Ukuba Nesibindi Ngenxa Yokholo Nokoyika UThixo
“Yiba nesibindi womelele . . . uYehova uThixo wakho unawe.”—YOSHUWA 1:9.
1, 2. (a) Ngokwembono yabantu, ayengakanani amathuba okuba amaSirayeli oyise amaKanan? (b) Sisiphi isiqinisekiso esafunyanwa nguYoshuwa?
NGOWE-1473 B.C.E., uhlanga lwamaSirayeli lwalungxange kwimida yeLizwe Lesithembiso. Ethetha ngeenzima awayeza kudibana nazo, uMoses wamkhumbuza oku uSirayeli: “Uyayiwela namhla iYordan usiya kuzihlutha ilizwe lazo iintlanga ezinkulu nezinamandla kunawe, izixeko ezikhulu ezinqatyiswe ukusa emazulwini, isizwana sabantu abakhulu nabade, oonyana baka-Anakim, . . . novileyo kusithiwa ngabo, ‘Ngubani na onokuma ngokuqinileyo phambi koonyana baka-Anaki?’” (Duteronomi 9:1, 2) Ewe, la ngamagorha awayedumile. Ukanti, wambi amaKanan ayenemikhosi exhobe yafohlela enamahashe neenqwelo zokulwa ezazinamavili entsimbi anerhengqa.—ABagwebi 4:13.
2 AmaSirayeli wona ayephuma ebukhobokeni echithe iminyaka engama-40 ebhadula entlango. Ngoko, ebantwini kwakubonakala kungekho ndlela anokuzoyisa ngayo iintshaba zawo. Kodwa ngenxa yokholo uMoses; ‘wayembona’ uYehova ewakhokela. (Hebhere 11:27) Wathi ebantwini: “UYehova uThixo wakho uwela phambi kwakho. . . . Uya kubabhubhisa, aboyise phambi kwakho.” (Duteronomi 9:3; INdumiso 33:16, 17) Emva kokufa kukaMoses, uYehova wamqinisekisa uYoshuwa ukuba unaye, esithi: “Sukuma, uwele iYordan le, wena naso sonke esi sizwana, niye kwilizwe endibanika lona oonyana bakaSirayeli. Akukho bani uya kuma ngokuqinileyo phambi kwakho yonke imihla yobomi bakho. Kanye njengoko ndaba noMoses nawe ndiya kuba nawe.”—Yoshuwa 1:2, 5.
3. Yintoni eyanceda uYoshuwa wanokholo waza womelela?
3 Ukuze axhaswe futhi akhokelwe nguYehova, kwakuza kufuneka uYoshuwa afunde aze acamngce ngoMthetho kaThixo emva koko aphile ngokuvisisana nawo. UYehova wathi: “Uya kuyenza iphumelele indlela yakho wandule ke wenze ngobulumko. Andikuyalelanga na? Yiba nesibindi womelele. Musa ukothuka okanye unkwantye, kuba uYehova uThixo wakho unawe naphi na apho uya khona.” (Yoshuwa 1:8, 9) Ngenxa yokuphulaphula kwakhe uThixo, uYoshuwa, waba nenkalipho, womelela waza waphumelela. Noko ke, inkoliso yoontanga bakhe ayizange iphulaphule. Ngenxa yoko yafela entlango.
Abantu Abangenalukholo Baswele Inkalipho
4, 5. (a) Sasahluke njani isimo sengqondo seentlola ezilishumi kweso sikaYoshuwa noKalebhi? (b) Wasabela njani uYehova kuloo nto yokungabi nokholo kwabantu?
4 Kwiminyaka engama-40 ngaphambili xa amaSirayeli ayesondela kwaKanan, uMoses wathumela amadoda ali-12 ukuba aye kuhlola elo lizwe. Alishumi abuya egubha kukoyika. Akhala esithi: “Abantu bonke esababonayo kulo babengabafo abakhulu ngokungaqhelekanga. Sazibona khona iiNefili, oonyana baka-Anaki, abavela kwiiNefili; sasuka emehlweni ethu saba njengeentethe.” Ngaba babeziingxilimbela ‘bonke na abantu’—yayingengoma-Anaki kuphela na? Akunjalo. Ngaba ama-Anaki ayeyinzala yeeNefili zangaphambi koMkhukula? Nalapho kwakungenjalo! Ngenxa yezi ngxelo, yonke inkampu yazaliswa luloyiko. Abantu bade bafuna ukubuyela eYiputa, ilizwe ababengamakhoboka kulo!—Numeri 13:31–14:4.
