‘Ukuhamba Ngokholo, Kungekhona Ngokubona’
“Sihamba ngokholo, kungekhona ngokubona.”—2 KORINTE 5:7.
1. Kuthetha ukuthini ‘ukuhamba ngokholo’?
NGALO lonke ixesha sithandaza ngokuvisisana nolwalathiso olufumaneka kwiLizwi likaThixo, sibonisa ukuba ubuncinane sinomlinganiselo othile wokholo. Kwakhona xa siqalisa ukunikela ubungqina kwabanye ngoBukumkani bukaThixo, nako oko kubonakalisa ukholo. Yaye xa sisahlulela ubomi bethu kuYehova, sinikela ubungqina bokuba sinomnqweno ‘wokuhamba ngokholo,’ into ethetha ukuthi, sinomnqweno wokuphila ubomi obulawulwa lukholo.—2 Korinte 5:7; Kolose 1:9, 10.
2. Kutheni ukuba nenxaxheba kwimisebenzi yebandla kungasoloko kububungqina bokuba ubani unokholo?
2 Noko ke, ukuba ngokwenene siza kuphila ngolo hlobo, kufuneka sibe nokholo olunesiseko esomeleleyo. (Hebhere 11:1, 6) Abantu abaninzi batsaleleka kumaNgqina kaYehova ngenxa yemilinganiselo ephakamileyo yokuziphatha nangenxa yothando abalubona phakathi kwamaNgqina. Sisiqalo esihle eso, kodwa oko akuthethi kuthi abantu abanjalo banokholo. Bambi basenokuba baneqabane lomtshato okanye umzali owomeleleyo elukholweni, yaye basenokude benze eminye yemisebenzi eyenziwa nguloo mntu bamthandayo. Ukuba nempembelelo elolo hlobo ekhayeni likabani kuyintsikelelo ngokwenene, kodwa nako oku akuthethi kuthi akuyomfuneko ukuba ubani abe nothando kunye nokholo kuThixo.—Luka 10:27, 28.
3. (a) Ukuze sibe nokholo olunesiseko esomeleleyo, luluphi ulweyiseko esimele sibe nalo ngokuphathelele iBhayibhile? (b) Kutheni abanye beseyiseka lula kunabanye ngokuphathelele ukuphefumlelwa kweBhayibhile?
3 Abo ngokwenene bahamba ngokholo beyiseke ngokupheleleyo kwelokuba iBhayibhile iliLizwi likaThixo. Buninzi ubungqina obubonisa ukuba ngokwenene iZibhalo Ezingcwele ‘ziphefumlelwe nguThixo.’a (2 Timoti 3:16) Bungakanani ubungqina obumele buhlolisiswe ngaphambi kokuba umntu eyiseke? Oko kusenokuxhomekeka kwimvelaphi yakhe. Into emanelisa ngokuzeleyo omnye umntu isenokungenjinjalo komnye. Kwezinye iimeko, nangona umntu eboniswa ubungqina obuninzi obucacileyo, sekunjalo usenokungasamkeli isigqibo obukhokelela kuso. Ngoba? Ngenxa yeminqweno eyendele nzulu entliziyweni yakhe. (Yeremiya 17:9) Ngaloo ndlela, nangona umntu esenokuthi unomdla kwinjongo kaThixo, intliziyo yakhe isenokulangazelela ukukholisa ihlabathi. Usenokungafuni ukulahla indlela yokuphila engqubana nemilinganiselo yeBhayibhile. Noko ke, ukuba umntu uyilambele ngokwenene inyaniso, ukuba unyanisekile kwisiqu sakhe, yaye ukuba uthobekile, ekuhambeni kwexesha uya kuqonda ukuba iBhayibhile iliLizwi likaThixo.
