1, 2. Ziziphi iinkalo zeendibano zamaKristu esifanele sizihlolisise?

IINDIBANO zezizwe ngezizwe nezesithili beziyinkalo ebalulekileyo yembali yakutshanje yamaNgqina kaYehova kangangexesha elide kakhulu. Uninzi lwethu luye lwaya kweziliqela kwezi zihlandlo zovuyo kangangamashumi eminyaka.

² Kumawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo, abantu bakaThixo bebesiba neendibano ezingcwele. Siza kukhe sithethe ngeendibano ezichazwe eZibhalweni, sikhangele indlela ezifana ngayo nezo ziqhutywa namhlanje, size ke sibethelele indlela okuluncedo ngayo ukuya kuzo.—INdu. 44:1; Roma 15:4.

3. (a) Yintoni eyenzeka kwindibano yokuqala yabantu bakaYehova echazwe eBhayibhileni? (b) AmaSirayeli ayebizwa njani ukuze ahlanganisane?

³ Indibano eyayikumazantsi eNtaba yeSinayi yeyokuqala enkulu yabantu bakaThixo echazwe eBhayibhileni neyayenzelwe imfundo yokomoya. Yayibalasele ngokwenene kwimbali yonqulo olunyulu. Ngeso sihlandlo sibangel’ imincili, esingazange silityalwe ngababelapho, uYehova wabonisa amaSirayeli amandla akhe ngokuwanika uMthetho wakhe. (Eks. 19:2-9, 16-19; funda iEksodus 20:18; neDuteronomi 4:9, 10.) Eso siganeko saba negalelo elibalulekileyo kwindlela uThixo awayeza kuqhubana ngayo namaSirayeli. Akuzange kube kudala emva koko, uYehova wamisela indlela awayeza kubahlanganisa ngayo abantu bakhe. Wayalela uMoses ukuba enze amaxilongo amabini esilivere, awayeza kusetyenziselwa ukubiza “indibano iphela” ukuba ihlanganisane “esangweni lentente yokuhlangana.” (Num. 10:1-4) Khawuthelekelele imincili eyayibakho ngezo zihlandlo!

4, 5. Kwakutheni ukuze iindibano ezaziqhutywa nguMoses noYoshuwa zibaluleke ngokukhethekileyo?

 ⁴ Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka engama-40 yokuhlala kwamaSirayeli entlango, ngexesha elibalulekileyo lembali yolo hlanga lutsha, uMoses wawahlanganisa amaSirayeli. Ayesele ekulungele ukungena kwiLizwe Lesithembiso. Eli yayilixesha elifanelekileyo lokuba uMoses akhumbuze abazalwana bakhe ngako konke abakwenzelwe nguYehova nangako konke oko babeseza kukwenzelwa nguye.—Dut. 29:1-15; 30:15-20; 31:30.

⁵ Mhlawumbi kwakuloo ndibano, uMoses wathetha ngelungiselelo elaliza kubakho ngokuqhubekayo leendibano nokufundiswa kwabantu bakaThixo. Ngeminyaka yeSabatha ebudeni boMthendeleko wemiNquba, amadoda, abafazi, abantwana nabo baphambukele kwaSirayeli babefanele bahlanganisane kwindawo ekhethwe nguYehova “ukuze baphulaphule nokuze bafunde, bamoyike uYehova uThixo . . . bakunyamekele ukuwenza onke amazwi alo mthetho.” (Funda iDuteronomi 31:1, 10-12.) Ngoko kwakudala kwimbali yabantu bakaThixo, kwahla kwacaca ukuba kuza kufuneka bahlanganisane rhoqo ukuze bahlolisise ilizwi neenjongo zikaYehova. Xa amaSirayeli ayesele eloyisile iLizwe Lesithembiso kodwa esangqongwe ziintlanga ezingabahedeni, uYoshuwa wawahlanganisa onke ngenjongo yokuwomeleza ukuze ahlale enyanisekile kuYehova. Abantu benza isifungo sokukhonza uThixo.—Yosh. 23:1, 2; 24:1, 15, 21-24.

6, 7. Kutheni sinokuthi iindibano zale mihla zabantu bakaYehova bezibalasele?

