1-2. Yintoni esivuyisa kakhulu?

 UYINTONI uYehova kuwe? Usenokuthi, ‘UYehova nguTata wam, uThixo wam, noMhlobo wam.’ Zikhona ke nezinye iindlela onokumbiza ngazo. Kodwa ngaba umjonga njengokumemileyo?

² UKumkani uDavide wafanisa indlela uYehova avana ngayo nabakhonzi bakhe abathembekileyo nendlela umntu avana ngayo neendwendwe zakhe. Wabuza wathi: “Owu Yehova, ngubani ongaba lundwendwe ententeni yakho? Ngubani onokuhlala entabeni yakho engcwele?” (INdu. 15:1) La mazwi aphefumlelweyo asifundisa ukuba singakwazi ukuba ngabahlobo okanye iindwendwe zikaYehova. Isivuyisa kakhulu ke loo nto.

UYEHOVA UFUNA SIBE ZIINDWENDWE ZAKHE

3. UYehova nondwendwe lwakhe lokuqala babeziva njani?

³ Ngaphambi kokuba uYehova adale, wayephila yedwa. Kodwa ngeny’ imini waye wamkela uNyana wakhe wokuqala ententeni yakhe. Yamvuyisa kakhulu ke le nto uYehova. IBhayibhile ithi ‘wayemthanda ngokukhethekileyo’ lo Nyana wakhe. ‘Lonke elo xesha lwalonwabile phambi kukaYehova undwendwe lwakhe lokuqala.’​—IMize. 8:30.

4. Ngoobani abanye uYehova awabamemela kwintente yakhe?

⁴ Emva koko, uYehova wadala ezinye izidalwa zomoya,  nazo wazimema ukuba zibe ziindwendwe zakhe. Ezi zidalwa ziingelosi ezibizwa ngokuba ‘ngoonyana bakaThixo,’ futhi kuyazonwabisa ukuhlala noYehova. (Yobhi 38:7; Dan. 7:10) Kukhe kwadlula ixesha, uThixo engumhlobo wezidalwa zakhe zasezulwini kuphela. Emva koko, wamema nabantu abasemhlabeni ukuba babe ziindwendwe ententeni yakhe. Abanye babo bantu yaba nguEnoki, uNowa, uAbraham noYobhi. IBhayibhile ithi babengabahlobo bakaThixo, okanye babehamba “noThixo wokwenene.”​—Gen. 5:24; 6:9; Yobhi 29:4; Isa. 41:8.

5. Yintoni esiyifundayo kwisiprofeto esikuHezekile 37:​26, 27?

⁵ Kangangamakhulu eminyaka, uYehova uye waqhubeka emema abahlobo bakhe ukuba babe ziindwendwe ententeni yakhe. (Funda uHezekile 37:​26, 27.) Ngokomzekelo, kwisiprofeto sikaHezekile sifunda ukuba uThixo ufuna nyhani ukuba ngumhlobo wabakhonzi bakhe abanyanisekileyo kuye. Uthembisa ukuba uza kwenza “isivumelwano soxolo” nabo. Eso siprofeto, sithetha ngexesha laxa abakhonzi bakaYehova abanethemba lokuphila ezulwini nabanethemba lokuphila emhlabeni, babeza kuba “ngumhlambi omnye” kwintente kaYehova. (Yoh. 10:16) Kwenzeka kanye loo nto ngoku!

NOKUBA SIPHI UTHIXO UYASIKHATHALELA

6. Umntu uba lundwendwe kwintente kaYehova xa kutheni? Iphi loo ntente?

⁶ Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, intente yomntu yayiba yindawo awayephumla kuyo neyayimkhusela kwimozulu. Nondwendwe olukuloo ntente lwalunokulindela ukuba umntu olumemileyo aluphathe kakuhle. Xa sizinikela kuYehova, siba ziindwendwe kwintente yakhe. (INdu. 61:4) Sifumana izinto ezininzi eziqinisa ukholo, nabahlobo abaziindwendwe zikaYehova. Le ntente sithetha ngayo ayikho sendaweni enye. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukhe waya kwamanye amazwe, mhlawumbi kwindibano ekhethekileyo, waza wadibana nabanye abantu abavuyiswa kukuba kwintente kaThixo. Naphi na apho kukho abantu abakhonza uYehova nabamthobelayo, ilapho ke intente kaThixo.​—ISityhi. 21:3.

7. Sazi njani ukuba abantu abasweleke bethembekile baseziindwendwe kwintente kaYehova? (Jonga nomfanekiso.)

⁷ Ngaba sinokuthi abantu abasweleke  bethembekile kuYehova baseziindwendwe kwintente yakhe? Ewe. Kutheni sinokutsho? Kaloku uYehova akabalibalanga, ngoko bafana nabaphilayo kuye. UYesu wayichaza kanje le nto: “KwanoMoses watsho ukuba abantu bayavuka ekufeni, xa wayethetha ngetyholo elinameva, ebiza uYehova ngokuba ‘nguThixo ka-Abraham noThixo kaIsake noThixo kaYakobi.’ AkangoThixo wabafileyo, kodwa ngowabaphilayo, kuba bonke bayaphila kuye.”​—Luka 20:​37, 38.

SINCEDAKALA NJANI, IZIINTONI ESIFANELE SIZENZE?

8. Iindwendwe zikaYehova zincedakala njani ngokuba sententeni yakhe?

⁸ Njengokuba intente yomntu iyindawo yokuphumla nemkhusela kwimozulu, intente kaYehova iyazikhusela iindwendwe zakhe kuyo nantoni na enokuzenza ziyeke ukuba ngabahlobo bakhe, izenze zibe nalo nethemba lezinto ezizayo. Xa sihlala singabahlobo bakaYehova, uSathana akasoze asenzakalise ngonaphakade. (INdu. 31:23; 1 Yoh. 3:8) UYehova akazukuphelela ekubakhuseleni kwizinto ezinokubenza bayeke ukuba ngabahlobo bakhe abantu abathembekileyo kuye, kodwa uza kubakhusela nakutshaba olukukufa.​—ISityhi. 21:4.

9. UYehova ulindele ukuba zenze ntoni iindwendwe zakhe?

⁹ Kuyinyhweba nyhani ukuba ziindwendwe kwintente kaYehova kuba sinokuba ngabahlobo bakhe ngonaphakade. Simele siziphathe njani ukuba sifuna ukuhlala siziindwendwe zakhe? Ukuba ubunokuba lundwendwe ekhayeni lomntu, ubuya kufuna ukwazi ukuba ziintoni anokuthanda uzenze. Ngokomzekelo, xa elindele ukuba ukhulule izihlangu ngaphambi kokuba ungene endlini yakhe, ubuya kuyenza loo nto. Ngendlela efanayo ke, nathi siyafuna ukuzazi izinto uYehova azilindeleyo kubantu abafuna ukuhlala beziindwendwe ententeni yakhe. Indlela esimthanda ngayo isenza sifune ukwenza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuze ‘simvuyise ngokupheleleyo.’ (Kol. 1:10) Ewe kona, uYehova unguMhlobo wethu, kodwa siyaqonda ukuba ukwanguThixo noTata wethu esimele simhloniphe. (INdu. 25:14) Loo nto isenza sihlale simhlonipha, singaze silibale ukuba ungubani. Indlela esimhlonipha ngayo iza kusinceda singenzi nantoni na eza kumkhathaza. Ngokuqinisekileyo sifuna ukusoloko ‘sihamba ngokuthobeka’ noThixo wethu.​—Mika 6:8.

ZANGE ABE NOMKHETHE ENTLANGO

10-11. Indlela uYehova awayewaphethe ngayo amaSirayeli entlango yayibonisa njani ukuba akakhethi?

¹⁰ UYehova uziphatha ngendlela efanayo iindwendwe zakhe. (Roma 2:11) Ukungabi namkhethe kwakhe, sikubona kwindlela awawaphatha ngayo amaSirayeli kwintlango yaseSinayi.

¹¹ Emva kokukhulula abantu bakhe kubukhoboka baseYiputa, uYehova wakhetha abanye babo ukuba babe ngababingeleli abaza kukhonza kwintente engcwele. Wakhetha nabaLevi ababeza kwenza eminye imisebenzi ekwakufuneka yenziwe kuloo ntente ingcwele. Ngaba uYehova wayebaphatha ngendlela eyahlukileyo abo babekhonza kwintente engcwele okanye behlala kufutshane nayo kunamanye amaSirayeli? Hayi! UYehova akakho njalo.

12. Indlela uYehova awayewaphatha ngayo amaSirayeli yayibonisa njani ukuba akakhethi? (Eksodus 40:38) (Jonga nomfanekiso.)

