UJehova Ungumsizi Wami

‘Masibe nesibindi, sithi: “UJehova ungumsizi wami; angiyikwesaba. Umuntu angangenzani?”’—HEBERU 13:6, “NW.”

 1, 2. (a) Bobabili umhubi nomphostoli uPawulu bazwakalisa kuphi ukwethembela kuJehova? (b) Imiphi imibuzo ephakamayo?

UJEHOVA UNKULUNKULU ungumthombo ongahluleki wosizo. Umhubi wayekwazi lokhu kokuhlangenwe nakho futhi wayengathi: “UJehova ungakimi, angiyikwesaba; umuntu angangenzani na?” (IHubo 118:6) Imizwa efanayo yazwakaliswa umphostoli uPawulu lapho ebhalela amaKristu angamaHeberu incwadi yakhe ephefumlelwe ngokwaphezulu.

² Ngokusobala ecaphuna amazwi omhubi kuyiSeptuagint yesiGreki uPawulu watshela abakhulekeli akanye nabo abangamaHeberu: ‘Masibe nesibindi, sithi: “UJehova ungumsizi wami; angiyikwesaba. Umuntu angangenzani?”’ (Heberu 13:6) Kungani lomphostoli abhala ngalendlela? Futhi yini esingayifunda emongweni wayo?

Sidinga Usizo LukaJehova

 3. (a) UJehova wazibonakalisa enguMsizi kaPawulu ngaphansi kwaziphi izimo? (b) Kungani amaKristu angamaHeberu ayedinga uJehova ngokukhethekile njengoMsizi wawo?

³ UPawulu wayengufakazi ozidelayo owayenobufakazi bokuthi uJehova wayenguMsizi wakhe. UNkulunkulu wasiza lomphostoli ngenkathi ebhekene nobunzima obuningi. UPawulu waboshwa, washaywa, wakhandwa ngamatshe. Ohambweni lwakhe njengesikhonzi esingumKristu, wabhekana nokuphukelwa umkhumbi kanye nezinye izingozi eziningi. Wayejwayelene nokukhandleka, nokuqwasha, nendlala, nokoma, ngisho nokuhamba-ze. Wathi: “Ngaphandle kwezinye izinto kukhona okungicindezelayo imihla yonke: ukukhathalela onke amabandla.” (2 Korinte 11:24-29) UPawulu wayenalolohlobo lokukhathalela amaKristu angamaHeberu. Izinsuku zeJerusalema zase zimbalwa, futhi abafowabo nodadewabo balomphostoli abangamaJuda eJudiya babezobhekana nokulingwa okukhulu kokholo lwabo. (Daniyeli 9:24-27; Luka 21:5-24) Ngakho kwakuyodingeka ukuba uJehova abe uMsizi wabo.

 4. Yisiphi isiyalo esiyisisekelo esinikezwe kuyo yonke incwadi eyayiya kumaHeberu?

⁴ Esethulweni sencwadi yakhe eya kumaKristu angamaHeberu, uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi usizo lwaphezulu babeyoluthola kuphela uma belalela iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uJesu Kristu. (Heberu 1:1, 2) Leliphuzu lakhulunyelwa kulencwadi. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuze asekele iseluleko sakhe, umphostoli wakhumbuza abafundi baleyoncwadi yakhe ukuthi amaIsrayeli ehlane ajeziselwa ukungalaleli. Pho, amaKristu angamaHeberu ayengaphunyula kanjani esijezisweni uma elahla lokho uNkulunkulu ayekusho kuwo ngoJesu futhi eba izihlubuki enamathela eMthethweni kaMose owagudluzwa umhlatshelo kaKristu!—Heberu 12:24-27.

Uthando Lobuzalwane Luboniswa Ngezenzo

 5. (a) Yisiphi esinye isiluleko esinikezwa incwadi eyayiya kumaHeberu? (b) UPawulu wathini ngothando?

