1, 2. (a) Wasenza njani isigqibo sokukhonza uThixo? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esinokuzibuza yona ngokuphathelele ilifa lethu lokomoya?

IZIGIDI zethu ziye zenza ukhetho lobulumko lokukhonza uYehova uThixo nokulandela ngokusondeleyo emanyathelweni kaYesu Kristu. (Mat. 16:24; 1 Pet. 2:21) Asiluthathi lula olu khetho silwenzileyo lokuzahlulela kuThixo. Olu khetho asizange silwenze ngenxa yokwazi izibhalo ezithile ezimbalwa, kodwa salwenza emva kokufundisisa ngokucokisekileyo iLizwi likaThixo. Ngenxa yoko, safunda iinkcukacha ezininzi ezomeleza ukholo ngokuphathelele ilifa uYehova alilungiselele abo ‘bangenisa ulwazi ngaye nangalowo wamthumayo, uYesu Kristu.’—Yoh. 17:3; Roma 12:2.

² Ukuze silondoloze ubuKristu bethu, simele senze ukhetho olumkholisayo uBawo wethu wasezulwini. Ngenxa yoko, kweli nqaku siza kuqwalasela le mibuzo ebalulekileyo: Liyintoni ilifa lethu? Simele silijonge njani? Sinokuqinisekisa njani ukuba siyalizuza? Yintoni eya kusinceda senze ukhetho lobulumko?

3. Liyintoni ilifa elilindelwe (a) ngabathanjiswa (b) ‘nazezinye izimvu’?

³ Liqela elincinane lamaKristu elikhangele phambili ekuzuzeni “ilifa elingenakonakala nelingadyobhekanga nelingambatshiyo”—ilungelo elingenakuthelekiswa nanto lokulawula noKristu emazulwini. (1 Pet. 1:3, 4) Ukuze azuze elo lifa, lamaKristu amele “azalwe kwakhona.” (Yoh. 3:1-3) Liyintoni lona ilifa lezigidi ‘zezinye izimvu’ zikaYesu, ezinxulumana nabalandeli bakhe abathanjisiweyo ekushumayeleni iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo? (Yoh. 10:16) Zona ezi zimvu, ziza kuzuza ilifa awathi ngenxa yokona  uAdam noEva baphulukana nalo—ubomi obungunaphakade kwiparadesi esemhlabeni ekungayi kubakho kubandezeleka, kufa okanye ukuzila. (ISityhi. 21:1-4) Yiloo nto uYesu wathembisa umenzi-bubi owayebulawa naye wathi: “Inene ndithi kuwe namhlanje, uya kuba nam eParadesi.”—Luka 23:43.

4. Ziziphi iintsikelelo esele sizixhamla?

⁴ Kwanangoku, sixhamla iinkalo ezithile zelifa lethu. Ngenxa yokuba sinokholo ‘kwintlawulelo ngoKristu Yesu,’ sinoxolo lwangaphakathi nolwalamano oluhle noThixo. (Roma 3:23-25) Siziqonda kakuhle izithembiso ezimangalisayo ezikwiLizwi likaThixo. Ukongezelela koko, sivuyiswa kukuba yinxalenye yabazalwana abanothando bezizwe ngezizwe. Kulilungelo elingathethekiyo ngokwenene ukuba liNgqina likaYehova. Yiloo nto silixabisa kangaka nje eli lifa!

5. Yintoni aye wazabalazela ukuyenza kubantu bakaThixo uSathana, ibe yintoni eya kusinceda sime siqinile nxamnye namaqhinga akhe?

⁵ Noko ke, ukuze sibambelele nkqi kweli lifa limangalisayo, simele siwaphaphele amaqhinga kaSathana. Kaloku usoloko ezabalazela ukuba abantu bakaThixo benze ukhetho oluya kubaphulukisana neli lifa. (Num. 25:1-3, 9) Esazi ukuba isiphelo sakhe sikufuphi, uye wathi chatha kwimigudu yokusilahlekisa. (Funda iSityhilelo 12:12, 17.) Ukuze sikwazi ‘ukuma siqinile nxamnye namaqhinga kaMtyholi,’ simele sihlale silixabisa ngakumbi eli lifa lethu. (Efe. 6:11) Into eya kusinceda kule nkalo, kukucinga ngomzekelo wonyana kasolusapho uEsawu.

6, 7. Wayengubani uEsawu, ibe liliphi ilifa elalimlindele?

