Ingabe Kunendaba Ukuthi Simkhulekela Kanjani UNkulunkulu?

“INKOLO igxile ngokujulile emvelweni yomuntu.” Kusho uProfesa Alister Hardy encwadini ethi The Spiritual Nature of Man. Imiphumela yenhlolo-vo yamuva nje iyasisekela lesi siphetho. Ithole ukuthi amaphesenti angaba ngu-86 abantu emhlabeni athi angamalungu enkolo ethile.

Le nhlolo-vo ithole nokuthi amakholwa asezinkolweni eziyinhloko ezingu-19 kanti labo abathi bangamaKristu basemasontweni ahlukahlukene angu-37 000. Ingabe lokhu akukwenzi uzibuze ukuthi zonke lezi zindlela ezihlukene zokukhulekela zamukeleka ngendlela efanayo yini kuNkulunkulu? Empeleni, ingabe kunendaba ukuthi simkhulekela kanjani?

Kule ndaba ebalulekile, kusobala ukuthi asinakuthembela endleleni esizizwa ngayo noma emibonweni yethu. Kunengqondo ukuba sithole ukuthi uyini umbono kaNkulunkulu ngale ndaba. Ngakho kufanele siye eZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli. Ngani? Ngoba uJesu Kristu uqobo wathi lapho ethandaza kuNkulunkulu: “Izwi lakho liyiqiniso.” (Johane 17:17) Futhi umphostoli othembekile uPawulu wafakaza: “Yonke imiBhalo iphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu futhi inenzuzo yokufundisa, yokusola, yokuqondisa izinto.”—2 Thimothewu 3:16.

IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi akukhona konke ukukhulekela okwamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu. Sithola izibonelo ezingokomlando zezindlela zokukhulekela ezazemukeleka kuNkulunkulu nalezo azenqaba. Ngokuhlolisisa lezi zibonelo, singafunda ukuthi yini okumelwe siyenze nokungamelwe siyenze ukuze ukukhulekela kwethu kumthokozise uNkulunkulu.

Isibonelo Sasendulo

Ngomprofethi uMose, uJehova uNkulunkulu wanika ama-Israyeli imithetho eyayiwafundisa ukuthi angamkhulekela kanjani uNkulunkulu ngendlela ayamukelayo. Lapho abantu benza lokho okwakufunwa yileyo mithetho, ngokuvamile eyayibizwa ngokuthi uMthetho KaMose, uNkulunkulu wayebamukela njengabantu bakhe futhi ababusise. (Eksodusi 19:5, 6) Nokho, naphezu kokuba uNkulunkulu asibonisa lowo musa, isizwe sakwa-Israyeli asiyigcinanga indlela yokukhulekela eyayemukeleka kuye. Samfulathela ngokuphindaphindiwe uJehova, salandela imikhuba yenkolo yezakhamuzi zezwe elalisizungezile.

Ezinsukwini zomprofethi uHezekeli noJeremiya ekhulwini lesi-7 B.C.E., ama-Israyeli amaningi awawunakanga uMthetho kaNkulunkulu futhi ahlakulela ubuhlobo obuseduze nabantu bezizwe ezaziwazungezile. Ngokulandela imikhuba yazo nokuhlanganyela emikhosini yazo, ama-Israyeli axuba inkolo. Iningi lama-Israyeli lalithi: “Masifane nezizwe, nemindeni yamazwe, ngokukhonza ukhuni netshe.” (Hezekeli 20:32; Jeremiya 2:28) Ayethi akhulekela uJehova uNkulunkulu, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo, ayekhulekela “izithombe ezinjengendle,” enikela nangezingane zawo kuzo.—Hezekeli 23:37-39; Jeremiya 19:3-5.