5 Noko ke, iintlola ezimbini, uYoshuwa noKalebhi, zazikulangazelela ukungena kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Zathi amaKanan ‘asisonka sethu limkile ikhusi lawo kuwo, yaye uYehova unathi. Musani ukuwoyika.’ (Numeri 14:9) Ngaba uYoshuwa noKalebhi babeqhutywa ziimvakalelo? Nakanye! Bona namanye amaSirayeli, bambona uYehova ehlaza iYiputa enamandla nezithixo zayo ngeZibetho Ezilishumi. Emva koko, bambona uYehova ebulala uFaro nomkhosi wakhe kuLwandle Olubomvu. (INdumiso 136:15) Kucacile ukuba uloyiko lweentlola ezilishumi nabo baye baphenjelelwa zizo lwalungenasihlahla. Ebuhlungu uYehova wathi: “Kuya kude kube nini na singandihloneli esi sizwana, yaye kuya kude kube nini na singakholwa kum ngemiqondiso yonke endiyenzileyo phakathi kwaso?”—Numeri 14:11.
6. Inxibelelene njani inkalipho nokholo, yaye oko kubonakala njani kweli xesha lethu?
6 UYehova wachaza esona sizathu, ukoyika kwabantu kwakuntama ukungabi nalukholo. Ewe, ukholo nenkalipho zinxibelelene kangangokuba umpostile uYohane wabhala wathi ngokuphathelele ibandla lamaKristu nemfazwe yalo yokomoya: “Lulo ke olu uloyiso esiloyise ngalo ihlabathi, ukholo lwethu.” (1 Yohane 5:4) Namhlanje, ukholo olufana nolukaYoshuwa noKalebhi luye lwaphumela ekubeni iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani zishunyayelwe ehlabathini jikelele ngamaNgqina kaYehova angaphezu kwezigidi ezithandathu, aselula namadala, omeleleyo nabuthathaka. Alukho utshaba oluye lwakwazi ukuwuvala umlomo lo mkhosi ukhaliphileyo.—Roma 8:31.
Musa ‘Ukuhlehla’
7. Kuthetha ukuthini “ukuhlehla”?
7 Abakhonzi bakaYehova namhlanje bashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ngenkalipho kuba benesimo sengqondo esifanayo nesikampostile uPawulos owathi: “Asingabahlehla baye entshabalalweni, kodwa siluhlobo olunokholo olugcina umphefumlo uphila.” (Hebhere 10:39) Njengokuba uPawulos watshoyo, ‘ukuhlehla’ akuthethi kuthi umntu akakhe oyike ngamaxesha athile, kuba abakhonzi bakaThixo abaninzi babekhe boyike maxa wambi. (1 Samuweli 21:12; 1 Kumkani 19:1-4) Esinye isichazi-magama seBhayibhile sithi eli binzana lithetha “ukurhoxa, uxhome,” “uyekelel’ umxakatho kwinyaniso.” Songezelela sithi “ukuhlehla” kusenokuba sisafobe esithetha “ukuthob’ iseyile ngokungathi kunjalo ubani athobe isantya ebehamba ngaso” enkonzweni kaThixo. Kakade ke abo banokholo olomeleleyo “abasithob’ isantya” xa kuvela ubunzima—enokuba yintshutshiso, impilo enkenenkene okanye ezinye iimvavanyo. Kunoko bayaqhubeka bekhonza uYehova, bekhumbula ukuba ubakhathalele kwaye uyakwazi ukusikelwa umda kwabo. (INdumiso 55:22; 103:14) Ngaba unalo olo hlobo lokholo?
8, 9. (a) UYehova walomeleza njani ukholo lwamaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala? (b) Yintoni esinokuyenza ukuze sakhe ukholo lwethu?
