24—“Ukutshabalala Ngokuswela Ulwazi”

Uthando lukaThixo ngakuIsrayeli lwalusoloko luxhomekeke kwimeko yokuthobela kwabo. Ezantsi kweSinayi bangena kumnqophiso wolwalamano kunye naYe babe “yinqobo . . . kwizizwe zonke.” Ngondiliseko, bathembisa ukulandela indlela yokuthobela. “Konke akuthethileyo uYehova sokwenza,” batsho. Exodus 19:5, 8. Kwathi nje ngeentsuku ezimbalwa emva kokuba umthetho kaThixo wathethwayo eSinayi, nemfundiso eyongeziweyo kunye nezohlwayo bazixelelwa ngoMoses, amaIsrayeli, ngazwi nye aphinda athembisa, “Onke amazwi awathethileyo uYehova sowenza, [siyive].” Eksodus 24:3, 7. UThixo wayemnyule uIsrayeli ukuba abe ngabantu baKhe, nabo bamkhetha ukuba abe nguKumkani wabo.AN 293.1

Kufuphi ekupheleni kohambo lwasentlango, iimeko zomnqophiso zaziphindiwe. EBhahali-pehore, kwimida kanye yeZwe leDinga, apho uninzi lwaba ngamaxhoba esilingo esirhubuluzayo, abo bahlala benyanisekile baziphinda izifungo zokuthembeka [kuThixo]. NgoMoses, balunyukiswa ngezilingo ezaziza kubahlasela kwixesha elizayo; baza bakhuthazwa ngokunyamekileyo ukuba bahlale bezahlule kwizizwe ezibajikelezileyo nokuba banqule uThixo yedwa.AN 294.1

“Yiphulaphule,” uMoses wamyalela uIsrayeli, “imimiselo namasiko endinifundisa wona, ukuba niwenze; ukuze niphile, ningene, nilime ilizwe aninikayo uYehova uThixo wooyihlo. Ize ningongezi ezwini endiniwisela umthetho ngalo, ize ninganciphisi nto kulo, ukuze niyigcine imithetho kaYehova uThixo wenu, endiniwisela yona. . . . Yigcineni ke niyenze; ngokuba oku bubulumko benu, nengqondo yenu, emehlweni abantu abaya kuyiva yonke le mimiselo; bathi, Olu hlanga likhulu ngabantu abalumkileyo, abangengqondo bodwa.” Duteronomi 4:1-6.AN 294.2

AmaIsrayeli ayenikwe umyalelo owodwa ukuba angalahlekwa ngumbono wemithetho kaThixo, ekwakuya kuthi ukuba ayithobele azuze amandla nentsikelelo. “Zigcine, uwugcine umphefumlo wakho kunene,” yayililizwi likaYehova eliya kubo ngoMoses, “hleze uzilibale izinto azibonileyo amehlo akho; hleze zimke entliziyweni yakho yonke imihla yokuphila kwakho. Uze uzazise oonyana bakho, noonyana boonyana bakho.” Iindima 9, 10. Imibono eyoyikekayo ehlangene nokunikwa komthetho eSinayi kwakungafuneki ukuba ize ilityalwe. Zazicacile, zaye ziphelele izilumkiso ezazinikwe uIsrayeli ukuchasa amasiko agqubayo phakathi kwezizwe ezingabamelwane. “Zigcineni kunene,” yayilicebiso elanikwayo; “. . . hleze nizonakalise, nizenzele umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, imbonakalo yento efana nokuba yiyiphi,” “hleze uwaphakamisele ezulwini amehlo akho, ubone ilanga nenyanga neenkwenkwezi, wonke umkhosi wasezulwini, uwexulwe, uzinqule, uzikhonze, ezo uYehova uThixo wakho azabele izizwe zonke phantsi kwezulu lonke.” “Zigcineni, hleze niwulibale umnqophiso kaYehova uThixo wenu, awawenzayo nani, nizenzele umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, imbonakalo yezinto zonke awakuwisela umthetho ngazo uYehova uThixo wakho.” Iindima 15, 16, 19, 23.AN 294.3

UMoses wabuzoba ububi obabuya kuba sisiphumo sokusuka kwimimiselo kaYehova. Ebiza izulu nomhlaba ukuba ungqine, wavakalisa esithi, ukuba emva kokuba behleli ixesha elide eZweni leDinga, abantu baya kungenisa iindlela ezikhohlakeleyo zokunqula bathobe baguqe kwimifanekiso eqingqiweyo baze bakwale ukubuyela ekunquleni uThixo oyinyaniso, ingqumbo kaYehova iya kuphakama, baze bathwalwe basiwe ebukhobokeni basasazwe phakathi kweentlanga. “Nodaka mpela kamsinya, ningabikho kwelo zwe, niwela iYordan nisiya kulo ukuba nilime;” wabalumkisa; “anisayi kuyolula imihla yenu kulo, notshabalala kube kanye. Woniphangalalisa uYehova phakathi kwezizwe, nisale nibantu bambalwa ezintlangeni, apho uYehova aya kuniqhubela khona; nikhonze khona oothixo abangumsebenzi wezandla zomntu, imithi namatye, abangaboniyo, abangevayo, abangadliyo, abangajojiyo.” Iindima 26-28.AN 295.1

Esi siprofeto sazaliseka ngenxenye ngexesha labagwebi, saza saphelela ngokuzaliseka ngokuphandle ekuthinjweni kukaIsrayeli eAsiriya kwanoYuda eBhabheli.AN 296.1

Ukreqo lukaIsrayeli lwakhula kancinane. Ukusuka kwisizukulwana kuse kwesinye, uSathana wenza amalinge ewaphindaphinda ukwenza ukuba isizwe esinyuliweyo siwulibale “umtheto, imimiselo kwanamasiko” ababethembise ukuba baya kuwagcina ngonaphakade. Duteronomi 6:1. Wayesazi (uSathana) ukuba, xa athi wakhokelela uIsrayeli ekumlibaleni uThixo, aze “walandela thixo bambi, wabakhonza,” ngokuqinisekileyo “[bo]bhubha kanye.” Duteronomi 8:19.AN 296.2

Utshaba lwebandla likaThixo phezu komhlaba aluzange, phofu, lwayiqaphela ngokupheleleyo indalo yemfesane kaThixo kanti ubuqaqawuli kuYe kukuba ung“onemfesane, onobabalo, ozeka kade umsindo, omninzi ngenceba nenyaniso; olondolozela amawaka inceba, oxolela ubugwenxa, nokreqo, nesono.” Eksodus 34:6, 7. Sezikho zinjalo iinzame zikaSathana zokuchitha injongo kaThixo ngoIsrayeli, sekuphakathi kwezo yure zimnyama zembali, yabo, xa kubonakala ngokungathi imikhosi yobubi kusondele ukuba izuze uloyiso, uYehova uthi, ngobubele, azityhile. Waneka phambi kukaIsrayeli izinto ezazijonge ukuhlala kakuhle kwesizwe. “Ndimbhalela into eninzi yemiyalelo yam,” watsho ngoHoseya, “bayicingela into engento.” “Mna ndamfundisa uEfrayim ukuhamba, ndibaphatha ngeengalo zam; abazanga noko, ukuba ndabaphilisa.” Hoseya 8:12; 11:3. UYehova wabaphatha ngothando, ebafundisa ngabaprofeti baKhe umgca phezu komgca, umthetho phezu komthetho.AN 296.3

Ukuba uIsrayeli wayeziphulaphule izigidimi zabaprofeti, ngewasinda ekuthobekeni okwalandelayo. Kwakungokuba baqhubeka ekutyekeni emthethweni waKhe ukuze uThixo anyanzeleke ukuba abayeke baye ekuthinjweni. “Bayatshabalala abantu bam kukuswela ukwazi;” yaba sisigidimi saKhe kubo ngoHoseya. “Kuba wena ukucekisile ukwazi, ndiya kukucekisa: . . . [njengoko] wawulibala umyalelo kaThixo wakho.” Hoseya 4:6.AN 297.1

Kwisizukulwana ngasinye, ukugqitha umthetho kaThixo kuye kwalandelwa sisiphumo esinye. Ngemihla kaNowa, xa yonke imithetho-siseko yokwenza okulungileyo yaphulwa, baza ubugwenxa banzulu basasazeka kangangokuba uThixo angabi nakho ukunyamezela, kwaphuma isigwebo esithi, “Ndiya kumcima umntu endimdalileyo, angabikho ehlabathini.” Genesis 6:7. Ngemihla ka-Abraham abantu baseSodom bamdelela ekuhleni uThixo nomthetho waKhe; kwaza kwalandela inkohlakalo, inkohlakalo enye, ukuziyekela okungenamikhala ngokufanayo, noko kwabonakala kwilizwe laphambi kukaNogumbe. Abemi baseSodom badlula imida yonyamezelo olungcwele, kwaza kwaphenjelelwa umlilo wempindezelo kaThixo.AN 297.2

Ixesha elaliphambi kokuthinjwa kwezizwe ezilishumi zikaIsrayeli lalilelinye lokungathobeli okufanayo kwanenkohlakalo efanayo. Umthetho kaThixo wawuthatyathwa njengento engekhoyo,kwaza oku kwavulela amasango obugwenxa phezu kukaIsrayeli. “UYehova ubambene nabemi belizwe eli;” watsho uHoseya, “ngokuba kungekho nyaniso, kungekho nceba, kungekho kwazi uThixo kweli lizwe. Kukushwabula, nokuxoka, nokuncinitha, nokuba, nokukrexeza; bagqobhozile, igazi liphathelele kwigazi.” Hoseya 4:1, 2.AN 297.3

Iziprofeto zokohlwaya ezathunyelwa ngoAmosi noHoseya zazikhatshwa kukuxela kwangaphambili uzuko lwexesha elizayo. Kwizizwe ezilishumi, ekwakukudala zivukela, zingafuni ukuzohlwaya, akuzange kwanikezwa sithembiso sokubuyiselwa ngokupheleleyo kumandla azo angaphambili ePalestina. Koda kube sekupheleni kwexesha, zaziza “kuphalaphala ezintlangeni.” Noko kunjalo, kwanikelwa uHoseya isiprofeto esabeka phambi kwazo ilungelo lokuba nenxenye ekubuyiselweni kokugqibela okwenziwa nabantu bakaThixo ekupheleni kwembali yehlabathi, xa uKristu eya kuvela enguKumkani kakumkani, noNkosiyeeNkosi. Imihla emininzi,” wathi umprofeti, izizwe ezilishumi, [abantu bazo] baya kuhlala “bengenakumkani, bengenamthetheli, bengenambingelelo, bengenasimiso samatye, bengenaefodi namilondekhaya.” “Emveni koko,” waqhuba umprofeti, “baya kubuya oonyana bakaIsrayeli, bamquqela uYehova uThixo wabo, noDavide ukumkani wabo; baye benkwantya kuYehova, nasekulungeni kwakhe ekupheleni kwemihla.” Hoseya 3:4, 5.AN 298.1

Ethetha ngomfuziselo, uHoseya wabeka phambi kwezizwe ezilishumi icebo likaThixo lokubuyisela kuye wonke umphefumlo ozohlwayayo oya kuthi uzimanye nebandla laKhe emhlabeni, iintsikelelo awazinika uIsrayeli ngemihla yakhe yokunyaniseka kuYe kwiZwe leDinga. Ebhekisa kuIsrayeli njengalowo Yena (Yehova) wayelangazelela ukumbonisa inceba, uYehova wathi, “Ndiya kumrhwebesha, ndimse entlango, ndithethe kakuhle naye. Ndomnika izidiliya zakhe, zithabathele khona, nentili yeAkore ibe lisango lethemba, aphendule khona njengeemini zobuncinane bakhe, nanjengemini yokunyuka kwakhe, ephuma ezweni ngokuthi,AN 298.2

laseYiputa kuya kuthi ngaloo mini, utsho uYehova, undibize Ndoda yam; ungabi sandibiza ngokuthi, Bhahali wam. Ngokuba ndiya kuwasusa amagama ooBhahali emlonyeni wakhe, bangabi sakhunjulwa ngamagama abo.” Hoseya 2:14-17.AN 298.3

Ngemihla yokugqibela yembali yeli hlabathi, umnqophiso kaThixo nabantu abagcina imithetho yaKhe uya kuhlaziywa. “Ngaloo mini ndobenzela umnqophiso namarhamncwa asendle, neentaka zezulu, nezinambuzane zomhlaba; ndaphule isaphetha nekrele nemfazwe, ezo zinto zingabikho ezweni; ndibahlalise bekholosile. Ngokugana ube ngowam ngonaphakade ndikugane ube ngowam ngobulungisa nangokusesikweni, nangenceba nangemfesane; ndikugane ube ngowam ngokuthembeka, umazi uYehova.AN 299.1

“Kuya kuthi ngaloo mini, ndiphendule, utsho uYehova; ndiya kuliphendula izulu, lona liphendule ihlabathi; ihlabathi liphendule ingqolowa, newayini entsha, neoli; ezo zinto ziphendule uYizereli. Ndozihlwayelela yena elizweni, ndimenzele imfesane uAkenzelwanga-mfesane; ndithi kuAsibantubam, Ungabantu bam; aze athi kum, UnguThixo wam.” Iindima 18-23.AN 299.2

“Ngaloo mini . . . amasalela akwaIsrayeli nabasindileyo bendlu kaYakobi, . . . baya kwayama ngoYehova Oyingcwele kaIsrayeli, benyanisile,” Isaya 10:20. Kwiintlanga, nezizwe, neelwimi, nabantu” kuya kubakho abathile abaya kuphendula ngovuyo kwisigidimi esithi, “Moyikeni uThixo nimzukise; ngokuba lifikile ixa lokugweba kwakhe.” Baya kubuya kuko konke ukunqula izithixo okubabophelela emhlabeni “[ba]mnqule lowo wenza izulu, nomhlaba, nolwandle, nemithombo yamanzi.” Baya kuzikhulula kuyo yonke imbophelelo baze beme phambi kwehlabathi njengamatye ezikhumbuzo zenceba kaThixo. Baya kuthi bekuthobela okufunwa lizulu, baziwe ziingelosi nangabantu njengabo “abayigcinayo imithetho kaThixo nokukholwa kuYesu.” IsiTyhilelo 14:6, 7, 12.AN 299.3

“Yabonani, kuza imihla, utsho uYehova, aya kuthi afumanane umlimi nomvuni, umxovuli weediliya afumanane nomhlwayeli wembewu; iintaba zivuze incindi yeediliya, neenduli zonke zinyibilike. Ndiya kukubuyisa ukuthinjwa kwabantu bam amaIsrayeli, bayakhe imizi engamanxuwa, bayihlale, batyale izidiliya, basele iwayini yazo, benze imiyezo, badle iziqhamo zayo. Ndobatyala emhlabeni wabo, bangabi sanyothulwa emhlabeni wabo endabanikayo; utsho uYehova uThixo wabo.” Amosi 9:13-15.AN 300.1