Kungani Ukuphila Kubonakala Kungenanjongo?

KUNGANI kufanele ukholelwe ukuthi siyofika isikhathi lapho singeke siphile “iminyaka emifushane neyize” edlula “njengethunzi,” njengoba kwasho iNkosi uSolomoni? (UmShumayeli 6:12, The New English Bible) IZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe, iBhayibheli—umthombo wokwaziswa ongashayi phansi—lithembisa ukuthi ukuphila esikhathini esizayo kuyoba nenjongo ngempela.—2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.

IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi yayiyini injongo kaNkulunkulu yasekuqaleni ngomhlaba. Lisichazela nokuthi kungani umhlaba ugcwele ukungabi nabulungisa, ukucindezela nokuhlupheka. Kungani kubalulekile ukuba siziqonde lezi zinto? Kungenxa yokuthi isizathu esiyinhloko esenza abantu bacabange ukuthi ukuphila akunanjongo nhlobo yingoba abayazi—noma bakhetha ukungayinaki—injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba nangabantu abakuwo.

Iyini Injongo KaNkulunkulu Ngomhlaba?

UJehova uNkulunkulua wenza umhlaba waba ipharadesi eliphelele—indawo abantu ababengajabulela kuyo ukuphila okwanelisayo bephelele kuze kube phakade. Leli qiniso eliyisisekelo liyaphikisana nomqondo owamukelwa kabanzi, kodwa ongasekelwa yimiBhalo, othi uNkulunkulu wenza umhlaba waba indawo yokuvivinya abantu ukuze abone ukuthi bayakufanelekela yini ukuphila okunenjongo yangempela ezulwini.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Ingabe Kumelwe Sihambe Emhlabeni Ukuze Sijabulele Ukuphila Okunenjongo?” ekhasini 6.

UNkulunkulu wadala owesilisa nowesifazane ngomfanekiso waKhe, wabanika ikhono lokulingisa izimfanelo zaKhe ezinhle. (Genesise 1:26, 27) Wabadala bephelele. Babenakho konke ababekudinga ukuze bajabulele ukuphila okumnandi nokunenjongo kuze kube phakade. Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa ukugcwalisa umhlaba futhi bawunqobe, bawuguqule wonke ube ipharadesi ufane nensimu yase-Edene.—Genesise 1:28-31; 2:8, 9.

Konakalaphi?

Kusobala ukuthi kukhona umonakalo omkhulu owenzeka. Abantu ngokuvamile bayehluleka ukubonisa izimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu futhi umhlaba awulona neze ipharadesi. Konakalaphi? Abazali bethu bokuqala, u-Adamu no-Eva, bayisebenzisa kabi inkululeko yabo yokuzikhethela. Bafuna ‘ukuba njengoNkulunkulu’ bazinqumele ngokwabo izimiso ‘zokuhle nokubi.’ Ngokwenza kanjalo, balandela inkambo yokuhlubuka eyayisivele ithathwe uSathane uDeveli.—Genesise 3:1-6.

Ngakho-ke, ububi abuyona into ethile exakayo eyayihlelwe uNkulunkulu kusengaphambili. Baqala ngesikhathi uSathane—futhi kamuva u-Adamu no-Eva—evukela ubukhosi bukaNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yokuhlubuka kwabo, abazali bethu bokuqala balahlekelwa iPharadesi nokuphelela, bazilethela bona nenzalo yabo—abantu bonke—isono nokufa. (Genesise 3:17-19; Roma 5:12) Yilokhu okwaletha izimo ezenza kubonakale sengathi ukuphila akunanjongo.

Kungani Ububi Bungazange Buqedwe Ngaleso Sikhathi?

Abanye bayazibuza, ‘Kungani uNkulunkulu engazange abuqede ngaso leso sikhathi ububi ngokumane abhubhise uSathane nezinye izihlubuki abese edala abanye abantu?’ Ingabe lokho kwakuyoba ukuhlakanipha ngempela? Ungathini uma ungezwa ngohulumeni onamandla ovele abulale noma ubani ophonsela igunya lakhe inselele? Ukwenza kanjalo ngeke yini kumenze abe nyamanambana kubantu abanengqondo futhi kumenze angabi isibonelo sokuhle nokubi?

UNkulunkulu wakhetha ukungazithatheli izinyathelo ezisheshayo izihlubuki. Ngokuhlakanipha, wavumela ukuba kudlule isikhathi ukuze izimpikiswano ezaphakanyiswa e-Edene eziphathelene nendlela yakhe yokubusa zixazululeke—zingaphinde ziphakame.

Ukuqedwa Kwabo Bonke Ububi

Into eyinhloko okufanele siyikhumbule yilena: UNkulunkulu uye wavumela ukuba ububi buqhubeke isikhashana. Lokhu ukwenze ngoba azi ukuthi angayiqeda ngokuphelele imiphumela yabo ebuhlungu uma sezixazululiwe izimpikiswano ezibalulekile ezaphakanyiswa izihlubuki ezazimelene nendlela yakhe yokubusa.

