47—UYoshuwa Nengelosi

Ukuqhubela phambili okwakuthe chu okwakusenziwa ngabakhi betempile kwayixakekisa kwayothusa imikhosi yobubi. USathana wazimisela ukuzisa elinye ilinge lokwethisa amandla nokubatyhafisa abantu bakaThixo ngokubeka phambi kwabo ukungagqibeleli kwesimilo sabo. Ukuba abo babephatheke kakubi ixesha elide ngenxa yokugqitha umthetho kaThixo babenokuphinda boyiselwe ekubeni bangayikhathaleli imithetho kaThixo, babeya kwenziwa ukuba baphinde babe phantsi kobukhoboka besono.AN 582.1

Ngenxa yokuba uIsrayeli wayenyulelwe ukuba agcine ukwaziwa kukaThixo emhlabeni, babesoloko bengamaxhoba akhethekileyo obutshaba bukaSathana; wayezimisele ukuba abangele intshabalalo yabo. Ngexesha bethobela, wayengakwazi ukubenzakalisa; ngoko ke wawaguqulela onke amandla nobuqhophololo bakhe ekubakhuthazeleni esonweni. Bebanjiswe zizilingo zakhe, bawugqitha umthetho kaThixo, baza bashiywa ukuba babe lixhoba leentshaba zabo.AN 582.2

Kanti ke,nangonababesiweekuthinjwenieBhabheli,uThixo akazange abashiye. Wathumela abaprofeti kubo bephethe ukungxolisa nokulumkisa, babavusa ukuba babubone ubutyala babo. Bathi bakuzithoba phambi kukaThixo babuyela kuYe ngenguquko yenene, wabathumela izigidimi zenkuthazo, esithi uya kubahlangula ekuthinjweni, abuyisele kubo uthando lwaKhe, aphinde abamilisele elizweni labo. Ngoku ke, njengokuba lo msebenzi wokubuyiselwa wawuqaliwe, isisalela samaIsrayeli sele sibuyele ezweni lakwaYuda, uSathana wazimisela ukuyitshitshisa injongo yezulu, waza wathi, ngokuzama ukuba afikelele koku, wazama ukusebenzisa izizwe zeentlanga ukuba zibatshabalalise zibagqibe.AN 583.1

Sekunjalo, kuyo yonke le mo imandundu, uYehova wabomeleza abantu baKhe “ngamazwi alungileyo, ngamazwi athuthuzelayo.” Zekariya 1:13. Ngomfuziselo ochukumisa kakhulu womsebenzi kaSathana kunye nomsebenzi kaKristu, wabonisa amandla oMthetheleli wabo okoyisa ummangaleli wabantu bakaThixo.AN 583.2

Embonweni umprofeti ubona “uYoshuwa umbingeleli omkhulu,” “ebambethe iingubo ezingcolileyo” (Zekariya 3:1, 3), emi phambi kweNgelosi kaYehova, ecela inceba kaThixo ngenxa yabantu bakhe [umbingeleli] abagculelwayo. Ngeli xesha ecengela ukuzalisekiswa kwezithembiso zikaThixo, uSathana usuka eme ukuba amchase. Walatha kwizikreqo zikaIsrayeli njengesizathu sokuba bangabi nako ukubuyiselwa kwimfesane kaThixo. Uyababanga njengexhoba lakhe, kwaye enyanzelisa ukuba banikelwe ezandleni zakhe.AN 583.3

Umbingeleli omkhulu akakwazi ukuzikhusela yena okanye abantu bakhe kwizityholo zikaSathana. Akakwazi ukubanga ukuba uIsrayeli ukhululekile emposisweni. Kwiingubo ezingcolileyo, ezifuzisela izono zabantu, azinxibileyo njengommeliwabo, umi phambi kweNgelosi, evumaubutyala babo,kodwaesalathaekuguqukeni nasekuzithobeni kwabo, nasekuthembeleni kwinceba yoMhlanguli osixolelayo isono. Ngokholo, ubanga izithembiso zikaThixo.AN 583.4

INgelosi, enguKristu ngokwaKhe, uMsindisi waboni, umvala umlomo ummangaleli wabantu baKhe, esithi, “UYehova makakukhalimele, Sathana; akukhalimele uYehova oyinyulileyo iYerusalem; lo akasikhuni esirholwe emlilweni na?” Indima 2. Kwakukudala uIsrayeli ehleli emlilweni wembandezelo. Ngenxa yezono zabo kwakusekukufutshane ukuba bagqitywe kumalangatye aphenjwe nguSathana kunye nabathunywabakhe ukuba ubatshabalalise, kodwa uThixo ngoku wolule isandla sakhe ukuba abakhuphe.AN 584.1

Njengoko ukuthethelelwa kukaYoshuwa kusamkelwa, kunikwa umyalelo, “Zisuseni iingubo ezingcolileyo kuye;” yaza yathi ingelosi kuYoshuwa, “Yabona, ndibususile ubugwenxa bakho kuwe, ndikwambese ngezinqabileyo.” “Bambeka ke unkontsho oluhlambulukileyo entlokweni yakhe, bamambesa ngeengubo.” Iindima 4, 5. Izono zakhe kunye nezabantu bakhe zaxolelwa. UIsrayeli wambeswa ngeengubo ezinqabileyo”—ubulungisa bukaKristu babubekwe phezu kwabo. Unkontsho olubekwa phezu kwentloko kaYoshuwa lufana nolo lwalunxitywa ngababingeleli, lwaye lunombhalo othi, “INGCWELE KUYEHOVA” (Eksodus 28:36), ofuzisela ukuba, nokuba belukho lunjalo ukreqo lwakhe lwangaphambili, ngoku wayekufanele ukulungiselela phambi kukaThixo engcweleni yaKhe.AN 584.2

Isithunywa sathi kuYoshuwa: “Utsho uYehova wemikhosi ukuthi, Ukuba uthe wahamba ngeendlela zam, ukuba uthe wasigcina isigxina sam, woyilawula wena indluyam, wozigcina neentendelezo zam, ndikunike ukuhamba phakathi kwaba bemiyo apha.” Zekariya 3:7. Ukuba uyathobela, umele ukuzukiswa njengomgwebi, okanye umlawuli, phezu kwetempile nazo zonke iinkonzo zayo; umele ahamba-hambe phakathi kwezithunywa ezimnyamekeleyo, nakobu ubomi; kuze kuthi, ekugqibeleni, ahlangane nesihlwele esizukisiweyo ekurhangqeni itrone kaThixo.AN 585.1

“Khawuphulaphule ke Yoshuwa, mbingeleli mkhulu, wena nabalingane bakho abahlala phambi kwakho; ngokuba ngamadoda asisimanga. Ngokuba, uyabona, ndiya kuzisa umkhonzi wam onguHlumelo.” Indima 8. KuHlumelo, uMhlanguli ozayo, kulele ithemba likaIsrayeli. Kwakungokukholwa kuMsindisi ozayo okwenza ukuba uYoshuwa nabantu bakhe bazuze ukuxolelwa. Ngokholo kuKristu, babuyiselwa kwimfesane kaThixo. Ngokobuhle bomvuzo waKhe, xa bathe bahamba ezindleleni zakhe, bagcina imimiselo yaKhe, baya kuba “ngamadoda asisimanga,” azukisiweyo njengabanyulwa beZulu phakathi kwezizwe zomhlaba.AN 585.2

Njengoko uSathana wamangalela uYoshuwa nabantu bakhe, ngokunjalo, kuzo zonke izizukulwana umangalela abo bafuna inceba nemfesane kaThixo. Ungu“Mmangaleli wabazalwana, . . . lowo ubamangalela emehlweni kaThixo wethu imini nobusuku.” IsiTyhilelo 12:10. Ngawo wonke umphefumlo ohlangulwe kwigunya lobubi, ogama lawo libhaliweyo encwadini yeMvana yobomi, imbambano iyaphindwa. Akaze noyedwa amkelelwe kusapho lukaThixo angaze avuse ukuchasa okuzimiseleyo kotshaba. Phofu, Lowo wabalithemba kuIsrayeli ngoko, ukhuselo lwabo, umgwebeli nomhlanguli wabo, ulithemba lebandla namhlanje.AN 585.3

