1, 2. (a) Yiyiphi imibuzo obunokuthanda ukumbuza yona uThixo? (b) UMoses wambuza ntoni uThixo?

 NGABA unomfanekiso-ngqondweni wakho uncokola noThixo? Oko kuyoyikisa—uMongami wendalo yonke ethetha nawe! Uyathandabuza ekuqaleni, kodwa emva koko ukwazi ukuphendula. Uyakumamela, aphendule, ade akwenze uzive ukhululekile ukuba ubuze nawuphi na umbuzo ofuna ukuwubuza. Ubunokubuza ntoni?

² Kudala, kwakukho indoda eyayikwimeko efanayo naleyo. Igama layo yayinguMoses. Kodwa ke, usenokumangaliswa yinto eyakhetha ukuyibuza uThixo. Ayizange ibuze ngesiqu sayo, ikamva layo, okanye ukutsala nzima kwabantu. Kunoko, yabuza igama likaThixo. Isenokukwenza uthi nqa ke loo nto, kuba uMoses wayesele elazi igama likaThixo. Kumele ukuba ikho le ntw’ ingaphaya wayeyibuza. Phofu, ngowona mbuzo ubalulekileyo uMoses awayenokuwubuza. Impendulo yawo iyasichaphazela sonke. Inokukunceda wenze into enokukusondeza kuThixo. Njani? Makhe sihlolisise loo ncoko imangalisayo.

3, 4. Ziintoni ezenzekayo ngaphambi kokuba uMoses ancokole noThixo, yaye yintoni eyona nto bancokola ngayo?

³ UMoses wayeneminyaka eyi-80. Wachitha iminyaka eyi-40 engekho phakathi kwabantu bakowabo, amaSirayeli, ababengamakhoboka eYiputa. Ngenye imini, ngoxa wayesalusa umhlambi kamkhwe wakhe, wabona umbono ongaqhelekanga. Wabona ityholo livutha, kodwa lalingade litshe liphele. Laliqhubeka livutha umlilo okhanyayo entabeni. UMoses wasondela ukuze ahlole. Inoba wothuka nyhani xa weva ilizwi lithetha phakathi kwaloo mlilo! Esebenzisa ingelosi njengesithethi sakhe, uThixo noMoses bancokola ithuba elide. Inoba  sowusazi ukuba, apho uThixo wathuma uMoses owayengazithembanga ukuba ashiye ubomi obuzolileyo awayebuphila aze abuyele eYiputa ukuze ahlangule amaSirayeli awayesebukhobokeni.—Eksodus 3:1-12.

⁴ Ngoko, uMoses wayenokumbuza nawuphi na umbuzo uThixo. Kodwa, phawula umbuzo awakhetha ukuwubuza: “Masithi ke ndiyaya kumaSirayeli ndize ndithi kuwo, ‘UThixo wookhokho benu undithume kuni,’ aze athi wona, ‘Ngubani igama lakhe?’ Ndifanele ndithini kuwo?”—Eksodus 3:13.

5, 6. (a) Umbuzo kaMoses usifundisa yiphi inyaniso elula nebalulekileyo? (b) Yiyiphi into engaxolelekiyo eye yenziwa ngegama likaThixo? (c) Kutheni kubalulekile nje ukutyhila kukaThixo igama lakhe ebantwini?

⁵ Okokuqala nje, loo mbuzo usifundisa ukuba uThixo unegama. Asimelanga siyithathe lula loo nto. Kodwa, abaninzi bayithatha lula. Igama likaThixo liye lasuswa kwiinguqulelo ezininzi zeBhayibhile kwaza endaweni yalo kwafakwa izibizo ezinjengesithi “Nkosi” nesithi “Thixo.” Le yenye yezona zinto zimbi nezingaxolelekiyo ezakhe zenziwa lunqulo. Kaloku, yintoni into yokuqala oyenzayo xa udibana nomntu? Ngaba akubuzi igama lakhe? Kuyafana ke nangokwazi uThixo. Akangomntu ongenagama, nokude kakhulu kuthi ukuba singamazi okanye simqonde. Nangona engabonakali, unguMntu okhoyo, yaye unegama—elinguYehova.

⁶ Ngaphezu koko, xa uThixo etyhila igama lakhe, kukho isizathu esibalulekileyo nesibangel’ uvuyo sokuba enze njalo. Ufuna ukuba simazi. Ufuna sikhethe eyona nto ibhetele ebomini—ukusondela kuye. Kodwa uYehova wenze okungakumbi kunokusixelela nje igama lakhe. Ukwasifundise nangoMntu elimmelayo.

