1, 2. Yeyiphi “imfihlelo engcwele” esifanele sibe nomdla kuyo, futhi kutheni sifanele sibe nomdla kuyo?

 XA abantu besazi into ekungekho omny’ umntu oyaziyo okanye oyiqondayo, kudla ngokuba nzima kubo ukuyigcina iyimfihlo. Kodwa ke, iBhayibhile ithi: “Ukugcina ihlebo kuluzuko kuThixo.” (IMizekeliso 25:2) Kuba engOyena Mlawuli Uphakamileyo noMdali, eziny’ izinto uYehova uzigcina ziyimfihlo ebantwini de kube lixesha elifanelekileyo lokuziveza.

² Kodwa ke, ikhona imfihlo ebangel’ umdla uYehova aye wayityhila eLizwini lakhe. Ibizwa ngokuba ‘yimfihlelo engcwele yokuthanda kukaThixo.’ (Efese 1:9) Ukufunda ngayo kubangel’ umdla nyhani. Kodwa into ebaluleke nakakhulu kukuba, xa siyiqonda le mfihlelo sinokutsho sisindiswe esonweni nasekufeni. Eny’ into, siza kutsho siyiqonde bhetelana indlela obukhulu ngayo ubulumko bukaYehova.

3, 4. Isiprofeto esibhalwe kwiGenesis 3:15 sasinika ithemba njani, kodwa yintoni ‘eyayiyimfihlelo engcwele’ kwesi siprofeto?

³ Xa uAdam noEva bonayo, kwakusenokubonakala ngathi injongo kaYehova yokuba kubekho umhlaba oyiparadesi onabantu abangenasono soze yenzeke. Kodwa ngoko nangoko uThixo waveza ukuba uza kuyilungisa loo ngxaki. Wathi: “Ndiza kubeka ubutshaba phakathi kwakho nomfazi naphakathi kwenzala yakho nenzala yakhe. Yona iza kukutyumza intloko uze wena uyilume esithendeni.”—Genesis 3:15.

⁴ La ngamazwi abhidayo nafihlakeleyo. Wayengubani lo mfazi? Yayingubani inyoka? Yayingubani ‘inzala’ eyayiza kutyumza intloko yenyoka? UAdam noEva babengazi. Kodwa loo mazwi abanika ithemba nabaphi na abantwana baka-Adam noEva ababeza kuthembeka kuYehova. Babenokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova uza kubuphelisa bonke ububi, isono nokufa nokuba injongo  yakhe iza kwenzeka. Kodwa njani? Yiloo nto kanye ke le yayiyimfihlo! IBhayibhile iyibiza ngokuthi ‘bubulumko bukaThixo kwimfihlelo engcwele, ubulumko obufihliweyo.’—1 Korinte 2:7.

5. Yenza umzekelo obonisa isizathu sokuba uYehova ayityhile kancinci kancinci imfihlelo yakhe.

⁵ UYehova “nguMtyhili weemfihlelo,” ngoko ethubeni wayeza kubaxelela okungakumbi abakhonzi bakhe ngale mfihlelo. (Daniyeli 2:28) Kodwa wayeza kuyenza kancinci kancinci loo nto. Ngokomzekelo, sisenokucinga ngendlela aphendula ngayo utata onothando xa inkwenkwana yakhe imbuza isithi, “Tata, ndavela phi?” Utata olumkileyo uyixelela into elingene ingqondo yayo loo nkwenkwana. Eziny’ izinto uza kuyixelela njengoko ikhula. Ngokufanayo, uYehova uyagqiba ukuba leliphi elona xesha libhetele lokuba abantu bakhe bazi okungakumbi ngento aza kuyenza.—IMizekeliso 4:18; Daniyeli 12:4.

6. (a) Yintoni injongo yesivumelwano, okanye ikhontrakthi? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova enze izivumelwano nabantu?

