1, 2. Yintoni enokwenza abanye babe nomdla kwikhiwane?

NGABA uyawathanda amakhiwane, enoba ngasandul’ ukukhiwa okanye ngaqwayitiweyo? Athandwa gqitha, ngoko afumaneka kulo lonke ihlabathi. Mandulo ayethandwa gqitha ngamaYuda. (Nah. 3:12; Luka 13:6-9) Amakhiwane azaliswe zizondlo neeminerali; ngoko, abanye bathi aluncedo kwintliziyo.

² UYehova wakha wathelekisa intliziyo nekhiwane. Wayengathethi ngezondlo zokoqobo esizifumana kwikhiwane. Wayethetha ngentliziyo yokomfuziselo. Into awayithetha kumprofeti uYeremiya inokunceda iintliziyo zethu nezalamane. Njengoko sihlolisisa amazwi akhe, cinga ngento enokufundwa ngamaKristu kuwo.

3. Abhekisela kwintoni amakhiwane akuYeremiya isahluko 24?

³ Makhe siqale ngokuqwalasela into eyathethwa nguThixo ngamakhiwane ngomhla kaYeremiya. Ngowama-617 B.C.E., amaYuda ayekwimeko embi ngokomoya. UYehova wanika uYeremiya umbono wekamva, ezekelisa ngeentlobo ezimbini zamakhiwane—amakhiwane “alunge kakhulu” namakhiwane “amabi kakhulu.” (Funda uYeremiya 24:1-3.) Amakhiwane amabi ayebhekisela kuKumkani uZedekiya nakwabo kwakumbovu ukuba njengaye bagagane nengqumbo kaKumkani uNebhukadenetsare. Kuthekani ngoHezekile, uDaniyeli, nabahlobo bakhe abathathu ababesele beseBhabhiloni, kunye namaYuda awayesele eza kuthinjelwa apho? Aba babefana namakhiwane alungileyo. Intsalela yabo yayiza kubuyela apho ukuze ivuse iYerusalem netempile yayo, ibe kwabanjalo.—Yer. 24:8-10; 25:11, 12; 29:10.

4. Yintoni ekhuthazayo kumazwi kaThixo ngamakhiwane alungileyo?

⁴ UYehova wathi ngabo bafanekiselwa ngamakhiwane alungileyo: “Ndiza kubanika nentliziyo yokundazi, ukuba ndinguYehova; yaye baya kuba ngabantu  bam.” (Yer. 24:7) La ngamazwi angumxholo weli nqaku, ibe akhuthaza gqitha! UThixo ufuna ukunika mntu ngamnye ‘intliziyo yokumazi.’ Apha, ‘intliziyo’ ibhekisela kumntu esinguye ngaphakathi. Ngokuqinisekileyo, uyayifuna intliziyo enjalo nokuba yinxalenye yabantu bakhe. Ukuze kwenzeke oko, umele ufundisise iBhayibhile uze wenze oko ukufundayo, ngokuguquka uze ujike ngokushiya izono, uzahlulele kuThixo, uze ubhaptizwe egameni loYise, loNyana nelomoya oyingcwele. (Mat. 28:19, 20; IZe. 3:19) Mhlawumbi sele uwathabathile loo manyathelo, okanye uya rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova, ngoko uzabalazela ukuwathabatha.

5. Yeyoobani ke intliziyo awayebhala ngayo uYeremiya?

⁵ Enoba sesiwathabathile onke la manyathelo, kusekho into esimele siyijonge isimo sengqondo nendlela esiziphatha ngayo. Isizathu soko unokusibona kwenye into eyabhalwa nguYeremiya ngentliziyo. Ezinye izahluko zale ncwadi zithetha ngeentlanga ezazingqonge amaYuda, kodwa olona hlanga yabhalelwa lona ngamaYuda ebudeni bolawulo lookumkani bawo abahlanu. (Yer. 1:15, 16) Abona bantu sasisiya kubo isigidimi sikaYeremiya ngamadoda, abafazi nabantwana ababezahlulele kuYehova. Ngomhla kaMoses ookhokho bawo bakhetha ukuzahlulela kuYehova. (Eks. 19:3-8) Ngomhla kaYeremiya abantu bavuma ukuba babezahlulele kuYehova. Bathi: “Size kuwe, kuba wena, Yehova, unguThixo wethu.” (Yer. 3:22) Noko ke, ngaba zazinjalo neentliziyo zabo?