8 Ngesinye isihlandlo abapostile babevakalelwa kukuba baphelelwe lukholo, ngoko bathi kuYesu: “Sinike ukholo olungakumbi.” (Luka 17:5) Isicelo sabo sokunyaniseka saphendulwa, ngakumbi ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., xa wafikayo umoya oyingcwele ababewuthenjisiwe abafundi wabenza baliqonda ngakumbi iLizwi likaThixo nenjongo yakhe. (Yohane 14:26; IZenzo 2:1-4) Ukholo lwabo lomelela, baqalisa iphulo lokushumayela abaqhubeka nalo nangona babetshutshiswa, bashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo “kwindalo yonke ephantsi kwezulu.”—Kolose 1:23; IZenzo 1:8; 28:22.
9 Ukuze sakhe ukholo lwethu size siqhubeke nobulungiseleli bethu, nathi simele sifunde iZibhalo size sicamngce ngazo size sithandazele umoya oyingcwele. Kuphela kuxa sibethelel’ inyaniso kaThixo engqondweni nasentliziyweni yethu—njengoYoshuwa, uKalebhi namaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala—apho siya kukwazi ukuba nokholo oluya kusinika isibindi esifunekayo ukuze sinyamezele kwimfazwe yokomoya de soyise.—Roma 10:17.
Ukholo—Asiyonkolelo Nje Yobukho BukaThixo
10. Luquka ntoni ukholo lokwenene?
10 Njengokuba kuye kwaboniswa ngabagcini bengqibelelo bamandulo, ukholo olwenza ubani abe nesibindi futhi anyamezele asingombandela nje wokukholelwa kuThixo. (Yakobi 2:19) Kufuneka uYehova simazi yaye sibe nentembelo epheleleyo kuye. (INdumiso 78:5-8; IMizekeliso 3:5, 6) Kuthetha ukukholelwa ngokupheleleyo ukuba ukuthobela imithetho kaThixo nemigaqo yakhe kunceda kwathina. (Isaya 48:17, 18) Ukholo lukwathetha ukuba nentembelo epheleleyo yokuba uYehova uya kuzizalisekisa zonke izithembiso zakhe aze abe “ngumvuzi wabo bamfuna ngenyameko.”—Hebhere 11:1, 6; Isaya 55:11.
11. UYoshuwa noKalebhi basikelelwa njani ngenxa yokholo nenkalipho yabo?
11 Ukholo olunjalo alumanga ndawonye. Njengokuba siphila ngokuvisisana nenyaniso luya lukhula, ‘singcamla’ imiphumo, ‘sibone’ iindlela ephendulwa ngazo imithandazo yethu, sitsho silubone ulwalathiso lukaYehova kubomi bethu. (INdumiso 34:8; 1 Yohane 5:14, 15) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba ukholo lukaYoshuwa noKalebhi lwaya lusomelela njengoko babebona ukulunga kukaThixo. (Yoshuwa 23:14) Khawuqwalasele ezi zibakala: UThixo wabathembisa ukuba babeza kusinda xa amaSirayeli ayebhadula entlango iminyaka engama-40, ibe kwaba njalo. (Numeri 14:27-30; 32:11, 12) Baba nenxaxheba kwiminyaka emithandathu yokuthinjwa komhlaba wamaKanan. Ekugqibeleni banandipha ubomi obude besempilweni de bafumana nelifa lomhlaba wabo. UYehova uyabavuza abo bamkhonza ngokuthembeka nenkalipho!—Yoshuwa 14:6, 9-14; 19:49, 50; 24:29.
12. UYehova ulenza ‘likhulu’ njani ilizwi lakhe?
12 Ububele bothando uThixo avava ngabo uYoshuwa noKalebhi busikhumbuza amazwi omdumisi athi: “Ulenze likhulu ilizwi lakho nangaphezu kwegama lakho lonke.” (INdumiso 138:2) Xa uYehova esebenzisa igama lakhe ukuqinisekisa isithembiso asenzileyo, ukuzaliseka kweso sithembiso ‘ukwenza kukhulu’ kube ngaphaya koko bekulindelwe. (Efese 3:20) Ewe, uYehova akazange abaphoxe abo ‘baziyolisa’ ngaye.—INdumiso 37:3, 4.
Indoda ‘Eyakholisa UThixo’
13, 14. Kwakutheni ukuze kufuneke uEnoki abe nenkalipho nokholo?
