Sondela KuNkulunkulu
“Sicela Usivumele Sibuye Ekhaya”
Sikhona yini isikhathi lapho wake wakhonza khona uJehova? Uke wacabanga yini ukuphinde umkhonze kodwa wazibuza ukuthi uyokwamukela yini? Sicela ufunde ngokucophelela lesi sihloko nesilandelayo. Zibhalelwe wena ngokukhethekile.
“NGATHANDAZA kuJehova ngimcela ukuba angivumele ngibuyele ekhaya futhi angixolele ngokumziswa ubuhlungu.” Washo kanjalo owesifazane owayesenhlanhlathe kakhulu endleleni yobuKristu akhuliswa ngayo. Ingabe uzwelana naye? Kungenzeka uyazibuza: ‘UNkulunkulu uzizwa kanjani ngalabo abake bamkhonza? Uyabakhumbula yini? Ingabe uyafuna “babuye ekhaya”?’ Ukuze siphendule leyo mibuzo ake sihlole amazwi alotshwa uJeremiya. Akungabazeki ukuthi izimpendulo zizokududuza.—Funda uJeremiya 31:18-20.
Cabanga ngesikhathi uJeremiya asho ngaso la mazwi. Ngo-740 B.C.E., emashumini eminyaka ngaphambi kosuku lukaJeremiya, uJehova wavumela ukuba izizwe eziyishumi zombuso wakwa-Israyeli zithunjwe abase-Asiriya.a UNkulunkulu wavumela le nhlekelele ukuze ajezise abantu bakhe abase bengene shí esonweni, benqaba ukulalela izixwayiso eziphindaphindiwe zabaprofethi bakhe. (2 AmaKhosi 17:5-18) Ingabe abantu base beyishintshile indlela yabo yokucabanga ngenxa yobunzima ababhekana nabo ekudingisweni, ngesikhathi behlukaniswe noNkulunkulu wabo futhi bekude nezwe lakubo? Ingabe uJehova wayesekhohlwe ngokuphelele ngabo? Wayesayophinde abamukele yini?
“Ngazisola”
Abantu basanguluka lapho bethunjiwe futhi bashukumiseleka ukuba baphenduke. UJehova wakuqaphela ukuphenduka kwabo okusuka enhliziyweni. Lalela njengoba uJehova echaza isimo sengqondo nemizwa yama-Israyeli adingisiwe, awabiza ngokuthi u-Efrayimi.
“Impela ngimzwile u-Efrayimi ezikhalela,” kusho uJehova. (Ivesi 18) Wawezwa ama-Israyeli njengoba ayekhala ngenxa yemiphumela yenkambo yawo yesono. Esinye isazi sithi igama elithi “ezikhalela” lingasho “ukuqhaqhazela noma ukudledlezela.” Babefana nendodana enikina ikhanda ngokuzisola njengoba ibona ukuthi izifake otakwini futhi isifuna ukubuyela ekuphileni eyayikuphila ekhaya. (Luka 15:11-17) Babethini abantu?
“Ungiqondisile . . . njengethole elingaqeqeshiwe.” (Ivesi 18) Abantu bavuma ukuthi badinga iseluleko. Empeleni, babefana nethole elingaqeqeshiwe. Esinye isikhombo sithi lesi sifaniso singase sisho ukuthi babefana nethole ebelingeke “libuzwe ubuhlungu bezinkandi ukube alizange lidlubulunde ejokeni.”
“Nginqande, futhi ngizobuya ngokushesha, ngoba wena unguJehova uNkulunkulu wami.” (Ivesi 18) Abantu babiza uNkulunkulu ngezinhliziyo ezithobekile. Babeduke enkambweni yesono, kodwa manje base becela usizo ukuze babuye bathole umusa wakhe. Enye inguqulo ithi: “Wena unguNkulunkulu wethu—sicela usivumele sibuye ekhaya.”—Contemporary English Version.
“Ngazisola. . . . Ngaba namahloni, futhi ngazizwa ngilulazekile.” (Ivesi 19) Abantu babedabukile ngenxa yokuthi bonile. Bakwamukela ukuthi banephutha futhi balivuma icala labo. Bazisola bazizwa bephoxekile futhi bedumele.—Luka 15:18, 19, 21.
Ama-Israyeli aphenduka. Agcwala usizi, avuma izono zawo kuNkulunkulu futhi abuya ezindleleni zawo ezimbi. Ingabe ukuphenduka kwawo kwakuyokwenza uNkulunkulu awaxolele? Ingabe wayezowavumela ukuba abuyele ekhaya?
