1-3. (a) Kutheni sinokuqiniseka ukuba singakwazi ukuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo? (b) Ngoobani esiza kuthetha ngabo kweli nqaku?

EBHAYIBHILENI uAbraham ubizwa ngokuba ngumhlobo kaThixo kangangezihlandlo ezithathu. (2 Kronike 20:7; Isaya 41:8; Yakobi 2:23) Nguye yedwa umntu obizwa ngokungqalileyo ngokuba ngumhlobo kaThixo eBhayibhileni. Ngaba loo nto ithetha ukuba nguAbraham kuphela owayenokuba ngumhlobo kaYehova? Hayi. IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba sonke singanalo elo lungelo.

² ILizwi likaThixo lithetha ngamadoda namabhinqa amaninzi athembekileyo awayesoyika uYehova, enokholo kuye, aza aba ngabahlobo bakhe abasondeleyo. (Funda iNdumiso 25:14.) Ayinxalenye ‘yelifu elikhulu lamangqina’ awathetha ngalo uPawulos. Bonke aba bantu babengabahlobo bakaThixo.—Hebhere 12:1.

³ Makhe sithethe ngabahlobo abathathu bakaYehova ekuthethwe ngabo eBhayibhileni: (1) uRute, umhlolokazi oselula nonyanisekileyo wakwaMowabhi, (2) uHezekiya, ukumkani othembekileyo wakwaYuda, (3) noMariya, unina othobekileyo kaYesu. Sinokufunda ntoni kwindlela ngamnye wabo awazenzela ngayo ubuhlobo noThixo?

4, 5. Sisiphi isigqibo esinzima awayemele asenze uRute, ibe kutheni sasinzima? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

⁴ UNahomi kunye noomolokazana bakhe uRute no-Orpa, babekuhambo olude olusuka kwaMowabhi lusiya kwaSirayeli. Endleleni uOrpa wajika wabuyela kowabo kwaMowabhi. Kodwa uNahomi wayezimisele ukuya ezweni lakowabo, kwaSirayeli. URute yena wakhetha ukuya phi? Kwafuneka enze isigqibo esinzima. Ngaba wayeza kubuyela kowabo kwaMowabhi, okanye aye eBhetelehem nomamazala wakhe uNahomi?—Rute 1:1-8, 14.

⁵ Intsapho yakuloRute yayihlala kwaMowabhi. Wayenokubuyela kuyo, ibe yayiseno kumnyamekela. Wayebazi abantu balapho, ulwimi nezithethe zabo. UNahomi wayengenakumthembisa ukuba kuza kuba njalo naseBhetelehem. Kwakhona wayenoloyiko lokuba uRute akazukumfumana umyeni nomzi. Ngoko wathi makabuyele kwaMowabhi. Njengoko sibonile, uOrpa ‘wabuyela ebantwini bakowabo nakoothixo bakhe.’ (Rute 1:9-15) Kodwa yena uRute wakhetha ukungabuyeli ebantwini bakowabo nakoothixo babo.

6. (a) Sisiphi isigqibo sobulumko awasenzayo uRute? (b) Kwakutheni ukuze uBhohazi athi uRute wasabela phantsi kwamaphiko kaYehova?

⁶ Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uRute wayefunde ngoYehova kumyeni wakhe okanye kuNahomi. Wafunda ukuba uYehova akafani noothixo bakwaMowabhi. Wayemthanda uYehova, ibe esazi ukuba kwakufuneka amnqule. Ngoko wenza isigqibo sobulumko. Wathi kuNahomi: “Abantu bakowenu baya kuba ngabantu basekhaya, noThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam.” (Rute 1:16) Isichukumis’ intliziyo indlela uRute awayemthanda ngayo uNahomi. Kodwa eyona nto isichukumisa nangakumbi yindlela awayemthanda ngayo uYehova. Oku kwamchukumisa noBhohazi, waza wamncoma ‘ngokufuna kwakhe indawo yokusabela phantsi kwamaphiko kaYehova.’ (Funda uRute 2:12.) Amazwi kaBhohazi asenokusikhumbuza indlela intshontsho lentaka elizifihla ngayo phantsi kwamaphiko kanina ukuze likhuseleke. (INdumiso 36:7; 91:1-4) Ngokufanayo, ngothando uYehova wamkhusela uRute waza wamvuza ngokholo lwakhe. URute wayengenaso kwaphela isizathu sokuzisola ngesigqibo sakhe.

