Yazi UJehova—UNkulunkulu Ongokoqobo
EQHATHANISA umbono wamaHindu nowezinye izimiso zenkolo ngokuphathelene noNkulunkulu, uDkt. Radhakrishnan waseNdiya waphawula: “UNkulunkulu wamaHeberu uwuhlobo oluhlukile. Ungokoqobo futhi unengxenye emlandweni kanti unesithakazelo ezinguqukweni nasemathubeni alelizwe elithuthukayo. UnguMuntu oxhumanayo nathi.”
Igama lesiHeberu likaNkulunkulu weBhayibheli lithi יהוה, ngokuvamile elihunyushwa ngokuthi “Jehova.” Udlula bonke onkulunkulu. Sazini ngaye? Wayesebenzelana kanjani nabantu ezikhathini zeBhayibheli?
UJehova NoMose Bakhuluma “Ubuso Nobuso”
UJehova nenceku yakhe uMose babenobuhlobo obuseduze, bazana “ubuso nobuso,” nakuba uMose ayengenakumbona ngokoqobo uNkulunkulu. (Duteronomi 34:10; Eksodusi 33:20) UMose esemusha, inhliziyo yakhe yayikuma-Israyeli, ayeyizigqila eGibithe ngaleso sikhathi. Wakwenqaba ukuphila njengelungu lomkhaya kaFaro, “ekhetha ukuphathwa kabi nabantu bakaNkulunkulu.” (Heberu 11:25) Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova wanika uMose amalungelo amaningi akhethekile.
Njengelungu lomkhaya kaFaro, “uMose wafundiswa kukho konke ukuhlakanipha kwamaGibithe.” (IzEnzo 7:22) Kodwa ukuze ahole isizwe sakwa-Israyeli, kwakudingeka ahlakulele nezimfanelo zokuthobeka, isineke nobumnene. Lokhu wakwenza eminyakeni engu-40 engumalusi kwaMidiyani. (Eksodusi 2:15-22; Numeri 12:3) UJehova, nakuba ahlala engabonakali, wazembula yena kanye nezinjongo zakhe kuMose, futhi ngezingelosi, uNkulunkulu waphathisa uMose iMiyalo Eyishumi. (Eksodusi 3:1-10; 19:3–20:20; IzEnzo 7:53; Heberu 11:27) IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi “uJehova wakhuluma kuMose ubuso nobuso, njengalokhu umuntu ekhuluma nomhlobo wakhe.” (Eksodusi 33:11) Yebo, uJehova ngokwakhe wathi: “Ngiyakukhuluma naye umlomo nomlomo.” Yeka ubuhlobo obuyigugu nobuseduze uMose ayenabo noNkulunkulu wakhe ongabonakali kodwa ongokoqobo!—Numeri 12:8.
Ngaphezu komlando wakuqala wesizwe sakwa-Israyeli, uMose wabhala isimiso soMthetho nazo zonke izingxenye zaso. Futhi wanikwa nelinye ilungelo elingenakulinganiswa—elokubhala incwadi kaGenesise. Ingxenye yokugcina yaleyo ncwadi yayiwumlando owaziwa kahle emkhayeni wakubo, ngakho ngokwezinga elithile kwakulula ukuyibhala. Kodwa uMose wayitholaphi imininingwane yomlando wokuqala womuntu? Kungenzeka ukuthi uMose wayenokwaziswa okulotshiwe kwasendulo, okwalondolozwa okhokho bakhe, ayengakusebenzisa njengomthombo wokwaziswa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kungenzeka leyo mininingwane wayeyithole ngokutshelwa ngomlomo noma ngezambulo zaphezulu ezivela kuJehova ngokuqondile. Amadoda anenhlonipho azo zonke izizukulwane sekuyisikhathi eside abuqaphela ubuhlobo bomuntu siqu uMose ayenabo noNkulunkulu wakhe ngokuphathelene nalokhu.
UJehova—UNkulunkulu Ka-Eliya Ongokoqobo
Umprofethi u-Eliya naye wayazi uJehova njengoNkulunkulu ongokoqobo. U-Eliya wayekushisekela ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile futhi wakhonza uJehova naphezu kokuba isisulu senzondo enkulu nokuphikisa kwabakhulekeli bakaBali, unkulunkulu oyinhloko konkulunkulu bamaKhanani.—1 AmaKhosi 18:17-40.
