UYATHANDA yini ukuya emaphathini?— Kuba mnandi kakhulu emaphathini. Ucabanga ukuthi uMfundisi Omkhulu uyathanda siye kuwo?— Yena waya ephathini ngesikhathi kunomshado, wahamba nabafundi bakhe abathile. UJehova ‘unguNkulunkulu ojabulayo,’ ngakho uyajabula uma sizijabulisa emaphathini amahle.—1 Thimothewu 1:11; Johane 2:1-11.

Ekhasini 29 lale ncwadi kuthiwa uJehova wahlukanisa uLwandle Olubomvu ukuze ama-Israyeli akwazi ukuwela. Uyakhumbula sifunda ngalokho?— Lapho abantu sebewelile, bacula, badansa, babonga uJehova. Kwakungathi iphathi. Abantu babejabule kakhulu, futhi asingabazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu naye wayejabulile.—Eksodusi 15:1, 20, 21.

Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-40, ama-Israyeli aya kwenye iphathi enkulu. Abantu ababewamemele kule phathi babengamkhonzi nhlobo uJehova. Empeleni, laba bantu babeze baguqe bakhulekele abanye onkulunkulu futhi balale nabantu abangashadile nabo. Ucabanga ukuthi kwakulungile ukuya kuleyo phathi?— UJehova yena akakuthandanga lokho futhi wawajezisa ama-Israyeli.—Numeri 25:1-9; 1 Korinte 10:8.

 IBhayibheli lisitshela nangamaphathi amabili ezinsuku zokuzalwa. Ingabe enye yawo kwakungeyokugubha usuku lokuzalwa koMfundisi Omkhulu?— Cha. Womabili la maphathi ezinsuku zokuzalwa ayengawabantu abangamkhonzi uJehova. Enye kwakuyiphathi yosuku lokuzalwa kweNkosi uHerode Antipase. Uyena owayengumbusi wesifunda saseGalile ngesikhathi uJesu ehlala khona.

Ziningi izinto ezimbi ezenziwa yiNkosi uHerode. Wathatha inkosikazi yomfowabo wayenza eyakhe. Igama layo kwakunguHerodiya. Inceku kaNkulunkulu uJohane uMbhapathizi yatshela uHerode ukuthi wenze into embi. UHerode akakuthandanga lokho. Wabe esevalela uJohane ejele.—Luka 3:19, 20.

Ngesikhathi uJohane eboshiwe, kwafika usuku lokuba kugujwe ukuzalwa kukaHerode. UHerode wenza iphathi enkulu. Wamema abantu abaningi abadumile. Bonke badla, baphuza, bajabula. Kwabe sekungena indodakazi kaHerodiya yabadansela. Bonke bawuthanda umdanso wayo kangangokuba iNkosi uHerode yafisa ukuyipha isipho esikhethekile. Yathi kuyo: “Noma yini oyicelayo kimi, ngizokunika yona, kuze kube yingxenye yombuso wami.”

 Yayizocelani-ke? Yayizocela imali? izingubo ezinhle? isigodlo okuzoba esayo? Le ntombazane yayingazi ukuthi iceleni. Ngakho yaya kumama wayo, uHerodiya, yathi: “Ngiceleni?”

UHerodiya wayemzonda kakhulu uJohane uMbhapathizi. Ngakho wathi indodakazi yakhe mayicele ikhanda likaJohane. Le ntombazane yaphindela enkosini yathi: “Ngifuna unginike khona manje ngoqwembe ikhanda likaJohane uMbhapathizi.”

INkosi uHerode yayingafuni ukumbulala uJohane ngoba yayazi ukuthi uyindoda elungile. Kodwa uHerode wayenze isithembiso, futhi wayesaba loko abantu ababesephathini ababengase bakucabange uma eshintsha umqondo. Ngakho wathuma umuntu ejele ukuba ayonquma ikhanda likaJohane. Washeshe wabuya lo muntu. Wayephethe ikhanda likaJohane ngoqwembe, walinika intombazane. Yona yalinika umama wayo.—Marku 6:17-29.

