“Funani UJehova Nina Nonke-Bathobekileyo”

“FUNANI uJehova nina nonke-bathobekileyo bomhlaba enisebenzile ukwahlulela kwakhe; funani ukulunga; funani ukuthobeka; mhlawumbe niyakusitshekelwa ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova.”—Zefaniya 2:3.

Umprofethi uZefaniya wabhekisa lawomazwi ‘kwabathobekileyo bomhlaba,’ futhi wabanxusa ukuba ‘bafune ukuthobeka’ ukuze bavikelwe “ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova.” Akungabazeki ukuthi ukuthobeka kudingekile ukuze  umuntu asinde. Kodwa kungani?

Kungani Kumelwe Sifune Ukuthobeka?

Ukuthobeka kuyimfanelo yokuba mnene, ukungabi nokuzidla noma ukuzikhukhumeza. Kuhlobene kakhulu nezinye izimfanelo ezinhle, njengokuzithoba nobumnene. Ngenxa yalokho, abantu abathobekile bayafundiseka futhi bazimisele ukwamukela isiyalo esivela kuNkulunkulu, ngisho nakuba singabonakala sibuhlungu okwesikhashana.—IHubo 25:9; Heberu 12:4-11.

Ukuthobeka ngokwako kungase kungahlangani ngalutho nemfundo yomuntu noma isikhundla anaso ekuphileni. Nokho, labo abanemfundo ephakeme noma abaphumelelayo ngokwendlela yezwe bathambekele ekubeni nomuzwa wokuthi bayafaneleka ukuzenzela izinqumo kuzo zonke izinto, ngisho nasezindabeni zokukhulekela. Lokhu kungabavimbela ekuvumeleni omunye umuntu ukuba abafundise okuthile noma ekwamukeleni iseluleko nasekwenzeni izinguquko ezidingekile ekuphileni kwabo. Abanye abacebile ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo bangase bathambekele ekucabangeni okuyiphutha kokuthi ukulondeka kwabo kuxhomeke ezintweni ezibonakalayo abanazo. Ngakho, abasiboni isidingo sengcebo engokomoya evela eZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli.—Mathewu 4:4; 5:3, NW; 1 Thimothewu 6:17.

Cabanga ngababhali, abaFarisi, nabapristi abakhulu bosuku lukaJesu. Ngesinye isikhathi lapho izikhonzi ababezithumé ukuba ziyobopha uJesu zibuya zingamphethe, abaFarisi bathi: “Kanti nani nidukisiwe na? Ukhona yini ezikhulwini nakubaFarisi oké wakholwa nguye na? Kodwa lesisixuku esingawazi umthetho siqalekisiwe.” (Johane 7:45-49) Ngamanye amazwi, kubona, abantu abangenalwazi nabangafundile kuphela ababengaba yizithutha ngokwanele ukuba bamkholelwe uJesu.

Nakuba kunjalo, abanye abaFarisi badonseleka eqinisweni, baze ngisho bavikela uJesu namaKristu. Phakathi kwalaba kwakukhona uNikodemu noGamaliyeli. (Johane 7:50-52; IzEnzo 5:34-40) Ngemva kokufa kukaJesu, ‘isixuku esikhulu sabapristi salalela inkolo.’ (IzEnzo 6:7) Ngokungangabazeki isibonelo esivelele kunazo zonke kwakungumphostoli uPawulu. Wayefundiswe ezinyaweni zikaGamaliyeli futhi waba umsekeli onekhono nohlonishwa kakhulu wenkolo yobuJuda. Nokho, ngokuhamba  kwesikhathi wasabela ngokuzithoba ekubizweni uKristu Jesu futhi waba umlandeli wakhe oshisekayo.—IzEnzo 22:3; 26:4, 5; Galathiya 1:14-24; 1 Thimothewu 1:12-16.

Konke lokhu kubonisa ukuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi singase sibe njani isizinda somuntu noma ukuthi umuntu angase azizwe kanjani manje ngesigijimi esivela eBhayibhelini, amazwi kaZefaniya asasebenza. Uma umuntu efuna ukuvunyelwa uNkulunkulu nokuqondiswa iZwi lakhe, ukuthobeka kubalulekile.

Labo ‘Abafuna Ukuthobeka’ Namuhla

Izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke ziyasabela ezindabeni ezinhle zoMbuso. OFakazi BakaJehova baqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezine masonto onke emakhaya abantu abanjalo. Lababantu bavela ezizindeni eziningi nezihlukahlukene nasezimweni zezomnotho nezenhlalo ezihlukene. Nokho, into eyodwa efanayo kubo ukuthi bathobeke ngokwanele ukuba bamukele isigijimi seBhayibheli esalethwa othile emakhaya abo noma kwenye indawo. Abaningi babo bathuthuka kahle ngoba bazimisele ukwenza umzamo wokunqoba izithiyo ezibavimbelayo. Yebo, baphakathi ‘kwabathobekileyo bomhlaba’ namuhla.

Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngoMaria waseMexico. Wayenzé izifundo zomthetho eyunivesithi futhi wayelondekile ngokwezimali ngoba wayethole ifa. Ngenxa yalokhu, waba nemiqondo eyamukela noma yini eyamguqula, njengoba asho, waba umuntu “ovukelayo, odelelayo, oqhoshayo, nongakholelwa ebukhoneni bukaNkulunkulu.” “Ngaqala ukucabanga ukuthi zonke izinto zazingaxazululwa ngemali nokuthi uNkulunkulu wayengabalulekile. Empeleni, ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi wayengekho nokuba khona,” kukhumbula uMaria. “Kimina isonto laliyinto yobuwula nemfuneko nje yezenhlalo,” enezela.

Kamuva, uMaria waphawula izinguquko ezenziwa umzala wakhe ngemva kokuba ebé omunye woFakazi BakaJehova. “Wayemubi kakhulu, futhi manje wayesengumuntu onokuthula noqotho,” kuchaza uMaria. “Izihlobo zathi wayengumshumayeli futhi efunda iBhayibheli, futhi ngenxa yalokho wayengasaphuzi noma alandelane nabesifazane. Ngakho ngafuna ukuba eze azongifundela iBhayibheli ngoba ngacabanga ukuthi ngalendlela ngangizothola ukuthula engangikufuna kakhulu.” Umphumela waba ukuthi uMaria wamukela isifundo seBhayibheli asiqhutshelwa umbhangqwana ongoFakazi.

Kwakunezinto eziningi okwakumelwe azinqobe, futhi kwakunzima kakhulu ngaye ukuba amukele isimiso seBhayibheli sobunhloko ukuze azithobe kumyeni wakhe. Kodwa wenza izinguquko ezinkulu ekuphileni kwakhe nasesimweni sengqondo. Wavuma: “Ngicabanga ukuthi kusukela abazalwane bangena emzini wami futhi bangilethela usizo lukaJehova, kuye kwaba khona injabulo, ukuthula, nesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu emzini wami.” Namuhla, uMaria unguFakazi KaJehova ozinikezele, nobhapathiziwe.

Ekuphishekeleni ukukhulekela kweqiniso, kukhona enye indawo lapho ukuthobeka, noma ukuntuleka kwako, kunendima ebalulekile khona.  Ngokuvamile, emkhayeni inkosikazi yamukela iqiniso futhi ifune ukukhonza uNkulunkulu, kodwa indoda iyazindela. Mhlawumbe kunzima ngamanye amadoda ukwamukela umqondo wokuthi kukhona omunye umuntu—uJehova uNkulunkulu—omkawo manje okumelwe bazithobe kuye. (1 Korinte 11:3) Owesifazane othile waseChihuahua, eMexico, wacela isifundo seBhayibheli, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi yena nabantwana bakhe abayisikhombisa bangena eqinisweni. Ekuqaleni umyeni wakhe waphikisa. Ngani? Ngoba wayengafuni ukuba umkhaya wakhe uhambe ushumayela endlini ngendlu, uhambisa izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Ngokusobala waba nomuzwa wokuthi lokhu kwakumehlisa isithunzi. Nokho, umkhaya wakhe wama uqinile esinqumweni sawo sokukhonza uNkulunkulu. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lendoda yaqala ukubona ukubaluleka kokwamukela ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu. Kodwa kwadlula iminyaka engu-15 ngaphambi kokuba izinikezele kuJehova.

