Kuyintoni Ukuphumla KukaThixo?
“Abantu bakaThixo basasalelwe luphumlo lwesabatha.”—HEB. 4:9.
1, 2. Yintoni esinokugqiba kuyo ngokusuka kwinguqulelo echanileyo yeGenesis 2:3, yaye yiyiphi imibuzo ephakamayo?
UKUSUSELA kwisahluko sokuqala seGenesis, sifunda ukuba uThixo walungisa umhlaba ebudeni beentsuku ezintandathu zomfuziselo ukuze umiwe ngabantu. Isiphelo sosuku ngalunye sichazwa ngala mazwi: “Kwahlwa, kwasa.” (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) Kodwa ke, ngokuphathelele usuku lwesixhenxe, iBhayibhile ithi: ‘Wandula ke uThixo walusikelela usuku lwesixhenxe waza walungcwalisa, kuba uThixo ebephumle ngalo kuwo wonke umsebenzi wakhe awudalileyo, wawenza.’—Gen. 2:3.
2 Phawula esi senzi sithi ‘ebephumle.’ Oko kubonisa ukuba usuku lwesixhenxe—“usuku” lokuphumla kukaThixo—lwalusele luqalisile ngowe-1513 B.C.E. xa uMoses wabhala incwadi yeGenesis. Ngaba usuku lokuphumla kukaThixo lusaqhubeka nangoku? Ukuba kunjalo, ngaba sinako ukungena kulo namhlanje? Iimpendulo zale mibuzo zibaluleke kakhulu kuthi.
Ngaba UYehova ‘Usaphumle’?
3. Amazwi kaYesu abhalwe kuYohane 5:16, 17 abonisa njani ukuba usuku lwesixhenxe lwalusaqhubeka ngenkulungwane yokuqala?
3 Kukho ubungqina obubini obusenza sigqibe kwelokuba usuku lwesixhenxe lwalusaqhubeka ngenkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Okokuqala, cinga ngamazwi uYesu awawathetha kubachasi ababemgxeka ngokuphilisa ngeSabatha, nto leyo ababeyigqala njengohlobo oluthile lomsebenzi. Yathi iNkosi kubo: “UBawo uyasebenza kude kube ngoku, nam ke ndiyasebenza.” (Yoh. 5:16, 17) Yayiyintoni ingongoma? UYesu wayetyholwa ngokusebenza ngeSabatha. Impendulo yakhe ethi: “UBawo uyasebenza” yasiphendula eso sityholo. Kwakufana nokungathi uYesu uthi kubachasi bakhe: ‘Mna noBawo senza umsebenzi ofanayo. Ekubeni uBawo ebeqhubeka esebenza ebudeni beSabatha yakhe yeminyaka engamawaka, ndivumelekile ke nam ukuba ndiqhubeke ndisebenza, nangeSabatha.’ Ngaloo ndlela, uYesu wathi ngokuphathelele umhlaba, usuku olukhulu lweSabatha kaThixo okanye usuku lwesixhenxe, lwalusaqhubeka ngemihla yakhe.a
4. Bubuphi ubungqina obungakumbi obuchazwa nguPawulos bokuba usuku lwesixhenxe lwalusaqhubeka ngemihla yakhe?
4 Ubungqina besibini sibunikwa ngumpostile uPawulos. Xa wayecaphula iGenesis 2:2 ngokuphathelele ukuphumla kukaThixo, eqhutywa ngumoya oyingcwele uPawulos wabhala la mazwi: “Thina babonisa ukholo siyangena ekuphumleni.” (Heb. 4:3, 4, 6, 9) Ngoko usuku lwesixhenxe lwalusaqhubeka ngemihla kaPawulos. Lwaluza kuqhubeka ixesha elingakanani olo suku lokuphumla?
