Chapter 12

Uphawulelwe Ukubhujiswa Noma Ukusinda?

 1. Imiphi imibuzo lesifundo esisikhuthaza ukuba siyicabangele?

ISIMO esingokwenkolo esikhona namuhla sifuna ukuba sibonise ukuthi yini ngempela esezinhliziyweni zethu. Ingabe simthanda ngempela uJehova nezindlela zakhe? Ingabe sinjengeNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, leyo okwathiwa kuyo: “Uthandile ukulunga, wazonda ububi”? (Heberu 1:9) Ingabe sizimisele ukukubonakalisa ngokusobala lokhu ukuze abanye bazi lapho simi khona? Umbhalo weBhayibheli ngokuqondene noJehu noJehonadaba indodana kaRekabi uyasisiza ukuba sihlole isimo sethu.

 2. Kwakungobani uJehu noJehonadaba?

² Ekhulwini leshumi B.C.E., uJehu wagcotshwa ukuba abe yinkosi yombuso wezizwe eziyishumi zakwaIsrayeli, owawunenhloko-dolobha yawo eSamariya. Wathunywa ukuba abhubhise bonke ababengabendlu engcolile yeNkosi uAhabi, kuhlanganise neNdlovukazi uIzebeli, owayekhuthaze ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kwaIsrayeli futhi wazama ukucisha ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova. UJehonadaba, umKheni (ngakho-ke, owayengeyena umIsrayeli), ngokungangabazeki wayesazi isimiso sikaJehu sokubhubhisa uma ehamba eyohlangabeza uJehu. Kodwa lwalujule kangakanani uthando lukaJehonadaba ngoJehova? Ingabe wayengazibonakalisa obala njengalowo okholelwa ngokuqinile ukuthi uJehova kuphela, uNkulunkulu weqiniso, okumelwe akhulekelwe?

‘INHLIZIYO YAKHO ILUNGELENE NEYAMI?’

 3. UJehonadaba wenza kanjani ukuba isimo sakhe saziwe obala ngokuqondene nokukhulekela uJehova?

³ Ngemva kokuba lamadoda amabili esebingelelene, uJehu wafuna ukuba uJehonadaba abonise obala isimo sakhe. “Inhliziyo yakho ilungelene nenhliziyo yami,” kubuza uJehu, “njengeyami ilungelene neyakho na?” Ngaphandle kokungabaza uJehonadaba waphendula: “E.” “Uma kunjalo, nginike isandla sakho,” kuphendula uJehu. Ngakho wakhwelisa uJehonadaba enqoleni yakhe wayesethi: “Hamba nami, ubone ukushisekela kwami uJehova.” UJehonadaba akazange ahlehlele emuva ngokwesaba.—2 AmaKhosi 10:15, 16; bheka uDuteronomi 6:13-15.

 4, 5. (a) Iyiphi indlela uJehu enza ngayo ukuba abakhulekeli bakaBali bazehlukanise? (b) Wabe esethatha siphi isinyathelo uJehu, futhi wayekuphi uJehonadaba? (c) Kukuthinta kanjani wena lokho kubhujiswa kwabakhulekeli bakaBali?

⁴ Ekufikeni eSamariya, uJehu wathatha izinyathelo ezaziyodinga ukuba bonke abakhulekeli bakaBali bazibonakalise. Abaprofethi, abapristi nabo bonke abakhulekeli bakaBali babizelwa umhlatshelo omkhulu endlini kaBali. Baziswa ukuthi noma ubani ohlulekayo ukufika wayezolahlekelwa ukuphila kwakhe. UJehu wayala ukuba bonke abakhulekeli bakaBali bakhishelwe izambatho ukuze babonakale kalula. Noma ibaphi ababethi bakhulekela noJehova futhi ngaleyondlela benziwa babonisa ukuthi ubani ababemkhonza ngempela. Kwabonakala kuyisikhathi esikhazimulayo kuBali noSathane uDeveli, unkulunkulu wamanga uBali ayemmelele.