Izityholo zikaSathana ngakwabo bafuna iNkosi aziphumi ekungonwatyisweni zizono zabo. Uvuyiswa zizimilo zabo ezineziphako;kuba esazi ukubakuphelangokugqitha kwabo umthetho kaThixo apho anokuthi abe negunya phezu kwabo. Izityholo zakhe ziphuma ngokukodwa kubutshaba bakhe noKristu. Ngecebo losindiso, uYesu uqhawula ukubamba kwesandla sikaSathana usapho loluntu ekwahlangula imiphefumlo kwigunya lakhe. Yonke intiyo nenkohlakalo yomvukeli omkhulu iyaxhokonxeka xa ebona ubungqina bokongama kukaKristu; aze athi ngamandla enkohlakalo nobuqhophololo asebenze ukuhlutha kuYe oonyana babantu abamkele usindiso. Ukhokelela abantu ekukrokreni, ebenza ukuba balahlekwe kukumthemba uThixo nokubasusa kuthando lwaKhe; ubalinga ukuba bawaphule umthetho aze ababange njengabathinjwa bakhe, esilwa ilungelo likaKristu lokubathabatha kuye.AN 586.1

USathana uyazi ukuba abo bacela ukuxolelwa nenceba kuThixo baya kuyizuza; ngoko ke, ubeka izono zabo phambi kwabo ukuze abatyhafise. Ngakwabo bazama ukumthobela uThixo, uthe rhoqo efuna ithuba lokukhalaza. Kude kuthi neyona nkonzo yabo yamkelekileyo, afune ukuyenza ukuba ibonakale iyinkohlakalo. Ngamacebo angenakubalwa, anobona buchule bukhulu neyona nkohlakalo inkulu, uthi azame ukuzuza ukugwetywa kwabo.AN 586.2

Ngawakhe amandla, umntu akangeze aziphendulele kwizimangalo zotshaba. Uthi ekwiingubo ezidyojwe sisono, eme phambi kukaThixo. UYesu yena, uMmeli, ubeka isibongozo esinempumelelo ngenxa yabo bonke abathi, ngokuguquka nokholo bazinikele ekuyigciniseni imiphefumlo yabo kuYe. Uyalivumaityala labo, aze athi ngeengxoxo ezinamandla zeKalvari, amoyise ummangaleli wabo. Ukuthobela kwaKhe okugqibeleleyo umthetho kaThixo kumnike lonke igunya ezulwini nasemhlabeni, kwaye ubanga kuYise inceba nokuxolelaniswa komntu onetyala. Kulowo ungummangaleli wabantubaKhe, uthi:“UYehova makakukhalimele, Sathana. Aba ngabathengwa ngegazi lam, izikhuni ezirholwe emlilweni.” Kwabo baxhomekeke kuYe ngokholo, unika isiqinisekiso esithi, “Yabona, ndibususile ubugwenxa bakho kuwe, ndikwambese ngezinqabileyo.” Zekariya 3:4.AN 586.3

Bonke abambethe ingubo yobulungisa bukaKristu, baya kuma phambi kwaKhe njengabanyuliweyo, abathembekileyo nabanyanisileyo. USathana akanawo amandla okubahlutha esandleni soMsindisi. Akukho nowodwa umphefumlo othi, ngokuzohlwaya nokholo, ubange inkuseleko yaKhe, aya kumvumela uKristu ukuba angene phantsi kwegunya lotshaba. Igama laKhe libhambathisiwe: “Mababambelele egwibeni lam, baxolelane nam, ewe, baxolelane nam.” Isaya 27:5. Isithembiso esinikwe uYoshuwa, sinikwe kubo bonke: “Ukuba uthe wasigcina isigxina sam, . . . ndikunike ukuhamba phakathi kwaba bemiyo apha.” Zekariya 3:7. Iingelosi zikaThixo ziya kuhamba ecaleni kwabo, nakweli ilizwe, baze bame ekugqibeleni phakathi kweengelosi ezirhangqe itrone kaThixo.AN 587.1

Umbono kaZekariya kaYoshuwa neNgelosi ubhekisa ngamandla awodwa kumava abantu bakaThixo ekupheleni kwemiboniso yemini enkulu yocamagushelo. Ibandla lesisalela liya kuthi ngelo xesha liziswe ekulingweni nakuxinzelelo olukhulu. Abo bagcina imithetho kaThixo nokholo lukaYesu baya kuwuva umsindo wenamba nomkhosi wayo. USathana ulibala ihlabathi njengabantu bakhe; uzuze ulawulo nakwabaninzi abazibiza ngokuba bangamaKristu. Likho kodwa iqela elincinanana elimelana nobungangamsha bakhe. Ukuba angabasusa njephezu kobusobomhlaba, ukoyisa kwakhe kungaphelela. [587]AN 587.2

[588] Njengoko waphembelela zizwe zeentlanga ukuba zitshabalalise uIsrayeli, ngokunjalo, kungekude kakhulu kwixesha elizayo, uya kuxhokonxa amagunya akhohlakeleyo ukuba atshabalalise abantu bakaThixo. Abantu kuya kulindeleka ukuba bathobele imimiselo yomntu ekwaphuleni umthetho ongcwele.AN 587.3

Abo banyanisekileyo kuThixo baya kusongelwa, kuthethwe okungendawo ngabo, benziwe amaxhama. Baya “kunikelwa nangabazali, nangabazalwana, nayimizalwane, nazizihlobo,” bade base ekufeni. Luka 21:16. Ithemba ekuphela kwalo, likwinceba kaThixo; igwiba labo elikuphela kwalo liya kuba ngumthandazo. Njengokuba uYoshuwa wabongozayo phambi kweNgelosi, liya kwenza njalo ibandla lesisalela, ngokwaphuka kwentliziyo nokholo olungagungqiyo, liya kubongozela ukuxolelwa nokuhlangulwa ngoYesu, uMmeli wabo. Bakuqonda ngokupheleleyo ukuba nesono kobomi babo, bayabubona ubuthakathaka nokungafaneleki kwabo; kwaye bakulungele ukudaniswa.AN 588.1

Umlingi umi ukuba abatyhole, njengoko wemayo ukuba achase uYoshuwa. Walatha iingubo zabo ezingcolileyo, izimilo zabo ezineziphako. Ubeka ubuthakathaka nobudenge babo, izono zabo zokungabi nambulelo, ukungafani kwabo noKristu, okungamzukisanga uMhlawuleli wabo. Uzama ukuboyikisa ngengcamango yokuba, ityala labo alinathemba, nokuba ibala lokungcola kwabo alisayi kuze lihlanjwe. Uthembe ukuba uya kulutshabalalisa ukholo lwabo ukuze baziyekele kwizihendo zakhe, babuye ekwayameni kuThixo.AN 588.2

USathana uzazi kakukhle izono aye wabalinga abantu bakaThixo ukuba bazenze, kwaye ubeka izityholo zakhe ngakubo, esithi, ngazo izono zabo baphulukene nenkuselo engcwele, ekwabanga nokuba unelungelolokubatshabalalisa. Ubabekakanyenjengabafanelwe kukuzuza njengayeukuba babe ngaphandle kwemfesane kaThixo. “Ingaba aba,” uyabuza, “ngabantu abaza kuthabatha indawo yam ezulwini, kunye nendawo yezithunywa eziye zazimanya nam? Bathi bayawuthobela umthetho kaThixo; kodwa, ingaba bayigcinile imimiselo yawo? Ingaba abazithandanga na ngaphezu kokuthanda uThixo? Ababekanga izinto abazithandayo ngaphezu kwenkonzo yaKhe? Ingaba abathandanga izinto zehlabathi na? Khangela izono eziphawule ubomi babo. Khangela ukubawa kwabo, inkohlakalo yabo, intiyo yabo omnye ngakomnye. Ingaba uThixo angandigxotha mna neengelosi zam phambi kobuso baKhe, aze avuse abo banobutyala bezono ezifanayo? Akunakho ukuyenza le nto, Yehova, ngobulungisa. Ubulungisa bufuna ukuba sivakaliswe isigwebo ngakubo.”AN 588.3

Nangona phofu, abalandeli bakaKristu bonile, abazinikelanga ekulawulweni zizenzeleli zongendawo. Baye baguquka ezonweni zabo, bafuna iNkosi ngokuthobeka nokutyumka kwentliziyo, waza uMmeli ongcwele wababongozela. Lowo ubephehlwa kakubi kakhulu kukungabi nambulelo kwabo, osaziyo isono sabo kwanokuzohlwaya kwabo, uthi: “UYehova makakukhalimele, Sathana; Ndinikele ubomi baM ngenxa yale miphefumlo. Bakrolwe entendeni yezandla zaM. Basenokuba nokungagqibeleli esimilweni; basenokuba bawe phantsi kwimizamo yabo; kodwa babuye baguquka, ndaye ndibaxolele ndabamkela.”AN 589.1

Uhlaselo lukaSathana lunamandla, ulahlekiso lwakhe lunobuqhophololo; kodwa amehlo eNkosi akubantu baYo. Ukubandezelwa kwabo kukhulu, amalangatye eziko akhangeleka engathi angabagqiba; kodwa uYesu uya kubakhupha befana negolide ecikidwe emlilweni. Ukuthanda kwabo ihlabathi kuya kususwa, ukuze kuthi ngabo umfanekiso kaKristu ube nokutyhilwa ngokugqibeleleyo.AN 589.2

Maxa wambi iNkosi ingabonakala ingathi izilibele iingozi zebandla laYo nokwenzakala okwenziwe kulo zintshaba zalo. UThixo akalibalanga. Ayikho into kweli hlabathi ebaluleke entliziyweni kaThixo njengebandla laKhe. Asiyiyo intando yaKhe ukuba inkqubo yehlabathi yonakalise ingxelo yalo [ibandla]. Akabashiyi abantu baKhe ukuba boyiswe zizihendo zikaSathana. Uya kubohlwaya abo bammela kakubi, kodwa uya kuba nenceba kubo bonke abaguquka ngenene. Kwabo bafuna kuYe amandla okuphuhlisa isimilo sobuKristu, uya kuba nika lonke uncedo oludingekayo.AN 590.1

Ngexesha lokuphela, abantu bakaThixo baya kuba nesingqala nesikhalo ngenxa yamasikizi awenzeka elizweni. Baya kuthi beneenyembezi, babalumkise abakhohlakeleyo ngengozi abakuyo ngokunyhasha umthetho ongcwele, kuze kuthi, ngentlungu engathethekiyo, bazithobe phambi kukaThixo bezohlwaya. Abakhohlakeleyo baya kubagculela kwintlungu yabo bahlekise ngezibongozo zabo ezinendili. Kunjalo, ubuhlungu bomphefumlo nokuthotyelwa phantsi kwabantu bakaThixo, kukho ubungqina obungenakho ukuphazanywa bokuba baya hlaziyeka emandleni nasesidimeni sesimilo esalahleka emva kwesono. Kungokuba basondela kufuphi kakhulu kuKristu, kuba amehlo abo amiliselwe kubunyulu baKhe obugqibeleleyo, ukuze bakubone ngokucace kakhulu ukuzaliswa kwabo sisono. Ubulali nokuthobeka ziimeko zempumelelo noloyiso. Isithsaba sozuko silindele abo baguqa elunyaweni lomnqamlezo.AN 590.2

AbakaThixo abathembekileyo, nabathandazayo, bona bavalelwe naYe. Bona ngokwabo abazi ukuba bakhuseleke ngokunqabe kangakanani. Benyanzelwa nguSathana, abalawuli beli hlabathi bafuna ukubatshabalalisa; kodwa ukuba amehlo abantwana bakaThixo ebengavulwa njengokokwenzeka kumkhonzikaElisha ebengavulwa njengoko kwenzeka kumkhonzi kaElisha eDothan, bebeya kuzibona iingelosi zikaThixo zibajikelezile, zibhekelisa kude imikhosi yobumnyama.AN 590.3

Njengoko abantwana bakaThixo bengcungcuthekisa imiphefumlo yabo phambi kwaKhe, becengela ubunyulu bentliziyo, umyalelo uyanikwa, “Zisuseni iingubo ezingcolileyo kuye,” kwaza kwathethwa amazwi akhuthazayo, “Yabona, ndibususile ubugwenxa bakho kuwe, ndikwambese ngezinqabileyo.” Zekariya 3:4. Ingubo engenachaphaza yobulungisa bukaKristu ibekwa phezu kwabantwana bakaThixo abavavanyiweyo, balingwa, nabathembileyo. Isisalela esidelekileyo sambathiswa impahla yobuqaqawuli, ukuba singasayi kuze siphinde sonakaliswe yinkohlakalo yehlabathi. Amagama abo agcinwe encwadini yobomi yeMvana, efakwe phakathi kwabo bathembekileyo bazo zonke izizukulwana. Bamelene namaqhinga omkhohlisi; ababuyanga ekunyanisekeni kwabo ngenxa yokugquma kwenamba. Ngoku bakhuseleke ngonaphakade kumacebo omlingi. Izono zabo zithwalelwe kwimbangi yesono. “Unkontsho oluhlambulukileyo” lubekwe phezu kweentloko zabo.AN 591.1

Lo gama uSathana ebenyanzelisa izityholo zakhe, iingelosi ezingcwele, ezingabonwayo, zibe zidlula zisihla zinyuka, zibeka phezu kwabathembekileyo itywina likaThixo ophilileyo. Aba ngabo bemi phezu kweNtaba yeZiyon kunye neMvana, benegama likaYise libhaliwe emabunzini abo. Bavuma ingoma entsha phambi kwetrone, ingoma ekungekho namnye onokuyifunda ngaphandle kwekhulu elinamashumi amaneanesine abahlangulwe emhlabeni. “Aba ngabo bayilandelayo iMvana apho isukuba isiya khona. Aba bathengwa bephuma ebantwini, baziintlahlela kuye uThixo nakuyo iMvana. Emlonyeni wabo akufunyanwanga nkohliso, kuba bengenakubekwa bala phambi kwetrone kaThixo (KJV).” IsiTyhilelo 14:4, 5.AN 591.2

Ngoku kufikelelwe ekupheleleni kokuzalisekiswa kwamazwi eNgelosi: “Khawuphulaphule ke Yoshuwa, mbingeleli mkhulu, wena nabalingane bakho abahlala phambi kwakho; ngokuba ngamadoda asisimanga. Ngokuba, uyabona, ndiya kuzisa umkhonzi wam onguHlumelo.” Zekariya 3:8. UKristu wavezwa njengoMsindisi noMhlanguli wabantu baKhe. Ngoku ngokwenene amasalela “abantu abamangalisayo,” njengoko iinyembezi nokuthobeka kuhambo lwabo kudedela indawo uvuyo nokuzukiswa phambi kukaThixo neMvana. “Ngaloo mini isithole sikaYehova siya kuba yinto enobukhazikhazi enobuqaqawuli, isiqhamo selizwe sibe yingangamsha nesihombo kwabasindileyo bakwaIsrayeli. Wothi oshiyekileyo eZiyon, noseleyo eYerusalem, kuthiwe ungcwele, bonke ababhalelwe ebomini eYerusalem.” Isaya 4:2, 3.AN 592.1