1. Bakholelwa ntoni abanye abantu ngokuphathelele abanquli bakaThixo?

NAMHLANJE abantu abaninzi bayavuma ukuba iicawa eziphambili azibancedi nganto abantu. Abanye bayavuma ukuba iimfundiso kunye nezinto ezenziwa kwezi Cawa aziyiyo le nto ifunwa nguThixo, kwaye ngenxa yoko akakholiswa zizo. Noko ke, bakholelwa ukuba bakho abantu abalungileyo kuzo zonke iicawa nokuba uThixo uyababona aze abamkele njengabakhonzi bakhe basemhlabeni. Abasiboni isizathu sokuba abo bantu baphume kwezo cawa zobuxoki baze bazahlule kuzo. Kodwa ngaba yindlela noThixo acinga ngayo leyo? Masifumane impendulo ngokujonga imbali ekwiZibhalo yabanquli bokwenene bakaYehova.

2. Ngoobani abathi ethubeni baba ngabantu abakhethekileyo bakaYehova, kwaye yintoni eyayibenza bahluke? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

² Kule minyaka emalunga neyi-4 000 edluleyo, uYehova ebenabantu abakhethekileyo apha emhlabeni. UAbraham, owayebizwa  ngokuba “nguyise wabo bonke abo banokholo,” wayeyintloko yentsapho enamalungu abalelwa kumakhulu. (Roma 4:11; Gen. 14:14) Abalawuli bakwaKanan babembiza ngokuthi “usisikhulu sakwaThixo,” kwaye babemphatha ngembeko. (Gen. 21:22; 23:6) UYehova wenza umnqophiso noAbraham kunye nenzala yakhe. (Gen. 17:1, 2, 19) UThixo wathi kuAbraham: “Nguwo lo umnqophiso wam enimele niwugcine, ophakathi kwam nani, nembewu yakho emva kwakho: Yonke into eyindoda kuni imele yaluswe. . . . Yaye oko kumele kube ngumqondiso womnqophiso ophakathi kwam nani.” (Gen. 17:10, 11) Nyhani ke, uAbraham nawo onke amadoda entsapho yakhe boluswa. (Gen. 17:24-27) Ulwaluko lwalubonisa ukuba yayinguAbraham nenzala yakhe kuphela ababenze umnqophiso noYehova.

3. Inzala ka-Abraham yafikelela njani ekubeni sisizwana?

³ Umzukulwana ka-Abraham onguYakobi, okanye uSirayeli, wazala oonyana abayi-12. (Gen. 35:10, 22b-26) Ethubeni, aba nyana baba ngoosolusapho bezizwe eziyi-12 zakwaSirayeli. (IZe. 7:8) Beleqwa linxele likaKhetsekile, uYakobi noonyana bakhe babalekela eYiputa, apho omnye woonyana bakaYakobi, uYosefu, wayeye waba ngumabi wokutya nentonga esekhosi kaFaro. (Gen. 41:39-41; 42:6) Inzala kaYakobi yanda kakhulu, yaba “libandla lezizwana.”—Gen. 48:4; funda iZenzo 7:17.

4. Ekuqaleni, ayehlalisene njani amaYiputa nenzala kaYakobi?

⁴ Inzala kaYakobi yahlala eYiputa iminyaka engaphezulu kancinane kweyi-200, ihlala kummandla obizwa ngokuba yiGoshen ogudle umNayile. (Gen. 45:9, 10) Kuyabonakala ukuba kwiminyaka ephantse ibe yi-100, yayihlalisene ngoxolo namaYiputa, ikwiidolophana kwaye isalusa imfuyo yayo. Yayamkelwe ngezandl’ ezishushu nguFaro, owayesazi uYosefu kwaye emthanda. (Gen. 47:1-6) Kodwa ke, amaYiputa ayebajongela phantsi abantu abalusa izimvu. (Gen. 46:31-34) Sekunjalo, kwakunyanzelekile ukuba asel’ amanzi axole kuba uFaro yena wayewamkele amaSirayeli.

5, 6. (a) Yatshintsha njani imeko yabantu bakaThixo eYiputa? (b) UMoses wasinda njani ekufeni, kwaye yintoni uYehova awayenzela bonke abantu bakhe?