⁵ Lena kwakungeyona neze indawo yabakhulekeli beqiniso bakaJehova. Kwacingwa ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuba kube abakhulekeli bakaBali kuphela ababekhona. Babe sebeqhubeka-ke neminikelo yabo. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ngaphandle, abantu bakaJehu babezilungiselele, futhi lapho ebanikeza uphawu bawuqala umsebenzi. “Nibabulale, kungaphumi-muntu,” ebayala. Bonke abakhulekeli bakaBali babhujiswa. Indlu kaBali yadilizwa. “UJehu wamchitha-ke uBali kwaIsrayeli.” UJehonadaba wayeseceleni kukaJehu ukuze abone lezozenzakalo. (2 AmaKhosi 10:18-28) Wena ngokwakho kukuthinta kanjani lokho okwenzeka? Nakuba engekho kithina ojabulela ukufa kwabanye, ngisho nokwabantu ababi, ingabe siyabona ukuthi kungani kwakudingekile nokuthi kungani salotshelwa khona eBhayibhelini ukuze sikufunde namuhla?—Qhathanisa noHezekeli 33:11.

 6. (a) IBabiloni Elikhulu liyobhujiswa kanjani? (b) Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu wabonisa kanjani ukuthi wayeshisekela uJehova?

⁶ Lomlando awusinikezi igunya lokubhubhisa izakhiwo ezingezamaqembu enkolo noma abantu abazinikele ekukhulekeleni kwamanga. UJehova akamisanga ofakazi bakhe banamuhla, kodwa uJesu Kristu okhazinyulisiwe, njengoJehu oMkhulu, ukuba akhiphe izahlulelo zaKhe zokulunga. Ngokuvumela imibuso yezombangazwe ehlangene ukuba ibonise inzondo yayo ngeBabiloni Elikhulu, iNkosi yasezulwini iyoletha incithakalo yombuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga. (IsAmbulo 6:2; 17:16; 19:1, 2) Ngesikhathi esemhlabeni, uJesu wenqaba ukwenza ngisho nesenzo esisodwa sokukhulekela esasiyodumisa uDeveli. Wakusola ukubekwa eceleni kweZwi likaNkulunkulu ngenxa yamasiko abantu nokusebenzisa ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu ngezinzuzo zezentengiselwano. Wayemshisekela uJehova.—Luka 4:5-8; Mathewu 15:3-9; 21:12, 13.

 7. (a) Ibuphi obunye ubufakazi banamuhla bokukhulekelwa kukaBali? (b) Kungani uKristu njengeNkosi eye wabekezelela lezizinto?

⁷ Kungani-ke, uKristu, manje osebusa phakathi kwezitha zakhe, evumele ukukhonzwa kukaBali kwanamuhla kubonakale kuchuma? Kungani kubonakala evumela abantu bangajeziswa uma bedumisa unkulunkulu walesimiso sezinto ngokugudluzela eceleni izimfuneko zikaJehova? Kungani ebekezelela ukwenza kwabo njengokungathi uNkulunkulu akanandaba nokuziphatha kwabo okubi kobulili, ukuphakamisa kwabo indlela yokuphila yokuthanda izinto ezibonakalayo, ukuhileleka kwabo emikhubeni yemimoya kodwa bebe bethi bangamaKristu, nokufundisa kwabo izimfundiso zobuBabiloni njengokungathi ziyizwi likaNkulunkulu? Isenzakalo sesikhathi esidlule siyabonisa ukuthi lokhu kuwukuvivinya abantu, ukuba babonakalise ngokusobala ukuthi bakhulekela bani, kubonakale-ke noma bafanelwe ukulondolozwa noma ukubhujiswa.

 8. Imiphi imibuzo engathi sína esidinga ukuzibuza yona?

⁸ Iyiphi inkambo oye wayikhetha? Ingabe uye walahla yonke imikhuba engase ikuhlanganise nomkhulekeli kaBali wanamuhla? Ingabe uye wazehlukanisa nezwe futhi wama njengomkhulekeli weqiniso kaJehova?—2 Korinte 6:17.

