Umbono WeBhayibheli
Kufanele Sibaphathe Kanjani Asebekhulile?
EHLOBO lika-2003, kwafa izinkulungwane kulo lonke elaseYurophu ngenxa yeshisandlu elibi kunawo wonke ake ahlasela leli Zwekazi eminyakeni engu-60. Abaningi abashona kwakungabantu asebekhulile. Abanye babeshiywe bodwa yizihlobo ezazithathe iholidi. Kanti abanye kubikwa ukuthi izisebenzi ezinganele zasezibhedlela nasemakhaya asebekhulile azizange zibashaye mkhuba noma zibanakekele. Iphephandaba i-Parisien labika ukuthi eParis kuphela, izidumbu ezingu-450 azizange zilandwe muntu. “Siphila ukuphila okunjani uma sikhohlwa obaba bethu, omama, ogogo nomkhulu?” kubuza leli phephandaba ngalabo abashona bebodwa futhi abangaziwa muntu.
Ezweni lapho umphakathi wabantu abaneminyaka engaphezu kwengu-65 wanda khona ngenani elikhulu labantu abangu-795 000 ngenyanga, ukunakekela izidingo zasebekhulile sekungenye yezinto ezibangela ukukhathazeka okukhulu namuhla. “Embulungeni yonke abantu baguga ngezinga elingakaze libonwe ngaphambili futhi kuyodingeka siyinakisise indlela amazwe azisingatha ngayo izinselele namathuba okuguga,” kusho uNancy Gordon, oyiphini lomqondisi wezinhlelo zamanani abantu e-U.S. Census Bureau.
UMdali wethu naye unesithakazelo kwasebekhulile. Empeleni, iZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli, lisinikeza isiqondiso sokuthi kufanele baphathwe kanjani.
Ukuhlonipha Asebekhulile
UMthetho kaNkulunkulu, awunika uMose, wawukhuthaza ukuhlonishwa kwasebekhulile. UMthetho wawuthi: “Kufanele usukume phambi kwempunga, ubonise ukucabangela ixhegu.” (Levitikusi 19:32) Abakhulekeli bakaNkulunkulu abalalelayo kwakulindeleke ukuba ‘basukume’ phambi kwasebekhulile (1) njengophawu lokuhlonipha umuntu omdala (2) nanjengobufakazi bokwesaba kwabo uNkulunkulu okunenhlonipho. Ngakho asebekhulile kwakufanele bahlonishwe futhi babhekwe njengegugu.—IzAga 16:31; 23:22.
Nakuba amaKristu namuhla engekho ngaphansi koMthetho KaMose, izimiso zawo zembula imicabango kaJehova nendlela abheka ngayo izinto, okusishiya singangabazi neze ukuthi ubazisa kakhulu asebekhulile. Amalungu ebandla lobuKristu lekhulu lokuqala ayeziqonda lezi zimiso. Ubufakazi bokuqala balokho bulotshwe encwadini yeBhayibheli yezEnzo. Phakathi kwamaKristu ayeseJerusalema ngaleso sikhathi kwakukhona nabafelokazi abaswele. Akungabazeki ukuthi iningi labo lase likhulile. Abaphostoli bamisa “amadoda ayisikhombisa afakazelwa kahle” ukuze aqikelele ukuthi laba besifazane babethola ukudla kwansuku zonke ngendlela ehlelekile, bebheka ukunakekela okunjalo okukhethekile ‘njengomsebenzi odingekile’ webandla.—IzEnzo 6:1-7.
Umphostoli uPawulu wabonisa ukuthi isimiso ‘sokusukuma phambi kwempunga’ siyasebenza ebandleni lobuKristu. Watshela umbonisi osemusha ongumKristu, uThimothewu: “Ungayikhaci indoda endala. Ngokuphambene nalokho, yincenge njengoyihlo, . . . abesifazane abadala njengawonyoko.” (1 Thimothewu 5:1, 2) Nakuba uThimothewu osemusha ayenegunya elithile kumaKristu asekhulile, watshelwa ukuba angayikhaci indoda endala. Kunalokho, kwakufanele ayincenge ngenhlonipho njengoyise. Futhi kwakufanele abonise inhlonipho efanayo kwabesifazane asebekhulile ebandleni. Empeleni, umphostoli uPawulu wayeyala uThimothewu—kanye nawo wonke amalungu ebandla lobuKristu—ukuba ‘basukume phambi kwempunga.’
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abantu abesaba uNkulunkulu abawudingi umthetho ukuze baphathe asebekhulile ngesizotha nangenhlonipho. Cabangela isibonelo esiseBhayibhelini sikaJosefa, owenza konke okusemandleni ukuze alethe uyise eGibhithe, esindisa uJakobe oneminyaka engu-130 endlaleni eyayikhungethe izwe. Lapho nje ebona uyise ayemgcine eminyakeni engaphezu kwamashumi amabili, uJosefa “wawela entanyeni yakhe ngaso leso sikhathi wakhala izinyembezi entanyeni yakhe ngokuphindaphindiwe.” (Genesise 46:29) Esikhathini eside ngaphambi kokuba ukuphatha asebekhulile ngozwela nangenhlonipho ejulile kube umthetho kuma-Israyeli, uJosefa wabonisa ukuthi wayenombono kaNkulunkulu ngokwenza kanjalo.
Phakathi nenkonzo yakhe uJesu ngokwakhe wabonisa ukuthi uyabakhathalela asebekhulile. Wabagxeka kakhulu abaholi benkolo ababenomuzwa wokuthi benza kahle lapho bedebeselela abazali babo asebekhulile ngenxa yamasiko abo angokwenkolo. (Mathewu 15:3-9) Futhi uJesu wamnakekela ngothando unina. Lapho esebuhlungwini obukhulu esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa, waqinisekisa ukuthi unina osekhulile wayezonakekelwa umphostoli wakhe othandekayo uJohane.—Johane 19:26, 27.
UNkulunkulu Akabashiyi Abaqotho Bakhe
Umhubi wathandaza: “Ungangilahli esikhathini sokuguga; ungangishiyi lapho nje amandla ami ephela.” (IHubo 71:9) UNkulunkulu ‘akazilahli’ izinceku zakhe ezithembekile ngisho nalapho zona zingase zibe nomuzwa wokuthi aziselona usizo. Umhubi akazange abe nomuzwa wokuthi uJehova umshiyile; kunalokho, waqaphela isidingo sokuba ancike kuMenzi wakhe ngisho nakakhulu njengoba ekhula. UJehova uvuza ubuqotho obunjalo ngokusekela umuntu kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe. (IHubo 18:25) Ngokuvamile ukusekela okunjalo kuvela kwamanye amaKristu.
Ngenxa yalokho okushiwo ngenhla, kusobala ukuthi bonke abafuna ukudumisa uNkulunkulu kumelwe bahloniphe nasebekhulile. Ngempela asebekhulile bayigugu emehlweni oMdali wethu. Njengezidalwa ezenziwe ngomfanekiso wakhe, kwangathi njalo singabonisa ukuthi sinombono kaNkulunkulu mayelana ‘nobumpunga.’—IHubo 71:18.
[Isithombe ekhasini 17]
AmaKristu aphatha asebekhulile ngodumo nangenhlonipho