UNkulunkulu Uyabakhathalela Asebekhulile

UKUPHATHWA kabi kwabantu asebekhulile okwandile namuhla akumangazi. IBhayibheli labikezela ukuthi “ezinsukwini zokugcina” zalesi simiso esinabantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu, abantu babeyoba “abazithandayo, . . . abangenalo uthando.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1-3) Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “uthando” kuleli vesi, lingase lihlanganise nothando ngokuvamile oluba khona phakathi kwamalungu omkhaya. Njengoba isiprofetho seBhayibheli sasho, lolo hlobo lothando aluve luyindlala namuhla.

Ngokungafani nalabo ababaphatha kabi abantu asebekhulile, uJehova uNkulunkulu ubathanda kakhulu futhi uyabakhathalela. Ake uzwe indlela lokhu okuboniswe ngayo eBhayibhelini.

‘Umahluleli Wabafelokazi’

Ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu uyabakhathalela abantu asebekhulile kubonakala emiBhalweni YesiHebheru. Ngokwesibonelo, kumaHubo 68:5, uDavide ubiza uNkulunkulu ‘ngomahluleli wabafelokazi,’ ngokuvamile okungabantu abasuke sebekhulile. * Kwezinye izinguqulo zeBhayibheli, igama elithi ‘umahluleli’ lihunyushwe ngokuthi “umlweli,” “umvikeli,” nangokuthi “iqhawe.” Kusobala ukuthi uJehova uyabakhathalela abafelokazi. Empeleni iBhayibheli lithi uma bephathwa kabi, intukuthelo yakhe iyovutha. (Eksodusi 22:22-24) Abafelokazi—nabo bonke abantu asebekhulile abathembekile—abeve bethandeka kuNkulunkulu nasezincekwini zakhe. IzAga 16:31 ziveza umbono kaJehova uNkulunkulu nowabantu bakhe lapho zithi: “Ubumpunga bungumqhele wobuhle lapho butholakala endleleni yokulunga.”

 Akumangazi-ke ukuthi ukuhlonipha asebekhulile kwaqokonyiswa kakhulu eMthethweni uJehova awunikeza ama-Israyeli. Ayalwa: “Kufanele usukume phambi kwempunga, ubonise ukucabangela ixhegu, umesabe uNkulunkulu wakho. NginguJehova.” (Levitikusi 19:32) Ngakho, kwa-Israyeli, ukuhlonipha abantu asebekhulile kwakuhlotshaniswa eduze nobuhlobo bomuntu noJehova uNkulunkulu. Umuntu wayengenakusho ukuthi uthanda uNkulunkulu ebe ebaphatha kabi asebekhulile.

AmaKristu awekho ngaphansi koMthetho KaMose. Noma kunjalo, angaphansi ‘komthetho kaKristu’ okuthonya kakhulu ukuziphatha nesimo sawo sengqondo, kuhlanganise nokuthanda nokukhathalela abazali nasebekhulile. (Galathiya 6:2; Efesu 6:1-3; 1 Thimothewu 5:1-3) AmaKristu abonisa uthando, hhayi ngoba nje eyalwa ukuba alubonise, kodwa ngoba izinhliziyo zawo ziwashukumisa ukuba alubonise. Umphostoli uPetru wanxusa: “Thandanani kakhulu ngokusuka enhliziyweni.”—1 Petru 1:22.

Umfundi uJakobe usinikeza esinye isizathu sokukhathalela asebekhulile. Wabhala: “Indlela yokukhulekela ehlanzekile nengangcolile ngokombono kaNkulunkulu noBaba wethu yile: ukunakekela izintandane nabafelokazi osizini lwabo, nokuba umuntu azigcine engenalo ibala ezweni.” (Jakobe 1:27) UJakobe uveza iphuzu elithinta inhliziyo. Lisenza sibone ukuthi babaluleke kangakanani kuJehova laba bantu abathandekayo.

