KUNGANI ubalulekile umbuzo othi, Ubani uNkulunkulu wakho?— Ngoba abantu bakhulekela onkulunkulu abaningi. (1 Korinte 8:5) Ngesikhathi umphostoli uPawulu ethola amandla kuJehova okwelapha indoda eyayingakwazi ukuhamba, abantu bamemeza bathi: “Onkulunkulu sebeye baba njengabantu futhi behlele kithi!” Abantu base befuna ukumkhulekela uPawulu nomngane wakhe uBarnaba. UPawulu bambiza ngokuthi uHermesi, uBarnaba bambiza ngokuthi uZeyusi, okwakungamagama onkulunkulu bamanga.

Kodwa uPawulu noBarnaba benqaba ukuba abantu babakhulekele. Bagxumela esixukwini bathi: ‘Phendukani kulezi zinto eziyize niphendukele kuNkulunkulu ophilayo.’ (IzEnzo 14:8-15) Ubani “uNkulunkulu ophilayo,” owadala zonke izinto?— Yebo, nguJehova, “oPhezukonke emhlabeni wonke.” UJesu wathi uJehova ‘uwukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso.’ Ubani-ke okunguyena yedwa ofanelwe ukukhulekelwa?— UJehova kuphela!—IHubo 83:18; Johane 17:3; IsAmbulo 4:11.

Abantu abaningi bakhulekela onkulunkulu kunokuba bakhulekele “owukuphela kukaNkulunkulu weqiniso.” Bavame ukukhulekela izinto abazenza ngokhuni, ngamatshe, noma ngensimbi. (Eksodusi 32:4-7; Levitikusi 26:1; Isaya 44:14-17) Ngisho namadoda nabesifazane abadumile baye babizwe ngokuthi onkulunkulu, osaziwayo noma izilomo. Kulungile yini ukubadumisa?—

Lapho uSawulu esengumphostoli uPawulu wabhala: ‘Unkulunkulu walesi simiso sezinto uye waphuphuthekisa izingqondo zabangewona amakholwa.’ (2 Korinte 4:4) Ubani lo nkulunkulu?— Yebo, uSathane uDeveli! USathane ukwazile ukwenza abantu bakhulekele abantu nezinto eziningi.

 Ngesikhathi uSathane ezama ukwenza uJesu akhothame amkhulekele, uJesu wathini kuSathane?— “NguJehova uNkulunkulu wakho okumelwe umkhulekele, futhi nguye yedwa okumelwe unikele kuye inkonzo engcwele.” (Mathewu 4:10) Ngakho uJesu wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi nguJehova kuphela okufanele akhulekelwe. Ake sifunde ngezinsizwa ezithile ezazikwazi lokhu. Amagama azo kwakunguShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego.

Le ntsha engamaHebheru yayingeyesizwe sikaNkulunkulu sakwa-Israyeli futhi yayithunjelwe ezweni laseBhabhiloni. Inkosi yalapho uNebukhadinezari yakha isithombe esikhulu segolide. Ngolunye usuku yakhipha umyalo othi lapho kukhala umculo, bonke abantu kwakufanele bakhothamele leso sithombe. Yaxwayisa yathi: ‘Noma ubani ongakhothami asikhulekele uyophonswa esithandweni somlilo esivuthayo.’ Wawuyokwenzenjani wena?—

 Ngokuvamile, uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego babenza yonke into eyayishiwo inkosi. Kodwa benqaba ukukhulekela lesi sithombe. Uyazi ukuthi benqabelani?— Yingoba umthetho kaNkulunkulu wawuthi: ‘Akumelwe ube nabanye onkulunkulu ngaphandle kwami. Ungazenzeli umfanekiso oqoshiwe futhi ungawukhothameli.’ (Eksodusi 20:3-5) Ngakho uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego balalela umthetho kaJehova kunomyalo wenkosi.

Inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, khona manjalo yabe isithi lezi zinsizwa ezintathu ezingamaHebheru azilethwe kuyo. Yabuza: ‘Ingabe kunjalo ngempela ukuthi nina anibakhonzi onkulunkulu bami? Ngizoninika elinye ithuba. Manje lapho nizwa umculo, anibowa phansi nikhulekele isithombe engisenzile. Uma ningasikhulekeli, nizophonswa esithandweni somlilo esivuthayo. Futhi ngubani lowo nkulunkulu onganophula ezandleni zami?’

Zazizokwenzenjani-ke manje lezi zinsizwa? Wena wawuyokwenzenjani?— Zathi enkosini: ‘UNkulunkulu wethu esimkhonzayo uyakwazi ukusophula. Kodwa ngisho noma engasophuli, ngeke sibakhonze onkulunkulu bakho. Ngeke sisikhothamele isithombe sakho segolide.’

Inkosi yathukuthela yagana unwabu. Yathi: ‘Basani isithando somlilo  sishise ngokuphindwe kasikhombisa kunokuvamile!’ Yabe isiyala amadoda ayo ayizidlakela ukuba abophe uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego abaphonse esithandweni somlilo! Isithando somlilo sasishisa kakhulu kangangokuba amadoda enkosi abulawa amalangabi! Kwenzekani kumaHebheru amathathu?

UShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego bawela phakathi emlilweni. Kodwa babuye basukuma! Babengashile. Futhi babengasaboshiwe. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu?— Inkosi yabuka isithando somlilo, yabona into eyayenza yesaba. Yabuza: ‘Abengemathathu yini amadoda esiwaphonse emlilweni?’ Izinceku zayo zaphendula: “Kunjalo nkosi.”

Inkosi yabe isithi: ‘Bheka! Ngibona abantu abane behambahamba phakathi futhi abashi.’ Uyazi yini wena ukuthi kwakungubani lowo muntu wesine?— Kwakuyingelosi kaJehova. Iyona eyavikela la maHebheru amathathu ukuba angashi.

Yathi ingabona lokhu, inkosi yaya emnyango wesithando somlilo yamemeza yathi: “Shadiraki, Meshaki no-Abhedinego, nina zinceku zikaNkulunkulu oPhezukonke,  phumani nize lapha!” Lapho bephuma, bonke abantu babona ukuthi abashanga. Babengenalo ngisho nephunga lentuthu. Inkosi yabe isithi: ‘Makatuswe uNkulunkulu kaShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego, othumele ingelosi yophula izinceku zakhe ngoba zingenakukhulekela noma yimuphi unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu wazo.’—Daniyeli, isahluko 3.

Kukhona isifundo esingasifunda kulokho okwenzeka ngaleso sikhathi. Ngisho nanamuhla abantu bamisa izithombe noma izithixo ukuze bazikhulekele. I-Encyclopedia Americana ithi: “Ifulege lifana nesiphambano, lingcwele.” Izithombe zingenziwa ngokhuni, ngamatshe, ngensimbi, noma ngezidwedwe. Abafundi bakaJesu bakuqala abazange bamkhulekele umbusi waseRoma, isazi-mlando uDaniel P. Mannix sathi lokho kufana “nokwenqaba ukushayela ifulege indesheni noma ukusho isifungo sokuzinikela ezweni.”

Ucabanga ukuthi kuyawenza umehluko kuNkulunkulu ukuthi isithombe senkolo senziwe ngezidwedwe, ngokhuni, ngamatshe, noma ngensimbi?— Kuyoba okulungile yini ukuba inceku kaJehova ikhulekele isithombe esinjalo?— UShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego abazange basikhulekele, futhi uJehova wajabula ngabo. Wena ungasilingisa kanjani isibonelo sabo?—