6. Kutheni sime sibe nomdla koko uThixo akutshoyo ngentliziyo?

⁶ Oogqirha banokusebenzisa ubugcisa bezi mini ukuxilonga intliziyo batsho babone indlela esebenza ngayo. Noko ke, uYehova wenza okungaphezu koko, njengakumhla kaYeremiya. Akanantanga kule nkalo njengokuba sibona kumazwi akhe athi: “Intliziyo inenkohliso kunayo nantoni na yaye iyatyhudisa. Ngubani na onokuyazi? Mna, Yehova, ndiyayigocagoca intliziyo, . . . ukuze ndinike ngamnye ngokweendlela zakhe, ngokwesiqhamo sezenzo zakhe.” (Yer. 17:9, 10) ‘Ukugocagoca intliziyo’ akufani nokuxilonga intliziyo yokoqobo, yona igqiba iminyaka engama-70 nengama-80 ibe sele ibethe izihlandlo ezimalunga neebhiliyoni ezintathu. Apha uYehova wayethetha ngentliziyo yokomfuziselo. Loo ‘ntliziyo’ ibhekisela kubuntu bangaphakathi, iminqweno, iingcinga, imeko yakhe, isimo sengqondo neenjongo. Nawe unayo loo ntliziyo. UThixo uyakwazi ukuyihlola, ibe nawe ungakwazi ukusa kumkhamo othile.

7. UYeremiya wayichaza njani intliziyo yamaYuda omhla wakhe?

⁷ Ukuze sikwazi ukuzihlola, sinokuzibuza oku, Yayinjani intliziyo yokomfuziselo yenkoliso yamaYuda ngomhla kaYeremiya? Ukuze ufumane impendulo, qwalasela ibinzana elingaqhelekanga elasetyenziswa nguYeremiya: “Yonke indlu kaSirayeli ayalukanga entliziyweni.” Wayengathethi ngokwaluswa kwamadoda amaYuda, kuba wathi: “‘Khangela! Kuza imihla,’ utsho uYehova, ‘endiza kumphendulisa ngayo wonk’ ubani owalukileyo kodwa abe esesekungalukini.’” Ngoko namadoda akwaYuda alukileyo, ‘ayengalukanga entliziyweni.’ (Yer. 9:25, 26) Yintoni ke, eyayithethwa koku?

8, 9. Yiyiphi ingxaki yentliziyo ekwakufuneka ayilungise amaYuda amaninzi ngomhla kaYeremiya?

⁸ Into esinceda sibe nofifi, ‘lwentliziyo engalukanga’ sesi sibongozo sikaThixo kumaYuda: “Nize nisuse amajwabi eentliziyo zenu, nina madoda akwaYuda nabemi baseYerusalem; ukuze umsindo wam  ungaphumi . . . ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.” Kodwa zaziphuma phi ezi zenzo zibi? Ngaphakathi, entliziyweni yabo. (Funda uMarko 7:20-23.) Esebenzisa uYeremiya, uThixo wawuchaza kakuhle owona mthombo wezenzo ezibi zamaYuda. Intliziyo yawo yayinenkani nemvukelo. Iinjongo neengcamango zawo zazingamkholisi uThixo. (Funda uYeremiya 5:23, 24; 7:24-26.) UThixo wathi kuwo: “Zaluseleni kuYehova, nize nisuse amajwabi eentliziyo zenu.”—Yer. 4:4; 18:11, 12.

⁹ AmaYuda omhla kaYeremiya ayefuna utyando lwentliziyo yomfuziselo—‘ulwaluko lwentliziyo’—njengokuba lwalufuneka nakulawo omhla kaMoses. (Dut. 10:16; 30:6) ‘Ukususa ijwabi lentliziyo yawo’ kwakuthetha ukwahlukana nezinto ezazibangela ukuba intliziyo yawo ibe lukhuni—iingcinga, iminqweno okanye iinjongo ezingqubana nokuthanda kukaThixo.—IZe. 7:51.

10. Yintoni esimele siyifune njengoDavide?

¹⁰ Simbulela gqitha uThixo ngokusinceda siyiqonde intliziyo yokomfuziselo! Abanye basenokuzibuza, kodwa kutheni kubalulekile nje ukuba amaNgqina kaYehova akwazi oku? Isizathu asikokuba amaKristu amaninzi esenza izinto ezimbi okanye esiba ‘ngamakhiwane amabi,’ njengamaYuda amandulo. Bona abakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje bathembekile, ihambo yabo icocekile. Sekunjalo, bamele bakhumbule ukuba kwanelungisa uDavide wenza esi sicelo kuYehova: “Ndigocagoce, Thixo, uze uyazi intliziyo yam. Ndihlolisise, uze uzazi iingcamango zam eziphazamisayo, ubone enoba kukho nayiphi na indlela yobubi kum.”—INdu. 17:3; 139:23, 24.