⁵ Kodwa ke imeko yabantu bakaThixo yayiza kutshintsha ngesiquphe. “Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwavela ukumkani omtsha eYiputa owayengamazi uYosefu. Yaye wathi kubantu bakhe: ‘Khangelani! Aba bantu aba, oonyana bakaSirayeli, baninzi kwaye banamandla kunathi.’ Ngenxa yoko amaYiputa abakhobokisa ngobuzwilakhe oonyana bakaSirayeli. Yaye abenza bakrakra ubomi babo ngokubatsalisa nzima ebukhobokeni, besenza udaka lodongwe nezitena nawo wonke umsebenzi wobukhoboka wasendle, ewe, wonke umsebenzi wobukhoboka ababanyanzela ngobuzwilakhe ukuba bawenze.”—Eks. 1:8, 9, 13, 14.

⁶ UFaro wada wayalela ukuba zonke iintsana ezingamakhwenkwe zamaHebhere zibulawe zakuba zizelwe. (Eks. 1:15, 16) Uzelwe ngelo xesha kanye ke uMoses. Uthe xa eneenyanga ezintathu ezelwe, wafihlwa ngunina phakathi kweengcongolo zomNayile, waza wafunyanwa yintombi kaFaro. Kamva yazikhulisela yena njengomntwana wayo. Ngenxa yokungenelela kukaThixo, uMoses wakhuliswa ngunina owayethembekile, uYokebhede, xa wayesemncinane, waza waba ngumkhonzi kaYehova othembekileyo. (Eks. 2:1-10; Heb. 11:23-25) UYehova ‘wabuphawula’ ubugxwayiba ababekubo abantu bakhe waza wagqiba kwelokuba abahlangule kwabo babebacinezela, esebenzisa uMoses. (Eks. 2:24, 25; 3:9, 10) Ngaloo ndlela ‘bahlangulwa’ nguYehova.—Eks. 15:13; funda iDuteronomi 15:15.

7, 8. Isizwana sikaYehova satshintsha njani saba luhlanga olungcwele?

⁷ Nangona uYehova wayengekawenzi uhlanga amaSirayeli, wayesele ewagqala njengesizwana sakhe. Yiyo loo nto uMoses noAron bayalelwa ukuba bathi kuFaro: “Utsho uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi, ‘Bandulule abantu bam ukuze babhiyozele umthendeleko wam entlango.’”—Eks. 5:1.

⁸ Kuthe ukuze oonyana bakaSirayeli bakhululwe kwingcinezelo yamaYiputa, kwabakho izibetho ezilishumi kwaza kwatshatyalaliswa uFaro naloo mikhosi yakhe kuLwandle Olubomvu. (Eks. 15:1-4) Kwiinyanga ezintathu kamva, uYehova wenza umnqophiso namaSirayeli kwiNtaba yeSinayi waza wenza esi sithembiso singalibalekiyo: “Ukuba nithe nalithobela okunene ilizwi lam, nawugcina ngenene umnqophiso wam, ngokuqinisekileyo noba yinqobo kum kwizizwana zonke, . . . nohlanga olungcwele.”—Eks. 19:5, 6.

9, 10. (a) Ngokutsho kweDuteronomi 4:5-8, uMthetho wawenza ahluka njani amaSirayeli kwezinye izizwana? (b) AmaSirayeli ayemele abonise njani ukuba ‘asisizwana esingcwele kuYehova’?

⁹ Xa amaHebhere ayeseseYiputa, engekabi ngamakhoboka, ayehlala ngokwezizwe zawo, elawulwa ziintloko-ntsapho, okanye oosolusapho. Njengabakhonzi bakaYehova ababephila ngaphambi kwazo, ezi ntloko-ntsapho zazisiba ngabalawuli, abagwebi nababingeleli kwiintsapho zazo. (Gen. 8:20; 18:19; Yobhi 1:4, 5) Noko ke, uYehova wasebenzisa uMoses ukuze anike amaSirayeli imithetho eyayiza kuwenza ahluke kuzo zonke ezinye iintlanga. (Funda iDuteronomi 4:5-8; INdu. 147:19, 20.) Lo Mthetho wawusithi ababingeleli mabaphume kwisizwe esinye kuphela, kwaye abagwebi ibe “ngamadoda amakhulu,” awayesaziwa ngokuba nolwazi nobulumko. (Dut. 25:7, 8) UMthetho wawucacisa yonke imicimbi ephathelele unqulo nobomi bemihla ngemihla kolu hlanga lutsha.

¹⁰ Ngaphambi kokuba angene kwiLizwe Lesithembiso, uYehova wayiphinda imithetho awayeyinike amaSirayeli, ibe uMoses wathi kuwo: “[UYehova] namhlanje ukubangele wathi uya kuba sisizwana sakhe, inqobo kuye, kanye njengoko wakuthembisayo, nokuthi uya kuyigcina yonke imiyalelo yakhe, akuphakamise yena ngaphezu kweentlanga zonke azenzileyo, udunyiswe, udume ube nendili, ube sisizwana esingcwele kuYehova uThixo wakho, kanye njengoko wathembisayo.”—Dut. 26:18, 19.

11-13. (a) Ngoobani ababa yinxalenye yabantu bakaThixo? (b) Yintoni awayenokuyenza umntu ongengomSirayeli onqwenela ukunqula uYehova?

¹¹ Nangona ngoku uYehova wayesele enohlanga alukhethileyo emhlabeni, akazange ayikhabe into yokuba kubekho abantu abangengomaSirayeli phakathi kwabantu bakhe. Wavumela ukuba “iqela elikhulu elingumxube” elalingengawo amaSirayeli, nelaliquka amaYiputa, lihambe nabantu bakhe xa babehlangulwa eYiputa. (Eks. 12:38) Xa kwakuwiswa isibetho sesixhenxe, abanye “kubakhonzi bakaFaro” baloyika ilizwi likaYehova, kwaye alithandabuzeki elokuba baba yinxalenye yeli qela elingumxube elemka namaSirayeli eYiputa.—Eks. 9:20.

¹² Ngaphambi kokuba amaSirayeli awele iYordan aze athimbe ilizwe lakwaKanan, uMoses wawaxelela ukuba ‘amthande umphambukeli’ ophakathi kwawo. (Dut. 10:17-19) Aba bantu bakhethwe nguThixo babemele bamkele nawuphi na umphambukeli owayekulungele ukuthobela imithetho esisiseko enjengeMithetho Elishumi ababeyinikwe nguMoses. (Lev. 24:22) Abanye babo baphambukeli baba  ngabanquli bakaYehova, baza bavakalelwa ngendlela efanayo neyomMowabhikazi uRute, owathi kuNahomi owayengumSirayeli: “Abantu bakowenu baya kuba ngabantu basekhaya, noThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam.” (Rute 1:16) Aba baphambukeli baguqukela ebuYudeni, ibe abangamadoda boluswa. (Eks. 12:48, 49) UYehova wabamkela ukuba babe yinxalenye yabantu bakhe.—Num. 15:14, 15.

¹³ Xa kwakunikezelwa itempile kaSolomon kuYehova, uSolomon wenza umthandazo obonisa ukuba abantu abangengomaSirayeli abazange balityalwe. Wathi: “Kwanowasemzini ongeyiyo inxalenye yabantu bakho amaSirayeli ovela kwilizwe elikude ngenxa yegama lakho elikhulu nangesandla sakho esomeleleyo nengalo yakho eyoluliweyo, beze bathandaze kule ndlu, kwanga ungeva usemazulwini, kwindawo ohlala kuyo emisiweyo, uze wenze ngokuvumelana nako konke oko akubizayo owasemzini; ukuze zonke izizwana zomhlaba zilazi igama lakho zize zikoyike njengabantu bakho amaSirayeli, ukuze zazi ukuba le ndlu ndiyakhileyo ibizwe ngegama lakho.” (2 Kron. 6:32, 33) Kwakusenjalo nangemihla kaYesu, nawuphi na umntu ongengomSirayeli owayenqwenela ukunqula uYehova wayenako ukuba yinxalenye yabantu bakaThixo.—Yoh. 12:20; IZe. 8:27.

14-16. (a) AmaSirayeli ayeza kuba luhlanga olungamangqina kaYehova ngayiphi indlela? (b) UYehova ulindele ukuba benze ntoni abantu bakhe banamhlanje?

¹⁴ AmaSirayeli ayenqula uThixo wawo onguYehova, ngoxa ezinye iintlanga zazinqula abanye oothixo. Ngexesha lomprofeti uIsaya, uYehova wayisingatha le meko ngokungathi kusenkundleni. Wathi oothixo ababenqulwa zeziny’ iintlanga mabeze namangqina abo aze kubathethelela. Wayibeka kanje le nto: “Iintlanga zonke maziqokelelwe kwindawo enye, namaqela eentlanga ahlanganiselwe ndawonye. Ngubani na [omela izithixo] phakathi kwazo onokukuxela oku? Okanye zinako na ukusivisa kwanezinto zokuqala? Mazivelise amangqina azo, ukuze zibe nokuvakaliswa zingamalungisa, okanye mabeve baze bathi, ‘Yinyaniso!’”—Isa. 43:9.

¹⁵ Oothixo bezinye iintlanga abazange bakwazi ukuza nobungqina bokuba  bakho ngokwenene. Babezizithixo nje ezingakwazi kuthetha nokuzihambela. (Isa. 46:5-7) Kweliny’ icala, uYehova yena wathi kubantu bakhe amaSirayeli: “Ningamangqina am, . . . ningumkhonzi wam endimnyulileyo, ukuze nazi, nikholwe kum, niqonde ukuba ikwaNdim. Phambi kwam akuzange kuyilwe Thixo, nasemva kwam akubangakho namnye. Mna—ke, ndinguYehova, yaye akukho msindisi ngaphandle kwam. . . . Ngoko nina ningamangqina am, yaye mna ndinguThixo.”—Isa. 43:10-12.

¹⁶ Njengamangqina asenkundleni, abantu bakaYehova abakhethileyo babemele baphendule ngokuvakalayo nangokucacileyo umbuzo othi, “Ngubani Oyena Thixo Uphakamileyo?,” bangqine ukuba uYehova ngoyena Thixo wokwenene. Wathi ‘bangabantu aziyilele bona, ukuze babalise indumiso yakhe.’ (Isa. 43:21) Babethwele igama lakhe. Ekubeni uYehova wayebahlangule eYiputa, wayelindele ukuba bamthobele ngokuzithandela baze bamzukise phambi kwezinye iintlanga kuba enguMongami. Babefanele benze kanye njengoko umprofeti uMika wayeprofetile ngabantu bakaThixo bale mihla, esithi: “Zonke izizwana ziya kuhamba ngasinye egameni lothixo waso; kodwa thina siya kuhamba egameni likaYehova uThixo wethu ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo, ewe ngonaphakade.”—Mika 4:5.

17. AmaSirayeli aba “ngumdiliya ongcakachileyo” ngayiphi indlela kuYehova?

¹⁷ Ngelishwa, amaSirayeli awazange athembeke kuThixo wawo, uYehova. Azivumela ukuba aphenjelelwe ziintlanga ezazinqula oothixo abenziwe ngomthi nangamatye. Kwiminyaka emalunga neyi-2 800 eyadlulayo, umprofeti uHoseya wathi: “USirayeli ngumdiliya ongcakachileyo . . . uzandisile izibingelelo zakhe . . . Intliziyo yakhe ibe nohanahaniso; ke uya kuba netyala.” (Hos. 10:1, 2) Malunga neminyaka eyi-150 kamva, uYeremiya wathetha la mazwi kaYehova kubantu bakhe abangathembekanga: “Mna ke, ndakutyala unjengomdiliya wohlobo obomvu, wonke uyimbewu yenyaniso. Ngoko kwenzeke njani na ukuba unditshintshele ube ngamahlumelo omdiliya ongcakachileyo wasemzini? . . . Baphi na oothixo bakho ozenzele bona? Mabasukume ukuba banako ukukusindisa ngexesha lentlekele yakho. . . . Abantu bam—bandilibele.”—Yer. 2:21, 28, 32.

18, 19. (a) UYehova waprofeta ngayiphi indlela ukuba wayeza kuvelisa abanye abantu abaza kuthwala igama lakhe? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo eza kuphendulwa kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁸ Kunokuba avelise isiqhamo esihle ngokunqula uYehova ngendlela efanelekileyo aze abe ngamangqina akhe, amaSirayeli avelisa isiqhamo esibolileyo ngokunqula kwawo izithixo. Yiloo nto uYesu wathi kwiinkokeli zamaYuda ezazihanahanisa ngexesha lakhe: “Ubukumkani bukaThixo buya kuthatyathwa kuni buze bunikwe uhlanga oluvelisa iziqhamo zabo.” (Mat. 21:43) Ngabo ‘bakumnqophiso omtsha’ kuphela, owaprofetwa nguYehova esebenzisa umprofeti uYeremiya, ababenokuba yinxalenye yolo hlanga lutsha, uSirayeli wokomoya. Ngokuphathelele uSirayeli wokomoya owayeza kuba yinxalenye yaloo mnqophiso mtsha, uYehova waprofeta wathi: “Ndiza kuba nguThixo wabo, bona babe ngabantu bam.”—Yer. 31:31-33.

¹⁹ Emva kokuba amaSirayeli okoqobo engazange athembeke, uYehova wenza uSirayeli wokomoya ngenkulungwane yokuqala, njengoko sesibonile. Kodwa ke nank’ umbuzo, ngoobani abantu bakhe namhlanje aph’ emhlabeni? Abantu abanyanisekileyo banokubabona njani abanquli bokwenene bakaThixo? Le mibuzo iza kuphendulwa kwinqaku elilandelayo.