7. Yintoni enokubanceda abo bakubekel’ amangomso ukwahlulela ubomi babo kuYehova?

⁷ Abantu abaninzi bayafunda ngoYehova kodwa bakhetha ukungazifihli phantsi kwamaphiko akhe. Bakubekel’ amangomso ukuzahlulela kuye nokubhaptizwa. Ukuba nawe uvakalelwa ngaloo ndlela, zibuze ukuba kutheni? Mntu ngamnye unothixo amkhonzayo. (Yoshuwa 24:15) Esona sigqibo sobulumko kukukhonza uThixo oyinyaniso. Xa uzahlulela kuYehova, ubonisa ukuba uyakholwa ukuba uza kukukhusela. Ibe uza kukunceda ukuba uqhubeke umkhonza nokuba unaziphi na iingxaki. Yiloo nto kanye awayenzayo kuRute.

8. Khawuchaze indlela awakhula ngayo uHezekiya.

⁸ UHezekiya wayahluke kakhulu kuRute. Wayengowohlanga lwakwaSirayeli olwaluzahlulele kuThixo. Kodwa ayingawo onke amaSirayeli awahlala ethembekile. Utata kaHezekiya, uKumkani uAhazi,  wayengumntu ongendawo. Wayeyidelela itempile kaThixo, ekhuthaza nabantu ukuba banqule oothixo bobuxoki. Wada watshisa abanye boonyana bakhe bephila, ebingelela ngabo kuthixo wobuxoki. UHezekiya wakhula kabuhlungu nyhani!—2 Kumkani 16:2-4, 10-17; 2 Kronike 28:1-3.

9, 10. (a) Yintoni eyayinokubangela uHezekiya abe nomsindo? (b) Kutheni singamele simqumbele uThixo? (c) Kutheni singamele sicinge ukuba ubuntu bethu bubunjwa yindlela esikhuliswe ngayo?

⁹ Lo mzekelo mbi ka-Ahazi wawunokubangela uHezekiya amqumbele uYehova. Namhlanje, abanye bakhule ngendlela engcono lee kunoHezekiya, kodwa bavakalelwa kukuba bayathetheleleka ‘ngokuba nomsindo nxamnye noYehova’ nentlangano yakhe. (IMizekeliso 19:3) Bakho nabo bacinga ukuba indlela embi abakhuliswe ngayo inokubangela bangaphili bomi buphucukileyo, okanye ibangele benze iimpazamo ezenziwa ngabazali babo. (Hezekile 18:2, 3) Kodwa ngaba ichanile le ndlela bacinga ngayo?

¹⁰ Izenzo zikaHezekiya zibonisa ukuba akunjalo. Soze sibekho nanini na isizathu sokuqumbela uYehova. Akabangeli abantu behlelwe zizinto ezimbi. (Yobhi 34:10) Kuyinyaniso kona ukuba abazali banako ukubafundisa abantwana babo ukuba benze okulungileyo okanye okubi. (IMizekeliso 22:6; Kolose 3:21) Kodwa oku akuthethi ukuba ubuntu bethu bunokubunjwa yindlela esikhuliswe ngayo. Ngoba? Kuba uYehova usiphe inkululeko yokuzikhethela phakathi kokwenza okuhle nokubi. (Duteronomi 30:19) UHezekiya wasisebenzisa njani eso sipho sixabisekileyo?

