1, 2. (a) Iziphi izinto ezidingekayo ukuze sibe nobuhlobo noJehova? (b) Siyozuza kanjani ngokuhlola ukulandisa kwemiBhalo kwezindlela abantu abasabela ngazo esiyalweni sikaNkulunkulu?

“KEPHA mina, ukusondela kuNkulunkulu kuhle kimi. Isiphephelo sami ngisibeké eNkosini EnguMbusi uJehova.” (IHu. 73:28) Umhubi wezwakalisa ukuqiniseka kwakhe ngoNkulunkulu ngala mazwi. Iziphi izimo ezamholela kulesi siphetho esibaluleke kangaka? Lo mhubi waqale waphatheka kabi lapho ebona abantu ababi benokuthula. Wabalisa: “Inhliziyo yami ngiyihlanzé ngeze nezandla zami ngizigezelé ize ngobumsulwa.” (IHu. 73:2, 3, 13, 21) Nokho, lapho engena “endlini engcwele enkulu kaNkulunkulu” waba sesimweni esamsiza ukuba alungise ukucabanga kwakhe futhi alondoloze ubuhlobo bakhe noNkulunkulu. (IHu. 73:16-18) Lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kwafundisa lo muntu owesaba uNkulunkulu lesi sifundo esibalulekile: Kubalulekile ukuba sibe phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu, samukele iseluleko futhi sisisebenzise uma sifuna ukuba seduze noJehova.—IHu. 73:24.

² Nathi sifisa ukuba nobuhlobo obuseduze noNkulunkulu weqiniso nophilayo. Ukuze sibufinyelele, kubalulekile ukuba sivumele iseluleko noma isiyalo sakhe sisibumbe sibe abantu abamthokozisayo! Kudala uNkulunkulu ngesihe sakhe wanika izizwe nabantu ngabanye amathuba okusabela esiyalweni sakhe. Ukulandisa kwendlela abasabela ngayo kulotshwe eBhayibhelini “ukuba kufundiswe thina” futhi “[kube] yisixwayiso kithi esesifikelwe ukuphela kwezimiso zezinto.” (Roma 15:4; 1 Kor. 10:11) Ukuhlolisisa lokhu kulandisa kuyosisiza ukuba siqonde ubuntu bukaJehova futhi kusibonise ukuthi ukusibumba kwakhe kungasizuzisa kanjani.

INDLELA UMBUMBI ASEBENZISA NGAYO IGUNYA LAKHE

3. Lifanekiswe kanjani igunya likaJehova phezu kwabantu bakhe ku-Isaya 64:8 nakuJeremiya 18:1-6? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.)

³ Lapho ichaza igunya likaJehova phezu kwezizwe  nabantu ngabanye ngendlela engokomfanekiso, incwadi ka-Isaya 64:8 ithi: “O Jehova, wena unguBaba wethu. Thina siwubumba, wena unguMbumbi wethu; thina sonke siwumsebenzi wesandla sakho.” Umbumbi unegunya eligcwele lokubumba ubumba lube uhlobo lwesitsha asifunayo. Ubumba alunagunya kule ndaba. Kunjalo ngomuntu noNkulunkulu. Umuntu akanalo igunya lokuphikisana noNkulunkulu njengoba nobumba lungenalo ezandleni zombumbi olubumbayo.—Funda uJeremiya 18:1-6.

4. Ingabe uNkulunkulu ubabumba ngokuthanda kwakhe abantu noma izizwe? Chaza.

⁴ UJehova wabonisa ngo-Israyeli wasendulo ukuthi uyakwazi ukwenza lokho umbumbi akwenzayo ngobumba. Kodwa kunomahluko ophawulekayo. Umbumbi angenza noma isiphi isitsha angase asenze ngesigaxa sobumba. Ingabe uJehova ubabumba ngokuthanda kwakhe abantu noma izizwe, enze abanye babe bahle futhi abanye babe babi? Impendulo yeBhayibheli ingucha. UJehova unikeze abantu isipho esiyigugu kakhulu—inkululeko yokuzikhethela. Akalisebenzisi igunya lakhe njengoMbusi wendawo yonke ngendlela esinyathelayo lesi sipho. Abantu kumelwe bazikhethele ukubunjwa uMdali, uJehova.—Funda uJeremiya 18:7-10.