5. Yayiyintoni injongo yosuku lwesixhenxe, yaye iya kwenzeka nini ngokupheleleyo?
5 Ukuze siphendule loo mbuzo, simele sikhumbule injongo yosuku lwesixhenxe. IGenesis 2:3 iyichaza isithi: “Wandula ke uThixo walusikelela usuku lwesixhenxe waza walungcwalisa.” Olo suku ‘lwangcwaliswa’—lwenziwa ngcwele, okanye lwabekelwa bucala, nguYehova—ukuze afezekise injongo yakhe. Loo njongo kukuba umhlaba umiwe ngamadoda nabafazi abathobelayo abaya kuwunyamekela nazo zonke izinto eziphila kuwo. (Gen. 1:28) UYehova uThixo noYesu Kristu, “iNkosi yesabatha,” ‘bayasebenza kude kube ngoku’ ukuze bazalisekise loo njongo. (Mat. 12:8) Usuku lokuphumla kukaThixo luya kuqhubeka de injongo yakhe ephathelele lona yenzeke ngokupheleleyo ekupheleni koLawulo LukaKristu Lweminyaka Eliwaka.
‘Ningeyeli Kwakuloo Mzekelo Wokungathobeli’
6. Yiyiphi imizekelo esisilumkiso kuthi, yaye sinokufunda ntoni kuyo?
6 Injongo kaThixo yachazwa ngokucacileyo kuAdam noEva, kodwa abazange bakwazi ukwenza ngokuvisisana nayo. Enyanisweni, uAdam noEva babengabantu bokuqala ukuhamba ngekhondo lokungathobeli. Kodwa kukho nezigidi zabanye ezalandela emva kwabo. Kwanohlanga olwalunyulwe nguThixo, amaSirayeli, lwawela kwikhondo lokungathobeli. Ngenxa yoko, uPawulos walumkisa amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ngengozi yokuwela kumgibe ofanayo nowamaSirayeli amandulo. Wabhala wathi: “Ngoko ke masenze unako-nako wokungena koko kuphumla, ukuze kungabikho namnye ubuya eyele kwakuloo mzekelo wokungathobeli.” (Heb. 4:11) Phawula ukuba uPawulos unxulumanisa ukungathobeli nokungakwazi ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo. Ithetha ntoni loo nto kuthi? Ngaba ithetha ukuba xa sinokuvukela injongo kaThixo ngandlel’ ithile, siya kuba sizibeka esichengeni sokungakwazi ukungena ekuphumleni kwakhe? Licacile elokuba impendulo yaloo mbuzo ibaluleke kakhulu kuthi, yaye siza kuyixubusha ngokubhekele phaya. Noko ke, ngoku makhe sibone okungakumbi esinokukufunda ngokungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo ngokuthi sihlole umzekelo ombi wamaSirayeli.
“Abayi Kungena Ekuphumleni Kwam”
7. Yintoni uYehova awayecinga ngayo xa wayehlangula amaSirayeli kubukhoboka eYiputa, yaye yintoni eyayilindeleke kuwo?
7 Ngowe-1513 B.C.E., uYehova watyhila injongo yakhe ngokuphathelele amaSirayeli kumkhonzi wakhe uMoses. Wathi uThixo: “Ndihlile ke ukuze ndibahlangule esandleni samaYiputa ndize ndibanyuse baphume kwelo lizwe [iYiputa], baye ezweni elilungileyo neliphangaleleyo, ezweni eliqukuqela ubisi nobusi.” (Eks. 3:8) Kanye njengoko uYehova wayethembise ukhokho wawo, uAbraham, injongo kaThixo yokuhlangula amaSirayeli “esandleni samaYiputa” yayikukuwenza abe ngabantu bakhe. (Gen. 22:17) UThixo wanika amaSirayeli imithetho ebhaliweyo eyayiza kuwanceda abe nolwalamano olunoxolo naye. (Isa. 48:17, 18) Wawaxelela oku amaSirayeli: “Ukuba nithe nalithobela okunene ilizwi lam, nawugcina ngenene umnqophiso wam [njengoko wawubhalwe eMthethweni], ngokuqinisekileyo noba yinqobo kum kwizizwana zonke, kuba umhlaba uphela ngowam.” (Eks. 19:5, 6) Ngenxa yoko, ukuze amaSirayeli abe nolwalamano olukhethekileyo noThixo kwakuya kufuneka athobele ilizwi lakhe.