Enye iphathi yokugubha usuku lokuzalwa iBhayibheli elisitshela ngayo yayizifanela nje nale. Kwakungeyenkosi yaseGibhithe. Nakule phathi, inkosi yathi makunqunywe ikhanda lomunye umuntu. Kwathi selinqunyiwe, yamlengisa ukuze adliwe izinyoni! (Genesise  40:19-22) Ucabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu wawathanda la maphathi amabili?— Wawungathanda yini wena ukuya kuwo?—

Siyazi ukuthi zonke izinto eziseBhayibhelini zinenjongo. Likhuluma ngamaphathi ezinsuku zokuzalwa amabili nje vo. Futhi kuwo womabili kwenziwa izinto ezimbi. Ucabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu usitshelani-ke ngamaphathi ezinsuku zokuzalwa? Ingabe uNkulunkulu uyafuna sigubhe izinsuku zokuzalwa?—

Kuyiqiniso ukuthi emaphathini ezinsuku zokuzalwa namuhla, akunqunywa khanda lamuntu. Kodwa indaba yokugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa yaqalwa abantu ababengamkhulekeli uNkulunkulu weqiniso. Mayelana namaphathi okugubha izinsuku zokuzalwa elikhuluma ngawo iBhayibheli, enye incwadi ithi: “Yizoni kuphela . . . ezenza amaphathi amakhulu ngosuku ezazalwa ngalo.” (I-Catholic Encyclopedia) Siyafuna yini thina ukuba njengazo?—

UMfundisi Omkhulu yena? Walugubha yini usuku lokuzalwa kwakhe?— Cha, iBhayibheli alisho lutho ngephathi yosuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu. Eqinisweni nje abalandeli bokuqala bakaJesu abazange balugubhe usuku lokuzalwa kwakhe. Uyazi ukuthi kungani abantu babuye bakhetha ukugubha usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu ngo-December 25?—

Enye incwadi ithi lolu suku lwakhethwa ngoba “amaRoma kakade ayesegubha ngalo uMkhosi kaSaturn, egubha usuku lokuzalwa kwelanga.” (I-World Book Encyclopedia) Siyabona-ke ukuthi abantu bakhetha ukugubha usuku lokuzalwa kukaJesu ngosuku olwaluyiholidi lamaqaba!

Uyazi ukuthi kungani kungelona iqiniso ukuthi uJesu wazalwa ngo-December?— Kungoba iBhayibheli lithi ngesikhathi uJesu ezalwa, abelusi babesesemadlelweni ebusuku. (Luka 2:8-12) Futhi kwakungeke kwenzeke babe sendle ebusuku ngoba endaweni uJesu azalelwa kuyo kuyabanda futhi liyana ngo-December.

 Abantu abaningi bayazi ukuthi uJesu akazalwanga ngoKhisimusi. Bayazi nokuthi ngalolo suku amaqaba ayenephathi engamjabulisi uNkulunkulu. Kodwa abaningi bayawugubha uKhisimusi noma kunjalo. Bona nje basuke bezifunela ukwenza iphathi, abanandaba nokuthi yini uNkulunkulu ayicabangayo ngempela ngaleyo phathi. Kodwa thina sifuna ukujabulisa uJehova, angithi?—

Ngakho uma senza amaphathi, siyofuna ukuqiniseka ukuthi uJehova uyawavumela. Singawenza noma nini phakathi nonyaka. Akudingeki size silinde usuku oluthile. Singadla ukudla okumnandi futhi sidlale. Ungathanda ukwenza iphathi enjalo?— Mhlawumbe ungaxoxa nabazali bakho bakusize nihlele ukwenza iphathi. Kungaba mnandi, angithi?— Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba uhlele ukwenza iphathi, kufanele uqiniseke ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyayivumela.