“Khumbulani izinsuku Ezadlula”—Ngani?

“KHUMBULANI izinsuku ezadlula.” Lesi seluleko somphostoli uPawulu, esabhalwa cishe ngo-61 C.E., sasiqondiswe kumaKristu angamaHeberu aseJudiya. (Heberu 10:32, The New English Bible) Yini eyabangela ukuba kushiwo lamazwi? Kungani kwakunesidingo sokuba labo bakhulekeli bakaJehova bekhulu lokuqala bangazikhohlwa izikhathi ezadlula? Ingabe singazuza ngokulalela isikhumbuzo esifanayo namuhla?

Emakhulwini eminyaka, abalobi beBhayibheli baye baxwayisa ngokuphindaphindiwe ngokuzishaya indiva noma ukungazinaki izikhathi ezadlula. Izikhathi nezenzakalo zangaphambili kwakufanele zigcinwe engqondweni futhi zicatshangelwe. Ngisho noJehova wathi: “Khumbulani izinto zakuqala zamandulo, ngokuba nginguNkulunkulu, akakho omunye, yebo, nginguNkulunkulu, akakho onjengami.” (Isaya 46:9) Ake sihlole izizathu ezintathu ezinamandla zokulalela lesi seluleko.

Amandla Ashukumisayo Nesikhuthazo

Okokuqala, kungaba umthombo omkhulu wamandla ashukumisayo nesikhuthazo. Lapho uPawulu eloba incwadi yakhe eya ebandleni lamaHeberu, wayebhalela amaKristu akanye naye ayebhekana nokuvivinywa kokholo nsuku zonke ngenxa yokuphikisa kwamaJuda. Eqaphela isidingo sawo sokwakha ukukhuthazela, uPawulu wathi: “Qhubekani nikhumbula izinsuku zangaphambili okwathi ngazo, ngemva kokuba senikhanyiselwe, nakhuthazelela umncintiswano omkhulu ngaphansi kwezinhlupheko.” (Heberu 10:32) Ukukhumbula kwawo izenzo zokwethembeka zangezikhathi ezadlula empini engokomoya kwakuyowanika isibindi esidingekayo ukuze aqede umncintiswano. Ngendlela efanayo, umprofethi u-Isaya wabhala: “Khumbulani lokhu, nime niqinile.” (Isaya 46:8) UJesu Kristu wayecabanga ngalowo mphumela ofiselekayo lapho etshela ibandla lase-Efesu: “Ngakho-ke khumbula lokho owe kukho [uthando owawunalo ekuqaleni], futhi uphenduke, wenze izenzo zangaphambili.”—IsAmbulo 2:4, 5.

Isikhuthazo ‘sokukhumbula izinsuku zasendulo nokubheka iminyaka yezizukulwane ngezizukulwane’ sasiyindaba evela ngokuphindaphindiwe ezinkulumweni uMose ayezinikeza u-Israyeli, njengoba ayenxusa lesi sizwe ukuba sithembeke kuJehova ngokungesabi. (Duteronomi 32:7) Phawula amazwi akhe alotshwe kuDuteronomi 7:18: “Ungesabi [abaseKhanani], kodwa ukhumbule kahle lokho uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho akwenza kuFaro nakulo lonke iGibithe.” Ukukhumbula izenzo zikaJehova zokusindisa azenzela abantu bakhe kwakumelwe kubashukumisele ukuba baqhubeke benamathele ngokukholeka emithethweni kaNkulunkulu.—Duteronomi 5:15; 15:15.

Ngokudabukisayo, ama-Israyeli ngokuvamile azinikela esonweni sokukhohlwa. Kwaba namuphi umphumela? ‘Abuye amlinga uNkulunkulu, amdabukisa oNgcwele ka-Israyeli. Awakhumbulanga isandla sakhe nosuku awahlenga ngalo ezitheni.’ (IHubo 78:41, 42) Ekugcineni, ukukhohlwa kwawo imiyalo kaJehova kwaphumela ekubeni awalahle.—Mathewu 21:42, 43.

Isibonelo esihle sabekwa umhubi owabhala: “Ngiyakukhumbula izenzo zikaJehova, yebo, ngikhumbule izimangaliso zasendulo, ngicabange ngawo wonke umsebenzi wakho, ngizindle ngezenzo zakho.” (IHubo 77:11, 12) Ukukhumbula okunjalo kokuzindla ngenkonzo yokwethembeka nezenzo zikaJehova zothando zezikhathi ezadlula kuzosinika amandla ashukumisayo, isikhuthazo nokwazisa okudingekile. Futhi, ‘ukukhumbula izinsuku zangaphambili’ kungasusa ukukhathala futhi kungasishukumisela ukuba senze konke esingakwenza futhi sikhuthazele ngokukholeka.

