1. U-Abrahama wakubonisa kanjani ukuqiniseka ngobulungisa bukaJehova? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.)

“UBENGEKE yini uMahluleli womhlaba wonke enze okulungile?” (Gen. 18:25) Ngalo mbuzo, u-Abrahama wabonisa ukuqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova uyokwenza ngobulungisa obuphelele lapho ahlulela iSodoma neGomora. U-Abrahama wayeqiniseka ukuthi uJehova ngeke enze ngokungenabulungisa, ‘abulale umuntu olungile kanye nomubi.’ Isenzo esinjalo sasiyinto “engacabangeki” ku-Abrahama. Eminyakeni engu-400 kamuva, uJehova washo la mazwi ngaye: “IDwala, uphelele umsebenzi wakhe, ngoba zonke izindlela zakhe ziwubulungisa. UNkulunkulu wokuthembeka, okungekho ukungabi nabulungisa kuye; ulungile futhi uqotho.”—Dut. 31:19; 32:4.

2. Kungani singaphetha ngokuthi uJehova akakwazi ukwenza ngokungenabulungisa?

² Kungani u-Abrahama ayengaqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova uhlale ahlulela ngobulungisa? Kungenxa yokuthi uJehova uyisibonelo esivelele sokulunga nobulungisa. Empeleni, amagama esiHebheru athi “ubulungisa” nelithi “ukulunga” ngokuvamile avela ndawonye emiBhalweni yesiHebheru. Ngamafuphi, awukho umehluko phakathi kobulungisa nokulunga. Njengoba uJehova  eyisibonelo esivelele sokulunga, indlela ahlulela ngayo iyohlale inobulungisa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, iZwi lakhe eliphefumulelwe lithi, “ungumthandi wokulunga nobulungisa.”—IHu. 33:5.

3. Chaza izibonelo zokungabi nabulungisa ezweni namuhla.

³ Abanhliziyo ziqotho kuyabaduduza ukwazi ukuthi uJehova uhlale enobulungisa ngoba izwe esiphila kulo ligcwele ukungabi nabulungisa. Yingakho ngezinye izikhathi abantu beye baphathwa kabi kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye baye bathweswa amacala noma bagqunywa emajele ngokungafanele. Abantu abanjalo bachitha amashumi eminyaka emajele baze bakhululwa lapho kuqala ukusetshenziswa ubufakazi be-DNA obabonisa ukuthi abanacala. Yize ukuvalelwa ejele ungenacala kubangela intukuthelo nolaka, amaKristu angase athole olunye uhlobo lokungabi nabulungisa luhlukumeza nakakhulu.

4. Ukholo lomKristu lungavivinyeka kanjani?

⁴ AmaKristu akulindele ukuphathwa ngokungenabulungisa abantu abangewona amalungu ebandla lobuKristu. Nokho, ukholo lwethu lungavivinyeka lapho sibona othile ephathwa ngendlela engenabulungisa ebandleni noma uma lokho kwenzeka kithi. Uyosabela kanjani lapho ukholelwa ukuthi uye waphathwa kabi ebandleni noma waphathwa kabi umKristu okanye naye? Ingabe uyovumela lokho kukukhubekise?

5. Kungani kungafanele simangale lapho umKristu ebona noma ebhekana nokungabi nabulungisa ebandleni?

⁵ Ngenxa yokuthi sonke asiphelele futhi sithambekele ekwenzeni isono, siyaqaphela ukuthi singase siphathwe ngendlela engenabulungisa noma siphathe othile ebandleni ngendlela engenabulungisa. (1 Joh. 1:8) Ngisho noma lokho kungavamile, amaKristu athembekile awamangali noma akhubeke lapho ebona ukuntuleka kobulungisa. Yingakho uJehova eye wasinika iseluleko esisebenzayo eZwini lakhe ukuze asisize silondoloze ubuqotho ngisho nalapho siphathwa kabi abantu esikholwa nabo.—IHu. 55:12-14.

6, 7. Yikuphi ukungabi nabulungisa omunye umzalwane abhekana nako ebandleni futhi yiziphi izimfanelo ezamsiza wabhekana naleso simo ngokuphumelelayo?

