1, 2. Nguwuphi umbono awawufumanayo umprofeti uIsaya, yaye usifundisa ntoni ngoYehova?

 UISAYA wamangaliswa ngumbono owawuphambi kwakhe—umbono ovela kuThixo. Wawubonakala ungowokoqobo! Kamva uIsaya wabhala wathi eneneni ‘wabona uYehova’ esetroneni Yakhe ephakamileyo. Imiphetho yesambatho eside sikaYehova yayigcwele itempile enkulu yaseYerusalem.—Isaya 6:1, 2.

² Kwakhona uIsaya wamangaliswa nayinto awayivayo—ukucula ngehlombe ngokokude iziseko zetempile zishukume. Le ngoma yayiculwa ziiserafi, izidalwa zomoya zodidi oluphakame kakhulu. Olu ncuthu lwengoma lwalunamazwi azukileyo athi: “Ungcwele, ungcwele, ungcwele uYehova wemikhosi. Umhlaba wonke ugcwele uzuko lwakhe.” (Isaya 6:3, 4) Ukuliphindaphinda kathathu igama elithi “ungcwele” kweli culo kwaligxininisa ngokukhethekileyo yaye kwakufanelekile oko, kuba uYehova ungcwele ngomlinganiselo ophakame gqitha. (ISityhilelo 4:8) Ubungcwele bukaYehova bubalaseliswa kuyo yonke iBhayibhile. Kukho amakhulukhulu eevesi ezinxulumanisa igama lakhe kunye negama elithi “ungcwele” nelithi “ubungcwele.”

3. Ukucinga izinto eziphosakeleyo ngobungcwele bukaYehova kubenze njani abaninzi bahambela kude kuThixo kunokuba basondele kuye?

³ Ngoko ke, ngokucacileyo enye yezona zinto ziyintloko uYehova afuna siziqonde ngaye yeyokuba ungcwele. Kodwa abantu abaninzi namhlanje bacinga izinto eziphosakeleyo ngobungcwele. Abanye abantu bacinga ukuba umntu ongcwele ngumntu ocinga ukuba ubhetele kunabanye okanye ozenza ngathi ukhonza uThixo. Abantu abazijongela phantsi banokubufumanisa ubungcwele bukaThixo busoyikisa kunokuba bube nomtsalane. Basenokuba noloyiko lokuba abanakuze bakufanelekele ukusondela kulo Thixo ungcwele. Ngenxa yoko, abaninzi bahambela kude kuThixo ngenxa yobungcwele bakhe. Kulusizi oko, kuba eneneni ubungcwele bukaThixo busisizathu  esinamandla sokusondela kuye. Ngoba? Phambi kokuba siphendule loo mbuzo, masixubushe ngoko bukuko ubungcwele bokwenyaniso.

4, 5. (a) Buthetha ntoni “ubungcwele,” yaye yintoni obungayithethiyo? (b) Ziziphi iindlela ezimbini ezibalulekileyo ‘ahlukaniswe’ ngazo uYehova?

⁴ Ukuthi uThixo ungcwele akuthethi ukuba uziphakamisile, unekratshi, okanye ubajongela phantsi abanye. Kunoko, uzithiyile ezo mpawu. (IMizekeliso 16:5; Yakobi 4:6) Ngoko, lithetha ntoni kanye kanye igama elithi “ungcwele”? Igama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “ngcwele” elisetyenzisiweyo eBhayibhileni livela kwigama elithetha “ukwahlukanisa” okanye “ukubekela bucala.” Eli gama lisenza sicinge ngomntu okanye into ebekelwe bucala ukuze ikhonze uThixo. Ubungcwele bukwathetha ukucoceka. Eli gama lisebenza njani kuYehova? Ngaba lithetha ukuba ‘wahlukanisiwe’ kubantu abangafezekanga, nto leyo ethetha ukuba ukude kuthi?

