Woba Lokholo Oluqinileyo eMbusweni

1, 2. (a) Kuyini okuzakwenza singathandabuzi ukuthi uMbuso uzakwenza ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu mayelana labantu igcwaliseke? (b) Izivumelwano zisiqinisa njani njengoba kutshiwo ku-Efesu 2:12? (Khangela lomfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

SINGOFAKAZI BAKAJEHOVA njalo sijayele ukutsho ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu yiwo wodwa ongenelisa ukususa izinhlupho zabantu. Kanti njalo sizimisele ukutshela abanye iqiniso leli eliqakathekileyo eliseMibhalweni. Ithemba esilalo mayelana lokuzakwenziwa nguMbuso lalo liyasiduduza kakhulu. Kodwa-ke, siyaqiniseka yini ukuthi uMbuso ukhona sibili lokuthi uzakufeza lokho okufanele ukwenze? Kuyini okwenza sibe lokholo oluqinileyo eMbusweni lo?—Heb. 11:1.

² UMbuso oleNkosi enguMesiya wasungulwa nguSomandla ukuze lokho ayekuhlosile ngezidalwa zakhe kuphumelele. Isisekelo esiqinileyo soMbuso lo lilungelo likaJehova lokubusa. Kulezivumelwano ezingeke zephulwe ezenza sibe leqiniso lokuthi ngubani inkosi yoMbuso, ngobani abazabusa layo kanye lokuthi bazabusani. Kuzo zonke izivumelwano lezi kwakusiba loNkulunkulu phakathi kumbe iNdodana yakhe, uJesu Khristu. Ukucabangisisa ngezivumelwano lezi kuzasenza singathandabuzi lakancane ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu izagcwaliseka njalo kuzasinceda sibone lokuthi uMbuso lo akusinto engaphelela emoyeni nje.—Bala u-Efesu 2:12.

 3. Esihlokweni lesi lakwesilandelayo sizahlolani?

³ IBhayibhili likhuluma ngezivumelwano eziyisithupha eziqakatheke kakhulu eziphathelane loMbuso kaNkulunkulu obuswa nguJesu Khristu. Yilezi: (1) isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama, (2) isivumelwano soMthetho, (3) isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu loDavida, (4) isivumelwano sokuthi kube lomphristi onjengoMelikhizedekhi, (5) isivumelwano esitsha, (6) lesivumelwano soMbuso. Ake sihlole ukuthi isivumelwano sinye ngasinye sisitshelani ngoMbuso, lokuthi izivumelwano lezi zinceda njani ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu mayelana lomhlaba kanye labantu igcwaliseke.—Khangela ibhokisi elithi “UNkulunkulu Uzayigcwalisa Njani Injongo Yakhe?”

 4. Yiyiphi imilayo uJehova ayinika abantu esiyithola kuGenesisi?

⁴ UJehova wathi eselungise umhlaba waba muhle ukuthi kuhlalwe kuwo, wakhuluma izinto ezintathu. Okokuqala, wayezadala abantu ngomfanekiso wakhe. Okwesibili, abantu kwakuzamele bagcwalise umhlaba ngabantwababo abalungileyo njalo bawenze ube liPharadayisi. Kanti njalo uNkulunkulu wabatshela lokuthi bangadli isihlahla sokwazi okuhle lokubi. (Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:16, 17) Abantu kwasekumele balalele izinto lezi ezazitshiwo nguNkulunkulu. Lokhu yikho kuphela okwakufuneka ukuze injongo yakhe igcwaliseke. Pho kuyini okwabangela ukuthi kucine kusenziwa izivumelwano?

5, 6. (a) USathane wazama njani ukwenza ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu ingagcwaliseki? (b) UJehova wenzani lapho uSathane emhlasela e-Edeni?

⁵ USathane uDeveli wayenga abantu ukuthi bahlamuke kuNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi wayengafuni ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu iphumelele. Abantu kwakumele balalele umlayo wokuthi bangadli isihlahla sokwazi okuhle lokubi. Yikho-ke uSathane wabona kungcono ukuthi ahle amtholele khonapho u-Eva, wasemyenga ukuthi angalaleli. (Gen. 3:1-5; Isam. 12:9) Ngamanye amazwi uSathane wayesithi uNkulunkulu kalalungelo lokubusa. Kwathi sekudlule isikhathi esithile, uSathane waphinda wathi izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekileyo zimkhonza ngenxa yokuthi uzinika izinto ezinengi.—Jobe. 1:9-11; 2:4, 5.