8. AmaSirayeli ayenokuphila ubomi obunjani ukuba ayemthobele uThixo?
8 Khawucinge nje ukuba amaSirayeli ngewayephile ubomi obunjani ukuba ayelithobele ilizwi likaThixo! UYehova wayeya kuwusikelela umhlaba wawo, izidiliya nemihlambi yawo. Ayeya kuzoyisa iintshaba zawo. (Funda eyoku-1 yeziKumkani 10:23-27.) Xa uMesiya efika, mhlawumbi wayeya kuwafumana amaSirayeli ezenza kakuhle izinto njengohlanga oluzimeleyo, olungangcangcazeliswa lulawulo lwamaRoma. USirayeli ngewayebubukumkani obungumzekelo kwezinye iintlanga, enika ubungqina obuqinisekileyo bokuba ukuthobela uThixo wenene kuzisa iintsikelelo zokomoya nezokoqobo.
9, 10. (a) Kutheni umnqweno wamaSirayeli wokubuyela eYiputa wawungumbandela onzulu? (b) Ukubuyela eYiputa kwakuya kuluchaphazela njani unqulo lwamaSirayeli?
9 Alinakuthelekiswa nanto ilungelo awayenalo amaSirayeli—ukusebenza ngokuvisisana nenjongo kaYehova, nto leyo eyayiza kuphumela kungekuphela ekufumaneni kwawo iintsikelelo, kodwa ekugqibeleni, nasekusikelelweni kwazo zonke iintsapho ezisemhlabeni! (Gen. 22:18) Kodwa ke, sonke eso sizukulwana sasivukela asizange sibonise mdla ekumiseni ubukumkani obungumzekelo phantsi kolawulo lukaThixo. Okubi nangakumbi kukuba sade safuna ukubuyela eYiputa! (Funda iNumeri 14:2-4.) Ukubuyela kwaso eYiputa kwakuya kuyiphumeza njani injongo kaThixo yokwenza amaSirayeli ubukumkani obungumzekelo? Yayingenakwenzeka loo nto. Eneneni, ukuba amaSirayeli ayenokubuyela ekuthinjweni ngabahedeni, ayengenakukwazi ukuthobela uMthetho kaMoses aze angenelwe kwilungiselelo likaYehova lokuxolelwa kwezono zawo. Ngokwenene ayethanda izinto zokwenyama yaye engacingi ngekamva! Yiyo loo nto uYehova wathi ngabo bavukeli: “Ndazotheka sesi sizukulwana ndaza ndathi, ‘Basoloko belahleka ezintliziyweni zabo, yaye abazazanga iindlela zam.’ Ngoko ndafunga ndinomsindo ndathi, ‘Abayi kungena ekuphumleni kwam.’”—Heb. 3:10, 11; INdu. 95:10, 11.
10 Ngokufuna ukubuyela eYiputa, olo hlanga lugwenxa lwabonisa ukuba lwaluzijongele phantsi iintsikelelo zokomoya olwaluzifumene, ibe lukhetha iilike, amatswele neekinofile ezazifumaneka eYiputa. (Num. 11:5) NjengoEsawu owayengenambulelo, abo bavukeli babekulungele ukuphulukana nelifa elixabisekileyo lokomoya ngenxa yesidlo esiluncuthu.—Gen. 25:30-32; Heb. 12:16.
11. Ukungathembeki kwamaSirayeli ngemihla kaMoses kwayichaphazela njani injongo kaThixo?
11 Nangona isizukulwana samaSirayeli esashiya iYiputa sasingenalukholo, uYehova waqhubeka ‘esebenza’ ngomonde ukuze afezekise injongo yakhe, enikel’ ingqalelo kwisizukulwana esilandelayo. Amalungu eso sizukulwana sitsha ayethobela ngaphezu kookhokho bawo. Ngokuvisisana nomyalelo kaYehova, angena kwiLizwe Lesithembiso aza aloyisa. KuYoshuwa 24:31 sifunda oku: “USirayeli waqhubeka ekhonza uYehova yonke imihla kaYoshuwa nayo yonke imihla yamadoda amakhulu awayolulayo imihla yawo emva koYoshuwa nawayeyazi yonke imisebenzi kaYehova awayenzela uSirayeli.”
