Kufanele Sithandaze Kubani?
INGABE yonke imithandazo iya endaweni eyodwa, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kuthandazwa kubani? Namuhla, abantu abaningi bacabanga kanjalo. Abaningi abathanda ukuxubanisa izinkolo nabafuna ukuba zonke izinkolo zamukeleke kungakhathaliseki ukuthi azifani kanjani bayithanda kakhulu le nkolelo. Nokho, kungenzeka yini ukuthi ayilona iqiniso?
IBhayibheli lifundisa ukuthi eqinisweni abantu abaningi abathandazi kumuntu ofanele. Endulo, ngesikhathi kubhalwa iBhayibheli, abantu babevame ukuthandaza ezithombeni ezibaziweyo. Kodwa uNkulunkulu waxwayisa kaningi ngalowo mkhuba. Ngokwesibonelo, iHubo 115:4-6 lisho lokhu ngezithombe: “Zinezindlebe, kodwa azikwazi ukuzwa.” Iphuzu licacile. Akusizi ukuthandaza kunkulunkulu ongazose wakuzwa.
Kukhona ukulandisa kweBhayibheli okulicacisayo leli phuzu. Umprofethi weqiniso, uEliya, waphonsela abaprofethi bakaBhali inselele, wathi mabathandaze kunkulunkulu wabo, naye uzothandaza kowakhe. U-Eliya wathi uNkulunkulu weqiniso wayezophendula kodwa owamanga wayengeke. Abaprofethi bakaBhali bayamukela leyo nselele futhi bathandaza isikhathi eside ngokukhulu ukuzimisela, baze baqala nokumemeza—kodwa kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya! Ukulandisa kufundeka kanje: ‘Akubanga namuntu ophendulayo, futhi akubanga nakunaka.’ (1 AmaKhosi 18:29) Kwamhambela kanjani u-Eliya?
U-Eliya wathandaza, uNkulunkulu wakhe waphendula ngokushesha, wathumela umlilo uvela ezulwini wadla umnikelo ka-Eliya. Yini eyenza ukuba uNkulunkulu ka-Eliya asabele? Kunesici esibalulekile esisithola emthandazweni ka-Eliya kweyoku-1 AmaKhosi 18:36, 37. Lo mthandazo mfushane kakhulu—wakhiwa amagama angaba ngu-30 kuphela emBhalweni wesiHebheru wokuqala. Noma kunjalo, kulowo mthandazo omfushane, u-Eliya wambiza kathathu uNkulunkulu ngegama lakhe elithi Jehova.
UBhali, okusho ukuthi, “umnikazi” noma “inkosi,” wayengunkulunkulu wamaKhanani futhi zaziziningi izinhlobo zobhali kuleyo ndawo. Kodwa igama elithi Jehova lihlukile, futhi libhekisela kuNkulunkulu oyedwa kuphela, emhlabeni nasezulwini. Lo Nkulunkulu watshela abantu bakhe: “NginguJehova. Yilelo igama lami; futhi angisoze nganika muntu omunye inkazimulo yami.”—Isaya 42:8.
Ingabe umthandazo ka-Eliya nowabaprofethi bakaBhali yaya endaweni eyodwa? Ukukhulekelwa kukaBhali kwakuhlanganisa ubufebe ngisho nokwenza imihlatshelo ngabantu. Kwakuhlukile ngokukhulekelwa kukaJehova ngoba uNkulunkulu wayala ama-Israyeli ukuba amkhulekele ngendlela ehloniphekile, ewakhulula emikhubeni engcolile. Cabanga ngalokhu: Uma ubungabhalela umngane wakho omhlonipha kakhulu incwadi futhi umbize ngegama, ingabe ubungalindela ukuba leyo ncwadi iye komunye umuntu? Lutho neze!
Inselele u-Eliya ayiphonsela abaprofethi bakaBhali yafakazela ukuthi imithandazo ayiyi endaweni eyodwa
Uma uthandaza kuJehova, uthandaza kuMdali, uYise wabantu bonke. * Emthandazweni wakhe, umprofethi u-Isaya wathi: “Wena Jehova, unguBaba wethu.” (Isaya 63:16) Ngakho, uJehova nguNkulunkulu uJesu Kristu atshela abalandeli bakhe ngaye: “Nginyukela kuBaba noYihlo, kuNkulunkulu wami noNkulunkulu wenu.” (Johane 20:17) UnguYise kaJesu. UnguNkulunkulu uJesu athandaza kuye nafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze kuye.—Mathewu 6:9.
IBhayibheli liyafundisa yini ukuba sithandaze kuJesu, uMariya, osanta noma ezingelosini? Cha—lithi kufanele sithandaze kuJehova kuphela. Cabangela izizathu ezimbili zalokhu. Okokuqala, umthandazo uyindlela yokukhulekela futhi iBhayibheli lithi kufanele sikhulekele uJehova kuphela. (Eksodusi 20:5) Okwesibili, iBhayibheli lembula ukuthi uNkulunkulu unesiqu esithi ‘uMuzwi womthandazo.’ (IHubo 65:2) Nakuba kunemisebenzi ayiphathisa abanye, lona uzibambela wona mathupha. UnguNkulunkulu othembisa ukuyilalela yena ngokwakhe imithandazo yethu.
Ngakho-ke, uma ufuna uNkulunkulu ezwe imithandazo yakho, khumbula lesi siyalo esiseBhayibhelini: “Wonke umuntu obiza igama likaJehova uyosindiswa.” (IzEnzo 2:21) Kodwa ingabe uJehova ulalela yonke imithandazo? Noma ingabe kukhona okuthile okudingeka sikwazi uma sifuna ezwe imithandazo yethu?
^ isig. 9 Ezinye izinkolo zithi akulungile ukubiza igama likaNkulunkulu, ngisho nasemthandazweni. Kodwa lelo gama livela izikhathi ezingaba ngu-7 000 emaBhayibhelini ezilimi zokuqala, futhi livela ezimweni eziningi emithandazweni nasezincwadini zamahubo ezinceku zikaJehova ezithembekile.