5. Lapho abantu benqaba ukubunjwa uJehova, ulisebenzisa kanjani igunya lakhe phezu kwabo?

⁵ Kwenzekani uma abantu beba nenkani benqabe ukubunjwa uMbumbi Omkhulu? Ube eselisebenzisa kanjani igunya lakhe njengoNkulunkulu? Cabanga ngalokho okwenzekayo obumbeni uma lungakufanelekeli ukusetshenziselwa injongo ethile. Umbumbi angenza ngalo olunye uhlobo lwesitsha noma amane alulahle! Nokho, ngokuvamile iphutha lisuke likumbumbi uma ubumba lungasebenziseki. Akunjalo neze ngoMbumbi wethu. (Dut. 32:4) Lapho umuntu engavumeli uJehova ambumbe, iphutha lisuke likulowo muntu. UJehova usebenzisa igunya lakhe njengombumbi kubantu ngokushintsha indlela asebenzelana ngayo nabo kuxhomeke endleleni abasabela ngayo. Labo abasabela ngokufanele balolongwa ngendlela ebazuzisayo. Ngokwesibonelo, amaKristu agcotshiwe ‘ayizitsha zesihe’ eziye zabunjwa zaba ‘izitsha zokusetshenziswa okunodumo.’ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, labo ababa nenkani bamelane noNkulunkulu bagcina ‘beyizitsha zolaka ezenziwe zafanelekela ukubhujiswa.’—Roma 9:19-23.

6, 7. INkosi uDavide neNkosi uSawule bahluka kanjani endleleni abamukela ngayo iseluleko sikaJehova?

 ⁶ Enye indlela uJehova abumba ngayo abantu iwukusebenzisa iseluleko noma isiyalo. Singabona indlela asebenzisa ngayo igunya kulabo ababumbayo ngokucabangela indaba yamakhosi okuqala amabili akwa-Israyeli—uSawule noDavide. Lapho iNkosi uDavide iphinga noBhatisheba, izenzo zayo zaba nomphumela omubi kuyo nakwabanye. Nakuba uDavide ayeyinkosi, uJehova akazange amyeke angamjezisi ngendlela eqinile. UNkulunkulu wathumela umprofethi wakhe uNathani kuDavide nomyalezo oqatha. (2 Sam. 12:1-12) Wasabela kanjani uDavide? Wahlabeka enhliziyweni futhi waphenduka. UNkulunkulu wambonisa isihe.—Funda eyesi-2 Samuweli 12:13.

 ⁷ Ngokuphambene, iNkosi uSawule eyandulela uDavide, ayizange isamukele iseluleko. UJehova wayenike uSawule umyalo oqondile ngomprofethi uSamuweli: Nikela ekubhujisweni wonke ama-Amaleki nemfuyo yawo. USawule akawulalelanga lowo myalo. Wasindisa iNkosi u-Agagi nemfuyo yekhethelo. Kungani? Esinye isizathu esisobala salokhu ukuthi wayefuna ukuthola udumo. (1 Sam. 15:1-3, 7-9, 12) Lapho elulekwa, uSawule kwakufanele athambise inhliziyo yakhe, avume ukulolongwa uMbumbi Omkhulu. Kunalokho, wenqaba ukubunjwa. Wathethelela isenzo sakhe. Wathi wayenze into evumelekile ngoba leyo mfuyo yayingase isetshenziswe  ekwenzeni imihlatshelo, futhi wasilulaza iseluleko sikaSamuweli. UJehova wamlahla uSawule njengenkosi, futhi uSawule akaphindange wabulungisa ubuhlobo bakhe noNkulunkulu weqiniso.—Funda eyoku-1 Samuweli 15:13-15, 20-23.

8. Isiphi isifundo esingasifunda endleleni ama-Israyeli asabela ngayo ekuwabumbeni kukaJehova?

⁸ UJehova akaniki abantu ngabanye kuphela ithuba lokusabela ekubumbeni kwakhe kodwa nezizwe. Ngo-1513 B.C.E., abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababekhululwe ebugqilini baseGibhithe bangena ebuhlotsheni besivumelwano noNkulunkulu. U-Israyeli waba isizwe sakhe esikhethiwe futhi wayenelungelo lokubunjwa nguye, kunjengokungathi usesondweni loMbumbi Omkhulu. Nokho, lesi sizwe saqhubeka senza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, saze saqala nokukhulekela onkulunkulu bezizwe ezazisizungezile. UJehova wathumela abaprofethi ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuba bawasize asanguluke, kodwa ama-Israyeli awazange alalele. (Jer. 35:12-15) Kwadingeka ukuba athole isiyalo esiqatha ngenxa yokuba ntamo-lukhuni kwawo. Njengesitsha esifanelekela ukubhujiswa, umbuso wasenyakatho wezizwe eziyishumi wanqotshwa abase-Asiriya kwathi umbuso waseningizimu wezizwe ezimbili wanqotshwa abaseBhabhiloni. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kufanele kusifundise isifundo esinamandla kanjani! Ukusibumba kukaJehova kuyosisiza kuphela uma sisabela ngokufanele kukho.

9, 10. AbaseNineve basabela kanjani lapho uNkulunkulu ebaxwayisa?

