UDeveli Akayona Nje Inkolelo-ze

“Kulo lonke iTestamente Elisha kunokungqubuzana okukhulu phakathi kwamandla kaNkulunkulu nawobuhle kulolu hlangothi, nawobubi aholwa nguSathane ngakolunye. Lokhu akuwona nje umqondo wedlanzana labalobi, kodwa ukhona yonke indawo. . . . Ngakho ubufakazi beTestamente Elisha bucacile. USathane ungumuntu omubi ongokoqobo, ohlale ephikisana noNkulunkulu nabantu bakaNkulu-nkulu.”—“The New Bible Dictionary.”

PHO, kungani abaningi abazibiza ngamaKristu—futhi abathi bayalikholelwa iBhayibheli—bephika ukuthi uDeveli wangempela ukhona? Kungoba, empeleni, abalamukeli iBhayibheli njengeliyiZwi likaNkulunkulu. (Jeremiya 8:9) Bathi abalobi beBhayibheli babenikeza amafilosofi ezizwe ezazibazungezile futhi abadluliselanga iqiniso elivela kuNkulunkulu ngokunembile. Ngokwesibonelo, isazi semfundiso yenkolo esingumKatolika uHans Küng siyabhala: “Imiqondo eyinsumansumane mayelana noSathane nenqwaba yamademoni . . . yangena ebuJudeni bakudala isuka ezinganekwaneni  zabaseBabiloni yayisidlulela naseTestamenteni Elisha.”—On Being a Christian.

Kodwa iBhayibheli alilona nje izwi labantu; liyiZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe ngempela. Ngakho-ke, kuwukuhlakanipha ukuba sikuthathe njengokungathi sína lokho elikushoyo ngoDeveli.—2 Thimothewu 3:14-17; 2 Petru 1:20, 21.

UJesu Wayecabangani Ngalokhu?

UJesu Kristu wayekholelwa ukuthi uDeveli uyisidalwa sangempela. UJesu akalingwanga ububi obuthile obabungaphakathi kuye. Wahlaselwa umuntu wangempela, kamuva ambiza ngokuthi “umbusi walelizwe.” (Johane 14:30; Mathewu 4:1-11) Wayekholelwa nokuthi kwakunezinye izidalwa zomoya ezazisekela uSathane emaqhingeni akhe amabi. Welapha abantu ‘abakhwelwe yidemoni.’ (Mathewu 12:22-28) Ngisho nencwadi ethi uNkulunkulu akekho I-Rationalist Encyclopædia iphawula ukubaluleka kwalokhu lapho ithi: “Selokhu kwathi nhló kuyinkinga ezazini zemfundiso yenkolo ukuthi uJesu wasemaVangelini wayengayamukela kanjani inkolelo yokuba khona kwamademoni.” Lapho uJesu ekhuluma ngoDeveli namademoni akhe, wayengaphindi nje izinkolelo-ze ezathathwa ezinganekwaneni zabaseBabiloni. Wayazi ukuthi akhona ngempela.

Kuningi esikufundayo ngoDeveli lapho sicabangela amazwi uJesu awasho kubafundisi benkolo besikhathi sakhe: “Nina nivela kuyihlo uDeveli, futhi nifisa ukwenza izifiso zikayihlo. Lowo wayengumbulali wabantu lapho eqala, futhi akazange eme eqinile eqinisweni, ngoba iqiniso alikho kuye. Lapho ekhuluma amanga, ukhuluma ngokuvumelana nesimo sakhe siqu, ngoba ungumqambimanga noyise wamanga.”—Johane 8:44.

Ngokwalokhu, uDeveli, igama lakhe elisho ukuthi “umnyundeli,” “ungumqambimanga noyise wamanga.” Uyisidalwa sokuqala esaqamba amanga ngoNkulunkulu, futhi lokho wakwenza ensimini yase-Edene. UJehova wayethe abazali bethu bokuqala ‘babeyokufa nokufa’ uma bedla emthini wokwazi okuhle nokubi. Esebenzisa inyoka, uSathane wathi lawo mazwi ayengelona iqiniso. (Genesise 2:17; 3:4) Ngokufanelekayo, ubizwa ngokuthi “inyoka yokuqala, lowo obizwa ngokuthi uDeveli noSathane.”—IsAmbulo 12:9.

