Ukuzuza ‘Emabeleni Ezulu’
NGEMVA nje kokukhululwa kwawo ngokuyisimangaliso eGibithe, ama-Israyeli abonisa ukuntula ukholo kuMkhululi wawo, uJehova, ngokungathi sína. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova wawazulisa ehlane laseSinayi iminyaka engu-40. Phakathi naso sonke leso sikhathi, ama-Israyeli ‘nengxubevange yabantu’ abangabafokazi eyayizibandakanye nawo adla futhi aphuza “ngokugcweleyo.” (Eksodusi 12:37, 38) IHubo 78:23-25 lisitshela ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani lokhu: “[UJehova] wayala amafu phezulu, wavula iminyango yezulu, wanisa phezu kwabo imana kube ngukudla, wabapha amabele ezulu; abantu badla isinkwa sezingelosi, bathunyelwa ukudla ngokugcweleyo.”
UMose walichaza imana, njengoba naye akudla lokhu kudla okungavamile. Wabhala ukuthi ekuseni “esenyukile amazolo akade elele khona . . . , nakho okuthile okuncane okunjengenkwethu, kuncane njengongqoqwane emhlabathini. Bakubona abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bathi omunye komunye: ‘Yini le?’” noma ngokwezwi nezwi ngesiHeberu, “man huʼ?” Cishe yileli gama okwasuselwa kulo elithi “imana,” igama ama-Israyeli akuqamba ngalo lokhu kudla. UMose wathi: “Kwakunjengembewu yekoriyanderi, kumhlophe; kwezwakala emlonyeni kungathi ngamaqebelengwane anezinyosi.”—Eksodusi 16:13-15, 31, umbhalo waphansi we-NW.
Imana lalingekhona ukudla okutholakala ngokwemvelo, njengoba kusho abanye. Kwakuhileleke amandla angaphezu kwavamile ekulungiselelweni kwalo. Ngokwesibonelo, lalingatholakali endaweni ethile noma ngenkathi ethile yonyaka kuphela. Lapho lilalile, laliba nezimpethu futhi liqale ukunuka; nokho, ingxenye ephindwe kabili eyayibuthwa umkhaya ngamunye ngosuku lwangaphambi kweSabatha lamasonto onke yayingonakali ngobusuku obubodwa, ngakho yayingadliwa ngeSabatha—usuku okwakungaveli mana ngalo. Ngokuqinisekile, imana laliyilungiselelo eliyisimangaliso.—Eksodusi 16:19-30.
Ukukhuluma ‘ngabanamandla,’ noma, ‘izingelosi’ kumaHubo 78 kusikisela ukuthi uJehova kungenzeka wasebenzisa izingelosi ukuze alungiselele imana. (IHubo 78:25, qhathanisa ne-NW.) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, abantu babenesizathu esihle sokubonga uNkulunkulu ngomusa wakhe. Nokho, iningi labonisa isimo sengqondo sokungambongi Lowo owayebakhulule ebugqilini eGibithe. Nathi singase siwathathe kalula amalungiselelo kaJehova noma size ngisho sibe abangabongiyo imbala, uma singazindli ngomusa wakhe wothando. Ngakho singabonga ngokuthi uJehova wafaka emibhalweni umlando wokukhululwa kuka-Israyeli nezenzakalo ezalandela ukuze “kufundiswe thina.”—Roma 15:4.
Isifundo Esasihloselwe Ama-Israyeli Sizuzisa AmaKristu
Lapho uJehova elungiselela imana, wayecabanga ngokungaphezu nje kokwanelisa izidingo ezingokwenyama zama-Israyeli angaba yizigidi ezintathu. Wayefuna ‘ukuwathobisa, awavivinye,’ ukuze awacwengisise futhi awayale, ukuze azuze. (Duteronomi 8:16; Isaya 48:17) Uma ayesabela kulokho kucwengisiswa nokuyalwa, uJehova wayeyokujabulela ‘ukuwenzela okuhle ngasekugcineni’ ngokuwanika ukuthula, ukuchuma nenjabulo eZweni Lesithembiso.
Into eyodwa ebalulekile okwakudingeka ayifunde kwakuwukuthi “umuntu akaphili ngesinkwa sodwa; kepha ngakho konke okuphuma emlonyeni kaJehova, yikho umuntu aphila ngakho.” (Duteronomi 8:3) Ukube uNkulunkulu wayengayilungiselelanga imana, abantu babeyolamba—okuyiqiniso ababelivuma ngokungananazi. (Eksodusi 16:3, 4) Ama-Israyeli anokwazisa akhunjuzwa nsuku zonke ukuthi ayethembele kuJehova ngokuphelele futhi ngenxa yalokho athotshiswa. Lapho sebefikile eZweni Lesithembiso elalinenala yokudla, cishe babengeke bamkhohlwe uJehova nokuthi babencike kuye.