 9. (a) Uma sinjengoJehonadaba ngempela, yini esiyobe siyenza? (b) Imibhalo ekhonjiwe ikugcizelela kanjani ukubaluleka kwalezizinto?

⁹ UJehonadaba, njengomkhulekeli kaJehova owayengeyena umIsrayeli, wafanekisela “ezinye izimvu” manje eziqoqelwa ndawonye ngethemba lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni. Ingabe ubonakalisa umoya kaJehonadaba? Ingabe uzimisele ukuzibonakalisa obala njengohambisana noJehu oMkhulu nabalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe emhlabeni abamemezela “usuku lokuphindisela lukaNkulunkulu wethu” olusondelayo? Ingabe uyahlanganyela nabo kulowomsebenzi ophuthumayo? (Isaya 61:1, 2; Luka 9:26; Zakariya 8:23) Ingabe uzinikele ngokuphelele kuJehova, ungavumeli lutho ukuba luthathe indawo anayo enhliziyweni yakho? (Mathewu 6:24; 1 Johane 2:15-17) Ingabe ukuphila kwakho kubonisa ukuthi ubuhlobo bakho naye buyimfuyo eyigugu kakhulu kuwe, ukuthi konke okunye kwakhelwe kukho?—IHubo 37:4; IzAga 3:1-6.

INGABE UNALO UPHAWU?

10. IBhayibheli libonisa kanjani ukuthi abakhulekeli bakaJehova kuphela abayosinda?

¹⁰ Kungaba iphutha elingathi sína ukuphetha ngokuthi, uma umuntu ezama ukuphila “ukuphila okuhle” futhi uma egwema izinkolo ezenza izinto ezilahlwa ngokusobala yiZwi likaNkulunkulu, akudingeki lutho olunye kuye. Bonke abanethemba lokusindela ‘emhlabeni omusha’ kumelwe futhi baziwe ngokungangabazeki njengezikhonzi zikaJehova. (IsAmbulo 14:6, 7; IHubo 37:34; Joweli 2:32) Lesigijimi sivezwe embonweni owanikezwa umprofethi uHezekeli ngaphambi kokubhujiswa kweJerusalema ngo-607 B.C.E.

11. (a) Chaza umbono olotshwe kuHezekeli 9:1-11. (b) Yayiyini indlela yokusinda?

¹¹ UHezekeli wezwa uJehova ethuma labo ababemiselwe ukubhubhisa iJerusalema elingathembekile nezakhamuzi zalo. Wabona amadoda ayisithupha ehlome ngezikhali zokubulala, kwakunenye indoda futhi embethe ilineni, inophondo lukayinki lomlobi okhalweni lwayo. Okokuqala uJehova wathi kulendoda embethe ilineni: “Dabula emzini, phakathi kweJerusalema, ubeke uphawu emabunzini abantu ababubula bekhala ngazo zonke izinengiso ezenziwa phakathi kwalo.” Khona-ke kulawa amanye ayisithupha wathi: “Dabulani emzini emva kwayo, nibulale, iso lenu lingahawukeli, ningabi nabubele, nibulale nichithe amaxhegu, nezinsizwa, nezintombi, nezingane, nabesifazane, ningasondeli kodwa kumuntu okukuye uphawu, niqale endlini yami engcwele.” UHezekeli wabona embonweni imbubhiso eyalandela—yayinkulu kangangokuthi kwabonakala sengathi wonke uIsrayeli owayesezweni wayebhujiswa. (Hezekeli 9:1-11) Yayiyini indlela yokusinda? Kwakuwuphawu olwalubekwe ebunzini yindoda eyayinophondo lukayinki lomlobi.

12. (a) Iziphi izinto ezenyanyekayo abaphawuliweyo ‘ababebubula bekhala’ ngenxa yazo? (b) Kungani uJehova ayecasulwa izinto ezinjalo?