⁵ Incwadi eya kumaHeberu yanikeza labo ababezoba izindlalifa zoMbuso wasezulwini iseluleko ngendlela yokulandela iSibonelo sabo, uJesu Kristu, ‘banikele inkonzo engcwele ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu nokuthuthumela,’ futhi uJehova abe uMsizi wabo. (Heberu 12:1-4, 28, 29) UPawulu wanxusa akholwa nabo ukuba bahlangane njalo futhi ‘bavuse uthando nemisebenzi emihle.’ (Heberu 10:24, 25) Manje weluleka: “Maluqhubeke njalo uthando lwenu lobuzalwane.”—Heberu 13:1, NW.

 6. Kungamuphi umqondo uJesu anikeza abalandeli bakhe “umyalo omusha” ngokuqondene nothando?

⁶ UJesu wayefuna uthando olunjalo kubalandeli bakhe, ngoba wathi: “Ngininika umyalo omusha wokuba nithandane; njengalokho nginithandile, nani nithandane. Ngalokho bonke bayakukwazi ukuthi ningabafundi bami, uma nithandana.” (Johane 13:34, 35) Lona ‘kwakuwumyalo omusha’ ngokuthi wawufuna okungaphezu kwalokho okwakufunwa uMthetho kaMose, owawuthi: “Wothanda umakhelwane [noma, umzalwane] wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena.” (Levitikusi 19:18) “Umyalo omusha” wawufuna okungaphezu kokuba umuntu athande umakhelwane wakhe njengalokhu ezithanda. Wawudinga uthando lokuzidela kuze kube sezingeni lokunikela komuntu ngokuphila kwakhe ngenxa yothile. Ukuphila nokufa kukaJesu kwabonisa lolohlobo lothando. UTertullian wabhekisela kuloluphawu oluhlukanisayo lapho ecaphuna amazwi abantu bezwe ngokuqondene namaKristu futhi wathi: “Bathi, ‘bheka indlela abathandana ngayo . . . nendlela abazimisele ngayo ukufelana.’”—Apology, isahluko XXXIX, 7.

 7. Uthando lobuzalwane lwabonakala kanjani ngemva kwePentekoste lika-33 C.E.?

⁷ Uthando lobuzalwane lwalubonakala phakathi kwabafundi bakaJesu nangemva kwePentekoste lika-33 C.E. Ukuze abaningi abakholwayo abasanda kubhapathizwa abavela ezindaweni ezikude bakwazi ukuhlala eJerusalema isikhathi esengeziwe futhi bafunde okwengeziwe ngelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lensindiso ngoKristu, “bonke abakholwayo babendawonye, bahlanganyela izinto zonke; bathengisa ngemfuyo nangempahla, babela bonke ngayo njengokuswela kwabo.”—IzEnzo 2:43-47; 4:32-37.

 8. Yibuphi ubufakazi obukhona bokuthi uthando lobuzalwane lukhona phakathi koFakazi BakaJehova namuhla?

⁸ Uthando olunjalo lobuzalwane lukhona phakathi koFakazi BakaJehova esikhathini sethu. Ngokwesibonelo, ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II, uthando olunjalo lwashukumisela abantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuba baqalise umkhankaso wokusiza weminyaka emibili nengxenye. OFakazi eCanada, eSweden, eSwitzerland, eUnited States, nakwamanye amazwe banikela ngezimpahla nangemali yokuthenga ukudla kwabakholwa nabo emazweni ayedephunwe yimpi aseAustria, eBelgium, eBulgaria, eChina, eCzechoslovakia, eDenmark, eNgilandi, eFinland, eFrance, eJalimane, eGreece, eHungary, eItaly, eNetherlands, eNorway, ePhilippines, ePoland, naseRomania. Lokhu kumane nje kuyisibonelo, ngoba izinceku zikaNkulunkulu muva nje ziye zabonisa uthando olunjalo ngamaKristu ayeyizisulu zokuzamazama komhlaba ePeru naseMexico, iziphepho ezinamandla eJamaica, nezinye izinhlekelele ezifanayo kwezinye izindawo. Ngalendlela nangezinye eziningi, abantu bakaJehova benza ‘uthando lwabo lobuzalwane luqhubeke.’

