1, 2. Nika imizekelo yabantu uYehova awayebagqala njengabahlobo bakhe abakhulu.

NGUMNTU onjani onokumkhetha njengomhlobo? Ngokuqinisekileyo ungakhetha umntu oneembono, iminqweno, nemilinganiselo efana neyakho. Yaye ungatsaleleka kumntu oneempawu ezintle, njengokunyaniseka nobubele.

² Ebudeni bembali, uThixo uye wakhetha abantu abathile njengabahlobo bakhe abakhulu. Ngokomzekelo, uYehova wabiza uAbraham ngokuba ngumhlobo wakhe. (Isaya 41:8; Yakobi 2:23) UThixo wathi uDavide ‘yindoda evunyiweyo yintliziyo yam’ ngenxa yokuba wayeluhlobo aluthandayo lomntu. (IZenzo 13:22) Yaye uYehova wamgqala umprofeti uDaniyeli njengomntu “onqweneleka kakhulu.”—Daniyeli 9:23.

3. Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova akhethe abantu abathile njengabahlobo bakhe?

³ Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova amgqale uAbraham, uDavide, noDaniyeli njengabahlobo bakhe? Kungenxa yoko wakuthetha kuAbraham, esithi: “Uliphulaphule ilizwi lam.” (Genesis 22:18) Ngoko uYehova uyasondela kwabo bathi ngokuthobeka benze oko akufunayo. Wathi kumaSirayeli: “Thobelani ilizwi lam, ndiya kuba nguThixo wenu, nize nina nibe  ngabantu bam.” (Yeremiya 7:23) Nawe unokuba ngumhlobo kaYehova, ukuba uyamthobela!

4, 5. UYehova uwabonisa njani amandla akhe kubantu bakhe?

⁴ Cinga nje ngeengenelo zokuba ngumhlobo kaThixo. IBhayibhile ithi uYehova ukhangela amathuba ‘okubabonisa amandla akhe abo bantliziyo ziphelele kuye.’ (2 Kronike 16:9) UYehova unokuwabonisa njani amandla akhe kuwe? Enye indlela akwenza ngayo oku ichazwe kwiNdumiso 32:8, apho athi: “[Mna Yehova] ndiya kukuqiqisa ndikuyalele ngendlela ofanele uhambe ngayo. Ndiya kukucebisa iliso lam likuwe.”

⁵ Hayi indlela achukumisa ngayo la mazwi abonisa ukusinyamekela kukaYehova! Uya kukunika ulwalathiso olufunayo aze akunyamekele njengoko ulusebenzisa. UThixo ufuna ukukunceda ukuba uzoyise izilingo neemvavanyo. (INdumiso 55:22) Ngoko ukuba umkhonza ngentliziyo epheleleyo, unokuvakalelwa ngokufanayo nomdumisi owathi: “UYehova ndimbeka phambi kwam rhoqo. Ngenxa yokuba ungakwisandla sam sasekunene, andiyi kushukunyiswa.” (INdumiso 16:8; 63:8) Ewe, uYehova angakunceda ukuba uphile ngendlela emkholisayo. Kodwa, njengokuba usazi, kukho utshaba olufuna ukukuthintela ukuba ungamkholisi uThixo.

6. Lwaluyintoni ucelomngeni lukaSathana ngokuphathelele abantu?

⁶ ISahluko 11 sale ncwadi sichaze indlela uSathana uMtyholi alucel’ umngeni ngayo ulongamo lukaThixo. USathana uye watyhola uThixo ngokuba ulixoki, esithi akenzanga ngokusesikweni ngokungamvumeli kwakhe uAdam noEva ukuba bazigqibele ngokwabo okulungileyo nokubi. Emva kokuba uAdam noEva bonile yaye nenzala yabo yandile emhlabeni, uSathana wazithandabuza iintshukumisa zabo bonke abantu. Wathi: “Abantu abamkhonzi uThixo kuba bemthanda. Ukuba ndinganikwa nje ithuba, ndingayekisa  wonke umntu ukukhonza uThixo.” Ingxelo kaYobhi ibonisa ukuba oku koko kanye wayekukholelwa uSathana. Wayengubani uYobhi, yaye wayebandakanyeke njani kucelomngeni lukaSathana?

