IGama Elikhulu Kunawo Wonke
“Uzakusho njalo kubo abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, uthi: UJehova, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, noNkulunkulu kalsaka, noNkulunkulu kaJakobe, ungithumile kini: yileli eliyigama lami kuze kube-phakade, lesi siyisikhumbuzo sami ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane.”—EKSODUSI 3:15.
1. Igama libaluleke ngani uma liqhathaniswa namanye amagama angase asetshenziswe ekuchazeni umuntu?
NGAMUNYE wethu unegama. Igama lethu lisichaza njengomuntu ohlukile. Ukuzwa igama lothile omenyanyayo kuveza imizwa emibi, kuyilapho igama lothile omthanda kakhulu lishukumisa imicabango emihle neyokujabula. Ngaphandle kwegama lakho, kunamanye amagama achaza izici ezincane zokuphila kwakho. Umuntu ofanayo angabizwa ngokuthi uProfesa, uBasi, uBaba noma uMkhulu, kuxhomeke ngokwezimo. Ngalinye lalamagama lingashukumisa imiqondo ehlukene ngomuntu, lidonsele ukunakekela ezicini ezihlukene zokuphila kwakhe. Kodwa igama lakhe lisikhumbuza ngobuntu bakhe bonke—zonke izici zakhe, konke esikwaziyo ngaye.
2, 3. Amagama esiwasebenzisayo ukuchaza uNkulunkulu angakuthonya kanjani ukucabanga kwethu ngaye?
2 Ingabe isimiso esifanayo siyasebenza ekucabangeni kwethu ngoNkulunkulu? Ingabe okungenani lokho ombiza ngakho kunethonya elithile embonweni wakho ngoMdali?
3 Amagama athi “uMdali” nelithi “uMninimandla onke” adonsela ukunakekela ezicini ezithile zomsebenzi wakhe. Elithi “Nkosi” libhekisela egunyeni lakhe. Elithi “Nkulunkulu” limchaza njengonezimfanelo kanye namandla angaphezu kwawomuntu. Umfundi wenguqulo yesiFulentshi kaSegond noDarby, obona igama likaNkulunkulu lishintshelwe kul’Éternel (Ongunaphakade) angaba nombono ohlukile ngoNkulunkulu kunomfundi weBhayibheli lesiNgisi elibahumushi balo baye bashintshela igama likaNkulunkulu kwelithi “NKOSI.” Ngakho, omunye umlobi wezenkolo wathi: “Ukwethulwa kwegama likaNkulunkulu siqu ekukhulekeleni kobuKristu nasesayensini yenkolo kwakungaba nemiphumela emangalisayo neyakhayo.”
4. (a) Yini engashiwo ngamagama ahlukene esiwasebenzisela ekukhulumeni ngoNkulunkulu? (b) Lisetshenziswa kangakanani igama lakhe emiBhalweni?
4 Amagama ahlukene achaza uNkulunkulu—iNkosi, uMninimandla onke, uMdali—alungile. Ayasetshenziswa eBhayibhelini. Nokho, kukhona igama elisetshenziswa iBhayibheli kaningi ngaphezu kwanoma iliphi kulawa. IGAMA likaNkulunkulu siqu futhi lelogama kufanele lisikhumbuze zonke izinto esizaziyo ngaye. Lelogama, elibizwa ngokuvamile namuhla ngokuthi Jehova, noma Yahweh, liyabonakala embhalweni weBhayibheli wakuqala ngaphezulu kakhulu kwanoma yiliphi elinye igama likaNkulunkulu. IComprehensive Concordance of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures inezinhlu ezingama-43 zemishwana yeBhayibheli lapho kuvela khona igama elithi “Nkulunkulu” noma “kaNkulunkulu,” kodwa izinhlu ezingama-77 zemishwana lapho kuvela igama elithi “Jehova” noma “kaJehova.”
5. (a) Yini uEksodusi 3:15 asitshela yona ngegama likaNkulunkulu? (b) Yini engashiwo ngokuphinyiselwa kuka“Jehova”?