4. Yintoni efunekayo emntwini ukuze abe nokholo?
4 Ngokufuthi kwiinyanga nje ezimbalwa, abantu abancedwayo ukuba bafundisise iBhayibhile baye baqonde ukuba sele benezizathu ezininzi gqitha zokukholelwa ukuba iliLizwi likaThixo. Ukuba oku kubashukumisela ekubeni bavule iintliziyo zabo ukuze bafundiswe nguYehova, ziya kwandula ke iingcamango zabo, iminqweno neentshukumisa zixonxwe koko bakufundayo. (INdumiso 143:10) EyabaseRoma 10:10 ithi umntu ukholwa “ngentliziyo.” Ukholo olunjalo lubonakalisa indlela ubani avakalelwa ngayo ngokwenene, yaye luya kubonakala kwindlela aphila ngayo.
UNowa Wenza Ngokholo Olunesiseko Esomeleleyo
5, 6. Lwalusekelwe entwenini ukholo lukaNowa?
5 UNowa wayengomnye owayenokholo olunesiseko esomeleleyo. (Hebhere 11:7) UNowa wayelusekele entwenini olo kholo? UNowa wayenelizwi likaThixo, elalingabhalwanga, kodwa awayelixelelwe ngomlomo. IGenesis 6:13 ithi: “Wathi uThixo kuNowa, Isiphelo senyama yonke sifikile phambi kwam; ngokuba ihlabathi lizele lugonyamelo oluphuma kubo.” (Akekeliswe sithi.) UYehova wayalela uNowa ukuba akhe umkhombe waza wamnika neenkcukacha ngokuphathelele indlela owawuza kwakhiwa ngayo. Wandula ke uThixo wongezelela esithi: “Mna ke, uyabona, ndihlisa unogumbe wamanzi ehlabathini, wokonakalisa yonke inyama enomoya wokuphila kuyo, ephantsi kwamazulu; konke okusehlabathini kuya kuphuma umphefumlo.”—Genesis 6:14-17.
6 Ngaba yayikhe yakho imvula ngaphambi koku? IBhayibhile ayisixeleli nto. IGenesis 2:5 ithi: “UThixo ebengekanisi mvula emhlabeni.” Noko ke, le yindlela uMoses, owayephila kwiinkulungwane kamva, awazichaza ngayo izinto xa wayexubusha kungekhona ngomhla kaNowa kodwa ngexesha elide elalingaphambi kwawo. Njengoko kuboniswe kwiGenesis 7:4, uYehova wathetha ngemvula xa wayethetha noNowa, ibe kuyabonakala ukuba uNowa wakuqonda oko wayekuthetha. Sekunjalo, ukholo lukaNowa lwalungasekelwanga koko wayekubona. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala esithi uNowa ‘wanikwa isilumkiso esingokobuthixo sezinto ezingekabonwa.’ UThixo waxelela uNowa ukuba wayeza kuhlisa “unogumbe wamanzi,” okanye “ulwandlekazi lwasezulwini” phezu komhlaba, njengoko umbhalo osemazantsi weNew World Translation usitsho kwiGenesis 6:17. Ukuza kuthi ga ngelo xesha, yayingazange yenzeke into elolo hlobo. Kodwa yonke indalo awayeyibona uNowa yayibubungqina obucace nakuthathatha bokuba ngenene uThixo wayenokuwuzisa loo nogumbe utshabalalisayo. Eqhutywa lukholo, uNowa wawakha umkhombe.
7. (a) Yintoni uNowa awayengaxhomekekanga kuyo ukuze enze oko uThixo awayemyalele ukuba akwenze? (b) Singenelwa njani ngokuqwalasela ukholo lukaNowa, yaye ukholo lwethu lunokuba yintsikelelo njani kwabanye?
7 UThixo akazange amchazele uNowa ngomhla awayeza kuqalisa ngawo uNogumbe. Kodwa uNowa akazange asebenzise oko njengesingxengxezo sokulinda epholelwe ngamalanga, ekubeka kwindawo yesibini ebomini bakhe ukwakha umkhombe nokushumayela. UThixo wamxelela kwangethuba uNowa ixesha amele angene ngalo emkhombeni. Ngelo xesha, “wenza uNowa konke uThixo abemwisele umthetho ngako, wenza njengoko.” (Genesis 6:22) UNowa wahamba ngokholo, kungekhona ngokubona. Hayi indlela esinombulelo ngayo ngenxa yokuba wenjenjalo! Ngenxa yokholo lwakhe, nathi sidl’ amazimba namhlanje. Ngokufanayo, nathi ukholo esilubonakalisayo lunokuba nomphumo onzulu koko sikufunjathelwe likamva kungekuphela nje elethu kodwa kwanelabantwana bethu nelabanye abantu abasingqongileyo.