⁶ Phantse kwiminyaka engama-4 000 eyadlulayo, uIsake noRebheka bazala amawele uEsawu noYakobi. Njengokuba la mawele ekhula, aya esahluka ngento yonke kuquka izinto akhetha ukuzenza. “UEsawu waba lizingela, indoda yasendle, kodwa yena uYakobi wayeyindoda engenakusoleka, ehlala ezintenteni.” (Gen. 25:27) Omnye umguquleli weBhayibhile uRobert Alter uthi, igama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “engenakusoleka, lichaza ingqibelelo nokuba msulwa.”

⁷ Xa uEsawu noYakobi babeneminyaka eli-15, uyisemkhulu uAbraham wafa, kodwa isithembiso esasenziwe nguYehova kuAbraham sasisamile. Kamva, uYehova wasiphinda kuIsake eso sithembiso, echaza ukuba zonke iintlanga zomhla zaziya kuzizuzela iintsikelelo ngembewu ka-Abraham. (Funda iGenesis 26:3-5.) Eso sithembiso sasichaza ukuba uMesiya—“imbewu” ethembekileyo ekuthethwe ngayo kwiGenesis 3:15—yayiza kuvela kwinzala ka-Abraham. Ekubeni wayelizibulo likaIsake, uEsawu nguye owayenelungelo lokufumana eso sithembiso. Wayelindelwe lilifa elingathethekiyo uEsawu! Ngaba wayelixabisa?

8, 9. (a) Luluphi ukhetho awalwenzayo uEsawu ngelifa lakhe? (b) Kwiminyaka kamva, yintoni awayiqondayo uEsawu ngokhetho awayelwenzile, ibe wavakalelwa njani?

⁸ Ngamini ithile xa wayevela endle, uEsawu wabona uYakobi ‘epheka isityu.’ Wathi kuYakobi “Nceda, khawulezisa, undiphe ndiginye kule nto ibomvu—loo nto ibomvu, kuba ndidiniwe!” Ephendula, uYakobi wathi kuEsawu: “Ndithengisele, kuqala, ilungelo lakho lobuzibulo!” Wakhetha ntoni uEsawu? Okumangalisayo kukuba wathi: “Bunangenelo ngantoni kum ubuzibulo?” Ewe, uEsawu wakhetha isitya sesityu endaweni yobuzibulo bakhe! Ukuze aqinisekise ukuba ulithenga ngokusemthethweni elo lungelo, uYakobi wamcela: “Ndifungele kuqala!” Engalibazisanga, wasuka wanikisa ngobo buzibulo. “Wandula ke uYakobi wamnika uEsawu isonka nesityu seentlumayo, wadla,  wasela. Waza ke wasukuma, wahamba indlela yakhe. Ngoko uEsawu wabudela ubuzibulo.”—Gen. 25:29-34.

⁹ Kwiminyaka kamva, xa uIsake wayesele ebona ukuba uza kufa, uRebheka wenza amalungiselelo okuqinisekisa ukuba uYakobi ufumana obo buzibulo balahlwa nguEsawu. Xa uEsawu kamva wakhalayo ebuqonda ubuyatha bokhetho awayelwenzile, wacenga uyise esithi: “Ndisikelele nam, bawo! . . . Akundibekelanga ntsikelelo na mna?” Xa uIsake wachazayo ukuba wayengenakuyijika loo ntsikelelo ayinike uYakobi, “waliphakamisa izwi lakhe uEsawu, walila iinyembezi.”—Gen. 27:30-38.

10. UYehova wayebajonga njani uEsawu noYakobi, yaye ngoba?

¹⁰ Yiyiphi eyona nto ibalaseliswa ziZibhalo xa zichaza uEsawu? Into eyaba phambili kuye kukwanelisa iminqweno yenyama yakhe kunokuzuza iintsikelelo awayeza kuzifumana kwilifa lakhe. Akazange abuxabise ubuzibulo bakhe, ibe kuyacaca ukuba wayengamthandi uThixo. Ukongezelela apho, akazange ayikhathalele imiphumo eyayiza kuziswa zizenzo zakhe kwinzala yakhe. Ngokwahlukileyo, uYakobi wayelixabisa gqitha ilifa lakhe. Ngokomzekelo, yena wabathobela abazali bakhe xa ekhetha umfazi. (Gen. 27:46–28:3) Ngenxa yokwenza olo khetho lufuna umonde nokuzincama, waba nguye ukhokho kuMesiya. UThixo wayebajonga njani uEsawu noYakobi? Kwisiprofeto esabhalwa nguMalaki, uYehova wathi: “Ndathanda uYakobi, yena uEsawu ndamthiya.”—Mal. 1:2, 3.

11. (a) Kutheni umzekelo kaEsawu usifanela nathi maKristu? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos adibanise uhenyuzo nesenzo sikaEsawu?

