Ukulunga Kuwuphawu Lwazo Zonke Izindlela ZikaNkulunkulu

“Uyidwala, umsebenzi wakhe uphelele, ngokuba zonke izindlela zakhe zingukulunga; unguNkulunkulu wokuthembeka ongenakonakala; ulungile, uqotho yena.”—DUTERONOMI 32:4.

1. Yiziphi izimfanelo zikaJehova uMose aziqokomisa engomeni yakhe ayihlabelelela abantwana bakwaIsrayeli ngaphambi kokuba afe, futhi kungani ayefaneleka ukuba akhulume njengoba enza?

UJEHOVA, uMahluleli ophakeme, uMniki-mthetho, neNkosi, “uthanda ukulunga no’ kwahlulela.” (IHubo 33:5; Isaya 33:22) UMose, umlamuleli wesivumelwano soMthetho nomprofethi “owazana noJehova ubuso nobuso,” wajwayelana ngokuseduze nezindlela zikaJehova ezilungile. (Duteronomi 34:10; Johane 1:12) Ngaphambi nje kokuba uMose afe, waqokomisa imfanelo evelele yokulunga kukaJehova. Washo amazwi alengoma ezindlebeni zalo lonke ibandla lakwaIsrayeli: “Bekani indlebe nina-mazulu, ngiyakukhuluma; umhlaba mawuzwe amazwi omlomo wami. . . . Ngiyakumemezela igama likaJehova: mnikeni uNkulunkulu wethu ubukhulu. Uyidwala, umsebenzi wakhe uphelele, ngokuba zonke izindlela zakhe zingukulunga: unguNkulunkulu wokuthembeka ongenakonakala; ulungile, uqotho yena.”—Duteronomi 32:1, 3, 4.

2. Ukulunga kuye kwaba kanjani ngaso sonke isikhathi uphawu lwayo yonke imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu, futhi kungani lokhu kubalulekile?

² Ukulunga kuwuphawu lwayo yonke imisebenzi kaJehova, futhi ngaso sonke isikhathi kwenziwa ngokuvumelana okuphelele nenhlakanipho yakhe, uthando, namandla. KuJobe 37:23, inceku kaNkulunkulu uElihu yakhumbuza uJobe: “USomandla singemqonde; mkhulu ngamandla nangokwahlulela; ngokulunga kwakhe okukhulu akoni-lutho.” Futhi iNkosi uDavide yabhala: “UJehova uthanda ukulunga, akabashiyi abangcwele bakhe.” (IHubo 37:28) Yeka ukuqinisekiswa okududuzayo! Kuzo zonke izindlela zakhe, uNkulunkulu akasoze nakanye abashiya abathembekile kuye. Ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu kuyakuqinisekisa lokhu!

Isizathu Sokuba Ukulunga Kuntuleke

3. Yini entulekayo phakathi kwabantu namuhla, futhi lokhu kuye kwabuthinta kanjani ubuhlobo bomuntu noNkulunkulu?

³ Njengoba uJehova enguNkulunkulu wokuLunga, othanda ukulunga, ‘noMdali wemikhawulo yomhlaba,’ kungani ukulunga kuntuleka kangaka kubantu namuhla? (Isaya 40:28) UMose uyaphendula kuDuteronomi 32:5: “Bonile kuye; abasibo abantwana bakhe, kuyisici sabo; bayisizukulwane esiphambeneyo nesiyisigwegwe.” Umsebenzi womuntu owonakalisayo uye wamehlukanisa noMdali wakhe kangangokuthi imicabango kaNkulunkulu nezindlela zakhe kuchazwa ngokuthi kuphakeme kunokomuntu “njengamazulu ephakeme kunomhlaba.”—Isaya 55:8, 9.

4. Iyiphi inkambo umuntu aye wakhetha ukuyithatha, futhi iye yamholela kuphi?

⁴ Ungalokothi ukhohlwe ukuthi umuntu akadalwanga uMdali wakhe ukuba azibuse. UJeremiya usihlaziyela ukubaluleka kwalesimo, ethi: “Ngiyazi, Jehova, ukuthi indlela yomuntu ayikuye uqobo; akukuyo indoda ukuba ihambe, iqondise izinyathelo zayo.” (Jeremiya 10:23) Ukwenqaba komuntu izindlela zikaNkulunkulu ezilungile nokubusa kwakhe kuye kwambeka ngaphansi kwamandla angabonakali ahluke ngokuphelele nanamandla, uSathane uDeveli nabangane bakhe abangamademoni. Umphostoli uJohane usho ngokugcizelela: “Izwe lonke limi ebubini.” Lamademoni awanasithakazelo nhlobo ekusekeleni ukulunga phakathi kwesintu.—1 Johane 5:19.

5. Nikeza izibonelo zokuntuleka kokulunga ezweni namuhla.

⁵ Isibonelo sokuntuleka kokulunga ezinsukwini zokugcina zalesimiso sezinto saqokonyiswa ngo-1984 ummeli-jikelele waseU.S. uWilliam French Smith. Ekhulumela ukuhlolwa kwesigwebo zasejele emazweni ayi-12 aseMelika phakathi kuka-1987 no-1982, uSmith wathi: “Abantu baye bathatha ngokuthi izigebengu ezimbi kakhulu—ababulali, abadlwenguli, abathengisi bemilaliso—zidonsa izigwebo ezifanele. Ukuhlola komnyango kahulumeni . . . kubonisa ukuthi kulula kanjani ngezigelekeqe esezadlula ukuba zibuyele emigwaqweni futhi zenze ubugebengu obusha.” Akumangalisi ukuthi uPaul Kamenar weNhlangano Yomthetho YaseWashington wathi: “Ngokuvame kakhulu isimiso sokwahlulela siyaxega.”

6. (a) Sasinjani isimo sokuziphatha sikaJuda ngaphambi kokuthunjwa kwakhe? (b) Yimiphi imibuzo uHabakuki ayibuza, futhi ingabe iyasebenza namuhla?

⁶ Ukwahlulela kwakuxega kuso sonke isizwe sakwaJuda ngaphambi kokuwela kwaso emabuthweni aseBabiloni ngo-607 B.C.E. Ngakho, umprofethi kaNkulunkulu uHabakuki waphefumlelwa ngokwaphezulu ukuba athi: “Umthetho uba-buthakathaka, nokwahlulela akuphumi kuze kube-nini ngokuba omubi uhaqa olungileyo; ngalokho ukwahlulela kuphuma kuhlanekezelwe.” (Habakuki 1:4) Lesisimo esingalungile sabangela ukuba lomprofethi abuze uJehova: “Ubhekelani abakhohlisayo, uthulelani lapho omubi egwinya olungileyo kunaye?” (Habakuki 1:13) Namuhla, abantu abathintwa ukwenziwa kokungalungi kuzo zonke izici zemisebenzi yomuntu nabo bangase babuze ngokufanele: Kungani uNkulunkulu wokulunga eqhubeka ebukela ukungalungi okwenziwa emhlabeni? Kungani evumela ukuba ‘ukwahlulela kuphume kuhlanekezelwe’? “Uthulelani”? Imibuzo ebalulekile lena, futhi yiZwi likaNkulunkulu eliyigugu kuphela, iBhayibheli, elinikeza izimpendulo eziyiqiniso nezanelisayo.

Isizathu Sokuba UNkulunkulu Avumele Ukungalungi

7. (a) Kungani umuntu alahlekelwa iPharadesi uNkulunkulu amnika Iona? (b) Yiziphi izimpikiswano ezaphakanyiswa e-Edene, futhi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu kwasabela kanjani kulezimpikiswano?

⁷ Imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu iphelele, njengoba yafakazelwa uMose. Kwakunjalo ngokuqondene nombhangqwana wabantu abaphelele uNkulunkulu awubeka ePharadesi laseEdene. (Genesise 1:26, 27; 2:7) Lonke lelolungiselelo lalipheleliselwe inhlalakahle yesintu nenjabulo. Umlando waphezulu uyasitshela: “UNkulunkulu wabona konke akwenzileyo; bheka, kwakukuhle kakhulu.” (Genesise 1:31) Kodwa ukuthula kwase-Edene akuhlalanga isikhathi eside. Ngaphansi kwethonya lesidalwa somoya esihlubukayo, uEva kanye nomyeni wakhe, uAdamu, baphikisana noJehova ngendlela yaKhe yokubabusa. Manje ukufaneleka kwemiyalo kaNkulunkulu kubo kwakungabazeka. (Genesise 3:1-6) Lenselele yokulunga kokubusa kukaNkulunkulu yaphakamisa izimpikiswano ezibalulekile zokuziphatha. Umlando wendoda ethembekile uJobe ubonisa ukuthi ubuqotho bazo zonke izidalwa ezithembekile zikaNkulunkulu nabo manje base bungatshazwa. Ukulunga kwafuna ukuba kuvunyelwe isikhathi sokuxazulula lezimpikiswano ezibalulekile emhlabeni wonke.—Jobe 1:6-11; 2:1-5; bheka futhi noLuka 22:31.