7. (a) Igama likaThixo laziwa lithetha ukuthini? (b) Yintoni eyona nto wayefuna ukuyazi uMoses xa wabuza uThixo igama Lakhe?

⁷ UYehova wazikhethela ngokwakhe igama lakhe, elinento eninzi eliyithethayo. Igama elithi “Yehova” laziwa lithetha  ukuthi “Ubangela Kubekho.” Ungoyena ukhethekileyo kwindalo yonke, kuba nguye owabangela zonke izinto zabakho. Ubangela nokuba zonke iinjongo zakhe zizaliseke, futhi ubangela nokuba abakhonzi bakhe abangabantu babe yiyo nantoni na akhetha ukuba babe yiyo. Ukucinga ngale nto kuyamangalisa. Kodwa ngaba ayikho eny’ into ethethwa ligama likaThixo? Kuyacaca ukuba uMoses wayefuna ukwazi okungakumbi. Kaloku, wayesele esazi ukuba uYehova nguMdali futhi wayesele elazi igama likaThixo. Igama likaThixo lalingekho litsha. Kwakusele kuyiminyaka abantu belisebenzisa. Xa uMoses wayebuza igama likaThixo ke, wayebuza ngoMntu elimmelayo elo gama. Ngamany’ amazwi, wayesithi: ‘Yintoni endingabaxelela yona abantu bakho amaSirayeli eza kuqinisa ukholo lwabo kuwe, eza kubenza baqiniseke ukuba nyhani uza kubahlangula?’

8, 9. (a) UYehova wawuphendula njani umbuzo kaMoses, yaye yintoni ephosakeleyo ngendlela impendulo Yakhe edla ngokuguqulelwa ngayo? (b) Athetha ukuthini amazwi athi “Ndiza Kuba Yiloo Nto Ndikhetha Ukuba Yiyo”?

⁸ Xa wayephendula, uYehova waveza into evuyisayo ngobuntu bakhe, edibene nento ethethwa ligama lakhe. Wathi kuMoses: “Ndiza Kuba Yiloo Nto Ndikhetha Ukuba Yiyo.” (Eksodus 3:14) Iinguqulelo ezininzi zeBhayibhile zithi: “Ndinguye endinguye.” Kodwa iiBhayibhile eziyiguqulele kakuhle le ndawo zibonisa ukuba uThixo wayengaphelelanga nje ekuchazeni ukuba ukho. Kunoko, uYehova wayefundisa uMoses—nathi sonke—ukuba wayeza ‘kukhetha ukuba yiyo’ nantoni na efunekayo ukuze azalisekise injongo yakhe. Inguqulelo kaJ. B. Rotherham iyibeka ngendlela echanileyo le vesi: “Ndiza kuba yiyo nantoni na endifuna ukuba yiyo.” Enye ingcali yesiHebhere seBhayibhile ithi xa icacisa eli gama: “Nokuba imeko injani okanye yintoni na efunekayo . . . , uThixo ‘uza kuba’ sisicombululo saloo meko.”

⁹ Kwakuthetha ntoni oko kumaSirayeli? UYehova wayeza kuba yiyo nantoni na efunekayo ukuze awahlangule ebukhobokeni aze awase kwilizwe awayewathembise lona, nokuba  ayenokuyibona ngathi ayinakwenzeka loo nto okanye imeko yawo inzima kakhulu. Ngokuqinisekileyo elo gama lawenza athembela kuThixo. Linokwenza okufanayo nakuthi namhlanje.—INdumiso 9:10.

10, 11. Igama likaYehova lisenza njani sicinge ngaye njengoyena Tata ubhetyebhetye sinokuba naye? Zekelisa.

¹⁰ Oku singakuzekelisa ngokuthi: Abazali bayayazi indlela abafanele babe bhetyebhetye ngayo ekunyamekeleni abantwana babo. Ngemini nje enye, umzali kusenokufuneka abe ngumongikazi, umpheki, umfundisi, umqeqeshi, umgwebi, njalo njalo. Abaninzi baziva bexinekile ngenxa yendima enkulu ekufuneka beyifezile. Bayayiphawula indlela abathenjwe ngayo ngabantwana babo abancinane, abaqinisekileyo ukuba uTata okanye uMama unokupholisa amanxeba, alamle impikiswano, alungise nayiphi na into yokudlala eyaphukileyo, aze aphendule nawuphi na umbuzo abanawo. Abany’ abazali bayatyhafa, ngamany’ amaxesha bacaphuke ngenxa yokungabi namandla kwabo okwenza yonk’ into. Bavakalelwa kukuba abakufanelekelanga ukuphumeza emininzi yale misebenzi.

¹¹ Naye uYehova ungumzali onothando. Sekunjalo, ngokuhambisana nemithetho nemigaqo yakhe egqibeleleyo, akukho nto angenakukwazi ukuba yiyo ukuze anyamekele abantwana bakhe abasemhlabeni ngeyona ndlela ibhetele. Ngoko igama lakhe elithi Yehova, lenza sicinge ngaye njengoyena Tata ufanelekileyo sinokumfumana. (Yakobi 1:17) UMoses kunye nawo onke amanye amaSirayeli athembekileyo bakhawuleza babona ukuba uYehova wenza ngokuvisisana negama lakhe. Bamangaliswa kukubona uYehova esiba yiyo yonke into ababeyidinga. Woyisa zonke iintshaba zabo, wahlukanisa amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu, wabanika imithetho egqibeleleyo ababemele bayithobele, wabagweba ngobulungisa, wabanika ukutya namanzi entlango, waqinisekisa ukuba iimbadada neempahla zabo azigugi, wabenzela nezinye izinto.

12. Indlela awayecinga ngayo uFaro ngoYehova yayahluke njani kwindlela awayecinga ngayo uMoses?

 ¹² Ngoko uThixo uye walenza laziwa igama lakhe, uye waveza izinto ezivuyisayo ngoMntu elimmelayo, futhi ude wabonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba lento ayitshoyo ngaye iyinyaniso. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, uThixo ufuna simazi. Ngaba nathi siyafuna ukumazi? UMoses wafuna ukumazi uThixo. Loo mnqweno onzulu wabuguqula ubomi bukaMoses waza wamenza wasondela kakhulu kuTata wakhe wasezulwini. (Numeri 12:6-8; Hebhere 11:27) Ngelishwa, babembalwa abantu ngomhla kaMoses ababenomnqweno ofanayo. Xa uMoses wambiza ngegama uYehova kuFaro, loo mlawuli onekratshi waseYiputa waphendula wathi: “Ngubani na uYehova?” (Eksodus 5:2) UFaro akazange afune ukwazi ngakumbi ngoYehova. Wavele wamdelela uThixo kaSirayeli, wamenza umntu ongabalulekanga. Nanamhlanje, abantu abaninzi bacinga ngolo hlobo. Yiloo nto bengayiqondi eyona nto ibalulekileyo, yokuba uYehova ngOyena Thixo Uphakamileyo.

13, 14. (a) Kutheni uYehova enezibizo ezininzi eBhayibhileni, yaye ziziphi ezinye zazo? (Bona  ibhokisi ekwiphepha 14.) (b) Kutheni inguYehova kuphela okufanelekelayo ukubizwa ngokuba ‘yiNkosi enguMongami’?

¹³ UYehova ubhetyebhetye kangangokuba ngokufanelekileyo unezibizo eziliqela ezisetyenzisiweyo eZibhalweni. Ezi zibizo azibalulekanga njengegama lakhe; kunoko, zisifundisa okungakumbi ngento ethethwa lilo. Ngokomzekelo, ubizwa ngokuba ‘yiNkosi enguMongami uYehova.’ (2 Samuweli 7:22) Eso sibizo sibalulekileyo esivela izihlandlo ezingamakhulukhulu eBhayibhileni, sisixelela ngesigxina sikaYehova. Nguye kuphela onelungelo lokuba nguMlawuli wendalo yonke. Phawula isizathu soko.

¹⁴ UYehova nguye yedwa onguMdali. ISityhilelo 4:11 sithi: “Ufanele Yehova Thixo wethu onamandla, ukwamkela uzuko nembeko, kuba wadala zonke izinto, nangenxa yokuthanda kwakho zabakho yaye zadalwa.” La mazwi azukileyo  akanakusebenza kuye nabani na ongomnye. Yonke into ikho ngenxa kaYehova! Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, uYehova uyifanele imbeko, amandla, nozuko njengoko eyiNkosi enguMongami noMdali wezinto zonke.

