1. Yintoni abayifunayo bonk’ abantu, ibe inokwaneliswa ngubani?

YINTO eqhelekileyo ukufuna ukusondelelana nabanye abantu. Kudla ngokuthiwa abantu “basondelelene xa bethandana naxa besazana kakuhle.” Kumnandi ukuba nobuhlobo obuhle nentsapho nabahlobo abasithandayo, abasixabisayo nabasiqondayo. Noko ke, oyena Mntu simele sisondele ngakumbi kuye nguMdali wethu Ozukileyo.—INtshu. 12:1

2. Usithembisa ntoni uYehova, kodwa kutheni abaninzi bengayikholelwa nje loo nto?

² ELizwini lakhe, uYehova usibongoza ukuba ‘sisondele’ kuye, ibe uthembisa ukuba naye “uya kusondela” kuthi. (Yak. 4:8) Sivuyisa nyhani esi sibongozo! Sekunjalo, abantu abaninzi abayikholelwa into yokuba uThixo ufuna ukusondela kubo; bathi, bebengoobani bona ukuba bangade basondele kuThixo yaye bathi ukude kakhulu kubo. Ngaba nyhani sinokusondela kuYehova?

3. Yiyiphi inyaniso esimele siyazi ngoYehova?

³ Inyaniso kukuba uYehova akakude “kuye ngamnye wethu” ofuna ukumfumana; sinako ukumazi. (Funda iZenzo 17:26, 27; iNdumiso 145:18.) UThixo walungiselela ukuba nabantu abangafezekanga basondele kuye, ibe ufuna ukuba ngumhlobo  wabo osondeleyo. (Isa. 41:8; 55:6) Ngokusuka kumava akhe, umdumisi wathi ngoYehova: “Owu mphulaphuli wemithandazo, abantu bayo yonke inyama baya kuza kuwe. Unoyolo lowo umkhethayo uze umbangele asondele.” (INdu. 65:2, 4) Ibali eliseBhayibhileni likaKumkani uAsa wakwaYuda lingumzekelo womntu owasondela kuThixo, ibe libonisa noko kwenziwa nguYehova. *

4. UKumkani uAsa waba ngumzekelo njani ebantwini bakwaYuda?

⁴ UKumkani uAsa wayelukhuthalele unqulo lokwenyaniso, ibe wasusa amahenyu asetempileni waza waphelisa nonqulo zithixo olwalugqugqisile kwelo lizwe. (1 Kum. 15:9-13) Ethetha ngokukhululekileyo, wabongoza abantu esithi ‘mabafune uYehova uThixo wookhokho babo baze benze umthetho nomyalelo.’ UYehova wayisikelela ngoxolo oluninzi iminyaka elishumi yokuqala yolawulo luka-Asa. UAsa yena waba naliphi igalelo kolo xolo? Wathi ebantwini: “Ilizwe lisephambi kwethu, ngenxa yokuba siye safuna uYehova uThixo wethu. Simfunile, yena usinike ukuphumla macala onke.” (2 Kron. 14:1-7) Yintoni eyalandeleyo?

5. Sisiphi isihlandlo awazingqina kuso uAsa ukuba uthembele ngoThixo, ibe waba yintoni umphumo?

⁵ Masithi wawunguAsa. UZera umTiyopiya uhlasela uYuda ngamadoda ayi-1 000 000 nangeenqwelo zokulwa eziyi-300. (2 Kron. 14:8-10) Wawunokuthini xa ubona umkhosi omkhulu kangako uze kuhlasela ilizwe lakho? Wena unomkhosi onamajoni ayi-580 000 nje kuphela! Joni ngalinye lijongene namajoni amabini. Ubungenakuzibuza ukuba kutheni uThixo evumela ukuba nihlaselwe? Ngaba ubuya kuthembela kubulumko bakho? Indlela awenza ngayo uAsa yabonisa ukuba usondele ibe uthembele kuYehova. Wenz’ esi sicelo: “Khawusincede, Yehova Thixo wethu, kuba sayama ngawe, siza nxamnye nesi sihlwele ngegama lakho. Owu Yehova, unguThixo wethu. Musa ukuvumela umntu ofayo abe namandla nxamnye nawe.” Wamphendula njani uThixo? “UYehova wawoyisa amaTiyopiya.” Akukho namnye owasindayo kumkhosi wotshaba!—2 Kron. 14:11-13.

6. Sinokumxelisa njani uAsa?

⁶ Yintoni eyabangela ukuba uAsa afun’ ukukhokelwa nokukhuselwa nguThixo? IBhayibhile ithi, “uAsa wenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaYehova” ibe “intliziyo [yakhe] yayiphelele kuYehova.” (1 Kum. 15:11, 14) Nathi simele simkhonze ngentliziyo epheleleyo uThixo. Le yeyona nto ingundoqo ukuze sisondele kuye ngoku nakwixesha elizayo. Ivuyisa nyhani into yokuba uYehova eye wasisondeza kuye waza wasinceda saba nolwalamano naye! Makhe sifunde iindlela ezimbini uThixo aye wasisondeza ngazo.

7. (a) UYehova wenze ntoni ukuze asisondeze kuye? (b) Yiyiphi eyona ndlela uThixo asisondeza ngayo kuye?

⁷ UYehova wabonisa ukuba uyabathanda abantu ngokudala umhlaba olikhaya elihle. Nangoku usabonisa ukuba uyasithanda ngokusinika izinto ezisenza siqhubeke siphila. (IZe. 17:28; ISityhi. 4:11) Okubaluleke nangakumbi kukuba uYehova womeleza nokholo lwethu. (Luka 12:42) Kwakhona usiqinisekisa  ukuba uyimamela ngokwakhe imithandazo yethu. (1 Yoh. 5:14) Kodwa, eyona ndlela uThixo asisondeza nabonisa ngayo ukuba uyasithanda yintlawulelo. (Funda eyoku-1 kaYohane 4:9, 10, 19.) UYehova wathumela ‘uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo’ emhlabeni ukuze sihlangulwe esonweni nasekufeni.—Yoh. 3:16.

8, 9. Yiyiphi indima kaYesu kwinjongo kaYehova?

⁸ UYehova wenze ukuba intlawulelo incede nabantu ababephila ngaphambi kukaKristu. Ukususela mhla uYehova waprofeta ngoMsindisi owayeza kuhlangula abantu, kwafana nokuba intlawulelo sele ibhatelwe, kuba wayesazi ukuba injongo yakhe ayisoze ingazaliseki. (Gen. 3:15) Kwiminyaka engamakhulu amaninzi kamva, umpostile uPawulos wabulela uThixo, ‘ngokukhululwa ngentlawulelo ngoKristu Yesu.’ Walek’ umsundulu ngokuthi: “Ngenxa yokuba wayexolela izono ezenzeka kwixesha elidluleyo ngoxa uThixo wayenyamezele.” (Rom. 3:21-26) Ibaluleke nyhani indima kaYesu ekusondeleni kwethu kuThixo!

⁹ KungoYesu kuphela apho abantu abathobekileyo banokuthi bamazi uYehova baze basondele kuye. IZibhalo ziyibonisa njani le nto? UPawulos wathi: “UThixo ubonakalisa uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu asifele.” (Rom. 5:6-8) Idini lentlawulelo likaYesu lanikelwa, hayi kuba sifaneleka, kodwa ngenxa yokuba sithandwa. UYesu wathi: “Akukho mntu unako ukuza kum ngaphandle kokuba uBawo, owandithumayo, amtsale.” Ngesinye isihlandlo wathi: “Akukho bani uzayo kuBawo ngaphandle kokuza ngam.” (Yoh. 6:44; 14:6) Esebenzisa umoya oyingcwele, uYehova utsala abantu ngoYesu, ebanceda ukuba babe nobuhlobo obuhle naye ukuze baphile ubomi obungunaphakade. (Funda uYude 20, 21.) Kodwa ke, makhe sifunde nangeny’ indlela uYehova asisondeza ngayo kuye.

10. Yintoni efundiswa yiBhayibhile esenza sisondele kuThixo?

¹⁰ Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, kweli nqaku sicaphule iincwadi zeBhayibhile eziyi-14. Ngaphandle kweBhayibhile, besiya kwazi njani ukuba sinako ukusondela kuMdali wethu? Besiya kwazi njani ngentlawulelo nangokuba uYehova usisondeze kuye ngoYesu? Esebenzisa umoya wakhe, uYehova waphefumlela ukuba kubhalwe iBhayibhile, esichazela iimpawu zakhe ezintle nenjongo yakhe ngathi. Ngokomzekelo, kwiEksodus 34:6, 7, uYehova wathi kuMoses ‘unguThixo onenceba nobabalo, ozeka kade umsindo, onobubele bothando obuninzi nenyaniso, ogcinela amawaka ububele bothando, oxolela isiphoso nokunxaxha nesono.’ Ngubani ongenakusondela emntwini onjalo? UYehova uyazi ukuba xa sifunda okuninzi ngaye eBhayibhileni, siya kutsho sibe nokholo size sisondele ngakumbi kuye.

11. Kutheni sifanele siqhubeke sifunda ngeempawu neendlela zikaThixo? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

¹¹ Intshayelelo yencwadi ethi Sondela KuYehova icacisa indlela esinokusondela ngayo kuThixo ngokuthi: “Ukuze naluphi na ulwalamano luqine, kufuneka umazi umntu lowo, uziqonde yaye uzixabise iimpawu abalasele kuzo. Ngoko iimpawu zikaThixo nendlela enza ngayo izinto, njengoko zichaziwe eBhayibhileni, zizinto ekubalulekileyo ukuba sifunde ngazo.” Sifanele siyibulele gqitha  into yokuba uYehova esibhalele iBhayibhile ngendlela yokuba siyiqonde!

12. Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova asebenzise abantu ukubhala iBhayibhile?

¹² UYehova wayenokusebenzisa iingelosi ukubhala iZibhalo. Kakade ke, zinomdla kuthi nakwizinto esizenzayo. (1 Pet. 1:12) Asiyithandabuzi into yokuba iingelosi zazinokulibhala iLizwi likaThixo. Kodwa iingelosi azifani nabantu. Ngaba zaziya kukwazi ukuziqonda kakuhle ezona zinto sizifunayo, ubuthathaka bethu nezinto esinqwenela ukuzenza? Hayi, uYehova waqonda ukuba azinakukwazi ukuyenza loo nto. Ukusebenzisa kukaYehova abantu ukuze babhale iBhayibhile kwenza ukuba ifikelele amazantsi eentliziyo zethu. Siziqonda kakuhle iingcinga neemvakalelo zababhali beBhayibhile nezabanye ekuthethwa ngabo eZibhalweni. Siyavelana nabo xa bephoxeka, bethandabuza, besoyika, okanye besenz’ iimpazamo size sivuye xa bonwabile naxa bephumelela. Njengomprofeti uEliya, bonk’ ababhali beBhayibhile ‘babeneemvakalelo ezinjengezethu.’—Yak. 5:17.

13. Kutheni ukuchukumisa nje umthandazo kaYona?

¹³ Ngokomzekelo, ucing’ ukuba ingelosi yayinokukwazi ukuveza indlela uYona awayevakalelwa ngayo xa lo mprofeti wayebaleka isabelo awayesinikwe nguThixo? UYehova wayechan’ ucwethe ngotolo xa wavumel’ uYona ukuba ayibhale ngokwakhe loo ngxelo, kuquka nomthandazo osuk’ entliziyweni awawenzayo xa wayeginywe yintlanzi! UYona wathi: “Ekutyhafeni komphefumlo wam ngaphakathi kum, nguYehova endamkhumbulayo.”—Yona 1:3, 10; 2:1-9.

14. Yintoni ekwenza uyiqond’ into eyabhalwa nguIsaya?

¹⁴ Khawucinge nangento uYehova  awaphefumlela uIsaya ukuba ayibhale. Emva kokubona umbono wozuko lukaThixo, lo mprofeti wathi ngokuba nesono kwakhe: “Yeha ke mna! Kuba ndisuke ndanjengosikwe umlomo, ngenxa yokuba ndingumntu omilebe ingahlambulukanga, yaye ndihlala phakathi kwesizwana esimilebe ingahlambulukanga; kuba amehlo am abone uKumkani, uYehova wemikhosi, ngokwakhe!” (Isa. 6:5) Ngaba ikhona ingelosi eyayinokuthetha loo mazwi? Kodwa uIsaya wakwazi ukuwathetha, ibe siyavelana nendlela awayevakalelwa ngayo.

