Ingabe Ikhona Inzuzo Ekuhluphekeni?

LAPHO bebhekene nokuhlupheka okukhulu, abantu abaningi baba lusizi. Abanye abadlula kokuhlangenwe nakho okufanayo noma ngisho nokubi kakhulu baba nozwela futhi babe nothando ngokwengeziwe emizweni yabo ngabantu abaphila nabo. Ngokufanayo, kunalabo abaphika khona kanye ukuba khona kukaNkulunkulu lapho bengaphansi kobunzima obuqhubekayo, kulapho abanye bedlula ezilingweni ezinzima benokholo olungazanyazanyiswa kuMninimandla onke. Kungani kunjalo?

Ngokuvamile abantu baba lusizi futhi balahlekelwe ukholo ngoba bazibheka njengababaluleke kakhulu futhi bayehluleka ukuqaphela ukuthi bangabantu abanesono abaphila ezweni elingayinaki imithetho kaNkulunkulu. Besulela ngokuyiphutha izinto ezimbi kuMninimandla onke okumelwe kusolwe abantu ngazo. Nokho, abafundi lutho olunenzuzo ngobunzima, futhi ngemva kokuthola ukukhululeka, bangase babonise ngisho nezici ezingathandeki ezengeziwe zobuntu kunanjengoba babenza ngaphambili.

Ukuze lokhu kungenzeki kithi, kumelwe siqiniseke ukuthi siyazuza kunoma yini engase isehlele. Lokhu kudinga ukuba sibe nombono oqondile ngokuhlupheka komuntu. Incwadi yeBhayibheli yesiLilo isiza kakhulu ekubhekeni lendaba ngombono oqondile.

Londoloza Ithemba

Incwadi ngokwayo iqukethe izinkondlo ezinhlanu ezililela noma ezikhalela iJerusalema ngembubhiso esabekayo eyalehlela ezandleni zabaseBabiloni. Kweyesithathu yalezinkondlo, umprofethi uJeremiya, eqhutshwa ngumoya kaNkulunkulu, uthulula imizwa yakhe enamandla, uyidlulisela kuso sonke isizwe ngaphansi kwesimo somuntu. (IsiLilo 3:1) Nakuba uJeremiya ahlupheka naso sonke isizwe, lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho akuzange kumphathe kabi. Walindela ngethemba isikhathi lapho umusa kaNkulunkulu wawuyobuyela kubantu baKhe, futhi wakwemukela lokho okwehlela isizwe njengesijeziso esiqondile sesahlulelo saphezulu.

Ithemba lokukhululwa esikhathini esizayo lamqinisa uJeremiya. Siyafunda: “Ngaphandle kokwehluleka umphefumulo wakho [uJehova ngokwakhe] uzongikhumbula futhi ungithobele. Yilokhu engizokubuyisela enhliziyweni yami. Kungakho ngizobonisa isimo sokulinda.” (IsiLilo 3:20, 21, NW) Kwakungekho kungabaza engqondweni kaJeremiya ukuthi ekugcineni uJehova wayezobabheka ngOmusa abantu baKhe abaphendukile. Iqiniso, babeye bathotshiswa kakhulu ngokunqotshwa okuphelele. Kodwa, ngomqondo ongokomfanekiso, uJehova wayezokwehla endaweni yakhe ephakeme yasezulwini, abatakule esimweni sabo esihlazisayo. Enalomqondo, uJeremiya wayengaduduza inhliziyo yakhe futhi alinde ngokubekezela kuze kube yilapho uJehova ethatha isinyathelo ngenxa yabantu baKhe abaphendukile.

Ngakho-ke, lapho singaphansi kokuhlangenwe nakho okulusizi, akumelwe silahle ithemba. Kumelwe sikhumbule iqiniso lokuthi izilingo zinesiqalo futhi zine siphetho. OPhezukonke ngeke neze avumele izinceku zakhe ezithembekile zihlupheke ngokungenamkhawulo kanye nalabo abangebona abantu bakhe abazinikele. Kungakho nje kumelwe silinde ngokubekezela kuze kube yilapho uJehova eletha ukukhululeka okuthile.

Lona kanye iqiniso lokuthi umuntu usaphila kumelwe limnikeze isizathu sethemba. Emuva esikhathini sikaJeremiya, umuzi waseJerusalema nezwe lakwaJuda kwenziwa incithakalo, futhi amaIsrayeli amaningi abhubha. Nalapha, babekhona abasinda. Lokhu kwanikeza isiqinisekiso somusa kaNkulunkulu oqhubekayo ngakubantu bakhe. Siyafunda: “Ngumusa kaJehova ukuthi asiqediwe, ngokuba ububele bakhe abupheli. Busha ekuseni njalo; ukuthembeka kwakho kukhulu. UJehova uyisabelo sami, usho umphefumulo wami; ngakho ngiyakwethemba kuye.”—IsiLilo 3:22-24.