Ngakho, akwanele nje ukugwema ukubaphatha kabi asebekhulile. Kufanele sibonise nangezenzo ezinhle ukuthi siyabakhathalela. (Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Uthando Oluboniswa Ngezenzo,” ekhasini 6-7.) UJakobe wabhala: ‘Ukholo ngaphandle kwemisebenzi lufile.’—Jakobe 2:26.

Ukubaduduza “Osizini Lwabo”

Kukhona elinye futhi iphuzu esingalithola emazwini kaJakobe. Phawula ukuthi uJakobe watshela amaKristu ukuba anakekele abafelokazi “osizini lwabo.” Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘usizi,’ ngokuyisisekelo lisho ukucindezeleka, ubunzima, noma ukuhlupheka okuba yimiphumela yezimo zethu zokuphila ezicindezelayo. Akungatshazwa ukuthi abaningi kwasebekhulile bayabhekana nalokhu kucindezeleka. Abanye banesizungu. Abanye bacindezelekile ngoba abasakwazi ukwenza izinto ababezenza bengakagugi. Ngisho nalabo abasakwazi ukuhlanganyela ngokugcwele enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu bangase badumazeke ngezinye izikhathi. Cabanga ngoJohn, * osebe ummemezeli othembekile woMbuso kaNkulunkulu iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-40, engu-30 yokugcina esenkonzweni ekhethekile yesikhathi esigcwele. Njengoba manje eseminyakeni yawo-80, uJohn uyavuma ukuthi ngezinye izikhathi uzizwa edangele. Uthi: “Ngivame ukucabanga ngezinto ezenzeka, ngikhumbule amaphutha ami; aweve emaningi. Njalo nje ngiye ngithi ngabe ngenza kangcono.”

Abantu ababhekene nesimo esinje kungabaduduza ukwazi ukuthi nakuba uJehova ephelele, akalindeli ukuba thina siphelele. Nakuba ewabona amaphutha ethu, iBhayibheli lithi ngaye: “O Jah, ukube ububheka iziphambeko, Jehova ubani obengama?” (IHubo 130:3) Yebo, uJehova akabheki amaphutha ethu, ubheka okusenhliziyweni. Sikwazi kanjani lokho?

INkosi uDavide—nayo eyawenza amaphutha  futhi eyayingaphelele—yaphefumulelwa uNkulunkulu ukuba ibhale amazwi alandelayo asencwadini yeHubo 139:1-3: “O Jehova, ungihlolisisile, futhi uyangazi. Wena ngokwakho usuyakwazi ukuhlala kwami phansi nokusukuma kwami. Ucabangelé umcabango wami ukude. Ukuhamba kwami nokulala kwami ngenabe ukulinganisile, futhi usujwayelene ngisho nanazo zonke izindlela zami.” Lapha, igama elithi ‘ukulinganisa’ ngokwezwi nezwi lisho “ukuhlunga,” ngendlela nje umlimi ayewela ngayo amakhoba nokusanhlamvu. Ephefumulelwe uNkulunkulu, uDavide usiqinisekisa ngokuthi uJehova uyakwazi ukuhlunga imisebenzi yethu abese elondoloza emihle enkumbulweni yakhe.

UBaba wethu osezulwini onesihe uyayikhumbula—futhi uyayazisa—imisebenzi yethu emihle uma nje siqhubeka sithembekile kuye. Yebo, iBhayibheli lithi ubeyokubheka njengesenzo esingalungile impela ukukhohlwa umsebenzi wethu nothando esalubonisa kulo igama lakhe.—Hebheru 6:10.

“Izinto Zangaphambili Zidlulile”

IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi kwakungeyona injongo kaNkulunkulu ukuba isintu sibe nezinkinga zokuguga. Imiphumela egogayo yokuguga  yavela ngemva kokuba abazali bethu bokuqala, indoda nowesifazane bokuqala, behlubuke uMdali. (Genesise 3:17-19; Roma 5:12) Nokho, lokhu kuzodlula.

