1-3. (a) Yini ezosisiza sihlale sithembekile kuZimu emalangeni wokuphela la? (b) Sizokucoca ngani esihlokwenesi?

NJENGOMBANA amalanga wokuphela asekugcineni nje, “iinkhohlakali zihluma njengotjani.” (Rhu. 92:8) Yeke akusimangazi ukungaziphathi kuhle kwabantu. Njengombana siqalene nobujamobu singaba njani ‘bantwana kokumbi; sikhule ngokupheleleko ekuzwisiseni kwethu’?—1 Kor. 14:20.

² Ipendulo yombuzo lo siyifumana emtlolweni isihlokwesi esithethwe kiwo, othi: “Abafuna uSomnini bakuzwisisa ngokupheleleko,” abafundisa khona. (IzA. 28:5) Incwadi yezAga 2:7, 9 itjho okufanako nayithi uJehova “usihlangu kilabo abaneendlela ezimsulwa.” Ngebanga lalokho abalungileko ‘bazakulemuka ukulunga, ubulungiswa nokuhleleka, iye, enye nenye indlela elungileko.’

³ UNowa, uDanyela noJobho bebanokuhlakanipha abakufundiswe nguZimu. (Hez. 14:14) Nathi namhlanjesi sinakho ukuhlakaniphokho. Kuthiwani ngawe? Inga-kghani ‘ukuzwisisa ngokupheleleko’ okufuze ukwenze bona uthabise uJehova? Okuqakathekileko  kukobana sibe nelwazi elifaneleko ngaye. Kunamaphuzu amathathu esifuna ukuwazwisisa kuhle (1) uNowa, uDanyela noJobho bamazi njani uJehova, (2) ilwazelo labazuzisa njani, nokuthi (3) singakwakha njani ukukholwa okufana nekwabo.

4. UNowa wafunda njani ngoJehova?

⁴ UNowa wafunda njani ngoJehova? Kusukela ekuthomeni iinkhonzi zakaZimu zamazi ngokuqala indalo, nangokufunda ebantwini abamsabako. Babona nokuthi uZimu uyababusisa abantu abaphila ngemithethwakhe. (Isa. 48:18) Ukuqala indalo nakho kwazisa uNowa wabubona ubufakazi bokuthi mbala uZimu ukhona. Wabona ubuntu bakhe endalweni ‘okumamandla angapheliko nobuZimu bakhe.’ (Rom. 1:20) Ngebanga lalokho ukukholwa kwakhe kuJehova kwaqina.

5. UNowa wawazi njani umnqopho kaZimu ngabantu?

⁵ “Ukukholwa kulandela into ezwiweko.” (Rom. 10:17) UNowa wezwa njani ngoJehova? Kuyakhanya ukuthi wezwa ngeenhlobo zakhe. Omunye wabantwabo bekunguyise uLemeki, ebekaziwa ngokuthi uyakholwa. Wabelethwa ngaphambi kobana u-Adamu ahlongakale. (Qala isithombe esisekuthomeni.) Abanye bekungubamkhulwakhe uMetutjhelarhi nokhokhwakhe uJeredi, yena-ke wahlongakala uNowa sele aneminyaka ema-366. * (Luk. 3:36, 37) Kungenzeka amadoda la nabafazi bawo abafundisa uNowa ngokudalwa kwabantu, nangomnqopho kaZimu wokobana abantu bande bazale iphasi. Wafunda nangokuhlubuka kwababelethi bethu esimini ye-Edeni, neemphumela eyalethwa kungalalelokho. UNowa wazibonela yona ngokwakhe. (Gen. 1:28; 3:16-19, 24) Koke uNowa akufunda kwathinta ihliziywakhe kwamenza wafuna ukulotjha uZimu.—Gen. 6:9.

6, 7. Ithemba uNowa ebekanalo lakukhuthaza njani ukukholwa kwakhe?

⁶ Ukukholwa kukhuthazwa lithemba. Akhucabange bona uNowa wazizwa njani ngesikhathi ezwa ukuthi igama lakhe belitjho ukuthi “induduzo.” (Gen. 5:29) ULemeki wathi ngoNowa: “Uzasiduduza ekusebenzeni nzima nebuhlungwini bamatjhatjhazi wezandla zethu ngebanga lehlabathi eyanikelelwa nguZimu.” UNowa bekamthemba uZimu. Walingisa u-Abela no-Inogo abakholwa ukuthi ‘isizukulwana’ sizokutsidlha ihloko yenyoka.—Gen. 3:15.