7, 8. (a) Yintoni eyenza uYobhi wakhetheka kubantu bexesha lakhe? (b) USathana wayithandabuza njani intshukumisa kaYobhi?

⁷ UYobhi wayephila kwisithuba sama-3 600 eminyaka eyadlulayo. Wayeyindoda elungileyo, kuba uYehova wathi ngaye: “Akukho bani unjengaye emhlabeni, indoda engenakusoleka nethe tye, eyoyika uThixo nephambukayo ebubini.” (Yobhi 1:8) UYobhi wayemkholisa uThixo.

⁸ USathana wayithandabuza intshukumisa yokuba uYobhi akhonze uThixo. Wathi kuYehova: “Ngaba wena akumbiyelanga [uYobhi] nendlu yakhe nayo yonke into anayo macala onke? Umsebenzi wezandla zakhe uwusikelele, nemfuyo yakhe isasazeke ngokubanzi emhlabeni. Kodwa, ngokwahlukileyo koko, khawuncede wolule isandla sakho, uchukumise yonke into anayo uze ubone enoba akayi kukuqalekisa ebusweni bakho na.”—Yobhi 1:10, 11.

9. Wasabela njani uYehova kucelomngeni lukaSathana, yaye ngoba?

⁹ Lilonke uSathana wayesithi uYobhi wayemkhonza uThixo kuphela ngenxa yokuba wayezuza okuthile. Kwakhona wathi ukuba uYobhi wayenokuvavanywa, wayeya kumvukela uThixo. Wasabela njani uYehova kolu celomngeni lukaSathana? Ekubeni le mbambano yayibandakanya intshukumisa kaYobhi, uYehova wamvumela uSathana ukuba amvavanye uYobhi. Ngaloo ndlela kwakuza kucaca enoba uYobhi wayemthanda uThixo, okanye akunjalo.

10. Ziziphi izilingo ezafikela uYobhi, yaye wahlangabezana njani nazo?

¹⁰ Ngokukhawuleza emva koko uSathana wamvavanya uYobhi ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo. Enye imfuyo kaYobhi yabiwa, yaza enye yabulawa. Abakhonzi bakhe abaninzi babulawa. Oku kwabangela ubunzima bezoqoqosho. Enye intlekele yaba kukubulawa kwabantwana bakaYobhi abalishumi sisaqhwithi.  Kodwa, phezu kwazo nje ezi ziganeko zibi kangaka, “uYobhi akonanga okanye abalele nantoni na engafanelekanga kuThixo.”—Yobhi 1:22.

11. (a) Sisiphi isimangalo sesibini awasenzayo uSathana ngokuphathelele uYobhi, yaye wasabela njani uYehova? (b) Wasabela njani uYobhi kwisifo sakhe esingcungcuthekisayo?

¹¹ USathana akazange anikezele. Umel’ ukuba wayekholelwa ukuba nangona uYobhi wayenokukunyamezela ukulahlekelwa zizinto awayenazo, kuquka abakhonzi nabantwana bakhe, kodwa wayeya kumvukela uThixo ukuba wayenokugula. UYehova wamvumela uSathana ukuba amhlasele uYobhi ngesifo esimanyumnyezi nesingcungcuthekisayo. Kodwa nako oku akuzange kuluphelise ukholo lukaYobhi kuThixo. Kunoko, enokholo olomeleleyo wathi: “Ndide ndibhubhe andiyi kuyisusa kum ingqibelelo yam!”—Yobhi 27:5.

