1. Ngubani odale zonke izinto eziphilayo?

UMPROFETI uYeremiya wathi: “UYehova enyanisweni nguThixo. UnguThixo ophilayo.” (Yeremiya 10:10) Ngaphezu koko, uYehova uThixo unguMdali wazo zonke izinto eziphilayo. Izidalwa zasezulwini zathi kuye: “Wadala zonke izinto, nangenxa yokuthanda kwakho zabakho yaye zadalwa.” (ISityhilelo 4:11) Kwingoma yakhe yokudumisa uThixo, uKumkani uDavide wathi: “Ukuwe umthombo wobomi.” (INdumiso 36:9) Ngoko ubomi busisipho esivela kuThixo.

2. UThixo ubuxhasa ngayiphi indlela ubomi bethu?

² Kwakhona uYehova uyabuxhasa ubomi bethu. (IZenzo 17:28) Nguye osinike ukutya esikutyayo, amanzi esiwaselayo, umoya esiwuphefumlayo, nomhlaba esihlala kuwo. (IZenzo 14:15-17) Konke oku uYehova ukwenze ngenjongo yokuba sibunandiphe ubomi. Kodwa ukuze sibunandiphe ngokupheleleyo ubomi, sifanele sifunde imithetho kaThixo size siyithobele.—Isaya 48:17, 18.

3. UThixo wakugqala njani ukubulawa kuka-Abheli?

³ UThixo ufuna sibonise intlonelo ngobomi—obethu nobabanye. Ngokomzekelo, mandulo ngexesha lika-Adam noEva, unyana wabo uKayin wamcaphukela gqitha umninawa wakhe uAbheli. UYehova wamlumkisa uKayin ukuba lo msindo wakhe wawunokukhokelela kwisono esinzulu. UKayin akazange asinanze eso silumkiso. “Wamhlasela umntakwabo  uAbheli waza wambulala.” (Genesis 4:3-8) UYehova wamohlwaya uKayin ngokubulala kwakhe umntakwabo.—Genesis 4:9-11.

4. EMthethweni kaMoses, uThixo wayigxininisa njani imbono efanelekileyo ngobomi?

⁴ Kumawaka eminyaka kamva, uYehova wanika amaSirayeli imithetho yokuwanceda ukuba amkhonze ngendlela eyamkelekileyo. Ekubeni le mithetho yadluliselwa ngomprofeti uMoses, maxa wambi ibizwa ngokuba nguMthetho kaMoses. Enye inxalenye yalo Mthetho kaMoses ithi: “Uze ungabulali.” (Duteronomi 5:17) Oku kwawabonisa amaSirayeli ukuba uThixo ubuxabisile ubomi babantu yaye abantu bamele babuxabise ubomi babanye.

5. Sifanele sikujonge njani ukuqhomfa?

⁵ Kuthekani ngobomi bomntwana ongekazalwa? EMthethweni kaMoses kwakugqalwa njengento ephosakeleyo ukubulawa kosana olusesibelekweni sikanina. Oku kubonisa ukuba, kwanobomi bosana olungekazalwa buxabisekile kuYehova. (Eksodus 21:22, 23; INdumiso 127:3) Ngoko ke, oko kuthetha ukuba ukuqhomfa kuphosakele.

6. Kutheni singafanele sibathiye abanye abantu?

⁶ Ukuba nentlonelo ngobomi kuquka ukuba nembono efanelekileyo ngabanye abantu. IBhayibhile ithi: “Lowo umthiyileyo umzalwana wakhe usisibulala-mntu, yaye niyazi ukuba akukho sibulala-mntu sinobomi obungunaphakade obuhleliyo kuso.” (1 Yohane 3:15) Ukuba sifuna ukufumana ubomi obungunaphakade, sifanele singabathiyi abanye abantu, kuba intiyo ingunobangela wogonyamelo. (1 Yohane 3:11, 12) Kubalulekile ukuba sifunde ukuthandana.

