UJehova Uyabakhathalela Abathobekileyo

UKUTHOBEKA kuyimfanelo ebaluleke kakhulu kuJehova. Nakuba uNkulunkulu engasikweleti lutho isintu, ngomusa wakhe ongafanelwe, uhlala ekulungele ukubabonisa umusa labo abazithoba kuye. Abantu abanjalo babonisa ukuthi abazethembi bona noma abagabile ngabo ngokwabo, kodwa bathembele kuye futhi bafuna ukwenza intando yakhe. Kunjengoba uJakobe, umbhali ongumKristu owabhala ephefumulelwe, asho: “UNkulunkulu umelana nabazidlayo, kodwa abathobekile ubapha umusa ongafanelwe.”—Jakobe 4:6.

Ngisho nabantu ababenza izinto ezimbi kakhulu ngaphambili bangazithoba kuJehova banxuse umusa wakhe, futhi uyobezwa. Ngokwesibonelo, iNkosi uManase yayenga abakhileyo kwaJuda naseJerusalema “ukuba benze okubi kakhulu ukwedlula izizwe uJehova ayezibhuqile phambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli.” Kodwa ngemva kokuba uJehova evumele ukuba uManase athunjwe inkosi yaseSiriya, “waqhubeka ezithoba kakhulu ngenxa kaNkulunkulu wokhokho bakhe. Wayelokhu ethandaza kuYe, kangangokuba wavuma ukuba ancengwe nguye futhi wasizwa isicelo sakhe somusa wambuyisela eJerusalema ebukhosini bakhe; uManase wazi ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso.” UManase wakufunda ngaleyo ndlela ukuthobeka.—2 IziKronike 33:9, 12, 13.

Izinzuzo Zokuthobeka

Umuntu ozithoba kuNkulunkulu angalindela ukuqondiswa nguYe. Umprofethi uDaniyeli owayesekudingisweni eBhabhiloni waboniswa umusa omkhulu ngesikhathi ingelosi imbonisa umbono waphezulu ngenxa yokuzithoba kwakhe kuNkulunkulu efuna isiqondiso nokuqondisisa.—Daniyeli 10:12.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umuntu ozidlayo ofuna udumo akayikuphumelela njengoba kwenzeka enkosini yakwaJuda u-Uziya, eyagabadela umsebenzi wabapristi okwakuyinto eyenqatshelwe uMthetho: “Kwathi nje lapho esenamandla, inhliziyo yakhe yazidla kwaze kwaba seqophelweni lokubangela incithakalo, kangangokuba wenza isenzo sokungathembeki kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe wangena ethempelini likaJehova ukuba ashise impepho e-altare lempepho.” Lapho ethukuthelela abapristi ngokumkhuza, washaywa ngochoko.—2 IziKronike 26:16-21.

Ukuthobeka kungamsiza kakhulu umuntu lapho ebhekene nokuhlupheka. Lapho kugadla usizi, ukuthobeka kusiza umuntu akwazi ukukhuthazela futhi aqhubeke ekhonza uNkulunkulu. INkosi uDavide yabhekana nezinsizi eziningi. INkosi uSawulu yamzingela njengokungathi ungumgulukudu. Kodwa uDavide akazange akhononde ngoNkulunkulu noma aziphakamise ngaphezu kogcotshiweyo kaJehova. (1 Samuweli 26:9, 11, 23) Lapho ona kuJehova ngokulala noBhati-Sheba futhi umprofethi kaNkulunkulu uNathani emsola kakhulu, wazithoba kuNkulunkulu.—2 Samuweli 12:9-23.

Imfanelo Yokwesaba UNkulunkulu

UJehova uNkulunkulu ubonisa ukuthobeka lapho ebonisa izoni ezithobekile umusa nozwela. Kwakona nje ukuthi usebenzelana nezoni nokuthi uye wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ibe umhlatshelo wezono zesintu, kuwubufakazi bokuthi uthobekile. Ngomusa wakhe ongafanelwe, wabonisa inzalo ka-Adamu umusa ngokuyinika ithuba lokuphila okuphakade.—Roma 8:20, 21.

INkosi uDavide yayibona futhi yayazisa le mfanelo kaNkulunkulu. Ngemva kokuba uJehova eyophule kuzo zonke izitha zayo, yahlabelela: “Uyonginika isihlangu sakho sensindiso, futhi ngukuthobeka kwakho okungenza ngibe mkhulu.” (2 Samuweli 22:36) Nakuba ekhazimula endaweni yakhe ephakeme le emazulwini, kungashiwo lokhu ngoJehova: “Ubani onjengoJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, yena owenza indawo yakhe yokuhlala ibe sendaweni ephakeme? Uyazehlisa ukuze abuke  ezulwini nasemhlabeni, aphakamise ophansi othulini, uphakamisa ompofu emgodini womlotha, ukuze amenze ahlale kanye nezicukuthwane, nezicukuthwane zabantu bakhe.”—IHubo 113:5-8.

