Umbono WeBhayibheli
Ingabe AmaJuda Angabantu BakaNkulunkulu Abakhethiwe?
UKUMISWA kwendawo yamaJuda esemaphandleni ngo-1948 kwakuyisenzakalo esibuhlungu kubefundisi beLobukholwa. Emakhulwini eminyaka abaningi babefundise ukuthi amaJuda ayelahlelwe ukuba azulazule emhlabeni ngenxa yesono sawo kuKristu, futhi manje “umJuda ozulazulayo” wayengasenakuphinde azulazule.
Njengoba izenzakalo zamanje eMpumalanga ePhakathi ziqhubeka zigxilisa ukunakekela kubantu abangamaJuda, manje kuphakanyiswa imibuzo ngezimpikiswano osekunesikhathi eside kucatshangwa ukuthi zaxazululwa. Ingabe amaJuda asengabantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe? Ingabe manje uNkulunkulu ubonisa umusa okhethekile kumaJuda?
Emakhulwini eminyaka adlule, uNkulunkulu watshela amaIsrayeli: “Uma nilalela nokulalela izwi lami, nigcine isivumelwano sami, niyakuba-yigugu kimi kunazo zonke izizwe, ngokuba umhlaba wonke ungowami, nibe-ngumbuso wabapristi kimi, nesizwe esingcwele.” (Eksodusi 19:5, 6) Zonke izizwe zazingezikaNkulunkulu, kodwa amaIsrayeli ayeyoba yimpahla yakhe ekhethekile, ekugcineni akhonze njengabapristi abamelela isintu sisonke.
Kodwa ingabe lobuhlobo obukhethekile noNkulunkulu babungenamibandela? Akunjalo! UNkulunkulu wayethe: “Uma nilalela nokulalela izwi lami . . . niyakuba-yigugu kimi.” Ngakho ukuqhubeka kwawo enobuhlobo obukhethekile noNkulunkulu kwakunombandela, kuxhomeke ekuthembekeni kwawo okuqhubekayo kuye.
Umfanekiso Onamandla
Lokhu kwagcizelelwa izenzakalo zekhulu lesishiyagalombili leminyaka B.C.E., ngezinsuku zomprofethi uHoseya. Naphezu kokuthola umusa okhethekile njengabantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe, iningi lamaIsrayeli lakulahla ukukhulekela kukaJehova kweqiniso. Ingabe uJehova wasabela kanjani? “Angisayikuyihawukela indlu yakwaIsrayeli ukuba ngibathethelele. . . . Anisibo abantu bami, mina angiyikuba-nguNkulunkulu wenu.” (Hoseya 1:6, 9) Ngakho, lawomaIsrayeli ayizihlubuki ayengenakuhlala esemseni kaNkulunkulu. Insali ethembekile kuphela ngolunye usuku eyayingaba nelungelo lokubuyiselwa futhi iphinde ithole izibusiso zaphezulu.—Hoseya 1:10.
Ekugcwalisekeni kwalesiprofetho, uNkulunkulu wavumela amaIsrayeli ukuba athunjwe yizitha zawo nokuba ithempeli lawo libhujiswe, ebonisa ngokunamandla ukulahleka kobuhlobo bawo obuvunyelwe nguye. Insali ethembekile kuphela yamaIsrayeli (ngalesosikhathi eyayaziwa ngokuthi amaJuda) eyabuya ekuthunjweni ngo-537 B.C.E. futhi yakha kabusha ithempeli likaJehova, iphinda futhi ijabulela umusa kaJehova njengabantu bakhe abakhethiwe.
“Insali” Kuphela Ehlala Ithembekile
Nokho, emakhulwini eminyaka alandela, amaJuda ayekakwe yithonya lefilosofi yamaGreki—njengemfundiso kaPlato yomphefumulo ongafi—enemiphumela ebhubhisayo ekukhulekeleni kwawo. Lokho kukhulekela ngeke kuphinde kusekelwe ezimfundisweni zikaMose kuphela nakubaprofethi abangamaHeberu.