 ¹² Onke amaSirayeli ayenokuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova nokuba ayemkhonza njani okanye ehlala kude kangakanani nentente engcwele. Ngokomzekelo, uYehova wayeqiniseka ukuba lonke uhlanga luyawubona umqulu welifu nowomlilo owawusiba phezu kwentente engcwele. (Funda iEksodus 40:38.) Xa ilifu liqalisa ukuhamba, nawona maSirayeli akude nentente engcwele ayelibona, aqokelele izinto zawo, achithe iintente aze ahambe namanye. (Num. 9:​15-23) Onke amaSirayeli ayeweva amaxilongo amabini esilivere awayekhalela phezulu xa kufuneka kuhanjwe. (Num. 10:2) Kucacile ke ukuba uYehova wayengathandi umntu owayehlala kufutshane nentente engcwele ngaphezu kwalowo wayehlala kude nayo. Onke amaSirayeli ayenokuba ziindwendwe zikaYehova, aqiniseke nokuba uza kuwakhokela aze awakhusele. Nakule mihla, uYehova uyasithanda, uyasikhathalela futhi uyasikhusela nokuba sihlala phi.

NAKULE MIHLA UYEHOVA AKAKHETHI

13. Kule mihla uYehova ubonisa njani ukuba akakhethi?

¹³ Abanye abantu bakaThixo bahlala kufutshane nekomkhulu lehlabathi okanye neofisi yesebe yamaNgqina KaYehova. Phofu abanye bakhonza kwezi ndawo. Abo ke, banokuncedisa kwimisebenzi emininzi eyenziwa kwezi ndawo baze babe kunye nabazalwana abakhokelayo. Abanye bangabaveleli beziphaluka okanye bakwezinye iintlobo zenkonzo ekhethekileyo yexesha elizeleyo. Ukuba ungomnye wabantu bakaYehova abaninzi abangamkhonzi ngezi ndlela, qiniseka ukuba nawe ulundwendwe lwakhe, futhi uyakuthanda. Ukwazi kakuhle futhi uyakunika izinto ozidingayo. (1 Pet. 5:7) Bonke abantu bakhe uyabanika ukutya okuqinisa ukholo, uyabakhokela aze abakhusele.

14. Yeyiphi enye indlela uYehova abonisa ngayo ukuba akakhethi?

 ¹⁴ Enye indlela uYehova abonisa ngayo ukuba akakhethi kukuba wenze iBhayibhile yafumaneka kubantu abasemhlabeni wonke. Ekuqaleni iZibhalo Ezingcwele zazibhalwe ngeelwimi ezintathu: IsiHebhere, isiAramiki nesiGrike. Ngaba uYehova uthanda abantu abakwazi ukufunda ezi lwimi ngaphezu kwabo bangakwaziyo? Hayi.​—Mat. 11:25.

15. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba uYehova akakhethi? (Jonga nomfanekiso.)

¹⁵ Ukuze uYehova asithande, akaxhomekekanga ekubeni sifunde kangakanani okanye sizazi kangakanani iilwimi eyaqala yabhalwa ngazo iBhayibhile. Ubulumko bakhe ubenza bufumaneke kubo bonke abantu abasemhlabeni, nokuba bazizifundiswa okanye abazizo. ILizwi lakhe eliphefumlelweyo, iBhayibhile, liguqulelwe ngeelwimi ezingaphezu kweziyi-3 000. Ngoko abantu abasemhlabeni wonke banokuncedwa zizinto elizifundisayo baze bafunde nokuba banokwenza ntoni ukuze babe ngabahlobo bakhe.​—2 Tim. 3:​16, 17.

HLALA ULUNDWENDWE LUKAYEHOVA

16. IZenzo 10:​34, 35 zibonisa ukuba ngabantu abanjani abanokuhlala beziindwendwe ententeni kaYehova?

¹⁶ Yinyhweba enkulu ukwamkelwa nguYehova ukuba sibe ziindwendwe ententeni yakhe. Kubo bonke abantu abakhe baneendwendwe onokucinga ngabo, uYehova ngoyena uzikhathalelayo nozithandayo iindwendwe zakhe. Enye into, akakhethi. Usamkela sonke, nokuba sihlala phi, sikhule njani, sifunde kangakanani, siloluphi uhlanga, sibadala kangakanani, singamadoda okanye singamabhinqa. Kodwa kwintente yakhe wamkela kuphela abantu abenza izinto azithandayo.​—Funda iZenzo 10:​34, 35.

17. Siza kuzifumana phi ezinye izinto esimele sizenze ukuze sibe ziindwendwe ententeni kaYehova?

¹⁷ KwiNdumiso 15:​1, uDavide wabuza: “Owu Yehova, ngubani ongaba lundwendwe ententeni yakho? Ngubani onokuhlala entabeni yakho engcwele?” Waphefumlelwa ukuba ayiphendule ke loo mibuzo. Kwinqaku elilandelayo, siza kuthetha ngezinye izinto uYehova alindele ukuba sizenze ukuze sihlale siziindwendwe zakhe.