KUTHENI ubalulekile nje lo mbuzo uthi, Ngubani uThixo wakho?— Kungenxa yokuba abantu banqula oothixo abaninzi. (1 Korinte 8:5) Xa umpostile uPawulos wanikwa nguYehova amandla okuphilisa indoda eyayingakwazi ukuhamba, abantu badanduluka bathi: “Oothixo baye baba njengabantu yaye bahlile beza kuthi!” Abantu babefuna ukunqula uPawulos nomhlobo wakhe uBharnabhas. Babembiza uPawulos ngokuba nguHermes, yena uBharnabhas besithi nguZeyus, magama lawo awayengawoothixo bobuxoki.

Kodwa uPawulos noBharnabhas babengavumi ukunqulwa ngabantu. Bangena phakathi kweso sihlwele baza bathi: ‘Zishiyeni ezi zinto zililize niye kuThixo ophilayo.’ (IZenzo 14:8-15) Ngubani lo ‘Thixo uphilayo,’ wadala zonke izinto?— Ewe, nguYehova, “Oyena Uphakamileyo phezu komhlaba wonke.” UYesu wambiza uYehova ngokuba “ukuphela koThixo oyinyaniso.” Ngoko ke, ngubani okuphela kwakhe ofanele ukunqulwa?— NguYehova kuphela!—INdumiso 83:18; Yohane 17:3; ISityhilelo 4:11.

Abantu abaninzi banqula abanye oothixo kungekhona ‘okuphela koThixo oyinyaniso.’ Badla ngokunqula izinto abazenze ngomthi, ngelitye okanye ngentsimbi. (Eksodus 32:4-7; Levitikus 26:1; Isaya 44:14-17) Kwanamadoda namabhinqa adumileyo adla ngokubizwa ngokuba ngoothixo, iintshatsheli okanye izithixo. Ngaba kufanelekile ukuwazukisa?—

Emva kokuba uSawule eye waba ngumpostile uPawulos, wabhala wathi: ‘Uthixo wale nkqubo yezinto uye wazimfamekisa iingqondo zabangakholwayo.’ (2 Korinte 4:4) Ngubani lo thixo?— Ewe, nguSathana uMtyholi! USathana uye waphembelela abantu ukuba banqule abanye abantu nezinto.

 Xa uSathana wazama ukuphembelela uYesu ukuba aqubude kuye aze amnqule, wathini uYesu kuye?— Wathi: “NguYehova uThixo wakho omele umnqule, yaye nguye yedwa omele unikele inkonzo engcwele kuye.” (Mateyu 4:10) Ngoko uYesu walenza lacaca elokuba nguYehova kuphela omele anqulwe. Makhe sifunde ngabafana abathile ababekwazi oku. Amagama abo yayinguShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego.

La maHebhere aselula ayephuma kuhlanga lukaThixo uSirayeli yaye ayethinjelwe kwilizwe laseBhabhiloni. Ukumkani walapho uNebhukadenetsare wenza umfanekiso omkhulu wegolide. Ngenye imini wayalela ukuba xa kudlalwa umculo, bonke abantu bafanele baqubude kuloo mfanekiso. Walumkisa ngelithi: ‘Nabani na ongaqubudiyo aze anqule uya kuphoswa ezikweni elivutha umlilo.’ Wawuya kwenza ntoni wena?—

 Ngokuqhelekileyo uShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego babekwenza konke oko babekuyalelwa ngukumkani. Kodwa bala ukwenza oku. Ngaba uyasazi isizathu soko?— Kungenxa yokuba umthetho kaThixo wawusithi: ‘Uze ungabi nabanye oothixo ngaphandle kwam. Uze ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, uqubude kuwo.’ (Eksodus 20:3-5) Ngoko uShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego bathobela umthetho kaYehova kunomyalelo kakumkani.

Ukumkani waba nomsindo gqitha, ngoko wayalela ukuba aba bafana bathathu bamaHebhere baziswe kuye. Wababuza wathi: ‘Ngaba kunjalo ngokwenene ukuba anibanquli oothixo bam? Ndiza kuninika elinye ithuba. Ngoku, xa nisiva umculo, ze niqubude ninqule lo mfanekiso ndiwenzileyo. Ukuba anikwenzi oko, niya kuphoswa ezikweni elivutha umlilo. Yaye nguwuphi na uthixo onokunihlangula ezandleni zam?’

Babeza kuthini ngoku aba bafana? Wena wawuya kuthini?— Bathi kukumkani: ‘UThixo wethu esimkhonzayo unako ukusihlangula. Kodwa kwanokuba akasihlanguli, asiyi kubakhonza oothixo bakho. Asiyi kuqubuda kumfanekiso wakho wegolide.’

Ukumkani wavutha ngumsindo. Wayalela wathi: ‘Lenzeni shushu iziko ngokuphindwe kasixhenxe kunesiqhelo!’ Emva koko wa yalela amadoda akhe omeleleyo ukuba abophe uShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego aze abaphose kwelo ziko! Elo ziko lalishushu kangangokuba loo madoda kakumkani abulawa ngamadangatye alo! Kwenzeka ntoni kumaHebhere amathathu?

UShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego bawela phakathi emlilweni. Kodwa baphakama! Babengenzakalanga. Yaye babengasabotshwanga. Kwakunokwenzeka njani oku?— Ukumkani wakhangela kwelo ziko, yaye oko wakubonayo kwamenza woyika. Wabuza wathi: ‘Besingaphosanga amadoda amathathu na emlilweni?’ Abakhonzi bakhe baphendula bathi: “Kunjalo, kumkani.”

Ngoko ukumkani wathi: ‘Khangelani! Ndibona abantu abane behambahamba apho, yaye umlilo awenzakalisi namnye kubo.’ Ngaba uyazi ukuba yayingubani lo mntu wesine?— Yayiyingelosi kaYehova. Yawakhusela amaHebhere amathathu ukuba angenzakali.

Xa wabona oku, ukumkani wasondela esangweni lelo ziko waza wakhwaza wathi: “Shadraki, Meshaki, nawe Abhednego, bakhonzi bOyena Thixo Uphakamileyo, phumani nize apha!” Ekuphumeni kwabo, bonke  abantu babebona ukuba abatshanga. Kwakungekho nevumba eli lomlilo kubo. Emva koko ukumkani wathi: ‘Makabongwe uThixo kaShadraki, kaMeshaki noAbhednego, othumele ingelosi yakhe yaza yabahlangula abakhonzi bakhe ngenxa yokuba abakhange bavume ukunqula nawuphi na uthixo ngaphandle koThixo wabo.’—Daniyeli, isahluko 3.

Sinokufunda isifundo koko kwenzekayo apho. Nanamhlanje abantu basayenza imifanekiso yonqulo okanye izithixo. IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Iflegi ingcwele njengomnqamlezo.” Imifanekiso inokwenziwa ngomthi, ngelitye, ngentsimbi, okanye ngelaphu. Abafundi bokuqala bakaYesu babengamnquli umlawuli waseRoma, nto leyo umbhali-mbali uDaniel P. Mannix athi yayifana “nokwala ukuqubuda kwiflegi okanye ukwala ukwenza isifungo sokuzinikela kurhulumente.”

Ngoko ngaba ucinga ukuba kwenza umahluko kuThixo ukuba umfanekiso wonqulo wenziwa ngelaphu, ngomthi, ngelitye, okanye ngentsimbi?— Ngaba kufanelekile ukuba umkhonzi kaYehova anqule umfanekiso onjalo?— UShadraki, uMeshaki noAbhednego abazange bawunqule, yaye uYehova wakholiswa ngabo. Unokuwuxelisa njani umzekelo wabo?—