Njengoba sekushiwo, izinto eziningi ezimbi esibhekana nazo namuhla—kuhlanganise nokuphathwa kabi kwasebekhulile—zifakazela ukuthi siphila “ezinsukwini zokugcina” zalesi simiso sezinto. (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Injongo kaNkulunkulu iwukuqeda imiphumela yesono, kuhlanganise nomonakalo odalwa ukuguga nemiphumela ebuhlungu yokufa. IBhayibheli lithi: “[UNkulunkulu] uyosula zonke izinyembezi emehlweni abo, ukufa ngeke kusaba khona, noma ukulila noma ukukhala noma ubuhlungu ngeke kusaba khona. Izinto zangaphambili zidlulile.”—IsAmbulo 21:4.

Ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu, izinsizi nezinhlungu ezibangelwa ukuguga ziyoba yizinto zesikhathi esidlule. Nokuphathwa kabi kwasebekhulile kuyodlula. (Mika 4:4) Ngisho nalabo abashona futhi abasenkumbulweni kaNkulunkulu bayovuswa ukuze nabo babe nethuba lokuphila phakade ePharadesi emhlabeni. (Johane 5:28, 29) Ngaleso sikhathi, kuyoba sobala kunanini ngaphambili ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu akakhathaleli nje kuphela abantu asebekhulile, kodwa ukhathalela bonke abantu abamlalelayo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 6, 7]

Uthando Oluboniswa Ngezenzo

Abadala emabandleni oFakazi BakaJehova bayahola ekunakekeleni asebekhulile. Basithatha ngokungathí sina iseluleko somphostoli uPetru: “Yalusani umhlambi kaNkulunkulu eniwuphathisiwe.” (1 Petru 5:2) Ukubanakekela ngezindlela ezingokoqobo asebekhulile kuyingxenye yokunakekela umhlambi kaNkulunkulu. Nokho, lokhu kungase kuhileleni?

Ukuze kutholakale ukuthi umuntu osekhulile udinga hlobo luni losizo nokuthi uludinga kangakanani, kudingeka isineke nokumvakashela kaningana, kuxoxwe naye. Angase adinge usizo ngokuqondene nokuyothenga akudingayo, ukuhlanza indlu, ukuya emihlanganweni yobuKristu, ukufunda iBhayibheli nezincwadi zamaKristu nangezinye izinto eziningi. Uma kungenzeka, kufanele kwenziwe amalungiselelo asebenzayo nangashintshashintshi. *

Nokho, kuthiwani uma umzalwane noma udade osekhulile ebandleni edinga usizo olukhulu, mhlawumbe ngokwezimali? Okokuqala, kungaba kuhle ukuthola ukuthi zikhona yini izingane zakhe noma izihlobo ezingamsiza. Lokhu kuvumelana nalokho okushiwo kweyoku-1 Thimothewu 5:4: “Uma umfelokazi enabantwana noma abazukulu, mabafunde ukuqhuba ukuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu endlini yakwabo kuqala nokuqhubeka bekhokha imbuyiselo abayikweleta abazali babo nabazali babazali babo, ngoba lokhu kuyamukeleka emehlweni kaNkulunkulu.”

Kungenzeka ukuthi osekhulile udinga usizo ukuze athole ukuthi uyalufanelekela yini usizo lukahulumeni olukhona. Mhlawumbe bakhona ebandleni abangase bakwazi ukusiza. Uma uhulumeni ungenawo amalungiselelo okusiza, abadala bangase bahlole ukuthi lowo muntu uyalufanelekela yini usizo lwebandla. Lokhu kwakuke kwenziwe ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile ebandleni lekhulu lokuqala, ngoba umphostoli uPawulu wabhalela isisebenzi akanye naso, uThimothewu: “Makufakwe ohlwini umfelokazi ongengaphansi kweminyaka engamashumi ayisithupha ubudala, umfazi wendoda eyodwa, ofakazelwa ngemisebenzi emihle, uma akhulisa abantwana, uma ayengenisa izihambi, uma ayegeza izinyawo zabangcwele, uma ayesiza abasosizini, uma ayenza yonke imisebenzi emihle ngenkuthalo.”—1 Thimothewu 5:9, 10.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

UDorka wayenakekela abafelokazi abaswele.—IzEnzo 9:36-39