1, 2. Yiyiphi “imfihlelo engcwele” esifanele sibe nomdla kuyo, yaye ngoba?

 IIMFIHLELO! Ngenxa yokuba zibangel’ umdla, ziyachulumancisa, yaye ziyamangalisa, ngokufuthi abantu bakufumanisa kunzima ukuzigcina ziyimfihlo. Noko ke, iBhayibhile ithi: “Uzuko lukaThixo kukugcina umbandela oyimfihlo.” (IMizekeliso 25:2) Ewe, njengoMlawuli onguMongami noMdali, ngokufanelekileyo uYehova uzigcina ezinye izinto ziyimfihlo eluntwini de kube lixesha lakhe elifanelekileyo lokuzityhila.

² Noko ke, kukho imfihlelo echulumancisayo nebangel’ umdla uYehova aye wayityhila eLizwini lakhe. Ibizwa ngokuba ‘yimfihlelo engcwele yokuthanda kukaThixo.’ (Efese 1:9) Ukufunda ngayo kubaluleke ngakumbi kunokukunika nje ulwazi. Ukwazi ngale mfihlelo kunokukhokelela elusindisweni yaye kunokukukhanyisela ngobulumko obungenakulinganiswa nanto bukaYehova.

3, 4. Isiprofeto esibhalwe kwiGenesis 3:15 salinikela njani ithemba, yaye yiyiphi “imfihlelo engcwele” esiye sayiquka?

³ Xa uAdam noEva bonayo, kwakusenokubonakala ngathi injongo kaYehova yokuba nomhlaba oyiparadesi omiwe ngabantu abafezekileyo yayiphazamisekile. Kodwa ngoko nangoko uThixo wayicombulula loo ngxaki. Wathi: “Ndiya kubeka ubutshaba phakathi kwakho [inyoka] nomfazi naphakathi kwembewu yakho nembewu yakhe. Yona iya kukutyumza intloko uze wena uyityumze isithende.”—Genesis 3:15.

⁴ La ngamazwi adidayo nafihlakeleyo. Wayengubani lo mfazi? Yayingubani inyoka? Yayingubani ‘imbewu’ eyayiza kutyumza intloko yenyoka? UAdam noEva babenokuqikelela nje kuphela. Noko ke, la mazwi kaThixo ayenikela ithemba kuyo nayiphi na inzala ethembekileyo yeso sibini singathembekanga.  Ekugqibeleni kwakuza kwenziwa ubulungisa. Injongo kaYehova yayiza kuzaliseka. Kodwa njani? Yiyo kanye ke leyo imfihlelo! IBhayibhile iyibiza ngokuthi “[bubulumko] bukaThixo kwimfihlelo engcwele, ubulumko obufihlakeleyo.”—1 Korinte 2:7.

 5. Zekelisa isizathu sokuba uYehova ayityhile ngokwamanqanaba imfihlelo yakhe.

⁵ ‘NjengoMtyhili weemfihlelo,’ ekugqibeleni uYehova wayeza kuzityhila iinkcukacha ezibalulekileyo ezaziphathelele ukuzaliseka kwale mfihlelo. (Daniyeli 2:28) Kodwa wayeza kukwenza ngokuthe ngcembe oko, ngokwamanqanaba. Ngokomzekelo, sisenokucinga ngendlela asabela ngayo ubawo onothando xa inkwenkwana yakhe imbuza isithi, “Tata, ndavela phi?” Ubawo olumkileyo unikela inkcazelo elingene ingqondo yaloo nkwenkwana. Njengoko ikhula, uyise uyixelela okungakumbi. Ngokufanayo, uYehova uyaqonda xa abantu bakhe belungele ukutyhilelwa ngokuthanda nangenjongo yakhe.—IMizekeliso 4:18; Daniyeli 12:4.

 6. (a) Yiyiphi injongo efezwa ngumnqophiso, okanye isivumelwano? (b) Kutheni siphawuleka nje isibakala sokuba uYehova enze umnqophiso kunye nabantu?

⁶ Wayityhila njani uYehova le mfihlelo? Wasebenzisa uthotho lweminqophiso, okanye izivumelwano. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba nawe wakha wasenza isivumelwano—mhlawumbi ukuze uthenge indlu, uboleke okanye ubolekise ngemali. Isivumelwano esinjalo sisisiqinisekiso esisemthethweni sokuba oko kuvunyelwene ngako kuza kuzaliseka. Kodwa kutheni uYehova efanele enze iminqophiso, okanye izivumelwano ezisemthethweni, kunye nabantu? Ngokuqinisekileyo, ilizwi lakhe lisisiqinisekiso esaneleyo sezithembiso zakhe. Kuyinyaniso oko, ukanti, kangangezihlandlo eziliqela, uThixo uye ngobubele walisekela ilizwi lakhe ngezivumelwano ezisemthethweni. Ezi zivumelwano ziqinileyo zisinika thina bantu bangafezekanga isizathu esiqine ngakumbi sokuba nentembelo kwizithembiso zikaYehova.—Hebhere 6:16-18.

7, 8. (a) Nguwuphi umnqophiso uYehova awawenza noAbraham, yaye watyhila ntoni ngemfihlelo engcwele? (b) UYehova wawutyhila njani ngokwamanqanaba umnombo eyayiza kuvela kuwo iMbewu ethenjisiweyo?

⁷ Ngaphezu kwamawaka amabini eminyaka emva kokugxothwa komntu eParadesi, uYehova wathi kumkhonzi wakhe othembekileyo uAbraham: “Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kuyandisa imbewu yakho njengeenkwenkwezi zasemazulwini . . . yaye ngokuqinisekileyo ziya kuzisikelela ngembewu yakho zonke iintlanga zomhlaba kuba uliphulaphule ilizwi lam.” (Genesis 22:17, 18) Oku kwakungaphezu kokuba sisithembiso nje kuphela; uYehova wasiqinisa ngokuthi asenze sibe ngumnqophiso osemthethweni waza wawugximfiza ngesifungo esingenakujikwa. (Genesis 17:1, 2; Hebhere 6:13-15) Hayi indlela esihlab’ umxhelo ngayo isibakala sokuba iNkosi enguMongami ide yenze isivumelwano sokusikelela uluntu!

⁸ Umnqophiso ka-Abraham watyhila ukuba iMbewu ethenjisiweyo yayiza kuza njengomntu, kuba yayiza kuvela kumnombo ka-Abraham. Kodwa yayiza kuba ngubani? Ekuhambeni kwexesha, uYehova watyhila ukuba koonyana baka-Abraham, uIsake wayeza kuba ngukhokho waloo Mbewu. Koonyana ababini bakaIsake, kwanyulwa uYakobi. (Genesis 21:12; 28:13, 14) Kamva, uYakobi wavakalisa la mazwi esiprofeto ngomnye woonyana bakhe abali-12: “Intonga yobukhosi ayisayi kusuka kuYuda, nomsimelelo womyaleli phakathi kweenyawo zakhe, ade afike uShilo [“Lowo Kukokwakhe”]; zize zithobele yena izizwana.” (Genesis 49:10) Ngoko kwakusaziwa ukuba le Mbewu yayiza kuba ngukumkani, owayeza kuvela kumnombo kaYuda!

9, 10. (a) Nguwuphi umnqophiso uYehova awawenza nohlanga lukaSirayeli, yaye loo mnqophiso walukhusela njani? (b) UMthetho wenza njani kwacaca ukuba uluntu lwaluyifuna intlawulelo?

⁹ Ngowe-1513 B.C.E, uYehova wenza ilungiselelo elayityhila ngakumbi imfihlelo engcwele. Wenza umnqophiso kunye nenzala ka-Abraham, uhlanga lukaSirayeli. Nangona ungasasebenzi ngoku, lo mnqophiso woMthetho kaMoses wawuyinxalenye  ebalulekileyo yenjongo kaYehova yokuzisa iMbewu ethenjisiweyo. Njani? Khawuqwalasele ezi ndlela zintathu. Okokuqala, uMthetho wawufana nodonga lokukhusela. (Efese 2:14) Imimiselo yawo yobulungisa yayifana nodonga olwaluphakathi kwamaYuda kunye neeNtlanga. Ngaloo ndlela uMthetho wanceda ekulondolozweni komnombo weMbewu ethenjisiweyo. Ngenxa yokulondolozwa okunjalo, olu hlanga lwalusekho ekufikeni kwexesha likaThixo lokuba uMesiya azalwe kwisizwe sikaYuda.

¹⁰ Okwesibini, uMthetho wenza kwacaca ukuba uluntu lwaluyifuna intlawulelo. Njengoko wawunguMthetho ogqibeleleyo, wabhenca ukuba abantu abanesono abanawo amandla okunamathela kuwo ngokupheleleyo. Ngaloo ndlela wenza ukuba “ukunxaxha kubonakaliswe, de ifike imbewu ekwakwenziwe kuyo isithembiso.” (Galati 3:19) Ngokusetyenziswa kwemibingelelo yezilwanyana, uMthetho wenza ilungiselelo lokucanyagushelwa kwezono okwexeshana. Kodwa, njengokuba uPawulos wabhala wathi, “akunakwenzeka ukuba igazi leenkunzi zeenkomo neleebhokhwe lisuse izono,” ngoko le mibingelelo yayifuzisela nje kuphela idini lentlawulelo likaKristu. (Hebhere 10:1-4) Ngoko, kumaYuda athembekileyo, loo mnqophiso waba ‘ngumkhapheli owakhokelela kuKristu.’—Galati 3:24.

11. Sisiphi isithembiso esizukileyo umnqophiso woMthetho owasinika uSirayeli, kodwa kwakutheni ukuze olo hlanga ngokubanzi luphulukane naso?

¹¹ Okwesithathu, loo mnqophiso wanika uhlanga lukaSirayeli isithembiso esizukileyo. UYehova waluxelela ukuba ukuba lwaluhlala luthembekile kuloo mnqophiso, lwaluza kuba ‘bubukumkani nababingeleli nohlanga olungcwele.’ (Eksodus 19:5, 6) Ekugqibeleni amalungu athile oSirayeli wokwenyama aba bubukumkani nababingeleli basezulwini. Noko ke, ngokubanzi uSirayeli wawuvukela umnqophiso woMthetho, wayigatya iMbewu enguMesiya, waza waphulukana neso sithembiso. Ngoko, ngoobani ababeza kuzalisa indima yobukumkani nababingeleli? Yaye olo hlanga lusikelelekileyo lwaluza kuhlobana njani neMbewu ethenjisiweyo? Ezo nkalo zemfihlelo engcwele zaziya kutyhilwa ngexesha elifanelekileyo likaThixo.

12. Nguwuphi umnqophiso uYehova awawenza noDavide, yaye wayityhila njani ngakumbi imfihlelo engcwele kaThixo?

¹² Ngenkulungwane ye-11 B.C.E., uYehova wayityhila ngakumbi imfihlelo engcwele xa wenza omnye umnqophiso. Wamthembisa oku uKumkani uDavide othembekileyo: “Ndiya kwandula ngokuqinisekileyo ndikuvelisele imbewu yakho emva kwakho, . . . yaye eneneni ndiya kubumisela ngokuqinileyo ubukumkani bayo. . . . Ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kuyimisela ngokuqinileyo itrone yobukumkani bayo ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo.” (2 Samuweli 7:12, 13; INdumiso 89:3) Ngoku umlibo weMbewu ethenjisiweyo ukhonjwa endlwini kaDavide. Kodwa ngaba umntu oqhelekileyo wayenokulawula “ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo”? (INdumiso 89:20, 29, 34-36) Yaye ngaba ukumkani onjalo ongumntu wayenokuluhlangula uluntu esonweni nasekufeni?

13, 14. (a) Ngokutsho kweNdumiso 110, sisiphi isithembiso uYehova asenzayo kuKumkani wakhe othanjisiweyo? (b) Kwatyhilwa njani ngokubhekele phaya ukuza kweMbewu ngabaprofeti bakaYehova?

¹³ UDavide waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale athi: “Utsho uYehova eNkosini yam ukuthi: ‘Hlala ngasekunene kwam ndide ndizibeke iintshaba zakho njengesitulo seenyawo zakho.’ UYehova ufungile (yaye akayi kuzisola), wathi: ‘Ungumbingeleli ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo ngokohlobo lukaMelkitsedeki!’” (INdumiso 110:1, 4) La mazwi kaDavide ayebhekisela ngokungqalileyo kwiMbewu ethenjisiweyo, okanye uMesiya. (IZenzo 2:35, 36) Lo Kumkani wayeza kulawula, kungekhona eseYerusalem, kodwa esezulwini “ngasekunene” kukaYehova. Oko kwakuza kumnika igunya kungekuphela nje kwilizwe likaSirayeli, kodwa emhlabeni uphela. (INdumiso 2:6-8) Kukho nokunye okungakumbi okutyhiliweyo apha. Phawula ukuba uYehova wafunga ukuba uMesiya wayeza kuba “ngumbingeleli . . . ngokohlobo lukaMelkitsedeki.” NjengoMelkitsedeki, owayekhonza njengokumkani nombingeleli ngomhla ka-Abraham, iMbewu ezayo yayiza kumiselwa ngokungqalileyo nguThixo ukuba ikhonze njengoKumkani kunye noMbingeleli!—Genesis 14:17-20.

¹⁴ Ebudeni beminyaka, uYehova wasebenzisa abaprofeti bakhe  ekuyityhileni ngakumbi imfihlelo engcwele. Ngokomzekelo, uIsaya watyhila ukuba le Mbewu yayiza kufa ukufa okulidini. (Isaya 53:3-12) UMika waxela kwangaphambili indawo awayeza kuzalelwa kuyo uMesiya. (Mika 5:2) UDaniyeli wada waprofeta ngexesha elichanileyo lokuvela nelokufa kwaloo Mbewu.—Daniyeli 9:24-27.

15, 16. (a) Kwenzeka njani ukuba uNyana kaYehova ‘aphume emfazini’? (b) Liliphi ilungelo uYesu awalizuza kubazali bakhe abangabantu, yaye wafika nini njengeMbewu ethenjisiweyo?

¹⁵ Indlela ezaziza kuzaliseka ngayo ezi ziprofeto yahlala iyimfihlo de yafika ngokoqobo iMbewu. EyabaseGalati 4:4 ithi: “Lithe lakuzaliseka ixesha, uThixo wathumela uNyana wakhe, owaphuma emfazini.” Ngonyaka wesi-2 B.C.E., ingelosi yathi kwintombi enyulu engumYuda egama linguMariya: “Khangela! uya kukhawula esibelekweni sakho uze uzale unyana, umbize ngokuba nguYesu igama lakhe. Yena uya kuba mkhulu, abizwe ngokuba nguNyana wOyena Uphakamileyo; yaye uYehova uThixo uya kumnika itrone kaDavide uyise . . . Umoya oyingcwele uya kukufikela, namandla Oyena Uphakamileyo aya kukusibekela. Ngenxa yeso sizathu kwanoko kuzalwayo kuya kubizwa ngokuba kungcwele, uNyana kaThixo.”—Luka 1:31, 32, 35.

¹⁶ Kamva, uYehova wabufudusa ubomi boNyana wakhe ukusuka ezulwini wabufaka esibelekweni sikaMariya, ukuze aphume emfazini. UMariya wayengumfazi ongafezekanga. Kodwa, uYesu akazange akuzuze ilifa ukungafezeki kuye, kuba ‘wayenguNyana kaThixo.’ Kwangaxeshanye, ngenxa yokuba abazali bakaYesu abangabantu, babengabomnombo kaDavide, ngoko wayenelungelo lemvelo nelisemthethweni lokuba yindlalifa kaDavide. (IZenzo 13:22, 23) Ekubhaptizweni kukaYesu ngowama-29 C.E., uYehova wamthambisa ngomoya oyingcwele waza wathi: “Lo nguNyana wam, oyintanda.” (Mateyu 3:16, 17) Ekugqibeleni, yayifikile iMbewu! (Galati 3:16) Kwakulixesha lokuba kutyhilwe okungakumbi ngemfihlelo engcwele.—2 Timoti 1:10.

17. Yakhanyiswa njani intsingiselo yeGenesis 3:15?

¹⁷ Ebudeni bobulungiseleli bakhe, uYesu wayichaza inyoka  ekhankanywe kwiGenesis 3:15 njengoSathana nenzala yenyoka njengabalandeli bakaSathana. (Mateyu 23:33; Yohane 8:44) Kamva, kwatyhilwa indlela bonke ababeza kutyunyuzwa ngayo ngonaphakade. (ISityhilelo 20:1-3, 10, 15) Yaye umfazi wachazwa ‘njengeYerusalem ephezulu,’ intlangano kaYehova yasezulwini enjengomfazi yezidalwa zomoya. a—Galati 4:26; ISityhilelo 12:1-6.

18. Yintoni injongo ‘yomnqophiso omtsha’?

¹⁸ Mhlawumbi okona kutyhilwa kubalaseleyo koko kobusuku bangaphambi kokufa kukaYesu xa wenza “umnqophiso omtsha” kunye nabafundi bakhe abathembekileyo. (Luka 22:20) Ngokufanayo nomnqophiso woMthetho kaMoses owawungaphambi kwawo, nawo lo mnqophiso omtsha wawuza kuvelisa ‘ubukumkani nababingeleli.’ (Eksodus 19:6; 1 Petros 2:9) Noko ke, lo mnqophiso wawungazukumisela uhlanga lokwenyama, kodwa olokomoya, “uSirayeli kaThixo,” owayebunjwa kuphela ngabalandeli abathembekileyo nabathanjisiweyo bakaKristu. (Galati 6:16) La malungu omnqophiso omtsha ayeza kuba nesabelo kunye noYesu ekusikeleleni uhlanga loluntu!

19. (a) Kutheni umnqophiso omtsha uphumelela nje ekuveliseni ‘ubukumkani nababingeleli’? (b) Kutheni amaKristu athanjisiweyo ebizwa ngokuba “sisidalwa esitsha,” yaye bangaphi abaza kulawula emazulwini kunye noKristu?

¹⁹ Kodwa kutheni umnqophiso omtsha uphumelela nje ekuveliseni ‘ubukumkani nababingeleli’ bokusikelela uluntu? Kungenxa yokuba kunokuba ubagwebe abalandeli bakaKristu njengaboni, wenze ilungiselelo lokuxolelwa kwezono zabo ngedini lakhe. (Yeremiya 31:31-34) Bakuba benokuma okuhlambulukileyo phambi koYehova, ubamkelela kwintsapho yakhe yasezulwini aze abathambise ngomoya oyingcwele. (Roma 8:15-17; 2 Korinte 1:21) Ngaloo ndlela ‘bazalwa ngokutsha ngokubhekisele kwithemba  eliphilayo abalibekelweyo emazulwini.’ (1 Petros 1:3, 4) Ekubeni eso sigxina siphakamileyo sisitsha ebantwini, ngoko la maKristu athanjisiweyo nazelwe ngomoya abizwa ngokuba “sisidalwa esitsha.” (2 Korinte 5:17) IBhayibhile ityhila ukuba abali-144 000 baza kuthi ekugqibeleni babe nesabelo ekulawuleni uluntu oluhlawulelweyo besezulwini.—ISityhilelo 5:9, 10; 14:1-4.

20. (a) Kukuphi ukutyhilwa okwenziwayo ngokuphathelele imfihlelo engcwele ngowama-36 C.E.? (b) Ngoobani abaza kunandipha iintsikelelo ezathenjiswa kuAbraham?

²⁰ Kunye noYesu, aba bathanjisiweyo baba “yimbewu ka-Abraham.” b (Galati 3:29) Abokuqala abanyulwayo babengamaYuda okwenyama. Kodwa ngowama-36 C.E., kwatyhilwa enye inkalo yemfihlelo engcwele: AbeeNtlanga, okanye abangengomaYuda, nabo babeza kuba nesabelo kwithemba lasezulwini. (Roma 9:6-8; 11:25, 26; Efese 3:5, 6) Ngaba ngamaKristu athanjisiweyo kuphela awayeza kunandipha iingenelo ezathenjiswa kuAbraham? Akunjalo, kuba umbingelelo kaYesu uzuzisa ihlabathi liphela. (1 Yohane 2:2) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, uYehova watyhila ukuba “isihlwele esikhulu” esingenakubalwa sasiza kusinda ekutshatyalalisweni kwenkqubo yezinto kaSathana. (ISityhilelo 7:9, 14) Kwakuza kuvuswa nenkitha engakumbi enethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade eParadesi!—Luka 23:43; Yohane 5:28, 29; ISityhilelo 20:11-15; 21:3, 4.

21, 22. Imfihlelo engcwele kaYehova ibubonakalisa njani ubulumko bakhe?

²¹ Imfihlelo engcwele ikukubonakaliswa okumangalisayo ‘kobulumko bukaThixo obuziintlobo ezininzi.’ (Efese 3:8-10) Hayi ubulumko abubonakalisileyo uYehova ngokuqulunqa le mfihlelo, nangokuyityhila ngokuthe ngcembe! Ngobulumko uye wabonisa ukukuqonda ukusilela kwabantu, ebavumela ukuba babonakalise iintshukumisa zokwenene zentliziyo yabo.—INdumiso 103:14.

 ²² Kwakhona uYehova ubonise ubulumko obungenakuthelekiswa nanto ngokukhetha kwakhe uYesu njengoKumkani. UNyana kaYehova uthembeke ngaphezu kwaso nasiphi na esinye isidalwa kwindalo iphela. Ngoxa wayephila njengomntu wenyama negazi, uYesu wajamelana nobunzima obahlukahlukeneyo. Uziqonda ngokupheleleyo iingxaki zabantu. (Hebhere 5:7-9) Yaye kuthekani ngabo baza kulawula kunye noYesu? Kangangeenkulungwane, bekuthanjiswa amadoda namabhinqa—akhethwe kwiintlanga, iilwimi neemvelaphi ezahlukahlukeneyo. Ayikho nje kwaphela ingxaki angazange ajamelane nayo aze ayoyise. (Efese 4:22-24) Ukuphila phantsi kolawulo lwaba kumkani nababingeleli abanenceba kuya kuzisa uvuyo!

23. Liliphi ilungelo analo amaKristu ngokuphathelele imfihlelo engcwele kaYehova?

²³ Umpostile uPawulos wabhala: “Imfihlelo engcwele eyayifihliwe ukususela kwiinkqubo zezinto zexesha elidluleyo nokususela kwizizukulwana ezidluleyo . . . ibonakalisiwe kwabo bangcwele bakhe.” (Kolose 1:26) Ewe, abo bangcwele bathanjisiweyo bakaYehova baye baqonda okuninzi ngemfihlelo engcwele, yaye baye babelana ngolo lwazi kunye nezigidi zabantu. Hayi ilungelo sonke esinalo! UYehova ‘usazisile imfihlelo engcwele yokuthanda kwakhe.’ (Efese 1:9) Masabelane nabanye ngale mfihlelo imangalisayo, sibancede nabo ngokufanayo ukuba babuqonde ubulumko obungenakulinganiswa nanto bukaYehova uThixo!