⁵ Akunjalo konke konke. ‘NjengaLowo Uyingcwele kaSirayeli,’ uYehova wabaqinisekisa abantu bakhe ukuba wayehleli phakathi kwabo, nangona babenesono. (Isaya 12:6; Hoseya 11:9) Ngoko ubungcwele bakhe abumenzi abe kude kuthi. Ngoko, ‘wahlukaniswe’ njani? Ngeendlela ezimbini ezibalulekileyo. Okokuqala, wahlukanisiwe endalweni yonke ngokuba nguye kuphela ongOyena Uphakamileyo. Ucoceke ngandlela zonke nangeyona ndlela iphakamileyo. (INdumiso 40:5; 83:18) Okwesibini, uYehova wahlukaniswe ngokupheleleyo kuso sonke isono, yaye kuyakhuthaza oko. Ngoba?

6. Kutheni sinokukhuthazwa kukwahlukaniswa ngokupheleleyo kukaYehova esonweni?

⁶ Siphila kwihlabathi elingenabo ubungcwele bokwenyaniso. Yonke into ekweli hlabathi elikude noThixo ayicocekanga ngenxa yesono nokungafezeki. Sonke sifanele silwe nesono esinaso. Yaye sonke sisengozini yokoyiswa sisono ukuba asilumkanga. (Roma 7:15-25; 1 Korinte 10:12) UYehova yena akakho sengozini elolo hlobo. Njengoko ahlukaniswe ngokupheleleyo  esonweni, akanakuze adyojwe nakancinane sisono. Eso sesinye isizathu esenza ukuba uYehova abe ngoyena Tata ubhetele esinokuba naye nesokuba simthembe ngokupheleleyo. Ngokungafaniyo nootata abaninzi abangafezekanga abangabantu, uYehova akasoze anganyaniseki, aziphathe kakubi, okanye awasebenzise kakubi amandla akhe. Ubungcwele bakhe benza ukuba naziphi na izinto ezinjalo zingabi nakwenzeka ngokupheleleyo. Ngezinye izihlandlo uYehova wayede afunge ngobungcwele bakhe, ukuqinisekisa ukuthembeka kwesifungo eso. (Amosi 4:2) Akukhuthazi na oko?

7. Kutheni kunokuthiwa ubungcwele buyinxalenye yobuntu bukaYehova?

⁷ Ubungcwele buyinxalenye yobuntu bukaYehova. Kuthetha ukuthini oko? Ukuzekelisa: Khawucinge ngegama elithi “umntu” nelithi “ukungafezeki.” Akunakuthetha ngomntu ngaphandle kokucinga ngokungafezeki. Ukungafezeki kubalasele kuthi yaye kuphembelela yonke into esiyenzayo. Ngoku khawucinge ngamagama amabini ahluke ngokupheleleyo—“uYehova” nelithi “ngcwele.” Ubungcwele bubalasele kuYehova. Ucocekile futhi ulungile kuyo yonke into. Asinakuze simazi ngokwenene uYehova ngaphandle kokucinga ngeli gama libalulekileyo—elithi “ungcwele.”

8, 9. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba uYehova uyabanceda abantu abangafezekanga ukuba babe ngcwele ngendlela elinganiselweyo?

⁸ Ekubeni ubungcwele buluphawu olubalaseleyo lukaYehova, kunokutshiwo ngokufanelekileyo ukuthi ungumthombo wabo bonke ubungcwele. Akazicingeli yedwa futhi akalugcini kuye yedwa olu phawu luxabisekileyo; ulunika nabanye ngomoya wokupha. Kaloku, xa uThixo wasebenzisa ingelosi ukuthetha kuMoses etyholweni elivuthayo, kwanomhlaba olingqongileyo waba ngcwele ngenxa yokuba uYehova wayelapho!—Eksodus 3:5.

