1, 2. UBhileham walenza njani iyelenqe lokwenzakalisa abantu bakaYehova?

 KHAWUBE nombono womlobi esiya kwindawo adla ngokuloba kuyo. Kukho uhlobo oluthile lwentlanzi azimisele ukulubambisa. Ukhetha loo nto afuna ukuyigcayisela ngayo, ayibophelele kumtya wokuloba, aze ayiphose emanzini. Kwimizuzu engephi, umtya uyaqina, uluthi awubophelele kulo luyagoba, ibe uyayitsala intlanzi ayibambisileyo. Imincili ibhaliwe ebusweni bakhe, kwaye uzigobh’ amacala ngokukhetha isigcayiselo esifanelekileyo.

² Ngonyaka ka-1473 B.C.E., ndoda ithile egama linguBhileham yakha yadl’ amathambo engqondo icinga ngesigcayiselo eyayifuna ukusisebenzisa. Kodwa ke yona yayizimisele ukubambisa abantu bakaThixo ababemise iinkampu kumaThafa akwaMowabhi kumda weLizwe Lesithembiso. UBhileham wayesithi ungumprofeti kaYehova, kodwa eneneni wayeyindoda enyolukileyo neyayiqeshelwe ukuqalekisa amaSirayeli. Noko ke, ngenxa yokungenelela kukaYehova, uBhileham wawasikelela amaSirayeli. Ezimisele ukufumana umvuzo wakhe, uBhileham waqiqa ngelithi mhlawumbi wayenokukwazi ukwenza uThixo abaqalekise abantu bakhe xa benokwenza isono esinzulu. Enaloo njongo, uBhileham waphosa isigcayiselo sakhe—ebahenda ngeentombi zakwaMowabhi.—Numeri 22:1-7; 31:15, 16; ISityhilelo 2:14.

 3. Laphumelela kangakanani iqhinga likaBhileham?

 ³ Ngaba eli qhinga lasebenza? Ewe lasebenza, ngomlinganiselo othile. Amadoda amaninzi akwaSirayeli abambiseka kulo mgibe aza aba “neentlobano zokuziphatha okubi neentombi zakwaMowabhi.” Ada aqalisa ukunqula oothixo bamaMowabhi, abanjengothixo wenzala okanye wesini owayenezothe, uBhahali wasePehore. Ngenxa yoko, amaSirayeli angama-24 000 atshabalala emdeni weLizwe Lesithembiso. Enjani yona intlekele!—Numeri 25:1-9.

 4. Yintoni eyabangela ukuba amaSirayeli amaninzi aziphathe kakubi?

⁴ Yintoni eyabangela le ntlekele? Abantu abaninzi babeye baba neentliziyo ezingendawo ngenxa yokucezela kwabo kude noYehova, uThixo owayebakhulule eYiputa, wabondla entlango, waza wabakhokelela kwilizwe lesithembiso. (Hebhere 3:12) Ecinga ngale ntlekele, umpostile uPawulos wathi: “Masingaqheliseli luhenyuzo, njengoko abathile kubo bahenyuzayo, suke bawa, amawaka angamashumi amabini anesithathu kubo ngamini-nye.” a—1 Korinte 10:8.

5, 6. Kutheni ingxelo engesono samaSirayeli kumaThafa akwaMowabhi ibalulekile kuthi namhlanje?

⁵ Le ngxelo ekwiNumeri ibafundisa lukhulu abantu bakaThixo banamhlanje, kuba nabo bakumda welizwe lesithembiso.  (1 Korinte 10:11) Ngokomzekelo, ihlabathi lithe phithi sisini kanye njengamaMowabhi, kodwa ke lona lithe kratya. Ukongezelela, nyaka ngamnye amaKristu angamawaka awela kumgibe wokuziphatha okubi—kanye laa mgibe wabambisa amaSirayeli. (2 Korinte 2:11) Kwaye njengoZimri, owaba nesibindi sokungena nebhinqa elingumMidiyan kwinkampu yamaSirayeli waya nalo kwintente yakhe, namhlanje abanye abantu bakaThixo baye baba nempembelelo embi ebandleni lamaKristu.—Numeri 25:6, 14; Yude 4.