Ukholo Luka-Abraham
8, 9. (a) UAbraham wayelusekele entwenini ukholo lwakhe? (b) UYehova ‘wabonakala’ njani kuAbraham?
8 Khawuqwalasele omnye umzekelo—oka-Abraham. (Hebhere 11:8-10) UAbraham wayelusekele entwenini ukholo lwakhe? Kwindawo awayekhulele kuyo kwiUre yamaKaledi abantu babenqula izithixo yaye bethe phithi zizinto eziphathekayo. Kodwa kukho nezinye izinto ezaba nefuthe kwimbono ka-Abraham. Alithandabuzeki elokuba wayenxulumana nonyana kaNowa uShem, owaphila kunye naye iminyaka eli-150. UAbraham weyiseka lelokuba uYehova ‘unguThixo Osenyangweni, uMninimazulu nehlabathi.’—Genesis 14:22.
9 Ikho nenye into eyaba nempembelelo enkulu kuAbraham. UYehova ‘wabonakala kuAbraham ngoxa wayeseMesopotamiya, ngaphambi kokuba ahlale kwaHaran, yaye wathi kuye, “Phuma kulo ilizwe lakowenu nakwizalamane zakho uze kwilizwe endiya kukubonisa lona.”’ (IZenzo 7:2, 3) UYehova ‘wabonakala’ njani kuAbraham? UAbraham akazange ambone ngeliso lenyama uThixo. (Eksodus 33:20) Noko ke, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uYehova wabonakala kuAbraham ephupheni, enembonakalo yobuqaqawuli obungaphaya kwemvelo, okanye wabonakala ngokuthumela umthunywa okanye ummeli oyingelosi. (Thelekisa iGenesis 18:1-3; 28:10-15; Levitikus 9:4, 6, 23, 24.) Enoba wabonakala njani na uYehova kuAbraham, loo ndoda inokholo yayinentembelo yokuba uThixo wayeyijizeka ngelungelo elixabisekileyo. UAbraham wabonakalisa ukholo.
10. UYehova walomeleza njani ukholo luka-Abraham?
10 Ukholo luka-Abraham lwalungaxhomekekanga ekubeni neenkcukacha ngelizwe awayethunyelwa kulo nguThixo. Lwalungaxhomekekanga ekwazini kwakhe ixesha awayeza kulinikwa ngalo elo lizwe. Wayenokholo ngenxa yokuba wayemazi uYehova ukuba unguThixo uSomandla. (Eksodus 6:3) UYehova wamxelela uAbraham ukuba wayeza kuba nenzala, kodwa maxa wambi uAbraham wayezibuza ukuba yayiza kwenzeka njani into enjalo. Kaloku wayesaluphala. (Genesis 15:3, 4) UYehova walomeleza ukholo luka-Abraham ngokumyalela ukuba akhe aphos’ iliso ezinkwenkwezini aze azibale ukuba wayenokukwazi. UThixo wathi: “Iya kuba njalo ke imbewu yakho.” Intliziyo ka-Abraham yachukumiseka kakhulu. Kwakucace mhlophe ukuba uMdali wezo zinto zoyikekayo zisemazulwini wayenokulizalisekisa idinga lakhe. UAbraham “wakholwa kuYehova.” (Genesis 15:5, 6) UAbraham akazange akholwe nje ngenxa yokuba kwakungena kamnandi oko wayekuva; ukholo lwakhe lwalunesiseko esomeleleyo.
