1, 2. Yiyiphi ingozi ayejamelene nayo amaSirayeli njengoko ayengena kummandla waseSinayi ngo-1513 B.C.E., yaye uYehova wawakhuthaza njani?

 AMASIRAYELI ayesengozini njengoko ayengena kummandla waseSinayi ekuqaleni ko-1513 B.C.E. Ayejongene nohambo oloyikekayo, olwalutyhubela ‘kwintlango enkulu neyoyikekayo, eneenyoka ezinobuhlungu noonomadudwane.’ (Duteronomi 8:15) Kwakhona ayejamelene nokuhlaselwa ziintlanga ezinobutshaba. NguYehova owayebafake kule meko abantu bakhe. NjengoThixo wabo, ngaba wayeza kukwazi ukubakhusela?

² Ayelukhuthazo ngokwenene amazwi kaYehova athi: “Nizibonele ngawenu amehlo into endiyenze kumaYiputa ukuze ndinithwale ngamaphiko okhozi, ndinizise kum.” (Eksodus 19:4) UYehova wabakhumbuza abantu bakhe ukuba wabahlangula kumaYiputa, ngokungathi ubathwele ngamaphiko okhozi, wabasa kwindawo ekhuselekileyo. Kodwa kukho ezinye izizathu ezenza ukuba “amaphiko okhozi” abe ngumzekeliso ofanelekileyo wokubonisa ukukhusela kukaThixo.

3. Kutheni “amaphiko okhozi” engumzekelo ofanelekileyo wokubonisa ukukhusela kukaThixo?

³ Ukhozi aluwasebenziseli ukubhabha nje kuphela amaphiko alo amakhulu nawomeleleyo. Xa kushushu kakhulu, ukhozi luvula amaphiko—afikelela kubukhulu beemitha ezimbini—ukuze lwenze iambrela yokukhusela amantshontsho alo kwingqatsini yelanga. Ngamany’ amaxesha, luwasongela ngamaphiko amantshontsho alo ukuze akhuseleke engqeleni. Kanye njengokuba ukhozi lukhusela amantshontsho alo, ngoko noYehova walukhusela uhlanga lukaSirayeli. Njengoko babesentlango, abantu bakhe babeza kukhuseleka phantsi kwamaphiko akhe omeleleyo xa babehlala bethembekile. (Duteronomi 32:9-11; INdumiso 36:7) Kodwa ngaba thina namhlanje sinokulindela ukuba uThixo asikhusele?

4, 5. Kutheni sinokusithemba ngokupheleleyo isithembiso sikaThixo sokusikhusela?

⁴ Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova uyakwazi ukubakhusela abakhonzi bakhe. ‘UnguThixo uSomandla’—into ethetha ukuba unamandla angenakuxhathiswa mntu. (Genesis 17:1) Njengamaza angenakumiswa, amandla kaYehova akanakuthintelwa. Ekubeni enako ukwenza nantoni na athanda ukuyenza, sisenokubuza, ‘Ngaba kukuthanda kukaYehova ukusebenzisa amandla akhe ukukhusela abantu bakhe?’

⁵ Impendulo ithi ewe! UYehova usiqinisekisa ukuba uya kubakhusela abantu bakhe. INdumiso 46:1 ithi: “UThixo uyindawo yokubalekela namandla ethu, uncedo olufumaneka ngokukhawuleza xa sisentlungwini.” Ekubeni uThixo ‘engenakuxoka,’ sinokusithemba ngokupheleleyo isithembiso sakhe sokusikhusela. (Tito 1:2) Makhe sibone indlela uYehova akuzekelisa ngayo ukukhusela kwakhe.

6, 7. (a) Umalusi wamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile wayezikhusela njani izimvu zakhe? (b) IBhayibhile iwuzekelisa njani umnqweno kaYehova osuk’ entliziyweni wokuzikhusela nokuzinyamekela izimvu zakhe?

⁶ UYehova “nguMalusi” wethu, yaye “thina singabantu bakhe neegusha zedlelo lakhe.” (INdumiso 23:1; 100:3) Zimbalwa izilwanyana ezibuthathaka njengezimvu. Umalusi wamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile wayemele abe nesibindi sokuzikhusela izimvu zakhe ekutyiweni ziingonyama, iingcuka, neebhere, kwanasekubiweni ngamasela. (1 Samuweli 17:34, 35; Yohane 10:12, 13) Kodwa kwakubakho amaxesha axa ukukhusela izimvu kwakufuna ukuthantamisa. Xa imvu yayizalela kude nesibaya, umalusi onenkathalo wayehlala eyilindile ngalo lonke elo xesha lokungakwazi kwayo ukuzinceda aze athathe elo takane libuthathaka alithwale alise esibayeni.