12. UYobhi waluphendula njani ucelomngeni lukaMtyholi?

¹² UYobhi wayengazi ukuba nguSathana owayemzisela zonke ezi nkathazo. Wayecinga ukuba zibangelwa nguThixo, ekubeni wayengazi nto ngokulucel’ umngeni kukaMtyholi ulongamo lukaYehova. (Yobhi 6:4; 16:11-14) Sekunjalo, wayigcina ingqibelelo yakhe kuYehova. Yaye isimangalo sikaSathana sokuba uYobhi wayemkhonza uThixo ngenxa yezizathu zokuzingca sangqineka sibubuxoki!

13. Yintoni eyenzekayo ngenxa yokuthembeka kukaYobhi kuThixo?

¹³ Ukuthembeka kukaYobhi kwamenza uYehova wakwazi ukuluphendula ucelomngeni lukaSathana. Ngokwenene uYobhi wayengumhlobo kaYehova, yaye uThixo wamvuza ngokuthembeka kwakhe.—Yobhi 42:12-17.

14, 15. Kutheni sinokuthi ucelomngeni lukaSathana olubandakanya uYobhi lubhekisela kubo bonke abantu?

¹⁴ Ucelomngeni lukaSathana lwalungabhekiswanga kuYobhi kuphela. Nawe ubandakanyekile. Oku kuboniswe ngokucacileyo kwiMizekeliso 27:11, apho iLizwi likaYehova lithi: “Yiba nobulumko, nyana wam, uze uyenze ibe nemihlali intliziyo yam, ukuze ndimphendule ondingcikivayo.” La mazwi, awabhalwa  kumakhulu eminyaka emva kokufa kukaYobhi, abonisa ukuba uSathana wayesaqhubeka egculela uThixo yaye emangalela abakhonzi Bakhe. Xa siphila ngendlela emkholisayo uYehova, sinikela impendulo kwizimangalo zobuxoki zikaSathana, yaye ngaloo ndlela sivuyisa intliziyo kaThixo. Uvakalelwa njani ngako oko? Ngokwenene bekuya kuba yinto entle ukuba nenxaxheba ekuphenduleni izimangalo zobuxoki zikaMtyholi, kwanokuba oko kuthetha ukwenza utshintsho oluthile ebomini bakho, akunjalo?

¹⁵ Phawula ukuba uSathana wathi: “Yonke into anayo umntu uya kuyinikela ngenxa yomphefumlo wakhe.” (Yobhi 2:4) Ngokuthi “umntu,” uSathana wayesenza kucace ukuba isimangalo sakhe sasingabhekiseli kuYobhi kuphela kodwa kubo bonke abantu. Yingongoma ebaluleke kakhulu leyo. USathana uyakuthandabuza ukugcina kwakho ingqibelelo kuThixo. Angathanda ukukubona ungamthobeli uThixo uze ulahle indlela yobulungisa xa kuvela ubunzima. Angazama njani ukwenza oku?

16. (a) Ziziphi iindlela azisebenzisayo uSathana ukuzama ukuyekisa abantu ukukhonza uThixo? (b) Unokuzisebenzisa njani kuwe ezi ndlela uSathana?

¹⁶ Njengoko kuchaziwe kwiSahluko 10, uSathana usebenzisa iindlela ezahlukahlukeneyo ukuzama ukuyekisa abantu ukukhonza uThixo. Enye indlela ayisebenzisayo, kukuhlasela “njengengonyama egqumayo, efuna ubani engamqwengayo.” (1 Petros 5:8) Oku kusenokubonakala xa abahlobo, izalamane, okanye abanye abantu beyichasa imigudu yakho yokufundisisa iBhayibhile neyokwenza oko ukufundayo. * (Yohane 15:19, 20) Kanti enye indlela ayisebenzisayo uSathana, ‘kukuzimilisa okwengelosi yokukhanya.’ (2 Korinte 11:14) Usenokusebenzisa iindlela ezingaqondakaliyo zokukulahlekisa nokukuyekisa ukuphila ngendlela ekholisa uThixo. Kwakhona usenokukwenza udimazeke, mhlawumbi akwenze uvakalelwe kukuba  akunakuze ukwazi ukumkholisa uThixo. (IMizekeliso 24:10) Enoba uSathana uza “njengengonyama egqumayo” okanye ‘njengengelosi yokukhanya,’ ucelomngeni lwakhe lunye: Uthi xa unokujamelana neemvavanyo okanye izilingo, uza kuyeka ukukhonza uThixo. Unokuluphendula njani ucelomngeni lwakhe uze ugcine ingqibelelo yakho kuThixo njengoYobhi?