⁶ Wayityhila kancinci kancinci njani uYehova le mfihlelo? Wasebenzisa izivumelwano ezininzi, ezifana nekhontrakthi. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba nawe wakha wayenza ikhontrakthi—njengekhontrakthi yefowuni, yeSIM khadi, okanye eyokuthenga indlu. Abo benza ikhontrakthi enjalo banikana isiqinisekiso esisemthethweni sokuba baza kuyenza loo nto bayithembisileyo. Kodwa kutheni uYehova efanele enze isivumelwano, okanye ikhontrakthi, nabantu? Kaloku xa uYehova ethembise ukwenza into, loo nto iyodwa isisiqinisekiso sokuba uza kuyenza. Yinyani leyo, kodwa sekunjalo kukho amaxesha amaninzi apho uThixo aye wenza ububele bokuba ayixhase into ayithethayo ngokwenza ikhontrakthi esemthethweni. Ezi zivumelwano zibophelelayo zenza kube lula kuthi bantu abangafezekanga ukuba sizithembe izinto ezithenjiswa nguYehova.—Hebhere 6:16-18.

7, 8. (a) Sesiphi isivumelwano uYehova awasenza noAbraham, futhi sityhila ntoni ngemfihlelo engcwele? (b) UYehova wayityhila kancinci kancinci njani into yokuba yayiza kuvela kweyiphi intsapho inzala?

⁷ Ngaphezu kweminyaka eyi-2 000 emva kokugxothwa komntu eParadesi, uYehova wathi kumkhonzi wakhe othembekileyo uAbraham: “Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiza kuyandisa inzala yakho ibe njengeenkwenkwezi zamazulu . . . Yaye ngenzala yakho zonke iintlanga zomhlaba ziza kuzifumanela intsikelelo kuba ulimamele ilizwi lam.” (Genesis 22:17, 18) UYehova wasenza sanamandla esi sithembiso kuAbraham ngokwenza ikhontrakthi esemthethweni naye nangokumqinisekisa ngokwenza isifungo. (Genesis 17:1, 2; Hebhere 6:13-15) Yayikhetheke nyhani into yokuba Oyena Thixo Uphakamileyo azibophelele ngokusemthethweni ukuba uza kubasikelela abantu!

⁸ Isivumelwano esenziwa noAbraham satyhila ukuba inzala ethenjisiweyo yayiza kuba ngumntu, kuba yayiza kuvela kumlibo ka-Abraham. Kodwa yayiza kuba ngubani? Ethubeni, uYehova watyhila ukuba koonyana baka-Abraham, uIsake wayeza kuba ngukhokho waloo nzala. Koonyana ababini bakaIsake, kwanyulwa uYakobi. (Genesis 21:12; 28:13, 14) Kamva, uYakobi wathetha la mazwi asisiprofeto ngomnye woonyana bakhe abayi-12: “Intonga yobukhosi ayizukusuka kuYuda, nentonga yomyaleli ayizukusuka phakathi kweenyawo zakhe, ade afike uShilo [okanye, “Lowo Ibobakhe,” umbhalo osemazantsi], zize zithobele yena izizwana.” (Genesis 49:10) Ngoku kwatsho kwaziwa ukuba le nzala yayiza kuba ngukumkani, owayeza kuvela kumlibo kaYuda!

9, 10. (a) Sesiphi isivumelwano uYehova awasenza nohlanga lukaSirayeli, futhi sawakhusela njani? (b) UMthetho wenza njani kwacaca ukuba abantu badinga ukuhlawulelwa?

