1-3. (a) Kungani singaqiniseka ngokuthi singaba abangane bakaNkulunkulu? (b) Yibaphi abantu esizoxoxa ngabo kulesi sihloko?

EBHAYIBHELINI, u-Abrahama ubizwa ngokuthi umngane kaNkulunkulu izikhathi ezintathu. (2 IziKronike 20:7; Isaya 41:8; Jakobe 2:23) Nguye kuphela umuntu obizwa ngokuqondile ngokuthi umngane kaNkulunkulu eBhayibhelini. Ingabe lokho kusho ukuthi u-Abrahama uwukuphela komuntu owake waba umngane kaJehova? Cha. IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi sonke singaba nalo lelo lungelo.

² IZwi likaNkulunkulu ligcwele izindaba zabesilisa nabesifazane abaningi abathembekile ababesaba uJehova, benokholo kuye futhi ababa abangane bakhe abakhulu. (Funda iHubo 25:14.) Bayingxenye ‘yefu elikhulu lofakazi’ uPawulu akhuluma ngalo. Bonke laba bantu abahlukahlukene babengabangane bakaNkulunkulu.—Hebheru 12:1.

³ Ake sihlolisise abathathu babangane bakaJehova abachazwe eBhayibhelini: (1) uRuthe, umfelokazi oqotho wakwaMowabi, (2) uHezekiya, inkosi ethembekile yakwaJuda,  kanye (3) noMariya, unina kaJesu othobekile. Yini esingayifunda endleleni ngamunye wabo aba ngayo umngane kaNkulunkulu?

4, 5. Yisiphi isinqumo esinzima okwakumelwe uRuthe asenze, futhi kungani kwakunzima kangako ukusenza? (Bheka isithombe esisekuqaleni.)

⁴ UNawomi nomalokazana bakhe, uRuthe no-Orpa, babesohambweni lwebanga elide besuka kwaMowabi beya kwa-Israyeli ngezinyawo. Endleleni, u-Orpa wanquma ukubuyela kubo kwaMowabi. Kodwa uNawomi wayezimisele ukubuyela kwa-Israyeli, ezweni lakubo. URuthe yena wanquma ukwenzani? Kwakumelwe enze isinqumo esinzima kakhulu. Ingabe wayezobuyela kubo kwaMowabi ukuze abe nomndeni wakhe noma wayezonamathela kuninazala uNawomi, aye naye eBhetlehema?—Ruthe 1:1-8, 14.

⁵ Umndeni kaRuthe wawuhlala kwaMowabi. Wayengabuyela kuwo futhi cishe wawuzomnakekela. Wayebazi abantu bakwaMowabi, ulimi lwabo nosiko lwabo. UNawomi wayengenakumthembisa uRuthe ukuthi uzozithola lezo zinto eBhetlehema. Kanti uNawomi wayesaba nokuthi ngeke akwazi ukumtholela umyeni noma ikhaya. Ngakho uNawomi wamtshela ukuba abuyele kwaMowabi. Njengoba sibonile, u-Orpa ‘wabuyela kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu bakhe.’ (Ruthe 1:9-15) Kodwa uRuthe yena wanquma ukungabuyeli kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu babo bamanga.

6. (a) Isiphi isinqumo esihlakaniphile esenziwa uRuthe? (b) Kungani uBhowazi akhuluma ngoRuthe njengozofuna isiphephelo ngaphansi kwamaphiko kaJehova?

⁶ Kubonakala sengathi uRuthe wafunda ngoJehova kumyeni wakhe noma kuNawomi. Wafunda ukuthi uJehova wayengefani nonkulunkulu bakwaMowabi. Wayemthanda uJehova futhi wayazi ukuthi uyakufanelekela ukuba amthande futhi amkhulekele. Ngakho uRuthe wakhetha ngokuhlakanipha. Wathi kuNawomi: “Abantu bakini bazoba ngabantu bakithi, noNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami.” (Ruthe 1:16) Izinhliziyo zethu ziyathinteka lapho sicabanga ngendlela uRuthe ayemthanda ngayo uNawomi. Kodwa okuhlaba umxhwele nakakhulu uthando uRuthe ayenalo ngoJehova. Lokhu wakuthanda noBhowazi, okwathi kamuva wamncoma uRuthe ‘ngokuzofuna isiphephelo ngaphansi kwamaphiko kaJehova.’ (Funda uRuthe 2:12.) Amazwi asetshenziswa uBhowazi angase asikhumbuze indlela iphuphu lenyoni elifuna ngayo isiphephelo ngaphansi kwamaphiko abazali balo. (IHubo 36:7; 91:1-4) Ngendlela efanayo, uJehova wanika uRuthe isivikelo sothando futhi wamvuza ngenxa yokholo lwakhe. URuthe akazange nanini azisole ngesinqumo sakhe.

7. Yini engasiza labo abangabazayo ukunikezela ukuphila kwabo kuJehova?

⁷ Abantu abaningi bayafunda ngoJehova kodwa bakhetha ukungaphepheli kuye. Bayangabaza ukunikezela ukuphila kwabo kuye bese bebhapathizwa. Uma uzizwa ngendlela efanayo, cabanga ngokuthi kungani ungabaza. Wonke umuntu unonkulunkulu amkhonzayo. (Joshuwa 24:15) Isinqumo esihle kungaba ukukhonza uNkulunkulu weqiniso. Lapho uzinikezela kuJehova, ubonisa ukuthi unokholo lokuthi uzoba yisiphephelo sakho. Futhi uzokusiza uqhubeke umkhonza kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ubhekene naziphi izinkinga. Yilokho uNkulunkulu akwenzela uRuthe.

8. Chaza isizinda sikaHezekiya.

⁸ Isizinda sikaHezekiya sasihluke kakhulu kwesikaRuthe. Wayeyingxenye yesizwe esasizinikezele kuNkulunkulu. Kodwa akuwona wonke ama-Israyeli ahlala ethembekile. Uyise kaHezekiya, iNkosi u-Ahazi, wayemubi. Wayedelela ithempeli likaNkulunkulu futhi wayenga abantu ukuba bakhulekele abanye onkulunkulu. U-Ahazi waze washisa ngisho nabanye abafowabo bakaHezekiya emlilweni bephila, ebenza umhlatshelo kunkulunkulu wamanga. UHezekiya wakhula kabuhlungu kakhulu!—2 AmaKhosi 16:2-4, 10-17; 2 IziKronike 28:1-3.

9, 10. (a) Kungani kwakungaba lula ngoHezekiya ukuba abe nentukuthelo? (b) Kungani kungafanele simthukuthelele uNkulunkulu? (c) Kungani kungafanele sicabange ukuthi isizinda sethu yiso esinquma uhlobo lwabantu esizoba yilo?

⁹ Isibonelo esibi sika-Ahazi sasingenza indodana yakhe uHezekiya imthukuthelele uJehova. Namuhla, abanye abaye bakhuthazelela okuncane kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nokukaHezekiya bacabanga ukuthi banesizathu esihle ‘sokufuthekela uJehova’ noma sokucasukela inhlangano yakhe. (IzAga 19:3) Abanye bacabanga ukuthi isizinda esibi somndeni wabo singabenza babe nokuphila okubi noma baphinde amaphutha abazali babo. (Hezekeli 18:2, 3) Kodwa ingabe le mibono iyiqiniso?

¹⁰ Ukuphila kukaHezekiya kubonisa ukuthi impendulo yalowo mbuzo ingucha! Akusoze kwaba nesizathu esizwakalayo sokuthukuthelela uJehova. Akabangeli ukuba abantu behlelwe yizinto ezimbi. (Jobe 34:10) Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abazali bangazifundisa izingane zabo ukuba zenze okuhle noma okubi. (IzAga 22:6; Kolose 3:21) Kodwa lokhu akusho ukuthi uhlobo lomndeni esiphuma kuwo luyonquma uhlobo lomuntu esiyoba yilo. Ngani? Ngoba uJehova usiphe inkululeko yokuzikhethela, okusho ukuthi singakwazi ukuzinqumela ukwenza okuhle noma okubi. (Duteronomi 30:19) UHezekiya wasisebenzisa kanjani leso sipho esiyigugu?

11. Yini eyenza uHezekiya waba enye yamakhosi angcono kakhulu kwaJuda?

¹¹ Nakuba uyise ayengenye yamakhosi amabi kakhulu kwaJuda, uHezekiya waba enye yamahle kakhulu. (Funda eyesi-2  AmaKhosi 18:5, 6.) Wakhetha ukungasilandeli isibonelo esibi sikayise. Kunalokho, wakhetha ukulalela ngokucophelela abaprofethi bakaJehova, abanjengo-Isaya, uMika kanye noHoseya. Wasilalelisisa iseluleko nesiqondiso sabo. Lokhu kwamshukumisela ukuba alungise izinkinga eziningi ezazidalwe nguyise. Wahlanza ithempeli, wacela uNkulunkulu ukuba athethelele izono zabantu futhi waqeda zonke izithombe ezazisezweni. (2 IziKronike 29:1-11, 18-24; 31:1) Kamuva, lapho inkosi yase-Asiriya uSaneheribi isongela ukuhlasela iJerusalema, uHezekiya wabonisa isibindi esikhulu nokholo. Wathembela esivikelweni sikaJehova futhi waqinisa nabantu bakhe. (2 IziKronike 32:7, 8) Ngesinye isikhathi uHezekiya waqala ukuqhosha, kodwa lapho uJehova emlungisa, wazithoba. (2 IziKronike 32:24-26) Ngokusobala, uHezekiya uyisibonelo esihle kakhulu esingasilingisa. Akazange avumele isizinda somndeni wakhe sonakalise ukuphila kwakhe. Kunalokho, wabonisa ukuthi wayengumngane kaJehova.

12. NjengoHezekiya, abaningi namuhla babonise kanjani ukuthi bangabangane bakaJehova?

¹² Izwe namuhla linonya futhi alinalo uthando futhi izingane eziningi zikhula ngaphandle kwabazali abazithandayo nabazikhathalelayo. (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Nakuba amaKristu amaningi namuhla akhuliswa kabuhlungu emindenini yawo, aye akhetha ukwakha ubungane noJehova. NjengoHezekiya, ayabonisa ukuthi uhlobo lwemindeni aphuma kuyo akudingeki lunqume ukuthi azoba abantu abanjani kusasa. UNkulunkulu usinike isipho senkululeko yokuzikhethela, futhi singakhetha ukumkhonza nokumdumisa, njengoba nje noHezekiya enza.

13, 14. Kungani isabelo sikaMariya sasingase sibonakale sinzima kakhulu, nokho wamphendula kanjani uGabriyeli?

¹³ Eminyakeni eminingi ngemva kwesikhathi sikaHezekiya, intombi ethobekile egama layo linguMariya yayinobungane obukhethekile noJehova futhi inesabelo esingajwayelekile. Yayizokhulelwa, izale iNdodana kaNkulunkulu bese iyikhulisa! Kumelwe ukuba uJehova wayemthanda futhi emethemba uMariya ukuze amnike ilungelo elimangalisa kangaka. Kodwa wasabela kanjani lapho eqala ukuzwa ngaleso sabelo?

¹⁴ Sijwayele ukuxoxa ngelungelo elikhulu uMariya alinikwa. Kodwa yiziphi izinto okungenzeka wayezesaba? Ngokwesibonelo, ingelosi uGabriyeli yathi uzokhulwelwa ngaphandle kokuba alale nendoda. Kodwa uGabriyeli akazange asho ukuthi uzowuchazela umndeni kaMariya nomakhelwane bakhe ukuthi uzokhulelwa kanjani. Babezocabangani? Wayezomqinisekisa kanjani uJosefa ukuthi akazange afebe? Ngaphezu kwalokho, wayenomthwalo  omkhulu wokukhulisa iNdodana kaNkulunkulu njengomuntu! Asizazi zonke izinto ezazimkhathaza uMariya, kodwa siyazi ukuthi wenzani ngemva kokuba uGabriyeli ekhulume naye. Wathi: “Bheka! Incekukazi kaJehova! Kwangathi kungenzeka kimi njengokwesimemezelo sakho.”—Luka 1:26-38.

15. Kungani ukholo lukaMariya luphawuleka?

¹⁵ Ukholo lukaMariya luvelele ngempela! Njengentombazane eyinceku nje, wayekulungele ukwenza noma yini okwakuthiwa makayenze. Wayenethemba lokuthi uJehova uzomnakekela futhi amvikele. UMariya waba kanjani nokholo oluqine kanjalo? Asizalwa sinokholo. Kodwa singaba nalo ukholo uma siluhlakulela bese sicela uNkulunkulu ukuba abusise imizamo yethu. (Galathiya 5:22; Efesu 2:8) UMariya wazikhandla ukuze aqinise ukholo lwakhe. Sazi kanjani? Ake sixoxe ngendlela alalela ngayo nangezinto akhuluma ngazo.

16. Yini ebonisa ukuthi uMariya wayelalelisisa?

¹⁶ Indlela uMariya alalela ngayo. IBhayibheli lithi ‘kumelwe sisheshe ukuzwa, sephuze ukukhuluma.’ (Jakobe 1:19) UMariya wayelalelisisa. IBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi wayezilalelisisa izinto ayezizwa, ikakhulu izinto ayezifunda ngoJehova. Wayezinika isikhathi sokuzindla ngezinto ezibaluleke kanjalo. Esinye isibonelo salokhu kungesikhathi kuzalwa uJesu lapho abelusi betshela uMariya ngomyalezo owalethwa yingelosi. Kamuva, lapho uJesu eseneminyaka engu-12 ubudala, washo into eyammangaza uMariya. Kuzo zombili lezi zenzakalo, uMariya wakulalela, wakukhumbula futhi wacabangisisa ngalokho ayekuzwile.—Funda uLuka 2:16-19, 49, 51.

17. Yini esingayifunda kuMariya endleleni ayekhuluma ngayo?

¹⁷ Izinto uMariya akhuluma ngazo. IBhayibheli alisitsheli okuningi ngalokho uMariya akusho. Inkulumo yakhe ende kunazo zonke itholakala kuLuka 1:46-55. La mazwi abonisa ukuthi uMariya wayeyazi kahle imiBhalo YesiHebheru. Kungani sisho kanjalo? Amazwi kaMariya ayecishe afane namazwi omthandazo kaHana, unina kaSamuweli. (1 Samuweli 2:1-10) Kubonakala sengathi uMariya wacaphuna imiBhalo izikhathi ezingaba ngu-20 enkulumweni yakhe. Kusobala ukuthi wayekuthanda ukukhuluma ngamaqiniso ayewafunde kuMngane wakhe omkhulu, uJehova.

18. Singalulingisa ngaziphi izindlela ukholo lukaMariya?

¹⁸ NjengoMariya, ngezinye izikhathi uJehova angase asinikeze izabelo esicabanga ukuthi zinzima kakhulu. Asilingise isibonelo sakhe, sisamukele ngokuthobeka isabelo bese sethembela kuJehova ukuthi uzosisiza. Singalingisa ukholo lukaMariya nalapho simlalelisisa uJehova futhi sizindla ngalokho esikufunde ngaye nangezinjongo zakhe. Khona-ke ngenjabulo singabe sesitshela nabanye ngalokho esikufundile.—IHubo 77:11, 12; Luka 8:18; Roma 10:15.

19. Njengoba silingisa izibonelo ezivelele zokholo eziseBhayibhelini, yini esingaqiniseka ngayo?

¹⁹ Kusobala ukuthi uRuthe, uHezekiya noMariya babengabangane bakaJehova, njengoba nje kwakunjalo ngo-Abrahama. Babeyingxenye ‘yefu elikhulu lofakazi’ elaba nelungelo lokuba abangane bakaNkulunkulu. Kwangathi singaqhubeka silingisa lezi zibonelo ezivelele zokholo. (Hebheru 6:11, 12) Uma senza kanjalo, singawubheka ngabomvu umvuzo wokuba abangane bakaJehova phakade!