Yiba Ngongenisa Izihambi

 9. (a) Iyiphi imfanelo yokwesaba uNkulunkulu okukhulunywe ngayo kumaHeberu 13:2? (b) Abanye ‘bazingenisa’ kanjani “izingelosi bengazi”?

⁹ UPawulu ngokulandelayo wakhuluma ngenye imfanelo eboniswa yilabo abalandela uKristu, ‘abanikela inkonzo engcwele ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu nangokuthuthumela,’ abaMsizi wabo unguJehova. Wanxusa: “Ningakhohlwa ukungenisa izihambi ngokuba ngalokho abanye bangenisa izingelosi bengazi.” (Heberu 13:2) Obani ‘abangenisa izingelosi bengazi’? Nokho, inzalamizi uAbrahama yangenisa izingelosi ezintathu. (Genesise 18:1-22) Ezimbili zazo zahamba, futhi umshana wakhe uLoti wamema zona kanye lezozivakashi emzini wakhe eSodoma. Nokho, ngaphambi kokuba zilale umuzi kaLoti wakakwa isixuku, ‘amadoda amasha namadala.’ Afuna ngenkani ukuba uLoti akhiphele izivakashi zakhe kuwo ngezinjongo zokuziphatha okubi, kodwa wenqaba ngokuqinile. Nakuba uLoti ayengazi ekuqaleni, wayengenise izingelosi, ezabe sezimsiza yena namadodakazi akhe ukuba baphephe ekufeni lapho “uJehova [e]nisa phezu kweSodoma naphezu kweGomora isibabule nomlilo.”—Genesise 19:1-26.

10. Yiziphi izibusiso ezijatshulelwa amaKristu angenisa izihambi?

¹⁰ AmaKristu angenisa izihambi ajabulela izibusiso eziningi. Ezwa okuhlangenwe nakho okucebisayo okulandiswa izivakashi zawo futhi ayazuza ebunganeni obuzuzisayo obungokomoya. UGayu watuswa ngenxa yokwamukela akholwa nabo ngobungane, “nokuba bengabafo,” njengoba nje abaningi babantu bakaJehova namuhla bamukela ababonisi abajikelezayo. (3 Johane 1, 5-8) Ukungenisa izihambi kuyimfanelo yokumiswa njengomdala. (1 Thimothewu 3:2; Thithu 1:7, 8) Kuyaphawuleka futhi ukuthi uJesu wathembisa izibusiso zoMbuso kubantu abanjengezimvu ababenza okuhle ngobungane ‘kubafowabo’ abagcotshiwe.—Mathewu 25:34-40.

Khumbulani Labo Abashushiswayo

11. Kungani iseluleko esikumaHeberu 13:3 sasifaneleka?

¹¹ Labo abafisa usizo lukaJehova ‘nokunikela inkonzo engcwele kuye ngokumesaba nokuthuthumela’ akumelwe babakhohlwe abakholwa nabo abahluphekayo. UPawulu wayebuqonda ubunzima obabukhuthazelelwa amaKristu ayephathwa kabi. Ngesinye isikhathi ngaphambili, abafundi bahlakazeka ngenxa yokushushiswa, futhi isisebenzi esikanye naye uThimothewu sasisanda kukhululwa ejele. (Heberu 13:23; IzEnzo 11:19-21) Izithunywa zevangeli ezingamaKristu nazo zazihamba zimisa amabandla amasha noma zakha ngokomoya lawo ayesekhona. Njengoba abazalwane nodade abaningi ngalesosikhathi ababeqhubeka kwakungabeZizwe, kungenzeka ukuthi amanye amaKristu angamaHeberu ayengabakhathaleli ngokwanele. Khona-ke, lesiyalo sasifanelekile: “Bakhumbuleni ababoshiweyo kungathi niboshiwe kanye nabo, nabaphethwe kabi, njengalokhu nani nisemzimbeni.”—Heberu 13:3.