⁹ Kancinci kancinci, uYehova watyhila okungakumbi ngemfihlelo engcwele ngesivumelwano awasenza nesizukulwana sika-Abraham, uhlanga lwamaSirayeli, ngo-1513 B.C.E. Esi sivumelwano soMthetho kaMoses asisasebenzi namhlanje, kodwa sasiyindlela  ebalulekileyo uYehova awayisebenzisayo ukuze avelise inzala ethenjisiweyo. Njani? Ngezi ndlela zintathu. Okokuqala, uMthetho wawufana nodonga lokukhusela. (Efese 2:14) Wawusenza amaYuda ahluke kubantu bezinye iintlanga ababengamkhonzi uYehova. Ngaloo ndlela uMthetho wanceda ekukhuseleni umlibo eyayiza kuphuma kuwo inzala ethenjisiweyo. Ngenxa yokukhuselwa ngolo hlobo, uhlanga lakwaSirayeli lwalusekhona xa kwafika ixesha likaThixo lokuba uMesiya azalwe kwisizwe sikaYuda.

¹⁰ Okwesibini, uMthetho wenza kwacaca ukuba abantu badinga ukuhlawulelwa. Kuba loo Mthetho wawugqibelele, wanceda amaSirayeli abona ukuba akukho mntu unesono owayenokukwazi ukuwuthobela ngokupheleleyo. Ngaloo ndlela wenza ukuba “zibonakale izinto eziphosakeleyo ezenziwa ngabantu, ide ifike inzala ekwenziwa kuyo isithembiso.” (Galati 3:19) Imibingelelo yezilwanyana uMthetho owawuyalela ukuba yenziwe yayingenakuzihlawulela ngokupheleleyo izono. Kodwa, njengokuba uPawulos wabhala wathi, “akunakwenzeka ukuba igazi leenkunzi zeenkomo neleebhokhwe lisuse izono,” ngoko le mibingelelo yayifanekisela nje kuphela idini lentlawulelo likaKristu. (Hebhere 10:1-4) Ngoko, kumaYuda athembekileyo, eso sivumelwano ‘sawagada de kwafika uKristu.’—Galati 3:24.

11. Isivumelwano soMthetho sasilunika eliphi ithemba uhlanga lukaSirayeli, kodwa kwakutheni ukuze luphoswe lelo thuba?

¹¹ Okwesithathu, eso sivumelwano sasilubeka ezintweni uhlanga lukaSirayeli. UYehova waluxelela ukuba, ukuba lwaluhlala luthembekile kweso sivumelwano, lwaluza kuba “bubukumkani bababingeleli, isizwe esingcwele.” (Eksodus 19:5, 6) Nyhani ke, abantu bokuqala uYehova awabakhethayo kamva ukuba babe bubukumkani bababingeleli basezulwini babengamaSirayeli. Kodwa ke, lulonke uhlanga lukaSirayeli lwayeka ukusithobela isivumelwano soMthetho, alwamamkela uMesiya, noYehova ke walulahla. Wayeza kukhetha oobani ke ngoku uYehova? Futhi yintoni eyayiza kubadibanisa nenzala ethenjisiweyo? UThixo wayeza kuzityhila iimpendulo zaloo mibuzo emalunga nemfihlelo engcwele ekuhambeni kwexesha.

12. Sesiphi isivumelwano uYehova awasenza noDavide, futhi satyhila ntoni ngemfihlelo engcwele kaThixo?

¹² Ngexesha likaKumkani uDavide, uYehova wayityhila ngakumbi imfihlelo engcwele xa wenza esinye isivumelwano. Wamthembisa le nto uKumkani uDavide othembekileyo: “Ndiza kukuvelisela inzala, . . . yaye ndiza kubumisela ubukumkani bakhe, kungabikho nto ibugungqisayo. . . . Ndiza kuyimisela itrone yobukumkani bakhe ngonaphakade, kungabikho nto iyigungqisayo.” (2 Samuweli 7:12, 13; INdumiso 89:3) Loo mazwi atyhila ukuba inzala ethenjisiweyo yayiza kuvela kwintsapho kaDavide. Kodwa ngaba umntu oqhelekileyo wayenokulawula ngonaphakade? (INdumiso 89:20, 29, 34-36) Futhi ngaba ukumkani ongumntu wayenokubasindisa abantu esonweni nasekufeni?

