo. Ekhuluma ‘ngomuzi wokuchithwa kwegazi,’ uJehova wathi wayeyobhubhisa i-Asiriya enze iNineve libe ugwadule oluyincithakalo. (Nahume 3:1; Zefaniya 2:13) Ngo-632 B.C.E., iNineve labhujiswa unomphela.
Ngendlela efanayo, izwe namuhla linecala elikhulu kakhulu kuneleNineve lamandulo lokuchithwa kwegazi ngonya. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu nezinye, uJehova uye wanquma ukuthi lesi simiso sezinto samanje uyosiphelisa ‘osizini olukhulu’ olungakaze lube khona.—Mathewu 24:21, 22.
Noma kunjalo, uJehova uye wayibamba leyo mbubhiso ayibikezele ukuze abantu abaqotho namuhla baphenduke futhi basindiswe, njengalabo abaphenduka eNineve. Umphostoli uPetru ukhuluma ngalokhu kubekezela kukaNkulunkulu ngala mazwi: “UJehova akephuzi ngokuqondene nesithembiso sakhe, njengoba abanye abantu becabanga ukuthi uyephuza, kodwa uyanibekezelela ngoba akafisi ukuba kubhubhe namunye kodwa ufisa ukuba bonke baphenduke.”—2 Petru 3:9, 10, 13.
Indlela Efanele Yokulinda
UPetru uqhubeka athi: “Njengoba zonke lezi zinto ziyoncibilika kanjalo, yeka ukuthi luhlobo luni lwabantu okufanele nibe yilo ezenzweni zokuziphatha ezingcwele nasezenzweni zokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, nilindele futhi nikukhumbula njalo ukufika kosuku lukaJehova!” (2 Petru 3:11, 12) Phawula ukuthi ngesikhathi sisalindele usuku lukaJehova, kufanele sibonakalise ‘izenzo zokuziphatha ezingcwele nezokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu’—kufanele senze okuthile, hhayi ukuhlala nje singenzi lutho.
Yebo, ukuba nesimo sengqondo esifanele sokulinda kubonisa ukuthi umuntu uqiniseka ngokuphelele ukuthi usuku lukaJehova luyofika ngesikhathi asibekile. Ukholo olunjalo luveza izenzo ezingcwele nezokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, futhi esiphambili kuzo ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. UJesu wabeka isibonelo esihle endabeni yokushumayela, futhi wayala abalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe wathi: “Izinkalo zenu mazibe zibhincile nezibani zenu zivutha, nani ngokwenu nibe njengabantu abalindele inkosi yabo lapho ibuya emshadweni, ukuze lapho ifika futhi ingqongqoza bayivulele ngaso leso sikhathi. Ziyajabula lezo zinceku okuthi lapho inkosi ifika izithole zilindile!”—Luka 12:35-37.
Izinceku zangekhulu lokuqala ‘zazibhinca izinkalo’ ngokukhuphula imiphetho yezingubo zazo ziyibophele okhalweni ngebhande ukuze zilungele ukwenza umsebenzi onzima. Ngakho, umKristu kumelwe abe nomdlandla futhi akushisekele ukwenza imisebenzi emihle. Kufanele alwe nanoma yimuphi umkhuba ‘wokuvilapha,’ engasebenzi ngokomoya, mhlawumbe amandla akhe onke ewasebenzisa ekuphishekeleni injabulo noma izinto ezibonakalayo. Kunalokho, kufanele abe “nokuningi kokukwenza emsebenzini weNkosi” ngesikhathi esalinde usuku lukaJehova olukhulu nolwesabekayo.—Roma 12:11; 1 Korinte 15:58.
Ukuba Matasa Ngesikhathi Silindile
OFakazi BakaJehova bebelokhu bematasa njengoba besalinde usuku lukaJehova. Ngokwesibonelo, ngonyaka wenkonzo ka-2003 basebenza amahora alinganiselwa ku-3 383 000 usuku ngalunye beshumayela izwi likaJehova. Lokhu kusho ukuthi umuntu oyedwa bekungadingeka ashumayele angayeki iminyaka engu-386 ukuze afeze ókwenziwa ngosuku olulodwa!
Noma kunjalo, senza kahle ngokuzibuza, ‘Sinjani isimo sami sengqondo sokulinda?’ UJesu wenza umfanekiso ochaza inkuthalo elindeleke kumaKristu athembekile agcotshiwe. Wakhuluma ngezinceku ezintathu: ‘Enye inceku, inkosi yayinika amathalenta amahlanu, enye amabili, kanti enye elilodwa, ngayinye ngokwamandla ayo, yahamba yaya kude. Masinyane leyo eyayamukele amathalenta amahlanu yahamba yayohweba ngawo yazuza amahlanu ngaphezulu. Ngendlela efanayo leyo eyayamukele amabili yazuza amabili ngaphezulu. Kodwa leyo eyayamukele elilodwa kuphela yahamba, yemba emhlabathini yayifihla imali yesiliva yenkosi yayo. Ngemva kwesikhathi eside inkosi yalezo zinceku yafika yalungisa izindaba nazo.’—Mathewu 25:15-19.