⁶ Cabanga ngesibonelo sikaWilli Diehl. Kusukela ngo-1931 uMfoweth’ uDiehl wakhonza ngokwethembeka eBethel yaseSwitzerland, eBern. Ngo-1946 waba sekilasini lesishiyagalombili eSikoleni saseGileyadi eNew York, e-U.S.A. Ngemva kokuthweswa iziqu, wathola isabelo sokujikeleza eSwitzerland. Endabeni yakhe yokuphila, uMfoweth’ uDiehl wachaza: “Ngo-May 1949, ngazisa igatsha laseBern ukuthi ngihlela ukushada.” Lapho igatsha liphendula lathi: “Awekho amalungelo osazowathola ngaphandle kokuba yiphayona elivamile.” UMfoweth’ uDiehl waqhubeka wathi: “Ngangingavunyelwe ukuba ngibeke izinkulumo . . . Abaningi babengasasibingeleli, besiphatha njengabantu abasusiwe ekuhlanganyeleni.”

⁷ UMfoweth’ uDiehl wasisingatha kanjani leso isimo? Uyachaza: “Nokho, sasazi ukuthi ukushada kwakungeyona into engekho ngokomBhalo, ngakho senza umthandazo waba isiphephelo sethu futhi sathembela kuJehova.” Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, lo mbono oyiphutha ngokuphathelene nokushada, owabangela ukuba siphathwe ngokungenabulungisa, walungiswa futhi uMfoweth’ uDiehl waphinde wawathola amalungelo enkonzo. Ubuqotho bakhe kuJehova bavuzwa. * Senza kahle ngokuzibuza: ‘Ingabe ngiyobonisa isimo  esifanayo ngokomoya lapho ngiphathwa ngendlela engenabulungisa? Ingabe ngesineke ngiyolinda uJehova noma ngiyothambekela ekulungiseni izinto ngendlela yami?’—IzAga 11:2; funda uMika 7:7.

8. Yini engabangela ukuba ufinyelele isiphetho esiyiphutha mayelana nokuphathwa ngokungenabulungisa noma ngomunye ocabanga ukuthi uphathwe kanjalo?

⁸ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ngephutha ungase uphethe ngokuthi uye waphathwa ngendlela engenabulungisa noma ngokuthi othile ebandleni uye waphathwa ngendlela engenabulungisa. Lokhu kungabangelwa ukungapheleli kwethu noma ukungabi nawo wonke amaqiniso ahilelekile ngodaba. Kunoma yikuphi, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi udaba siluqonda kahle noma cha, ukuncika kuJehova ngomthandazo nokuba qotho kuye, kuyosisiza sigweme ‘ukufuthekela uJehova.’—Funda izAga 19:3.

9. Yiziphi izibonelo esizoxoxa ngazo kulesi sihloko nakwesilandelayo?

⁹ Ake sihlole izibonelo ezintantu zokungabi nabulungisa ezenzeka kubantu bakaNkulunkulu ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli. Kulesi sihloko, sizoxoxa ngomzukulu ka-Abrahama uJosefa nobuhlobo bakhe nabafowabo. Esihlokweni esilandelayo, sizohlola indlela uJehova asebenzelana ngayo nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli u-Ahabi kanye nomphostoli uPetru e-Antiyokiya yaseSiriya. Njengoba sixoxa ngalezi zibonelo, funa izifundo ezingakusiza uhlale ugxilile ngokomoya futhi ulondoloze ubuhlobo bakho noJehova ikakhulukazi lapho ukholelwa ukuthi uye waphathwa ngendlela engenabulungisa.

10, 11. (a) Yikuphi ukungabi nabulungisa uJosefa abhekana nakho? (b) Yiliphi ithuba elavela ngesikhathi uJosefa esejele?

¹⁰ UJosefa, inceku kaJehova ethembekile, waphathwa ngokungenabulungisa. Akagcinanga ngokuphathwa kabi abantu angabazi kodwa ngokudabukisayo waphathwa kabi nangabafowabo imbala. Lapho uJosefa esecela eminyakeni eyishumi nambili, abafowabo bamthumba futhi bamthengisela ebugqilini. Ngempoqo wathathwa wayiswa eGibhithe. (Gen. 37:23-28; 42:21) Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile kulelo zwe angalazi, wabekwa icala lokuzama ukudlwengula wabe esegqunywa ejele icala lakhe lingathethwanga. (Gen. 39:17-20) Kwaphela iminyaka engaba ngu-13 eyisigqila nesiboshwa. Yisiphi isifundo esingasifunda kulokho okwenzeka kuJosefa esingasisiza sibhekane nokuphathwa ngokungenabulungisa amakholwa esikanye nawo?

¹¹ UJosefa waba nethuba lokuchazela umuntu ayeboshwe naye icala lakhe. Lowo muntu wayengumphathindebe wenkosi. Phakathi nesikhathi uJosefa nomphathindebe bevalelwe ndawonye, umphathindebe waba nephupho, uJosefa wamchazela lona. UJosefa wachazela umphathindebe ukuthi uzobuyiselwa esikhundleni sakhe endlini kaFaro. Njengoba uNkulunkulu ayemsiza ukuba achaze lelo phupho, uJosefa wabe esesebenzisa lelo thuba ukuba achaze isimo sakhe. Singafunda izifundo ezibalulekile, hhayi nje kulokho uJosefa akusho kodwa nakulokho angazange akusho.—Gen. 40:5-13.

12, 13. (a) Amazwi uJosefa awasho kumphathindebe abonisa kanjani ukuthi akazange akwamukele ukuphathwa ngokungenabulungisa? (b) Yimiphi imininingwane uJosefa angazange ayiveze engxoxweni yakhe nomphathindebe?

¹² Funda uGenesise 40:14, 15. Phawula ukuthi uJosefa ‘wathunjwa.’ Igama lolimi lokuqala okuvela kulo elithi ukuthunjwa lisho “ukwebiwa.” Ngokungangabazeki, wayeyisisulu sokungabi nabulungisa. UJosefa wakusho nokuthi umsulwa  ecaleni ayeboshelwe lona. Ngenxa yalokho wacela umphathindebe ukuba ambike kuFaro. Kungani? Wachaza umgomo wakhe: Ukuze “ungikhiphe kule ndlu.”

¹³ Ingabe amazwi kaJosefa ayebonisa ukuthi usamukele isimo sakhe? Lutho neze. Wayeqaphela ukuthi uyisisulu sezenzo eziningi zokungabi nabulungisa. Wacacisela umphathindebe wonke amaqiniso ngoba mhlawumbe wayengaba sethubeni lokumsiza. Nokho, phawula ukuthi akukho lutho emiBhalweni okubonisa ukuthi ukhona uJosefa ake wamchazela mayelana nokuthi wathunjwa abafowabo, akachazelanga ngisho noFaro. Empeleni lapho abafowabo beza eGibhithe futhi bebuyisana noJosefa, uFaro wabamukela, wathi mabeze bazohlala eGibhithe futhi ‘badle amanoni ezwe.’—Gen. 45:16-20.

14. Yini ezosisiza singabanjwa ugibe lwenkulumo engakhi ngisho noma siphathwa ngokungabi nabulungisa ebandleni?

¹⁴ Lapho umKristu ekholelwa ukuthi uye waphathwa ngokungenabulungisa, kufanele aqaphele angahileleki enhlebweni elimazayo. Kuyavunywa ukuthi kuyafaneleka ukufuna usizo kubadala nokubazisa uma ilungu lebandla lenze isono esibi kakhulu. (Lev. 5:1) Nokho, ezimweni eziningi ezingahileli isono esibi kakhulu, singakwazi ukulungisa ukungaboni ngaso linye sisodwa ngaphandle kosizo lwabanye, ngisho nabadala. (Funda uMathewu 5:23, 24; 18:15.) Kwangathi ngokwethembeka singasingatha izimo ezinjalo ngokuvumelana nezimiso zeBhayibheli. Kwezinye izimo, singase siqaphele ukuthi empeleni asiphathwanga ngokungenabulungisa. Yeka ukuthi kuyosijabulisa kanjani ukwazi ukuthi asenzanga izimo zaba zimbi nakakhulu ngokunyundela umKristu esikanye naye! Khumbula ukuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi soniwe noma cha, ukukhuluma kabi ngomunye umuntu akusilungisi nakancane isimo. Ubuqotho kuJehova nakubafowethu  kuyosivikela ekwenzeni amaphutha anjalo. Ekhuluma ngomuntu “ohamba ngokungenaphutha,” umhubi wathi “akazange anyundele ngolimi lwakhe. Akazange enze lutho olubi kumhlobo wakhe.”—IHu. 15:2, 3; Jak. 3:5.

15. Ubuhlobo bukaJosefa noJehova baba yisibusiso ngayiphi indlela?

¹⁵ Sithola isifundo esibaluleke kakhulu ebuhlotsheni bukaJosefa noJehova. Phakathi neminyaka engu-13 eyayinzima, uJosefa wabonisa ukuthi ubheka izinto ngombono kaJehova. (Gen. 45:5-8) Akazange agxeke uJehova ngobunzima ayebhekene nabo. Nakuba engazange abukhohlwe ububi obenziwa kuye, abuzange bumenze anyukubale. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, akazange avumele ukungapheleli nezenzo ezimbi zabanye kumhlukanise noJehova. Ubuqotho bukaJosefa bamenza wakwazi ukubona isandla sikaJehova silungisa ukungabi nabulungisa futhi sibusisa yena nomndeni wakhe.

16. Kungani kufanele sisondele nakakhulu kuJehova uma siphathwa ngokungenabulungisa ebandleni?

¹⁶ Ngendlela efanayo, kumelwe sibazise futhi sibulondoloze ubuhlobo bethu noJehova. Akufanele nanini sivumele ukungapheleli kwabafowethu kusihlukanise noNkulunkulu esimthandayo nesimkhonzayo. (Roma 8:38, 39) Esikhundleni salokho, uma umkhulekeli esikanye naye esiphatha ngokungenabulungisa kumelwe silingise uJosefa sisondele nakakhulu kuJehova, sizame ukubheka izinto ngombono waKhe. Lapho sesenze konke esingakwenza ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo ukuze silungise isimo, kumelwe sishiyele udaba ezandleni zikaJehova siqiniseka ngokuthi isimo uyosilungisa ngesikhathi sakhe nangendlela yakhe.

17. Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi siyamethemba “uMahluleli womhlaba wonke”?

¹⁷ Njengoba siphila kulesi simiso sezinto, singalindela ukubhekana nokungabi nabulungisa. Ngezinye izikhathi, nakuba kungavamile, wena noma umuntu omaziyo uyophathwa noma ucabange ukuthi uphathwe ngendlela engenabulungisa. Ungavumi ukuba lokho kukukhube. (IHu. 119:165) Kunalokho, njengezinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezithembekile, ngobuqotho nangomthandazo sincika kuYe. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, ngokuthobeka siyavuma ukuthi kungenzeka asiwazi wonke amaqiniso ahilelekile. Siyaqaphela ukuthi indlela esibheka ngayo izinto ingasenza sibone iphutha yize lingekho. Njengoba sifundile esibonelweni sikaJosefa, sifuna ukugwema inkulumo engakhi, sazi ukuthi inkulumo enjalo yenza isimo esibi sibe sibi nakakhulu. Ekugcineni, kunokuba sifune ukuzilungisela izinto, masizimisele ukuba qotho futhi ngesineke silindele uJehova ukuba alungise lobo bubi. Ukwenza izinto ngaleyo ndlela ngokuqinisekile kuyosenza samukeleke kuJehova futhi sithole isibusiso, njengoba kwenzeka kuJosefa. Yebo, singaqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova, “uMahluleli womhlaba wonke,” uyohlale enza okulungile, “ngoba zonke izindlela zakhe ziwubulungisa.”—Gen. 18:25; Dut. 32:4.

18. Yini esizoyihlola esihlokweni esilandelayo?

¹⁸ Esihlokweni esilandelayo, sizohlola izenzakalo ezimbili zokungabi nabulungisa ezenzeka kubantu bakaJehova ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli. Ukuhlola lokhu kulandisa kuzoqokomisa indlela ukuthobeka nokuzimisela ukuthethelela okuhlobana ngayo nombono kaJehova ngobulungisa.