11, 12. (a) Kutheni simele sonke sihlole iintliziyo zethu? (b) Yintoni angayi kuyenza uThixo?

¹¹ UYehova ufuna simazi size sihlale samkelekile kuye. Ethetha ngelungisa, uYeremiya wathi: “Wena, Yehova wemikhosi, uyamhlolisisa lowo ulilungisa; ubona izintso nentliziyo.” (Yer. 20:12) Ukuba uSomandla uhlola nkqu nentliziyo yelungisa, oko kuthetha ukuba sonke simele sizihlole ngokunyaniseka ezethu. (Funda iNdumiso 11:5.) Xa sizihlola, singafumanisa ukuba isimo sengqondo, injongo, okanye indlela esivakalelwa ngayo ifuna ukulungiswa. Sinokubhaqa ukuba sinento eyenza intliziyo yethu ingathobeli, ‘ijwabi lentliziyo’ elifuna ukwaluswa. Olo iya kuba lutyando lokomfuziselo, lokususa ububi entliziyweni. Ukuba uyavuma ukuba intliziyo ifuna ukuhlolwa, yintoni omele uyijonge? Ungalwenza njani olo hlengahlengiso?—Yer. 4:4.

¹² Inye into esiqiniseke ngayo yile: UYehova akayi kusinyanzela ukuba sitshintshe. Wathi abo ‘bangamakhiwane alungileyo’ wayeya ‘kubanika intliziyo yokumazi.’ Akazange athi uza kubanyanzela batshintshe iintliziyo zabo. Yayimele ibe ngabo abanqwenela ukwazi uThixo. Kunjalo ke nangathi.

13, 14. UmKristu unokwenzakaliswa njani yintliziyo yakhe?

¹³ UYesu wathi: “Entliziyweni kuphuma iingcinga ezingendawo, ukubulala,  ukukrexeza, uhenyuzo, ubusela, ubungqina bobuxoki, izinyeliso.” (Mat. 15:19) Kucacile ukuba, xa umzalwana eye wakrexeza okanye wahenyuza ngenxa yeminqweno ephosakeleyo yentliziyo kodwa akaguquka, angaphulukana nolwalamano analo noThixo ngonaphakade. Ukanti, kwanokuba akade asenze eso sono, unokuvumela loo minqweno iphosakeleyo ikhule entliziyweni. (Funda uMateyu 5:27, 28.) Yiloo nto ke kubalulekile ukuba umntu azihlole intliziyo. Xa uhlolisisa intliziyo yakho, ngaba ukhe uzive unqwenela ngokungafanelekanga umntu othile wesini esahlukileyo, umnqweno ofihlakeleyo ongafunwayo nguThixo omele uwususe?

¹⁴ Nakuba engadanga ‘wabulala,’ umzalwana unokuvumela ingqumbo ikhule entliziyweni ukusa kwinqanaba lokuba amthiye umzalwana wakhe. (Lev. 19:17) Umele azilahle kude ezo mvakalelo ingekade yonakale intliziyo yakhe.—Mat. 5:21, 22.

15, 16. (a) Chaza indlela umKristu ‘anokungaluki ngayo entliziyweni.’ (b) Kutheni ucinga ukuba uYehova akafuni sibe ‘nentliziyo engalukanga’?

¹⁵ Iyasivuyisa into yokuba inkoliso yamaKristu ingenayo ‘intliziyo enjalo.’ Sekunjalo, uYesu wathetha ‘ngeengcinga ezingendawo.’ Ezi ziimbono okanye izimo zengqondo ezinokuchaphazela iinkalo eziliqela zobomi. Ngokomzekelo, sinokucinga ukuba ukunyaniseka kwizalamane zethu kubaluleke ngaphezu kwayo nantoni na. Yinyaniso ukuba, amaKristu amele abe ‘nomsa wemvelo’ kwizalamane zawo, angafani nabaninzi abangenawo kule ‘mihla yokugqibela.’ (2 Tim. 3:1, 3) Kodwa sinokusuka siyibaxe indlela esiwubonisa ngayo. Abaninzi bathi “igazi liyajiya kunamanzi.” Ngoko banokukhetha ukuthethelela okanye beme kwicala lesalamane sabo nokuba sele kumnyama emntla, nabo bakhubeke xa sikhubekile. Yiloo nto kanye eyenzekayo yaza yakhokelela abantakwaboDina kwisenzo esibi sokubulawa kwabantu. (Gen. 34:13, 25-30) Ucinga ukuba yintoni eyayisentliziyweni ka-Abhisalom, neyakhokelela ekubeni abulale umntakwabo uAmnon? (2 Sam. 13:1-30) Ingayintoni enye xa ingezizo “iingcinga ezingendawo.”

