Ukunikela Imihlatshelo Ejabulisa UNkulunkulu

INCWADI ethi The Mighty Aztecs ithi “ama-Aztec—isizwe esasenza imihlatshelo yabantu ngezinga elalingakaze libonwe eMesoamerica—ayekholelwa ukuthi ukuphila kuvela ekufeni.” Le ncwadi iqhubeka ithi “njengoba umbuso wawudlondlobala, ukuphalala kwegazi kwakwenza abantu bawethembe.” Ngokwenye incwadi, inani lemihlatshelo yabantu eyayenziwa ama-Aztec lalifinyelela ku-20 000 ngonyaka.

Abantu kuwo wonke umlando baye banikela imihlatshelo yohlobo oluthile konkulunkulu babo beshukunyiswa ukwesaba, ukungaqiniseki noma imizwa yecala nokuzisola. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi imihlatshelo ethile yayimiswe ngokwaphezulu—imiswe nguNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, uJehova. Ngakho-ke, kuyafaneleka ukubuza: Luhlobo luni lwemihlatshelo ejabulisa uNkulunkulu? Futhi ingabe iminikelo nemihlatshelo kufanele ibe ingxenye yokukhulekela namuhla?

Iminikelo Nemihlatshelo Ekukhulekeleni Kweqiniso

Lapho kwakhiwa isizwe sakwa-Israyeli, uJehova wanikeza iziyalezo ezicacile zendlela ayefuna ama-Israyeli amkhulekele ngayo, futhi lezo ziyalezo zazihlanganisa iminikelo nemihlatshelo. (Numeri, izahluko 28 no-29) Eminye yeminikelo kwakungeyezilimo, eminye kungeyezilwane ezinjengezinkunzi, izimvu, izimbuzi, amajuba namahobhe. (Levitikusi 1:3, 5, 10, 14; 23:10-18; Numeri 15:1-7; 28:7) Kwakukhona iminikelo yokushiswa ephelele okwakufanele ishiswe yonke. (Eksodusi 29:38-42) Kwakukhona nemihlatshelo yenhlanganyelo. Kulena, ababenikela babehlanganyela ngokudla ingxenye yomhlatshelo owenzelwe uNkulunkulu.—Levitikusi 19:5-8.

Yonke iminikelo nemihlatshelo eyayenzelwa uNkulunkulu ngaphansi koMthetho KaMose yayiyindlela yokukhulekela uNkulunkulu nokumqaphela njengoMbusi wendawo yonke. Ngaleyo mihlatshelo, ama-Israyeli ayebonisa ukuthi ayambonga uJehova ngesibusiso nesivikelo sakhe futhi ayethola ukuthethelelwa izono. Uma nje ayezigcina ngokwethembeka izimfuneko zikaJehova zokukhulekela, ayebusiswa kakhulu.—IzAga 3:9, 10.

KuJehova, into ebaluleke kakhulu kwakuyisimo sengqondo salabo ababenikela imihlatshelo. Ngomprofethi wakhe uHoseya, uJehova wathi: “Ngijabulele umusa wothando, hhayi umhlatshelo; nolwazi ngoNkulunkulu kuneminikelo yokushiswa ephelele.” (Hoseya 6:6) Ngakho, lapho abantu befulathela ukukhulekela kweqiniso, beziphatha kabi futhi bechitha igazi elingenacala, imihlatshelo ababeyiletha e-altare likaJehova yayiba yize. Yingakho uJehova atshela isizwe sakwa-Israyeli esebenzisa u-Isaya: “Bunanzuzoni kimi ubuningi bemihlatshelo yenu? . . . Isingicikile iminikelo yokushiswa ephelele yezinqama namanoni ezilwane ezondlekile; futhi angizange ngijabule ngegazi lezinkunzi nangamawundlu angamaduna nezimpongo.”—Isaya 1:11.

“Into Engingazange Ngiyiyaleze”

Ngokuhluke kakhulu kuma-Israyeli, izakhamuzi zaseKhanani zazinikela ngezingane zazo njengomhlatshelo konkulunkulu bazo, abahlanganisa unkulunkulu wabakwa-Amoni uMoleki, owaziwa nangokuthi uMilkomu noma uMoloki. (1 AmaKhosi 11:5, 7, 33; IzEnzo 7:43) I-Halley’s Bible Handbook ithi: “AbaseKhanani babekhulekela ngokuzitika ngokuziphatha kabi phambi konkulunkulu babo, okwakuwumkhuba ongokwenkolo; nangokubulala izingane zabo ezingamazibulo, bazenze umhlatshelo kubo lab’ onkulunkulu.”