⁶ Ngaba uyayibona na into yokuba nawe ukumaThafa akwaMowabhi ale mihla? Ngaba uyawubona umvuzo oza kuwufumana kungekudala—ihlabathi elitsha ekukudala ulilindile? Ukuba kunjalo, yenza konke okusemandleni akho ukuze uzigcine kuthando lukaThixo ngokuthobela umyalelo othi: “Sabani kulo uhenyuzo.”—1 Korinte 6:18.

7, 8. Luyintoni “uhenyuzo,” ibe baya kuvuna ntoni abo balwenzayo?

⁷ EBhayibhileni, igama elithi “uhenyuzo” (ipor·neiʹa ngesiGrike) lithetha iintlobano zesini zabantu abangatshatanga ngendlela evunywa ziZibhalo. Luquka ukukrexeza, ukuthengisa ngomzimba, neentlobano zesini phakathi kwabantu abangatshatanga, kunye neentlobano zesini ezenziwa emlonyeni nasezimpundu nokucofa amalungu esini omntu ongatshatanga naye. Lukwaquka ubufanasini nokuba neentlobano zesini nezilwanyana. b

⁸ IZibhalo ziyibeka icace le nto: Abantu abahenyuzayo abanakuhlala ngaphakathi kwebandla lamaKristu kwaye abayi kubufumana ubomi obungunaphakade. (1 Korinte 6:9; ISityhilelo 22:15) Ukongezelela koko, baziqhwayela iingxaki kwanangoku kuba baye bangathenjwa kwaye abazihloneli, baba neengxaki emtshatweni, izazela zabo ziyabakhathaza,  bakhulelwa bengazimiselanga, bafumana izifo, bade bafe nokufa. (Funda amaGalati 6:7, 8.) Uyiqalela ntoni ke into eza kukufaka ebugxwayibeni obungaka? Okulusizi kukuba, abantu abaninzi abacingi ngemiphumo xa bethatha inyathelo lokuqala elitenxileyo—elidla ngokubandakanya ukubukela nokufunda amanyala.

 9. Ngaba ukubukela amanyala akuyongozi, njengoko abanye besitsho? Cacisa.

⁹ Kumazwe amaninzi, amanyala afumaneka kwiindawo ezithengisa amaphephandaba, kumculo nakumabonwakude, ibe akuyo yonk’ indawo kwi-Internet. c Ngaba awanabungozi, njengoko abanye abantu besitsho? Akunjalo konke konke! Abantu ababukela amanyala banokuphulula amaphambili kwaye basoloko ‘benenkanuko yesini elihlazo,’ enokuphumela ekubeni babe ngamakhoboka esini, babe neenkanuko ezigqwethekileyo, babe neengxaki emtshatweni de bawuqhawule. d (Roma 1:24-27; Efese 4:19) Omnye umphengululi ufanisa ukuba likhoboka lesini nomhlaza. Uthi: “Lo mkhwa uyakhula uze usasazeke. Kunqabile ukuba uziphelele, kwaye kunzima kakhulu ukuwunyanga.”

10. Sinokuwusebenzisa njani umgaqo okuYakobi 1:14, 15? (Bona ibhokisi ethi “ Indlela Endakwazi Ngayo Ukuziphatha Ngendlela Ecocekileyo.”)

¹⁰ Amazwi akuYakobi 1:14, 15, athi: “Ngamnye ulingwa ngokutsalwa nokuwexulwa ngumnqweno wakhe. Wandule ke umnqweno, xa uthe wakhawula, uzale isono; isono, xa sithe safezwa, sivelisa ukufa.” Ngoko xa umnqweno ombi ungena engqondweni yakho, wukhuphe ngoko nangoko!  Ngokomzekelo, ukuba uthi ungazimiselanga, ubone umfanekiso wamanyala, susa amehlo akho ngoko nangoko, okanye ucime ikhompyutha, okanye utshintshe isitishi sikamabonwakude. Yenza konke okusemandleni akho ukuze unganikezeli kumnqweno wokuziphatha okubi ngaphambi kokuba ukugagamele!—Funda uMateyu 5:29, 30.

11. Sinokubonisa njani ukuba siyamthemba uYehova xa sisilwa neminqweno ephosakeleyo?

¹¹ Lowo usazi ngaphezu kokuba thina sizazi unesizathu esivakalayo sokusibongoza ngamazwi athi: “Bhubhisani, ke ngoko, amalungu enu omzimba asemhlabeni, uhenyuzo, ukungahlambuluki, inkanuko yesini, umnqweno owenzakalisayo,  nokubawa, okulunqulo-zithixo.” (Kolose 3:5) Kuyinyaniso kona ukuba akuyondlwan’ iyanetha ukwenza oku. Kodwa ke khumbula ukuba, sinoBawo osezulwini onothando nonomonde esinokumbongoza. (INdumiso 68:19) Ngoko thandaza kuye ngoko nangoko xa ufikelwa ziingcinga eziphosakeleyo. Thandazela “amandla angaphaya koko kuqhelekileyo,” uze unyanzele ingqondo yakho ukuba icinge ngezinye izinto.—2 Korinte 4:7; 1 Korinte 9:27; bona ibhokisi ethi “ Ndinokuwuyeka Njani Umkhwa Ombi?”

12. Yintoni “intliziyo” yethu, kwaye kutheni simele siyilondoloze?

¹² USolomon owayesisilumko wabhala wathi: “Ngaphezu kwako konke okunye okumele kulondolozwe, londoloza intliziyo yakho, kuba iphuma kuyo imithombo yobomi.” (IMizekeliso 4:23) Xa kuthethwa ‘ngentliziyo’ yethu kuthethwa ngomntu esinguye ngaphakathi, loo nto siyiyo ngokwenene emehlweni kaThixo. Ukongezelela koko, yindlela uThixo ayijonga ngayo “intliziyo” yethu—hayi indlela abasibona ngayo abanye abantu—eya kugqiba enoba sifumana ubomi obungunaphakade okanye asibufumani. Ilula le nto, kodwa kwangaxeshanye ingumba wokufa nokuphila. UYobhi owayethembekile wenza umnqophiso, okanye isivumelwano namehlo akhe ukuze angajongi bhinqa ngendlela engafanelekanga. (Yobhi 31:1) Ngokwenene waba ngumzekelo omhle! Umdumisi, owayenesimo sengqondo esifanayo, wathandaza esithi: “Dlulisa amehlo am angaboni oko kungento yanto.”—INdumiso 119:37.

13. Wayengubani uDina, yaye kutheni sinokuthi wabakhetha ngobudenge abahlobo?

¹³ Njengoko siye sabona kwiSahluko sesi-3, abahlobo bethu banokuba nempembelelo enamandla kuthi, enoba intle okanye imbi. (IMizekeliso 13:20; funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 15:33.) Masenze umzekelo ngoDina, intombi kasolusapho uYakobi. Nangona uDina wayekhuliswe kakuhle, wenza ubudenge ngokwakha ubuhlobo neentombi zamaKanan. NjengamaMowabhi,  amaKanan ayedume ngokuziphatha kakubi. (Levitikus 18:6-25) Emehlweni amadoda amaKanan, kuquka noShekem—“oyena ubekekileyo” kwindlu kayise—uDina wayebonakala esisisulu.—Genesis 34:18, 19.