Uma kwakungewona umusa kaNkulunkulu wothando, ukukhathalela kwakhe kwesihawu ngabantu bakhe, kwakungeke kube khona abasinda phakathi kwamaIsrayeli. Kodwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wabonisa umusa. Ngakho ukubonisa kwakhe umusa kwakuyoqhubeka kugelezela kubantu bakhe, kwenziwa busha njalo ekuseni. Iqiniso lokuthi ukwethembeka kukaJehova kuningi kwaqinisekisa ukuthi kwakungathenjelwa emseni wakhe. Wawuyoba khona njalo, ungabi buthakathaka noma ungasizi lutho. Njengoba oPhezukonke ashiyela abantu bakhe isabelo, noma ifa, kwakunesizathu esihle ngabo sokuba baqhubeke belindele ukuguquka kwezimo ezivivinyayo lezo ayezivumele ukuba zibe khona ngenxa yokungathembeki kwabo.

Indlela Yokulinda Ngokubekezela

Kubonakala ngani ukulinda okunjalo? Incwadi yesiLilo iyaphendula: “UJehova muhle kwabamethembayo, emphefumulweni omfunayo. Kuhle ukumethemba nokulindela ngokuthula ukusindisa kukaJehova. Kuhle kumuntu ukuba athwale ijoka ebusheni bakhe. Makahlale yedwa, athule, lapho emthwesa lona. Makabeke umlomo wakhe othulini; mhlawumbe kungaba-khona ithemba. Makanike isihlathi sakhe komshayayo, asuthe ngenhlamba.”—IsiLilo 3:25-30.

Phawula ukuthi phakathi nalesikhathi sokuhlupheka, umuntu kumelwe aqhubeke ebheka ngethemba kuNkulunkulu ukuze athole ukukhululwa futhi asondele eduze kwakhe. Umuntu kumelwe afune ukubekezela, alinde ethule noma ngaphandle kokukhononda kuze kube yilapho uMninimandla onke eselethe inkululeko, noma insindiso. Kuyinzuzo enkulu ngomuntu ukuba afunde kanjalo ukuthwala ijoka lokuhlupheka ebusheni. Ngani? Ngoba lenza kube lula ngokwengeziwe ngaye ukuba adlule kokuhlangenwe nakho okunjalo kamuva ekuphileni ngaphandle kokulahlekelwa ithemba. Azi ukuthi uye wadlula ebunzimeni obukhulu ngaphambili, unesisekelo sethemba lokuthi uzokwazi ukwenza kanjalo futhi.

Manje, uma umuntu ethwele ijoka lokuhlupheka, akumelwe ahambe ekhuluma ngokukhononda kwakhe. Cha, kumelwe ahlale yedwa, njengoba kwenza umuntu odabukile, ahlale athule. Kumelwe alale phansi, umlomo wakhe uthinte uthuli. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kumelwe azithobe ezilingweni uNkulunkulu amvumela ukuba azithwale, futhi kumelwe alindele ngethemba ukukhululwa okuzayo. Akumelwe avukele abashushisi bakhe kodwa kumelwe abekezelele ukuphathwa kabi ngokomzimba nokuthukwa. Lokhu kusikhumbuza indlela uJesu Kristu aziphatha ngayo. Umbhalo weBhayibheli uyabika: “Owathi ethukwa, akaphindisanga athuke; ehlushwa akasongelanga kepha wakunikela kuye owahlulela ngokulunga.”—1 Petru 2:23.

Elinye iphuzu elibalulekile okumelwe likhunjulwe lapho umuntu esekuhluphekeni liwukuthi uNkulunkulu akazivumeli izinto ezizondekayo abantu abangase bazenze. Nokho, oPhezukonke, uvumela izinto ezithile ukuba zenzeke enombono wenjongo enhle. Lokhu kubekwe kahle emazwini alandelayo encwadi yesiLilo: “Ngokuba uJehova akayikulahla kuze kube-phakade. Ngokuba noma edabukisile, uyakuhawukela nokho ngokobukhulu bomusa wakhe. Ngokuba akahluphi, angadabukisi abantwana babantu ngenxa yokuba ekuthanda. Ukuphahlaza phansi kwezinyawo zonke iziboshwa zasemhlabeni, nokuchezukisa imfanelo yomuntu phambi kobuso boPhezukonke, nokona umuntu ecaleni lakhe, iNkosi ayikuboni lokhu na?”—IsiLilo 3:31-36.

