1, 2. (a) Yiziphi izinto eziqakathekileyo ezingenza sibe lobuhlobo obuhle loJehova? (b) Kuzasinceda ngani ukuhlolisisa izindaba eziseBhayibhilini ezimayelana lendlela abantu abamukela ngayo ukulaya kukaNkulunkulu?

 “KODWA mina kimi kuhle ukuba seduze loNkulunkulu. Sengenze uJehova Wobukhosi isiphephelo sami.” (Hubo. 73:28) Lapha umhubi wayeveza ukuthi uyamthemba uNkulunkulu. Yiziphi izimo ezenza ukuthi afike esiphethweni lesi esiqakathekileyo? Umhubi kwaqala kwamzwisa ubuhlungu obukhulu ukubona abantu ababi bephumelela. Wathi: “Bekuyize ukugcina inhliziyo yami ihlanzekile; kube yize ukugeza izandla zami ngokungelacala.” (Hubo. 73:2, 3, 13, 21) Kodwa wangena “endlini engcwele kaNkulunkulu” lapho ancedwa khona ukuthi alungisise ukucabanga kwakhe abesehlala elobungane obuseduze loNkulunkulu. (Hubo. 73:16-18) Okwenzakalayo kwafundisa indoda le eyayisesaba uNkulunkulu isifundo esiqakathekileyo esokuthi: Ukuba sebantwini bakaNkulunkulu, ukwamukela iseluleko lokusisebenzisa kuqakathekile ukuze umuntu abe lobuhlobo obuqinileyo loJehova.​—Hubo. 73:24.

² Lathi sifuna ukuba lobuhlobo obuqinileyo loNkulunkulu weqiniso, ophilayo. Nxa sifuna ukuba lobuhlobo obunjalo, kuqakathekile ukuthi sivumele ukuthi iseluleko sakhe kumbe ukulaya kwakhe kusibumbe ukuze sibe ngabantu abamthokozisayo. Endulo, uNkulunkulu ngesihawu wanika abantu lezizwe ithuba lokwamukela ukulaya kwakhe. Izindaba ezimayelana labakwenzayo zibhalwe eBhayibhilini ukuze ‘zisifundise’ njalo zibe ‘yizixwayiso kithi esesifikelwe yikugcwaliseka kwezikhathi.’ (Roma. 15:4; 1 Kor. 10:11) Ukuhlolisisa ngonanzelelo izindaba lezi kuzasenza sizwisise ubuntu bukaJehova njalo kusitshengise ukuthi ukubunjwa nguJehova kungasinceda ngani.

3. Ku-Isaya 64:⁠8 lakuJeremiya 18:​1-⁠6, yiwuphi umzekeliso ochaza ilungelo likaJehova ebantwini? (Khangela umfanekiso osekuqaliseni.)

³ U-Isaya 64:8 uchaza ilungelo likaJehova ebantwini lasezizweni ngomzekeliso othi: “O Jehova, wena unguBaba wethu. Thina silibumba, wena ungumbumbi; sonke singumsebenzi wezandla zakho.” Umbumbi ulelungelo eligcweleyo lokubumba ibumba libe yiloba yisiphi isitsha asifunayo. Ibumba alizikhetheli ukuthi lifuna ukuba yini. Lokhu kufanana loNkulunkulu labantu. Umuntu kalalungelo lokuphikisana loNkulunkulu njengoba ibumba lalo lingaphikisani lombumbi walo.​—Bala uJeremiya 18:1-6.

4. UJehova ubumba abantu lezizwe mahlayana yini? Chaza.

⁴ UJehova wasebenzisa abako-Israyeli basendulo ukuze atshengise ukuthi uyenelisa ukwenza okwenziwa ngumbumbi ngebumba. Kodwa kulomehluko omkhulu. Umbumbi angenza loba yisiphi isitsha angenelisa ukusenza esebenzisa isigaqa sobumba. UJehova ubumba abantu lezizwe mahlayana yini, esenza abanye babe bahle abanye babe babi? IBhayibhili alikuvumi lokhu. UJehova unike abantu isipho esiligugu kakhulu. Isipho lesi yinkululeko yokuzikhethela. Kasebenzisi ilungelo lakhe lobukhosi ngendlela enza lesisipho singasebenzi. Abantu kumele bakhethe ukubunjwa nguJehova, uMdali.​—Bala uJeremiya 18:7-10.

