1. Abanye abantu banamuphi umbono ngabantu bakaZimu ephasini?

WOKE umuntu onengqondo uyazi bona amasondo amanengi, awasilisizo kangako ebantwini namhlanjesi. Abanye balitjho lizale umlomo ukuthi amasondo amanengi amjamelela kumbi uZimu, yeke awenzi ngokuvumelana nalokho okufunwa nguZimu. Kwamfundiso zabo nokuziphatha kwabo akukhambisani nalokho uZimu akufunako. Kodwana bakholelwa bona kusesenabantu abalungileko emasondweni lawo uZimu abamukelako, abathatha njengabakhulekeli bakhe ephasini. Bathi abe akutlhogeki bona abantwabo balise ukuya namkha bazihlukanise namasondo afundisa amala lawo. Inga-kghani umbono loyo uyakhambisana nokaZimu? Akhesifumane ipendulo yombuzo lo emlandweni osemiTlolweni wabantu abalotjha uJehova ngeqiniso.

2. Bobani uJehova abakhetha bona babe babantu bakhe, begodu yini ebeyibahlukanisa kwabanye abantu? (Qala isithombe esisekuthomeni.)

² Bekube semihleni ka-Abrahamu, uZimu bekasolo anesiqhema sabantu abakhethileko ephasinapha. U-Abrahamu  obekabizwa ‘ngokhokho wabo boke abakholwako,’ bekayihloko yomndeni onabantu abamakhulu. (Rom. 4:11; Gen. 14:14) Ngikho ababusi beKanana bebamhlonipha khulu nje, bamqala ‘njengekosana.’ (Gen. 21:22; 23:6) Yeke, uJehova wenza isivumelwano no-Abrahamu neenzukulwana zakhe. (Gen. 17:1, 2, 19) UZimu wathi ku-Abrahamu: “Nasi-ke isivumelwano sami okuzakufanela bona nisilonde wena neenzukulwana zakho eziza emva kwakho: kufuze kusokwe woke umduna phakathi kwenu. . . . lokhu kube litshwayo lesivumelwano phakathi kwami nani.” (Gen. 17:10, 11) U-Abrahamu wenza njengokutjho kwakaZimu, wasoka woke umuntu omduna obekasemndeninakhe. (Gen. 17:24-27) Ngebangelo-ke, ukusoka kwaba litshwayo elihlukanisa iinzukulwana zaka-Abrahamu kwabanye abantu, liveze ukuthi bakuphela kwabantu abanesivumelwano noJehova.

3. Isizukulwana saka-Abrahamu saba sitjhaba ngayiphi indlela?

³ Umzukulwana ka-Abrahamu, uJakopo namkha u-Israyeli, waba namadodana ali-12. (Gen. 35:10, 22b-26) Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, amadodanakhe la abeletha iintjhaba ezili-12 zakwa-Israyeli. (IzE. 7:8) Kwathi nekuqubuka indlala ekulu, uJakopo nomndenakhe bayokugogobala eGibhide. Ngesikhatheso uJosefa ongomunye wamadodana kaJakopo waba sisandla nomphathi wokudla kaFaro. (Gen. 41:39-41; 42:6) Yeke, isizukulwana sakaJakopo sabeletha sanda, saba ‘sitjhaba esinabantu abanengi.’—Gen. 48:4; funda izEnzo 7:17.

4. Ekuthomeni ama-Israyeli bekaphilisana njani namaGibhide?

⁴ Sahlala-ke isizukulwana sakaJakopo eGibhide iminyaka engaphezu kwemakhulu amabili. Sahlala endaweni yeGotjheni engasemaphethelweni womlambo iNayili. (Gen. 45:9, 10) Kubonakala kwanga eminyakeni angaba makhulu amabili ama-Israyeli bekaphilisana kuhle namaGibhide, azihlalela emadorobheni amancani, azelusela imihlambi yawo. Phela uFaro bekabaphethe kuhle kwamambala, ngombana bekamthanda uJosefa. (Gen. 47:1-6) NakumaGibhide wona, bekabanyenya abantu abelusa izimvu. (Gen. 46:31-34) Alo-ke bebazakuthini, bebakatelelekile bona babhesele ukuphila nama-Israyeli.

5, 6. (a) Izinto zabatjhugulukela njani abantu bakaZimu eGibhide? (b) UMosi wasinda njani, begodu uJehova wabenzelani abantu bakhe?