13 Sinokufunda ngakumbi ngokholo nenkalipho ngokondela umzekelo welinye ingqina elalikho ngaphambi kwexesha lobuKristu—uEnoki. Kwangaphambi kokuba aqalise ukuprofeta, uEnoki usenokuba wayesazi ukuba ukholo nenkalipho yakhe zaziza kuvavanywa. Njani? Kuba uYehova wayethe e-Eden kwakuza kubakho ubutshaba, okanye intiyo, phakathi kwabo bakhonza uThixo nabo bakhonza uSathana uMtyholi. (Genesis 3:15) UEnoki wayesazi ukuba le ntiyo yakhawuleza yaqala xa uKayin wabulala umntakwabo uAbheli. Eneneni, utata wabo, uAdam, waphila iminyaka engama-310 emva kokuba uEnoki esidla amazimba.—Genesis 5:3-18.
14 Nakuba kwakunjalo, ngenkalipho uEnoki “waqhubeka ehamba noThixo oyinyaniso” waze wazikhalimela “izinto ezothusayo” ezazithethwa ngabantu nxamnye noYehova. (Genesis 5:22; Yude 14, 15) Kuyacaca ukuba ukulumela kwakhe unqulo lokwenyaniso kwamzisela iintshaba ezininzi, nto leyo eyabeka ubomi bakhe esichengeni. Ngenxa yoko, uYehova wamsindisa ezintlungwini zokufa umprofeti wakhe. Emva kokuba uEnoki etyhilelwe ukuba “wayemkholise kakuhle uThixo” uYehova ‘wamfudusa’ wafa engakhange agule mhlawumbi ngoxa wayesabona isiprofeto.—Hebhere 11:5, 13; Genesis 5:24.
15. Nguwuphi umzekelo omhle owamiselwa abakhonzi bakaYehova nguEnoki namhlanje?
15 Kanye emva kokukhankanya ukufuduswa kobomi bukaEnoki, uPawulos wabalaselisa ukubaluleka kokholo, esithi: “Ngaphandle kokholo akunakwenzeka ukumkholisa kakuhle [uThixo].” (Hebhere 11:6) Ewe, ukuba nokholo kwanceda uEnoki wanesibindi sokuhamba noYehova avakalise isigidimi somgwebo wakhe kwihlabathi elingamoyikiyo uThixo. Kule nkalo uEnoki wasimisela umzekelo omhle. Nathi simele senze umsebenzi ofanayo kwihlabathi elichase unqulo lokwenyaniso nelizaliswe zizo zonke iintlobo zobubi.—INdumiso 92:7; Mateyu 24:14; ISityhilelo 12:17.
Inkalipho Ebangelwa Kukoyik’ UThixo
16, 17. Wayengubani uObhadiya, kwaye ziziphi iimeko awazifumana ekuzo?
16 Ngaphandle kokholo, kukho nolunye uphawu olubangela inkalipho, lona kukoyika uThixo. Makhe sixubushe ngomzekelo obalaseleyo wendoda eyayisoyik’ uThixo eyayiphila ngexesha lomprofeti uEliya noKumkani uAhabhi, owayelawula ubukumkani bangasentla kwaSirayeli. Kulawulo luka-Ahabhi, unqulo lukaBhahali lophula izikeyi lusonakalisa ubukumkani bangasentla. Abaprofeti bakaBhahali abangama-450 nabaprofeti besibonda esingcwele abangama-400 esimela ilungu lobudoda ‘babesidla etafileni noIzebhele, umfazi ka-Ahabhi.’—1 Kumkani 16:30-33; 18:19.
17 Utshaba lukaYehova olukhohlakeleyo, uIzebhele lwazama ukuluphelisa unqulo lokwenyaniso. Wabulala abaprofeti bakaYehova wade wazama nokubulala uEliya, owasindiswa kukuthobela ulwalathiso lukaThixo lokuba asabe ngokunqumla umlambo iYordan. (1 Kumkani 17:1-3; 18:13) Ngaba unokuyithelekelela indlela ekumele ukuba kwakunzima ngayo ukumela unqulo olunyulu kubukumkani bangasentla ngeloo xesha? Kumele ukuba kwakunzima nangakumbi xa usebenza apho ebhotwe. Leyo yimeko awayekuyo uObhadiyaa owayesoyika uThixo, owayeligosa lendlu ka-Ahabhi.—1 Kumkani 18:3.