⁶ Nakule mihla, abantu bakaYehova baye baba neendibano ezibalaseleyo—iziganeko eziye zaphawula ukukhula okumangalisayo komsebenzi kaThixo okanye ukuqondwa kweZibhalo. (IMize. 4:18) Indibano yokuqala enkulu eyaqhutywa ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi I yayingowe-1919 eCedar Point, eOhio, eUnited States. Loo ndibano yayinabantu abangama-7 000, yabalasela ngokubhengezwa kwephulo lokushumayela ehlabathini lonke. Ngowe-1922, ebudeni bendibano yeentsuku ezisithoba eyaqhutyelwa kwakwindawo efanayo, uJoseph F. Rutherford, wanikela ukhuthazo olunamandla kubaphulaphuli bakhe ukuba benze lo msebenzi xa wathi: “Yibani ngamangqina athembekileyo nayinyaniso eNkosi. Qhubelani phambili emlweni de onke amasalela eBhabhiloni abe yinkangala. Vakalisani isigidimi kude nakufuphi. Ihlabathi limele lazi ukuba uYehova unguThixo nokuba uYesu Kristu unguKumkani wookumkani neNkosi yeenkosi. Le yimini yeemini. Khangelani, uKumkani uyalawula! Nina ningabameli bakhe. Ngoko ke mbhengezeni, mbhengezeni, mbhengezeni, uKumkani nobukumkani bakhe.” Ababelapho, kunye nabo bonke abantu bakaThixo abasehlabathini, basamkela ngovuyo eso sibongozo.

⁷ Ngowe-1931, eColumbus, eOhio, aBafundi beBhayibhile bakuvuyela ngokwenene ukwamkela igama elithi amaNgqina kaYehova. Kwathi ke, ngowe-1935, eWashington, D.C., uMzalwan’ uRutherford wachaza “isihlwele esikhulu,” ekuthethwa ngaso kwiSityhilelo ‘njengesimi phambi kwetrone naphambi kweMvana.’ (ISityhi. 7:9-17) Ngowe-1942, kanye xa yayiphakathi iMfazwe Yehlabathi II, uNathan H. Knorr wanikela intetho emnandi enomxholo othi “Ngaba Uxolo Lunokuhlala Lukho?” Kuyo wathetha ‘ngerhamncwa elimfusa’ leSityhilelo 17 waza wabonisa ukuba kuseza kufuneka kushunyayelwe ngamandla emva kwemfazwe.

8, 9. Yintoni eyenze iindibano ezininzi zichukumise ngokukhethekileyo?

⁸ Eyona nto yayibaluleke ngokukhethekileyo kwiNdibano yowe-1946 “YeeNtlanga Ezivuyayo” eyayiseCleveland, eOhio, yintetho kaMzalwan’ uKnorr enomxholo othi: “Iingxaki Zokwakha Ngokutsha Nokwandisa.” Ethetha ngemincili eyabangelwa yiloo ntetho, omnye wabo babelapho ubhala athi: “Ndaba nelungelo lokuhlala emva kweqonga  ngoxa wayenikela intetho ngaloo ngokuhlwa, yaye njengoko wayechaza umsebenzi, ekhankanya nezicwangciso zokwandiswa kwekhaya nomzi-mveliso weBheteli yaseBrooklyn, kwahlokoma ngamandla ukuqhwatywa kwezandla. Nangona ndandingabuboni ngokucacileyo ubuso babazalwana noodade ngoxa ndandiseqongeni, kwaba lula ukuva ukuba bayavuya.” Kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe eyayikwisiXeko saseNew York ngowe-1950, abaphulaphuli bakuvuyela gqitha ukufumana INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike, inguqulelo yokuqala yeBhayibhile yala maxesha eye yabuyisela igama likaThixo kwindawo efanelekileyo kwiLizwi lakhe.—Yer. 16:21.

⁹ Ezinye iindibano ezazichukumisa gqitha, zezo uYehova wayehlanganisela kuzo amaNgqina akhe athembekileyo emva kwamaxesha okutshutshiswa nokuvalwa kwawo umlomo. UAdolf Hitler wayefungile ukuba uza kuwatshabalalisa amaNgqina kaYehova eJamani, kodwa ali-107 000 kuwo awayekwindibano yowe-1955 eyaqhutyelwa kwibala uHitler awayedla ngokuhlola kulo imikhosi yakhe eNuremberg. Kuninzi lwababelapho zasuka zazehlela iinyembezi zovuyo! Phakathi kwabantu abali-166 518 ababekwiindibano zesithili ezintathu ‘Zokuhlonela UThixo’ ePoland ngowe-1989, kwakukho iindwendwe ezazisuka kwindawo ezazibizwa ngokuba yiSoviet Union neCzechoslovakia ngelo xesha nakwamanye amazwe aseMpuma Yurophu. Abanye babeqala ukuya kwindibano enabantu bakaThixo abangaphezu kwe-15 okanye ama-20. Unokuluqikelela uchulumanco olwalukwiNdibano Yezizwe Ngezizwe yowe-1993 “Yemfundiso Yobuthixo” eyayiseKiev, eUkraine, apho kwabhaptizwa khona abantu abangama-7 402—awona maNgqina kaYehova maninzi akha abhaptizwa embalini.—Isa. 60:22; Hag. 2:7.