⁹ Ngaba abantu abangafezekanga banako ukuba ngcwele ngoncedo lukaYehova? Ewe, ngendlela elinganiselweyo. UThixo wanika abantu bakhe uSirayeli ithemba lokuba ‘sisizwe esingcwele.’  (Eksodus 19:6) Walusikelela olo hlanga ngenkqubo yonqulo eyayingcwele, icocekile. Ngoko ubungcwele babuyinto ephambili eMthethweni kaMoses. Kaloku, umbingeleli omkhulu wayefaka ipleyiti yegolide ngaphambili kwiqhiya yakhe, ukuze bonke bayibone xa imenyezela ekukhanyeni. Kuyo kwakukrolwe amagama athi: “BobukaYehova ubungcwele.” (Eksodus 28:36) Ngoko unqulo lwabo lwalumele lucoceke kakhulu futhi lube yindlela yabo yokuphila. UYehova wathi kubo: “Nifanele nibe ngcwele kuba mna Yehova Thixo wenu ndingcwele.” (Levitikus 19:2) Logama amaSirayeli ayezama kangangoko ukuthobela uThixo, ayengcwele kuye ngendlela elinganiselweyo.

10. Ngokuphathelele ubungcwele, nguwuphi umahluko owawukho phakathi kukaSirayeli wamandulo kunye neentlanga ezazimjikelezile?

¹⁰ Oku kubalaseliswa kobungcwele kwakwahluke ngokupheleleyo kunqulo lweentlanga olwalujikeleze uSirayeli. Ezo ntlanga zobuhedeni zazinqula oothixo bobuxoki ababengekho kwaukubakho, oothixo ababechazwa njengabanogonyamelo, abanyolukileyo nabaziphethe kakubi. Babengekho ngcwele ngandlela zonke. Ezo zithixo zabenza ababi ngcwele abantu ababezinqula. Ngoko, uYehova wabalumkisa abakhonzi bakhe ukuba bazahlukanise nabanquli bobuhedeni nezinto ezingcolileyo zonqulo lwabo.—Levitikus 18:24-28; 1 Kumkani 11:1, 2. 

11. Ubungcwele benxalenye esezulwini yentlangano kaYehova bubonakaliswa njani (a) ziingelosi? (b) ziiserafi? (c) nguYesu?

¹¹ Kwanokuba lwalunokuzama kangakanani ukuba ngcwele, uhlanga olukhethiweyo lukaYehova olunguSirayeli wamandulo lwalungeke lukwazi ukuba ngcwele njengenxalenye esezulwini yentlangano kaThixo. Izigidi zezidalwa zomoya ezimkhonza ngokuthembekileyo uThixo kubhekiselwa kuzo ngokuthi “amashumi amawaka eengelosi ezingcwele.” (Duteronomi 33:2; Yude 14) Zikubonakalisa ngokugqibeleleyo ukuqaqamba nobuhle obusulungekileyo bobungcwele bukaThixo. Yaye khumbula iiserafi uIsaya awazibona embonweni wakhe. Umongo wengoma yazo ubonisa ukuba ezi zidalwa zomeleleyo zomoya zinendima ebalulekileyo ekwaziseni ngobungcwele bukaYehova kwindalo yonke. Noko ke, esinye kwezi zidalwa zomoya singaphezu  kwazo zonke ezi—uNyana kaThixo okuphela kwamzeleyo. UYesu ububonakalisa ngeyona ndlela ibalaseleyo ubungcwele bukaYehova. Ngokufanelekileyo, waziwa ‘njengaLowo Ungcwele kaThixo.’—Yohane 6:68, 69.

12, 13. (a) Kutheni igama likaThixo lichazwa ngokufanelekileyo ngokuthi lingcwele? (b) Kutheni igama likaThixo limele lisuswe zonke izityholo elibekwa zona?

¹² Kuthekani ngegama likaThixo? Njengoko sibonile kwiSahluko 1, elo gama alisosibizo okanye uphawu nje kuphela. Limela uYehova uThixo, nazo zonke iimpawu zakhe. Kungako nje iBhayibhile isithi ‘unegama elingcwele.’ (Isaya 57:15) UMthetho kaMoses wawumbeka ityala lokufa umntu owayengcolisa igama likaThixo. (Levitikus 24:16) Yaye phawula into yokuqala uYesu awayikhankanyayo emthandazweni: “Tata wethu osemazulwini, malingcwaliswe igama lakho.” (Mateyu 6:9) Ukungcwalisa into kuthetha ukuyahlula njengento engcwele yaye uyihlonele. Kodwa kutheni into esulungeke njengegama likaThixo kufuneka ingcwaliswe?