⁵ Kwathi nekukhamba isikhathi ilitje lagaya ngomunye umhlathi. “Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi eGibhide kwaba nekosi etja egade ingamazi uJosefa. Yathi ebantwini bayo: ‘Qalani, ama-Israyeli kwanjesi sele andile kunathi.’ Nje-ke aqinisa isandla phezu kwawo, abe enza ipilo yama-Israyeli bona ibe munyu ngokuwasebenzisa umsebenzi obudisi weentina nedaka nangayo yoke imihlobo yemisebenzi yemasimini. Kiyo yoke imisebenzi ebudisi, amaGibhide asebenzisa ama-Israyeli ngesihluku.”—Eks. 1:8, 9, 13, 14.

⁶ Khenge aphelele lapho, uFaro loyo wakhipha umthetho wokuthi woke umntwana womsana kufuze aqintwe nekaqeda kubelethwa. (Eks. 1:15, 16) UMosi wabelethwa ngesikhatheso. Wathi nekaneenyanga ezintathu, uninakhe wamfihla emihlangeni, emlanjeni weNayili, kulapho-ke indodakazi kaFaro eyamthola khona. Yamthatha waba mntwanayo. Ngetjhudu, wathi nekasesemsanyana wakhuliswa nguninakhe wamambala, uJokobedi, yeke, wakhula ayinceku kaJehova. (Eks. 2:1-10; Heb. 11:23-25) UJehova bekabazi ‘ubujamo’ namkha umtlhago wabantu bakhe, yeke wabatjhaphulula ngoMosi. (Eks. 2:24, 25; 3:9, 10) Ngikho kwathiwa bababantu ‘abahlengwe’ nguJehova.—Eks. 15:13; funda uDuteronomi 15:15.

7, 8. UJehova usikhethe njani isizwe sakhe saba sisizwe esicwengileko?

⁷ Nanyana uJehova bekangakabi ukusihlela isitjhaba sakhe, bekaqala ama-Israyeli njengabantu bakhe. Yeke, uZimu watjela uMosi no-Aroni bona base umlayezo kuFaro wathi: “Nakhu okutjhiwo [nguJehova, NW] uZimu wakwa-Israyeli, ‘Tjhaphulula abantu bami bakhambe ukuze bangenzele umnyanya erhalawumbeni.’”—Eks. 5:1.

⁸ UZimu warhidla uFaro ngamatshwenyeko alitjhumi, bewamqedelela ngokumhlukanisa namabele elwandle elibovu namasotjakhe khonapho. Mhlokho kwaba kuphunyuka kwama-Israyeli ebugqilini. (Eks. 15:1-4) Kwathi pheze ngemva kweenyanga ezintathu, uJehova wenza isivumelwano nama-Israyeli eNtabeni yeSinayi wabathembisa ukuthi: “Iphasi loke ngelami kodwana nanilalela ilizwi lami, nilonde isivumelwano sami, nina nizakuba ngabakhethekileko bami phakathi kwezizwe zoke. Kimi nizaba mbuso wabaphristi, isizwe esicwengileko.”—Eks. 19:5, 6.

9, 10. (a) Ngokuya kwencwadi kaDuteronomi 4:5-8, umthetho bewuwahlukanisa njani ama-Israyeli kwezinye izizwe? (b) Ama-Israyeli bekufuze enzeni nekazakutjengisa bona ‘asisizwe esicwengileko’?

⁹ Ngesikhathi baseGibhide ngaphambi kobana babe ziingqila, amaHebheru bekahlelwe kuhle ngokwezizwe zawo ezidoswa phambili ziinhloko zemindeni. Abobababa ngibo ebebabarholi, babahluleli, begodu babaphristi emizinabo. (Gen. 8:20; 18:19; Job. 1:4, 5) Ngemva kwalokho, uJehova wanikela ama-Israyeli umthetho ngoMosi. Umthetho loyo bewubahlukanisa nezinye izizwe. (Funda uDuteronomi 4:5-8; Rhu. 147:19, 20.) Umthetho wabeka abaphristi, wathi “amadoda amakhulu” namkha abadala abahlonitjhwako, abanelwazi nokuhlakanipha bekufuze kube ngibo abahlulelako. (Dut. 25:7, 8) Umthetho bewuzokulawula yoke into ebeyenziwa nekulotjhwa uZimu emphakathini wesizukulwana esilandelako.

¹⁰ Kwathi bangakangeni eNarheni yesiThembiso uJehova wabakhumbuza godu imithethwakhe abatjela yona. Yeke uMosi wathi: “[‘UJehova’ NW] naye umemezele namhlanje bona nisisizwe esingesakhe njengombana anithembisile. Ngalokho londani yoke imiyalwakhe. [‘uJehova’ NW] uzaniphakamisa ngaphezu kwazo zoke izizwe azidalileko, ngokudunyiswa, ngokwaziwa nangokuhlonitjhwa. Nizakuba babantu abacwengileko [‘kuJehova’ NW] uZimenu njengombana akhulumile.”—Dut. 26:18, 19.