U-Ahabi, iNkosi yakwa-Israyeli, nomkakhe, u-Izebeli, bafuna ukubulala u-Eliya. Esaba ukufa, u-Eliya wabalekela eBeri-Sheba, entshonalanga yoLwandle Olufile. Lapho, wazulazula ehlane futhi wathandazela ukuba afe. (1 AmaKhosi 19:1-4) Ingabe uJehova wayemlahlile u-Eliya? Ingabe wayengasenandaba nenceku yakhe ekholekile? Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Eliya wayecabanga kanjalo, kodwa yeka ukuthi wayenephutha kanjani! Kamuva, uJehova wakhuluma naye ngezwi eliphansi, ebuza: “Wenzani lapha, Eliya, na?” Ngemva kokubonakaliswa okuvusa amadlingozi kwamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo, “kwafika kuye izwi, [labuye] lathi: Wenzani lapha, Eliya, na?” UJehova wabonisa lesi sithakazelo somuntu siqu ku-Eliya ukuze akhuthaze lenceku yakhe ethembekile. UNkulunkulu wayenomsebenzi owengeziwe ayefuna awenze, futhi u-Eliya wasabela ngentshiseko kulolo bizo! U-Eliya wazifeza ngokukholeka izabelo zakhe, engcwelisa igama likaJehova, uNkulunkulu wakhe ongokoqobo.—1 AmaKhosi 19:9-18.
Ngemva kokuba uJehova enqabe isizwe sakwa-Israyeli, akabange esakhuluma ngokuqondile nezinceku zakhe ezisemhlabeni. Lokho kwakungasho ukuthi isithakazelo sakhe kuzo sase sinciphile. Ngomoya wakhe ongcwele, wayesaziqondisa futhi eziqinisa enkonzweni yakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela umphostoli uPawulu, ekuqaleni owayaziwa ngokuthi uSawulu.
Ukuqondiswa KukaPawulu Umoya Ongcwele
USawulu wayevela eTarsu, idolobha elivelele laseKhilikhiya. Abazali bakhe babengamaHeberu, kodwa wayeyisakhamuzi sokuzalwa saseRoma. Nokho, uSawulu wakhuliswa ngezinkolelo eziqinile zabaFarisi. Kamuva, eJerusalema, waba nethuba lokufundiswa “ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli,” umfundisi ovelele woMthetho.—IzEnzo 22:3, 26-28.
Ngenxa yentshiseko kaSawulu engaqondisiwe kahle ngesiko lamaJuda, wahlanganyela emkhankasweni ononya wokuphikisa abalandeli bakaJesu Kristu. Waze wagunyaza nokubulawa kukaStefanu, umfel’ukholo wokuqala ongumKristu. (IzEnzo 7:58-60; 8:1, 3) Kamuva wavuma ukuthi nakuba ngaphambili ayengumhlambalazi nomshushisi nomuntu oweyisayo, ‘waboniswa isihe, ngoba wayengenalwazi futhi enza ngokuntula ukholo.’—1 Thimothewu 1:13.
USawulu wayeshukunyiswa isifiso esiqotho sokukhonza uNkulunkulu. Ngemva kokuguquka kukaSawulu emgwaqweni oya eDamaseku, uJehova wamsebenzisa ngokunamandla. U-Ananiya, umfundi okwase kuyisikhathi esithile engumKristu, waqondiswa uKristu ovusiwe ukuba asize uSawulu. Ngemva kwalokho uPawulu (igama lesiRoma uSawulu aziwa ngalo njengomKristu) waqondiswa umoya ongcwele kaJehova ukuba afeze inkonzo eyathatha isikhathi eside nenezithelo kuzo zonke izingxenye zaseYurophu nase-Asia Minor.—IzEnzo 13:2-5; 16:9, 10.
Ingabe ukuqondisa okufanayo komoya ongcwele kungabonakala namuhla? Yebo, kungabonakala.
Ukungakholelwa KuNkulunkulu Akusithiyi Isithakazelo SikaJehova
UJoseph F. Rutherford wayengumongameli wesibili we-Watch Tower Society. Wabhapathizwa ngo-1906 njengomFundi WeBhayibheli—igama oFakazi BakaJehova ababaziwa ngalo ngaleso sikhathi—wamiswa njengomeluleki weNhlangano kwezomthetho ngonyaka owalandela, futhi waba umongameli wayo ngo-January 1917. Nokho, lommeli osemusha wake waba umuntu ophika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu. Waba kanjani inceku kaJehova engumKristu enogqozi kangaka?