Ingabe uJehova wayeyoqhubeka ebheka amaJuda njengabantu bakhe abakhethiwe? Eqaphela ukuthi abaningi baphinde bahlubuka ekukhulekeleni kukaJehova okuhlanzekile, uJesu wathi: “Niyakwamukwa umbuso kaNkulunkulu, uphiwe isizwe esiyakuveza izithelo zawo.” (Mathewu 21:43) Lihluleka ukulalela lesosixwayiso, iningi laqhubeka enkambweni yalo yokuhlubuka futhi lenqaba uJesu njengogcotshiwe kaJehova. Ngakho, akubanga isikhathi eside kamuva ukuba uNkulunkulu avumele ithempeli elakhiwe kabusha libhujiswe, ngo-70 C.E. (Mathewu 23:37, 38) Ingabe lokhu manje kwakusho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayewalahla wonke amaJuda?
Njengoba uPawulu, umphostoli kaKristu ongumJuda, achaza: “UNkulunkulu akasilahlanga isizwe sakhe ayesazi ngaphambili. . . . Kukhona nangalesisikhathi samanje insali ngokokukhetha komusa.” (Roma 11:2, 5) Njengoba nje abaningi bengase bamenyelwe edilini lomshado kodwa kungase kube abambalwa kuphela ababa khona, uNkulunkulu wayememele sonke isizwe samaJuda ebuhlotsheni obukhethekile naye, kodwa yinsali yawo kuphela eyalondoloza lokho kusondelana okukhethekile ngokuthembeka kwayo. Ngempela ukubekezela kukaNkulunkulu kwakuwukubonakaliswa komusa ongafanele!
“Abangesiso Isizwe Sami” Baba “Isizwe Sami”
Ngokushesha nalabo abangemaJuda ababelangazelela ukukhonza uNkulunkulu bazihlanganisa nalensali ethembekile engamaJuda. Ngisho nakuba okhokho babo babengekho ebuhlotsheni obukhethekile naye, manje uJehova wayezimisele ukwamukela laba abangemaJuda abathembekile njengabantu bakhe. Ephawula lokhu, uPawulu wabhala: “Uma, pho, uNkulunkulu, . . . asibizayo nathi, kungesikho kubaJuda kuphela kodwa nakwabezizwe? Njengalokhu esho nakuHoseya ukuthi: Ngiyakubiza abangesiso isizwe sami ngokuthi isizwe sami.”—Roma 9:22-25.
Ngakho, kokubili amaJuda nabangemaJuda babengaba abantu bakaNkulunkulu abakhethiwe, benethemba lokukhonza njengabapristi abamelele isintu sisonke. Ekhuluma nabakhulekeli abathembekile abanezizinda zobuzwe ezihlukahlukene, umphostoli uPetru ongumKristu, umJuda ngokokuzalwa, wabhala: “Nina niluhlanga olukhethiweyo, ubupristi obobukhosi, isizwe esingcwele, abantu abazuziweyo, . . . ekade naningesiso isizwe, kepha manje niyisizwe sikaNkulunkulu.” (1 Petru 2:9, 10) Lesi ‘kwakuyisizwe,’ abantu abanezimfanelo zokwesaba uNkulunkulu, labo uJesu athi babeyoveza ‘izithelo zombuso kaNkulunkulu’ nalabo ngalokho ababeyojabulela ubuhlobo obukhethekile noJehova.—Mathewu 21:43.
UNkulunkulu wayebheka ukholo nenkambo yokulunga ekukhetheni kwakhe laba ababezoba abapristi, hhayi nje uzalo olukhethekile. Njengoba uPetru ayephawulile: “UNkulunkulu akabheki ubuso bamuntu, kodwa ezizweni zonke omesabayo nowenza ukulunga uyamukeleka kuye.”—IzEnzo 10:34, 35.
Ngakho, uNkulunkulu akasanikezi umusa okhethekile kunoma yimuphi umuntu ngesisekelo sozalo. Unika abantu bazo zonke izizinda zobuzwe ithuba lokwakha ubuhlobo naye. Kwangathi singabonisa ukuthi siyakulangazelela ukuba abantu bakaNkulunkulu ngokholo nangenkambo yethu.