⁶ Kuyakhanya ukuthi okwenziwa nguSathane e-Edeni kwabangela ukuthi uJehova akhanye angani nguMbusi omubi. Manje uJehova wayezakwenzani? Ukubhubhisa abahlamuki kwakungakhanya kulicebo elihle sibili. Kodwa phela uNkulunkulu wayethe injongo yakhe ngeyokuthi umhlaba ugcwale abantwana baka-Adamu lo-Eva abalalelayo. Ngabe wahle wababhubhisa abahlamuki laba, injongo yakhe yayingasoze igcwaliseke. Ngakho-ke uMdali olenhlakanipho kazange ahle abambe inhlwa ngekhanda, kodwa watsho isiphrofetho lesi esimangalisayo: Isithembiso sase-Edeni. Isithembiso lesi sasizakwenza ukuthi amazwi ayekhulunywe nguJehova angaweli phansi, agcwaliseke wonke.—Bala uGenesisi 3:15.

 7. Isithembiso sase-Edeni sisitshelani ngenyoka kanye lenzalo yayo?

⁷ Lapho uJehova esenza isithembiso sase-Edeni wahlulela inyoka lenzalo yayo, okutsho uSathane uDeveli kanye labo bonke ababezamlandela. UNkulunkulu weqiniso wanika inzalo yowesifazana amandla okutshabalalisa uSathane. Yikho-ke isithembiso sase-Edeni sisitshela izinto ezimbili. Okokuqala, sagcizelela ukuthi kwakuzatshabalaliswa lowo owayebangele ukuhlamuka esivandeni sase-Edeni kanye lomonakalo owalethwa yikuhlamuka lokhu. Okwesibili, siveza ukuthi lokhu kwakuzakwenziwa njani.

 8. Sifundani ngowesifazana kanye lenzalo yakhe?

⁸ Inzalo yowesifazana yayizakuba ngubani? Phela inzalo le kuzamele ihlifize ikhanda lenyoka, okutsho ukuthi ‘ichithe’ uSathane uDeveli. Yikho-ke njengoba uSathane eyisidalwa somoya kutsho ukuthi inzalo le layo kumele ibe ngeyasezulwini. (Heb. 2:14) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi owesifazana okwakuzavela kuye inzalo le, laye kwakuzamele abe ngowasezulwini. UJehova esenze isithembiso sase-Edeni, kwahlala kuyimpicabadala okweminyaka engaba ngu-4 000 ukuthi inzalo kanye lowesifazana kwakungubani. Kodwa inzalo yenyoka yayilokhu isanda kakhulu. Konke lokhu kusenzakala, uJehova wenza izivumelwano ezazizaveza ukuthi inzalo ingubani. Kanti njalo zazizanceda izinceku zakhe ukuthi zikwazi ukuthi inzalo le yiyo azayisebenzisa ukususa konke ukuhlupheka okwabangelwa nguSathane.

 9. Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama saqalisa nini ukusebenza?

⁹ UJehova walaya u-Abhrahama ukuthi atshiye ikhaya lakhe e-Uri eyayiseMesophothamiya aye elizweni laseKhenani. Lokhu wakwenza sekudlule iminyaka engaba ngu-2 000 uSathane egwetshiwe. (ImiSeb. 7:2, 3) UJehova wathi ku-Abhrahama: “Suka elizweni lakini, lebantwini bakini lasendlini kayihlo uye elizweni engizakutshengisa lona. Ngizakwenza ube yisizwe esikhulu njalo ngizakubusisa. Ngizakwenza ibizo lakho libe likhulu, njalo uzakuba yisibusiso. Ngizababusisa labo abakubusisayo, njalo lowo okuqalekisayo ngizamqalekisa; ngakho bonke abantu bomhlaba bazabusiswa ngawe.” (Gen. 12:1-3) La ngamavesi okuqala akhuluma ngesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama. Kodwa kasikwazi ukuthi uJehova wasenza nini sibisibili isivumelwano sakhe lo-Abhrahama. Esikwaziyo yikuthi saqalisa ukusebenza ngo-1943 B.C.E., u-Abhrahama eleminyaka engu-75 lapho esuka eHarani esiyachapha uMfula uYufrathe.

10. (a) U-Abhrahama watshengisa njani ukuthi wayekukholwa sibili ukuthi uNkulunkulu uzazigcwalisa izithembiso zakhe? (b) UJehova waveza ziphi izinto eziphathelane lenzalo yowesifazana?