¹⁶ Ewe kona, amaKristu okwenyaniso akabulali mntu. Kodwa asenokumqumbela umzalwana okanye udade oye wangquzulana nesalamane okanye acinga ukuba uye wasiphatha kakubi. Anokude angafuni nobubele bakhe, angayi nasemzini waloo mzalwana, okanye angabi nabubele, angammemi nasemizini yawo. (Heb. 13:1, 2) Intiyo enjalo nokungabi  nabubele ayinakungxengxezeleka, kuba umntu owenza oko akanalo uthando. Enyanisweni, isenzo esinjalo kuMhloli weentliziyo besiya kuba ‘kukungaluki kwentliziyo.’ (Yer. 9:25, 26) Khumbula abo babongozwa nguYehova esithi: ‘Susani amajwabi eentliziyo zenu.’—Yer. 4:4.

17. Ukoyika uYehova kuya kusinceda njani sibe nentliziyo ethobelayo?

¹⁷ Kuthekani ukuba uthe xa uzihlola wafumanisa ukuba intliziyo yakho inengxaki yokuziphulaphula iziluleko zikaYehova, ‘ayalukanga’ ngandlela ithile? Mhlawumbi woyika abantu, uzifunela udumo okanye ubutyebi, okanye uneenkani akufuni kuxelelwa. Akungomntu wokuqala ukuba njalo. (Yer. 7:24; 11:8) UYeremiya wathi amaYuda angathembekanga exesha lakhe ‘ayenentliziyo eneenkani nenemvukelo.’ Waphinda wathi: ‘Akatsho entliziyweni yawo ukuthi: “Ke kaloku, masoyike uYehova uThixo wethu, Lowo unika izantyalantyala zemvula nemvula yasekwindla.”’ (Yer. 5:23, 24) Oku kubonisa kakuhle ukuba into eya kusinceda sibe nentliziyo ethobelayo kukumoyika nokumhlonela uYehova, simxabise. Olo loyiko luya kunceda ngamnye kuthi abe nentliziyo ethobelayo sitsho sibe yile nto kanye afuna sibe yiyo uThixo.

18. Yintoni uYehova ayithembise abo bomnqophiso omtsha?

¹⁸ Njengoko sisenza imigudu yokumthobela, uYehova uya kusinika ‘intliziyo yokumazi.’ Enyanisweni, yiloo nto kanye ayithembise abathanjiswa bomnqophiso omtsha: “Ndiza kuwufaka umthetho wam ngaphakathi kubo, ndize ndiwubhale entliziyweni yabo. Kwaye ndiza kuba nguThixo wabo, bona babe ngabantu bam.” Kuthekani ngokumazi ngokwenene? Wathi: “Abayi kuba safundisana ngamnye iqabane lakhe nomnye umntakwabo, besithi, ‘Mazini uYehova!’ kuba bonke baya kundazi, ukususela koyena mncinane nokusa koyena mkhulu kubo . . . Kuba ndiya kusixolela isiphoso sabo, nesono sabo andiyi kuba sasikhumbula.”—Yer. 31:31-34. *

19. Yintoni akhangele phambili kuyo amaKristu okwenyaniso?

¹⁹ Sonke sifanele sikulangazelele ukumazi uYehova nokuba yinxalenye yabantu bakhe. Eyona nto ifunekayo ukuze sixhamle, kukuxolelwa kwezono zethu ngentlawulelo kaKristu. Isibakala sokuba sinako ukuxolelwa izono zethu, simele sisenze nathi sifune ukubaxolela abanye, nkqu nabo kubonakala kunzima ukubaxolela. Ukusiphula neengcambu nayiphi na intiyo kuya kukunceda ube nentliziyo ephilileyo. Oko kuya kubonisa ukuba uya umazi ngakumbi uYehova. Uya kufana nabo uYehova wathi ngabo: “Okunene niya kundifuna nize nindifumane, kuba niya kundifuna ngentliziyo yenu yonke. Ndiya kuzenza ndifumaneke kuni.”—Yer. 29:13, 14.