⁷ Nanyana uNowa angakhenge akuzwisise koke ebekutjhiwo siphorofido esikuGenesisi 3:15 kodwana waba nethemba lokuthi isiphorofidwesi besiletha itjhaphuluko. Ngaphezu kwalokho isithembiso sesimini ye-Edeni besivumelana nomlayezo ka-Inogo wokwahlulelwa kwabantu abambi. (Jud. 14, 15) Umlayezo ka-Inogo uzokuzaliseka ngepi ye-Arimagedoni. Kwamambala isithembisweso saqinisa ukukholwa kwakaNowa bekwamenza waba nethemba.

8. Ukwazi uZimu kuhle kwamsiza njani uNowa?

⁸ UNowa bekamazi kuhle uZimu. Lokho kwenza ukuthi abe nokukholwa nokuhlakanipha okuvela kuye, ngikho amlotjha. UNowa “gade atjhidelene noZimu,” lokho kwenza bona angabi nabangani abangathandi uJehova nabangafuni ukumlalela. Kazi abantu bangesikhathi sakaNowa bebakarwa ziingilozi ezeza ephasini, bafuna nokuzilotjha. Kodwana uNowa akhenge akhohliswe ziingilozezo njengenengi elaphila ngesikhathi sakhe. (Gen. 6:1-4, 9) Okhunye uNowa ebekakwazi kukuthi abantu kufuze babelethe bazalise iphasi. (Gen. 1:27, 28) Nokho bekazi nokuthi abantu neengilozi akukafuzi batjhinge emabhayini, lokho bekuphambene nemvelo. Kwathi nakuvela abantwana beengilozi  nabafazabo, kwaba sebaleni ukuthi koke ebekwenzeka bekungakalungi. Kwathi ngokukhamba kwesikhathi uZimu waluma uNowa indlebe, wamtjela ukuthi uzokutjhabalalisa iphasi ngomthwalela. Ngebanga lokuthi uNowa bekakholwa walalela wakha umkhumbi, wasindisa umndenakhe.—Heb. 11:7.

9, 10. Singakulingisa njani ukukholwa kwakaNowa?

⁹ Singaba njani nokukholwa njengoNowa? Okuqakatheke khulu esingakwenza kufunda iliZwi lakaZimu, sizindle ngesikufundako bese sikwenze. (1 Pit. 1:13-15) Ukukholwa nokuhlakanipha kwakaZimu nakho kungasisiza bona sibalekele amaqhinga kaSathana nommoya okhohlakeleko wephaseli. (2 Kor. 2:11) Kazi ummoya wephasi ungasenza sithande inturhu singasaba nemikghwa, ubuye usenze sigijimise iinkanuko zenyama. (1 Jwa. 2:15, 16) Ummoya lo ungabuye wenze nabanye abanokukholwa okungakazinzi bacabange ukuthi ilanga lakaZimu lokwahlulela lisesekude khulu. Kungebangelo uJesu athi nakamadanisa isikhathi sakaNowa nesethu wangadzimelela khulu enturhwini namkha ekuziphatheni kumbi kodwana wadzimelela ekutheni abantu bazakuphelelwa lithando ngoZimu.—Funda uMatewu 24:36-39.

¹⁰ Akhuzibuze, ‘Indlela engiphila ngayo iyatjengisa na ukuthi uJehova ngimazi kuhle? Inga-kghani ukukholwa kwami kungenza ngingamane ngiphile ngemithetho kaJehova kwaphela kodwana ngiyitjele nabanye?’ Indlela ophendula ngayo imibuzo le izokwenza wazi ukuthi ‘utjhidelene noZimu weqiniso’ na.

11. (a) Ukuzinikela kwakaDanyela kuZimu nakasesemutjha kusitjela ukuthi wakhuliswa njani? (b) Ungathanda ukumlingisa ngaziphi iindlela uDanyela?

¹¹ UDanyela wamazi njani uJehova? Kungenzeka ababelethi bakhe ngibo abamfundisa ngoJehova, bamfundisa bona athande neliZwi lakhe. Lokho kwenza bonyana uDanyela athande uZimu ukuphila kwakhe koke. Ngitjho nanyana besele aliqhegu, bekalifundisisa iliZwi lakaZimu. (Dan. 9:1, 2) UDanyela bekamazi kuhle uZimu, azi nendlela aphatha ngayo ama-Israyeli. Lokho sikuzwa emthandazwenakhe otlolwe kuDanyela 9:3-19. Akhuziphe isikhathi ufunde umthandazo loyo bewuzindle nangawo. Linga ukubona ukuthi uDanyela bekamumuntu onjani.