¹² Kuphela abantu “ababubula bekhala ngazo zonke izinengiso” ezenziwa eJerusalema ababephawulelwe ukusinda. Zaziyini ‘lezozinengiso’? Ziyisihlanu ezibekiwe: (1) ‘Isithombe somhawu’ esangweni legceke elingaphakathi lethempeli likaJehova. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sasiluhlobo luni, lesithombe sasinikezwa ukuzinikezela amaIsrayeli okwakumelwe akunike uJehova. (1 AmaKhosi 14:22-24) (2) Imidwebo yasodongeni yezilwanyana ezinwabuzelayo nezilwane, kushiswa impepho phambi kwazo khona kanye ethempelini. (3) Abesifazane belilela ukufa kukankulunkulu uTamuzi, okwakungelinye igama likaNimrode, owahlubuka uJehova. (Genesise 10:9) (4) Amadoda ayebonisa ukwedelela okusobala ngokufulathela ithempeli likaJehova ekhothamela ilanga. (Duteronomi 4:15-19) (5) Njengendelelo yokugcina, abantu abagcwalisa izwe ngobudlova futhi bephethe “amagatsha,” ngokunokwenzeka isifanekiso sobulili, bekubeka ekhaleni likaJehova. Ungabona-ke yini ukuthi kungani uJehova ayebacasukele?—Hezekeli 8:5-17.

13. (a) Khulumela ngamunye ngesikhathi wemikhuba yosuku lwanamuhla efana nalezozinto “ezinyanyekayo.” (b) Uzizwa kanjani ngalemikhuba?

¹³ Wena ngokwakho ikuthinta kanjani imikhuba yanamuhla yeLobukholwa efana ‘nalezizinengiso’? (1) Kwamaningi amasonto alo kunezithombe abantu abazikhulekelayo, nakuba iBhayibheli lixwayisa ngokwenza kanjalo. (1 Korinte 10:14; qhathanisa nawesi-2 AmaKhosi 17:40, 41.) (2) Lihambisana nokuthambekela kwabantu kokuthi umuntu wavela ezilwaneni kunokuba kuthiwe wadalwa uNkulunkulu; futhi lihlanganyela ekuboniseni ukuzinikezela phambi kwemifanekiso yezilwane nezinyoni esetshenziselwa izimpawu zobuzwe. (3) Ekukhulekeleni kwalo ligqamisa isiphambano, leso endulo esasiwuphawu lwenkolo lukaTamuzi, futhi lihlanganyela emikhosini yokukhalela labo abaye bafa ezimpini zokuchitha igazi ezibonisa umoya kaNimrode. (Kodwa bheka uJohane 17:16, 17.) (4) Lifulathela lokho uNkulunkulu akushoyo ngeZwi lakhe, futhi kunalokho, likhetha ‘ukukhanyiselwa’ okunikezwa isayensi yanamuhla nokuhlakanipha kwabantu. (1 Thimothewu 6:20, 21; qhathanisa noJeremiya 2:13.) (5) Njengokungathi lokho akwanele, livumela ukuvukela imibuso ezindaweni ezithile futhi likubheka ngokukuvumela ukuziphatha okubi kobulili, kodwa libe lithi likhuluma ngegama likaNkulunkulu. (2 Petru 2:1, 2) Abanye abantu babheka lokhu kuthambekela njengokunengqondo. Bangase bangavumelani nakho konke, kodwa bangahlanganyela kokunye noma okungenani bavumelane nakho. Uzizwa kanjani ngemikhuba enjalo ehlambalaza uNkulunkulu eyenza abantu bafulathele uMdali wesintu?

14. Iqiniso lokuthi umuntu udunyazwe ngamasonto kungani lingasho ngokudingekile ukuthi uyosinda?

¹⁴ Abantu abaningi abadumazile amasonto futhi abasayi kuwo. Bangase futhi baphazamiseke kakhulu ngobudlova nokungathembeki okusezweni. Kodwa lokho akusho ngokudingekile ukuthi baphawulelwe ukusinda. Kumelwe baphawulwe ‘indoda enophondo lukayinki womlobi.’ Amaqiniso abonisa ukuthi isigaba ‘senceku ethembekileyo neqondayo’ senza lowomsebenzi wokubeka uphawu namuhla.—Mathewu 24:45-47.