Abavubukuli bathi le ndlela yokukhulekela iwukuxuba izinkolo, okuwukukhulekela onkulunkulu abahlukahlukene ngesikhathi esisodwa. Noma bamane bathi inkolo yesizwe noma ethandwayo. Namuhla, abantu abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi emphakathini wethu onezinkolo ezihlukahlukene, kufanele sibe nomqondo ovulekile ngezinto, kuhlanganise nenkolo. Ngakho, banomuzwa wokuthi akukho okungalungile ngokukhulekela uNkulunkulu nganoma iyiphi indlela abayithandayo. Ingabe kunjalo ngempela? Ingabe kuyindaba nje yokwamukela noma yimuphi umbono? Cabangela ezinye izici zenkolo ethandwayo eyayiqhutshwa ama-Israyeli angathembekile, sibone ukuthi leyo mikhuba yaholelaphi.

Ukukhulekela Kuka-Israyeli Okuxubile

Izikhungo zokukhulekela okuxubile zama-Israyeli ‘zazisezindaweni eziphakeme,’ noma emathempelini endawo ayenama-altare, izindawo zokushisa impepho, izinsika zamatshe ezingcwele nezigxobo ezingcwele, okungenzeka zaziyizimpawu zokhuni zika-Ashera, unkulunkulukazi wenzalo wamaKhanani. Zaziziningi izikhungo ezinjengalezi kwaJuda. Eyesi-2 AmaKhosi 23:5, 8 ikhuluma ‘ngezindawo eziphakeme emizini yakwaJuda nasezindaweni ezizungeze iJerusalema, kusukela eGeba [emngceleni osenyakatho] kuze kube seBheri-sheba [emngceleni oseningizimu].’

Kulezi zindawo eziphakeme, ama-Israyeli ‘ayeshunqisa umusi womhlatshelo ewushunqisela uBhali, ilanga nenyanga nemilaza yezinkanyezi zomgamu wezulu nalo lonke ibutho lamazulu.’ Ayenezindlu “zezifebe zesilisa zasethempelini ezazisendlini kaJehova” futhi enikela izingane zawo “emlilweni kuMoleki.”—2 AmaKhosi 23:4-10.

Abavubukuli bathole imifanekiso yobumba eminingi eJerusalema nakwaJuda, ngokuyinhloko emanxiweni emizi yabantu. Iningi layo kwakuyimifanekiso yowesifazane onqunu onamabele amakhulu. Izazi zihlobanisa le mifanekiso nonkulunkulukazi benzalo u-Ashitoreti no-Ashera. Kukholelwa ukuthi le mifanekiso ‘yayiyikhubalo elisiza abesifazane ekukhulelweni nasekuzaleni.’

Ama-Israyeli ayezibheka kanjani lezi zikhungo zendawo zokukhulekela okuxubile? UProfesa Ephraim Stern waseHebrew University waphawula ukuthi eziningi zalezi zindawo eziphakeme cishe “zazinikelwe kuYahweh [uJehova].” Imibhalo eqoshwe kulezi zindawo ezavubukulwa kubonakala iwusekela lo mbono. Ngokwesibonelo, omunye uthi, “Ngiyakubusisa ngoYahweh waseSamariya no-ashera wakhe,” kanti omunye uthi, “Ngiyakubusisa ngoYahweh waseThemani no-ashera wakhe!”

Lezi zibonelo zibonisa indlela ama-Israyeli ayekethisa ngayo ngokuxuba ukukhulekela okumsulwa kukaJehova uNkulunkulu nemikhuba yamaqaba eyihlazo. Umphumela waba ukuwohloka kokuziphatha nobumnyama obungokomoya. UNkulunkulu wayekubheka kanjani lokhu kukhulekela okuyekethisayo?

Indlela UNkulunkulu Akubheka Ngayo Ukukhulekela Okuxubile

UNkulunkulu waveza intukuthelo yakhe ngokukhulekela kwama-Israyeli okonakele ngomprofethi wakhe uHezekeli, ethi: “Yona kanye imizi izobhuqwa nezindawo eziphakemeyo zizokwenziwa incithakalo kuzo zonke izindawo zenu zokuhlala, ukuze kuhlale kubhuqiwe nama-altare enu ahlale eyincithakalo futhi empeleni aphulwe nezithombe zenu ezinjengendle ziqedwe nezinti zenu zezitsha zempepho zinqunywe nemisebenzi yenu yesulwe.” (Hezekeli 6:6) Akungabazeki ukuthi uJehova wayengakwamukeli nhlobo lokho kukhulekela futhi wakwenqaba.