UDeveli waqamba amanga mayelana nomuthi wokwazi okuhle nokubi. Wathi umthetho owenqabela ukudla kulowo muthi wawungafanele; wawuwukusetshenziswa kabi kwegunya. Wathi u-Adamu no-Eva babengaba “njengoNkulunkulu” ngokuzinqumela okuhle nokubi. USathane wasikisela ukuthi njengezidalwa ezinenkululeko yokuzikhethela, kwakufanele bazinqumele  ngokuphelele ikusasa labo. (Genesise 3:1-5) Lokhu kuhlaselwa kokulunga kwendlela kaNkulunkulu yokubusa kwaphakamisa izimpikiswano ezibalulekile. Ngakho uJehova uye wavumela isikhathi sokuba kuxazululwe lezi zimpikiswano. Lokhu kusho ukuthi uSathane uye wavunyelwa ukuba aqhubeke ephila isikhashana. Isikhashana sakhe siyaphela manje. (IsAmbulo 12:12) Noma kunjalo, uyaqhubeka ehlukanisa isintu noNkulunkulu ngamanga nokukhohlisa, esebenzisa abantu abanjengababhali nabaFarisi besikhathi sikaJesu ukuze asakaze izimfundiso zakhe.—Mathewu 23:13, 15.

UJesu wathi futhi uDeveli “wayengumbulali wabantu lapho eqala” futhi “akazange eme eqinile eqinisweni.” Lokhu akusho ukuthi uJehova wadala uDeveli “engumbulali.” Akazange adalelwe ukuba abe yisilwane esithile esiphethe indawo evuthayo yokushisa abantu abaphikisa uNkulunkulu. “Isihogo” saseBhayibhelini asiyona indawo kaSathane. Simane siyithuna elivamile lesintu.—IzEnzo 2:25-27; IsAmbulo 20:13, 14.

Ekuqaleni uDeveli ‘wayeseqinisweni.’ Wayeyingxenye yomkhaya kaJehova wasezulwini njengendodana kaNkulunkulu ephelele ewumoya. Kodwa “akazange eme eqinile eqinisweni.” Wakhetha ezakhe izindlela nezimiso zamanga. ‘Akaqalanga’ lapho edalwa njengendodana kaNkulunkulu eyingelosi, kodwa ‘waqala’ lapho evukela uJehova uNkulunkulu ngamabomu futhi eqamba amanga ku-Adamu no-Eva. UDeveli unjengalabo bantu abavukela uJehova esikhathini sikaMose. Siyafunda ngabo: “Bonile kuye; abasibo abantwana bakhe, kuyisici sabo.” (Duteronomi 32:5) Kungashiwo okufanayo nangoSathane. Waba “ngumbulali wabantu” lapho ehlubuka futhi ebangela ukufa kuka-Adamu no-Eva, empeleni, nokwawo wonke umkhaya wesintu.—Roma 5:12.

Izingelosi Ezingalalelanga

Ezinye izingelosi zahlanganyela noSathane ekuvukeleni kwakhe. (Luka 11:14, 15) Lezi zingelosi “zashiya indawo yazo siqu yokuhlala efanele” zathatha imizimba yabantu ukuze zijabulele ubuhlobo bobulili ‘namadodakazi abantu’ ngesikhathi sikaNowa. (Jude 6; Genesise 6:1-4; 1 Petru 3:19, 20) “Ingxenye yesithathu yezinkanyezi zezulu,” noma ingxenye encane yezidalwa zomoya, iye yathatha le nkambo.—IsAmbulo 12:4.

Incwadi yesAmbulo egcwele imifanekiso eminingi iveza uDeveli ‘engudrako omkhulu onombala onjengomlilo.’ (IsAmbulo 12:3) Ngani? Hhayi ngoba enomzimba omubi nowesabekayo ngokoqobo. Eqinisweni, asazi ukuthi izidalwa zomoya zinomzimba onjani, kodwa cishe uSathane akahlukile kwezinye izidalwa zomoya eziyizingelosi ngokubukeka. Nokho, amazwi athi “udrako omkhulu onombala onjengomlilo” ayincazelo efanelekayo yomoya kaSathane wokuhaha, owesabisayo, onamandla nobhubhisayo.