15. (a) Luyini uphawu? (b) Umuntu uluthola kanjani?

¹⁵ Bonke abafuna ukuphawulwa njengabavunyelwe uNkulunkulu kumelwe bamukele ukufundiswa lokho uJehova akunikeza ngesigaba ‘senceku’ babe abakhulekeli beqiniso bakaJehova. Akumelwe babe abantu abadumisa uJehova ngemilomo yabo kodwa eqinisweni abathanda izindlela zezwe. (Isaya 29:13, 14; 1 Johane 2:15) Kumelwe bathande uJehova nezindinganiso zakhe futhi bazizwe belusizi enhliziyweni, ‘bakhale babubule,’ ngenxa yezimfundiso nemikhuba emhlambalazayo. Akekho oyobeka uphawu loqobo lukayinki emabunzini abo. Kodwa uma benophawu olungokomfanekiso, kuyoba sobala kubo bonke ukuthi, njengamaKristu azinikezele nabhapathiziwe, baye bambatha “umuntu omusha” ochazwe kwabase-Efesu 4:24. Banokholo oluphilayo. Obala nangasese bazama ukwenza okuyodumisa uJehova. Hhayi nje kuphela abantu abaye baphuma kweLobukholwa, kodwa bonke abanethemba lokusindela “emhlabeni omusha” njengabangane besigaba esigcotshiwe kumelwe babe naloluphawu, kungakhathaliseki isizinda sabo.

16. Kungani lombono ubaluleke ngokukhethekile kubantwana nabazali babo?

¹⁶ Okuphawuleka ngokukhethekile iqiniso lokuthi ababulali bakaJehova batshelwa ukuthi ubudala, ubulili, ukungashadi noma ubuhlobo bomshado babungesona isizathu sokusindisa isoni kuJehova. Umuntu oshadile ngamunye kumelwe abe nophawu lwakhe ukuze asinde. Uma abazali bengafuni ukuba abantwana babo baphawulwe noma uma behluleka ukubakhulisa njengezinceku zikaJehova, kumelwe bathwale icala lalokho okuyokwenzeka kulabo bantwana. Nakuba abantwana abalalelayo babazali abesaba uNkulunkulu bebhekwa ‘njengabangcwele’ uJehova, akunjalo ngabahlubukayo. (1 Korinte 7:14; IHubo 102:28; IzAga 20:11; 30:17) Uma abantwana sebebadala ngokwanele ukuba babe amaKristu abhapathiziwe kodwa bengafuni ukuphila ngokwezimfuneko, kungakhathaliseki noma babhapathiziwe noma cha, ubudala babo ngeke busho ukuthi bayosindiswa. Yeka-ke ukuthi kubaluleke kanjani, ukuba ngamunye onobudala obufanele, aphawulwe ngokukhanyayo njengomuntu ozinikezele kuNkulunkulu nowenza intando yakhe!

17. Yini esiye sayifunda lapha ngokuqondene nesihe sikaJehova?

¹⁷ UJehova uye wabonisa isihe esikhulu ngesintu ngokuthumela ofakazi bakhe ukuba basixwayise ngembubhiso ezayo futhi babonise indlela yokusinda. Kodwa uwazi kahle umbhalo wenkolo yamanga nesithelo esonakele eye yasiveza. Uma iBabiloni Elikhulu selibhujiswa, akukho sihe esiyoboniswa kunoma ibaphi abanamathela kulo. Ukuze sisinde kokuzayo ukukhishwa kwesahlulelo saphezulu, kumelwe sihambe ezinyathelweni zikaJesu Kristu njengabakhulekeli beqiniso bakaJehova, uMdali wezulu nomhlaba.

[Izithombe ekhasini 95]

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