5. UJehova ulisebenzisa njani ilungelo lakhe ebantwini nxa besala ukubunjwa nguye?

⁵ Kuthiwani nxa abantu besiba yiziqholo bengafuni ukubunjwa nguMbumbi oMkhulu? Yena ulisebenzisa njani-ke ilungelo lakhe? Cabanga ngokuthi ibumba lenziwani nxa lingasebenziseki kulokho elikuhloselweyo. Umbumbi angenza esinye isitsha ngalo kumbe alilahle. Kodwa nxa ibumba lingasebenziseki, kanengi umbumbi nguye oyabe ephambanisile. Akusoze kwafa kwaba njalo ngoMbumbi wethu. (Dute. 32:4) Nxa umuntu ebunjwa nguJehova kodwa engavumi ukuntshintsha, uhlupho luyabe lukulowo muntu zikhathi zonke. UJehova usebenzisa ilungelo lakhe elinjengelombumbi ebantwini ngokuntshintsha indlela asebenzelana ngayo labo kusiya ngendlela abamukela ngayo ukubunjwa nguye. Abavumayo ukubunjwa nguye bayancedakala. Ngokwesibonelo, amaKhristu agcotshiweyo ‘ayizitsha zomusa’ ezibunjwe zaba ‘yizitsha zomsebenzi omkhulu.’ Kodwa abalobuqholo abaphikisa uNkulunkulu bacina ‘beyizitsha zolaka ezilungiselwe ukubhujiswa.’​—Roma. 9:19-23, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.

6, 7. Yiwuphi umehluko okhona endleleni iNkosi uDavida leNkosi uSawuli abamukela ngayo iseluleko sikaJehova?

 ⁶ Enye indlela uJehova abumba ngayo abantu yikusebenzisa iseluleko lokulaya. Singabona indlela asebenzisa ngayo ilungelo lakhe kulabo ababumbayo, ngokufunda ngamakhosi ako-Israyeli amabili okuqala, uSawuli loDavida. UDavida wafeba loBhathishebha. Khonokho akwenzayo kwaletha uhlupho kuye lakwabanye abantu. UJehova walaya uDavida ngendlela ebuhlungu lanxa wayeyinkosi. UNkulunkulu wathuma umphrofethi wakhe uNathani ukuthi ayenika uDavida iseluleko esiqinileyo. (2 Sam. 12:​1-​12) UDavida wasamukela njani? Wezwa ubuhlungu obukhulu njalo waphenduka. UNkulunkulu wamzwela isihawu.​—⁠Bala u-2 Samuyeli 12:⁠13.

 ⁷ Kodwa iNkosi uSawuli eyalandelwa nguDavida ekubuseni ayisamukelanga iseluleko. Esebenzisa umphrofethi uSamuyeli, uJehova wanika uSawuli umlayo ocacileyo othi: Tshabalalisa ama-Amaleki wonke kanye lemfuyo yawo. USawuli kawulalelanga umlayo lo owawuvela kuNkulunkulu. Kambulalanga u-Agagi inkosi kanye lezifuyo ezinhle. Ngani? Esinye isizathu singaba yikuthi wayefuna ukudunyiswa. (1 Sam.  15:1-3, 7-9, 12) Ngesikhathi uSawuli eselulekwa, kwakumele azithobe, avume ukubunjwa nguMbumbi oMkhulu. Kodwa yena wala ukubunjwa. Wazivikela njalo wazigeza esithi ayekwenzile kwakungakubi ngoba izifuyo lezo zazingasetshenziswa njengomhlatshelo. Waseyisa iseluleko sikaSamuyeli. UJehova wamala uSawuli ukuthi angabe esaba yinkosi njalo uSawuli kasazange aphinde abe lobuhlobo obuhle loNkulunkulu weqiniso.​—Bala u-1 Samuyeli 15:13-15, 20-23.

8. Yisiphi isifundo esingasithola endleleni isizwe sako-Israyeli esamukela ngayo ukubumba kukaJehova?

⁸ UJehova kaniki bantu abathile kuphela ithuba lokuthi bamukele ukubunjwa nguye kodwa unika lezizwe. Ngo-1513 B.C.E., abako-Israyeli bakhululwa ebugqilini eGibhithe basebesenza isivumelwano loNkulunkulu. Abako-Israyeli babayisizwe sakhe esikhethiweyo njalo babusiswa yikubunjwa nguye, kwakungani basevilini loMbumbi oMkhulu. Kodwa bona baqhubeka besenza okubi phambi kukaJehova njalo babekhonza onkulunkulu bezizwe ezaziseduze labo. UJehova wathuma abaphrofethi kanenginengi ukuthi babatshele ukuthi bantshintshe kodwa abako-Israyeli kabalalelanga. (Jer. 35:12-15) Ngenxa yobuqholo babo, kwakumele bajeziswe kabuhlungu. Njengesitsha esilungiselwe ukubhujiswa, umbuso wasenyakatho wezizwana ezilitshumi wanqotshwa ngama-Asiriya njalo umbuso waseningizimu wezizwana ezimbili lawo wanqotshwa ngamaBhabhiloni. Lokhu kuyisifundo esilamandla kakhulu kithi! Ukubumba kukaJehova kuzasinceda kuphela nxa sikwamukela kuhle.