5 Leligama alizange likhethwe ngabantu. IBhayibheli lithi uNkulunkulu owalikhetha, futhi wathi kufanele lisetshenziswe. Wathi: “Uzakusho njalo kubo abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, uthi: UJehova, uNkulunkulu wawoyihlo, uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama, noNkulunkulu kaIsaka, noNkulunkulu kaJakobe, ungithumile kini: yileli eliyigama lami kuze kube-phakade, lesi siyisikhumbuzo sami ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane.” (Eksodusi 3:15) Kungani iBhayibheli lesiZulu lisebenzisa igama elithi Jehova? Yingoba lena indlela evamile yokuphimisela igama likaNkulunkulu elivela izikhathi eziyizinkulungwane eBhayibhelini lakuqala lesiHeberu.
6. Iyini enye inzuzo yokusebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu?
6 Lapho iBhayibheli lisebenzisa igama likaNkulunkulu, lokhu kusisiza ukuba sicabange ngaye hhayi nje njengamandla, kodwa njengomuntu. Kusisiza ukuba sisondelane eduze naye. UNkulunkulu ubonakala ekude kubantu abaningi. Nokho umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Ingani kakude kulowo nalowo kithi.”—IzEnzo 17:27.
Ukusabela Kwakho Kuleligama
7, 8. Yikuphi ukusabela onakho wena ekuzweni igama elithi Jehova? Kungani?
7 Kuyini ukusabela kwakho lapho uzwa leligama elisetshenziswa iBhayibheli ngoNkulunkulu? Ingabe lishukumisa imicabango emibi, emihle, noma ejabulisayo? Ingabe uye wafundiswa ukuba usabele ngokungaqondile egameni uNkulunkulu athi kufanele aziwe ngalo, noma ingabe liveza umuzwa wokwazisa okuvela enhliziyweni, njengoba iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi lifanele lenze kanjalo?
8 Ukuzwa igama elithi Jehova kufanele kusenze sicabange ngoMdali wezulu nomhlaba. EsiHeberwini sakuqala, iBhayibheli lithi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu [Jehovah Elohim] wenza umhlaba nezulu.” Lithi futhi: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wambumba umuntu ngomhlabathi, waphefumlela emakhaleni akhe umoya wokuphila; umuntu waba-kanjalo umphefumulo ophilayo.” (Genesise 2:4, 7) Ngakho, uYena esimkweleta ukuphila kwethu. Ukudala kwakhe okwenza ukuba-khona kwakho kwenzeke. Ingabe leloqiniso lithinta ukusabela kwakho uma uzwa igama likaNkulunkulu?
9. Yini enye leligama okufanele lisikhumbuze yona?
9 Ngaphezu kokuba uMdali, unguMhlosi. Kukholelwa ukuthi igama elithi Jehova lisho ukuthi “Ubangela kube khona.” Uzibangela ukuba abe yinoma yini afuna ukuba yiyo, ukuze ngaphandle kokwehluleka, izinjongo zakhe kanye nezithembiso zifezwe.
10. Iyini incazelo kaEksodusi 6:3?
10 UJehova watshela uMose: “Ngabonakala kuAbrahama, nakulsaka, nakuJakobe njengoSomandla, kepha ngegama lami lokuthi u Jehova ngangingaziwa kubo.” (Eksodusi 6:3) Ingabe lokhu kwakusho ukuthi uAbrahama, ulsaka kanye noJakobe abazange bezwe ngaleligama? Akunjalo, kwakungenakusho lokho, ngoba uJehova wayesanda kutshela uMose ngaphambidlana ukuthi wayenguNkulunkulu walamadoda amathathu. (Eksodusi 3:15) Ngokungaphezulu, njengoba isihloko esingaphambili esithi “Ingabe Leligama Kufanele Lisetshenziswe?” (ikhasi 4) sibonisa, lezi zikhonzi ezithembekile zalisebenzisa ngokuqhubekayo lelogama. Kodwa lelogama lase lizokwembulwa ngendlela entsha. Ababengakwazi kwakuyincazelo enezelwe leligama elalizoba nayo lapho abantu sebebone isilinganiso uJehova ayezokwenza ngaso ukuba izithembiso zakhe nezinjongo zigcwaliseke.
11. AmaIsrayeli ayesezomazi kanjani uJehova ngomqondo ogcwele ngokwengeziwe kunowokhokho bawo?
11 Ziphi izinjongo? Kwakuseduze ukuba abantu babone Izinhlupheko Eziyishumi. Base beseduze nokuwela emhlabathini owomile oLwandle Olubomvu. Babezonikezwa uMthetho ngaphansi kwezimo ezesabisayo eNtabeni yaseSinayi. Babezovikelwa “ehlane elikhulu nelesabekayo” futhi bangeniswe eZweni leSithembiso.—Duteronomi 1:19; Eksodusi 6:7, 8; 14:21-25; 19:16-19.