Njengama-Israyeli, amaKristu kumelwe ahlale ekhumbula ukuthi anciké kuNkulunkulu ukuze athole izidingo zokuphila—ezingokwenyama nezingokomoya. (Mathewu 5:3; 6:31-33) Ephendula okunye kokulinga kukaDeveli, uJesu Kristu wacaphuna amazwi kaMose atholakala kuDuteronomi 8:3, wathi: “Kulotshiwe ukuthi, ‘Umuntu akumelwe aphile ngesinkwa sodwa, kodwa ngawo wonke amazwi aphuma emlonyeni kaJehova.’” (Mathewu 4:4) Yebo, abakhulekeli beqiniso bakaNkulunkulu bondliwa ngokufunda amazwi kaJehova atholakala eZwini lakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukholo lwabo luyaqina lapho bebona imiphumela ezuzisayo yala mazwi ekuphileni kwabo njengoba behamba noNkulunkulu futhi bebeka izithakazelo zoMbuso kuqala.
Abantu abangaphelele bangalahlekelwa ukwazisa kwabo ngezinto eziyingxenye yokuphila kwansuku zonke—yize lezi zinto zibonisa ukukhathalela kukaJehova ngothando. Ngokwesibonelo, ukulungiselelwa kwemana ngendlela engavamile kwawamangaza futhi kwawajabulisa ama-Israyeli ekuqaleni, kodwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi amaningi awo akhononda. Akhononda ngendelelo, athi: “Umphefumulo wethu uyanengwa yilesi sinkwa esilulana”—okwakuyinkomba yokuthi ayeseqala ‘ukuhlehla kuNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ (Numeri 11:6; 21:5; Heberu 3:12) Ngakho-ke, isibonelo sawo ‘siyisixwayiso kithi esesifikelwe ukuphela kwezimiso zezinto.’—1 Korinte 10:11.
Singasilalela kanjani lesi sibonelo esiyisixwayiso? Enye indlela iwukungavumi ukuba izimfundiso zeBhayibheli noma amalungiselelo esiwathola ngesigqila esikholekile nesiqondayo abe yinto ejwayelekile, noma engasho lutho. (Mathewu 24:45) Lapho nje siqala ukuthatha kalula noma ukucikwa yizipho zikaJehova, ubuhlobo bethu naye buqala ukuphola.
Ngesizathu esihle, uJehova akasibhunyeli ngesiwulukuhlu esinganqamuki sezinto ezintsha ezithakazelisayo. Kunalokho, usinikeza ukukhanya kweZwi lakhe kancane kancane. (IzAga 4:18) Lokhu kuvumela abantu bakhe ukuba bamukele futhi basebenzise izinto abazifundayo. UJesu walandela isibonelo sikaYise lapho efundisa abafundi bakhe bokuqala. Wayebachazela iZwi likaNkulunkulu “uma nje besakwazi ukulalela,” noma “ukuqonda,” njengoba kusho ezinye izinguqulo.—Marku 4:33; qhathanisa noJohane 16:12.
Qinisa Indlela Owazisa Ngayo Amalungiselelo KaNkulunkulu
UJesu futhi wasebenzisa ukuphindaphinda. Yiqiniso, ingqondo ingase isheshe iliqonde iphuzu elithile—ngokwesibonelo, isimiso seBhayibheli—kodwa ukulifaka enhliziyweni futhi ulenze ingxenye ‘yobuntu obusha’ bobuKristu kungase kuthathe isikhathi esijana, ikakhulukazi uma izindlela nezimo zengqondo ezindala zezwe zigxile ngokujulile. (Efesu 4:22-24) Ngokuqinisekile, kwakunjalo ngabafundi bakaJesu lapho kuziwa ekunqobeni ukuqhosha nokuhlakulela ukuthobeka. UJesu kwadingeka abafundise kaningana mayelana nokuthobeka, isikhathi ngasinye eveza leli phuzu elifanayo ngendlela ehlukile ukuze ligxile, futhi lagcina ligxilile.—Mathewu 18:1-4; 23:11, 12; Luka 14:7-11; Johane 13:5, 12-17.