USathane namademoni manje balinganiselwe kakhulu. Abasakwazi ukuthatha imizimba yenyama njengoba ngokusobala babekwazi ukwenza ekuqaleni. Ngemva nje kokumiswa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu ezandleni zikaKristu ngo-1914, bajikijelwa phansi emhlabeni.—IsAmbulo 12:7-9.

UDeveli Uyisitha Esinamandla

Yize kunjalo, uDeveli usalokhu eyisitha esinamandla. ‘Uhambahamba njengengonyama ebhongayo, efuna ukushwabadela othile.’ (1 Petru 5:8) Akasona isimiso esithile sobubi esihlala enyameni yethu engaphelele. Yiqiniso, siyashikashikana nsuku zonke nokuthambekela kwethu siqu kwesono. (Roma 7:18-20) Kodwa umzabalazo wangempela ungowokulwa “nababusi  bezwe balobubumnyama, nendikimba yomoya ababi esezindaweni zasezulwini.”—Efesu 6:12.

Lisabalele kangakanani ithonya likaDeveli? Umphostoli uJohane uthi: “Lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi.” (1 Johane 5:19) Yebo, asifuni ukukhathazeka ngokweqile ngoDeveli noma ukuvumela ukumesaba okunezinkolelo-ze kusiqede amandla. Nokho, kuwukuhlakanipha ukuba sihlale siyiqaphile imizamo yakhe yokusenza singaliboni iqiniso futhi sephule ubuqotho bethu kuNkulunkulu.—Jobe 2:3-5; 2 Korinte 4:3, 4.

UDeveli akasebenzisi izindlela ezinesihluku njalo lapho ehlasela abafuna ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. Ngezinye izikhathi, uzishaya “ingelosi yokukhanya.” Umphostoli uPawulu waxwayisa amaKristu ngale ngozi lapho ebhala: “Ngiyesaba ukuthi ngandlela-thile, njengoba inyoka yayenga u-Eva ngobuqili bayo, izingqondo zenu zingase zonakaliswe zisuke ebuqothweni nasebumsulweni obufanele uKristu.”—2 Korinte 11:3, 14.

Ngakho-ke, kudingeka ‘sihlale sisangulukile, silinde futhi sithathe ukuma kwethu ngokumelene naye, siqinile okholweni.’ (1 Petru 5:8, 9; 2 Korinte 2:11) Gwema ukudlalela ezandleni zikaSathane ngokwenza noma yini ehlangene nokulumba. (Duteronomi 18:10-12) Yiba umfundi okhuthele weZwi likaNkulunkulu, ukhumbule ukuthi uJesu Kristu wabhekisela kaningi eZwini likaNkulunkulu lapho elingwa nguDeveli. (Mathewu 4:4, 7, 10) Thandazela umoya kaNkulunkulu. Izithelo zawo zingakusiza ukuba ugweme imisebenzi yenyama, uSathane ayigqugquzela ngokuphumelelayo. (Galathiya 5:16-24) Futhi thandaza ngobuqotho kuJehova lapho uzizwa ucindezelwa uDeveli namademoni akhe ngandlela-thile.—Filipi 4:6, 7.

Asikho isidingo sokwesaba uDeveli. UJehova uthembisa ukusivikela ngempela kunoma yini uSathane angayenza. (IHubo 91:1-4; IzAga 18:10; Jakobe 4:7, 8) Umphostoli uPawulu uthi: “Qhubekani nizuza amandla eNkosini nasebukhulwini bezikhwepha zayo.” Ngokwenza kanjalo, uyokwazi ‘ukuma uqinile ekumelaneni namaqhinga kaDeveli.’—Efesu 6:10, 11.

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UJesu wayazi ukuthi uDeveli ungumuntu wangempela

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“Lonke izwe lisemandleni omubi”

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NASA photo

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Melana noDeveli ngokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu nangokuthandaza njalo