11. (a) Njengoko wayesondela kwiminyaka eli-100 ubudala, uAbraham wasabela njani kwidinga likaThixo lokuba uSara owayaluphele wayeza kuzala unyana? (b) Luhlobo luni lokholo awathi uAbraham wajamelana ngalo novavanyo lokuthabatha unyana wakhe amse kwiNtaba yaseMoriya ukuze amnikele njengedini?
11 Xa uAbraham wayesondela kwi-100 leminyaka ubudala nomkakhe, uSara, esondela kuma-90 eminyaka ubudala, uYehova waliphinda idinga lokuba uAbraham wayeza kuzala unyana ngoSara. UAbraham wayekuguquguqula oku engqondweni yakhe. “Kodwa ngenxa yesithembiso sikaThixo akazange axengaxengiswe kukuswela ukholo, kodwa waba namandla ngalo ukholo lwakhe, emnika uzuko uThixo yaye eyiseke ngokuzeleyo ukuba oko akuthembisileyo wayekwazi kanjalo nokukwenza.” (Roma 4:19-21) UAbraham wayesazi ukuba idinga likaThixo lalingenakuze liwe phantsi. Ngenxa yokholo lwakhe, kamva uAbraham wathobela xa uThixo wamxelela ukuba athabathe unyana wakhe uIsake baye kwilizwe laseMoriya ukuze amenze idini. (Genesis 22:1-12) UAbraham wayenentembelo epheleleyo kwelokuba uThixo owenza ukuba lo nyana azalwe ngokungummangaliso wayenokukwazi ukumbuyisela ebomini ukuze azalisekise amadinga akhe angakumbi awayewenzile ngokuphathelele lo nyana.—Hebhere 11:17-19.
12. UAbraham waqhubeka ehamba ngokholo kangangexesha elingakanani, yaye nguwuphi umvuzo omlindileyo yena namalungu entsapho yakhe awabonakalisa ukholo olomeleleyo?
12 UAbraham wabonisa ukuba wayelawulwa lukholo kungekuphela nje ngezihlandlo ezithile, kodwa kubo bonke ubomi bakhe. Ngexesha lokudla kwakhe ubomi uAbraham akazange afumane nasinye isabelo seLizwe Ledinga kuThixo njengelifa lakhe. (IZenzo 7:5) Ukanti, uAbraham akazange atyhafe aze abuyele kwiUre yamaKaledi. Kangangeminyaka eli-100, de waya kulala kobandayo, wayehlala ezintenteni kwilizwe awayethunyelwa nguThixo kulo. (Genesis 25:7) Ithetha ngaye nomkakhe uSara, ngonyana wabo uIsake nangomzukulwana wabo uYakobi, eyamaHebhere 11:16 ithi: “UThixo akanazintloni ngabo, ukuba abizwe ngokuba unguThixo wabo, kuba ubalungiselele isixeko.” Ewe, uYehova ubagcinele indawo kummandla osemhlabeni woBukumkani bakhe obungoMesiya.
13. Ngoobani phakathi kwabakhonzi bakaYehova namhlanje ababonakalisa ukholo olufana noluka-Abraham?
13 Phakathi kwabakhonzi bakaYehova namhlanje kukho abo bafana noAbraham. Kangangeminyaka emininzi baye bahamba ngokholo. Ngenxa yamandla uThixo abanike wona, baye boyisa nemiqobo ebibonakala injengentaba. (Mateyu 17:20) Abahexi kukholo lwabo ngenxa nje yokuba bengalazi ixesha uThixo aza kubanika ngalo ilifa abathembise lona. Bayazi ukuba ilizwi likaYehova alinakuze liwe phantsi, yaye bakugqala njengelungelo elingenakulinganiswa nanto ukuba phakathi kwamaNgqina akhe. Ngaba nawe uvakalelwa ngolo hlobo?