7. Ziziphi ezinye zezinto ezibonisa ukungabi nantlonelo ngobomi?

⁷ Kuthekani ngokubonisa intlonelo ngobethu ubomi? Ngokuqhelekileyo abantu abafuni kufa, kodwa abanye bazibeka esichengeni sokufa ngenxa yokufuna ukuzonwabisa. Ngokomzekelo, abaninzi basebenzisa icuba okanye iziyobisi, abanye batshaye intsangu ngelokuzonwabisa. Ezi zinto zibangela umonakalo emzimbeni, yaye zidla ngokubulala. Umntu  ozisebenzisayo akabugqali ubomi njengento engcwele, kuba ezi zinto azihlambulukanga emehlweni kaThixo. (Roma 6:19; 12:1; 2 Korinte 7:1) Ukuze simkhonze ngendlela eyamkelekileyo uThixo, simele sikuphephe ukusebenzisa izinto ezinjalo. Nangona kusenokuba nzima oko, uYehova unokusinika uncedo esilufunayo. Yaye uyayixabisa imigudu esiyenzayo yokuphatha ubomi bethu njengesipho esixabisekileyo esivela kuye.

8. Kutheni sifanele siluphaphele ukhuseleko?

⁸ Ukuba sinentlonelo ngobomi, siya kuluphaphela ukhuseleko. Asiyi kuba ngabantu abangakhathaliyo yaye asiyi kuzibeka esichengeni ngenxa nje yokufuna ukuzonwabisa. Siya kukuphepha ukuqhuba kakubi nokubandakanyeka kwimidlalo enogonyamelo okanye eyingozi. (INdumiso 11:5) Umthetho kaThixo kuSirayeli wamandulo wawusithi: “Xa uthe wakha indlu entsha [enophahla olusicaba], umele ulwenzele ungqameko [okanye, udonga olufutshane] uphahla lwakho, ukuze ungazisi tyala lagazi endlwini yakho xa athe wawa owayo kuyo.” (Duteronomi 22:8) Ngokuvisisana nomgaqo okuloo mthetho, gcina izinto ezifana nezinyuko zikwimeko entle ekhayeni lakho, ukuze kungabikho mntu ukhubekayo aze enzakale kakhulu. Ukuba unemoto, qiniseka ukuba kukhuselekile ukuyiqhuba. Musa ukuliyeka ikhaya lakho okanye imoto yakho ibe yingozi kuwe okanye kwabanye.

9. Ukuba sinentlonelo ngobomi, siya kuziphatha njani izilwanyana?

⁹ Kuthekani ngobomi besilwanyana? Nabo bungcwele kuMdali. UThixo uyakuvumela ukubulawa kwezilwanyana ukuze sifumane ukutya nempahla okanye ukuze kukhuselwe abantu engozini. (Genesis 3:21; 9:3; Eksodus 21:28) Kodwa ukuziphatha ngqwabalala izilwanyana okanye ukuzibulala ngenjongo nje yokuzonwabisa kuphosakele yaye kubonisa ukungabuxabisi ubungcwele bobomi.—IMizekeliso 12:10.

10. UThixo ubonise njani ukuba ubomi buhlobene negazi?

¹⁰ Akuba uKayin embulele umntakwabo uAbheli, uYehova  wathi kuKayin: “Igazi lomntakwenu liyadanduluka kum emhlabeni.” (Genesis 4:10) Xa uThixo wayethetha ngegazi lika-Abheli, wayebhekisela kubomi buka-Abheli. UKayin wayethabathe ubomi buka-Abheli, ngoko wayefanele ohlwaywe. Kwakufana nokungathi igazi okanye ubomi buka-Abheli budanduluka kuYehova bumbongoza ukuba enze okusesikweni. Kwakhona ukuhlobana kobomi negazi kwaphinda kwaboniswa emva koMkhukula wexesha likaNowa. Ngaphambi koMkhukula, abantu babesitya iziqhamo, imifuno, ukutya okuziinkozo neenqoba kuphela. Emva koMkhukula, uYehova wathi kuNowa noonyana bakhe: “Zonke izinambuzane eziphilileyo mazibe kukutya kuni. Njengotyani obuluhlaza, ndizinikela zonke kuni.” Kodwa ke, uThixo wongezelela wathi: “Kuphela yinyama enomphefumlo wayo [okanye, ubomi]—igazi layo—eningamele niyidle.” (Genesis 1:29; 9:3, 4) Ngokucacileyo, kuYehova ubomi besidalwa buhlobene kakhulu negazi laso.