8. (a) Umuntu manje uzithola ekusiphi isimo senhlekelele? (b) Yimuphi umsebe wethemba obonakala engomeni kaMose?

⁸ Isimo sesintu esiyinhlekelele, esiwumphumela wokulahlela eceleni izindlela zikaNkulunkulu ezilungile, sishiwo ngamafuphi uPawulu kwabaseRoma 8:22. Lapho umphostoli wabhala: “Konke okudaliweyo kuyabubula kanyekanye kunezinseka kuze kube-manje.” Okuningi kwalokho ‘kububula’ ‘nezinseka’ kube ngenxa yokuntuleka kokulunga phakathi kwabantu njengoba ‘umuntu eye wabusa omunye kwaba kungulimala kwakhe.’ (UmShumayeli 8:9) Kodwa kumelwe sibonge uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke ngokuthi ngeke avumele ukuhlanekezelwa okunjalo kokulunga ukuba kuqhubeke njalonjalo! Ngokuqondene nalokhu, phawula lokho uMose akusho engomeni yakhe, kuDuteronomi 32:40, 41: “Mina ngiyaphila kuze kube-phakade: uma [mina Jehova] ngilola inkemba yami ebenyezelayo, nesandla sami sibambelela ekwahluleleni, ngiyakubuyisela impindiselo kwabamelene nami, ngibaphindisele abangizondayo.”

9. Chaza indlela isandla sikaJehova ‘esabambelela ngayo ekwahluleleni’ lapho umuntu ehlubuka.

⁹ Isandla sikaJehova ‘sabambelela ekwahluleleni’ emuva lé e-Edene. Ngaphandle kokulibala, uNkulunkulu ngokufanele wagwebela umuntu ukufa ngokungayilaleli ngamabomu imiyalo yaKhe. Watshela uAdamu: “Ngokuba ungumhlabathi, uyakuphenduka umhlabathi.” (Genesise 3:19) Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, umphostoli uPawulu wafingqa imiphumela esabekayo yenkambo ka-Adamu yesono kuwo wonke umkhaya wesintu. Wabhala: “Njengalokho isono sangena ezweni ngamuntu munye, nangesono kwangena ukufa, ngokunjalo ukufa kwafikela abantu bonke, lokhu bonke bonile.”—Roma 5:12.

10. Yiziphi izinzalo ezimbili eziye zavela kusukela ekuhlubukeni kuka-Adamu, futhi uJehova uye wasabela kanjani?

¹⁰ Ngemva kokugqashuka kokuhlubuka komuntu, uNkulunkulu wathi futhi: “Ngizakubeka ubutha phakathi kwakho nowesifazane, naphakathi kwenzalo yakho nenzalo yakhe. Yona iyakuchoboza ikhanda lakho, wena uyakulimaza isithende sayo.” (Genesise 3:15, 17-19) Ukukhula kwalezinzalo ezimbili kuye kwaqhubeka iminyaka eyizi-6 000, futhi “ubutha” bebulokhu bukhona phakathi kwazo. Kodwa phakathi nazo zonke izimo ezishintshayo zomhlaba, izindlela zikaJehova zokulunga azizange zishintshe. Ngomprofethi wakhe uMalaki, uthi: “Mina-Jehova angiguquki.” (Malaki 3:6) Lokhu kuye kwaqinisekisa ukuthi izindlela zikaNkulunkulu zokusebenzelana nesintu esingaphelele nesihlubukayo ngaso sonke isikhathi ziye zaphawulwa ukulunga. UJehova akakaze nakanye aphambuke ezimisweni zakhe eziphakeme nezokulunga, kuyilapho evumelanisa lezi nezimfanelo zakhe ezinhle kakhulu zokuhlakanipha, uthando, namandla.

UNkulunkulu Uhlenga Umuntu

11, 12. IHubo 49 lisichaza kahle kanjani isimo somuntu esibi?

¹¹ Njengezimpondo-mizwa zengwane enkulu, ithonya likaSathane elibi liye lafinyelela kude lemboza wonke umkhaya wesintu. Oh, yeka ukuthi abantu bakudinga kakhulu kangakanani ukukhululwa hhayi nje kuphela esigwebweni sokufa esiphezu kwabo kodwa futhi nasezimisweni ezingalungile zokubusa komuntu okungaphelele!