UNkulunkulu akakayishintshi injongo yakhe ngomhlaba nangabantu. Ngomprofethi u-Isaya, usiqinisekisa ukuthi unguMenzi womhlaba, “ongazange awudalele ize nje, owawubumba ukuze uhlalwe ngisho nokuhlalwa.” (Isaya 45:18) Maduze nje, uzoqala ukubuyisela umhlaba esimweni esiphelele ayesihlosile ekuqaleni. Lapho sekukhanya bha ukuthi nguyena kuphela onelungelo lokubusa, uyobe esesebenzisa amandla akhe amakhulu ukuze afeze injongo yakhe futhi aqede bonke ububi. (Isaya 55:10, 11) Emthandazweni oyisibonelo, uJesu Kristu wacela uNkulunkulu ukuba asithathe lesi sinyathelo. UJesu wasifundisa ukuba sithandaze: “Intando yakho mayenzeke nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.” (Mathewu 6:9, 10) Kuhlanganisani lokho?

Injongo KaNkulunkulu Ngomhlaba

Enye injongo kaNkulunkulu iwukuba ‘abamnene badle ifa lomhlaba.’ (IHubo 37:9-11, 29; IzAga 2:21, 22) UJesu Kristu ‘uyokhulula ompofu okhalela usizo, nohluphekile.’ Uyosindisa abantu “ekucindezelekeni nasebudloveni.” (IHubo 72:12-14) Izimpi ngeke zisaba khona; ukufa, ukukhala, ubuhlungu noma ukuhlupheka ngeke kusaba khona. (IHubo 46:9; IsAmbulo 21:1-4) Izigidigidi zabantu eziye zafa phakathi nesikhathi uNkulunkulu evumele ububi ziyovuselwa lapha emhlabeni, futhi ziyonikwa ithuba lokuzuza kulezi zibusiso kanye nezinye.—Johane 5:28, 29.

Eqinisweni, uJehova uyolungisa umonakalo oye wabangelwa ukuhlubuka kukaSathane. Uyosusa kwasani ebangelwe uSathane kangangokuba “izingcindezi zangaphambili [zonke izinto ezibangela usizi nezinhlungu namuhla] impela ziyolibaleka.” (Isaya 65:16-19) Lelo kusasa liqinisekile. UNkulunkulu akawaqambi amanga. Zonke izithembiso zakhe ziyagcwaliseka. Ukuphila ngeke kuphinde kube “yize nokujaha umoya.” (UmShumayeli 2:17, The New English Bible) Kunalokho, kuyoba nenjongo ephelele.

Kodwa kuthiwani ngokuphila namuhla? Ingabe ukwazi ukuthi iBhayibheli lifundisani nokuqonda injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba kungenza ukuphila kwakho kube nenjongo kakhudlwana kwamanje? Isihloko sokugcina salolu chungechunge sizowuphendula lo mbuzo.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 6]

Ingabe Kumelwe Sihambe Emhlabeni Ukuze Sijabulele Ukuphila Okunenjongo?

Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abantu abangayazi injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba befundisa ukuthi kumelwe sihambe emhlabeni ukuze sijabulele ukuphila okunenjongo yangempela.

Abanye bathi abantu banemiphefumulo engafi futhi leyo miphefumulo “yake yaphila ukuphila okuphakeme ngaphambi kokungena emizimbeni yabantu.” (New Dictionary of Theology) Abanye bathi umphefumulo “uvalelwa ngaphakathi emzimbeni womuntu njengesijeziso sezono esawenza ngesikhathi usesezulwini.”—I-Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature.

Izazi zefilosofi ezingamaGreki, ezinjengoSocrates noPlato, zafundisa le mfundiso: Lapho usuphumile emzimbeni womuntu “umphefumulo uyaphumula ekuzulazuleni kwawo, [ugqashule] ezintweni eziwubuphukuphuku nasekwesabeni, [uhlukane] nezifiso ezingafanele kanye nezinye izinto ezimbi ezenziwa abantu.” Ngemva kwalokho uhlala “nonkulunkulu kuze kube phakade.”—I-Plato’s Phaedo, 81, A.

Kamuva, labo abazibiza ngokuthi bangabaholi benkolo yobuKristu bafaka emfundisweni yobuKristu imibono yezazi zamaGreki “ephathelene nokungafi komphefumulo.”—Christianity—A Global History.

Qhathanisa lezo zimfundiso zabo nala maqiniso amathathu ayisisekelo aseBhayibhelini:

1. Injongo kaNkulunkulu iwukuba umhlaba ube ikhaya laphakade labantu, hhayi indawo yesikhashana yokuhlola ukuthi bayakufanelekela yini ukuyohlala naye ezulwini. Ukube u-Adamu no-Eva bayilalela imithetho kaNkulunkulu, ngabe basaphila emhlabeni oyipharadesi.—Genesise 1:27, 28; IHubo 115:16.

2. Nakuba izinkolo eziningi zifundisa ukuthi umuntu unomphefumulo—ingxenye engabonakali ehlala ngaphakathi kumuntu—iBhayibheli lifundisa umbono ongeyona inkimbinkimbi. Lithi umuntu ‘ungumphefumulo ophilayo’ owakhiwe “ngothuli lomhlabathi.” (Genesise 2:7) Alikaze lithi umphefumulo awufi. Lithi umphefumulo ungabulawa noma ubhujiswe, ungabe usaba khona. (IHubo 146:4; UmShumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekeli 18:4, 20) U-Adamu, umphefumulo wokuqala, wafa waphindela othulini ayedalwe ngalo. Waphindela ekungabini khona.—Genesise 2:17; 3:19.

3. Amathemba omuntu ekusasa awaxhomekile ekubeni nomphefumulo ongafi ophuma uye endaweni yomoya, kodwa axhomeke esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu sokuvusa abafileyo baphile emhlabeni oyipharadesi.—Daniyeli 12:13; Johane 11:24-26; IzEnzo 24:15.