15. Kutheni uYehova ebizwa ngokuba ‘nguKumkani kanaphakade’?

¹⁵ Esinye isibizo esisetyenziswa kuYehova kuphela sithi ‘uKumkani kanaphakade.’ (1 Timoti 1:17; ISityhilelo 15:3) Sithetha ukuthini? Kunzima ngeengqondo zethu ezilinganiselweyo ukukuqonda oku, kodwa uYehova ungunaphakade ngandlela zonke—akanasiqalo yaye akanasiphelo. INdumiso 90:2 ithi: “Ukususela ngonaphakade ukusa ngonaphakade, wena unguThixo.” Ngoko uYehova akanasiqalo; ebehleli ekho ngalo lonke ixesha. Ubizwa ngokufanelekileyo ngokuba ‘nguLowo Kanaphakade’—ubekho ngonaphakade ngaphambi kwakhe nabani okanye nantoni na enye ekwindalo yonke! (Daniyeli 7:9, 13, 22) Ngubani onokuba negunya lokulithandabuza ilungelo lakhe lokuba yiNkosi enguMongami?

16, 17. (a) Kutheni singenakumbona uYehova, yaye kutheni kungafanele kusimangalise oko? (b) UYehova ungaphezulu lee njani kunezinto esikwaziyo ukuzichukumisa okanye ukuzibona?

¹⁶ Kodwa, abanye bayalithandabuza elo lungelo, njengoko wenzayo noFaro. Omnye unobangela wale ngxaki kukuba abantu abangafezekanga bathembela kakhulu kwizinto abazibona ngamehlo. Asinakuyibona iNkosi enguMongami. Ingumntu womoya, ongabonakaliyo emehlweni abantu. (Yohane 4:24) Ngapha koko, ukuba umntu wenyama negazi ebenokumbona uYehova uThixo, ebeya kufa. UYehova ngokwakhe wathi kuMoses: “Awunakububona ubuso bam, kuba akukho mntu unokundibona aze aphile.”—Eksodus 33:20; Yohane 1:18.

¹⁷ Akufanele kusimangalise oko. UMoses wabona nje inxalenye yozuko lukaYehova, ekucacileyo ukuba wayemelwa yingelosi. Waba yintoni umphumo woko? Ubuso bukaMoses ‘bakhazimla’ kangangethuba elithile emva koko. AmaSirayeli oyika kwanokumjonga uMoses ebusweni. (Eksodus 33:21-23; 34:5-7, 29, 30) Ngoko ke, ngokuqinisekileyo akakho umntu  onokukwazi ukujonga iNkosi enguMongami uqobo enalo lonke uzuko lwayo! Ngaba ukungamboni nokungakwazi ukumchukumisa kuthetha ukuba akangomntu wokwenene? Akunjalo, zininzi izinto esingaziboniyo esaziyo ukuba zikho ngokwenene—ngokomzekelo, umoya, amaza omoya neengcinga. Ngaphezu koko, izinto esikwaziyo ukuzichukumisa nokuzibona ziyaguga zize zife. Kodwa uYehova akatshintshi, noba kungadlula ixesha elininzi kangakanani. Ngenxa yoko, ungaphezulu lee kunezinto esikwaziyo ukuzichukumisa okanye ukuzibona. (Mateyu 6:19) Kodwa ngaba uphelele nje ekubeni ngumntu onamandla ongabonakaliyo, ongenazimvakalelo nongasikhathalelanga? Makhe sibone.

18. Nguwuphi umbono awawuboniswayo uHezekile, futhi zimela ntoni ‘izidalwa eziphilayo’ ezinobuso obune ezikufuphi noYehova?

¹⁸ Nangona singenakumbona uThixo, kukho iingxelo ezibangel’ umdla eBhayibhileni ezisithela thsuphe ngemeko yasezulwini. Isahluko sokuqala sikaHezekile singomnye umzekelo woku. UHezekile waboniswa umbono wenxalenye yasezulwini yentlangano kaYehova ekwindalo yonke, awayibona njengenqwelo yokulwa enkulu yasezulwini. Eyona nto ihlab’ umxhelo kukuchazwa kwezidalwa ezinamandla zomoya ezijikeleze uYehova. (Hezekile 1:4-10) Ezi ‘zidalwa ziphilayo’ zinxulumene ngokusondeleyo noYehova, yaye imbonakalo yazo isixelela okuthile okubalulekileyo ngoThixo ezimkhonzayo. Ngasinye kuzo sinobuso obune—obenkunzi yenkomo, obengonyama, obokhozi, nobomntu. Kubonakala ukuba zimela iimpawu ezine obakhelwe phezu kwazo ubuntu obuhle bukaYehova.—ISityhilelo 4:6-8, 10.

19. Luluphi uphawu olufanekiselwa (a) bubuso benkunzi yenkomo? (b) bubuso bengonyama? (c) bubuso bokhozi? (d) bubuso bomntu?