¹¹ Ngaba oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile ngoEsawu kuyenzeka kumaKristu namhlanje? Kunjalo kanye. Umpostile uPawulos walumkisa abazalwana bakhe ukuze bamluke “kungabikho mhenyuzi naye nabani na ongazixabisiyo izinto ezingcwele, njengoEsawu, owathi ngenxa yesidlo esinye wanikela ngamalungelo akhe obuzibulo.” (Heb. 12:16) Eso silumkiso sisemile kumaKristu. Simele sizabalazele ukuhlala sizixabisa izinto ezingcwele ukuba singonganyelwa yiminqweno yenyama size siphulukane nelifa asinika lona uThixo. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos adibanise uhenyuzo nesenzo sikaEsawu? Kaloku, ukunikezela kwiminqweno yenyama njengoEsawu kwenza umntu ancame izinto ezingcwele ngenxa yeziyolo ezingafanelekanga, njengohenyuzo.

12. (a) Yiyiphi indlela asilinga ngayo uSathana? (b) Chaza imizekelo eseZibhalweni enokusinceda xa kufuneka senze ukhetho olunzima.

¹² Ekubeni singabakhonzi bakaYehova, asizithezeli olunenkume ngokuzifaka  kwiimeko ezilingayo ezinokukhokelela ekubeni siziphathe kakubi ngokwesini. Endaweni yoko, sithandazela ukuba uYehova uThixo angasiyekeli sinikezele xa kukho ubani osilingela ekubeni singamthobeli. (Mat. 6:13) Kodwa ke, uSathana akayekeleli kwimigudu yokusahlukanisa noThixo njengoko sizabalazela ukugcina ingqibelelo kweli hlabathi lonakeleyo. (Efe. 6:12) Ekubeni enguthixo wale nkqubo yezinto ingendawo, uMtyholi usebenzisa iqhinga lokusilinga ngeminqweno yokungafezeki kwabantu. (1 Kor. 10:8, 13) Ngokomzekelo, cinga nje xa ukwimeko ekulingela ekubeni wanelise umnqweno othile ngokuziphatha kakubi. Luluphi ukhetho ubuya kulwenza? Ngaba ubuya kufana noEsawu ungxame ngokuthi: ‘Khawulezisa! Ndiphe!’ Okanye ubuya kusixhathisa isilingo uze usabe kuso, kanye njengokuba wenzayo unyana kaYakobi, uYosefu owalingwa ngumfazi kaPotifare?—Funda iGenesis 39:10-12.

13. (a) Abaninzi baye bamxelisa njani uYosefu namhlanje, kodwa bamxelisa njani abanye uEsawu? (b) Umzekelo wabo baxelisa uEsawu usinceda siqonde yiphi imfuneko ebalulekileyo?

¹³ Abazalwana noodade abaninzi bakhe bakwiimeko ekuye kwafuneka bakhethe enoba baza kuxelisa uEsawu okanye uYosefu kusini na. Inkoliso yabo iye yenza ngobulumko yaza yayivuyisa intliziyo kaYehova. (IMize. 27:11) Noko ke, bakho abazalwana bethu abaye baxelisa uEsawu xa bejamelene nesilingo, balibeka emngciphekweni ilifa abalinikwa nguThixo. Enyanisweni, izenzo ezininzi eziye zafuna ikomiti egwebayo nokususa kubudlelane zaminyaka le zibangelwa kukuziphatha kakubi ngokwesini. Ibaluleke gqitha into yokuba siyilungise kwangoku intliziyo yethu—kwangaphambi kokuba sibe kwiimeko ezivavanya ingqibelelo yethu! (INdu. 78:8) Ubuncinane zimbini izinto esinokuzenza eziya kusinceda sixhathise izilingo size senze ukhetho lobulumko.

14. Kukucamngca ngayiphi imibuzo okuya kusinceda ‘sikwenyanye oko kungendawo size sinamathele koko kulungileyo’?

¹⁴ Into yokuqala kukucamngca ngemiphumo yezenzo zethu. Ubukhulu becala uxabiso esinalo ngelifa esilinikwa nguThixo luxhomekeke kwindlela esimthanda ngayo uYehova, uMniki welo lifa. Enyanisweni, xa simthanda umntu asifuni kumenzakalisa. Kunoko, sizabalazela ukumkholisa. Ekubeni kunjalo, kuya kuba kuhle ukucamngca ngemiphumo esiya kuyifumana thina nabanye xa sinokunikezela kwiminqweno engacocekanga yenyama. Simele sizibuze oku: ‘Esi senzo sokuzingca siya kuluchaphazela njani ulwalamano lwam noYehova? Siya kuyichaphazela njani intsapho yam? Kuthekani ngabazalwana noodadewethu ebandleni? Ngaba andiyi kubakhubekisa abanye?’ (Fil. 1:10) Sinokuzibuza noku: ‘Ngaba bubulumko ukuxolela imiphumo ebuhlungu ngenxa yoyolo nje lomzuzwana lokuziphatha kakubi? Ngaba ndifuna ukufana noEsawu, nditsho ngesikrakra xa sendiqonda eyona nto ndiyenzileyo?’ (Heb. 12:17) Ukucingisisa ngale mibuzo kuya kusinceda ‘sikwenyanye oko kungendawo size sinamathele koko kulungileyo.’ (Roma 12:9) Okona kubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba ukuthanda uYehova kuya kusenza sinamathele kwilifa lethu.—INdu. 73:28.