11-13. (a) Bobani abazihlanganisa nabantu abakhethwe nguZimu? (b) Umuntu wakosontjhaba bekufuze enzeni nengabe ufuna ukulotjha uJehova?

¹¹ Nanyana uJehova bekanesitjhaba asikhethileko ephasinapha, bekangabaleli abantu abavela kezinye izizwe bona bazihlanganise no-Israyeli. Wavumela ‘isiqubuthu sabantu bezizwe’ bona sikhambe nawo nekawatjhaphulula eGibhide. (Eks. 12:38) Phela ngesikhathi barhidlwa sibetho sekhomba, abanye hlangana ‘neenkhulu zakaFaro’ bathoma ukumesaba uJehova, yeke bazihlanganisa nesitjhaba sama-Israyeli esaphuma eGibhide.—Eks. 9:20.

¹² Kwathi nebangakayami umlambo weJordani bona bayokusahlela amaKanana, uMosi wabatjela ukuthi kufuze ‘bathande isikhonzi’ namkha umuntu wakosontjhaba abakhelene naye. (Dut. 10:17-19) Lokho kutjho khona bonyana abantu bakaZimu abakhethiweko, bekufuze bamukele nanyana ngubani oliphandle ofisa ukuba ngaphasi komthetho uZimu awudlulisela ngoMosi. (Lev. 24:22) Lokho kwenza abanye ebantwinabo balotjhe  uJehova, njengoRute owathi kuNawomi, unosokanakhe om-Israyeli: “Abantu bekhenu nami bazakuba ngebekhethu bese kuthi uZimakho abe nguZimami.” (Rut. 1:16) Abantwabo bebabizwa bona maphroselithe. Amadoda amaphandle bekufuze asokwe. (Eks. 12:48, 49) Yeke, uJehova bekamukela nanyana ngubani wakosontjhaba ohlala kwa-Israyeli, amthatha njengomunye wabantu bakhe abakhethileko.—Num. 15:14, 15.

¹³ Newuzakubona ukuthi abantu abangasima-Israyeli bebaqakatheke kangangani, ukubona ngesikhathi kuvulwa ithempeli elakhiwa nguSolomoni. Nakathandazako wathi: “Yewulalele godu nemiqhamuka engabalwa ebantwini bakho u-Israyeli, kodwana evela khatjhana ngebanga lendumela yebizo lakho kanye nesandla sakho esinamandla nomkhonwakho owelulekileko. Lokha nayizako bona izokuthandaza ethempelinapha, yewizwe usezulwini, lapho uhlala khona bese wenza nanyana yini ekhonjelwa miqhamuka. Ngalokho boke abantu bephasinapha bazalazi ibizo lakho bese bayakwesaba njengombana kwenza abantu bakho u-Israyeli begodu bazi bonyana ithempeli engilakhilekweli lahlukaniselwe ibizo lakho.” (2 Kron. 6:32, 33) Nemihleni kaJesu bekunjalo. Woke umuntu oliphandle ofuna ukulotjha uJehova bekavunyelwa bona ahlanganyele nama-Israyeli, abe ngomunye wabantu abanesivumelwano noZimu.—Jwa. 12:20; IzE. 8:27.

14-16. (a) Ama-Israyeli bekufuze abe bofakazi bakaJehova ngayiphi indlela? (b) Abantu bakaZimu bekufuze baziphathe njani?

¹⁴ Ama-Israyeli bekalotjha uZimawo uJehova kwaphela. Kanti ngakelinye ihlangothi, ezinye izizwe bezimajadu nokulotjha abosingazimu. Ngesikhathi saka-Isaya umphorofidi, uJehova wakutjho kwanga usekhotho, umangalela isikopilo lezinye izizwe. Wathi abosingazimu bezinye izizwe mabaziphendulele, baveze bona babozimu bamambala. Wathi: “Zoke izizwe zibuthene ndawonye nabantu bahlangene. Ngubani hlangana nabosingazimu bazo okhe wabika ngalokhu, wamemezela kithi ngokwaphambilini na? Abosingazimabo abaveze abofakazi babo ukuqinisekisa indababo ukuze abalaleleko bathi, ‘iye, awa kuliqiniso.’”—Isa. 43:9.

¹⁵ Abosingazimabo bahluleka ukuza nobufakazi bokuthi kufuze bathenjwe.  Lokho kungebanga lokuthi bebamifanekiso ebunjiweko kwaphela okufuze ithwalwe. Yeke, bebangakghoni ukuzikhulumela. (Isa. 46:5-7) Ngakelinye ihlangothi, uJehova watjela abantu bakhe u-Israyeli wathi: “Nina ma-Israyeli nibofakazi bami . . . Wena Israyeli uyincekwami engiyikhethileko ukuze wazi bewukholwe kimi begodu ulemuke bonyana nginguye onguye. Azange khekube noZimu omunye ngaphambi kwami begodu angeze kwaba khona omunye. Mina lo—ngimi ngedwa [uJehova, NW] begodu ngaphandle kwami abe akunamsindisi . . . Nina nibofakazi bami . . . nginguZimu.”—Isa. 43:10-12.

¹⁶ Nekazakurarulula indaba edenjwa kwanga idenjwa ekhotho le, yokuthi “Ngubani OnguZimu Weqiniso?” uJehova wakhetha abantu abazokufakaza, balitjho lizale umlomo ukuthi uJehova unguZimu weqiniso. Bekababiza ngokuthi ‘babantu azibumbela bona bonyana bamemezele idumo lakhe.’ (Isa. 43:21) Laba bekubabantu okufuze bathwale ibizo lakhe. Njengombana abatjhaphulula eGibhide, bebabophekile bona baziphathe kuhle ngendlela ezokutjengisa abanye abantu abasephasini bonyana basekela ubukhosi bakhe. Bekufanele benze ngokwamezwi womphorofidi uMikha athi: “Ngitjho nanyana izizwe zoke zingathembela kibosingazimu bazo, kodwana thina sizakuthembela [kuJehova, NW] uZimethu nini nanini.”—Mik. 4:5.

17. Kubayini uJehova besele aqala ama-Israyeli ‘njengesidiribe esibolileko’?

¹⁷ Kuyadanisa ukwazi bona ama-Israyeli wahlanukela ibizo lakaZimawo uJehova. Bangenwa mumoya okhohlakeleko wokulotjha abosingazimu abaziingodo nabamamatje. Kwathi kusasele iminyaka engaba makhulu abunane bona uJesu afike, umphorofidi uHosiya wathi: “U-Israyeli usidiribe esibolileko . . . Unama-aldari amanengi . . . Iinhliziyo zabo zinokuzenzisa; ngebangelo-ke bamlandu.” (Hos. 10:1, 2) Kwathi emva kweminyaka elikhulu nesiquntu, uJoromiya watlola amezwi kaJehova ngabantu bakhe abakhohlakeleko wathi: “Mina ngakutjala usidiribe sekhethelo, uphelele usitjalo esithembekako. Alo, uphenduke njani-ke phambi kwami waba sidiribe sommango esinesivunda na? . . . Baphi-ke abozinyana owazenzela bona? Abeze phela nakube bangakusindisa ngesikhathi sesizi lakho . . . Napa abantu bami bangikhohliwe.”—Jor. 2:21, 28, 32.

18, 19. (a) UJehova wabikezela njani bona uzokukhetha isitjhaba esitjha esibizwa ngebizo lakhe? (b) Sizokucoca ngani esihlokweni esilandelako?

¹⁸ Kunokuthi babe sidiribe esihle ngokuveza iinthelo ezihle zabofakazi bakaJehova, ama-Israyeli besele asidiribe esibolileko esiveza iinthelo ezinesivunda zokulotjha abosingazimu. Ngilokho-ke okwenza uJesu watjela abadosi phambili bamaJuda abakhohlakeleko wathi kibo: “Ngalokho ngiyanitjela bonyana umbuso wezulu uzokususwa kini unikelwe abantu abazokuthela iinthelo.” (Mat. 21:43) Ngilabo abasesivumelwaneni esitjha kwaphela umphorofidi uJoromiya athi bazokuba malunga wesitjhaba esitjha, u-Israyeli ongokomfanekiso. U-Israyeli lo bekazokuba sesivumelwaneni esitjha njengombana uJehova akubikezela wathi: “Ngizakuba nguZimabo, bona babe babantu bami.”—Jor. 31:31-33.

¹⁹ Akhenge khekube nesikhathi lapha uJehova angabi nabantu abamjamelelako ephasinapha ngemva kobana u-Israyeli wendabuko amvezele iintangana ezibovana. Yeke, wakhetha ukuba no-Israyeli ongokomfanekiso njengombana sele kutjhiwo. Kodwana bobani abababantu bakaZimu ephasini namhlanjesi? Labo abafuna ukulotjha uZimu ngeqiniso bangababona njani abantwabo? Iimpendulo zemibuzo le sizozidemba esihlokweni esilandelako.