12. Sazi njani ukuba sinako ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo namhlanje?
12 Kodwa ke, eso sizukulwana sasithobela saya sisifa kwaza kwavela isizukulwana “esasingamazi uYehova okanye umsebenzi awayewenzele uSirayeli.” Ngenxa yoko, “oonyana bakaSirayeli benza okubi emehlweni kaYehova bakhonza ooBhahali.” (ABagwe. 2:10, 11) ILizwe Lesithembiso alizange libe ‘yindawo yokuphumla’ yenene kubo. Ngenxa yokungathobeli, abazange balunandiphe uxolo oluhlala luhleli kunye noThixo. Ethetha ngala maSirayeli, uPawulos wathi: “Ukuba uYoshuwa wabakhokelela [amaSirayeli] kwindawo yokuphumla, uThixo ngengathanga kamva wathetha ngomnye umhla. Ngoko abantu bakaThixo basasalelwe luphumlo lwesabatha.” (Heb. 4:8, 9) “Abantu bakaThixo” uPawulos awayethetha ngabo yayingamaKristu. Ngaba loo nto ithetha ukuba amaKristu ayenokungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo? Ngokuqinisekileyo—amaKristu angamaYuda nangengomaYuda!
Abanye Abakwazi Ukungena Ekuphumleni KukaThixo
13, 14. Kwakunxulumene ngantoni ukugcina uMthetho kaMoses nokungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo (a) ngemihla kaMoses? (b) ngenkulungwane yokuqala?
13 Xa uPawulos wayebhalela amaKristu angamaHebhere, wayexhalatyiswe kukuba amanye awo ayengenzi ngokuvisisana nenjongo kaThixo eya izaliseka. (Funda amaHebhere 4:1.) Ngayiphi indlela? Ngokubambelela kuMthetho kaMoses. Kangangeminyaka eli-1 500, nawuphi na umSirayeli owayenqwenela ukuphila ngokuvisisana nenjongo kaThixo wayemele agcine uMthetho. Noko ke, ngenxa yokufa kukaYesu, uMthetho wabekelwa bucala. AmaKristu amaninzi akazange akwazi ukuyiqonda loo nto, yaye anyanzelisa ukuba kuqhutyekwe kugcinwa iinkalo ezithile zoMthetho.b
14 UPawulos wacacisela amaKristu awayezimisele ukugcina uMthetho, ukuba ububingeleli obuphakamileyo bukaYesu, umnqophiso omtsha, netempile yokomoya zonke zazibalulekile kunezo zangaphambi kwexesha lamaKristu. (Heb. 7:26-28; 8:7-10; 9:11, 12) Ngenxa yoko, mhlawumbi ecinga ngokugcinwa kweSabatha yeeveki ngeeveki phantsi koMthetho, uPawulos wabhala ngelungelo lokungena kusuku lukaYehova lokuphumla esithi: “Ngoko abantu bakaThixo basasalelwe luphumlo lwesabatha. Kuba umntu ongene ekuphumleni kukaThixo naye uphumle kwimisebenzi yakhe, kanye njengoko noThixo wenjenjalo kweyakhe.” (Heb. 4:8-10) Loo maKristu angamaHebhere ayemele ayeke ukuzixelela ukuba ayenokukholisa uYehova ngokwenza imisebenzi esekelwe kuMthetho kaMoses. Ukususela ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., uThixo ebesoloko ekholiswa kuphela ngabantu ababonisa ukholo kuYesu Kristu.