15. Yintoni eya kusinceda siqinise ukhuseleko ukuze sixhathise izilingo ezonakalisa ulwalamano lwethu noThixo?

¹⁵ Into yesibini kukuqinisa ukhuseleko lwethu. UYehova wenze amalungiselelo amaninzi okuqinisa ukhuseleko lwethu nxamnye nemigibe yeli hlabathi eyonakalisa ulwalamano lwethu naye. La malungiselelo akhe, aquka ukufundisisa iBhayibhile, iintlanganiso zamaKristu, ukuya  entsimini nokuthandaza. (1 Kor. 15:58) Sihlandlo ngasinye siphalaza imbilini yethu kuYehova, sisiba nenxaxheba ekushumayeleni, eyona nto yenzekayo siyomelela ukuze sikwazi ukuxhathisa izilingo. (Funda eyoku-1 kuTimoti 6:12, 19.) Enyanisweni, ukusa kumkhamo othile, amandla okuxhathisa axhomekeke kwimigudu esiyenzayo. (Gal. 6:7) Oku kucaca kakuhle xa sijonga isahluko sesibini seMizekeliso.

16, 17. Singawazuza njani amandla okwenza ukhetho lobulumko?

¹⁶ IMizekeliso isahluko 2 isikhuthaza ukuba sifune ubulumko namandla okucinga. Ezi zipho zisinceda sikwazi ukukhetha phakathi kokulungileyo nokuphosakeleyo, phakathi kokuzeyisa nokuzifica. Noko ke, impumelelo yethu ixhomekeke ekubeni sikulungele kusini na ukwenza imigudu. Ukuze ibethelele le nyaniso ingenakuphikiswa iBhayibhile ithi: “Nyana wam, ukuba uya kuwamkela amazwi am uze uyigcine kuwe imiyalelo yam, khon’ ukuze unikele ingqalelo kubulumko ngendlebe yakho, ukuba uyithobele ukuqonda intliziyo yakho; ukuba uthe, ngaphezu koko, wabiza ukuqonda, nelizwi lakho walisa ekuqondeni, ukuba uyaqhubeka ubufuna njengesilivere, ubuphande njengobuncwane obufihliweyo, uya kwandula ukukuqonda ukoyika uYehova, ukufumane ukumazi uThixo. Kuba uYehova unika ubulumko; emlonyeni wakhe kuphuma ukwazi nokuqonda.”—IMize. 2:1-6.

¹⁷ Kucacile ke ukuba, ukuze sizuze amandla okwenza ukhetho lobulumko sixhomekeke ekuthobeleni le miyalelo ikhankanywe kwiMizekeliso. Singakwazi ukuma siqinile njengoko sixhathisa izilingo ukuba sivumela amazwi kaYehova aphembelele iingcinga zethu, ukuba sihlala sithandazela ulwalathiso oluvela kuThixo kwanaxa siqhubeka sifuna ulwazi lukaThixo kanye njengokuba besiya kwenza xa sifuna ubuncwane obufihliweyo.

18. Yintoni ozimisele ukuqhubeka uyenza, yaye ngoba?

¹⁸ UYehova ubanika ulwazi, ukuqonda, ingqiqo nobulumko abo benza imigudu yokufumana ezi zipho. Okukhona sizizingela size sizisebenzise, kokukhona siya kusondela ngakumbi kuMniki wazo, uYehova. Ukuzuza olo lwalamano lusenyongweni noYehova uThixo kuya kusikhusela xa sijamelene nezilingo. Ukusondela kuYehova nokumoyika kuya kusikhusela singabandakanyeki kwizenzo ezibi. (INdu. 25:14; Yak. 4:8) Ngamana ukuba nolwalamano oluhle noYehova nokusebenzisa ubulumko asinika bona kungasinceda sonke siqhubeke sisenza ukhetho olufanelekileyo oluya kuyivuyisa intliziyo yakhe ngoxa kulondoloza ilifa esinalo.