⁹ UJehova wanika nabantu baseNineve, inhloko-dolobha yase-Asiriya, ithuba lokusabela  esixwayisweni sakhe. Izwi lakhe lafika kuJona, lathi: “Sukuma, uye eNineve umuzi omkhulu, umemezele kuwo ukuthi ububi bawo bukhuphukele phambi kwami.” INineve walibheka njengelifanelekele ukubhujiswa.—Jona 1:1, 2; 3:1-4.

¹⁰ Nokho, lapho uJona ememezela leso sigijimi sembubhiso, “amadoda aseNineve aqala ukuba nokholo kuNkulunkulu, amemezela ukuzila ukudla agqoka indwangu yesaka, kusukela komkhulu kunawo wonke kuwo kuya komncane kunawo wonke.” Inkosi yabo “yasukuma esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi yakhumula isembatho sayo sezikhulu yembatha indwangu yesaka yahlala phansi emlotheni.” AbaseNineve basabela emizamweni kaJehova yokubabumba futhi baphenduka. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova akayilethanga leyo nhlekelele.—Jona 3:5-10.

11. Iyiphi imfanelo kaJehova ephawulekayo ekusebenzelaneni kwakhe no-Israyeli neNineve?

¹¹ Ukuthi ayeyisizwe esikhethiwe akuzange kuwavikele ama-Israyeli ekutholeni isiyalo. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abaseNineve babengenabo ubuhlobo besivumelwano noNkulunkulu. Noma kunjalo, uJehova wenza ukuba kumenyezelwe kubo isigijimi sakhe sesahlulelo futhi wababonisa isihe lapho bezibonisa bewubumba oluthambile ezandleni zakhe. Yeka ukuthi lezi zibonelo ezimbili zikubonisa ngokucace kanjani ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ‘akaphathi noyedwa umuntu ngokukhetha’!—Dut. 10:17.

12, 13. (a) Kungani uNkulunkulu eyishintsha inkambo yakhe lapho abantu besabela ekubunjweni nguye? (b) ‘Ukudabuka’ kukaJehova kwasho ukuthini ngoSawule? ngeNineve?

¹² Indlela uNkulunkulu azimisele ngayo ukusibumba ibonisa ukuthi uyacabangela futhi uzivumelanisa nezimo. Lokho kubonakala ezimweni lapho uJehova enquma ukuthathela abantu abathile isinyathelo esisekelwe esahlulelweni sakhe esinobulungisa kodwa abese eshintsha umqondo wakhe ngenxa yokusabela kwabo. Mayelana nenkosi yokuqala yakwa-Israyeli, imiBhalo ithi uJehova ‘wadabuka ngokuthi enzé uSawule ukuba abuse njengenkosi.’ (1 Sam. 15:11) Lapho abantu baseNineve bephenduka futhi beguquka endleleni yabo embi, iBhayibheli lithi: “UNkulunkulu weqiniso wadabuka ngenhlekelele ayekhulumé ukuthi uzobabangela yona; akabange esayibangela.”—Jona 3:10.

¹³ Igama lesiHebheru elihunyushwe ngokuthi “wadabuka” empeleni libhekisele ekushintsheni isimo sengqondo noma inhloso. Isimo sengqondo sikaJehova ngoSawule sashintsha kusuka ekumkhetheni njengenkosi kuya ekumlahleni. Lolu shintsho alwenzekanga ngoba uJehova enze iphutha ngokukhetha uSawule, kodwa ngoba uSawule enze ngendlela ebonisa ukungabi nokholo nokungalaleli. UNkulunkulu weqiniso wadabuka endabeni yabaseNineve; okungukuthi, washintsha lokho ayekuhlosile ngabo. Yeka ukuthi kududuza kanjani ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uMbumbi wethu uyacabangela futhi uzivumelanisa nezimo, unomusa nesihe, uzimisele ukushintsha inkambo yakhe ngokusekelwe ezinguqukweni ezinhle izoni ezizenzayo!

14. (a) UJehova usibumba kanjani namuhla? (b) Kufanele sisabele kanjani ekubunjweni uNkulunkulu?

¹⁴ Namuhla, uJehova ngokuyinhloko usibumba ngeZwi lakhe iBhayibheli nangenhlangano yakhe. (2 Thim. 3:16, 17) Akufanele yini samukele noma isiphi iseluleko noma isiyalo esisithola ngalezi zindlela? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sesinesikhathi eside kangakanani sibhapathiziwe noma ukuthi maningi kangakanani amalungelo enkonzo esiwatholile, kufanele siqhubeke sisabela eselulekweni sikaJehova, sisivumele sisibumbe sibe izitsha zokusetshenziswa okunodumo.

15, 16. (a) Imiphi imizwa engakhi engase ivele lapho isiyalo sihilela ukulahlekelwa amalungelo? Bonisa. (b) Yini engasisiza ukuba sinqobe imizwa engakhi ehambisana nesiyalo?