Zontathu lezi zinceku zazilinde ukufika kwenkosi yazo. Lapho inkosi yazo ifika, yathi kulezo zinceku ezimbili ezazigcina zimatasa ngesikhathi zilindile: “Wenze kahle, nceku enhle nethembekile!” Nokho, leyo engenzanga lutho ngesikhathi ilindile yaphathwa ngendlela ehlukile. Inkosi yathi: “Yikhipheleni ebumnyameni ngaphandle inceku engenalusizo lwalutho.”—Mathewu 25:20-30.
Nakuba lo mfanekiso usebenza kumaKristu agcotshiwe, sonke singafunda kuwo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi liyini ithemba lethu. INkosi, uJesu Kristu, ilindele ukuba ngamunye wethu asebenze ngenkuthalo emsebenzini esinike wona ngesikhathi sisalinde ukufika kwayo ngosuku olukhulu lukaJehova. Iyawazisa umsebenzi owenziwa ngumuntu ngamunye ‘ngokwamandla akhe’ nangokwezimo zakhe. Yeka ukuthi kuyojabulisa kanjani ukuzwa iNkosi ithi “wenze kahle” lapho sekufikile lokho ebesikulindile!
Ukubekezela KweNkosi Yethu Kusho Ukusindiswa
Kuthiwani-ke uma lesi simiso sesiqhubeke isikhathi eside kunalokho esasikucabanga noma esasikulindele? Lokho akwenzekanga ngaphandle kwesizathu. Umphostoli uPetru wabhala: “Bhekani ukubekezela kweNkosi yethu njengensindiso.” (2 Petru 3:15) Ulwazi oluqondile ngezinjongo zikaNkulunkulu nokuqaphela ngokuzithoba ukuthi asibalulekile kakhulu kunokugcwaliseka kwezinjongo zakhe kuyosenza sikwazi ukubekezela uma nje uJehova esabona kufanelekile ukuba asibekezelele lesi simiso esidala.
Ukuze akhuthaze amaKristu ukuba abekezele, umlobi weBhayibheli uJakobe walandisa umfanekiso othile. Wabhala: “Bhekani! Umlimi uqhubeka elinde isithelo somhlaba esiyigugu, esibekezelela aze athole imvula yokuqala nemvula yokugcina. Nani futhi bekezelani; qinisani izinhliziyo zenu, ngoba ukuba khona kweNkosi sekusondele.”—Jakobe 5:7, 8.
UJehova UNkulunkulu akafuni ukuba sikhathale njengoba sisalindile. Unomsebenzi afuna siwenze futhi uyajabula uma leso sikhathi sokulinda sisisebenzisela ukwenza lowo msebenzi ngenkuthalo. Ufuna sibe phakathi kwalabo bantu abachazwa ngumphostoli uPawulu encwadini yakhe ayibhalela amaHebheru: “Sifisa ukuba yilowo nalowo kini abonise inkuthalo efanayo ukuze abe nesiqinisekiso esigcwele sethemba kuze kube sekupheleni, ukuze ningabi abavilaphayo, kodwa nibe abalingisi balabo okuthi ngokholo nangokubekezela bazuze izithembiso njengefa.”—Hebheru 6:11, 12.
Ngakho-ke masingapheli amandla. Kunalokho, kwangathi ubuhlobo bethu siqu noJehova uNkulunkulu, ukholo lwethu emhlatshelweni kaJesu wesihlengo nethemba lethu elijabulisayo lesimiso esisha sezinto kungaba amandla ashukumisayo ekuphileni kwethu. Njengezinceku ‘ezinhle nezithembekile’ emfanekisweni kaJesu, kwangathi singazibonakalisa sikufanelekela ukunconywa nokuthola umvuzo ngokuzigcina simatasa ekudumiseni uNkulunkulu wethu, njengoba kwenza umhubi owathi: “Kepha mina, ngizolinda njalo, ngizokwenezela kulo lonke udumo lwakho.”—IHubo 71:14.
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Edumele, uJona walinda ukuze abone ukuthi kwakuyokwenzekani ngeNineve
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Masibonise ukuzinikela kokwesaba uNkulunkulu ngesikhathi silinde usuku lukaJehova