Ngo-July 1913, uRutherford wakhonza njengosihlalo womhlangano we-International Bible Students Association owawuseSpringfield, eMassachusetts, e-U.S.A. Intatheli yephephandaba lendawo, i-Homestead, yaxoxa noRutherford, futhi ukulandisa kwakhe kwabuye kwanyatheliswa embikweni oyisikhumbuzo walowo mhlangano.
URutherford wachaza ukuthi ngesikhathi ehlela ukushada, wayenemibono engokwenkolo yesonto lamaBaptist, kodwa eyalowo owayezoba umkakhe yayingeyeSonto LaseHabe. Lapho umfundisi kaRutherford ethi lowo owayezoba umkakhe “wayezoya esihogweni somlilo ngoba wayengacwiliswanga kanti yena wayezoqonda ngqó ezulwini ngoba wayecwilisiwe, ingqondo yakhe ehluzekile yamenza wacasuka futhi waphenduka umuntu ophika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu.”
Kwadingeka ukuba uRutherford acwaningisise iminyaka eminingana ukuze avuselele ukholo lwakhe kuNkulunkulu ongokoqobo. Uthi lapho ecabanga wayethi “okungenakwanelisa ingqondo akukwazi ukwanelisa inhliziyo.” URutherford wachaza ukuthi amaKristu “kumelwe aqiniseke ukuthi imiBhalo akholelwa kuyo iyiqiniso,” wenezela ngokuthi: “Kumelwe [amaKristu] asazi isisekelo ame kuso.”—Bheka eyesi-2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17.
Yebo, ngisho nanamuhla kungenzeka ngomuntu ongakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu noma othi uNkulunkulu akaziwa ukuba acwaninge imiBhalo, akhe ukholo futhi abe nobuhlobo obuqinile noJehova uNkulunkulu. Ngemva kokufunda iBhayibheli ngokucophelela ngosizo lwencwadi ye-Watch Tower ethi Ulwazi Oluholela Ekuphileni Okumi Phakade, enye insizwa yavuma: “Ngangingakholelwa kuNkulunkulu lapho ngiqala lesi sifundo, kodwa manje ngithola ukuthi ulwazi lweBhayibheli luye lwashintsha konke ukucabanga kwami. Sengiqala ukumazi uJehova nokuthembela kuye.”
“Isiwula” NoNkulunkulu
“Akukaze kwenzeke nganoma yimuphi umlobi [weTestamente Elidala (imiBhalo YesiHeberu)] ukuba afakazele noma aphikisane nobukhona bukaNkulunkulu,” kusho uDkt. James Hastings kuyi-Dictionary of the Bible. “Akuvumelani nomoya wezwe lasendulo lilonke ukuphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu, noma ukuveza izizathu zokukufakazela. Lenkolelo yayivamile engqondweni yomuntu futhi ikubo bonke abantu.” Yiqiniso, lokho akusho ukuthi bonke abantu ngaleso sikhathi babesaba uNkulunkulu. Kwakungenjalo neze. AmaHubo 14:1 no-53:1 akhuluma ‘ngomuntu [ongenangqondo, NW],’ noma njengoba iBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile lisho, “isiwula,” esithi enhliziyweni yaso, “Akakho uNkulunkulu.”
Siluhlobo luni lomuntu lesi siwula, esiphika ubukhona bukaNkulunkulu? Asiyena umuntu ongakhaliphile. Kunalokho, igama lesiHeberu elithi na·valʹ libhekisela ekuntuleni ukuziphatha. Uprofesa S. R. Driver, emazwini akhe kwethi The Parallel Psalter, uthi iphutha ‘alibona ubuthakathaka ngokwengqondo, kodwa ukunganaki ngokokuziphatha nangokwenkolo, ukuntuleka okukhulu kwengqondo, noma ukuqonda.’
Umhubi uyaqhubeka echaza ukuwohloka kokuziphatha okuwumphumela walesi simo sengqondo: “Yonakele, iyanengeka imisebenzi yabo; akakho owenza okuhle.” (IHubo 14:1) UDkt. Hastings ukubeka ngamafuphi: “Becabanga ngokungabi bikho kukaNkulunkulu ezweni nokuntuleka kwesijeziso, abantu bayonakala futhi benza izenzo ezenyanyekayo.” Bamukela obala izimiso zokungamhloniphi uNkulunkulu futhi bamshaya indiva uNkulunkulu ongokoqobo abangafisi ukulandisa kuye. Kodwa ukucabanga okunjalo kuwubuwula futhi akunangqondo nanamuhla njengoba nje kwakunjalo lapho umhubi eloba amazwi akhe eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-3 000 edlule.