 ¹⁵ Esinye isiyalo singeza ngendlela yokufundiswa noma ukuqondiswa. Nokho, ngezinye izikhathi kungadingeka siyalwe ngoba senze okungalungile. Isiyalo esinjalo singahilela ukulahlekelwa amalungelo. Cabanga ngesibonelo sikaDennis * owayekhonza njengomdala. Wenza okubi ngenxa yesinqumo esingahlakaniphile asenza ezindabeni zebhizinisi, wabe esesolwa ngasese. Wazizwa kanjani uDennis ngobusuku okwamenyezelwa ngabo ebandleni ukuthi akaseyena umdala? Uthi: “Ngafikelwa umuzwa onamandla wokuba isehluleki. Ngangibe namalungelo amaningi phakathi neminyaka engu-30 eyandulele. Ngangibe iphayona elivamile, ngakhonza eBethel, ngamiswa njengenceku ekhonzayo ngagcina sengimiswe njengomdala. Ngangisanda kunikeza nenkulumo yami yokuqala emhlanganweni wesigodi. Ngokuphazima kweso, konke lokho kwase kuhambile. Ngaphandle kokuzizwa nginamahloni futhi ngiphoxekile, ngacabanga nokuthi yayingasekho indawo yami enhlanganweni.”

¹⁶ Kwadingeka ukuba uDennis ashintshe inkambo yakhe, aguquke ebubini obabumenze wathola isiyalo. Kodwa yini eyamsiza ukuba anqobe imizwa engakhi? Uyachaza: “Ngangizimisele ukulondoloza isimiso esihle esingokomoya. Futhi okwakubaluleke ngokufanayo ukusekelwa abafowethu nodadewethu abangokomoya kanye nesikhuthazo engasithola ezincwadini zethu. Isihloko esithi ‘Ingabe Wake Wakhonza? Ungaphinde Yini Ukhonze?’ kuyi-Nqabayokulinda ka-August 15, 2009, sasifana nencwadi eyayibhalelwe mina ngokuqondile siphendula imithandazo yami. Iseluleko engasazisa kakhulu yilesi, ‘Njengoba ungakabi nemithwalo yemfanelo eyengeziwe ebandleni, gxila ekuqiniseni ingokomoya lakho.’” Isiyalo asithola samzuzisa kanjani uDennis? Uthi: “Ngemva kweminyaka ethile, uJehova uye wangibusisa futhi ngelungelo lokukhonza njengenceku ekhonzayo.”

17. Ukususwa ekuhlanganyeleni kungaba naliphi iqhaza ekululameni kwesoni? Bonisa.

¹⁷ Ukususwa ekuhlanganyeleni kungolunye uhlobo lwesiyalo esivela kuJehova. Kuvikela ibandla ethonyeni elibi futhi kungaba neqhaza ekululameni kwesoni. (1 Kor. 5:6, 7, 11) URobert kwaphela iminyaka engaba ngu-16 esusiwe ekuhlanganyeleni, futhi phakathi naleso sikhathi abazali bakhe nezingane zakubo basisebenzisa ngokuqinile nangobuqotho isiqondiso esiseZwini likaNkulunkulu sokungazihlanganisi nabenzi bobubi, singababingeleli ngisho nokubabingelela. Sekuyiminyakana ebuyiselwe ekuhlanganyeleni futhi uthuthuka kahle ngokomoya. Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi yini eyamshukumisela ukuba abuyele kuJehova nakubantu baKhe ngemva kwesikhathi eside kangako, waphendula ngokuthi kwamthinta ukuma okwathathwa umndeni wakubo. “Ukube umndeni wami wazihlanganisa nami ngisho nangendlela encane, mhlawumbe nje ngokungibuza impilo, kwabona lobo budlelwane obuncane babuyonganelisa futhi cishe ngabe ngingazange ngivumele ukulangazelela ubudlelwane kube isici esingishukumisela ukuba ngibuyele kuNkulunkulu.”

18. Hlobo luni lobumba okufanele sibe yilo ezandleni zoMbumbi Omkhulu?

¹⁸ Mhlawumbe ngeke sidinge isiyalo esifana nesikaRobert, kodwa siyozibonakalisa siwuhlobo luni lobumba ezandleni zoMbumbi Omkhulu? Siyosabela kanjani lapho siyalwa? Ingabe siyofana noDavide noma noSawule? UMbumbi Omkhulu unguBaba wethu. Ungalokothi ukhohlwe ukuthi “uJehova uyamsola lowo amthandayo, njengoba nje nobaba eyisola indodana ayijabulelayo.” Ngakho-ke, “ungasali isiyalo sikaJehova; futhi ungakwenyanyi ukusola kwakhe.”—IzAga 3:11, 12.