13, 14. (a) Ngokutsho kweNdumiso 110, sesiphi isithembiso uYehova asenzayo kuKumkani wakhe othanjisiweyo? (b) Ziintoni ezinye abazityhilayo abaprofeti bakaYehova malunga nenzala ethenjisiweyo?

¹³ UDavide waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale athi: “UYehova wathi eNkosini yam: ‘Hlala ngasekunene kwam de iintshaba zakho ndizenze zibe yindawo yokubeka iinyawo zakho.’ UYehova ufungile, ibe akazukujika, wathi: ‘Ungumbingeleli ngonaphakade njengoMelkitsedeki!’” (INdumiso 110:1, 4) La mazwi kaDavide ayethetha kanye ngenzala ethenjisiweyo, okanye uMesiya. (IZenzo 2:35, 36) Lo Kumkani wayengazukulawula eseYerusalem, kodwa wayeza kulawula esezulwini “ngasekunene” kukaYehova. Loo nto yayiza kumnika igunya lokuba angalawuli kwilizwe likaSirayeli nje kuphela, kodwa emhlabeni wonke. (INdumiso 2:6-8) Kodwa kukho nenye into eyatyhilwayo ngala mazwi. Phawula ukuba uYehova wafunga ukuba uMesiya wayeza kuba ‘ngumbingeleli njengoMelkitsedeki.’ NjengoMelkitsedeki, owayekhonza njengokumkani nombingeleli ngexesha lika-Abraham, inzala ezayo yayiza kumiselwa nguThixo ngokwakhe ukuba ingabi nguKumkani nje kuphela kodwa ibe nguye noMbingeleli!—Genesis 14:17-20.

¹⁴ Ngokuhamba kweminyaka, uYehova wasebenzisa abaprofeti bakhe ukuze atyhile okungakumbi ngemfihlelo engcwele. Ngokomzekelo, uIsaya watyhila ukuba le nzala yayiza kunikela ngobomi bayo. (Isaya 53:3-12) UMika waxela kwangaphambili indawo  awayeza kuzalelwa kuyo uMesiya. (Mika 5:2) Kanti uDaniyeli yena waprofeta ngokuba yayiza kuvela nini futhi yayiza kufa nini kanye kanye loo nzala.—Daniyeli 9:24-27.

15, 16. (a) Kwenzeka njani ukuba uNyana kaYehova ‘azalwe ngumfazi’? (b) Yintoni awazalwa nayo uYesu, futhi wafika nini eyinzala ethenjisiweyo?

¹⁵ Indlela ezaziza kwenzeka ngayo ezi zinto zaziprofetiwe yahlala iyimfihlo de yafika inzala. AmaGalati 4:4 athi: “Lithe lakufika ixesha elibekiweyo, uThixo wathumela uNyana wakhe, owazalwa ngumfazi.” Ngonyaka ka-2 B.C.E., ingelosi yathi kuMariya, intombi engumYuda engazange yalala nandoda: “Jonga! uza kukhulelwa, uzale umntwana oyinkwenkwe. Uze umthiye igama elinguYesu. Yena uza kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana Woyena Uphakamileyo, ibe uYehova uThixo uza kumnika itrone katata wakhe uDavide . . . Uza kufikelwa ngumoya oyingcwele, namandla Oyena Uphakamileyo. Yiloo nto ke lo mntwana eza kuba ngcwele, aze abizwe ngokuba nguNyana kaThixo.”—Luka 1:31, 32, 35.

¹⁶ Kamva, uYehova wabufudusa ubomi boNyana wakhe ukusuka ezulwini wabufaka esibelekweni sikaMariya, ukuze azalwe ngumntu obhinqileyo. UMariya wayelibhinqa elazalwa linesono. Kodwa, uYesu akazange azalwe enesono kuba ‘wayenguNyana kaThixo.’ Ikhona ke kodwa into awazalwa nayo. Ngenxa yokuba abazali bakhe babesisizukulwana sikaKumkani uDavide, uYesu wayenelungelo lokubekw’ etroneni kaDavide aze abe yikumkani. (IZenzo 13:22, 23) Ekubhaptizweni kukaYesu ngo-29 C.E., uYehova wamthambisa ngomoya oyingcwele waza wathi: “Lo nguNyana wam endimthandayo.” (Mateyu 3:16, 17) Ekugqibeleni, yade yafika inzala! (Galati 3:16) Kwakulixesha lokuba kutyhilwe okungakumbi ngemfihlelo engcwele.—2 Timoti 1:10.