⁷ Ngokuzifanisa nomalusi, uYehova usiqinisekisa ngomnqweno wakhe osuk’ entliziyweni wokusikhusela. (Hezekile 34: 11-16) Khumbula indlela achazwa ngayo uYehova kuIsaya 40:11, njengoko ixutyushwe kwiSahluko 2 sale ncwadi: ‘Uza kuwukhathalela umhlambi wakhe njengomalusi. Ngengalo yakhe, uza kuwaqokelela amatakane, uza kuhamba nawo ewabeke esifubeni.’ Itakane lifika njani ‘esifubeni’ somalusi—kwilaphu lesambatho sakhe sangaphezulu? Itakane lalisenokusondela kumalusi, lide limkrwece emlenzeni. Noko ke, ngumalusi omele agobe, aliphakamise itakane, aze ngobunono alifake kwindawo ekhuselekileyo esifubeni sakhe. Enjani yona indlela oku okukubonisa ngayo ukuzimisela koMalusi wethu Omkhulu ukusikhusela!

8. (a) Isithembiso sikaThixo sokusikhusela sibhekiswa koobani, yaye oku kuboniswe njani kwiMizekeliso 18:10? (b) Yintoni ebandakanyekileyo ekusabeleni egameni likaThixo?

⁸ Isithembiso sikaThixo sokusikhusela asibhekisi kumntu onke—sibhekiswa kuphela kwabo basondela kuye. IMizekeliso 18:10 ithi: “Igama likaYehova liyinqaba eyomeleleyo. Ilungisa libalekela kulo lize likhuseleke.” Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, ngamany’ amaxesha iinqaba zazisakhiwa entlango njengeendawo ezikhuselekileyo zokubalekela. Kodwa kwakuxhomekeke kulowo usengozini ukubalekela kwinqaba leyo ukuze akhuseleke. Kuyafana ke nangokubalekela egameni likaThixo. Oku kubandakanya okungakumbi kunokulibiza nje kuphela igama likaThixo; igama likaThixo lilodwa alenzi mlingo. Kunoko, sifanele simazi yaye sikholose ngoMnini welo gama size siphile ngokuvisisana nemilinganiselo yakhe yobulungisa. Unobubele nyhani uYehova ngokusiqinisekisa ukuba, ukuba sibonisa ukholo kuye, uya kuba yinqaba yokusikhusela!

9. UYehova wenze njani okungakumbi kunokuthembisa nje ukusikhusela?

⁹ UYehova akaphelelanga nje ngokusithembisa ukusikhusela. Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, wabonisa ngeendlela ezingummangaliso ukuba uyakwazi ukubakhusela abantu bakhe. Ngexesha lamaSirayeli, “isandla” esomeleleyo sikaYehova saqhubeka siwakhusela kwiintshaba ezinamandla. (Eksodus  7:4) Noko ke, uYehova wawasebenzisa amandla akhe akhuselayo nasekuncedeni abantu ngabanye.

10, 11. Yiyiphi imizekelo yeBhayibhile ebonisa indlela uYehova awawasebenzisa ngayo amandla akhe akhuselayo kubantu abathile?

¹⁰ Xa abafana abathathu abangamaHebhere—ababesaziwa ngokuba nguShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego—balayo ukuqubuda emfanekisweni wegolide kaKumkani uNebhukadenetsare, loo kumkani wavutha ngumsindo waza wabagrogrisa ngokubaphosa kwiziko lomlilo elivutha bhe. UNebhukadenetsare, oyena mlawuli wayenamandla emhlabeni, wabagculela esithi: “Nguwuphi uthixo onokunisindisa kum?” (Daniyeli 3:15) Aba bafana bathathu babethembele ngokupheleleyo emandleni kaThixo okubakhusela, kodwa abazange bazithembise ukuba wayeza kubakhusela. Ngoko, baphendula bathi: “Ukuba kumele kube njalo, uThixo wethu esimkhonzayo, uyakwazi ukusisindisa.” (Daniyeli 3:17) Eneneni, elo ziko lomlilo, nangona lalitshisa ngokuphindwe kayi-7 kunangesiqhelo, alizange limxake uThixo onamandla onke. Wabakhusela, yaye loo kumkani wanyanzeleka ukuba avume athi: “Akakho omnye uthixo onako ukusindisa ngale ndlela.”—Daniyeli 3:29.

¹¹ Kwakhona uYehova wasibonisa amandla akhe akhuselayo ngokufudusela ubomi boNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo esibelekweni sentombi enyulu yomYuda uMariya. Ingelosi yathi kuMariya wayeza ‘kukhulelwa, azale umntwana oyinkwenkwe.’ Le ngelosi yachaza yathi: “Uza kufikelwa ngumoya oyingcwele, namandla Oyena Uphakamileyo.” (Luka 1:31, 35) Kubonakala ukuba, uNyana kaThixo wayengazange akhe abe sesichengeni ngale ndlela. Ngaba isono nokungafezeki kukanina ongumntu kwakuza kuyichaphazela loo mveku ingekazalwa? Ngaba uSathana wayenokukwazi ukumenzakalisa okanye ukumbulala loo Nyana ngaphambi kokuzalwa kwakhe? Kwakungenakwenzeka oko! Enyanisweni, uYehova wenza udonga lokukhusela uMariya ukuze kungabikho nto—enoba kukungafezeki, ukwenzakala nokubulawa ngumntu okanye nayiphi na idemon—eyayinokwenzakalisa loo mveku ingekazalwa, ukususela ekukhawulweni kwayo. UYehova waqhubeka emkhusele  uYesu ebutsheni bakhe. (Mateyu 2:1-15) De kwalixesha likaThixo elimiselweyo, akazange avumele nantoni na ukuba yenzakalise uNyana wakhe othandekayo.

12. Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova abakhusele ngokumangalisayo abantu abathile ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile?

¹² Kutheni uYehova wayebakhusela ngeendlela ezimangalisayo nje abantu abathile? Kwiimeko ezininzi uYehova wayebakhusela abantu abathile ukuze akhusele into ebaluleke ngakumbi: ukuzalisekiswa kwenjongo yakhe. Ngokomzekelo, ukusindiswa kwemveku enguYesu kwakubalulekile ekuzalisekisweni kwenjongo kaThixo, eyayiza kuthi ekugqibeleni ibe yingenelo kulo lonke uluntu. Iingxelo ezininzi zokubonakaliswa kwamandla akhe akhuselayo ziyinxalenye yeZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo, ‘ezabhalwa ukuze kufundiswe thina, ukuze ukunyamezela kwethu nokuthuthuzelwa ziZibhalo kusincede sibe nethemba.’ (Roma 15:4) Ewe, le mizekelo iyaluqinisa ukholo lwethu kuThixo onamandla onke. Kodwa yiyiphi indlela esinokulindela ukuba uThixo asikhusele ngayo thina namhlanje?

13. Ngaba uYehova unyanzelekile ukuba asenzele imimangaliso? Cacisa.

¹³ Isithembiso sikaThixo sokusikhusela asithethi ukuba uYehova unyanzelekile ukuba asenzele imimangaliso. Akunjalo, kuba uThixo wethu akasithembisanga ubomi obungenazo iinkathazo kule nkqubo indala yezinto. Abakhonzi abaninzi abathembekileyo bakaYehova behlelwa zizinto ezibuhlungu kakhulu, ezifana nokuhlupheka, iimfazwe, ukugula nokufa. UYesu wabaxelela ngokucacileyo abafundi bakhe ukuba babenokude babulawe ngenxa yokholo lwabo. Yiloo nto uYesu wabethelela ukuba kufuneka sinyamezele kude kube sekupheleni. (Mateyu 24:9, 13) Ukuba uYehova ebenokusebenzisa amandla akhe ukusihlangula ngokungummangaliso kuzo zonke iimeko, ngokuqinisekileyo uSathana ebeza kumgculela uYehova aze athandabuze nokunyaniseka kokuzinikela kwethu kuThixo wethu.—Yobhi 1:9, 10.

14. Yiyiphi imizekelo ebonisa ukuba uYehova akasoloko ebakhusela bonke abakhonzi bakhe ngeendlela ezifanayo?

 ¹⁴ Kwanangamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, uYehova akazange awasebenzise amandla akhe akhuselayo ekukhuseleni ngamnye wabakhonzi bakhe ukuba angafi ngaphambi kwexesha. Ngokomzekelo, umpostile uYakobi wabulawa nguHerode malunga no-44 C.E.; kanti, kamsinya emva koko, uPetros wahlangulwa “kuHerode.” (IZenzo 12:1-11) Yaye uYohane, umntakwaboYakobi, waphila ithuba elide kunoPetros noYakobi. Ngokucacileyo, asinakulindela ukuba uThixo abakhusele bonke abakhonzi bakhe ngeendlela ezifanayo. Ngapha koko, sonke sifikelwa “lixesha naziziganeko ezingalindelekanga.” (INtshumayeli 9:11) Ngoko, uYehova usikhusela njani namhlanje?

15, 16. (a) Bubuphi ubungqina obukhoyo bokuba uYehova uyabakhusela ngokwasemzimbeni abakhonzi bakhe njengeqela? (b) Kutheni sinokuyithemba into yokuba uYehova uza kubakhusela abakhonzi bakhe ngoku ‘nakwixesha lentlungu engathethekiyo’?

¹⁵ Khawucinge kuqala ngendlela esikhuselwa ngayo ngokwasemzimbeni. Njengabanquli bakaYehova, sinokulindela ukuba uya kukwenza oko kuthi njengeqela. Kungenjalo, besiya kuba zizisulu zikaSathana. Khawucinge nje ngoku: Akukho nto uSathana, “umlawuli weli hlabathi,” ayinqwenela njengokuphelisa unqulo lokwenyaniso. (Yohane 12:31; ISityhilelo 12:17) Abanye babona rhulumente bomeleleyo emhlabeni baye bawuvala umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela baza bazama nokusicim’ igama. Sekunjalo, abantu bakaYehova baye bahlala bomelele yaye baqhubeka beshumayela bengayeki! Kutheni iintlanga ezomeleleyo zingakwazanga nje ukuliphelisa eli qela lincinane nelibonakala lingenamandla lamaKristu? Kungenxa yokuba uYehova uye wasikhusela ngamaphiko akhe omeleleyo!—INdumiso 17:7, 8.

¹⁶ Kuthekani ngokusikhusela kwakhe ngokwasemzimbeni “kwixesha lentlungu engathethekiyo” elizayo? Akumele kusoyikise ukusondela komgwebo kaThixo. Ngapha koko, “uYehova uyakwazi ukubasindisa esilingweni abantu abazinikele kuye,  kodwa abantu abangengomalungisa ubagcinele imini yomgwebo ukuze batshatyalaliswe.” (ISityhilelo 7:14; 2 Petros 2:9) Okwangoku, sinokusoloko siqinisekile ngezinto ezimbini. Okokuqala, uYehova akayi kuze avumele ukuba abakhonzi bakhe abanyanisekileyo bapheliswe emhlabeni. Okwesibini, uza kubavuza abo bahlala bethembekile ngobomi obungunaphakade kwihlabathi elitsha lobulungisa—ukuba baye bafa, uza kubavuza ngokuthi abavuse. Ukuba kuyenzeka sife, akukho nto ibhetele ngakumbi kunokuba senkumbulweni kaThixo.—Yohane 5:28, 29.

17. UYehova usikhusela njani ngeLizwi lakhe?

¹⁷ Kwanangoku, uYehova uyasikhusela ‘ngelizwi’ lakhe eliphilileyo, elinamandla okuphilisa iintliziyo nawokuguqula indlela esiphila ngayo. (Hebhere 4:12) Ngokusebenzisa imigaqo yalo, sinako ngandlel’ ithile ukukhuseleka ekwenzakaleni ngokwasemzimbeni. UIsaya 48:17 uthi: ‘Mna, Yehova, ndikufundisa izinto ezikuncedayo.’ Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, ukuphila ngokuvisisana neLizwi likaThixo kunokuyiphucula impilo yethu kuze kusenze siphile ixesha elide. Ngokomzekelo, ngenxa yokuba sithobela iBhayibhile xa isithi singaziphathi kakubi ngokwesondo futhi sicoce imizimba yethu, siyaziphepha izinto ezingacocekanga ezenziwayo nemikhwa eyingozi eyonakalisa ubomi babantu abaninzi abangathobeli Thixo. (IZenzo 15:29; 2 Korinte 7:1) Simbulela nyhani uThixo ngokusikhusela kwakhe ngeLizwi lakhe!

18. Yiyiphi indlela uYehova asikhusela ngayo ngokomoya?

¹⁸ Okona kubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba, uYehova uyasikhusela ngokomoya. UThixo wethu onothando uyasikhusela ekwenzakaleni ngokomoya ngokusixhobisa ngoko sikufunayo ukuze sinyamezele izilingo nokuze sikhusele ubuhlobo bethu kunye naye. Ngoko uYehova uyabukhusela ubomi bethu, kungekhona kangangexesha nje elifutshane kodwa ngonaphakade. Khawucinge ngamanye amalungiselelo kaThixo okusikhusela ngokomoya.