12. Singasisebenzisa kanjani iseluleko sokuhlala sikhumbula esikholwa nabo abaphathwa kabi?

¹² AmaHeberu ‘ayebonise uzwela ngababoshiweyo’ kodwa kwakungamelwe abakhohlwe abakhulekeli abanjalo abathembekile abakanye nawo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi babengamaJuda noma babengabeZizwe. (Heberu 10:34) Kodwa kuthiwani ngathi? Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi siyawakhumbula amaKristu aphathwa kabi? Ngezinye izikhathi kungase kube okufanelekile ngathi ukuba sinxuse izikhulu zikahulumeni ngencwadi njengomzamo wokusiza esikholwa nabo ababoshelwe ukholo lwabo emazweni lapho umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso uvinjelwe khona. Ikakhulukazi kufanele sibakhumbule emithandazweni yethu, abanye sibabize ngisho nangamagama, uma kunokwenzeka. Ukushushiswa kwabo kusithinta ngokujulile, futhi uJehova uyazizwa izicelo zethu eziqotho ngenxa yabo. (IHubo 65:2; Efesu 6:17-20) Nakuba singekho esitokisini sejele esifanayo, kunjengokungathi siboshwe nabo futhi siyakwazi ukubanikeza usizo nesikhuthazo. AmaKristu agcotshwe ngomoya ngokuqinisekile ayazwelana nabagcotshiwe abaphathwa kabi. (Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Korinte 12:19-26.) Laba babakhathalela ngokufanayo abangane babo abashushiswayo abanamathemba asemhlabeni, abahlupheka nabo ngenxa yokuphathwa kabi okuyizinhlobonhlobo ezandleni zabashushisi. Ukuzwelana okunjalo kufanelekile, njengoba sonke sisemizimbeni yobuntu futhi sisengahlupheka futhi sishushiswe njengabakhulekeli bakaJehova.—1 Petru 5:6-11.

Umshado Kumelwe Uhlonishwe

13. Eqinisweni, yini eyashiwo uPawulu kumaHeberu 13:4?

¹³ Ukulandela isibonelo sikaJesu ‘nokunikela inkonzo engcwele kuJehova ngokumesaba nokuthuthumela’ kufanele kuthinte ukukhathalela kwethu abanye ngezindlela eziningi. Ngemva kokuba ethe “nani nisemzimbeni,” uPawulu wakhuluma ngobuhlobo obuhilela isici esingokomzimba, esanikeza ithuba lokubonisa ukubahlonipha okufanelekile abanye. (Heberu 13:3) Wanikeza amaKristu angamaHeberu lesiyalo: “Ukuganana makuhlonishwe yibo bonke, umbhede ungabi-nasisihla, ngokuba izifebe neziphingi uNkulunkulu uyakuzahlulela.” (Heberu 13:4) Yeka ukuthi leseluleko sasifaneleka kanjani, njengoba ukuziphatha okubi kobulili kwakwandile eMbusweni WamaRoma! AmaKristu osuku lwanamuhla nawo kudingeka awalalele lamazwi uma kubhekwa izindinganiso zezwe eziphansi zokuziphatha neqiniso lokuthi unyaka ngamunye izinkulungwane ziyasuswa ekuhlanganyeleni ebandleni ngenxa yokuziphatha okubi kobulili.