9, 10. AbaseNineve basamukela njani isixwayiso sikaNkulunkulu?

 ⁹ UJehova wanika abantu basesigodlweni sase-Asiriya, okwakuthiwa yiNineve ithuba lokuthi bamukele isixwayiso sakhe. Ilizwi lakhe lafika kuJona lathi: “Hamba uye edolobheni elikhulu laseNineve utshumayele ngokulisola kakhulu, ngokuba ububi balo sebufinyelele kimi.” INineve kwasokumele ibhujiswe.​—Jona. 1:1, 2; 3:1-4.

¹⁰ Kodwa lapho uJona ememezela umbiko wembubhiso, “abantu baseNineve bakholwa kuNkulunkulu, bamemezela ukuba kuzilwe ukudla, bagqoka izambatho zokulila, kusukela komkhulu wabo kwaze kwafika komncinyane.” Inkosi yabo “yasuka esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, yakhumula ingubo yayo, yagqoka isambatho sokulila, yahlala emlotheni.” AbaseNineve bamukela imizamo kaJehova yokubabumba futhi baphenduka. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova kazange ababhubhise.​—Jona. 3:5-10, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.

11. Yiluphi uphawu lobuntu bukaJehova oluphuma lucace endleleni aphatha ngayo ama-Israyeli labaseNineve?

¹¹ Ukuba yisizwe esikhethiweyo kwakungasoze kwenze ukuthi ama-Israyeli angalaywa. Kodwa abaseNineve babengela sivumelwano abasenza loNkulunkulu. Lanxa kunjalo, uJehova wenza ukuthi isahlulelo sakhe simenyezelwe kubo wasebatshengisa umusa lapho besenza njengobumba olubuthakathaka ezandleni zakhe. Izibonelo lezi ezimbili zenza kukhanye bha ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ‘kalabandlululo.’​—Dute. 10:17.

12, 13. (a) Kungani uNkulunkulu entshintsha indlela yakhe nxa abantu besamukela ukubunjwa nguye? (b) ‘Ukuzisola’ kukaJehova kwakusitshoni endabeni kaSawuli kanye labaseNineve?

¹² Indlela uNkulunkulu azimisele ngayo ukusibumba itshengisa ukuthi uyazwisisa njalo uhambelana lezimo. Lokhu kukhanya ezimeni lapho uJehova ayabe ezimisele ukuthatha inyathelo esebenzisa ukwahlulela kwakhe okulungileyo, kodwa abesentshintsha ingqondo yakhe ngenxa yendlela abantu abayabe benze ngayo. Mayelana lenkosi yokuqala yako-Israyeli, iMibhalo ithi uJehova ‘wazisola ukuthi wambeka uSawuli waba yinkosi.’ (1 Sam. 15:11, The Holy Bible in Ndebele) IBhayibhili lithi lapho abantu baseNineve bephenduka njalo betshiya izindlela zabo ezimbi, ‘uNkulunkulu wazisola ngobubi ayezakubenza kubo, kasabenzanga.’​—Jona. 3:10, The Holy Bible in Ndebele.

¹³ Ibala lesiHebheru elihunyutshwe ngokuthi “wazisola” litsho ukuntshintsha indlela okade ubona ngayo kumbe inhloso yakho. Indlela uJehova ayebona ngayo uSawuli yantshintsha ekuthini wamkhetha ukuthi abe yinkosi waphinda wamlahla. Untshintsho lolu alubangelwanga yikuthi uJehova waphambanisa ngokumkhetha kodwa lwabangelwa yikuthi uSawuli watshengisa ukungabi lokholo njalo kalalelanga. UNkulunkulu weqiniso wazisola endabeni yamaNineve, okutsho ukuthi wantshintsha lokho ayehlose ukubenza khona. Kuyasiduduza kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi uJehova, uMbumbi wethu uyazwisisa njalo uhambelana lezimo, ulozwelo njalo ulesihawu, uzimisele ukuntshintsha indlela yakhe nxa abantu abaphambanisayo bephenduka ngobuqotho!

14. (a) UJehova usibumba njani lamuhla? (b) Kumele senzeni nxa sibunjwa nguNkulunkulu?

¹⁴ Lamuhla uJehova usibumba ikakhulu ngeLizwi lakhe iBhayibhili langenhlanganiso yakhe. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Kumele samukele loba yisiphi iseluleko kumbe ukulaya esikuthola ngalezizindlela. Akulandaba ukuthi silesikhathi esinganani sibhaphathiziwe kumbe ukuthi silezibusiso ezingaki zomsebenzi wenkonzo, kumele siqhubeke sisamukela iseluleko sikaJehova, sivumela ukuthi  sisibumbe sibe yizitsha zomsebenzi oncomekayo.