17. Ziintoni ezatyhilwayo malunga nabo kuthethwa ngabo kwiGenesis 3:15?

¹⁷ Ngexesha uYesu awayeshumayela ngalo aph’ emhlabeni, wachaza ukuba inyoka ekuthethwa ngayo kwiGenesis 3:15 nguSathana nokuba inzala yenyoka ngabalandeli bakaSathana. (Mateyu  23:33; Yohane 8:44) Kamva, kwatyhilwa indlela bonke ababeza kutyunyuzwa ngayo ngonaphakade. (ISityhilelo 20:1-3, 10, 15) Kwachazwa nokuba umfazi ‘yiYerusalem ephezulu,’ okanye umfazi kaThixo, oko kukuthi, inxalenye esezulwini yentlangano kaYehova, eyenziwa zizidalwa zomoya. a—Galati 4:26; ISityhilelo 12:1-6.

18. Yintoni injongo ‘yesivumelwano esitsha’?

¹⁸ UYesu watyhila eyona nto imangalisayo ngemfihlelo engcwele ngobusuku obungaphambi kokuba afe xa waxelela abafundi bakhe abathembekileyo ‘ngesivumelwano esitsha.’ (Luka 22:20) Njengesivumelwano soMthetho kaMoses esasingaphambi kwaso, naso esi sivumelwano sitsha sasiza kuvelisa “ubukumkani bababingeleli.” (Eksodus 19:6; 1 Petros 2:9) Kodwa ke, esi sivumelwano sasingazukuvelisa uhlanga lokoqobo, kodwa sasiza kuvelisa uhlanga olwenziwa ngabalandeli abathembekileyo nabathanjisiweyo bakaKristu, ekuthiwa ‘nguSirayeli kaThixo.’ (Galati 6:16) La maKristu athanjisiweyo ayeza kusebenza noYesu ukuze kusikelelwe abantu abathembekileyo emhlabeni!

19. (a) Kwenzeka njani ukuba esi sivumelwano sitsha sivelise “ubukumkani bababingeleli”? (b) Kutheni amaKristu athanjisiweyo ebizwa ngokuba “sisidalwa esitsha,” futhi mangaphi aza kulawula ezulwini noKristu?

¹⁹ Kwenzeka njani ke kodwa ukuba esi sivumelwano sitsha sivelise “ubukumkani bababingeleli” obuza kusikelela abantu? Kaloku injongo yesi sivumelwano yayingekokubagweba njengaboni abafundi bakaKristu. Endaweni yaloo nto, senza zikwazi ukuxolelwa ngokupheleleyo izono zabo ngedini lakhe. (Yeremiya 31:31-34) UYehova utsho abajonge njengamalungisa angenasono, abamkele kwintsapho yakhe yasezulwini aze abathambise ngomoya oyingcwele. (Roma 8:15-17; 2 Korinte 1:21) Ngaloo ndlela ‘bazalwa ngokutsha ukuze babe nethemba elingagungqiyo elibekelwe  bona emazulwini.’ (1 Petros 1:3, 4) Intsha loo nto ebantwini kuba abantu babedalelwe ukuphila emhlabeni, ngoko la maKristu athanjisiweyo abizwa ngokuba “sisidalwa esitsha.” (2 Korinte 5:17) IBhayibhile ityhila ukuba ekugqibeleni i-144 000 iza kulawula abantu isezulwini.—ISityhilelo 5:9, 10; 14:1-4.