11. Kukuphi ukusetyenziswa kwegazi okwakungavunyelwanga nguThixo ukususela kwixesha likaNowa?

¹¹ Sibonisa intlonelo ngegazi ngokuthi singalityi. KuMthetho awawunika amaSirayeli, uYehova wayalela wathi: “Nawuphi na umntu . . . othi ekuzingeleni kwakhe abambise inyamakazi okanye intaka edliwayo, umele aliphalaze igazi layo aze aligubungele ngomhlaba. . . . Ndiye ndathi koonyana bakaSirayeli: ‘Nize ningalidli igazi lalo naluphi na uhlobo lwenyama.’” (Levitikus 17:13, 14) Ngoko wawusasebenza umyalelo kaThixo owanikelwa kuNowa kwiminyaka emalunga nama-800 ngaphambili, wokuba lingatyiwa igazi. Imbono kaYehova yayicacile: Abakhonzi bakhe babenokuyitya inyama yesilwanyana, kodwa babengamele balitye igazi. Babemele balithululele emhlabeni—ngaloo ndlela bebuyisela kuThixo ubomi beso silwanyana.

12. Nguwuphi umyalelo ophathelele igazi owanikelwa ngomoya oyingcwele kwinkulungwane yokuqala nosasebenzayo namhlanje?

¹² Loo myalelo uyasebenza nakumaKristu. Abapostile kunye namanye amadoda awayekhokela abalandeli bakaYesu  ngenkulungwane yokuqala bahlanganisana ukuze bagqibe ngemiyalelo efanele ithotyelwe ngabo bonke abakwibandla lamaKristu. Bafikelela kwesi sigqibo: “Kukholekile kumoya oyingcwele nakuthi ngokwethu ukungongezeleli uxanduva olubhekele phaya kuni, ngaphandle kwezi zinto ziyimfuneko, ukuba nikhwebuke kwizinto ezibingelelwe kwizithixo nasegazini nakwizinto ezikrwitshiweyo [ezingophiswanga] nakuhenyuzo.” (IZenzo 15:28, 29; 21:25) Ngoko simele ‘sikhwebuke egazini.’ Emehlweni kaThixo, ukwenza oko kubaluleke njengokuphepha unqulo-zithixo nokuziphatha okubi ngokwesini.

13. Zekelisa isizathu sokuba umyalelo wokukhwebuka egazini uquka utofelo-gazi.

¹³ Ngaba umyalelo wokukhwebuka egazini uquka utofelo-gazi? Ewe. Ngokomzekelo: Masithi ugqirha ukuxelela ukuba ukhwebuke kwiziselo ezinxilisayo. Ngaba oko bekuya kuthetha nje ukuba akunakubusela utywala kodwa ungabutofela emithanjeni yakho? Ngokuqinisekileyo akunjalo! Ngokukwanjalo, ukukhwebuka egazini kuthetha ukungalifaki ngokupheleleyo emizimbeni yethu. Ngoko umyalelo wokukhwebuka egazini uthetha ukuba asisayi kuvumela nabani na ukuba atofele igazi emithanjeni yethu.

14, 15. Ukuba oogqirha bathi umKristu umele atofelwe igazi, uya kusabela njani, yaye ngoba?

¹⁴ Kuthekani ukuba umKristu wenzakele kakhulu okanye umele atyandwe? Oogqirha basenokuthi umele atofelwe igazi, kungenjalo uza kufa. Enyanisweni lo mKristu akafuni kufa. Ukuze alondoloze isipho esixabisekileyo sikaThixo sobomi, uya kuzamkela ezinye iindlela zonyango ezingabandakanyi ukusetyenziswa kakubi kwegazi.

¹⁵ Ngaba umKristu angawaphula umthetho kaThixo ukuze nje aphile ithuba elidana kule nkqubo yezinto? UYesu wathi: “Nabani na ofuna ukuwusindisa umphefumlo wakhe [okanye, ubomi bakhe] uya kulahlekelwa nguwo; kodwa nabani na olahlekelwa ngumphefumlo wakhe ngenxa yam uya kuwufumana.” (Mateyu 16:25) Asifuni kufa. Kodwa ukuba sizama  ukusindisa ubomi bethu ngokuthi saphule umthetho kaThixo, siya kuba sengozini yokulahlekelwa bubomi obungunaphakade. Ngoko kuya kuba bubulumko ukunamathela kulo mthetho kaThixo, siqinisekile ukuthi ukuba kuyenzeka sife nangasiphi na isizathu, uMniki-Bomi wethu uya kusikhumbula eluvukweni aze asinike kwakhona isipho esixabisekileyo sobomi.—Yohane 5:28, 29; Hebhere 11:6.