12-14. (a) Yini esenza sithi uDanyela bekanokuhlakanipha kwakaZimu? (b) UZimu wambusisa njani uDanyela ngokuthembeka kwakhe?

¹² Kwamsiza ngani uDanyela ukuba nelwazi ngoZimu? Kazi eBhabhiloni nabewumJuda othembekileko bekungasilula nakancani ukulotjha uZimu, ngombana endaweni le bekulotjhwa iinthombe. UJehova wathi ebantwini bakhe: “Funani ihlalohle yedorobho enginise kilo ekuthunjweni.” (Jor. 29:7) Kube ngapha bekalindele bona balotjhe yena kwaphela. (Eks. 34:14) Alo uDanyela wakghona njani ukulalela imithetho le yomibili? Ukuhlakanipha akufumana kuZimu kwamsiza wabona ukuthi angawuthobela njani umthetho weemphathimandla. UJesu naye wakhe wayiphatha indaba yokuthobela umthetho weemphathimandla le.—Luk. 20:25.

¹³ UDanyela wenzani ngesikhathi kuphuma umthetho wokuthi emalangeni ama-30 akunamuntu ozakuthandaza komunye uzimu ngaphandle kwekosi yeBhabhiloni? (Funda uDanyela 6:7-10.) Akhenge avumele imithetho yabantu imenze angathobeli yakaZimu. Abantu bebahlala bambona nakathandazako bekangavele azifihle athandazele emsitheleni. Athi: ‘Amalanga ama-30 la azakudlula!’ Kodwana bekangafuni bacabange ukuthi ulisile ukulotjha uJehova. Wafaka ukuphila kwakhe engozini ngokuraga  nokuthandaza ngendlela ebekahlala enza ngayo.

¹⁴ UJehova wambusisa uDanyela ngebanga lokuthatha isiqunto ebesizomenza abulawe, wamsindisa ekufeni. Imiphumela yokuba nesibindi kwakaDanyela yenza abantu ebebangaphasi komBuso weMediya Pheresiya bahlonipha uJehova!—Dan. 6:25-27.

15. Ungakuhlakulela njani ukukholwa okunjengekwakaDanyela?

¹⁵ Ungakuhlakulela njani ukukholwa okunjengekwakaDanyela? Ukuba nokukholwa okuzinzileko kutlhoga okungaphezu kokumane ufunde iliZwi lakaZimu, kufuze ulifunde ‘bewulilemuke.’ (Mat. 13:23) Kufuze sithole ukuthi uJehova ucabanga njani, okutjho ukuzwisisa imithethwakhe eseBhayibhelini. Ngikho kufuze sizindle nasifundako. Okhunye okufuze sikwenze khulukhulu nasiqalene neetjhijilo kuthululela uJehova isifuba sethu. Nasithandaza kuJehova simbawe ukuhlakanipha namandla, uzosipha khona.—Jak. 1:5.

16, 17. UJobho wamazi njani uJehova?

¹⁶ UJobho wamazi njani uJehova? UJobho bekangasimIsrayeli. Kodwana bekahlobene no-Abrahamu, u-Isaka noJakopo. Kazi amadoda la uJehova wazazisa kiwo wawavezela nehloswakhe ngabantu. Ngendlela ethileko noJobho naye wafunda ngamaqiniso aligugu la. (Job. 23:12) Ngikho athi: “Bengikuzwa ngamahlebezi.” (Job. 42:5) Ukungezelela kilokho, uJehova ngokwakhe watjho ukuthi uJobho bekakhuluma iqiniso ngaye.—Job. 42:7, 8.

¹⁷ UJobho wabuye wabona ubuntu bakaZimu endalwenakhe. (Job. 12:7-9, 13) Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, u-Elihu noJehova basebenzisa indalo ukukhumbuza uJobho bona uJehova mkhulu ngendlela erarako. (Job. 37:14; 38:1-4) Amezwi kaJehova ayithinta ihliziyo kaJobho, ngikho athi: “Ngiyazi bonyana ungenza yoke into, nokobana ihloswakho angeze yaphazanyiswa. . . . ngiyaphenduka, ngizilahla ethulini nemlotheni.”—Job. 42:2, 6.

18, 19. UJobho watjengisa njani bona bekamazi kwamambala uJehova?