Ingabe leyo mikhuba yayimjabulisa uJehova uNkulunkulu? Phinde. Lapho ama-Israyeli esezongena ezweni laseKhanani, uJehova wawanika umyalo okuLevitikusi 20:2, 3: “Uzothi kubantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ‘Noma yimuphi umuntu wabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, nanoma yimuphi umfokazi ogogobele kwa-Israyeli, onikela nganoma iyiphi inzalo yakhe kuMoloki, kufanele abulawe nakanjani. Abantu bezwe kufanele bamshaye ngamatshe aze afe. Kepha mina, ngiyomelana nalowo muntu, futhi ngiyomnquma phakathi kwabantu bakubo, ngoba unikele ngenye yenzalo yakhe kuMoloki ngenjongo yokungcolisa indawo yami engcwele nokungcolisa igama lami elingcwele.’”

Nakuba kungase kuzwakale kungakholeki, amanye ama-Israyeli aphambuka ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso awamukela lo mkhuba wobudemoni wokwenza izingane zawo umhlatshelo konkulunkulu bamanga. IHubo 106:35-38 lithi ngalokhu: “Bahlangana nezizwe baqala ukufunda imisebenzi yazo. Bakhonza izithombe zazo, zona zaba ugibe kubo. Amadodana namadodakazi abo babewahlabela amademoni. Ngakho baqhubeka bechitha igazi elingenacala, igazi lamadodana abo namadodakazi abo, ababewahlabela izithombe zaseKhanani; izwe langcoliswa ukuchithwa kwegazi.”

Esebenzisa umprofethi wakhe uJeremiya, uJehova waveza ukuwenyanya kwakhe lo mkhuba, wathi ngamadodana kaJuda: “Abeké izinengiso zawo endlini igama lami elibizwe phezu kwayo, ukuze ayingcolise. Akhé izindawo eziphakeme zaseThofeti, elisesigodini sendodana kaHinomu, ukuze ashise amadodana awo namadodakazi awo emlilweni, into engingazange ngiyiyaleze futhi engazange ifike enhliziyweni yami.”—Jeremiya 7:30, 31.

Ngenxa yokwenza imikhuba enyanyeka kanjalo, isizwe sakwa-Israyeli sagcina silahlekelwe umusa kaNkulunkulu. Inhloko-dolobha yaso, iJerusalema, yagcina ibhujisiwe, futhi abantu bathunjelwa eBhabhiloni. (Jeremiya 7:32-34) Kusobala ukuthi umkhuba wokunikela ngabantu njengomhlatshelo awuveli kuNkulunkulu weqiniso futhi awuyona ingxenye yokukhulekela okumsulwa. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iluhlobo luni, leyo mihlatshelo inobudemoni, futhi abakhulekeli beqiniso bakaNkulunkulu bagwema noma yini ehlobene nalo mkhuba.

Umhlatshelo Wesihlengo KaKristu Jesu

Nokho, abanye bangase babuze, ‘Pho, kungani uMthetho uJehova awunika ama-Israyeli wawufuna kwenziwe nemihlatshelo yezilwane?’ Umphostoli uPawulu wadingida lo mbuzo wayesenikeza le mpendulo: “Khona-ke, kungani kwaba khona uMthetho? Wanezelwa ukuze wenze izeqo zibonakale, kuze kufike inzalo okwakwenziwe kuyo isithembiso . . . Ngenxa yalokho uMthetho uye waba umfundisi wethu oholela kuKristu.” (Galathiya 3:19-24) Imihlatshelo yezilwane yoMthetho KaMose yayifuzisela umhlatshelo omkhulu uJehova uNkulunkulu ayeyowenzela isintu—weNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu. UJesu wabhekisela kulesi senzo sothando lapho ethi: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

Ngenxa yothando ngoNkulunkulu nangesintu, uJesu wanikela ngokuzithandela ngokuphila kwakhe okuphelele njengomuntu waba isihlengo senzalo ka-Adamu. (Roma 5:12, 15) UJesu wathi: ‘INdodana yomuntu ayizelanga ukukhonzwa, kodwa ukukhonza nokunikela umphefumulo wayo ube yisihlengo sabaningi.’ (Mathewu 20:28) Akekho omunye emhlabeni owayengahlenga abantu ebugqilini besono nokufa u-Adamu ayebathengisele kubo. (IHubo 49:7, 8) Ngakho, uPawulu wachaza ukuthi uJesu “akangenanga negazi lezimbuzi nelamathole eduna, cha, kodwa wangena endaweni engcwele negazi lakhe, kwaba kanye kuphela futhi wasitholela ukukhululwa okuphakade.” (Hebheru 9:12) Ngokwamukela igazi likaJesu eliwumhlatshelo, uNkulunkulu “wesula incwadi elotshwe ngesandla emelene nathi.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi uJehova wahoxisa isivumelwano soMthetho, nezimfuneko zaso zeminikelo nemihlatshelo, waletha ‘isipho esiwukuphila okuphakade.’—Kolose 2:14; Roma 6:23.