15, 16. (a) Kutheni siyiqond’ indlela abanye abantu abavakalelwa ngayo? Yenz’ imizekelo. (b) Yintoni eya kusinceda sisondele kuYehova?

¹⁵ Ngaba iingelosi zazinokuthi ‘azifaneleki,’ njengoko uYakobi watshoyo, okanye njengoPetros, zithi ‘zinesono’? (Gen. 32:10; Luka 5:8) Ngaba ‘zazinokoyika,’ njengoko babenjalo abafundi bakaYesu, okanye ngaba iingelosi kwakunokufuneka ‘zomelezwe’ ukuze zishumayele iindaba ezilungileyo nokuba ziyachaswa, njengoko uPawulos nabanye kwafuneka bomelezwe? (Yoh. 6:19; 1 Tes. 2:2) Hayi, kaloku iingelosi zifezekile. Xa abantu abangafezekanga benezo mvakalelo, sikhawuleza sivakalelwe kuba nathi singabantu. Xa sifund’ iLizwi likaThixo, ‘siba nemihlali kunye nabantu abanemihlali; silile kunye nabantu abalilayo.’—Roma 12:15.

¹⁶ Ukuba sicinga nzulu ngoko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile ngendlela uYehova awabaphatha ngayo abakhonzi bakhe bamandulo, siya kufunda izinto ezininzi ngoThixo wethu, oye waba nomonde waza wasondela ebantwini abangafezekanga. Loo nto iya kusenza simazi kakuhle uYehova size simthande kakhulu. Siya kutsho sisondele kuye.—Funda iNdumiso 25:14.

17. (a) UAzariya wamcebisa wathini uAsa? (b) UAsa akazange alithobele ngayiphi indlela icebiso lika-Azariya, ibe oko kwaphumela enini?

¹⁷ Emva kokuba uKumkani uAsa oyise umkhosi waseTiyopiya, umprofeti kaThixo uAzariya wamcebisa ngala mazwi: “UYehova unani logama nje nani ninaye; nokuba nithe namfuna, uya kufumaneka kuni, kodwa ukuba nithe namshiya uya kunishiya.” (2 Kron. 15:1, 2) Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha, uAsa akazange alithobele elo cebiso. Xa ubukumkani basemntla bakwaSirayeli bahlasela uYuda, uAsa wabhenela kumaSiriya. Kunokuba aphind’ acele uncedo kuYehova, wafun’ uncedo kubahedeni, ibe ngenxa yoko uAsa waxelelwa oku: “Wenze ngobudenge ngenxa yoku, ngoko ukususela ngoku kuse phambili kuya kubakho iimfazwe nxamnye nawe.” Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo kwagqub’ iimfazwe kulawulo luka-Asa. (2 Kron. 16:1-9) Isifundisa ntoni thina le nto?

18, 19. (a) Yintoni esifanele siyenze ukuba sesiqalise ukubhekela kuThixo? (b) Sinokusondela njani kuYehova?

¹⁸ Asifanele simshiye uYehova. Ukuba sesiqalise ukubhekela kuye, sifanele senze oko kuthethwa kuHoseya 12:6. Le vesi ithi: “Ufanele ubuyele kuThixo wakho, ugcine ububele bothando nokusesikweni; yaye hlala uthembele kuThixo wakho rhoqo.” Ngoko, masisondele kuYehova ngokuthi sicamngce ngentlawulelo size sikhuthalele ukufundisisa iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile.—Funda iDuteronomi 13:4.

¹⁹ Umdumisi wathi: “Ukusondela kuThixo kulungile kum.” (INdu. 73:28) Kwanga sonke singaqhubeka sifunda izinto ezintsha ngoYehova size simthande kakhulu. Ngamana noYehova angasondela kuthi ngoku nangonaphakade!