¹³ Igama elingcwele likaThixo liye alahlonitshwa futhi langcoliswa ngobuxoki nangogculelo. E-Eden, uSathana waxoka ngoYehova ngelithi unguMongami ongenabulungisa. (Genesis 3:1-5) Ukususela ngoko, uSathana—umlawuli weli hlabathi lingekho ngcwele—uye waqinisekisa ukuba buyanda ubuxoki ngoThixo. (Yohane 8:44; 12:31; ISityhilelo 12:9) Iinkonzo ziye zamchaza uThixo njengalowo ongqwabalala, okude kuthi, nokhohlakeleyo. Zithi zixhaswa nguye kwiimfazwe zazo zophalazo-gazi. Kunokuba zizukise uThixo ngezenzo zakhe ezimangalisayo zokudala, ngokufuthi zithi indalo yabakho ngamabona-ndenzile, okanye yazivelela. Ewe, igama likaThixo liye lanyeliswa ngenkohlakalo. Limele lingcwaliswe; uzuko lwalo olufanelekileyo lumele lubuyiselwe. Ingathi alisafiki ixesha lokuba uThixo asuse zonke izityholo elibekwa zona igama lakhe elilungileyo. Loo nto uza kuyenza ngoBukumkani obunomlawuli onguNyana wakhe. Siyakuvuyela ukuba nenxaxheba kuloo njongo izukileyo.

14. Kutheni umoya kaThixo ubizwa ngokuthi ungcwele, yaye kutheni ukunyelisa umoya oyingcwele kusisono esinzulu?

 ¹⁴ Kukho nenye into enxulumene ngokusondeleyo noYehova nayo ebizwa ngokuthi ingcwele—umoya wakhe, okanye amandla akhe asebenzayo. (Genesis 1:2) UYehova uwasebenzisa la mandla akhe agqithiseleyo ukuphumeza iinjongo zakhe. Konke oko uThixo akwenzayo, ukwenza ngendlela engcwele, emsulwa necocekileyo, ngoko amandla akhe asebenzayo abizwa ngokufanelekileyo ngokuba ngumoya oyingcwele okanye umoya wobungcwele. (Luka 11:13; Roma 1:4) Ukunyelisa umoya oyingcwele, okubandakanya ukuchasa ngabom iinjongo zikaYehova, kusisono esingaxolelekiyo.—Marko 3:29.

15. Kutheni kufanelekile nje ukumoyika uYehova ngenxa yokuba engcwele, yaye lubandakanya ntoni olo loyiko?

¹⁵ Ngoko, akukho nzima ukuqonda isizathu sokuba iBhayibhile isithi abantu bafanele bamoyike uThixo ngenxa yokuba engcwele. Ngokomzekelo, iNdumiso 99:3 ithi: “Mazidumise igama lakho elikhulu, kuba liyoyikeka yaye lingcwele.” Le nto ithetha ukuba sifanele simhloniphe kakhulu uThixo negama lakhe. Kufanelekile ukuvakalelwa ngaloo ndlela, ekubeni ubungcwele bukaThixo bukumlinganiselo ophakame kakhulu kunathi. Bucoceke kakhulu, yaye buzukile. Sekunjalo, abufanele busibhekelise kude kuye. Kunoko, ukuba nembono efanelekileyo ngobungcwele bukaThixo kuya kusisondeza kuye. Ngoba?

16. (a) Ubungcwele bunxulumene njani nozuko, okanye ubuhle? Nika umzekelo. (b) Ukuchazwa kukaYehova kwasembonweni kukubalaselisa njani ukucoceka, ukusulungeka nokukhanya?