¹⁰ UJehova waphinda wakukhuluma kanenginengi lokho ayekuthembise u-Abhrahama, watsho lokunye okwakuphathelane lesithembiso leso. (Gen. 13:15-17; 17:1-8, 16) Kanti njalo lapho u-Abhrahama evuma ukunikela ngendodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa, kwakhanya ukuthi wayekukholwa sibili ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayezazigcwalisa izithembiso zakhe. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi uJehova aqinise isivumelwano sakhe lo-Abhrahama ngokugcizelela ukuthi sasizagcwaliseka loba sekutheni. (Bala uGenesisi 22:15-18; KumaHebheru 11:17, 18.) Kwathi isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama sesisebenza, uJehova waziveza kancane kancane izinto eziqakathekileyo ezaziphathelane lenzalo yowesifazana. Waveza ukuthi inzalo le yayizavela ku-Abhrahama lokuthi yayingasoze ibe ngumuntu oyedwa. Waphinda waveza ukuthi yayizaphiwa ubukhosi kanye lokuthi yayizatshabalalisa zonke izitha, yenze ukuthi abantu abanengi bathole izibusiso.

11, 12. IMibhalo itshengisa njani ukuthi isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama sasizagcwaliseka ngenye indlela eqakathekileyo, futhi thina kuzasinceda ngani lokhu?

¹¹ Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama sagcwaliseka ezizukulwaneni zika-Abhrahama lapho zithatha ilifa leLizwe ezazilithenjisiwe. Kodwa iMibhalo itshengisa ukuthi isivumelwano lesi sasizaphinda sigcwaliseke ngenye indlela eqakathekileyo. (Gal. 4:22-25) Ekugcwalisekeni lokhu okukhulu, umphostoli uPhawuli waphefumulelwa ukuthi achasise ukuthi onguye oqakatheke kakhulu kunzalo ka-Abhrahama nguKhristu, njalo abanye ababumba inzalo le ngamaKhristu agcotshwe ngomoya angu-144 000. (Gal. 3:16, 29; Isam. 5:9, 10; 14:1, 4) Owesifazana okuvela kuye inzalo le ‘yiJerusalema ephezulu,’ okutsho ingxenye esezulwini yenhlanganiso kaNkulunkulu ebunjwa yizidalwa zomoya ezithembekileyo. (Gal. 4:26, 31) Inzalo yowesifazana izakwenza ukuthi abantu bathole izibusiso njengoba kwathenjiswa esivumelwaneni sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama.

¹² Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama sitshengisa ukuthi kuzakuba leNkosi kanye labazabusa layo eMbusweni kaNkulunkulu, njalo siyisisekelo esiqinileyo soMbuso wamazulu. (Heb. 6:13-18) Sizasebenza kuze kube nini isivumelwano lesi? UGenesisi 17:7 uthi “yisivumelwano sanini lanini.” Sizahlala sisebenza uMbuso obuswa nguMesiya uze utshabalalise izitha zikaNkulunkulu njalo sizaqhubeka sisebenza abantu bonke baze babusiswe. (1 Khor. 15:23-26) Kodwa izibusiso ezizalethwa yisivumelwano lesi ebantwini abazabe behlala emhlabeni zizahlala kuze kube nini lanini. Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama siyakucacisa ukuthi uJehova uzimisele sibili ukugcwalisa injongo yakhe yokuthi abantu abalungileyo ‘bagcwalise umhlaba.’—Gen. 1:28.

13, 14. Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu loDavida sivezani mayelana lokubusa kukaMesiya?

¹³ Isithembiso sase-Edeni kanye lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama kusifundisa ukuthi ubukhosi bukaJehova busekelwe ezimisweni zakhe ezilungileyo. Yikho-ke loMbuso ozabuswa nguMesiya, owasungulwa nguNkulunkulu, lawo usekelwe kuzo izimiso lezo. (Hubo. 89:14) Kambe uMbuso lo uzakuba lobugwelegwele yini besekudingeka ukuthi ususwe? Kulesinye isivumelwano esitshengisa ukuthi lokho ngeke kwafa kwenzakala.

¹⁴ Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu loDavida: Asikhangeleni ukuthi uJehova wayithembisani iNkosi yako-Israyeli uDavida. (Bala u-2 Samuyeli 7:12, 16.) Ngesikhathi uDavida eyiNkosi eJerusalema, uJehova wenza laye isivumelwano njalo wamthembisa ukuthi uMesiya wayezakuba ngowosendo lwakhe. (Luk. 1:30-33) Yikho-ke uJehova waphinda wachaza okunengi mayelana losendo okwakuzavela kulo inzalo yowesifazana. Wathi owayezathola isihlalo sobukhosi kwakuzakuba yilowo uMbuso ‘ongowakhe ngokuqondileyo,’ indlalifa kaDavida. (Hez. 21:25-27) UJesu nguye ozakwenza ukuthi ubukhosi bukaDavida ‘bume kuze kube nininini.’ Kuyacaca-ke ukuthi inzalo kaDavida ‘izaqhubeka laphakade, lesihlalo sayo sobukhosi sizakuma njengelanga.’ (Hubo. 89:34-37) Kambe ngubani ongaphika ukuthi uMbuso obuswa nguMesiya awusoze ube lobugwelegwele lokuthi izibusiso ozaziletha zizahlala kuze kube nini lanini?