¹⁸ Kwamsiza ngani uJobho ukuba nelwazi ngoZimu? Bekanelwazi elinengi ngemithetho kaZimu. Bekamazi kuhle uJehova begodu bekenza ngokuvumelana nemithethwakhe.  UJobho bekazi ukuthi angekhe athi uthanda uZimu khisibe ngapha akanamusa ebantwini bekhabo. (Job. 6:14) Akhenge azenze ongcono kabanye kodwana bekanendaba nawo woke umuntu, otlhagileko nodobha phasi. Wathi: “Owangibumba esibelethweni, nguye owabumba nekhoboka. Nguye yedwa owasidala esiswini.” (Job. 31:13-22) Kuyakhanya-ke ukuthi uJobho khenge avumele ukuhlonitjhwa nobunjinga kumenze aqalele abanye phasi. Lokho kuhlukile nawumadanisa nabantu abanengi abanemali namhlanjesi.

¹⁹ Ngehliziywakhe yoke uJobho wakubalekela ukulotjha okumamala. Bekazi ukuthi ukulotjha kwamala kuhlanganisa nokuthanda khulu izinto, kuhlekuhle kungathembeki ‘kuZimu ophezulu.’ (Funda uJobho 31:24-28.) Umtjhado bekawuqala njengocwengekileko, ohlanganisa indoda nomfazi kwaphela. Wenza isivumelwano namehlwakhe, kobana angaqali itlawu ngokulikhanukela. (Job. 31:1) Khumbula godu ukuthi ngesikhatheso uZimu bekasavumela isithembu. Yeke uJobho bekangamthatha umfazi wesibili. * Lokho kusitjela ukuthi walandela indlela kaJehova yekuthomeni ngomtjhado. (Gen. 2:18, 24) Ngemva kweminyaka eyi-1 600 uJesu Krestu wafundisa abantu ukuthi balandele yona ikambiso le nakuziwa eendabeni zomtjhado nezamabhayi.—Mat. 5:28; 19:4, 5.

20. Ukwazi uJehova nemithethwakhe kuhle, kuzokusiza njani ukuthi ukhethe abangani abalungileko nezokuzithabisa ezihloniphekileko?

²⁰ Indlela esingakuhlawulela ngayo ukukholwa okunjengekwakaJobho. Okungasisiza bona silingise uJobho kukuthi sazi uJehova begodu siphile ngokwalokho esikwaziko ngaye. Isibonelo salokho nguDavida, yena bekazi ukuthi uZimu: “Uyamnyenya othanda inturhu,” ngikho uDavida akhalima: ‘Ngokuzihlanganisa nabazenzisi.’ (Funda amaRhubo 11:5; 26:4.) Imitlolo le ikunikela liphi ilwazi eliveza indlela uZimu acabanga ngayo? Ilwazelo lingakusiza njani ukuthi usebenzise kuhle i-inthanethi, ukhethe abangani abalungileko bewukhethe zokuzilibazisa ezihloniphekileko? Iimpendulwa zingakusiza wazi ukuthi uJehova umazi kuhle kangangani. Iphasi esiphilakilweli likhohlakele belimbi khulu kodwana thina njengabantu abathanda uZimu, kuzokufuza ‘sihlukanise okuhle nokumbi,’ sibuye godu sihlukanise ukuhlakanipha nobudlhadlha.—Heb. 5:14; Efe. 5:15.

21. Yini engasisiza ‘sizwisise ngokupheleleko’ izinto ezizokuthabisa uBabethu wezulwini?

²¹ UNowa, uDanyela noJobho basebenza ngamandla bona bazi uJehova, ngikho uJehova azenza wafumaneka kibo. Wabasiza “bakuzwisisa ngokupheleleko” ebekufuze bakwenze nabazamthabisa. Sikhuluma nje baziimbonelo zokwenza okulungileko, baphumelela kwamambala. (Rhu. 1:1-3) Umbuzo ongazibuza wona ngothi, ‘Njengombana uNowa, uDanyela noJobho bebamazi kuhle uJehova, wena umazi njengabo na?’ Namhlanjesi sinezinto ezinengi ezisifundisa ngoZimu, zibuye zisifundise ngamaqiniso amatjha, lokho kuzosenza simazi khudlwana uJehova. (IzA. 4:18) Yeke kufuze sifunde besizindle ngeliZwi lakaZimu. Thandaza ubawe ummoya kaZimu ocwengileko. Lokho kuzokusiza utjhidelane khulu noBabakho wezulwini. Kubuye kukwenze uthathe iinqunto ezihlakaniphileko begodu uhluke ephasini elikhohlakelekweli.—IzA. 2:4-7.