18. Yintoni eyenza uObhadiya waba ngumnquli kaYehova okhethekileyo?
18 Akuthandabuzeki ukuba, uObhadiya wayephaphile kwangaxeshanye esebenzisa ingqiqo ekukhonzeni kwakhe uYehova. Kuyo yonke loo meko, akazange alalanise. Eneneni, eyoku-1 yooKumkani 18:3 ithi: “UObhadiya wayezingqine emoyika kakhulu uYehova.” Ngenxa yokoyika kwakhe uThixo, waba nenkalipho, njengoko kwabonakala ngokukhawuleza emva kokuba uIzebhele ebulele abaprofeti bakaYehova.
19. Yintoni eyenziwa nguObhadiya eyabonisa ukuba wayekhaliphile?
19 Sifunda oku: “Kwathi uIzebhele akubanqumla abaprofeti bakaYehova, uObhadiya wathabatha abaprofeti abalikhulu wabafihla emqolombeni ngamashumi amahlanu, yaye wayebabonelela ngesonka namanzi.” (1 Kumkani 18:4) Unokuyiqonda indlela ekwakuyingozi ngayo ukondla ngokufihlakeleyo amadoda angamakhulu amane. Oko uObhadiya wayengakufihli kuAhabhi noIzebhele kuphela kodwa kwakufuneka angabonwa nangabaprofeti bobuxoki abangama-850 ababengena bephuma apho ebhotwe. Ngaphandle koko, amanye amalungu onqulo lobuxoki ukususela kubantu abangathath’ intweni ukusa kwiinkosana, babeya kulixhakamfula elo thuba lokuxela uObhadiya khon’ ukuze bazithandise kukumkani nakukumkanikazi. Sekunjalo, kanye apho phakathi kwabo banquli bobuxoki, ngenkalipho uObhadiya wabanyamekela abaprofeti bakaYehova. Ukoyika uThixo kunokumenza abe nesibindi ngokwenene umntu!
20. Ukoyika kukaObhadiya uThixo kwamnceda njani, kwaye ukunceda njani wena umzekelo wakhe?
20 Ekubeni uObhadiya wabonisa inkalipho ngenxa yokuba wayesoyika uThixo, uYehova wamkhusela kwiintshaba zakhe. IMizekeliso 29:25 ithi: “Ukungcangcazela ngumntu kubeka umgibe, kodwa okholosa ngoYehova uya kukhuselwa.” UObhadiya wayengumntu ofana nabanye abantu; wayekoyika ukubanjwa nokubulawa, kanye njengokuba nathi besiya kukoyika. (1 Kumkani 18:7-9, 12) Kodwa, ukoyika kwakhe uThixo kwamenza wakhalipha akaboyika abantu. UObhadiya ungumzekelo omhle kuthi sonke, ngokukodwa kwabo banqula uYehova kwiimeko ezibeka inkululeko yabo okanye ubomi babo emngciphekweni. (Mateyu 24:9) Ewe, ngamana sonke singazama ukukhonza uYehova “sinoloyiko lobuthixo nentlonelo.”—Hebhere 12:28.
21. Yintoni eza kuxutyushwa kwinqaku elilandelayo?
21 Ukholo nokoyika uThixo asikokuphela kweempawu ezenza ubani abe nenkalipho; uthando lusenokude lube lolona phawu lunamandla ngakumbi. UPawulos wathi: “UThixo akasinikanga moya wabugwala, kodwa owamandla nowothando nowengqondo ephilileyo.” (2 Timoti 1:7) Kwinqaku elilandelayo, siza kubona indlela olunokusinceda ngayo uthando sikhonze uYehova ngenkalipho kule mihla yokugqibela yamanqam.—2 Timoti 3:1.
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a Lo asinguye umprofeti uObhadiya.
Ngaba Unokuphendula?
• Yintoni eyanceda uYoshuwa noKalebhi baba nenkalipho?
• Luquka ntoni ukholo lokwenyaniso?
• Kwakutheni ukuze uEnoki angoyiki ukuvakalisa isigidimi somgwebo kaThixo?
• Ukoyika uThixo kusinceda njani sibe nenkalipho?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]
UYehova wayalela uYoshuwa wathi: “Yiba nesibindi womelele”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]
UObhadiya wabanyamekela waza wabakhusela abaprofeti bakaThixo
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 19]
UEnoki washumayela ilizwi likaThixo ngenkalipho