16. Yintoni abazimisele ngamandla ukuyenza abakhonzi bakaThixo ngokuphathelele igazi?

¹⁶ Namhlanje, abakhonzi bakaThixo abathembekileyo bazimisele ngamandla ukuthobela ulwalathiso lwakhe ngokuphathelele igazi. Abalityi nangayiphi na indlela. Yaye abalamkeli kwaphela igazi kwanakwezonyango. * Baqinisekile ukuba uMdali wegazi wazi bhetele kunabo. Ngaba nawe ukholelwa ngaloo ndlela?

17. KuSirayeli wamandulo, yiyiphi ekuphela kwendlela yokusebenzisa igazi eyayamkelekile kuYehova uThixo?

¹⁷ UMthetho kaMoses ugxininisa ekuphela kwendlela efanelekileyo yokusetyenziswa kwegazi. UYehova wathi ngokuphathelele unqulo lwamaSirayeli amandulo: ‘[Ubomi, okanye] umphefumlo wenyama usegazini, yaye mna ndaninika lona esibingelelweni ukuze kucanyagushelwe  imiphefumlo yenu, kuba igazi lelokucamagusha.’ (Levitikus 17:11) Xa amaSirayeli esona, ayexolelwa ngokuthi anikele ngesilwanyana kuze kuphalazwe inxalenye ethile yegazi laso esibingelelweni esisemnqubeni, owathi kamva wathatyathelwa indawo yitempile kaThixo. Yayiyileyo kuphela indlela efanelekileyo yokusebenzisa igazi.

18. Ziziphi iingenelo neentsikelelo esinokuzifumana ngenxa yegazi likaYesu elaphalalayo?

¹⁸ AmaKristu okwenyaniso akakho phantsi koMthetho kaMoses, ngoko akenzi mibingelelo yezilwanyana aze aphalaze igazi lezilwanyana esibingelelweni. (Hebhere 10:1) Kodwa ukusetyenziswa kwegazi esibingelelweni ngexesha lamaSirayeli amandulo kwakubhekisela kumbingelelo oxabisekileyo woNyana kaThixo, uYesu Kristu. Njengoko sifundile kwiSahluko 5 sale ncwadi, uYesu wanikela ngobomi bakhe ngokuthi avumele ukuba igazi lakhe liphalazwe njengomnikelo. Emva  koko wanyukela ezulwini waza wanikela kuThixo ngexabiso legazi lakhe eliye laphalala. (Hebhere 9:11, 12) Oko kwenza sakwazi ukuxolelwa izono kwaza kwasivulela indlela yokuzuza ubomi obungunaphakade. (Mateyu 20:28; Yohane 3:16) Yayibaluleke gqitha indlela elasetyenziswa ngayo elo gazi! (1 Petros 1:18, 19) Usindiso sinokulufumana kuphela ngokubonisa ukholo kwixabiso legazi likaYesu elaphalalayo.

19. Yintoni esimele siyenze ukuze sibe “msulwa egazini labantu bonke”?

¹⁹ Simele simbulele kakhulu uYehova uThixo ngesipho sothando esibubomi! Yaye ngaba oko akufanele kusishukumisele ukuba sixelele abanye ngethuba elibavulekeleyo lokuzuza ubomi obungunaphakade ukuba babonisa ukholo kwidini likaYesu? Ngokuqinisekileyo siya kushukumiseleka ukuba senjenjalo ngokuzimisela ukuba sibukhathalele ubomi babanye abantu njengoThixo. (Hezekile 3:17-21) Ukuba siyiphumeza ngenkuthalo le mbopheleleko, nathi sakuvakalelwa ngokufanayo nompostile uPawulos, owathi: “Ndimsulwa egazini labantu bonke, kuba andinifihlelanga nto, ndinixelele lonke icebo likaThixo.” (IZenzo 20:26, 27) Ukuxelela abantu ngoThixo nangeenjongo zakhe kuyindlela entle yokubonisa ukuba sibuxabisa kakhulu ubomi negazi.