Izixwayiso Ezivela KuNkulunkulu Wethu Ongokoqobo
Ake sibuyele emibuzweni ephakanyiswe esihlokweni sethu sokuqala. Kungani abantu abaningi kangaka bengakwazi ukuhlobanisa uNkulunkulu ongokoqobo nokuhlupheka okugubuzele izwe lanamuhla?
IBhayibheli linokwaziswa okulotshiwe okuvela kubantu ‘abakhuluma okuvela kuNkulunkulu njengoba babeqhutshwa umoya ongcwele.’ (2 Petru 1:21) Yilo lodwa elisembulela uNkulunkulu ongokoqobo, uJehova. Lisixwayisa nangomuntu omubi, ongabonakali kubantu, onamandla okuqondisa nokulawula ukucabanga kwabantu—uSathane uDeveli. Ngokunengqondo, uma singakholelwa kuNkulunkulu ongokoqobo, singakholelwa kanjani ukuthi kukhona noDeveli noma uSathane ongokoqobo?
Engaphansi kokuphefumulelwa, umphostoli uJohane wabhala: ‘Lowo obizwa ngokuthi uDeveli noSathane, udukisa umhlaba wonke owakhiwe.’ (IsAmbulo 12:9) Kamuva uJohane wathi: “Siyazi ukuthi sisuka kuNkulunkulu, kodwa lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi.” (1 Johane 5:19) Lamazwi avumelana namazwi kaJesu, lawo uJohane awaloba ngokwakhe eVangelini lakhe: “Uyeza umbusi walelizwe. Futhi akangibambanga ndawo.”—Johane 14:30.
Yeka ukuthi lemfundiso engokomBhalo ihluke kanjani kulokho abantu abakukholelwayo manje! “Ukukhuluma ngoDeveli akuvamile ngokuphawulekayo namuhla. Inkathi yethu enokungabaza nengokwesayensi, iye yanika uSathane umhlalaphansi,” kusho i-Catholic Herald. Nokho, uJesu ekhuluma ngokunamandla nalabo bantu ababehlose ukumbulala, wathi: “Nina nivela kuyihlo uDeveli, futhi nifisa ukwenza izifiso zikayihlo.”—Johane 8:44.
Incazelo yeBhayibheli yamandla kaSathane inengqondo. Yenza kucace ukuthi kungani izwe, naphezu kwesifiso sabantu abaningi sokuphila ngokuthula nangokuzwana, likhungethwe inzondo, izimpi nobudlova obungenangqondo, njengoba kwabonakala eDunblane (okukhulunywe ngayo emakhasini 3 no-4). Ngaphezu kwalokho, uSathane akasona ukuphela kwesitha okumelwe silwe naso. IBhayibheli linikeza izixwayiso ezengeziwe ngokuphathelene nodeveli, noma amademoni—izidalwa zomoya ezimbi ezahlanganyela noSathane kudala ekudukiseni nasekuxhaphazeni isintu. (Jude 6) UJesu Kristu wabhekana namandla alemimoya izikhathi eziningi, futhi wakwazi ukuwanqoba.—Mathewu 12:22-24; Luka 9:37-43.
UNkulunkulu weqiniso, uJehova, uhlela ukuhlanza lomhlaba asuse ububi futhi ekugcineni aqede imisebenzi kaSathane namademoni akhe. Ngokusekelwe olwazini lwethu ngoJehova, singaba nokholo oluqinile futhi sithembele ezithembisweni zakhe. Uthi: “Ngaphambi kwami akwenziwanga uNkulunkulu, nangasemva kwami akayikuba-khona. Mina, mina nginguJehova, ngaphandle kwami akakho umsindisi.” Ngempela uJehova unguNkulunkulu ongokoqobo kubo bonke abamaziyo, abamkhulekelayo nabamkhonzayo. Singabheka kuye, kuye kuphela, ukuze sithole insindiso.—Isaya 43:10, 11.
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Umbhalo oqoshiwe wekhulu le-18 obonisa uMose ebhala uGenesise 1:1 ngaphansi kokuphefumulelwa
[Umthombo]
From The Holy Bible by J. Baskett, Oxford
[Isithombe ekhasini 8]
UJesu Kristu wawanqoba izikhathi eziningi amademoni