Izenzo Zakhe Zothando
12, 13. Yiziphi ezinye zezinto iBhayibheli elisitshela ngazo ngezenzo zothando zikaJehova?
12 Yonke indaba yeBhayibheli ichaza uMdali. Ilandisa ngokuthembeka kwakhe, ubuqotho kanye nokulunga. IBhayibheli lithi: “UJehova muhle, ulungile.” Lithi: “Yeka ubukhulu bobuhle bakhe!” “Uyidwala, umsebenzi wakhe uphelele, ngokuba zonke izindlela zakhe zingukulunga; unguNkulunkulu wokwethembeka ongenakonakala; ulungile, uqotho yena.”—IHubo 25:8; Zakariya 9:17; Duteronomi 32:4.
13 IBhayibheli likhuluma ngoJehova njengeNkosi (IHubo 10:16; Daniyeli 4:34), uMahluleli (IHubo 50:6; 98:9), uBaba (Isaya 64:8; Mathewu 6:6-9), uMyeni (Isaya 54:5; Jeremiya 3:14), uMfundisi (IHubo 71:17; Isaya 50:4; 54:13) kanye noMsizi (IHubo 30:2; 115:9-13; 121:2). Igama lakhe lifanele lisikhumbuze ngezenzo zakhe zothando, iqiniso lokuthi uye wamisa izimiso ezifanelekile nokuthi unelungelo lokufuna ukulalela kanye nokuzinikezela kwezingane zakhe zasemhlabeni. ImiBhalo ithi: “UJehova uzazisile wahlulela.” “UJehova uyalondoloza bonke abamthandayo, kepha ababi bonke uyakubabhubhisa.”—IHubo 9:16; 145:20.
14. (a) Ababhali nabahlabeleli bamaHubo bakubonakalisa kanjani ukuthembela kwabo kuJehova? (b) IzAga zibonisani ngaye?
14 Leligama livela izikhathi ezingama-749 encwadini yeBhayibheli ephelele yamaHubo. AmaHubo noma amaculo okudumisa, ayehlatshelelwa abakhulekeli abajabulayo, “badumisa igama likaJehova” ethempelini laseJerusalema. (IHubo 122:1-4) Ababhali nabahlabeleli bamahubo babelazi igama likaJehova (IHubo 9:10), bathembela egameni lakhe (33:21), babebiza egameni lakhe (80:18; 105:1), balidumisa igama lakhe elingcwele (106:47), bafuna usizo egameni lakhe (124:8) futhi ngokuqhubekayo bephakamisa igama lakhe (68:4; 135:3). Igama lakhe lalingelona elifihlwayo kodwa elithandwayo. (IHubo 89:1; 92:1-5) Akukhona kuphela ukuthi uJehova wenza izenzo zothando ezidunyiswa kumaHubo kodwa waphefumlela ukuhlakanipha okulotshwe encwadini yeBhayibheli yezAga. Ithi: “Ngokuba uJehova uyanika ukuhlakanipha; emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma ukwazi nokuqonda.” (IzAga 2:6) Uma ngabe inguqulo yakho yeBhayibheli isebenzisa elithi “NKOSI” kulemibhalo, qiniseka ukuthi esiHeberwini sakuqala, igama likaNkulunkulu livela kuyo yonke.
15. (a) Yiziphi izehlakalo ezibalulekile okufanele igama likaJehova lisikhumbuze zona? (b) NgokukaDaniyeli 2:20, 21 no-4:17, yini esinikeza isisekelo sokudumisa igama likaJehova?
15 Leligama kufanele lisikhumbuze wonke umlando, isiprofetho, imithetho kanye nokuhlakanipha okubekwe kafuphi eBhayibhelini. UJehova wenza ukuba izenzakalo zomlando zenzeke ngendlela yokuthi iziprofetho zakhe zigcwaliseke eGibithe, eAsiriya, eBabiloni, kumaMede namaPeresiya, eGrisi naseRoma, futhi kwehle njalo kuze ekhulwini lethu lama-20 elinesiyaluyalu nangalé kwalo.—Daniyeli, izahluko 2, 7, 8.a
UJesu NeGama LikaYise
16. (a) Ukuhlala kukaJesu isikhashana emhlabeni kufanele kukuthonye kanjani ukwazisa kwethu ngoYise, uJehova uNkulunkulu? (b) UJesu wakwenza kanjani ngokukhethekile, ukuba igama likaYise laziwe?
