Isizathu Sokuba Lapha
IBHAYIBHELI lembula ukuthi uMdali, uJehova uNkulunkulu, akakaze enze izinto ngaphandle kwenjongo. Ngokwesibonelo, ake ucabange ngelungiselelo lakhe lomjikelezo wamanzi emhlabeni, elenza ukuba ukuphila kube khona. IBhayibheli liwuchaza ngamazwi asankondlo, kodwa anembile, lithi: “Yonke imifudlana ingena olwandle, kepha ulwandle alugcwali. Endaweni le mifudlana evela kuyo, ibuye iye khona futhi.”—UmShumayeli 1:7, New International Version.
IBhayibheli liqhathanisa ukwethembeka kwezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu nomjikelezo ochazwe ngenhla. Njengoba namhlanje sazi, amandla elanga ahwamula amanzi olwandle, nasemachibini, futhi kamuva awabuyisele emhlabeni eseyimvula. UJehova ugxilisa ukunaka kulo mjikelezo futhi uyachaza: “Liyoba njalo nezwi lami eliphuma emlonyeni wami. Ngeke libuyele kimi lingabanga namiphumela, kodwa ngokuqinisekile liyokwenza lokho engikujabulelayo, futhi liyophumelela ngokuqinisekile kulokho engilithumele kona.”—Isaya 55:10, 11.
Amanzi ahlanzekile abuyela emhlabeni evela emafwini ukuze enze kube khona ukuphila emhlabeni. Ngokufanayo, ‘izwi eliphuma emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu,’ liyakwazi ukusekela ukuphila kwethu okungokomoya. Kunjengoba nje uJesu Kristu ngokwakhe achaza: “Umuntu akumelwe aphile ngesinkwa sodwa, kodwa nangawo wonke amazwi aphuma emlonyeni kaJehova.”—Mathewu 4:4.
Ukudla ukudla okungokomoya okuvela kuNkulunkulu kusenza sikwazi ukuvumelanisa ukuphila kwethu nenjongo yakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, uNkulunkulu wawudalelani umhlaba? Futhi isithinta kanjani injongo yakhe ngomhlaba? Ake sibone.
Injongo KaNkulunkulu Ngomhlaba
Ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu ufunela isintu okungcono, wabeka owesilisa nowesifazane bokuqala, u-Adamu no-Eva, e-Edene, insimu eyipharadesi. Wabe esebayala ukuba babe nabantwana, ethi: “Zalani nande nigcwalise umhlaba niwunqobe, nithotshelwe yizinhlanzi zolwandle nezidalwa ezindizayo zamazulu nazo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezihamba phezu komhlaba.”—Genesise 1:26-28.
Singafinyelela siphi isiphetho ngalezi ziqondiso? Akucacile yini ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayefuna ukuba wonke umhlaba ulinywe ube ikhaya lesintu eliyipharadesi? IZwi lakhe lithi: “Ngokuqondene namazulu, wona angakaJehova, kodwa umhlaba uwuniké abantwana babantu.”—IHubo 115:16.
Kodwa, ukuze abantu babone ukugcwaliseka kwenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokujabulela umhlaba phakade, kwakuyodingeka ukuba bahloniphe uJehova ngokumlalela. Kodwa ingabe u-Adamu wakwenza lokho? Cha, wona ngokungamlaleli uNkulunkulu. Kwaba namuphi umphumela? Yonke inzalo ka-Adamu, kuhlanganise nathi namuhla, izuze isono nokufa njengoba nje iBhayibheli lisho: “Ngomuntu oyedwa isono sangena ezweni nokufa kwangena ngesono, futhi kanjalo ukufa kwasakazekela kubantu bonke ngenxa yokuthi bonke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.
Ngenxa yalokho, bonke abantu bayafa futhi nomhlaba awukalinywa ube yipharadesi lomhlaba wonke. Khona-ke, kungenzeka yini ukuthi injongo kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba isishintshile?
Cha, khumbula ukuthi uNkulunkulu wathi: ‘Izwi lami eliphuma emlonyeni wami ngeke libuyele kimi lingabanga namiphumela, kodwa liyophumelela ngokuqinisekile kulokho engilithumele kona.’ Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wathembisa: “Ngizokwenza konke okungijabulisayo.” (Isaya 45:18; 46:10; 55:11) Futhi kuyintando kaNkulunkulu—injongo yakhe—ukuthi lo mhlaba ube ipharadesi lomhlaba wonke elinabantu abamkhonza ngenjabulo phakade, njengoba ayehlosile ekuqaleni.—IHubo 37:29; Isaya 35:5, 6; 65:21-24; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4.
Injongo KaNkulunkulu Iyogcwaliseka—Kanjani?
UJehova wabonisa ukuhlakanipha kwakhe okungenakuqhathaniswa nothando ngokwenza ilungiselelo lokuba abantu basindiswe esonweni abasizuza njengefa nasemiphumeleni yaso—ukungapheleli nokufa ekugcineni. Wakwenza lokhu ngokwenza ukuba indodana yakhe izalwe ingenasono bonke abantu abasizuza kumuntu wokuqala u-Adamu. Leli lungiselelo libizwa ngokuthi isihlengo, esalungiselelwa ukuze abantu abafanelekayo bathole ukuphila okuphakade. (Mathewu 20:28; Efesu 1:7; 1 Thimothewu 2:5, 6) Salungiselelwa kanjani isihlengo?
Ingelosi kaJehova uGabriyeli yatshela owesifazane oyintombi okuthiwa uMariya indlela ayezozala ngayo umntwana nakuba ‘ayengayazi indoda.’ Isimangaliso esenziwa uNkulunkulu ngokudlulisela ukuphila kweNdodana yakhe eyizibulo ekususa ezulwini wakufaka esibelethweni sikaMariya. Ngaleyo ndlela wakhulelwa ngokusebenza komoya kaNkulunkulu ongcwele.—Luka 1:26-35.