19. Umoya kaYehova unokusenza njani simelane naso nasiphi na isilingo esisenokudibana naso?

 ¹⁹ UYehova “umamela imithandazo.” (INdumiso 65:2) Xa sisindwa bubunzima bobu bomi, ukumkhuphela yonk’ into esentliziyweni yethu kunokusizisela isiqabu. (Filipi 4:6, 7) Usenokungazisusi ngokungummangaliso izilingo zethu, kodwa unokuyiphendula imithandazo yethu esuk’ entliziyweni ngokusinika ubulumko bokumelana nazo. (Yakobi 1:5, 6) Ngaphezu koko, uYehova ubanika umoya oyingcwele abo bamcelayo. (Luka 11:13) Loo moya onamandla unokusenza sikwazi ukumelana naso nasiphi na isilingo okanye ingxaki esidibana nayo. Usenokusinika ‘amandla angaqhelekanga’ ukuze sikwazi ukunyamezela de uYehova aziphelise zonke iingxaki ezibuhlungu kwihlabathi elitsha elisemnyango.—2 Korinte 4:7.

20. UYehova usenokubasebenzisa njani abo sikhonza nabo ekubonakaliseni amandla akhe akhuselayo?

²⁰ Ngamany’ amaxesha, uYehova usenokusebenzisa abo sikhonza nabo ukubonakalisa amandla akhe akhuselayo. UYehova uye wabenza abantu bakhe baba ‘ngabazalwana’ abasemhlabeni wonke. (1 Petros 2:17; Yohane 6:44) Xa siluva uthando phakathi kwabazalwana bethu, sibona ubungqina bokwenene bendlela amandla omoya oyingcwele kaThixo obaqhuba ngayo abantu ukuba benze okulungileyo. Loo moya  uvelisa kuthi isiqhamo—iimpawu ezintle nezixabisekileyo, eziquka uthando, ububele nokulunga. (Galati 5:22, 23) Ngoko ke, xa sisentlungwini aze umntu esikhonza naye asinike icebiso eliluncedo okanye amazwi akhuthazayo, sinokumbulela uYehova ngokusikhathalela kwakhe ngaloo ndlela.

21. (a) Kukuphi ukutya kokomoya okufika ngexesha elifanelekileyo asilungiselela kona uYehova ‘ngekhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi’? (b) Uye wangenelwa njani wena ngokobuqu kumalungiselelo kaYehova okusikhusela ngokomoya?

²¹ Likho nelinye ilungiselelo likaYehova lokusikhusela: ukutya kokomoya okufika ngexesha elifanelekileyo. Ukuze asincede somelezwe liLizwi lakhe, uYehova uye wamisela “ikhoboka elithembekileyo neliyingqondi” ukuba lilungiselele ukutya kokomoya. Elo khoboka lithembekileyo lisebenzisa iimpapasho eziprintiweyo, eziquka amaphephancwadi IMboniselo noVukani!, newebhusayithi yethu ethi jw.org/xh, kwakunye neentlanganiso, neendibano zesiphaluka nezengingqi, zokusilungiselela ‘ukutya ngexesha elifanelekileyo’—oko sikudingayo, ngexesha esikudinga ngalo. (Mateyu 24:45) Ngaba wakha weva kwintlanganiso yamaKristu—empendulweni, entethweni, okanye kwanasemthandazweni—kukhankanywa ingongoma ekunika kanye amandla nokhuthazo olufunayo? Ngaba wakha wachukunyiswa linqaku elithile elalipapashwe kwamanye amaphephancwadi ethu? Khumbula ukuba, uYehova uwenze onke la malungiselelo ngenjongo yokusikhusela ngokomoya.

22. Yiyiphi indlela asoloko ewasebenzisa ngayo uYehova amandla akhe, yaye kutheni iluncedo kuthi?

²² Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova ulikhaka “kubo bonke abo babalekela kuye.” (INdumiso 18:30) Siyaqonda ukuba akawasebenzisi amandla akhe ukuze asikhusele kuzo zonke iintlekele. Noko ke, usoloko ewasebenzisa amandla akhe akhuselayo ukuqinisekisa ukuba injongo yakhe iyazaliseka. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, loo nto iza kubanceda abantu bakhe. Ukuba siyasondela kuye size sihlale eluthandweni lwakhe, uYehova uza kusinika ubomi obugqibeleleyo obungunaphakade. Ngenxa yelo themba, nabuphi na ubunzima kule nkqubo sinokubujonga njengento ‘yokomzuzwana nencinane.’—2 Korinte 4:17.