Kulo lonke elaseMexico, kusenemiphakathi eminingi engayodwa lapho izakhamuzi zendawo zinezilimi zazo zesiNdiya zendabuko namasiko. Isigijimi seBhayibheli sifinyelela nakulababantu futhi sibasiza ukuba bathuthukise izinga labo lempucuko, njengoba abanye befunda ukuzifundela nokubhala lapho befunda iqiniso. Nokho, iqiniso lokuthi abantu abafundanga noma ukuthi banezinto ezibonakalayo ezincane alisho ukuthi bayolalela kakhudlwana. Ukuqhosha ngohlanga nokunamathela kakhulu emasikweni okhokho ngezinye izikhathi kwenza kube nzima ngabanye ukuba bamukele iqiniso. Lokhu futhi kukwenza kucace ukuthi kungani kweminye imizana yamaNdiya, labo abamukela iqiniso ngokuvamile behlukunyezwa abanye abahlala kuleyomizi. Ngakho ukuthobeka kubonakala ngezindlela eziningi.

Sabela Ngokuthobeka

Kuthiwani ngawe siqu? Ingabe uyasabela eqinisweni leZwi likaNkulunkulu? Noma ingabe kunzima ngawe ukwamukela amaqiniso athile eBhayibheli? Mhlawumbe ungase uthande ukuzihlola ukuze ubone ukuthi yini ekuvimbayo. Ingabe uphazanyiswa ukuthi iningi labantu abadonseleka eqinisweni bangabantu abanesizinda esiphansi? Ingabe kungenzeka ukuthi ekucabangeni kwakho kukhona ukuqhosha? Kuhle ukucabanga ngalamazwi omphostoli uPawulu: “Izinto zobuwula zezwe uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba ajabhise abahlakaniphileyo; nezinto ezibuthakathaka zezwe uNkulunkulu uzikhethile ukuba ajabhise izinto ezinamandla; nezinto eziphansi zezwe nezinto ezidelelwayo uNkulunkulu wazikhetha‚ nezinto ezingekho‚ ukuba achithe ezikhona‚ ukuze kungabikho-nyama ezibongayo phambi kukaNkulunkulu.”—1 Korinte 1:27-29.

Ingabe ubungayenqaba ingcebo ngenxa nje yokuthi uyithole esitsheni sobumba esiphansi? Yiqiniso akunjalo! Nokho, leyo yindlela uNkulunkulu akhetha ukusilethela ngayo iZwi lakhe leqiniso elisindisa ukuphila, njengoba umphostoli uPawulu echaza: “Lengcebo sinayo ezitsheni zebumba‚ ukuze ubukhulu bamandla obukhulu kakhulu bube-ngobukaNkulunkulu‚ bungabi-ngobuvela kithi.” (2 Korinte 4:7) Ukuthobeka nokuzithoba kuyosenza sikwazi ukubona ukubaluleka kwangempela kwengcebo hhayi nje ‘izitsha zobumba,’ noma amanxusa angabantu, ayidlulisela kithi. Uma senza kanjalo, siyokwandisa futhi namathuba ethu ‘okusitshekelwa ngosuku lolaka lukaJehova’ futhi sibe phakathi kwabathobekile ‘abayodla ifa lomhlaba.’—Zefaniya 2:3; Mathewu 5:5.