¹⁶ Phakathi kwezinye izinto, iBhayibhile ibunxulumanisa ubungcwele kunye nobuhle. KuIsaya 63:15, izulu lichazwa ‘njengekhaya elingcwele, elizukileyo [okanye, ‘elihle,’ umbhalo osemazantsi].’ Uzuko nobuhle bunomtsalane kuthi. Ngokomzekelo, khawujonge umfanekiso okwiphepha 33. Ngaba akuziva utsalelekile kuloo mfanekiso? Yintoni ewenza ube nomtsalane kangako? Khawujonge indlela acwenge ngayo loo manzi. Kwanomoya umele ukuba ucocekile, kuba isibhakabhaka siluhlaza yaka  nokukhanya kuqaqambile. Ngoku, ukuba lo mfanekiso ubunokutshintshwa—la manzi agcwale ubumdaka, imithi namatye angcole, kugcwale umsi emoyeni—besingayi kuba saziva sitsalelekile kuwo. Ngokuqhelekileyo ubuhle, okanye uzuko, sibunxulumanisa nokucoceka, nokukhanya. Kwale ndlela inye inokusetyenziswa ukuchaza ubungcwele bukaYehova. Kungenxa yoko le nto ukuchazwa kukaYehova embonweni kusichulumancisa. Ukukhanya kwakhe ngokuqaqambileyo, ukukhazimla kwakhe njengamatye anqabileyo, ukuqaqamba kwakhe njengomlilo okanye njengesona sinyithi sixabisekileyo esisulungekileyo nesikhazimlayo—yindlela leyo azuke, okanye amhle, ngayo uThixo wethu ongcwele.—Hezekile 1:25-28; ISityhilelo 4:2, 3.

17, 18. (a) Ekuqaleni uIsaya wachatshazelwa njani ngumbono wakhe? (b) UYehova wayisebenzisa njani iserafi ukuthuthuzela uIsaya, yaye kwakubaluleke ngantoni oko kwenziwa yiserafi?

¹⁷ Noko ke, ngaba ubungcwele bukaThixo bufanele busenze sizive siphantsi kunaye? Ngokucacileyo, impendulo ithi, ewe. Ngapha koko, siphantsi kakade kuYehova—kunjalo nje siphantsi kakhulu kuye. Ngaba ukwazi oko kufanele kusahlukanise naye? Phawula indlela awasabela ngayo uIsaya xa weva iiserafi zibhengeza ubungcwele bukaYehova. “Mna ke ndathi: “Ndisengxakini! Ndifana nje nofileyo, kuba ndiyindoda enemilebe engacocekanga, yaye ndihlala phakathi kwesizwana esinemilebe engacocekanga; kuba amehlo am abone uKumkani, uYehova wemikhosi ngokwakhe!’” (Isaya 6:5) Ewe, ubungcwele bukaYehova obungenasiphelo bamkhumbuza uIsaya ngendlela anesono nangafezekanga ngayo. Ekuqaleni, loo ndoda yokholo yaphelelwa ngamandla. Kodwa uYehova akazange ayiyeke kuloo meko.

¹⁸ Iserafi yamthuthuzela ngokukhawuleza lo mprofeti. Njani? Eso sidalwa someleleyo somoya saphaphazela saya esibingelelweni, sathatha ilahle kuso, saza sachukumisa ngalo imilebe kaIsaya. Oko kusenokubonakala kubuhlungu kunokuba kuthuthuzele. Noko ke, khumbula ukuba lo yayingumbono, owawunentsingiselo yokomfuziselo. UIsaya, owayengumYuda othembekileyo, wayesazi kakuhle ukuba imibingelelo yayisenziwa mihla le esibingelelweni setempile ukuze kucanyagushelwe  izono. Ngoko le serafi yayimkhumbuza ngothando lo mprofeti ukuba nangona eneneni wayengafezekanga, “enemilebe engacocekanga,” wayesenako ukuba ngumntu ococekileyo phambi kukaThixo. a UYehova wayekulungele ukumbona njengongcwele umntu ongafezekanga nonesono—ubuncinane ngendlela elinganiselweyo.—Isaya 6:6, 7.

