1, 2. (a) Kuthetha ntoni ukuba lingqina, ibe yintoni angayenzanga amajelo eendaba? (b) Kutheni uYehova engaxhomekekanga kumajelo eendaba eli hlabathi?

KUTHETHA ntoni ukuba lingqina? Esinye isichazi-magama sithi: “Ngumntu obona isiganeko aze achaze oko kwenzekileyo.” Ngokomzekelo, kwisixeko sasePietermaritzburg, eMzantsi Afrika, elinye iphephandaba ngoku ekuthiwa yiThe Witness belikho kangangeminyaka engaphezu kweyi-160. Eli gama liyalifanela, kuba injongo yalo kukuchaza izinto ezenzeka ehlabathini njengoko zinjalo. Umhleli owasungula eli phephandaba wathembisa ukuba liza kuthetha “inyaniso ngobunjalo bayo.”

² Noko ke, okulusizi kukuba, amajelo eendaba ehlabathi aye akazinanza okanye azijika iinkcukacha ezibalulekileyo zembali yoluntu. Aye akayichaza inyaniso ngoThixo nezinto azenzileyo. Kodwa uMlawuli onguMongami wendalo iphela akaxhomekekanga kumajelo eendaba. Esebenzisa umprofeti wakhe uHezekile, wathi: “[Ziya kwazi] iintlanga ukuba ndinguYehova.” (Hez. 39:7) UnamaNgqina amalunga nezigidi ezisibhozo axelela zonke iintlanga ngaye nangendlela aye waqhubana ngayo nabantu kwixa elidluleyo nangoku. Lo mkhosi wamaNgqina uxelela abantu nangezinto uThixo athembisa ukubenzela zona kwikamva. Xa siwubeka kwindawo yokuqala lo msebenzi wokuba ngamaNgqina akhe, sihambisana negama lethu esilinikwe nguThixo elichazwe kuIsaya 43:10: “‘Ningamangqina am,’ utsho uYehova, ‘ningumkhonzi wam endimnyulileyo.’”

3, 4. (a) Abafundi beBhayibhile baqalisa nini ukubizwa ngokuba ngamaNgqina kaYehova, ibe bavakalelwa njani? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.) (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo esiza kuyiphendula?

 ³ Lilungelo elikhulu gqitha ukuthwala igama likaYehova, kuba ‘unguKumkani kanaphakade’ othi: “Lilo elo igama lam kuse kwixesha elingenammiselo, yaye sisikhumbuzo sam eso kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana”! (1 Tim. 1:17; Eks. 3:15; thelekisa neNtshumayeli 2:16.) Ngo-1931, aBafundi BeBhayibhile bamkela igama elithi amaNgina kaYehova. Kamva, kweli phephancwadi kwapapashwa iileta ezazibonakalisa uxabiso. Elinye ibandla laseKhanada labhala lathi: “Iindaba ezimnandi zokuba ‘singamaNgqina kaYehova’ zisichulumancisile, ibe zisenze sazimisela ukuphila ngendlela eza kusenza sikufanelekele ukubizwa ngeli gama.”

⁴ Unokulubonisa njani uxabiso ngelungelo lokuthwala igama likaThixo? Ngaba unokusichaza isizathu sokuba uYehova athi singamaNgqina akhe, njengoko sifunda kuIsaya?

5, 6. (a) Abazali bakwaSirayeli babeza kuba ngamangqina kaYehova ngayiphi indlela? (b) Yintoni enye abayalelwa ukuba bayenze abazali abangamaSirayeli, ibe kutheni bemele benze njalo nabazali namhlanje?

⁵ Ngomhla kaIsaya, mSirayeli ngamnye ‘wayelingqina’ likaYehova, size isizwe siphela sibe ‘ngumkhonzi’ kaThixo. (Isa. 43:10) Enye indlela amaSirayeli awayesiba ngamangqina ngayo yayikukufundisa abantwana babo ngendlela uThixo awaqhubana ngayo nooyisemkhulu. Ngokomzekelo, xa ayalelwa ukuba agcine iPasika nyaka ngamnye, axelelwa oku: “Kothi xa bathe oonyana benu kuni, ‘Ithetha ukuthini na le nkonzo kuni?’ nithi, ‘Ngumbingelelo wepasika kuYehova, owadlulayo ezindlwini zoonyana bakaSirayeli eYiputa ekuwabetheni kwakhe amaYiputa ngesibetho, kodwa wazihlangula izindlu zethu.’” (Eks. 12:26, 27) Abo bazali kusenokwenzeka babaxelela  nokuba, xa uMoses waya kuFaro umlawuli waseYiputa ukuze acele imvume yokuba amaSirayeli aye kunqula uYehova entlango, lo mlawuli wamphendula wathi: “Ngubani na uYehova, ukuba ndingade ndithobele ilizwi lakhe lokuba ndimndulule uSirayeli?” (Eks. 5:2) Kakade ke, babenokubabalisela nokuba, emva kwezibetho ezilishumi ezathwaxa elo lizwe nasemva kokuba amaSirayeli esindiswe kumkhosi waseYiputa kuLwandle Olubomvu, impendulo yombuzo kaFaro yacaca kumntu wonke. UYehova wayenguSomandla ibe usenguye nangoku. Ukongezelela, amaSirayeli aba ngamangqina okuzibonela okuba uYehova nguThixo wokwenyaniso kwaye unguMzalisekisi wezithembiso zakhe.

⁶ AmaSirayeli awayelixabisa ilungelo lokuthwala igama likaYehova amel’ ukuba achazela kungekuphela nje abantwana babo ngezi zinto zimangalisayo, kodwa nabaphambukeli ababengamakhoboka emizini yabo. Enye into ebalulekileyo, amaSirayeli ayalelwa ukuba aqeqeshe abantwana bawo ukuba babe ngcwele, okuthetha ukuthi baphile ngemilinganiselo kaThixo. UYehova wathi: “Yibani ngcwele, kuba mna Yehova Thixo wenu ndingcwele.” (Lev. 19:2; Dut. 6:6, 7) Onjani wona ukuba mhle umzekelo abazali abangamaKristu namhlanje abamele bawuxelise! Nabo bamele baqeqeshe abantwana babo ukuba babe ngcwele, ngaloo ndlela bebanceda ukuba bazise uzuko egameni likaThixo!—Funda iMizekeliso 1:8; eyabase-Efese 6:4.

7. (a) Xa amaSirayeli ayenyanisekile kuYehova, zazisabela njani iintlanga ezaziwangqongile? (b) Yiyiphi imbopheleleko abanayo bonke abo bathwala igama likaThixo?

⁷ Xa ayenyanisekile, amaSirayeli ayelimela kakuhle igama likaThixo. Axelelwa oku: “Ziya kubona zonke izizwana zomhlaba ukuba igama likaYehova libizwe phezu kwakho, zikoyike.” (Dut. 28:10) Noko ke, okulusizi kukuba, amaxesha amaninzi ayengathembeki kuThixo. Ayemane ebuyela kunqulo zithixo. Ukongezelela koko, njengabo thixo bamaKanan ayebanqula, akhohlakala, abingelela ngabantwana bawo ibe acinezela namahlwempu. Umzekelo wawo ombi usifundisa isifundo esibalulekileyo. Simele sixelise uYehova sibe ngcwele kuba simela yena, Lowo Ungoyena Ungcwele.

8. UYehova waxelela uIsaya ukuba athini, ibe wasabela njani uIsaya?

⁸ UYehova wayexele kwangaphambili ukuba amaSirayeli ayeza kubona ukuhlangulwa okungummangaliso ekuthinjweni. (Isa. 43:19) Izahluko ezithandathu zokuqala zikaIsaya zilumkisa ngentlekele eyayiza kwehlela iYerusalem nezixeko eziyingqongileyo. UYehova, obona iintliziyo, waxelela uIsaya ukuba aqhubeke evakalisa esi silumkiso nakuba amaSirayeli ayeza kuba nenkani. UIsaya wothuka waza wafuna ukuqonda ukuba uhlanga lukaThixo lalingazi kuguquka de kube nini na. Wathini uThixo? Wathi: “Zide okunene izixeko zibe ngamanxuwa, zingabi nabemi, nezindlu zingabi namntu wasemhlabeni, nomhlaba ngokwawo uphanziswe.”—Funda uIsaya 6:8-11.

9. (a) Sazaliseka nini isiprofeto sikaIsaya esingokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem? (b) Sisiphi isilumkiso esimele sinikele ingqalelo kuso namhlanje?

⁹ UIsaya walufumana olu thumo ngonyaka wokugqibela wolawulo lukaKumkani u-Uziya, okanye malunga nonyaka ka-778 B.C.E. Waqhubeka eprofeta kangangeminyaka emalunga neyi-46 de kwasemva ko-732 B.C.E., sele kulawula uKumkani uHezekiya. Wakwenza oku kwiminyaka eyi-125 ngaphambi kokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem ngo-607 B.C.E. Ngoko, amaSirayeli alunyukiswa kwiminyaka emininzi ngaphambili ngoko kwakuza kwenzeka kuhlanga lwawo. Nanamhlanje, uYehova usebenzisa abantu bakhe ukuze  alumkise abanye ngoko kuza kwenzeka. Kangangeminyaka eyi-135, IMboniselo ibisoloko ixelela abafundi bayo ukuba ulawulo lukaSathana olungendawo luza kuphela kungekudala luze luthatyathelwe indawo luLawulo Lweminyaka Eliwaka lukaYesu Kristu.—ISityhi. 20:1-3, 6.

10, 11. AmaSirayeli awayethinjwe eBhabhiloni aba ngamangqina okuzaliseka kwasiphi isiprofeto sikaIsaya?

¹⁰ AmaYuda amaninzi awathobelayo aza anikezela kwiBhabhiloni, asinda xa kwakutshatyalaliswa iYerusalem aza asiwa ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni. (Yer. 27:11, 12) Kwiminyaka eyi-70 kamva, abantu bakaThixo baba ngamangqina okuzibonela ukuzaliseka kwesi siprofeto simangalisayo: “Utsho uYehova, uMhlawuleli wenu, Lowo Ungcwele kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Ngenxa yenu ndiza kuthumela eBhabhiloni ndize ndihlise imivalo yeentolongo.’”—Isa. 43:14.

¹¹ Ngokuvisisana neso siprofeto, ngobunye ubusuku ekuqaleni kukaOktobha 539 B.C.E., kwenzeka into eyagungqisa umhlaba wonke. Ngoxa ukumkani waseBhabhiloni nezidwangube zakhe babesela iwayini ngezitya ezingcwele ababezithimbe etempileni eYerusalem ibe bedumisa oothixo abenziwe ngezandla, imikhosi yamaMedi namaPersi yangena yayoyisa iBhabhiloni. Ngo-538 okanye ngo-537 B.C.E., uKoreshi, owoyisa iBhabhiloni, wayalela amaYuda ukuba abuyele eYerusalem, aze aphinde ayakhe itempile kaThixo. Yonke le nto uIsaya wayixela kwangaphambili kuquka nesithembiso sikaYehova sokuba wayeza kubanyamekela aze abakhusele abantu bakhe abaguqukayo njengoko bebuyela eYerusalem. UThixo wababiza ngokuba ‘ngabantu aziyilele bona ukuze babalise indumiso yakhe.’ (Isa. 43:21; 44:26-28) Bakuba aba bathinjwa bebuyele eYerusalem baza bayakha kwakhona itempile, baba ngamangqina okuba uYehova, okuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, usoloko ekwenza oko akuthembisileyo.

12, 13. (a) Ngoobani abanye abadityaniswa namaSirayeli ekubuyiselweni konqulo lukaYehova? (b) Yintoni elindelekileyo ‘kwezinye izimvu’ njengoko zixhasa “uSirayeli kaThixo,” ibe zikhangele phambili entweni?

¹² Amawaka abantu abangengomaSirayeli aba yinxalenye yolo hlanga luzelwe ngokutsha, ibe kamva inkitha yabanye abantu beeNtlanga yaguqukela ebuYudeni. (Ezra 2:58, 64, 65; Estere 8:17) Namhlanje, “isihlwele esikhulu” ‘sezinye izimvu’ zikaYesu siwaxhasa ngokuthembeka amaKristu athanjisiweyo abumba “uSirayeli kaThixo.” (ISityhi. 7:9, 10; Yoh. 10:16; Gal. 6:16) Naso isihlwele esikhulu sibizwa ngokuba ngamaNgqina kaYehova.

¹³ Ebudeni beMinyaka Eliwaka yoLawulo  lukaKristu, isihlwele esikhulu siya kufumana uvuyo olungenakuthelekiswa nanto lokuxelela abo baza kube bevusiwe ukuba kwakunjani ukuba ngamaNgqina kaYehova ngemihla yesiphelo sale nkqubo yezinto. Kodwa ukuze sikwazi ukukwenza oku, kufuneka sizimisele ukuhlala singcwele. Ukongezelela, nakuba sizama ukuphila ngemilinganiselo kaYehova, siyazenza iimpazamo. Ngoko, simele sicele uYehova asixolele yonke imihla. Ukuba sizigcina singcwele, sibonisa ukuba siyambulela uYehova kuba eye wasivumela ukuba simmele.—Funda eyoku-1 kaYohane 1:8, 9.

14. Lithetha ntoni igama elithi Yehova?

¹⁴ Ukuze silixabise ngakumbi ilungelo lokuthwala igama likaThixo, simele sicamngce ngentsingiselo yalo. Igama likaThixo elidla ngokuguqulelwa ngokuthi “Yehova” lisuka kwisenzi sesiHebhere esinokuthetha isenzo nesinokuguqulelwa ngokuthi “ukuba yinto.” Ngoko, igama elithi Yehova liqondwa njengelithetha ukuba “Ubangela Kubekho.” Le ngcaciso yeli gama iyayifanela indima kaYehova njengoMdali wayo yonke into ekhoyo noMzalisekisi wenjongo yakhe. Usaqhubeka ebangela ukuba intando kwakunye nenjongo yakhe zenziwe nakuba abachasi, abafana noSathana, benokwenza yonke into ukuze injongo yakhe ingaphumeleli.

15. UYehova wayityhila njani enye inkalo yobuntu bakhe kwintsingiselo yegama lakhe? (Funda ibhokisi ethi “ Igama Elinentsingiselo.”)

¹⁵ Xa wathuma uMoses ukuba akhokele abantu bakhe ukuphuma eYiputa, uYehova watyhila enye inkalo ngobuntu bakhe ngokusebenzisa isenzi esichaza igama lakhe. IBhayibhile ithi: “Wathi uThixo kuMoses: ‘Ndinguye Lowo Ndiya Kuzingqina Ndinguye.’ Waza wongezelela wathi: ‘Uze uthi koonyana bakaSirayeli, “uNdinguye undithumile kuni.”’” (Eks. 3:14) Ngoko, phantsi kwayo nayiphi na imeko, uYehova uya kuba yiyo nantoni na ekufuneka abe yiyo ukuze afeze injongo yakhe. KumaSirayeli awayengamakhoboka, waba nguMhlanguli, uMkhuseli, uMalathisi, noMlungiseleli owayebanyamekela ngokwenyama nangokomoya.

16, 17. (a) Sinokuwubonisa njani umbulelo ngelungelo lokuthwala igama likaThixo? (b) Siza kufunda ngantoni kwinqaku elilandelayo?

¹⁶ Nanamhlanje, uYehova akatshintshanga, usazinyamekela iimfuno zethu zokwenyama nezokomoya. Kodwa ke, intsingiselo yegama likaThixo ayiphelelanga nje koko akhetha ukuba kuko. Iquka noko abangela ukuba kwenzeke ngokuphathelele umsebenzi wamaNgqina akhe ukuze aphumeze injongo yakhe. Ukucamngca ngale njongo kusikhuthaza ukuba siphile ngemilinganiselo yakhe. UKåre, oneminyaka eyi-84 nobeliNgqina elinenzondelelo eNorway kangangeminyaka eyi-70, uthi, “Kulilungelo kum ukukhonza uYehova, uKumkani kanaphakade, nokuba yinxalenye yabantu ababizwa ngegama lakhe elingcwele. Ndiyakuthanda ukucacisela abantu ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile ndize ndibone amehlo abo ezaliswe luvuyo. Ndaneliseka nyhani xa ndifundisa abantu ngendlela idini lentlawulelo likaKristu elisebenza ngayo, nendlela esiza kufumana ngayo ubomi obungunaphakade kwihlabathi elitsha elinoxolo.”

¹⁷ Kwezinye iindawo kunzima ukufumana abantu abanomnqweno wokufunda ngoThixo. Nakuba kunjalo, njengoKåre, ngaba awuvuyi xa ufumana umntu ophulaphulayo uze ukwazi ukumfundisa ngegama likaYehova? Kodwa sinokukwazi njani ukuba ngamaNgqina kaYehova siphinde sibe ngakaYesu ngaxeshanye? Lo mbuzo uza kuphendulwa kwinqaku elilandelayo.