UJesu wazalwa engumuntu ophelele ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-9, ofana nse nomuntu wokuqala, u-Adamu. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, wakwazi ukunikela ukuphila kwakhe okuphelele ngokufa okuwumhlatshelo. Ngokwenza kanjalo, uJesu waba ‘u-Adamu wesibili’ futhi ngaleyo ndlela wabekela bonke abathembekile kuNkulunkulu isisekelo sokuhlengwa esonweni nasekufeni.—1 Korinte 15:45, 47.
Ngokuqinisekile, lolu thando olukhulu olwaboniswa uNkulunkulu kufanele lusenze simthande! IBhayibheli lithi, “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Umbuzo uwukuthi, Siyosabela kanjani othandweni lukaNkulunkulu? Akufanele yini sisabele ngokwazisa ngalesi sipho? Cabanga ngezibonelo zabathile abaye babonisa ukwazisa okunjalo.
Ukujabulela Ukuba Nenjongo Ekuphileni
UDenise, okukhulunywe ngaye esihlokweni esandulele, wathola ukuthi ukuhlonipha uNkulunkulu ngokulandela imithetho neziqondiso zakhe kwenza ukuphila kwakhe kwazinza futhi kwaba nenjongo. Uyalandisa: “EBhayibhelini ngafunda ukuthi ngaphandle nje kokuba nenjongo yesikhathi eside ngesintu, uNkulunkulu ubagcinele umsebenzi okhethekile labo abamkhulekelayo. Akukho ukuphila engikucabangayo okwanelisa ukwedlula ukusebenzisa inkululeko yokuzikhethela anginike yona ngokuba ngimdumise ngokuphila ngokuvumelana nenjongo yakhe.”
Singenza okufanayo ngokufunda ukuthi iyini intando kaNkulunkulu bese siyenza. Yiqiniso, asikaziboni ngokugcwele izinzuzo zomhlatshelo wesihlengo, eziyosivulela ithuba lokujabulela ukuphelela kobuntu ezweni elisha lokulunga. Kodwa okwamanje, kuyaphuthuma ukuba sanelise isidingo esingokomoya esingaphakathi uNkulunkulu asifake komunye nomunye wethu.
UDave, okukhulunywe ngaye esihlokweni sokuqala salolu chungechunge, ungomunye walabo okwaneliswe isidingo sabo esingokomoya. Wathola izimpendulo zemibuzo yakhe ephathelene nenjongo yokuphila. Uthi: “Uma ngibheka emuva, ngiyabona ukuthi ukuphila kwami ngaphambi kokufunda ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu kwakuwumshikashika oyize. Ngangingakwazi lokho ngaleso sikhathi, kodwa ubuze engangibuzwa empeleni babuyisidingo esingokomoya esinganelisiwe. Anginawo lowo muzwa manje. Ngiyaqonda ukuthi kungani ngilapha nokuthi yini okufanele ngabe ngiyayenza ngokuphila kwami.”
Yebo, ngokungafani nemicabango yabantu abangaphelele, umbono kaNkulunkulu ngenjongo yokuphila njengoba uchazwe eBhayibhelini uyenelisa ngempela. Silapha ngenxa yenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokusidala—ukuba sidumise igama lakhe, sibe nobuhlobo obuhle naye futhi ngaleyo ndlela sanelise isidingo sethu esingokomoya. Kokubili namuhla naphakade, singajabulela ukugcwaliseka kwamazwi aphefumulelwe: “Bayajabula abantu abaNkulunkulu wabo nguJehova!”—IHubo 144:15.
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 8]
INKINGA YOKUHLUPHEKA
Ukuhlupheka kuye kwathiwa kungenye yezinselele ezinkulu ekuqondeni ukuthi kungani silapha. UViktor Frankl wathi: “Uma ikhona ngempela injongo yokuphila, khona-ke kumelwe ukuba ikhona incazelo yokuhlupheka. Ukuhlupheka kuyingxenye yokuphila engenakuqedwa, njengokudalelwa nokufa.”
IBhayibheli lichaza isizathu sokuhlupheka nokufa. UNkulunkulu akayona imbangela. Kunalokho, lokhu kuyimiphumela yesinqumo esiyinhlekelele esenziwa abantu bokuqala ababili sokuphila ngaphandle koMdali wabo. Lokhu kuthambekela esonweni kuzuzwe yiyo yonke inzalo yabo futhi kuyimbangela yokuhlupheka kwabantu.
Nakuba ukwazi ukuthi kungani silapha kungazixazululi zonke izinkinga zokuphila kwethu, kusinikeza isisekelo sokubhekana nazo. Futhi, sinikwa ithemba ngekusasa, isikhathi lapho uNkulunkulu eyobe esekususe konke ukuhlupheka nokufa.
[Umdwebo/Isithombe ekhasini 7]
IBhayibheli lifanisa ukuthembeka kwezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu nomjikelezo wamanzi omangalisayo
[Umdwebo]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
Imvula ← Umhwamuko ← Umhwamuko
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Amachibi nemifula ↑
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→ → Ulwandle
[Isithombe ekhasini 8, 9]
Kungani singaqiniseka ukuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umhlaba wonke uyoba yipharadesi eligcwele abantu abayimiqemane futhi abajabulayo?
[Isithombe ekhasini 9]
‘Akukho ukuphila engikucabangayo okwanelisa ukwedlula ukusebenzisa inkululeko yami yokuzikhethela ekukhonzeni uNkulunkulu.’—UDenise