¹² Isimo esisabekayo umuntu azithole ekuso kusukela ekukhishweni kwesigwebo sokufa sishiwo kahle ehutsheni elilandelayo lamadodana kaKora: “Yizwani lokhu nonke ninabantu; bekani indlebe nina nonke enakhileyo ezweni, abantukazana nezikhulu, abacebileyo nabampofu. Umuntu angemhlenge umfowabo, angemnike uNkulunkulu ihlawulo ngaye. Ngokuba ukuhlengwa komphefumulo wabo kubiza kakhulu; akunakuphela nanini ukuba aphile njalo, angaboni ukubola.” (IHubo 49:1, 2, 7-9) Konke lokhu kuye kwenzeka ngenxa yokulunga kukaNkulunkulu okubonisiwe!

13, 14. (a) Ubani kuphela owayengahlenga umuntu, futhi kungani lowo owakhethwa uNkulunkulu ayefaneleka kangaka? (b) UJesu waba kanjani ‘nguyebo’ kuzo zonke izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu?

¹³ Khona-ke, usizo lwalungavelaphi? Ubani owayengahlenga umuntu emandleni okufa? Ihubo liyaphendula: “UNkulunkulu uyakuwukhulula umphefumulo wami esandleni sendawo yabafileyo.” (IHubo 49:15) Uthando lukaNkulunkulu olukhulu kuphela, lusebenza ngokuvumelana nokulunga kwaKhe, olungahlenga umuntu “esandleni sendawo yabafileyo.” Imibuzo yethu yaphendulwa ngokuqhubekayo engxoxweni yasebusuku phakathi kukaJesu nomFarisi owayexwayile uNikodemu. UJesu wamtshela: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abenokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Ngaphambi kokuba iNdodana kaNkulunkulu ize emhlabeni, yayiphila kanye noYise ezulwini. Kulokhu kuphila kwangaphambi kobuntu, kwakhulunywa ngayo ngokuthi ‘intokozo yayo yayikanye namadodana abantu.’ (IzAga 8:31) Khonake, yeka ukuthi kufaneleke kanjani ngoJehova ukuba akhethe lesidalwa esikhethekile somoya—iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa—ukuze ahlenge isintu!

¹⁴ Ngokuqondene noJesu, uPawulu wathi: “Noma izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu ziziningi kangakanani, kuyena zinguyebo.” (2 Korinte 1:20) Esinye salezithembiso esalotshwa uIsaya kubhekiselwe kuso kuMathewu 12:18, 21, lapho sifunda lokhu ngokuphathelene noJesu: “Bheka! Inceku yami engiyikhethileyo, othandiweyo wami, othokoza ngaye umphefumulo wami! Ngiyakubeka umoya wami phezu kwakhe, achazele izizwe ukuthi kuyini ukulunga. Ngempela, izizwe ziyothembela egameni lakhe.”—Bheka uIsaya 42:1-4, NW.

15, 16. Kwenzeka kanjani ngoJesu ukuba abe “uYise ongunaphakade” wenzalo ka-Adamu?

¹⁵ Phakathi nenkonzo kaJesu yasemhlabeni, wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi ekugcineni abantu bazo zonke izizwe bangathembela egameni lakhe kanjalo bajabulele izinzuzo zokulunga kukaNkulunkulu. UJesu wathi: “INdodana yomuntu [ayi]zelanga ukukhonzwa kepha ukukhonza nokunikela ukuphila kwayo, kube-yisihlengo sabaningi.” (Mathewu 20:28) Umthetho kaNkulunkulu ophelele owanikezwa isizwe sakwaIsrayeli wawuthi: ‘Ukuphila ngokuphila.’ (Duteronomi 19:21) Ngakho, ngemva kokuba uJesu edele ukuphila kwakhe okuphelele ngokufa futhi wavuswa ngamandla kaNkulunkulu ukuba enyuke abuyele ezulwini, wayesesimweni sokuletha inani lokuphila kwakhe kobuntu okuphelele kuJehova ukuze enane amalungelo ka-Adamu okuphila. Ngalendlela, uJesu waba “uAdamu wokugcina [noma wesibili]” futhi manje unikwe amandla okusebenza ‘njengoYise ongunaphakade’ kuyo yonke inzalo kaAdamu ekholwayo.—1 Korinte 15:45; Isaya 9:6.

¹⁶ Kanjalo indlela kaNkulunkulu yensindiso ngelungiselelo lakhe lothando lomhlatshelo wesihlengo weNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu, ‘imenyezelwe kwabezizwe.’ Futhi ngokuqinisekile iphawulwa ukulunga kwaphezulu. Yeka ukuthi kufanele sibonge kangakanani ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uye walungiselela indlela yokuba ‘imiphefumulo yethu ihlengwe esandleni sendawo yabafileyo’!