Ezikhathini zanamuhla, imihlangano yamaKristu nezincwadi ze-Watch Tower zilandela isibonelo sikaJesu ngokusebenzisa ukuphindaphinda okucatshangelwe kahle. Masikwazise lokhu njengesibonakaliso sokusikhathalela kukaNkulunkulu ngothando futhi singalokothi sikhathale yilokho esikutholayo, njengoba ama-Israyeli akhathala yimana. Ngempela, njengoba sizikhandla ngesineke ukuba samukele izikhumbuzo zikaJehova ezifika njalo, siyobona izithelo ezinhle ekuphileni kwethu. (2 Petru 3:1) Isimo sengqondo esinjalo sokwazisa sibonisa ngempela ukuthi ‘siyawuthola umqondo’ weZwi likaNkulunkulu ezinhliziyweni nasezingqondweni zethu. (Mathewu 13:15, 19, 23) Kulokhu, sinesibonelo esihle somhubi uDavide, okwathi nakuba ayengenakho ukudla okungokomoya okuhlukahlukene esikutholayo namuhla, wachaza imithetho kaJehova ngokuthi “imnandi kunezinyosi, kunoju lwamakhekheba”!—IHubo 19:10.
“Imana” Elinikeza Ukuphila Okumi Phakade
UJesu wathi kumaJuda: “Mina ngiyisinkwa sokuphila. Okhokho benu balidla imana ehlane kodwa nokho bafa. . . . Mina ngiyisinkwa esiphilayo esehle ezulwini; uma noma ubani esidla lesisinkwa uyophila kuze kube phakade . . . Isinkwa engizosinikela ngenxa yokuphila kwezwe siyinyama yami.” (Johane 6:48-51) Isinkwa esingokoqobo noma imana alizange futhi alinakukwazi ukunikeza ukuphila okumi phakade. Kodwa labo ababonisa ukholo emhlatshelweni kaJesu wesihlengo ekugcineni bayojabulela isibusiso sokuphila okumi phakade.—Mathewu 20:28.
Iningi lalabo abazuza emhlatshelweni kaJesu liyojabulela ukuphila okumi phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. “Isixuku esikhulu” salaba—esafanekiselwa “ingxubevange yabantu” abangabafokazi abazibandakanya nama-Israyeli oFudukweni lwawo esuka eGibithe—sizosinda “osizini olukhulu” oluzayo oluzosusa bonke ububi emhlabeni. (IsAmbulo 7:9, 10, 14; Eksodusi 12:38) Labo ababefanekiselwa ama-Israyeli uqobo bathola umvuzo omkhulu nakakhulu. Umphostoli uPawulu wachaza laba, abangu-144 000, njengabakha u-Israyeli kaNkulunkulu. Umvuzo wabo lapho befa uwukuvuselwa ekuphileni kwasezulwini. (Galathiya 6:16; Heberu 3:1; IsAmbulo 14:1) Lapho, uJesu uyobanika uhlobo olukhethekile lwemana.
Lokho Okushiwo ‘Yimana Elifihliweyo’
UJesu ovusiwe wathi ku-Israyeli ongokomoya: “Onqobayo ngiyomnika okwemana elifihliweyo.” (IsAmbulo 2:17) Leli mana elifihliweyo elingokomfanekiso lisikhumbuza imana uNkulunkulu ayala uMose ukuba aligcine embizeni yegolide emphongolweni ongcwele wesivumelwano. UMphongolo wawugcinwa eNgcwelengcwele yetabernakele. Wawuhlala lapho ungabonakali, kunjengokungathi ufihliwe. Njengoba leli mana laligcinwe njengesikhumbuzo, alizange lonakale ngesikhathi liseMphongolweni, ngakho laliyoba uphawu olufanelekayo lokudla okungonakali. (Eksodusi 16:32; Heberu 9:3, 4, 23, 24) Ngokunika abangu-144 000 imana elifihliweyo, uJesu uqinisekisa ukuthola kwabo ukungafi nokungonakali njengamadodana kaNkulunkulu omoya.—Johane 6:51; 1 Korinte 15:54.
Umhubi wathi: “Ukuwe [Jehova] umthombo wokuphila.” (IHubo 36:9) Yeka indlela ilungiselelo lemana—kokubili elingokoqobo nelingokomfanekiso—eliliqinisekisa ngayo lelo qiniso eliyisisekelo! Imana uNkulunkulu alinikeza u-Israyeli wasendulo, imana elingokomfanekiso alinikeza liyinyama kaJesu eyanikelwa ngenxa yethu nemana elifihliweyo elingokomfanekiso alinikeza abangu-144 000 ngoJesu, lisikhumbuza sonke ukuthi sithembele kuNkulunkulu ngokuphelele ukuze siphile. (IHubo 39:5, 7) Masikuvume ngokuzithoba, nangesizotha, ngazo zonke izikhathi lokhu kuncika kwethu kuye. UJehova uyobe ‘esesenzela okuhle ngasekugcineni.’—Duteronomi 8:16.
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Ukuze bathole ukuphila okumi phakade, bonke abantu banciké ‘esinkweni esiphilayo esehle ezulwini’
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Ukuba khona kuyo yonke imihlangano yamaKristu kubonisa ukwazisa izikhumbuzo zikaJehova