Ukholo Olwashukumisa UMoses
14. Lwalusekelwe entwenini ukholo lukaMoses?
14 Omnye umzekelo wokholo nguMoses. Wayelusekele entwenini ukholo lwakhe? Konke oku kwaqala eseyimveku. Nangona intombi kaFaro yamchola uMoses kumkhombe wemikhanzi kuMlambo umNayile yaza yamenza unyana wayo, umama kaMoses ongumHebhere, uYokebhede, wayanyisa le nkwenkwe waza wayinyamekela ebudeni beminyaka yayo yobuntwana. Licacile elokuba uYokebhede wayifundisa kakuhle, ebethelela uthando ngoYehova noxabiso ngamadinga Akhe kuAbraham. Kamva, njengelungu lentsapho kaFaro, uMoses “wayalelwa kubo bonke ubulumko bamaYiputa.” (IZenzo 7:20-22; Eksodus 2:1-10; 6:20; Hebhere 11:23) Ukanti, phezu kwaso nje isikhundla esiphezulu awayenaso, uMoses wayecinga ngabantu bakaThixo ababengamakhoboka.
15. Ukuzimisa kwakhe nabantu bakaYehova kwakuthetha ntoni kuMoses?
15 Xa wayeneminyaka engama-40 ubudala, uMoses wabulala umYiputa ehlangula umSirayeli owayedlelw’ indlala. Esi siganeko sibonisa indlela uMoses awayebajonga ngayo abantu bakaThixo. Eneneni, “ngokholo uMoses, xa wayekhulile, wala ukubizwa ngokuba ungunyana wentombi kaFaro.” Kunokuba axhamle ‘ukuziyolisa ngesono okwexeshana’ njengelungu lebhotwe lamaYiputa, ukholo lwamqhubela ekubeni azimise nabantu bakaThixo ababephethwe gadalala.—Hebhere 11:24, 25; IZenzo 7:23-25.
16. (a) Luluphi uthumo uYehova awalunika uMoses, yaye uThixo wamnceda njani? (b) Ekuphumezeni uthumo lwakhe, uMoses walubonakalisa njani ukholo?
16 UMoses wayelangazelela ukuthabatha inyathelo elaliza kuzisa isiqabu kubantu bakowabo, kodwa lalingekafiki ixesha lokuba uThixo abakhulule. UMoses kwafuneka aziph’ amathafa asabe eYiputa. Kwade kwadlula iminyaka enokuba ngama-40, awathi emva kwayo uYehova esebenzisa ingelosi, wathuma uMoses ukuba abuyele eYiputa ukuya kukhulula amaSirayeli kwelo lizwe. (Eksodus 3:2-10) Wasabela njani uMoses? Akazange awathandabuze amandla kaYehova okukhulula uSirayeli, kodwa wayeziva engawufanelanga lo msebenzi wayewunikwa nguThixo. Ngothando, uYehova wamkhuthaza, nto leyo awayeyifuna uMoses. (Eksodus 3:11–4:17) Ukholo lukaMoses lwaya lusomelela. Wabuyela eYiputa waza wamlumkisa ngokuphindaphindiweyo uFaro emxelela ezindlebeni ngezibetho ezaziza kufikela iYiputa ngenxa yokungavumi kwalo mlawuli ukundulula amaSirayeli aye kunqula uYehova. UMoses wayengenamandla okubangela ezo zibetho. Wahamba ngokholo, kungekhona ngokubona. Wayenokholo kuYehova nakwilizwi lakhe. UFaro wamtyityimbisel’ umnwe uMoses. Kodwa uMoses wazingisa. “Ngokholo wayishiya iYiputa, kodwa engawoyiki umsindo wokumkani, kuba waqhubeka eqinile ngokungathi uyambona Lowo ungabonakaliyo.” (Hebhere 11:27) UMoses wayengafezekanga. Wayezenza iimpazamo. (Numeri 20:7-12) Noko ke, emva kokuba ethunywe nguThixo, bonke ubomi bakhe babulawulwa lukholo.
17. Ukuhamba ngokholo kwaba nawuphi umphumo kuNowa, uAbraham noMoses, nangona bengazange balibone ihlabathi elitsha likaThixo?