14. Ukhetho olwenziwa nguDina kumba wabahlobo lwaphumela njani kwintlekele?

¹⁴ Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uDina wayengacingi ngeentlobano zesini xa wayebona uShekem. Kodwa ke uShekem yena wenza into awayeqhele ukuyenza amaKanan xa ekhanuka iintlobano zesini. Nakuphi na ukuxhathisa ngomzuzu wokugqibela awakwenzayo uDina akuzange kuncede nto, kuba “wamthabatha” waza “wamdlwengula.” Kuyabonakala ukuba kamva uShekem ‘wamthanda’ uDina, kodwa loo nto ayizange iyitshintshe into awayeyenze kuye. (Funda iGenesis 34:1-4.) AsingoDina kuphela owachanekayo kule nto. Ukhetho awayelwenzile lwabahlobo lwaphumela kwiziganeko ezazisa ihlazo nonyeliso kuyo yonke intsapho yakowabo.—Genesis 34:7, 25-31; Galati 6:7, 8.

15, 16. Sinokubufumana njani ubulumko bokwenene? (Bona ibhokisi ethi “ Izibhalo Esinokucamngca Ngazo.”)

 ¹⁵ UDina wafunda kabuhlungu. Akuyomfuneko ukuba abo bamthandayo nabamhlonelayo uYehova bafunde ngokungqubeka kabuhlungu. Ngenxa yokuba bemphulaphula uThixo, bakhetha ‘ukuhamba nezilumko.’ (IMizekeliso 13:20a) Ngenxa yoko baye baliqonde “ikhondo lokulungileyo liphela”  baze bazibaleke iingxaki neentlungu ezinokuphepheka.—IMizekeliso 2:6-9; INdumiso 1:1-3.

¹⁶ Ubulumko obuvela kuThixo bunokufunyanwa ngabo bonke abantu ababulangazelelayo, nabenza umzamo wokubufumana ngokukhuthalela umthandazo nokufunda rhoqo iLizwi likaThixo noncwadi olulungiselelwe ludidi lwekhoboka elithembekileyo. (Mateyu 24:45; Yakobi 1:5) Enye into ebalulekileyo kukuthobeka, esikubonisa ngokusithobela lula isiluleko seZibhalo. (2 Kumkani 22:18, 19) Ngokomzekelo, umKristu unokuyivuma into yokuba intliziyo yakhe inenkohliso yaye iyatyhudisa. (Yeremiya 17:9) Kodwa xa esenza isigqibo esingachananga, ngaba uthobeke ngokwaneleyo na ukuba asamkele isiluleko noncedo olungqalileyo olunikelwa ngothando?

17. Yenza umzekelo ngengxaki enokuvela entsatsheni, uze ubonise indlela ubawo anokuqiqa ngayo nentombi yakhe.

¹⁷ Nanku umzekelo. Masithi ubawo akavumi ukuba intombi okanye unyana wakhe ongumKristu ahambe nomntu athandana naye ngaphandle kwempelesi. Intombi ithi: “Hay’ bo Tata, akundithembi? Asizukwenza nto nje!” Kusenokwenzeka intwazana le iyamthanda uYehova kwaye ineenjongo ezintle, kodwa ngaba ‘ihamba ngobulumko bukaThixo’? Ngaba ‘iyasaba kulo uhenyuzo’? Okanye ngaba ngobudenge ‘ikholosa ngentliziyo yayo’? (IMizekeliso 28:26) Mhlawumbi ikho neminye imigaqo ocinga ngayo enokunceda lo bawo nentombi yakhe bacingisise ngalo mba.—Bona IMizekeliso 22:3; Mateyu 6:13; 26:41.

18, 19. Sisiphi isilingo esavelela uYosefu, ibe wahlangabezana njani naso?

¹⁸ Umfana owayethanda uThixo nowasabayo kuhenyuzo nguYosefu, umnakwaboDina. (Genesis 30:20-24) UYosefu wazibonela ngokwakhe umphumo wobudenge obabenziwe ngudadewabo. Alithandabuzeki elokuba kukucinga ngaloo nto, kunye nomnqweno wakhe wokuzigcina kuthando  lukaThixo, okwamkhuselayo kwiminyaka ethile kamva eYiputa xa umfazi wenkosi yakhe wazama ukumhenda “imihla ngemihla.” Noko ke, ekubeni wayelikhoboka, uYosefu wayengenakusuka nje awulahle loo msebenzi aze emke! Kwafuneka ayisingathe ngobulumko nangesibindi le ngxaki. Loo nto wayenza ngokusoloko esala kumfazi kaPotifare nangokuthi, ekugqibeleni, ambaleke.—Funda iGenesis 39:7-12.

¹⁹ Khawuyicinge ngolu hlobo le nto: Ukuba uYosefu wayesoloko enemibono yalo mfazi okanye esoloko ecinga ngesini, ngaba ngewayekwazile ukugcina ingqibelelo yakhe? Yayingenakufane yenzeke loo nto. Kunokuba asoloko ecinga izinto eziphosakeleyo, uYosefu waluxabisa ulwalamano lwakhe noYehova, nto leyo esinokuyingqina kumazwi awayewabhekisa kumfazi kaPotifare. Wayedla ngokuthi: ‘Inkosi yam ayindibandezanga nantoni na ngaphandle kwakho, kuba ungumfazi wayo. Ngoko ndingathini ukwenza obu bubi bukhulu kangaka ndize eneneni ndone kuThixo?’—Genesis 39:8, 9.

20. UYehova wangenelela njani kwimeko kaYosefu?

²⁰ Khawuthelekelele indlela uYehova amele ukuba wavuya ngayo akubona uYosefu oselula, owayekude nentsapho yakowabo, egcina ingqibelelo yakhe imihla ngemihla. (IMizekeliso 27:11) Kamva, uYehova wabangela ukuba uYosefu anganeli nje ukukhululwa entolongweni, kodwa abe yinkulumbuso yaseYiputa nomabi wokutya! (Genesis 41:39-49) Ayinyaniso ngokwenene  amazwi akwiNdumiso 97:10, athi: “Nina nithanda uYehova, kuthiyeni okubi. Uyayilinda imiphefumlo yabanyanisekileyo bakhe; uyabahlangula esandleni sabangendawo”!

21. Umzalwana oselula ohlala kwilizwe laseAfrika wakhalipha njani kumba wokuziphatha?

²¹ Nanamhlanje ke, abakhonzi abaninzi bakaThixo babonisa ukuba ‘bakuthiyile okubi, kwaye bayakuthanda okulungileyo.’ (Amosi 5:15) Omnye umzalwana oselula ohlala kwilizwe laseAfrika ukhumbula ukuba ntwazana ithile awayekunye nayo eklasini yaba nesibindi sokumxelela ukuba xa enokuyinceda kwiimviwo zezibalo, yayinokuba neentlobano zesini naye. Uthi: “Ndasikhaba ngoko nangoko isicelo sayo. Ngokugcina kwam ingqibelelo, ndiye ndakwazi ukuhlala ndinesidima kwaye ndizihlonela, zinto ezo zibaluleke ukugqitha igolide nesilivere.” Kuyinyaniso kona ukuba isono ‘sinokuyolisa okwexeshana,’ kodwa ke imincili yexeshana idla ngokubangela intlungu. (Hebhere 11:25) Ukongezelela koko, ayiyonto xa ithelekiswa nolonwabo oluhlala luhleli olubangelwa kukuthobela uYehova.—IMizekeliso 10:22.

22, 23. (a) Kutheni umKristu owenze isono esinzulu engafanele ancame? (b) Unokuncedwa njani umoni?

²² Ekubeni singafezekanga, sonke siyayilwa iminqweno yenyama kwaye senza oko kulungileyo emehlweni kaThixo. (Roma 7:21-25) UYehova uyayazi le nto, kwaye ‘uyakhumbula ukuba siluthuli.’ (INdumiso 103:14) Noko ke, maxa wambi umKristu unokwenza isono esinzulu. Ngaba umele ancame xa kunjalo? Nakanye! Ewe, umoni unokuvuna isiqhamo esikrakra, kanye njengoKumkani uDavide. Sekunjalo, uThixo usoloko ‘ekulungele ukubaxolela’ abantu abaguqukayo ‘nabazivuma ekuhleni’ izono zabo.—INdumiso 86:5; Yakobi 5:16; funda iMizekeliso 28:13.