19. Kunokwenzeka njani ngathi ukuba sibe ngcwele ngendlela elinganiselweyo, nangona singafezekanga?

¹⁹ Kuyafana ke nanamhlanje. Yonke loo mibingelelo eyayisenziwa esibingelelweni eYerusalem yayisisithunzi sento enkulu ngakumbi—umbingelelo omnye ogqibeleleyo, owanikelwa nguYesu Kristu ngo-33 C.E. (Hebhere 9:11-14) Ukuba siguquka ngokwenene ezonweni zethu, silungise iimpazamo zethu, size sibonise ukholo kuloo mbingelelo, siyaxolelwa. (1 Yohane 2:2) Nathi sinokuba ngabantu abacocekileyo phambi kukaThixo. Ngoko, umpostile uPetros usikhumbuza esithi: “Kubhaliwe kwathiwa: “Nimele nibe ngcwele, kuba nam ndingcwele.’”  (1 Petros 1:16) Phawula ukuba uYehova akakhange athi simele sibe ngcwele njengaye. Akaze alindele okungaphezu kwamandla ethu kuthi. (INdumiso 103:13, 14) Kunoko, uYehova uthi simele sibe ngcwele ngenxa yokuba yena ungcwele. “Njengabantwana abathandwayo,” sifuna ukumxelisa ngokusemandleni ethu njengabantu abangafezekanga. (Efese 5:1) Ngoko ukufikelela ubungcwele kufuna umzamo ongapheliyo. Njengoko sikhula ngokomoya, sizabalazela ‘ukuya sisiba ngcwele’ imihla ngemihla.—2 Korinte 7:1.

20. (a) Kutheni kubalulekile nje ukuqonda ukuba sinako ukuba ngabacocekileyo emehlweni oThixo wethu ongcwele? (b) Wathini uIsaya akuqonda ukuba izono zakhe zazixolelwe?

²⁰ UYehova uyakuthanda okulungileyo nokucocekileyo. Uyasicaphukela isono. (Habhakuki 1:13) Kodwa akasicaphukeli thina. Logama isono sisijonga ngendlela asijonga ngayo—sikucaphukele okubi, sithande okulungileyo—size sizame kangangoko ukulandela amanyathelo agqibeleleyo kaKristu Yesu, uYehova uyazixolela izono zethu. (Amosi 5:15; 1 Petros 2:21) Xa siqonda ukuba sinako ukuba ngabacocekileyo emehlweni oThixo wethu ongcwele, loo nto inokuba nento enkulu eyenzayo kuthi. Khumbula ukuba, ekuqaleni ubungcwele bukaYehova bamkhumbuza uIsaya ngokungacoceki kwakhe. Wakhala wathi: “Ndisengxakini!” Kodwa wathi akuqonda ukuba izono zakhe zazixolelwe, wathuthuzeleka. Xa uYehova wacela itshantliziyo lokuphumeza isabelo esithile, uIsaya waphendula ngokukhawuleza, nangona wayengazi ukuba sasibandakanya ntoni na. Wadanduluka wathi: “Ndikhona! Thuma mna!”—Isaya 6:5-8.

21. Yintoni esenza siqiniseke ukuba sinako ukubangcwele?

²¹ Senziwe ngokomfanekiso kaThixo ongcwele, sanikwa imilinganiselo yokuziphatha kunye namandla okuziqonda izinto zokomoya. (Genesis 1:26) Ngoko sonke sinawo amandla okufikelela ubungcwele. Njengoko siqhubeka sizama ukuba ngcwele, uYehova uyakuvuyela ukusinceda. Ngaloo ndlela, siya kusondela ngakumbi kuThixo wethu ongcwele. Ukongezelela, njengoko siqwalasela iimpawu zikaYehova kwizahluko ezilandelayo, siza kubona ukuba kukho izizathu ezininzi ezinamandla zokusondela kuye!