15, 16. (a) Yibuphi ubuhlungu obungabakhona nxa ukulaywa kugoqela ukulahlekelwa yizibusiso? Nika umzekeliso. (b) Kuyini okungasinceda ukuthi silwisane lobuhlungu obubakhona ngenxa yokulaywa?

¹⁵ Singalaywa ngokuqondiswa kumbe ngokukhuzwa. Kodwa kwezinye izikhathi, kuzamele silaywe ngenxa yokuthi siyabe siphambanisile. Ukulaywa okunjalo kungagoqela ukulahlekelwa yizibusiso zomsebenzi wenkonzo. Cabanga ngesibonelo sikaDennis * owayengumdala. Waphambanisa endabeni zamabhizimusi ngenxa yokungahluleli kuhle njalo wakhuzwa kodwa kwangamenyezelwa ebandleni. UDennis wezwa njani ngesikhathi ibandla lisaziswa ukuthi kasenguyemdala? Uthi: “Ngangizizwa angathi ngehluleke kakhulu. Okweminyaka engu-30, ngangilezibusiso ezinengi. Ngake ngaba liphayona lesikhathi sonke, ngasebenza eBhetheli, ngaba yinceku ekhonzayo ngasengisiba ngumdala. Ngangisanda kunika inkulumo yami yokuqala emhlanganweni wesigaba. Konke lokhu kwasekuphelile ngesikhatshana nje. Singasabali inhloni lokuyangeka, ngangicabanga ukuthi sengiphelelwe ngumphako enhlanganisweni.”

¹⁶ UDennis kwakumele antshintshe izenzo zakhe, atshiye okubi okwenza wakhuzwa. Kodwa kuyini okwamenza ukuthi alwisane lobuhlungu ayebuzwa? Uyachasisa: “Ngazimisela ukuhlala ngilohlelo oluhle lokwenza izinto ezingokomoya. Okunye okwanginceda kakhulu yikusekelwa ngabazalwane abangamaKhristu kanye lesikhuthazo engangisithola emabhukwini ethu. Isihloko esithi, ‘Did You Once Serve? Can You Serve Again?’ esaphuma ku-Nqabayokulinda ka-August 15, 2009, sasinjengencwadi ebhalelwe mina ephendula imithandazo yami. Iseluleko engasithanda ukwedlula zonke yilesi, ‘Ngesikhathi ungelamisebenzi eminengi ebandleni, gxila ekuqiniseni ingokomoya lakho.’ ” Ukulaywa lokhu kumncede njani uDennis? Ngemva kweminyaka ethile, wathi: “UJehova usephinde wanginika isibusiso sokuba yinceku ekhonzayo.”

17. Ukususwa kungenza njani ukuthi isoni silungisise izimo? Nika umzekeliso.

¹⁷ Enye indlela uJehova alaya ngayo yikususa ekuhlanganyeleni. Kuvikela ibandla ekuphanjanisweni ngabantu abenza izinto ezimbi njalo kunceda ukuthi isoni silungisise isimo. (1 Kor. 5:6, 7, 11) URobert wasuswa okweminyaka engaphosa ibe ngu-16. Ngalesosikhathi, abazali bakhe labanewabo babambelela njalo bathembeka ekusebenziseni umlayo oseLizwini likaNkulunkulu wokungazihlanganisi labantu abenza okubi, ngitsho lokubabingelela. Khathesi sekuyiminyaka uRobert ebuyiselwe njalo uthuthuka kuhle ngokomoya. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi kuyini okwamenza wafuna ukubuyela kuJehova lakubantu bakhe ngemva kwesikhathi eside kangaka, waphendula esithi okwenziwa yimuli yangakibo kwamthinta kakhulu. Uthi: “Aluba abemuli yangakithi bazihlanganisa lami mbijana nje, kumbe ukudlula bengibona kuphela, khonokho okuncane kwakuzangisuthisa njalo kwakuzakwenza ukuthi isifiso sami sokuzihlanganisa labanye singabi yisiqokoqela sokuphenduka kwami kuNkulunkulu.”

18. Kumele sibe lubumba olunjani ezandleni zoMbumbi oMkhulu?

¹⁸ Mhlawumbe akudingeki ukuthi silaywe ngaleyondlela, kodwa sizaba lubumba olunjani ezandleni zoMbumbi oMkhulu? Sizakwamukela njani ukulaywa? Sizaba njengoDavida kumbe njengoSawuli yini? UMbumbi oMkhulu nguBaba wethu. Hlala ukhumbula ukuthi “uJehova ulaya labo abathandayo, njengoyise elaya indodana yakhe ayithandayo.” Yikho-ke, ‘ungeyisi ukulaya kukaJehova njalo ungacaphukeli ukukhuza kwakhe.’​—Zaga. 3:11, 12.