Ukufunda Emaphutheni Ezikhathi Ezadlula

Okwesibili, ukungakhohlwa kungaba indlela yokufunda emaphutheni ezikhathi ezadlula nasemiphumeleni yawo. Ecabanga ngalokhu, uMose waluleka ama-Israyeli: “Khumbula, ungakhohlwa ukuthi wamthukuthelisa uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ehlane; kusukela osukwini owaphuma ngalo ezweni laseGibithe waze wafika kulendawo nanizingé nihlubuka kuJehova.” (Duteronomi 9:7) Umphumela wokungalaleli okunjalo kwama-Israyeli, njengoba uMose asho, waba ukuthi ‘uJehova uNkulunkulu wawo wenza ukuba ahambe ehlane iminyaka engamashumi amane.’ Kungani akhuthazwa ukuba akukhumbule lokhu? Kwakwenzelwa ukuwathobisa nokulungisa izindlela zawo zokuhlubuka ukuze ‘agcine imiyalo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wawo, ahambe ezindleleni zakhe, amesabe.’ (Duteronomi 8:2-6) Kwakumelwe afunde ukuze angaphindi amaphutha awo ezikhathi ezadlula.

Omunye umlobi waphawula: “Umuntu oqaphile uzuza kokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe siqu, kodwa ohlakaniphile uzuza kokuhlangenwe nakho kwabanye.” Nakuba uMose anxusa abantu bakwa-Israyeli ukuba bazuze ngokucabangela amaphutha abo siqu ezikhathi zangaphambili, umphostoli uPawulu waluleka abanye—ibandla laseKorinte lekhulu lokuqala, kuhlanganise nathi—ukuba bafunde isifundo kulowo mlando. Wabhala: “Manje lezizinto zaqhubeka zibehlela [abantu bakwa-Israyeli] njengezibonelo, futhi zalotshelwa ukuba zibe isixwayiso kithi esesifikelwe ukuphela kwezimiso zezinto.” (1 Korinte 10:11) UJesu Kristu wayecabanga ngesinye isenzakalo seBhayibheli sasendulo nesidingo sokufunda kuso lapho ethi: “Khumbulani umkaLoti.” (Luka 17:32; Genesise 19:1-26) Imbongi eyiNgisi nesazi sefilosofi uSamuel Taylor Coleridge, yabhala: “Uma abantu bengafunda emlandweni, yeka izifundo ongase usifundise zona!”

Ukuthobeka Nokwazisa

Okwesithathu, ukukhumbula kungaveza kithi izimfanelo ezijabulisa uNkulunkulu zokuthobeka nokwazisa. Njengoba sijabulela izici eziningi zepharadesi lethu elingokomoya lomhlaba wonke, kwangathi singelokothe sikhohlwe ukuthi lincike ezitinini ezithile zokwakha. Lezi zihlanganisa ukwethembeka, uthando, ukuzidela, isibindi lapho sibhekene nosizi, ukukhuthazela, ukubhekakade nokholo—izimfanelo ezaboniswa abafowethu nodadewethu abangamaKristu abaqala umsebenzi emazweni ahlukahlukene emashumini eminyaka adlule. Lapho iphetha umbiko wayo womlando wanamuhla wabantu bakaNkulunkulu eMexico, INcwadi Yonyaka YoFakazi BakaJehova Ka-1995 yathi: “Kubantu abasanda kuqala ukuhlanganyela noFakazi BakaJehova, kungabamangalisa ukulingwa ababhekana nakho labo ababa nengxenye ekuqaliseni umsebenzi eMexico. Bajwayele ipharadesi elingokomoya okukhona kulo inala yokudla okungokomoya, lapho kunamakhulu ezigidi zabantu abesaba uNkulunkulu, nalapho uNkulunkulu ekhonzwa khona ngendlela ehleleke kahle.”

Lawo mavulandlela akuqala ngokuvamile ayesebenza wodwa noma ngamaqembu amancane angawodwa. Abhekana nesizungu, ukuswela, nokunye ukuvivinywa kobuqotho okunzima njengoba ayephikelela ekumemezeleni isigijimi soMbuso. Nakuba abaningi balezi zikhonzi zezikhathi zangaphambili sebeye bashona, yeka ukuthi kujabulisa kanjani ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uyayikhumbula inkonzo yabo yokukholeka! Umphostoli uPawulu wakufakazela lokhu, lapho ebhala: “UNkulunkulu akayena ongalungile ukuba akhohlwe umsebenzi wenu nothando enalubonisa kulo igama lakhe.” (Heberu 6:10) Uma uJehova ekhumbula ngokwazisa, akumelwe yini nathi senze kanjalo ngomoya wokwazisa?

Labo abasanda kufunda iqiniso bangathola lomlando encwadini ethi OFakazi BakaJehova—Abamemezeli BoMbuso KaNkulunkulu.a Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma sijabulela ukuba semkhayeni noma ebandleni lobuKristu elinamalungu ahlanganisa abafowethu nodadewethu asebekhulile asebekhonze isikhathi eside, sinxuswa ngomoya kaDuteronomi 32:7 ukuba ‘sikhumbule izinsuku zasendulo, sibheke iminyaka yezizukulwane ngezizukulwane; sibuze [kobaba], bayakusilandisa, [nakwasebekhulile bethu, NW] basitshele.’

Yebo, ukukhumbula izenzo zokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu zezikhathi zangaphambili kungasishukumisela ukuba siqhubeke sikhuthazela ngenjabulo enkonzweni yethu yobuKristu. Umlando nawo uqukethe izifundo okudingeka sizifunde. Futhi ukuzindla ngepharadesi lethu elingokomoya elibusiswe uNkulunkulu kusenza sibe nezimfanelo ezinhle zokuthobeka nokwazisa. Ngempela, “khumbulani izinsuku ezadlula.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]