¹⁹ EBhayibhileni, inkunzi yenkomo idla ngokufanekisela amandla, yaye kufanelekile oko, kuba isisilwanyana esinamandla kakhulu. Yona ingonyama idla ngokufanekisela ubulungisa, kuba ubulungisa bokwenyaniso bufuna isibindi,  phawu olo ezaziwa ngalo iingonyama. Iinkozi zaziwa ngamehlo azo abukhali, akwazi ukubona kwanezinto ezincinane ezikude kangangeekhilomitha. Ngoko ubuso bokhozi bubufanekisela kakuhle ubulumko bukaThixo bokubona kude. Kuthekani ngobuso bomntu? Kaloku, umntu, owenziwe ngokomfanekiselo kaThixo, ulubonakalisa ngokukhethekileyo uphawu olubalaseleyo lukaThixo—uthando. (Genesis 1:26) IBhayibhile ithetha kakhulu ngamandla, ubulungisa, ubulumko, nothando lukaYehova. Ngoko sinokutsho sithi zezona mpawu zakhe ziphambili.

20. Ngaba sifanele sikhathazeke kukuba ubuntu bukaYehova busenokuba butshintshile, yaye kutheni uphendula ngaloo ndlela nje?

²⁰ Ngaba sifanele sikhathazeke kukuba uThixo usenokuba uye watshintsha ebudeni bamawaka eminyaka ukususela ekuchazweni kwakhe eBhayibhileni? Akunjalo, ubuntu bukaThixo abutshintshi. Uthi: “NdinguYehova, anditshintshi.” (Malaki 3:6) Kunokuba atshintshe, uYehova uzingqina enguTata ofanelekileyo ngendlela asabela ngayo kwimeko nganye. Ubonakalisa iinkalo ezizezona zifanelekileyo zobuntu bakhe. Kuzo zonk’ iimpawu zikaThixo, olona luhamba phambili luthando. Luyabonakala kuyo yonke into ayenzayo uThixo. Uwabonakalisa ngothando amandla, ubulungisa, nobulumko bakhe.  Enyanisweni, iBhayibhile isichazela okuthile okukhethekileyo ngoThixo nangolu phawu. Ithi: “UThixo uluthando.” (1 Yohane 4:8) Phawula ukuba ayithi uThixo unothando. Kunoko, ithi uThixo uluthando. Ushukunyiswa luthando, olububuntu bakhe, kuko konke akwenzayo.

21. Siya kuvakalelwa njani njengoko siya sizazi ngakumbi iimpawu zikaYehova?

²¹ Ngaba wakha wambona umntwana omncinane ekhomba utata wakhe ebonisa abahlobo bakhe aze ngovuyo nangamabhongo athi, “Ngutata wam lowa”? Nabo abakhonzi bakaThixo bafanele ukuvakalelwa ngolo hlobo ngoYehova. IBhayibhile isixelela kwangaphambili ngexesha laxa abantu abathembekileyo beza kuvuya bathi: “Jongani! Lo nguThixo wethu.” (Isaya 25:8, 9) Okukhona uziqonda iimpawu zikaYehova, kokukhona uya kuvakalelwa kukuba unoyena Tata ubalaseleyo unokufumaneka.

22, 23. IBhayibhile imchaza njani uTata wethu wasezulwini, yaye sazi njani ukuba ufuna sisondele kuye?

²² Lo Tata akanguye ongenabubele nongakhathaliyo—phezu kwako nje oko kuye kwagxininiswa ziimfundiso neengcamango zonqulo. Besingenakutsaleleka kuThixo ongenabubele, yaye iBhayibhile ayimchazi engonjalo uTata wethu wasezulwini. Kunoko, imbiza ngokuba ‘nguThixo owonwabileyo.’ (1 Timoti 1:11) Uneemvakalelo ezinamandla kwanezothando. Xa abantu bengazange bayithobele imithetho kaYehova awayebanike ukuze kulungelwe kwabona, “yaba buhlungu intliziyo yakhe.” (Genesis 6:6; INdumiso 78:41) Kodwa xa sisenza ngobulumko ngokuvisisana neLizwi lakhe, siyenza ‘ivuye intliziyo’ yakhe.—IMizekeliso 27:11.

²³ UTata wethu ufuna sisondele kuye. ILizwi lakhe lisikhuthaza ukuba ‘simphuthaphuthe size simfumane, abe phofu yena engekho kude kuthi sonke.’ (IZenzo 17:27) Noko ke, kunokwenzeka njani ukuba abantu basondele kwiNkosi enguMongami wendalo yonke?