11. Yintoni eyenza uHezekiya waba ngomnye wabona kumkani babalaseleyo kwaYuda?

¹¹ UHezekiya waba ngomnye wabona kumkani babalaseleyo kwaYuda, nangona uyise wayengomnye wabona bangendawo. (Funda eyesi-2 yooKumkani 18:5, 6.) Wakhetha ukungahambi ekhondweni elibi likayise. Endaweni yoko, wakhetha ukuphulaphula ngenyameko abaprofeti bakaYehova abanjengoIsaya, uMika noHoseya. Wazamkela iziluleko namacebiso abo. Oku kwamenza waba nesibindi sokulungisa umonakalo omkhulu owabangelwa nguyise.  Wacoca itempile, wathandazela ukuba uThixo axolele izono zabantu, waza watshabalalisa nezithixo ezazizalise ilizwe. (2 Kronike 29:1-11, 18-24; 31:1) Kamva, xa ukumkani uSenaribhe waseAsiriya wagrogrisa ngokuhlasela iYerusalem, uHezekiya wabonisa inkalipho nokholo olukhulu. Wayenethemba lokuba uYehova uza kubakhusela, waza wabomeleza abantu. (2 Kronike 32:7, 8) Ngaxa lithile uHezekiya waba nekratshi, kodwa xa uYehova wamlulekayo, wazithoba. (2 Kronike 32:24-26) Kucacile ukuba, uHezekiya ungumzekelo omhle kuthi. Akazange avumele imeko yakowabo yonakalise ubomi bakhe. Kunoko, wabonisa ukuba ungumhlobo kaYehova.

12. NjengoHezekiya, abaninzi namhlanje baye babonisa njani ukuba bangabahlobo bakaYehova?

¹² Ihlabathi lanamhlanje likhohlakele ibe alinaluthando, yaye abantwana abaninzi bakhula bengenabo abazali abanothando nabanenkathalo. (2 Timoti 3:1-5) Nangona amaKristu amaninzi namhlanje ekhule kabuhlungu, aye akhetha ukuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova. NjengoHezekiya, awavumeli indlela akhule ngayo ukuba ibumbe ubuntu bawo. UThixo usinike inkululeko yokuzikhethela, ibe sinokukhetha ukumkhonza nokumzukisa, njengokuba noHezekiya wenzayo.

13, 14. Kutheni sasinzima nje isabelo sikaMariya, kodwa wasabela njani kumazwi kaGabriyeli?

¹³ Kwiminyaka emininzi emva kwexesha likaHezekiya, kwabakho uMariya, ibhinqa eliselula nelithobekileyo, elalinobuhlobo obukhethekileyo noYehova, laza lafumana isabelo esingaqhelekanga. Laliza kukhulelwa, lizale, lize likhulise uNyana kaThixo! UYehova umel’ ukuba wayemthanda ibe emthembile uMariya, ukuba angade amnike ilungelo elizuke kangaka. Kodwa wasabela njani ukuva kwakhe okokuqala ngeso sabelo?

¹⁴ Sidla ngokuthetha ngelungelo elizukileyo uMariya awalifumanayo. Kodwa ziintoni ekusenokwenzeka ukuba zazimxhalabisa? Ngokomzekelo, ingelosi uGabriyeli yathi wayeza kukhulelwa engakhange alale nomntu oyindoda. Kodwa uGabriyeli akazange ayichaze loo nto kwintsapho nabamelwane bakhe. Babeza kuthini? Wayeza kumqinisekisa njani uYosefu ukuba khange aziphathe kakubi? Ngaphezu koko, wayenembopheleleko enkulu yokukhulisa uNyana kaThixo njengomntu! Asizazi zonke izinto ezazimxhalabisa uMariya, kodwa siyakwazi oko wakwenzayo emva kokuba uGabriyeli ethethe naye. Wathi: “Khangela! Ikhobokazana likaYehova!  Ngamana kungenzeka kum ngokwendlela ovakalise ngayo.”—Luka 1:26-38.