UJehova uNkulunkulu wabikezela indlela le ncithakalo eyayiyokwenzeka ngayo. ‘Bhekani ngiyathuma uNebukhadirezari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, inceku yami, futhi ngizoyiletha ngokumelene naleli zwe nangokumelene nabakhileyo kulo nangokumelene nazo zonke lezi zizwe ezinxazonke; ngizobanikela ekubhujisweni. Leli zwe liyoba yindawo ebhuqiwe.’ (Jeremiya 25:9-11) Njengoba kwakubikezelwe, ngo-607 B.C.E., abaseBhabhiloni bahlasela iJerusalema futhi bawubhubhisa ngokuphelele umuzi nethempeli lawo.

Ekhuluma ngokubhujiswa kweJerusalema, uProfesa Stern, ocashunwe ngenhla, uphawula ukuthi amanxiwa avubukulwa “ayifakazela ngokucacile imithombo yeBhayibheli (2 AmaKhosi 25:8; 2 IziKronike 36:18, 19) echaza ukubhujiswa, ukushiswa, nokudilizwa kwemizi nezindonga.” Ubuye athi: “Ubufakazi bemivubukulo bale ngxenye yomlando weJerusalema . . . bungabalwa phakathi kobuphawuleka kakhulu obatholakala endaweni okukhulunywa ngayo eBhayibhelini.”

Sifundani Kulokhu?

Isifundo esibalulekile esisitholayo ukuthi uNkulunkulu akakwamukeli ukukhulekela okuzama ukuxuba izimfundiso ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini nezimfundiso noma amasiko ezinye izinkolo. Lesi isifundo umphostoli uPawulu asiqaphela ngokucacile. Wakhuliswa njengomFarisi ongumJuda, wafundiswa futhi waqeqeshwa ngomthetho walelo hlelo. Ekugcineni lapho efunda futhi amukela ukuthi uJesu wayenguMesiya othenjisiwe, wenzenjani? Wathi: “Noma yiziphi izinto ezaziyinzuzo kimi, lezi ngizishaye indiva ngenxa kaKristu.” Walahla izindlela zakhe zangaphambili waba umlandeli kaKristu ozinikele.—Filipi 3:5-7.

Njengesithunywa sevangeli esijikelezayo, uPawulu wayejwayelene kahle namasiko enkolo namafilosofi abantu abahlukahlukene. Ngakho, lapho ebhalela amaKristu aseKorinte, wathi: “Ukukhanya kunasabelo sini nobumnyama? Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunakuvumelana kuni phakathi kukaKristu noBheliyali? Noma, unasabelo sini umuntu okholwayo nongakholwa? Futhi linakuvumelana kuni ithempeli likaNkulunkulu nezithombe? . . . ‘Ngakho-ke phumani phakathi kwabo, nizihlukanise,’ kusho uJehova, ‘futhi niyeke ukuthinta into engcolile’; ‘ngizonamukela.’”—2 Korinte 6:14-17.

Njengoba siqaphela ukuthi kunendaba kuNkulunkulu ukuthi simkhulekela kanjani, singase sizibuze: ‘Hlobo luni lokukhulekela olwamukelwa uNkulunkulu? Ngingasondela kanjani kuNkulunkulu? Yini okufanele mina ngiyenze ukuze ngikhulekele uNkulunkulu ngendlela eyamukelekayo?’

OFakazi BakaJehova bayakujabulela ukukusiza ukuba uthole izimpendulo zale mibuzo kanye neminye esekelwe eBhayibhelini. Sikucela ukuba uthintane noFakazi eHholo LoMbuso lendawo noma ubhalele abashicileli balo magazini ucele isifundo seBhayibheli samahhala ngesikhathi nasendaweni ekulungele.

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Indawo yasendulo yokukhulekela izithombe, eTel Arad, kwa-Israyeli

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Garo Nalbandian

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Imifanekiso ka-Ashitoreti evela emizini yakwaJuda wasendulo

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Photograph © Israel Museum, Jerusalem; courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority