1. La maNgqina KaYehova mathathu kuthethwe ngawo esiqendwini enza njani ukuze ahlale ethembekile kuYehova?

KHAWUCINGE ngezi zinto zenzeka kula maNgqina KaYehova mathathu. (1) Intombazana isesikolweni ngenye imini, ize ititshala icele wonke umntu ukuba abe nento ayenzayo xa kubhiyozelwa iholide ethile. Ngembeko, le ntombazana ayivumi ukuba nento eyenzayo kuba isazi ukuba uThixo akayifuni le holide. (2) Umfana oneentloni ushumayela kwindlu ngendlu. Uqaphela ukuba umfana afunda naye esikolweni owakha wagezela amaNgqina KaYehova uhlala kwindlu elandelayo. Sekunjalo, lo mfana uya kulo mzi, aze afike ankqonkqoze. (3) Enye indoda isebenza nzima ukuze yondle intsapho yayo. Ngenye imini, umphathi wayo uyicela ukuba yenze into engekho semthethweni. Nangona le ndoda isenokuphelelwa ngumsebenzi, ixelela umphathi wayo ukuba kufuneka ithembeke ize ithobele umthetho kuba uThixo ufuna abakhonzi bakhe benze loo nto.​—Roma 13:1-4; Heb. 13:18.

2. Yeyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyiphendula, ngoba?

² Loluphi uphawu olubonayo kula maNgqina mathathu? Usenokubona iimpawu eziliqela, njengesibindi nokunyaniseka. Kodwa onke abonise ukuba anolona phawu lubalulekileyo, ukuthembeka. Omathathu awagungqi ekukhonzeni uYehova. Akukho nomnye kuwo ofuna ukophula imithetho kaThixo. La maNgqina enza ezi zinto kuba ethembekile. Ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova uyavuyiswa kukuwabona ethembekile. Nathi sifuna ukumvuyisa uTata wethu osezulwini. Ngoko, makhe siphendule le mibuzo: Kuthetha ukuthini ukuthembeka? Kutheni simele sithembeke? Singenza njani ukuze sihlale sithembekile kula maxesha anzima?

3. (a) Kuthetha ukuthini ukuthembeka kuthi bakhonzi bakaThixo? (b) Yeyiphi imizekelo esinceda siqonde oko kuthethwa kukuthembeka?

³ Xa kubhekiswa kuthi bakhonzi bakaThixo, ukuthembeka kuthetha ukumthanda uYehova ngentliziyo  yethu yonke size sizinikele ngokupheleleyo kuye. Loo nto ikwathetha ukubeka ukuthanda kwakhe kuqala xa sisenza izigqibo. Makhe sithethe ngendlela elisetyenziswa ngayo eli gama eBhayibhileni. EBhayibhileni, igama lesiHebhere eliguqulelwe ngokuthi “ukugqibelela [okanye ukuthembeka]” linokuthetha into epheleleyo okanye ephilileyo. Ngokomzekelo, amaSirayeli ayenikela ngezilwanyana kuYehova ibe uMthetho wawusithi kufuneka ibe zeziphilileyo. * (Lev. 22:21, 22) Abantu bakaThixo babengavumelekanga ukuba banikele ngesilwanyana esasingenamlenze, indlebe okanye ilihlo. Babengavumelekanga ukunikela nangesilwanyana esigulayo. Kwakubalulekile kuYehova ukuba isilwanyana siphile okanye siphelele. (Mal. 1:6-9) Siyaqondakala isizathu sokuba uYehova afune into eza kuye iphile ize iphelele. Xa sithenga into, mhlawumbi isiqhamo, incwadi okanye isixhobo, asiyifuni enemingxuma emikhulu okanye engaphelelanga. Sifuna epheleleyo. NoYehova ufuna simthande ngokupheleleyo size sithembeke kuye.

4. (a) Kutheni sinokuthi umntu ongafezekanga angakwazi ukuthembeka? (b) Ngokutsho kweNdumiso 103:12-14, yintoni angayilindelanga kuthi uYehova?

⁴ Ngaba simele sicinge ukuba kufuneka sifezeke ukuze sikwazi ukuthembeka? Ngapha koko, sisenokucinga ukuba zininzi kakhulu iimpazamo esizenzayo. Makhe sithethe ngezizathu ezibini ezibonisa ukuba kutheni singamele sicinge ukuba kufuneka sifezeke ukuze sithembeke. Okokuqala, uYehova akajongi iimpazamo zethu. ILizwi lakhe lithi: “Ukuba ubulinda iziphoso, Ya, Owu Yehova, ngubani na obenokuma?” (INdu. 130:3) Uyazi ukuba sinesono ibe ukulungele ukusixolela. (INdu. 86:5) Okwesibini, uYehova uyazi ukuba sinezinto esingenakukwazi ukuzenza ibe akalindelanga ukuba senze izinto ezingaphaya kwamandla ethu. (Funda iNdumiso 103:12-14.) Ngoko, kunokwenzeka njani ukuba sibe ngabantu abaphilileyo okanye abapheleleyo phambi kwamehlo akhe?

5. Kutheni abakhonzi bakaYehova bemele babe nothando ukuze bahlale bethembekile?

⁵ Njengabakhonzi bakaYehova, eyona nto isinceda sikwazi ukuthembeka luthando. Kufuneka simthande ngokupheleleyo uThixo size singagungqi ekumkhonzeni uTata wethu osezulwini. Ukuba simthanda ngolo hlobo naxa sivavanywa, loo nto ibonisa ukuba sithembekile. (1 Kron. 28:9; Mat. 22:37) Makhe siphinde sibuyele kula maNgqina mathathu besithethe ngawo ekuqaleni. Yintoni ewabangela enze ezi zinto azenzayo? Ngaba la ntombazana ayikuthandi ukonwaba esikolweni? La mfana yena, ngaba ufuna ukuhlazwa ngulo afunda naye? Ngaba la ndoda ifuna ukuphelelwa ngumsebenzi? Akunjalo. Kunoko, bayazi ukuba uYehova unemithetho yobulungisa ibe bazimisele ukwenza into eza kuvuyisa uTata wabo osezulwini. Basoloko becinga ngaye ngaphambi kokuba benze isigqibo kuba bemthanda. Xa besenza njalo, babonisa ukuba bathembekile.

6. (a) Kutheni umele uthembeke? (b) Yintoni eyabangela ukuba uAdam noEva bangathembeki?

⁶ Kutheni simele sonke sithembeke? Kufuneka uthembeke kuba kaloku uSathana wangcolisa igama likaYehova waza wathi nawe umkhonza kuba ucenge izinto. La ngelosi yavukelayo yazenza uSathana,  okanye “uMchasi” kumyezo wase-Eden. Yangcolisa igama likaYehova ngokuthi akabalawuli kakuhle abantu, uzicingela yedwa ibe ulixoki. Into ebuhlungu kukuba uAdam noEva baba ngakwicala likaSathana, baza bamvukela uYehova. (Gen. 3:1-6) E-Eden zazininzi izinto ezaziza kubenza bamthande ngakumbi uYehova. Kodwa uSathana wafika kubo bengamthandi ngokupheleleyo uYehova. Emva koko, kwaphakama omnye umbuzo: Ngaba ukhona umntu owayenokungagungqi ekukhonzeni uYehova uThixo kuba emthanda? Ngamanye amazwi, ngaba abantu banako ukuthembeka? Lo mbuzo kwafuneka uphendulwe kwimeko kaYobhi.

7. Ngokutsho kukaYobhi 1:8-11, uYehova wathini ngokuthembeka kukaYobhi? Wathini yena uSathana?

⁷ UYobhi wayephila ngexesha laxa amaSirayeli ayeseYiputa. Akakho omnye umntu owayethembeke njengaye. Wayenesono njengathi. Wayezenza iimpazamo. Kodwa, uYehova wayemthanda uYobhi kuba wayethembekile. Kubonakala ngathi uSathana wayesele emgculele uYehova ngokuthi akukho mntu unokuthembeka kuye. Ngoko, uYehova wathi uSathana makajonge uYobhi. Indlela awayephila ngayo uYobhi yabonisa ukuba uSathana ulixoki! USathana wathi uYehova makamvumele avavanye ukuthembeka kukaYobhi. UYehova wayemthemba umhlobo wakhe uYobhi, ibe wamvumela uSathana ukuba amvavanye.​—Funda uYobhi 1:8-11.

8. USathana wamhlasela njani uYobhi?

⁸ USathana ukhohlakele, ibe ungumbulali. Wathatha yonke into awayenayo uYobhi, wabulala abakhonzi bakhe waza wangcolisa negama lakhe ekuhlaleni. Wabulala nabantwana bakhe abalishumi. Emva  koko, wamenza wagula uYobhi ngamathumba aqala entloko ukuya kutsho ezinyaweni. Inkosikazi kaYobhi yayikhathazekile, ibuhlungu kakhulu yaza yamcela ukuba anikezele, aqalekise uThixo aze afe. UYobhi wayenqwenela ukufa naye, kodwa wahlala ethembekile. Ngoko, uSathana wazama ukumhlasela ngenye indlela. Wasebenzisa amadoda amathathu, awayengabahlobo bakaYobhi. La madoda aya kuYobhi aza ahlala naye kangangeentsuku, kodwa awazange amthuthuzele. Endaweni yoko, amgxeka. Ayesithi nguThixo owayesenza uYobhi ehlelwe zizinto ezibuhlungu ibe wayengakukhathalelanga ukuthembeka kwakhe. Ade athi uYobhi yindoda eyayisenza izinto ezimbi ibe zazimele ukumehlela izinto ezibuhlungu!​—Yobhi 1:13-22; 2:7-11; 15:4, 5; 22:3-6; 25:4-6.

9. Yintoni uYobhi angazange ayenze naxa kwakunzima kakhulu?

⁹ Wathini uYobhi akuhlaselwa ngolu hlobo? Wayengafezekanga. Waba nomsindo waza wabangxolisa aba bahlobo babesenza ngathi bayamthuthuzela, emva koko wathetha izinto awazisolayo ngazo. Wathethelela ubulungisa bakhe ngaphezu kokuthethelela obukaThixo. (Yobhi 6:3; 13:4, 5; 32:2; 34:5) Kodwa ke, naxa kwakunzima kakhulu, uYobhi akazange ayeke ukuthembeka kuYehova uThixo. Zange abukholelwe ubuxoki obabuthethwa ngaba bahlobo bangenanyani. Wathi: “Makube lee kum ukuba ndinivakalise ningamalungisa! Ndide ndibhubhe andiyi kuyisusa kum ingqibelelo yam [okanye ndiza kuhlala ndithembekile]!” (Yobhi 27:5) La mazwi abonisa ukuba uYobhi wayezimisele ukuhlala ethembekile, nokuba kwenzeka ntoni. UYobhi akazange anikezele, nathi sinokuyenza loo nto.

10. Udibana njani wena nento eyathethwa nguSathana ngoYobhi?

¹⁰ USathana uthetha into efanayo nangathi namhlanje. Udibana njani wena nento eyathethwa nguSathana ngoYobhi? Kaloku, uSathana uthi awumthandi nyhani uYehova uThixo, ungayeka ukumkhonza ukuze usindise ubomi bakho ibe awuzukuhlala uthembekile kuye! (Yobhi 2:4, 5; ISityhi. 12:10) Ikwenza uzive njani loo nto? Ayikukhathazi? Kodwa, khawucinge ngale nto: UYehova ukuthemba nyhani, kangangokuba ukunike ithuba elihle. UYehova uvumela uSathana ukuba avavanye ukuthembeka kwakho. UYehova uqinisekile ukuba unako ukuthembeka kuye uze ubonise ukuba uSathana ulixoki. Uthembisa ukuba uza kukunceda ukwazi ukuyenza loo nto. (Heb. 13:6) Kusivuyisa nyhani ukuthenjwa nguMdali wezinto zonke! Ngaba uyabona ukuba kutheni kubaluleke kangaka ukuthembeka? Kusinceda sibonise ukuba uSathana ulixoki, sithethelele igama elihle likaTata wethu size sixhase indlela alawula ngayo. Yintoni esinokuyenza ukuze sihlale sithembekile?

11. Sinokufunda ntoni kuYobhi?

¹¹ USathana ubahlasela ngakumbi abakhonzi bakaThixo kule ‘mihla yokugqibela.’ (2 Tim. 3:1) Kula maxesha anzima, singenza njani ukuze sihlale sithembekile? Kwakhona, sinokufunda into eninzi kuYobhi. Kaloku uYobhi wayebonise ukuba uthembekile kuYehova kwakude kudala ngaphambi kokuba avavanywe nguSathana. Masithethe ngezinto ezintathu esinokuzifunda kuye ukuze sihlale sithembekile.

12. (a) Ngokutsho kukaYobhi 26:7, 8, 14, kwenzeka njani ukuba uYobhi amangaliswe zizinto ezenziwa nguYehova aze amhloniphe? (b) Sinokwenza njani ukuze simangaliswe zizinto ezenziwe nguThixo?

 ¹² UYobhi wamthanda ngakumbi uYehova kuba wayekuthanda ukufunda ngaye. UYobhi wayechitha ixesha elininzi ecinga ngezinto ezintle ezidalwe nguYehova. (Funda uYobhi 26:7, 8, 14.) Wayesithi xa ecinga ngomhlaba, ngesibhakabhaka, ngamafu nangendudumo amangaliswe zizo, kodwa wayeqonda ukuba zininzi izinto angazaziyo ngendalo kaYehova. Wayezithanda nezinto ezazithethwa nguYehova. Wathi: “Ndiwagcinile amazwi omlomo wakhe [uThixo].” (Yobhi 23:12) Izinto uYehova awazithethayo nawazenzayo zazimmangalisa uYobhi ibe zamenza wamhlonipha. Wayemthanda uTata wakhe osezulwini ibe efuna ukumvuyisa. Ngenxa yoko, wazimisela ngakumbi ukuhlala ethembekile kuye. Nathi kufuneka sifane noYobhi. Zininzi kakhulu izinto esizaziyo ngendalo kaYehova emangalisayo ngaphezu kwabantu ababephila ngexesha likaYobhi. Sinayo neBhayibhile epheleleyo esinceda simazi kakuhle uYehova. Zonke izinto esizifundayo ziyasimangalisa. Xa simangaliswa zizinto ezenziwe nguYehova naxa simhlonipha, siza kumthanda, simthobele size sifune nangakumbi ukuhlala sithembekile kuye.​—Yobhi 28:28.

13-14. (a) Ngokutsho kukaYobhi 31:1, uYobhi wabonisa njani ukuba uyamthobela uYehova? (b) Sinokwenza njani ukuze sifane naye?

¹³ Ukuthobela kukaYobhi kwamnceda wahlala ethembekile. UYobhi wayesazi ukuba ukuze ahlale ethembekile kwakufuneka athobele uYehova. Ukuthobela kwethu kusenza sizimisele ngakumbi ukuhlala sithembekile. UYobhi wayezama kangangoko anako ukuthobela uThixo yonke imihla. Ngokomzekelo, wayeziphatha kakuhle xa ekunye nabafazi. (Funda uYobhi 31:1.) Njengendoda etshatileyo, wayesazi ukuba kwakungafanelekanga ukuncwasa  umfazi ongengowakhe. Ihlabathi lanamhlanje lisoloko lisihenda ukuba siziphathe kakubi. Ngaba nathi siza kufana noYobhi, singancwasi abantu esingatshatanga nabo? Ngaba siyala ukubukela iphonografi nemifanekiso engcolileyo? (Mat. 5:28) Ukuba siyazibamba yonke imihla, siza kukwazi ukuhlala sithembekile.

¹⁴ Enye indlela uYobhi awayemthobela ngayo uYehova yayikukungazithandi izinto zeli hlabathi. UYobhi wayesazi ukuba xa ethembela kwizinto anazo, wenza isono esinzulu ibe umele ohlwaywe. (Yobhi 31:24, 25, 28) Namhlanje, siphila phakathi kwabantu abathanda izinto zeli hlabathi. Ukuba siyijonga ngendlela efanelekileyo imali nezinto zeli hlabathi njengoko iBhayibhile isitsho, siza kuqhubeka sithembekile.​—IMize. 30:8, 9; Mat. 6:19-21.

15. (a) Leliphi ithemba elanceda uYobhi wahlala ethembekile? (b) Kutheni kunokusinceda ukuhlala sicinga ngethemba uYehova asinika lona?

¹⁵ UYobhi wathembeka kuba wayenethemba lokuba uThixo uza kumsikelela. Wayesazi ukuba uThixo uyambona ukuba uthembekile. (Yobhi 31:6) Naxa kwakunzima, uYobhi wayeqinisekile ukuba uYehova uza kumsikelela ekugqibeleni. Le nto yamnceda wahlala ethembekile. UYehova wavuyiswa kakhulu kukubona indlela uYobhi awayethembeke ngayo kangangokuba wamsikelela kakhulu nangona wayeseyindoda engafezekanga! (Yobhi 42:12-17; Yak. 5:11) UYobhi useza kufumana iintsikelelo ezibhetele. Ngaba unalo ithemba lokuba uYehova uza kukusikelela ngokuthembeka kwakho? UThixo wethu akatshintshanga. (Mal. 3:6) Xa sikhumbula ukuba uyavuyiswa kukuthembeka kwethu, siza kuhlala sicinga ngezinto ezintle aza kusenzela zona kwixesha elizayo.​—1 Tes. 5:8, 9.

16. Yintoni esimele sizimisele ukuyenza?

¹⁶ Ngoko, zimisele ukuhlala uthembekile! Ngamanye amaxesha, usenokubona ngathi nguwe wedwa othembekileyo, kodwa ke yazi ukuba sibaninzi. Baziimiliyoni eziliqela abantu abathembekileyo emhlabeni wonke. Uza kuba kunye namadoda namabhinqa okholo awahlala ethembekile, naxa ayeza kubulawa. (Heb. 11:36-38; 12:1) Sonke masizimisele ukuhlala sithembekile, njengoYobhi owathi: ‘Ndiza kuhlala ndithembekile!’ Masimzukise uYehova ngonaphakade ngokuhlala sithembekile!