15. Kutheni kubalulekile ukuthobela ukuze singene ekuphumleni kukaThixo?
15 Yintoni eyathintela amaSirayeli ngemihla kaMoses ukuba angangeni kwiLizwe Lesithembiso? Kukungathobeli. Ibe yayiyintoni eyathintela amanye amaKristu ngemihla kaPawulos ukuba angangeni ekuphumleni kukaThixo? Yinto efanayo—ukungathobeli. Ayengayiqondi into yokuba uMthetho wawuyifezile injongo yawo nokuba uYehova wayekhokela abantu bakhe ngenye indlela.
Ukungena Ekuphumleni KukaThixo Namhlanje
16, 17. (a) Kuthetha ntoni ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo namhlanje? (b) Yintoni eza kuxutyushwa kwinqaku elilandelayo?
16 Akakho umntu phakathi kwethu namhlanje okholelwa ukuba amaKristu afanele athobele uMthetho kaMoses ukuze asindiswe. La mazwi kaPawulos aphefumlelweyo awayesiya kwabase-Efese acace gca: “Ngabo obu bubele bungasifanelanga, niye nasindiswa ngokholo; yaye oku akubanga ngenxa yenu, kusisipho sikaThixo. Hayi, akubanga ngenxa yemisebenzi, ukuze kungabikho mntu uba nasizathu sakuqhayisa.” (Efe. 2:8, 9) Ngoko ke, kuthetha ntoni kumaKristu ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo? UYehova wabekela bucala usuku lwesixhenxe—usuku lwakhe lokuphumla—ukuze azalisekise injongo yakhe ngomhlaba ngendlela ezukileyo. Sinako ukungena ekuphumleni kukaYehova—okanye siphumle kunye naye—ngokuthi ngentobelo senze ngokuvisisana nenjongo yakhe ehambela phambili njengoko siyityhilelwe ngentlangano yakhe.
17 Kwelinye icala, ukuba sisijongela phantsi isiluleko esisekelwe eBhayibhileni esisifumana ngodidi lwekhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi, sikhethe ukuzimela geqe, siya kuba sichasene nenjongo kaThixo. Le nto inokulubeka engozini ulwalamano lwethu noYehova. Kwinqaku elilandelayo, siza kuxubusha ngeemeko ezimbalwa eziqhelekileyo ezinokuchaphazela abantu bakaThixo size sixubushe nangendlela izigqibo esizenzayo, enoba kukuthobela okanye ukuzimela geqe, ezinokubonisa ngayo enoba ngenene singenile ekuphumleni kukaThixo kusini na.
[Imibhalo esemazantsi]
a Ababingeleli nabaLevi babesenza imisebenzi yasetempileni ngeSabatha ibe “baqhubeka bengenatyala.” Njengombingeleli ophakamileyo wetempile kaThixo yokomoya, uYesu wayenokwenza isabelo sakhe sokomoya ngaphandle kokoyika ukwaphula umthetho weSabatha.—Mat. 12:5, 6.
b Asazi ke enoba wayekho umKristu ongumYuda owada waxhasa namalungiselelo eMini Yocamagusho emva kwePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. Ukwenza loo nto kwakuya kubonisa ukungabi nantlonelo ngedini likaYesu. Noko ke, amanye amaYuda angamaKristu ayebambelele kwamanye amasiko anxulumene noMthetho.—Gal. 4:9-11.
Imibuzo Onokucamngca Ngayo
• Yayiyintoni injongo yosuku lwesixhenxe lukaThixo lokuphumla?
• Sazi njani ukuba usuku lwesixhenxe lusaqhubeka nanamhlanje?
• Yintoni eyathintela amaSirayeli ngemihla kaMoses kunye namanye amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala ukuba angangeni ekuphumleni kukaThixo?
• Kuthetha ntoni ukungena ekuphumleni kukaThixo namhlanje?
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 27]
Sinako ukungena ekuphumleni kukaYehova namhlanje ngokuthi ngentobelo senze ngokuvisisana nenjongo yakhe eya izaliseka njengoko siyityhilelwe ngentlangano yakhe
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26, 27]
Yintoni eqhubeka ifuneka kubantu bakaThixo ukuze bangene ekuphumleni kwakhe?