14. Kungani ubungathi umshado uhloniphekile?

¹⁴ Phakathi kwalabo abangazange bawuhloniphe umshado kwakukhona amaEsene esikhathi sikaPawulu. Ngokuvamile ayeyizimpohlo, njengabanye phakathi kwabefundisi namuhla abacabangela ngokungeyikho ukuthi ukungaganwa kungcwele kunokushada. Nokho, ngalokho uPawulu akutshela amaKristu angamaHeberu wabonisa ngokucacile ukuthi umshado uhloniphekile. Inhlonipho ephakeme ngawo yabonakala lapho uNawomi esho ayelokhu ekufisela omakoti bakhe ababili ababengabafelokazi, uRuthe no-Orpa: “UJehova makaninike ukuba nifumane ukuphumula, kube-yilowo nalowo endlini yomyeni wakhe.” (Ruthe 1:9) Kwenye indawo, uPawulu ngokwakhe waveza ukuthi ‘ngezikhathi zokugcina abanye bayohlubuka okholweni, benqabele ukuganana.’—1 Thimothewu 4:1-5.

15. Obani abafakwa ohlwini lwezifebe nolweziphingi kumaHeberu 13:4, futhi uNkulunkulu uyobahlulela kanjani?

¹⁵ AmaHeberu ayeke aba ngaphansi koMthetho kodwa ayesengeniswa esivumelwaneni esisha ayewazi umyalo othi: “Ungaphingi.” (Eksodusi 20:13) Kodwa ayesezweni elinokuziphatha okubi futhi ayesidinga isixwayiso: “Ukuganana makuhlonishwe . . . umbhede ungabi-nasisihla, ngokuba izifebe neziphingi uNkulunkulu uyakuzahlulela.” Phakathi kwezifebe kunabantu abangashadile ababa nobuhlobo bobulili. Iziphingi ikakhulukazi abantu abashadile abahlala nabantu abangebona abangane babo bomshado, bengcolisa umbhede wabo womshado. Njengoba izifebe neziphingi ezingaphenduki zifanelwe isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu esingathandeki, ngeke bamukelwe eJerusalema Elisha lasezulwini noma bajabulele ukuphila emhlabeni phakade ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso. (IsAmbulo 21:1, 2, 8; 1 Korinte 6:9, 10) Lesixwayiso sokungawungcolisi umbhede womshado kufanele futhi senze amaKristu ashadile agweme ukungcolisa ukuziphatha okungokobulili nabangane babo, nakuba kungekho lutho olungcolile ngokusondelana okungokomzimba okufanelekile emshadweni.—Bheka INqabayokulinda, kaSeptember 1, 1983, amakhasi 26-31.

Ukwaneliswa Yizinto Esinazo

16, 17. Yini eyashiwo kumaHeberu 13:5, futhi kungani amaHeberu ayesidinga leseluleko?

¹⁶ Siyothola ukwaneliseka uma silandela iSibonelo sethu futhi ‘sinikela inkonzo engcwele ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu nokuthuthumela,’ siqiniseka ukuthi uJehova unguMsizi wethu. Ukuhileleka ngokujulile ekufuneni izinto ezibonakalayo kungaba isilingo ngempela. Kodwa amaKristu akumelwe anqotshwe yiso. AmaHeberu atshelwa: “Ukwenza kwenu makungabi-ngokokufisa imali; yaneliswani ngeninakho; ngokuba yena ushilo wathi: Angisoze ngakuyeka, angisoze ngakushiya.” (Heberu 13:5) Kungani amaHeberu ayedinga leseluleko?

¹⁷ Mhlawumbe amaHeberu ayekhathazeke ngokweqile ngemali ngoba ayekhumbula “indlala enzima” ekubuseni kukaKesari Klawudiyu. (41-54 C.E.). Leyondlala yayiyimbi kangangokuthi amaKristu kwenye indawo athumela amalungiselelo okusiza kubafowabo abaseJudiya. (IzEnzo 11:28, 29) Ngokwesazi-mlando esingumJuda uJosephus, lendlala yathatha iminyaka emithathu noma ngaphezulu, ibangela ubumpofu obucindezelayo eJudiya naseJerusalema.—Antiquities of the Jews, XX, 2, 5; 5, 2.