²³ Ukongezelela koko, uThixo uye walungiselela ibandla lamaKristu ‘elinezipho ezingabantu’—abalusi bokomoya abafanelekayo nabakulangazelelayo ukunceda. (Efese 4:8, 12;  Yakobi 5:14, 15) Injongo yabo kukunceda umoni aphinde abe nolwalamano noThixo kwaye, ngokwamazwi endoda eyayisisilumko, ‘azuze intliziyo’ ukuze angaphindi one.—IMizekeliso 15:32.

24, 25. (a) Umfana ochazwe kwiMizekeliso 7:6-23 wabonisa njani ukuba ‘wayeswele intliziyo’? (b) ‘Sinokuyizuza njani intliziyo?’

²⁴ IBhayibhile ithetha ngabantu ‘abaswele intliziyo’ nangabantu ‘abazuza intliziyo.’ (IMizekeliso 7:7) Ngenxa yokungakhuli ngokomoya nokungabi namava enkonzweni kaThixo, umntu “oswele intliziyo” usenokungabi nayo ingqiqo nokuqonda. Njengomfana ochazwe kwiMizekeliso 7:6-23, kulula ukuba abe lixhoba lesono. Noko ke, “ozuza intliziyo” uhlola umntu anguye ngaphakathi ngokuthandaza nangokulifunda rhoqo iLizwi likaThixo. Kwaye uzama kangangoko enako ukuba iingcamango, iminqweno, iimvakalelo nosukelo analo zilawulwe koko kufunwa nguThixo. Ngaloo ndlela ‘uyawuthanda umphefumlo wakhe,’ okanye uzizisela iintsikelelo, kwaye “uya kufumana okulungileyo.”—IMizekeliso 19:8.

²⁵ Khawuzibuze: ‘Ngaba ndiyamkela ngokwenene into yokuba imilinganiselo kaThixo ichanile? Ngaba ndiyikholelwa nyhani into yokuba ukuphila ngayo kuza kundenza ndonwabe ngakumbi?’ (INdumiso 19:7-10; Isaya 48:17, 18) Ukuba unawo amathandabuzo, nokuba mancinane kangakanani, zama ukuyilungisa le meko. Camngca ngemiphumo ebangelwa kukugatya imithetho kaThixo. Ukongezelela koko, ‘ngcamla ubone ukuba uYehova ulungile’ ngokuphila ngenyaniso nangokuzalisa ingqondo yakho ngezinto ezicocekileyo—izinto eziyinyaniso, ezibubulungisa, ezinyulu, ezithandekayo nezinesidima. (INdumiso 34:8; Filipi 4:8, 9) Siyakuqinisekisa ukuba, okukhona usenjenjalo, kokukhona uya kumthanda ngakumbi uThixo, uthande oko akuthandayo, kwaye uthiye oko akuthiyileyo. UYosefu wayengafezekanga. Kodwa wakwazi ‘ukusaba kulo uhenyuzo’ kuba wavumela uYehova ukuba  amxonxe kangangeminyaka, ukuze amkholise uThixo. Ngamana kunganjalo nakuwe.—Isaya 64:8.

26. Nguwuphi umbandela obalulekileyo esiza kuwuxubusha kwizahluko ezilandelayo?

²⁶ UMdali wethu akazange adale amalungu ethu okuzala ngenjongo yokuba sidlale ngawo kuba sifuna imincili, kodwa wawadalela ukuba sikwazi ukuzala nokwakha amaqhina omtshato. (IMizekeliso 5:18) Indlela uThixo awujonga ngayo umtshato iza kuxutyushwa kwizahluko ezibini ezilandelayo.