15. Kutheni lumangalisa nje ukholo lukaMariya?

¹⁵ Ukholo lukaMariya lwalumangalisa ngokwenene! Wayekulungele ukwenza nantoni na ekwakusithiwa makayenze, kanye njengekhobokazana. Wayenethemba lokuba uYehova wayeza kumnyamekela aze amkhusele. Yintoni eyenza uMariya waba nokholo olomelele ngaloo ndlela? Asizalwa sinokholo. Kodwa sinako ukuluhlakulela size sicele uThixo asikelele imigudu yethu. (Galati 5:22; Efese 2:8) UMariya wasebenza nzima ukuze omeleze ukholo lwakhe. Sikwazi njani oko? Makhe sibone indlela awayephulaphula ngayo noko wakuthethayo.

16. Yintoni ebonisa ukuba uMariya wayephulaphula ngenyameko?

¹⁶ Indlela uMariya awayephulaphula ngayo. IBhayibhile ithi ‘simele sikhawuleze ukuva, sicothe ukuthetha.’ (Yakobi 1:19) Ibonisa ukuba uMariya wayephulaphula ngenyameko xa kuthethwa, ingakumbi xa kuthethwa ngoYehova. Wayezipha ixesha lokucingisisa ngoko kuthethwayo. Umzekelo woku siwubona ngexesha lokuzalwa kukaYesu, xa abalusi bamxelela oko kwakuthethwe yingelosi. Kamva, xa uYesu wayeneminyaka eyi-12, wathetha into eyamothusayo uMariya. Kuzo zozibini ezi zihlandlo, waphulaphula, waza wacingisisa ngoko kwakuthethwa.—Funda uLuka 2:16-19, 49, 51.

17. Amazwi kaMariya asifundisa ntoni ngaye?

¹⁷ Izinto awayethetha ngazo uMariya. IBhayibhile ayithethi kangako ngezinto ezathethwa nguMariya. Awona mazwi maninzi awawathethayo afumaneka kuLuka 1:46-55. La mazwi abonisa ukuba uMariya wayezazi kakuhle iZibhalo zesiHebhere. Njani? Kuba ayefana namazwi omthandazo kaHana, umama kaSamuweli. (1 Samuweli 2:1-10) Kubonakala ukuba uMariya wacaphula iZibhalo izihlandlo ezimalunga ne-20 xa wayethetha la mazwi. Kucacile ukuba wayekuthanda ukuthetha ngenyaniso ayifundileyo ngoyena Mhlobo wakhe mkhulu, uYehova.

18. Sinokuba nalo njani ukholo olufana nolukaMariya?

¹⁸ NjengoMariya, nathi sisenokufumana izabelo ezivela kuYehova esisenokucinga ukuba zinzima kakhulu. Masibe njengaye, sisamkele ngokuthobeka isabelo, sithemba ukuba uYehova uza kusinceda. Kwakhona, masimphulaphule ngenyameko uYehova size sicingisise ngoko sikufundileyo ngaye neenjongo zakhe. Emva koko ngovuyo sinokuxelela abanye ngoko sikufundileyo.—INdumiso 77:11, 12; Luka 8:18; Roma 10:15.

19. Yintoni esinokuqiniseka ngayo njengoko sifunda kwimizekelo emangalisayo yokholo eseBhayibhileni?

¹⁹ Kucacile ukuba uRute, uHezekiya noMariya babengabahlobo bakaYehova, njengoAbraham. Babeyinxalenye ‘yelifu elikhulu lamangqina’ awayenelungelo lokuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo. Ngamana singaqhubeka sifunda kuloo mizekelo imangalisayo yokholo. (Hebhere 6:11, 12) Ukuba senjenjalo, sinokukhangela phambili kumvuzo wokuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova ngonaphakade!