16 Umuzwa ofudumele wokwazisa okufanele igama laphezulu elithi Jehova lisilethele wona kufanele uhlanganise okubaluleke ngisho nangaphezulu—ukuthi wathumela ngokuyisimangaliso emhlabeni “iZibulo” lakhe, “uLizwi,” owaba uJesu Kristu. (Heberu 1:6; Johane 1:1-3; Roma 5:6-8) Emthandazweni kuyise wasezulwini, uJesu wathi: “Ngibonakalisile igama lakho kubantu ongiphé bona kwabasezweni. . . . Ngibazisile igama lakho, ngizakubazisa lona.” (Johane 17:6, 26) Kwakungekhona ukuthi abalandeli bakhe babengalazi kakade igama likaNkulunkulu. Njengoba kubonisiwe esihlokweni esithi “IGama LikaNkulunkulu EmiBhalweni YamaKristu” (ikhasi 8), balibona leligama kokubili emiqulwini yabo yeBhayibheli lesiHeberu nasenguqulweni yeBhayibheli yesiGreki ababeyisebenzisa. Kodwa ngokomphumela wokufundisa kukaJesu, leligama lasho okwengeziwe—njengoba nje lalenzile ngokomphumela wezenzo zikaJehova emuva ngosuku lukaMose. Ngokuyisimangaliso uJesu wandisa ulwazi nokwazisa kwethu ngoJehova, ngobuntu bakhe kanye nezinjongo zakhe. Igama likaJehova silazi ngendlela ebanzi ngoJesu, owathi: “Imfundiso yami akusiyo eyami kodwa ngeyongithumileyo.” UJesu walungiselela isihlengo nendlela yokuya kuBaba. Khona-ke uJesu wathi: “Mina ngiyindlela neqiniso, nokuphila; akakho oza kuBaba ngaphandle kwami.”—Johane 7:16; 14:6.
17. Ikuphi ukusetshenziswa kwasezulwini kwegama likaNkulunkulu okwabikezelwa encwadini yesAmbulo?
17 Encwadini yeBhayibheli yesAmbulo, ebika umbono kaJohane wezehlakalo zesikhathi sethu, igama likaJehova lisadunyiswa. Lapho iBabiloni Elikhulu, umbuso wezwe wenkolo yamanga, selibhujisiwe, isixuku esikhulu ezulwini simemeza ngokujabula: “Haleluya! Insindiso, nenkazimulo, namandla ngokukaNkulunkulu wethu.” Ngakho-ke “ayesewa phansi amalunga angamashumi amabili nane kanye nezidalwa ezine, akhuleka kuNkulunkulu ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi, athi: Amen! Haleluya!” (IsAmbulo 19:1, 4) Kusho ukuthini ukuthi “Haleluya”? Siye sabona kakade, emuva ekhasini 4, ukuthi ‘uJah’ indlela emfushane esankondlo yelithi “Jehova.” Ngakho-ke, iThe Random House Dictionary of the English Language ithi elithi “Haleluya” livela kwelesiHeberu elisho ukuthi “Dumisani (nina) uJehova.” Ngakho uNkulunkulu ukhulekelwa ezulwini ngesimemezelo esithi: “Dumisani uJehova!”
Imisebenzi Emangalisayo
18. Ukwazi izinto uJehova aye wazenza “ngenxa yegama lakhe” kusisiza ukuba saziseni?
18 Igama likaNkulunkulu kufanele lisetshenziswe. Lifanele lisikhumbuze ngemisebenzi yakhe kanye nomusa wakhe wothando. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi wenza lezizinto ezinkulu “ngenxa yegama lakhe ukuze abonakalise amandla akhe.” (IHubo 106:8) Imisebenzi emangalisayo ayenza “ngenxa yegama lakhe” ayizange yenziwe ngenxa yokuzikhukhumeza kodwa ukuze isisize sazise ukuthi unguNkulunkulu, ukuthi unelungelo lokusitshela ukuthi senzeni, nokuthi singaba nokuqiniseka okuphelele ekufezweni kwezithembiso zakhe. (1 Samuweli 12:22) Ngakho wathi: “Khumbulani izinto zakuqala zamandulo, ngokuba nginguNkulunkulu, akakho onjengami, engimemezela ngaphambili okuyakuza, nasendulo izinto ezingakenziwa, ngokuthi: Icebo lami liyakuma, ngiyakwenza yonke intando yami, mina engibiza inqe empumalanga nomuntu wecebo lami ezweni elikude; yebo, ngikhulumile, ngiyakukufikisa; nginqumile, ngiyakukwenza.”—Isaya 46:9-11.