20. (a) Yintoni enye eyatyhilwayo ngemfihlelo engcwele ngo-36 C.E.? (b) Ngoobani abaza kufumana iintsikelelo ezathenjiswa kuAbraham?

²⁰ Kunye noYesu, aba bathanjisiweyo baba “yinzala ka-Abraham.” b (Galati 3:29) Abokuqala ukukhethwa yayingamaYuda okoqobo. Kodwa ngo-36 C.E., kwatyhilwa enye into ngemfihlelo engcwele: Kwakuza kukhethwa nabantu abangengomaYuda, nabo baye kulawula ezulwini. (Roma 9:6-8; 11:25, 26; Efese 3:5, 6) Ngaba ngamaKristu athanjisiweyo kuphela awayeza kufumana iintsikelelo ezathenjiswa kuAbraham? Akunjalo, kuba ukunikela kukaYesu ngobomi bakhe kunceda ihlabathi lonke. (1 Yohane 2:2) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, uYehova watyhila ukuba “isihlwele esikhulu” esingenakubalwa sasiza kusinda xa kutshatyalaliswa ihlabathi likaSathana. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 14) Kanti kwakuza kuvuswa nenyambalala yabantu ize inikwe ithuba lokuphila ngonaphakade eParadesi!—Luka 23:43; Yohane 5:28, 29; ISityhilelo 20:11-15; 21:3, 4.

21, 22. Zeziphi ezinye iindlela imfihlelo engcwele ebonisa ngazo ukuba uYehova usisilumko?

²¹ Imfihlelo engcwele yindlela emangalisayo obubonakala ngayo ‘ubulumko bukaThixo obubonakala ngeendlela ezininzi.’ (Efese 3:8-10) UYehova wakhawuleza wathi gqi nale mfihlelo engcwele waza wayityhila ebantwini kancinci kancinci. Bubulumko obungenantanga obo! Isilumko esinguMdali wethu saqonda ukuba abantu abanakuyiqonda yonke ngexesha elinye le mfihlelo,  saza sayityhila kancinci kancinci, nto leyo ebanika ithuba lokubonisa ukuba bamthembe kangakanani.—INdumiso 103:14.

²² Eny’ into ebonisa ukuba ubulumko bukaYehova buhamba bodwa kukukhetha kwakhe uYesu ukuba abe nguKumkani. Akukho mntu kungekho nangelosi ethembeke ngaphezu koNyana kaYehova. Xa uYesu wayephila aph’ emhlabeni, zininzi izinto ezinzima awadibana nazo. Uwazi kakuhle amahla-ndinyuka obomi. (Hebhere 5:7-9) Banjani bona abo baza kulawula kunye naye? Kangangeminyaka emininzi, bekuthanjiswa amadoda namabhinqa akhethwe kwiintlanga, iilwimi neemvelaphi ezahlukahlukeneyo. Noba yeyiphi ingxaki esinayo, nakanjani ukhona umntu kubo owakha wanayo futhi wayoyisa. (Efese 4:22-24) Kuzoba mnandi nyhani ukulawulwa ngookumkani nababingeleli abasiqondayo nabafuna ukusinceda!

23. Kutheni kuyinyhweba enkulu ukwazi imfihlelo engcwele, futhi yintoni esifanele sizimisele ukuyenza?

²³ Umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Imfihlelo engcwele eyayifihliwe ukususela kudala nakwizizukulwana zangaphambili . . . ityhilelwe abantu bakhe abangcwele.” (Kolose 1:26) Nyhani ke, abathanjiswa bakaYehova baye baqonda intw’ eninzi ngemfihlelo engcwele baza bafundisa abantu abaninzi ngayo. Yinyhweba enkulu kuthi sonke leyo! UYehova ‘usazise imfihlelo engcwele yokuthanda kwakhe.’ (Efese 1:9) Masazis’ abanye ngale mfihlelo ephum’ izandla, sibancede nabo bafunde ngobulumko obumangalisayo bukaYehova uThixo!