15-17. Yiwuphi omunye umsebenzi ozaphiwa inzalo, njalo kungani iphiwa umsebenzi lo?

¹⁵ Sesibonile ukuthi inzalo yowesifazana izaphiwa ubukhosi njalo lokhu kucaciswa yisivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama kanye lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu loDavida. Kodwa-ke ubukhosi kayisibo bodwa obufunekayo ukuze abantu bezizwe zonke bathole izibusiso. Kuyabe kumele bakhululwe esonweni njalo babe semulini kaJehova yezidalwa zonke ukuze babusiswe ngokupheleleyo. Ukuze lokhu kwenziwe kuyabe sekumele inzalo yenze umsebenzi wobuphristi. Ngakho-ke uMdali olenhlakanipho wenza isivumelwano sokuthi kube lomphristi onjengoMelikhizedekhi.

¹⁶ UJehova wasebenzisa iNkosi uDavida ukuze aveze ukuthi wayezakwenza isivumelwano loJesu ehlose izinto ezimbili: ukuthi uJesu ‘ahlale ngasekunene [kukaNkulunkulu]’ kuze kufike isikhathi sokuthi abhubhise izitha zakhe, kanye lokuthi abe ‘ngumphristi laphakade ezinyathelweni zikaMelikhizedekhi.’ (Bala iHubo 110:1, 2, 4.) Kungani kumele abe ngumphristi ‘ezinyathelweni zikaMelikhizedekhi’? Ngenxa yokuthi uMelikhizedekhi, inkosi yaseSalemu, ‘wayengumphristi kaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke’ kusasele isikhathi eside ukuthi izizukulwana zika-Abhrahama zithathe ilifa leLizwe ezazilithenjisiwe. (Heb. 7:1-3) Wayebekwe nguJehova ukuthi abe ngumphristi. EMibhalweni yesiHebheru nguye yedwa okuthiwa wayelezikhundla ezimbili, esokuba yinkosi lesokuba ngumphristi. Kanti njalo ‘wayengumphristi nini lanini’ ngoba akula omunye umuntu okuthiwa wayemtshiyele isikhundla lesi njalo akula owangena ngemva kwakhe.

¹⁷ UJesu laye ubekwe nguJehova ukuthi abengumphristi kusetshenziswa isivumelwano sokuthi kube lomphristi onjengoMelikhizedekhi, njalo uzahlala ‘engumphristi nini lanini, emkhondweni kaMelikhizedekhi.’ (Heb. 5:4-6) Lokhu kucacisa ukuthi uJehova uzimisele sibili ukusebenzisa uMbuso wakhe obuswa nguMesiya ukuze injongo yakhe ephathelane labantu emhlabeni iphumelele.

18, 19. (a) Izivumelwano esesixoxe ngazo zisitshelani ngoMbuso? (b) Yiwuphi umbuzo esizaxoxa ngawo esihlokweni esilandelayo?

¹⁸ Sekusicacele ukuthi izivumelwano esixoxe ngazo zisitshelani ngoMbuso obuswa nguMesiya, lokuthi uMbuso lo uqiniswa njani yizivumelwano lezi. Isithembiso sase-Edeni sitshengisa ukuthi uJehova uzasebenzisa inzalo yowesifazana ukuze agcwalise injongo yakhe ephathelane lomhlaba kanye labantu. Inzalo le yayizakuba ngubani njalo yayizakwenza wuphi umsebenzi? Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lo-Abhrahama siyakuveza lokhu.

¹⁹ Isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu loDavida sona sisitshela okunye okuphathelane lokuthi uMesiya, onguye oqakatheke kakhulu kunzalo yowesifazana, wayezavela kuluphi usendo. Kanti njalo isivumelwano lesi simnika ilungelo lokubusa umhlaba ukuze izibusiso ezizalethwa nguMbuso zihlale zikhona kuze kube nini lanini. Isivumelwano sokuthi kube lomphristi onjengoMelikhizedekhi senza ukuthi inzalo iphiwe umsebenzi wobuphristi. Kodwa uJesu kasoze asuse isono ebantwini eyedwa. Kulabanye abagcotshwa ukuthi babe ngamakhosi labaphristi. Bavela ngaphi? Lokhu kuzaxoxwa ngakho esihlokweni esilandelayo.