19. Imaphi amazwi uJoshuwa awasho ngokuthembeka kweZwi likaNkulunkulu?
19 Emakhulwini angaphambili uJoshuwa wayekhumbuze amaIsrayeli: “Niyazi ezinhliziyweni zenu zonke nasemiphefumulweni yenu yonke ukuthi akuphuthanga nento eyodwa kuzo zonke izinto ezinhle azikhuluma uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ngani; kwenziwa konke kini, akuphuthanga nento eyodwa kukho.”—Joshuwa 23:14.
20. Yiziphi ezinye zezinto ozikhunjuzwa igama elithi Jehova?
20 Ingabe zonke lezinto zihlanganisiwe embonweni wakho ngoJehova? Ingabe ukuzwa igama lakhe kukukhumbuza ngemisebenzi yakhe, amandla akhe, ubukhulu bakhe, ukuthembeka kwakhe kanye neqiniso lezithembiso zakhe? Ingabe uhlanganisa igama lakhe noNkulunkulu obangela ukuba abe yinoma yini afuna ukuba yiyo ukuze izinjongo zakhe zifezwe? Ingabe uyacabanga ngokuthumela kukaJehova uJesu emhlabeni ukuze alwele igama likaNkulunkulu, ukuze asifundise ngoYise futhi ukuze alungiselele isihlengo sabo bonke abayosamukela? Futhi ingabe imizwa yakho ngoJehova ihlanganisa ukwazisa kwakho izithembiso zakhe zekusasa elilungileyo lomhlaba ohlanziwe?—2 Petru 3:13.
21. Isimo sethu singafana kanjani neseNkosi elungile uDavide?
21 Ulwazi lwezinto uJehova aye wazenza luveza ukholo. Ukholo lusishukumisela esenzweni. Siyalisebenzisa igama lakhe, sikhuluma ngezenzo zakhe, sizinikela ngokuzithandela njengezinceku zakhe, futhi sibheka phambili ekugcwalisekeni kwenjongo yakhe enkulu nengahluleki ukuze kukhululwe umhlaba ebubini futhi kumiswe izimo ezintsha zokulunga zesintu esilalelayo. Sinalolu kholo, futhi senza ngokuvumelana nalo, singasho njengoba kwasho iNkosi elungileyo uDavide: “Umlomo wami uyakukhuluma udumo lukaJehova, inyama yonke ibonge igama lakhe elingcwele kuze kube-phakade.”—IHubo 145:21.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Ngencazelo yeziningi zalezi ziprofetho, bheka incwadi ethi “Intando Yakho Mayenziwe Emhlabeni,” eyanyatheliswa yiWatchtower Bible and Tract Society.
Ukubukeza—
□ Kuyini ukubaluleka kwegama, ngokuphambene nelinye igama elingachaza umuntu?
□ Igama elithi Jehova kufanele lisikhumbuzeni?
□ Ukufundisa kukaJesu kwakwandisa kanjani ukwazisa kwethu igama elithi Jehova?
□ Kungayiphi indlela imisebenzi uJehova ayenza “ngenxa yegama lakhe” ingezuzisa kakhulu kithi?
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 13]
Umuntu esingalazi igama lakhe ucishe afane nesihambi. Lapho uNkulunkulu esimema ukuba sisebenzise igama lakhe, kuyisenzo sobungane obungokwasezulwini
[Isithombe ekhasini 12]
Ukulondoloza kukaNkulunkulu amaIsrayeli oLwandle Olubomvu kwalenza kanjani igama lakhe lazeka kuwo?
“USimeyoni uselandile ngokuhlela kukaNkulunkulu ekuqaleni ukuba athathele igama lakhe isizwe kubo abezizwe. . . . ukuze abaseleyo babantu kanye nabezizwe bonke bayifune iNkosi, elibizwé phezu kwabo igama lami, isho iNkosi ekwenza lokhu.”—IzEnzo 15:14, 17.