17 Ngamana ukholo lwakho lungabonakala lufana nolukaNowa, uAbraham noMoses. Liyinyaniso elokuba abazange balibone ihlabathi elitsha likaThixo ngemihla yabo. (Hebhere 11:39) Lalingekafiki ixesha likaThixo elimisiweyo; kwakusekho nezinye iinkalo zenjongo yakhe ekwakusafuneka ziqatyelisiwe. Kodwa, ukholo lwabo kwilizwi likaThixo aluzange luxengaxenge, yaye amagama abo asencwadini kaThixo yobomi.
18. Kwabo babizelwe kubomi basezulwini, kutheni kuye kwayimfuneko ukuhamba ngokholo?
18 Umpostile uPawulos wabhala esithi: “UThixo wabona kwangaphambili okuthile okusilungele ngakumbi.” Oko kuthetha ukuthi, uThixo wabona kwangaphambili okuthile okubalungele ngakumbi abo bathe, njengoPawulos, babizelwa kubomi basezulwini kunye noKristu. (Hebhere 11:40) Aba ngabo uPawulos wayecinga ngabo ngokukhethekileyo xa wabhala la mazwi akweyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 5:7 athi: “Sihamba ngokholo, kungekhona ngokubona.” Ngexesha ekwakubhalwa ngalo la mazwi, akukho namnye kubo owayesele ewufumene umvuzo wakhe wasezulwini. Babengenakuwubona ngeliso lenyama, kodwa ukholo lwabo kuwo lwalunesiseko esomeleleyo. UKristu wayevusiwe kwabafileyo, intlahlela yabo babeza kusikelelwa ngobomi basezulwini. Kwaye amangqina angaphezu kwama-500 ayembonile ngaphambi kokunyukela kwakhe ezulwini. (1 Korinte 15:3-8) Babenezizathu ezininzi zokulawula ubomi babo buphela ngokholo. Nathi sinezizathu ezivakalayo zokuhamba ngokholo.
19. Njengoko kuboniswe kweyamaHebhere 1:1, 2, uThixo usebenzise bani ukuze athethe nathi?
19 Namhlanje, uYehova akathethi nabantu bakhe ngokusebenzisa ingelosi, njengokuba wenzayo kuMoses kwityholo elitshayo. UThixo uye wathetha esebenzisa uNyana wakhe. (Hebhere 1:1, 2) Oko uThixo akuthethe ngaye, ukubhale eBhayibhileni, eye yaguqulelwa ngeelwimi ezithethwa ngabantu ehlabathini lonke.
20. Kungayiphi indlela ethi imeko yethu ibe yelunge ngakumbi kunaleyo kaNowa, uAbraham noMoses?
20 Thina sinokuninzi ngaphezu koko uNowa, uAbraham noMoses babenako. SineLizwi likaThixo elipheleleyo—inxalenye eninzi yalo esele izalisekile. Ngenxa yako konke okuthethwa yiBhayibhile ngamadoda nangamabhinqa awazingqina engamangqina kaYehova athembekileyo nangona ayejamelene nezilingo ezahlukeneyo, eyamaHebhere 12:1 iyasibongoza: “Masithi kanjalo nathi sikhulule bonke ubunzima nesono esisiphingela ngokulula, yaye masilubaleke ngonyamezelo ugqatso olubekwe phambi kwethu.” Ukholo lwethu alunto esimele siyithabathe nje lula. ‘Isono esisiphingela ngokulula’ kukuswela ukholo. Ukuze sihlale ‘sihamba ngokholo’ kufuneka silwe nzima.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Bona incwadi ethi IBhayibhile—Ngaba IliLizwi LikaThixo Okanye Lomntu?, epapashwe yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
Athini Amagqabaza Akho?
◻ Yintoni ebandakanyekileyo ‘ekuhambeni ngokholo’?
◻ Sinokungenelwa njani kwindlela uNowa awalubonakalisa ngayo ukholo?
◻ Isinceda njani indlela uAbraham awaba nokholo ngayo?
◻ Kutheni iBhayibhile isalatha kuMoses njengomzekelo wokholo?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
UAbraham wahamba ngokholo
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 10]
UMoses noAron babonakalisa ukholo xa babephambi koFaro