10. Ziziphi iindibano ezingalibalekiyo kuwe yaye ngoba?

¹⁰ Mhlawumbi zikho iindibano zesithili okanye ezezizwe ngezizwe osazikhumbulayo. Usayikhumbula indibano yokuqala owaya kuyo okanye leyo wabhaptizwa kuyo? Ezi zizihlandlo zokomoya ezibalulekileyo kuwe. Zixabise kakhulu ezo zihlandlo!—INdu. 42:4.

11. UThixo wenza liphi ilungiselelo lemithendeleko eyayisibakho rhoqo kwaSirayeli?

¹¹ UYehova wayalela ukuba amaSirayeli ahlanganisane eYerusalem ukuze enze imithendeleko emithathu nyaka ngamnye—uMthendeleko Wezonka Ezingenagwele, uMthendeleko Weeveki (owathi kamva wabizwa ngokuba yiPentekoste), kunye noMthendeleko Weminquba. Ngokuphathelele le mithendeleko, uThixo wathi: “Izihlandlo ezithathu ngonyaka mayibonakale yonke into eyindoda yakowenu phambi kweNkosi yokwenyaniso, uYehova.” (Eks. 23:14-17) Ngenxa yokuqonda ukubaluleka kwale mithendeleko, iintloko-ntsapho ezininzi zazisiya kuyo nazo zonke iintsapho zazo.—1 Sam. 1:1-7; Luka 2:41, 42.

12, 13. Ukuya kwimithendeleko yaminyaka le kwakuthetha ntoni kumaSirayeli amaninzi?

¹² Khawucinge nje ngendlela intsapho yamaSirayeli  eyayivakalelwa ngayo xa iza kuthabatha olo hambo. Ngokomzekelo, uYosefu noMariya babehamba iikhilomitha ezili-100 ukusuka eNazarete besiya eYerusalem kuphela. Ucinga ukuba lwalunokuthatha ixesha elingakanani olo hambo, xa uhamba nabantwana abancinane? Ingxelo ethetha ngokutyelela kukaYesu eYerusalem eseyinkwenkwe ityhila ukuba izihlobo nezalamane zazisenokuluthatha kunye olo hambo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba kwakuhlaziya ukuhamba nokulungiselela kunye izidlo nokwenza amalungiselelo eendawo ezifanelekileyo zokulala kwiindawo ababengaqhelananga nazo. Sekunjalo, kwakukhuselekile ukuvumela uYesu oneminyaka eli-12 ubudala ukuba abe nenkululeko ukusa kumkhamo othile. Ngokwenene, abantwana babengenakuzilibala izihlandlo ezinjalo!—Luka 2:44-46.

¹³ Xa amaSirayeli ayethe saa kwimida yelizwe lawo, abo babesiya kule mithendeleko babevela kwizizwe ezininzi. NgePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., abangamaYuda nabangengomaYuda abanoxabiso babesiya eYerusalem besuka eItali, eLibhiya, eKrete, eAsia Minor, naseMesopotamiya.—IZe. 2:5-11; 20:16.

14. AmaSirayeli ayencedwa njani kukuya kwimithendeleko yaminyaka le?

¹⁴ KumaSirayeli athembekileyo, eyona nto yayibalasele kolo hambo zizinto zokomoya—ukuzimisela kwawo ngokomoya ukunqula uYehova kunye namawakawaka abantu abanoxabiso. Oko kwakuba naliphi igalelo kwabo bakhoyo? Impendulo ifumaneka kulwalathiso lukaYehova ngokuphathelele uMthendeleko Weminquba: “Yiba nemihlali emthendelekweni wakho, wena nonyana wakho nentombi yakho nekhoboka lakho nekhobokazana lakho nomLevi nomphambukeli nenkwenkwe engenayise nomhlolokazi, abasemasangweni akho. Wowubhiyozela iintsuku ezisixhenxe umthendeleko lowo kaYehova uThixo wakho kuloo ndawo aya kuyinyula uYehova, ngokuba uYehova uThixo wakho uya kukusikelela kuyo yonke imveliso yakho nakuko konke esikwenzayo isandla sakho, uzaliswe luvuyo kuphela.”—Dut. 16:14, 15; funda uMateyu 5:3.

15, 16. Ziintoni ekuye kwafuneka uzincame ukuze uye ezindibanweni? Kutheni ungazisoli ngokuya kuzo?