Imihlatshelo Neminikelo Engokomoya

Njengoba imihlatshelo neminikelo yezilwane ingaseyona ingxenye yokukhulekela kweqiniso, ingabe ikhona imihlatshelo esadingeka kithi namuhla? Impela, ikhona. UJesu Kristu waphila ukuphila kokuzidela lapho ekhonza uNkulunkulu emhlabeni, futhi ekugcineni wazinikela ngenxa yesintu. Ngakho, wathi: “Uma umuntu efuna ukungilandela, makazidele athathe isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa angilandele njalo.” (Mathewu 16:24) Lokhu kusho ukuthi noma ubani ofuna ukuba umlandeli kaJesu kumelwe enze ukuzidela okuthile. Ikuphi lokho kuzidela?

Okunye kwako ukuthi umlandeli oqotho kaKristu akasaziphileli, kunalokho uphilela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. Wenza ukuba intando nezifiso zikaNkulunkulu kuze kuqala kunokwakhe. Phawula indlela umphostoli uPawulu akubeka ngayo: “Ngiyanincenga bazalwane, ngobubele bukaNkulunkulu, ukuba ninikele imizimba yenu ingumhlatshelo ophilayo, ongcwele, owamukelekayo kuNkulunkulu, inkonzo engcwele ngamandla enu okucabanga. Yekani ukulolongwa nifane nalesi simiso sezinto, kodwa maniguqulwe ngokushintsha ingqondo yenu, ukuze nizitholele ngokwenu okuyintando kaNkulunkulu enhle neyamukelekayo nepheleleyo.”—Roma 12:1, 2.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi amazwi ethu okudumisa angabhekwa njengemihlatshelo esiyinikela kuJehova. Umprofethi uHoseya wasebenzisa inkulumo ethi “amaduna ezinkomo ezindebe zethu,” ebonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubheka amazwi ethu okumdumisa njengomunye wemihlatshelo emihle kakhulu. (Hoseya 14:2) Umphostoli uPawulu wanxusa amaKristu angamaHebheru: “[Nikelani] kuNkulunkulu umhlatshelo wokudumisa, okuwukuthi, isithelo sezindebe ezivuma obala igama lakhe.” (Hebheru 13:15) Namuhla, oFakazi BakaJehova bazigcina bematasa kakhulu beshumayela izindaba ezinhle futhi benza abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi. (Mathewu 24:14; 28:19, 20) Banikela imihlatshelo yokudumisa uNkulunkulu imini nobusuku emhlabeni wonke.—IsAmbulo 7:15.

Ngaphezu kokushumayela, ukwenza okuhle kwabanye kungomunye wemihlatshelo ejabulisa uNkulunkulu. UPawulu wanxusa: “Ningakukhohlwa ukwenza okuhle nokupha abanye izinto, ngoba uNkulunkulu ujatshuliswa yimihlatshelo enjalo.” (Hebheru 13:16) Empeleni, ukuze imihlatshelo yokudumisa imjabulise uNkulunkulu, labo abayenzayo kudingeka baziphathe kahle. UPawulu wayala: “Ziphatheni ngendlela efanele izindaba ezinhle mayelana noKristu.”—Filipi 1:27; Isaya 52:11.

Njengasesikhathini esidlule, bonke abenza imihlatshelo ukuze basekele ukukhulekela kweqiniso bayovuzwa ngenjabulo enkulu nangezibusiso ezivela kuJehova. Ngakho-ke, masenze okusemandleni ethu ukuze sinikele imihlatshelo emjabulisa ngempela uNkulunkulu!

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

‘Amadodana namadodakazi abo bawahlabela izithombe zaseKhanani’

[Izithombe ekhasini 20]

Ngokushumayela izindaba ezinhle nangokusiza nangezinye izindlela, amaKristu eqiniso anikela imihlatshelo ejabulisa uNkulunkulu