“Nakanjani Ngiyomhawukela”
UJehova wayenesibopho esikhethekile nama-Israyeli. Wathi: “Ngibé uBaba ku-Israyeli; futhi u-Efrayimi yena, uyizibulo lami.” (Jeremiya 31:9) Ubaba onothando angenqaba kanjani ukwamukela indodana yakhe ezisola ngobuqotho? Qaphela indlela uJehova abonisa ngayo imizwa yakhe njengoBaba kubantu bakhe.
“Ingabe u-Efrayimi uyindodana eyigugu kimi, noma ungumntwana ophathwa ngothando? Ngoba izinga engikhuluma ngalo ngokumelene naye yizinga engizobuye ngimkhumbule ngalo nakanjani.” (Ivesi 20) Yeka imfudumalo etholakala kulawo mazwi! Njengomzali oqinile kodwa onothando, uNkulunkulu wayebophekile ukuba ‘ayale’ izingane zakhe, azixwayise ngokuphindaphindiwe ngezindlela zazo zesono. Lapho zenqaba ngenkani ukulalela, waziyeka zadingiswa—eziyeka zihambe ekhaya. Nakuba kwadingeka ukuba azijezise, akazange azikhohlwe. Wayengasoze akwenza lokho. Ubaba onothando akazikhohlwa izingane zakhe. Nokho, uJehova wazizwa kanjani lapho ebona ukuphenduka okuqotho ezinganeni zakhe?
“Amathumbu ami eye ahlokoma ngenxa yakhe.b Nakanjani ngiyomhawukela.” (Ivesi 20) UJehova wayekulangazelela ngempela ukusiza abantabakhe. Ukuphenduka kwabo okuqotho kwayithinta inhliziyo yakhe, futhi wayelangazelela ngokujulile ukuba babuyele kuye. Njengobaba osemfanekisweni kaJesu wendodana yolahleko, uJehova “waba nesihawu” futhi walangazelela ukwamukela izingane zakhe ekhaya.—Luka 15:20.
“Jehova Ngivumele Ngibuye Ekhaya!”
Amazwi akuJeremiya 31:18-20 asibonisa ububele nesihe sikaJehova. UNkulunkulu akabakhohlwa labo abake bamkhonza. Kuthiwani uma abanjalo befuna ukubuyela kuye? UNkulunkulu “ukulungele ukuthethelela.” (IHubo 86:5) Akasoze abadedisela kude labo abeza kuye nezinhliziyo eziphendukile. (IHubo 51:17) Kunalokho, ujabulela ukubamukela ekhaya.—Luka 15:22-24.
Owesifazane okukhulunywe ngaye esethulweni wathatha isinyathelo sokubuyela kuJehova ngokuya ebandleni loFakazi BakaJehova langakubo. Ekuqaleni kwadingeka anqobe imizwa ephambene ayenayo. Uyakhumbula: “Ngangizizwa ngingento yalutho.” Kodwa abadala bebandla bangikhuthaza futhi bangisiza ukuba ngibuye ngithole amandla angokomoya. Ngenhliziyo ephuphuma ukwazisa uthi: “Akuve kumangalisa ukuthi uJehova ungivumele ukuba ngibuye ekhaya!”
Uma wake wakhonza uJehova futhi ucabanga ukubuye umkhonze, sikumema ukuba uye ebandleni loFakazi BakaJehova langakini. Khumbula ukuthi uJehova usabela ngobubele nangesihe kulabo abaphendukayo abathi kuye: “Sicela usivumele sibuye ekhaya.”
Izahluko zeBhayibheli ongazifunda ngo-April:
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Emakhulwini eminyaka ngaphambili, ngo-997 B.C.E., ama-Israyeli ahlukana aba imibuso emibili. Omunye kwakungumbuso wakwaJuda oseningizimu wezizwe ezimbili. Omunye kungowakwa-Israyeli wezizwe eziyishumi, obuye ubizwe ngokuthi u-Efrayimi ngoba iningi lalivela kuleso sizwe.
b Ikhuluma ngalo mfanekiso wokuhlokoma kwamathumbu, enye incwadi yeziqondiso zabahumushi beBhayibheli iyachaza: “KumaJuda, ingaphakathi lomzimba laliyindawo yemizwelo.”