Ukuthobeka KukaJesu Kristu

Ngesikhathi uJesu Kristu esemhlabeni, wabeka isibonelo esihle kakhulu njengenceku kaNkulunkulu ethobekile. Ngobusuku bangaphambi kokufa kwakhe, uJesu wathatha ithawula wageza izinyawo zabaphostoli bakhe abangu-12, inkonzo ngokuvamile eyayenziwa izinceku nezigqila. (Johane 13:2-5, 12-17) Wayetshele abafundi bakhe: “Noma ubani oziphakamisayo uyothotshiswa, futhi noma ubani ozithobayo uyophakanyiswa.” (Mathewu 23:12) Umphostoli uPetru owayekhona ngalobo busuku, wasikhumbula isibonelo sikaJesu esihle futhi kamuva wanxusa ayekholwa nabo: “Nonke bhincani isimo sengqondo sokuthobelana . . . Ngakho-ke, zithobeni ngaphansi kwesandla sikaNkulunkulu esinamandla, ukuze aniphakamise ngesikhathi esifanele.”—1 Petru 5:5, 6.

Umphostoli uPawulu ukhuthaza amaKristu ukuba abe nesimo sengqondo esifana nesikaJesu Kristu; ukhuluma ngesikhundla esiphakeme seNdodana kaNkulunkulu isesenoYise uJehova emazulwini, eyazidela ngokuzithandela ithatha isimo senceku, yeza emhlabeni ukuze ifane nomuntu. UPawulu uyanezela: “Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho [uJesu] ezithola esesimweni esinjengesomuntu, wazithoba futhi walalela kwaze kwaba sekufeni, yebo, ekufeni esigxotsheni sokuhlushwa.” Amazwi kaJesu uqobo ngokuphathelene nomvuzo wokuthobeka afakazelwa ngokucacile endabeni yakhe, njengoba umphostoli eqhubeka: “Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, noNkulunkulu wamphakamisela esikhundleni esiphakeme futhi ngomusa wamnika igama elingaphezu kwawo wonke amanye amagama.”—Filipi 2:5-11.

Okuphawuleka nakakhulu ukuthi ngisho noma esesikhundleni esiphakeme kangaka, lapho esebenzisa ‘lonke igunya analo ezulwini nasemhlabeni’ ukuze afeze intando kaNkulunkulu ngomhlaba, uKristu uyobe esathobeke ngendlela efanayo ekupheleni kokuBusa Kweminyaka Eyinkulungwane. (Mathewu 28:18; 6:10) Ngakho, imiBhalo iyasitshela: “Lapho zonke izinto sezibekwe ngaphansi kwakhe, khona-ke neNdodana ngokwayo iyozithoba kuLowo owabeka zonke izinto ngaphansi kwayo, ukuze uNkulunkulu abe yikho konke kuwo wonke umuntu.”—1 Korinte 15:28.

AmaKristu Kumelwe Ahlakulele Ukuthobeka

Lapho eluleka amaKristu akanye nawo ukuba agqoke ubuntu “obenziwa bube busha . . . ngokomfanekiso waLowo owabudala,” umphostoli uPawulu uthi: “Ngakho, njengabakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu, abangcwele nabathandwayo, gqokani uthando lomzwelo, umusa, ukuthobeka, ubumnene, nokubekezela.” (Kolose 3:10, 12) Ubuye anxuse: “Yibani nomqondo ofanayo ngabanye njengalowo eninawo ngani; ninganaki izinto eziphakeme, kodwa landelani izinto eziphansi. Ningabi ngabahlakaniphileyo emehlweni enu siqu.”—Roma 12:16.

Ukuthobeka kuthuthukisa ukuthula. Umuntu othobekile akalwi nabafowabo abangamaKristu ukuze athole lokho athi “kungamalungelo” akhe. Umphostoli uPawulu wathi nakuba ayenenkululeko yokwenza zonke izinto, wayeyokwenza izinto ezakhayo kuphela, futhi uma into ethile ayenzayo ilimaza unembeza womfowabo, wayeyoyiyeka.—Roma 14:19-21.

Ukugcina ukuthula ngokusebenzisa iseluleko sikaJesu sokuthethelela abanye nako kudinga ukuthobeka. (Mathewu 6:12-15) Futhi lapho umuntu ona othile, ukuthobeka kwakhe kuyavivinywa ngoba kudingeka kubonakale ukuthi uyawulalela yini umthetho wokuya kumuntu amonile avume ukuthi wonile acele nokuthethelelwa. (Mathewu 5:23, 24) Lapho umuntu owoniwe eza kuye, uthando luhlangene nokuthobeka kuyokwenza lowo owonile avume ukuthi wonile futhi alungise izinto ngokushesha. (Mathewu 18:15) Kodwa imiphumela yokuthula elethwa ukubonisa ukuthobeka ngaleyo ndlela kubantu ngabanye nasenhlanganweni mikhulu ukudlula imizwa yokuzizwa udunyaziwe; kanti futhi, izenzo zokuthobeka ziyayigxilisa le mfanelo kumuntu oyibonisayo.

Ukuthobeka kuyosiza umKristu ukuba aneliswe izinto anazo, futhi kuyomsiza ukuba ahlale ejabule futhi elinganisela. Labo abathobekile bangajabula ngisho noma beye badunyazwa noma baphathwa kabi abantu abaqhoshayo nabazidlayo. Angabaduduza la mazwi: “Funani uJehova, nonke nina abamnene bomhlaba, enisigcinile isinqumo saKhe sokwahlulela. Funani ukulunga, funani ubumnene. Mhlawumbe ningase nisitshekelwe ngosuku lwentukuthelo kaJehova.”—Zefaniya 2:3.