¹⁵ Ezi ndibano zamaxesha amandulo zingumzekelo omhle kubantu bakaThixo namhlanje! Nangona izinto ezininzi ziye zatshintsha ukutyhubela iinkulungwane, iinkalo ezibalulekileyo zezi ndibano azikatshintshi. Ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile, ukuya kwezi ndibano kwakufuna umntu ancame okuthile. Nanamhlanje kusenjalo. Sekunjalo akunakuzisola xa uvela kuzo. Ezi zihlandlo zisabaluleke ngendlela ezaziyiyo ngokomoya. Ziyasifundisa yaye zisenza siqonde izinto ezisinceda sihlale sisondele kuThixo. Iindibano zisikhuthaza ukuba sikusebenzise oko sikufundayo, siphephe iingxaki zize zisenze sihlale sinikele ingqalelo kwizinto eziza kusihlaziya kunakwezo ziza kusithena amandla.—INdu. 122:1-4.

¹⁶ Uvuyo luba yeyona nto ibalaselayo ezindibanweni. Enye ingxelo eyenziwa ngendibano enkulu yowe-1946 yathi: “Kwakumnandi ngeyona ndlela ukubona amawakawaka amangqina ehleli kamnandi, ibe kwakuluncuthu ukuphulaphula ukudlalwa kwezixhobo zomculo okuhambisana namazwi eso sihlwele, njengoko sasicula iingoma zoBukumkani zokudumisa uYehova.” Le ngxelo ihlabela mgama isithi: “ISebe Lenkonzo Yamatsha-ntliziyo labhalisa abasebenzi phakathi kwabo babekho ababeza kusebenza kuwo onke amasebe, nababekwenza oko beqhutywa ngumoya wokufuna ukukhonza abazalwana babo.” Ngaba nawe uye wanovuyo olufanayo kwiindibano zesithili okanye ezezizwe ngezizwe?—INdu. 110:3; Isa. 42:10-12.

17. Iye yatshintshwa njani indlela ezilungiselelwa ngayo iindibano kutshanje?

 ¹⁷ Kuye kwakho utshintsho kwindlela yokulungiselela iindibano. Ngokomzekelo abanye abantu bakaThixo bakhumbula iminyaka yaxa iindibano zazithatha iintsuku ezisibhozo! Kwakusibakho ucwangciso lwakusasa, olwasemva kwemini nolwangokuhlwa. Inkonzo yasentsimini yayisiba yinxalenye yocwangciso. Ezinye iintetho zaziqala ngentsimbi yesithoba kusasa, yaye ucwangciso lwaludla ngokuqhuba de kube yintsimbi yesithoba ebusuku. Amatsha-ntliziyo ayesebenza nzima ixesha elide ukuze alungiselele abezileyo isidlo sakusasa, esasemini nesangokuhlwa. Ngoku kubakho ucwangciso lwendibano oluthatha iintsuku ezimbalwa yaye ukuzilungiselela kwabantu neentsapho izidlo kusengaphambili kwenza ukuba abantu babe nethuba elaneleyo lokunikela ingqalelo kwizidlo zokomoya.

18, 19. Ziziphi iinkalo zeendibano okhangela phambili kuzo yaye ngoba?

¹⁸ Kukho iinkalo zendibano ekudala ziyinxalenye yocwangciso nesisoloko sikhangela phambili kuzo. ‘Ukutya kokomoya okufika ngexesha elifanelekileyo’ okusinceda siziqonde kakuhle iziprofeto neemfundiso zeBhayibhile, akufumaneki kwiintetho kuphela, kodwa kufumaneka nakwiimpapasho ezintsha ezikhululwa kwezi ndibano. (Mat. 24:45) Ezi mpapasho zidla ngokunceda abantu abanyanisekileyo bayiqonde inyaniso yeZibhalo. Iidrama ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni zikhuthaza ulutsha nabantu abadala ukuba bahlole indlela abenza ngayo baze baphephe ingcinezelo ebangelwa yindlela yokucinga yehlabathi. Ngokufanayo intetho yobhaptizo inika wonke umntu ithuba lokuhlolisisa izinto ezibalulekileyo ebomini novuyo lokubona abantu befuzisela ukuzahlulela kwabo kuYehova.

¹⁹ Ngokwenene, ezi ndibano nekukudala zikho kunqulo lokwenyaniso, zixhobisa abantu bakaYehova abanovuyo ukuba bamkhonze ngendlela eyiyo ngamaxesha obunzima. Ezi ndibano ziyasihlaziya ngokomoya, zisivulele amathuba okuzenzela abahlobo abatsha, zisincede sazi abazalwana bethu abasehlabathini lonke, yaye ziyindlela ebalulekileyo uYehova asikelela aze anyamekele ngayo abantu bakhe. Ngokuqinisekileyo ngamnye kuthi angathanda ukuhlengahlengisa iimeko zakhe ukuze abekho aze angenelwe kucwangciso ngalunye lwezi ndibano.—IMize. 10:22.