Ukusekela Isihlengo

17, 18. Yikuphi ukusebenzisana uC. T. Russell akungenela ngawo-1870, kodwa uBarbour wammangaza kanjani ngo-1878?

¹⁷ NjengamaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka, oFakazi BakaJehova ezikhathini zanamuhla baye bayisekela njalo imfundiso yomhlatshelo wesihlengo kaJesu Kristu. Kuyathakazelisa ukukhumbula ukuthi umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Society, uCharles Taze Russell, wake waba yisekela lomhleli nomsekeli ngokwezimali kamagazini wenkolo obizwa ngokuthi iThe Herald of the Morning. Ekuqaleni lowomagazini wawunyatheliswa umSabatha, uN. H. Barbour waseRochester, eNew York, eU.S.A. URussell wayeseminyakeni yakhe yama-20 ubudala, kodwa uBarbour wayemdala kakhulu kunaye.

¹⁸ Lokhu kusebenzisana kwabonakala kuhamba kahle kwaze kwaba ngo-1878, lapho uBarbour ngokumangalisayo enyathelisa indaba ephika imfundiso yesihlengo. Echaza lokho okwenzeka, uRussell wathi: “UMnu. Barbour . . . wabhala isihloko seThe Herald esiphika imfundiso yokuBuyisana—ephika ukuthi ukufa kukaKristu kwakuyinani lesiHlengo sika-Adamu nohlanga lwakhe, ethi ukufa kweNkosi yethu akunakuyikhokha inhlawulo yezono zomuntu njengoba nje ukuhlaba impukane ngenaliti futhi uyibangele ubuhlungu nokufa kungenakubhekwa ngumzali wasemhlabeni njengenhlawulo efanele ngokuziphatha kabi komntwana wakhe.”

19. (a) URussell wasabela kanjani embonweni kaBarbour ngesihlengo? (b) Ingabe isifiso sikaRussell ngokuqondene neNqabayohulinda siye safezeka?

¹⁹ URussell wayengase azanyazanyiswe umngane wakhe okhulile, kodwa akazange. Ezinyangeni eziningana, kwaqhubeka impikiswano emakhasini alelophephabhuku, uBarbour ephika isihlengo uRussell esisekela. Ekugcineni, uRussell wahlukana ngokuphelele noBarbour futhi waqala ukunyathelisa lomagazini, ngalesosikhathi owawubizwa ngokuthi iZion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence. UC. T. Russell waveza lemizwa ngalomagazini omusha: “Kusukela kowokuqala, uye waba ummemezeli okhethekile wesihlengo; futhi, ngomusa kaNkulunkulu, sithemba ukuthi kuyoba njalo kuze kube sekugcineni.” Ingabe ithemba lomhleli uRussell liye lafezeka? Ngokuqinisekile! Lapho lichaza, ikhasi 2 layo kanye lekhophi lithi lomagazini “ukhuthaza ukukholwa eNkosini ebusa manje, uJesu Kristu, ogazi lakhe elachitheka livula inkambo ngesintu ukuba sizuze ukuphila okuphakade.”

20. Imiphi imibuzo esasele engaphenduliwe?

²⁰ Kuze kube manje engxoxweni yethu, siye salandela indlela yokulunga kukaNkulunkulu ekufuneni indlela yokusindisa isintu esigwebweni sesono nokufa esisemkhayeni wesintu. Uthando lwenze yaba khona leyondlela. Nokho, imibuzo enjengalena isala ingaphenduliwe: Zenziwa kanjani zitholakale izinzuzo zomhlatshelo wesihlengo sikaJesu? Ungazuza kanjani kuzo, futhi ngokushesha kangakanani? Isihloko esilandelayo sinikeza izimpendulo eziyokwandisa nakanjani ukuqiniseka kwakho ukuthi ukulunga kuwuphawu lwazo zonke izindlela zikaNkulunkulu.

Ubungaphendula Kanjani?

◻ UNkulunkulu ubeka kuphi ukubaluleka ekulungeni?

◻ Kungani kunokungalungi okuningi kangaka phakathi kwesintu?

◻ UNkulunkulu wakulungiselela kanjani ukusinda komuntu ekufeni?

◻ INqabayokulinda iye yasisekela ngezinga elingakanani isihlengo?

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

UMose ukhuluma amazwi engoma yakhe emathafeni akwaMowabi

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa