Ngoba umuntu ongene ekuphumuleni kukaNkulunkulu naye ngokwakhe uye waphumula emisebenzini yakhe siqu, njengoba nje noNkulunkulu eye waphumula kweyakhe siqu.

Heberu 4:9-11.

Lapho uPawulu ethi uNkulunkulu uye waphumula emsebenzini waKhe, ngokusobala wayebhekisele kulokho okushiwo kuGenesise 2:2, lapho sifunda khona ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu waqeda ngosuku lwesikhombisa imisebenzi yakhe abeyenzile; waphumula ngosuku lwesikhombisa emisebenzini yakhe yonke abeyenzile.” Kungani uJehova “aphumula ngosuku lwesikhombisa”? Ngokuqinisekile, akunakuba ngenxa yokuthi wayedinga ukubuyisa amandla ngemva ‘kwemisebenzi yakhe yonke ayeyenzile.’ Ivesi elilandelayo linikeza umqondo: “UNkulunkulu wabusisa usuku lwesikhombisa, walungcwelisa, ngokuba ngalolo suku waphumula emisebenzini yonke abeyidalile uNkulunkulu, wayenza.”—Genesise 2:3; Isaya 40:26, 28.

“Usuku lwesikhombisa” lwaluhlukile kuzo zonke izinsuku eziyisithupha ezazandulele ngoba lwaluwusuku uNkulunkulu alubusisa walungcwelisa, okungukuthi, waluhlukanisela, noma walunikezela, injongo ekhethekile. Yayiyini leyo njongo? Ngaphambili, uNkulunkulu wayembule injongo yakhe ngesintu nomhlaba. Endodeni yokuqala nomkayo, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Zalani, nande, nigcwalise umhlaba, niwunqobe, nibuse phezu kwezinhlanzi zolwandle, nezinyoni zezulu, nezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo emhlabeni.” (Genesise 1:28) Nakuba uNkulunkulu ayenze isintu nomhlaba kwaba nesiqalo esiphelele, kwakuyothatha isikhathi esithile ukuba wonke umhlaba unqotshwe futhi uguqulwe ube yipharadesi eligcwele umkhaya wesintu ophelele, njengoba uNkulunkulu ayehlosile. Ngakho, “ngosuku lwesikhombisa,” uNkulunkulu waphumula, noma wangabe esaqhubeka nemisebenzi yokudala emhlabeni ukuze avumele lokho ayesekudalile kakade ukuba kuthombuluke ngokuvumelana nentando yakhe. Lapho luphela lolo “suku,” konke uNkulunkulu ayekuhlosile kuyobe sekufezekile. Kuyoba kude kangakanani lokho kuphumula?

Enalelo themba elimangalisayo lekusasa, uPawulu wachaza indlela umuntu angangena ngayo ekuphumuleni kukaNkulunkulu. Wabhala: “Umuntu ongene ekuphumuleni kukaNkulunkulu naye ngokwakhe uye waphumula emisebenzini yakhe siqu.” Lokhu kusitshela ukuthi nakuba saba nesiqalo esiphelele, isintu sisonke sasingangenanga ekuphumuleni kukaNkulunkulu. Lokhu kwakungenxa yokuthi u-Adamu no-Eva abakugcinanga isikhathi esitheni ukuphumula kukaNkulunkulu “ngosuku lwesikhombisa” ngokwamukela ilungiselelo ayebenzele lona. Kunalokho, bahlubuka bafuna ukuzibusa ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu. Empeleni, bahambisana necebo likaSathane kunokuba bamukele isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu sothando. (Genesise 2:15-17) Ngenxa yalokho, balahlekelwa yithemba lokuphila phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, sonke isintu saba ngaphansi kobugqila besono nokufa.—Roma 5:12, 14.

Ukuhlubuka kwesintu akuyibhuntshisanga injongo kaNkulunkulu. Usuku lwakhe lokuphumula luyaqhubeka. Nokho, uJehova wenza ilungiselelo lothando—isihlengo—ngeNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, ukuze bonke abalamukelayo ngesisekelo sokholo bakwazi ukulindela ukukhululwa nokuphumula emthwalweni wesono nokufa. (Roma 6:23) Yingakho uPawulu anxusa amaKristu ayekanye nawo ukuba ‘aphumule emisebenzini yawo siqu.’ Kwakudingeka amukele ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lensindiso, angazami ukusebenzela ikusasa lawo ngendlela yawo, njengoba kwenza u-Adamu no-Eva. Kwakudingeka futhi agweme ukuphishekela imisebenzi yawo yokuzithethelela.

Ukubekela eceleni iminako yakho yobugovu noma engasho lutho ukuze wenze intando kaNkulunkulu kuyaqabula futhi kuyaphumuza ngempela. UJesu wakhipha lesi simemo: “Wozani kimi, nina nonke enikhandlekayo nenisindwayo, ngizonenza niqabuleke. Bekani ijoka lami phezu kwenu futhi nifunde kimi, ngoba nginomoya omnene futhi ngithobekile ngenhliziyo, nizotholela imiphefumulo yenu ukuqabuleka. Ngoba ijoka lami ngelomusa nomthwalo wami ulula.”—Mathewu 11:28-30.

Ngokuqinisekile, ingxoxo kaPawulu mayelana nokuphumula kukaNkulunkulu nokuthi umuntu angangena kanjani kukho yayiyisikhuthazo kumaKristu angamaHeberu eJerusalema, ayekhuthazelele ushushiso olukhulu nokuhlekwa usulu ngenxa yokholo lwawo. (IzEnzo 8:1; 12:1-5) Ngokufanayo, amazwi kaPawulu angaba yisikhuthazo nakumaKristu namuhla. Njengoba siqaphela ukuthi ukugcwaliseka kwesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu sokuletha umhlaba oyipharadesi ngaphansi koMbuso wakhe wokulunga kuseduze, nathi kufanele siphumule emisebenzini yethu senze konke okusemandleni ukuze singene kulokho kuphumula.—Mathewu 6:10, 33; 2 Petru 3:13.