Endabeni yamaIsrayeli angathembekile, uJehova uNkulunkulu wawavumela ukuba adlule kokuhlangenwe nakho okubuhlungu ezandleni zabaseBabiloni. Wawaxosha kwaze kwaba sezingeni lokuwa vumela ukuba athunjwe. Nokho, lokhu wayekwenza enombono wenjongo enhle, okungukuthi, ukuveza insali ephendukile phakathi kwalawo asinda kanye nenzalo yawo. Kwakuyilensali uJehova ayengayibonisa umusa. UMninimandla onke wayengakujabuleli ukujezisa amaIsrayeli. Kwakungesona isifiso senhliziyo yakhe ukuwabangela ukuba adabuke futhi ezwe usizi ngokuwanikela ezandleni zezitha zawo. UJehova akazange akusekele ukuphathwa kabi ababekwenza kubantu bakhe. Akazange ababheke ngokubavumela abantu ababecindezela iziboshwa zempi, labo ababenqabela umuntu amalungelo akhe ayewanikwe uNkulunkulu, nalabo abenqaba ukwenza ukulunga emacaleni angokomthetho.

Ngokufanelekile, uma sihlushwa abantu, akumelwe sisole uNkulunkulu ngokungalungi okwenziwa abantu. OPhezukonke akakuvumeli ukucindezela kwabo nobudlova. Ekugcineni kuyodingeka baphendule kuye ngezenzo zabo ezingalungile.

Khona-ke, futhi, abantu bangase bazilethele ukuhlupheka. AmaIsrayeli angathembekile amfulathela uJehova uNkulunkulu, enqaba ukunakekela kwakhe okuyisivikelo. Khona-ke, ngokufanelekile, wawalahlela ezitheni zawo. Ngakho-ke aye ngenasisekelo sokukhononda ngo kuqondene nokwakuwehlele. Lokhu kugcizelelwa kulombuzo: “Ukhononelani umuntu ophilayo, umuntu ojeziswa ngezono zakhe, na?” (IsiLilo 3:39) Kunokukhononda, amaIsrayeli kwakumelwe abuyele kuJehova ngokuphenduka, anxuse umusa wakhe. Siyafunda: “Masiphenye, sicinge izindlela zethu, sibuyele kuJehova. Masiphakamise izinhliziyo zethu kanye nezandla zethu kuNkulunkulu ezulwini. Siphambukile, sahlubuka.”—IsiLilo 3:40-42.

Yebo, kwakungesona isikhathi sokusola nokukhononda. Kwakuyisikhathi sokubheka ngokunakekela izindlela zawo, inkambo yawo yokuphila noma yokuziphatha, futhi acabange lokho okwakuye kwaba umphumela. Kunokuqhubeka ezindleleni zawo siqu eziphume la ekulimaleni kwawo, kwakumelwe abuyele kuJehova futhi avumelane nemiyalo yakhe. Ukubonakala kwangaphandle kokuphenduka, ukuphakanyiswa nje kwezandla lapho ethandaza, kwakungenele. Ukuphenduka kwenhliziyo eziphambekweni kwakudingekile.

Ngakho lapho sihlupheka, kumelwe sibheke inkambo yethu yokuphila. Ingabe siye sazilethela izinkathazo ngokungawunaki umthetho kaNkulunkulu? Uma kunjalo, asinasisekelo sokusola oPhezukonke. Kunalokho, kumelwe sibonise ukuthi siye sazuza ngokujeziswa okubuhlungu ngokulahla inkambo engalungile futhi sibuyele kuNkulunkulu ngokuphenduka. Uma siye sazama ukuphila ukuphila okuqondile kodwa siqhubeke sihlupheka, akumelwe sikhohlwe ukuthi lokho abantu ababi abangase bakwenze kithi akukhona lokho uNkulunkulu akuvumelayo. Okwamanje, kumelwe sizithobe ezilingweni zethu, silinde ngokubekezela nangaphandle kokukhononda kuze kube yilapho uJehova uNkulunkulu eletha ukukhululeka. Uma sisebenzisa iseluleko seZwi likaNkulunkulu lapho sibhekene nokuhlupheka, siyozuza. Siyofunda ukubekezela, ukukhuthazela, nokwethembela ngokuphelele kuJehova. Asiyikuzilingisa neze izindlela ezizondekayo zabantu abacindezelayo, kodwa siyoqhubeka sinomusa futhi sinesihawu ngabantu esiphila nabo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

UJeremiya, owaqamba isiLilo, wayengabhala kokuhlangenwe nakho ngokuhlupheka