18. Iseluleko esikumaHeberu 13:5 sisinikeza siphi isifundo?

¹⁸ Ingabe kunesifundo esisitholayo lapha? Yebo, ngoba kungakhathaliseki ukuthi singase sibe mpofu kangakanani, akufanele sithande imali noma sikhathazeke ngokweqile ngayo. Esikhundleni sokukhathazeka ngokulondeka ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo, ngokunokwenzeka size sibe ngisho nanomhawu, kufanele ‘saneliswe esinakho.’ UJesu wathi: “Funani kuqala umbuso kaNkulunkulu nokulunga kwakhe, khona konke lokhu kuyakwenezelwa nina.” (Mathewu 6:25-34) Wabonisa futhi ukuthi kufanele sikhathalele ukuba ‘ngabanothile kuNkulunkulu’ ngoba ‘ukuphila kwethu akumi ngobuningi bempahla yethu.’ (Luka 12:13-21) Khona-ke, uma uthando lwemali lusongela ingokomoya lethu masilalele iseluleko sikaPawulu kumaHeberu futhi sikhumbule ukuthi “ukumesaba uNkulunkulu kanye nokwaneliswa kuyinzuzo enkulu.”—1 Thimothewu 6:6-8.

Thembela KuJehova

19. Yisiphi isiqinisekiso uNkulunkulu asinika uJoshuwa, futhi lokhu kufanele kusithinte kanjani?

¹⁹ Njengabalandeli bakaJesu abafuna ‘ukunikela inkonzo engcwele ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu nangokuthuthumela,’ kumelwe singalibeki ithemba lethu emalini kodwa kuBaba wethu wasezulwini, olusizo lwakhe lubalulekile. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sibhekene naziphi izinkinga, kufanele sikhumbule isiqinisekiso sakhe: “Angisoze ngakuyeka, angisoze ngakushiya.” (Heberu 13:5) Lapha uPawulu wabhekisela emazwini kaNkulunkulu awasho kuJoshuwa: “Angiyikukuyeka, angiyikukushiya.” (Joshuwa 1:5; qhathanisa noDuteronomi 31:6, 8.) UJehova akazange amshiye uJoshuwa, futhi akasoze asishiya nathi uma sithembela kuYe.

20. (a) Lithini itekisi lonyaka lika-1990? (b) Yini okufanele siqhubeke siyenza, ngokungesabi?

²⁰ Usizo lukaNkulunkulu olungahluleki luzogcizelelwa koFakazi BakaJehova ezinyangeni ezizayo, ngoba itekisi labo lonyaka lika-1990 lifundeka kanje: ‘Masibe nesibindi, sithi: “UJehova ungumsizi wami.”’ Lamazwi atholakala kumaHeberu 13:6, lapho uPawulu acaphuna khona amazwi omhubi futhi watshela amaHeberu: “Ukuze sisho ngesibindi, sithi: INkosi [uJehova] ingumsizi wami, angiyikwesaba; umuntu angangenzani na?” (IHubo 118:6) Nakuba sishushiswa, asesabi, ngoba abantu abanakwenza okungaphezu kwalokho uNkulunkulu akuvumelayo. (IHubo 27:1) Ngisho nakuba kumelwe sife njengabagcini bobuqotho, sinethemba lovuko. (IzEnzo 24:15) Ngakho masiqhubeke silandela iSibonelo sethu ‘ekunikeleni inkonzo engcwele ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu nangokuthuthumela,’ siqiniseka ukuthi uJehova uwuMsizi wethu.

Ubungaphendula Kanjani?

◻ Kungani amaKristu angamaHeberu ayeludinga ngokukhethekile usizo lukaJehova?

◻ Abantu bakaJehova baye benza kanjani ukuba ‘uthando lwabo lobuzalwane luqhubeke’?

◻ Kungani kufanele sibe ngabangenisa izihambi?

◻ Yini esingayenza ukuze sibonise ukuthi siyabakhumbula esikholwa nabo abaphathwa kabi?

◻ Kungani umshado kumelwe ugcinwe uhloniphekile?