17. Siyintoni isizathu esiyintloko sokuthobela imiyalelo kaYehova?

¹⁷ Unokuluphendula ucelomngeni lukaSathana ngokuthi uphile ngendlela emkholisayo uThixo. Kubandakanya ntoni oku? IBhayibhile iphendula ngokuthi: “Uze umthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho yonke nangomphefumlo wakho wonke nangamandla akho onke.” (Duteronomi 6:5) Njengoko lukhula uthando lwakho ngoThixo, uya kuba nomnqweno ongakumbi wokufuna ukwenza oko akufunayo. Umpostile uYohane wabhala wathi: “Ukumthanda uThixo kuko ukuthi, siyigcine imiyalelo yakhe.” Ukuba umthanda uYehova ngentliziyo yakho yonke, uya kufumanisa ukuba “ayinzima imiyalelo yakhe.”—1 Yohane 5:3.

18, 19. (a) Yiyiphi eminye yemiyalelo kaYehova? (Bona ibhokisi ekwiphepha 122.) (b) Sazi njani ukuba uThixo akafuni okungaphezu kwamandla ethu?

¹⁸ Iyintoni imiyalelo kaYehova? Eminye yayo ibandakanya indlela yokuziphatha esimele siyiphephe. Ngokomzekelo, phawula  ibhokisi ekwiphepha 122, enomxholo othi “Kuphephe Oko Akuthiyileyo UYehova.” Apho uya kufumana uludwe lwezinto ezigatywayo yiBhayibhile. Ezinye zazo zisenokubonakala ekuqaleni zingembi kangako. Kodwa emva kokucamngca ngezibhalo ezilapho, usenokububona ubulumko bemithetho kaYehova. Ukutshintsha indlela yakho yokuziphatha kusenokuba yeyona nto inzima wakha wahlangabezana nayo. Kodwa ke, ukuphila ngendlela ekholisa uThixo kuya kukuzisela ulwaneliseko nolonwabo olukhulu. (Isaya 48:17, 18) Yaye oko akuyonto engaphezu kwamandla akho. Sikwazi njani oko?

¹⁹ UYehova akaze afune senze into engaphezu kwamandla ethu. (Duteronomi 30:11-14) Uyawazi amandla nobuthathaka  bethu ngaphezu kokuba thina sibazi. (INdumiso 103:14) Ngaphezu koko, uYehova unokusinika amandla okuba sikwazi ukumthobela. Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi: “UThixo uthembekile, yaye akayi kuniyekela nihendwe ngaphaya koko ninokukuthwala, kodwa kunye nesihendo eso uya kwenza nendlela yokuphuma ukuze nikwazi ukusinyamezela.” (1 Korinte 10:13) Ukuze akuncede unyamezele, uYehova usenokude akunike “amandla angaphaya koko kuqhelekileyo.” (2 Korinte 4:7) Emva kokuba enyamezele iimvavanyo ezininzi, uPawulos wathi: “Ezintweni zonke ndinamandla ngenxa yalowo undomelezayo.”—Filipi 4:13.

20. Ziziphi iimpawu ezimkholisayo uThixo ofanele uzihlakulele, yaye kutheni zibalulekile nje?

²⁰ Noko ke, kubandakanyeke okungakumbi ekukholiseni uYehova kunokuphepha nje izinto azithiyileyo. Kwakhona ufanele uthande oko akuthandayo. (Roma 12:9) Uye uzive utsalelekile kwabo baneembono, iminqweno nemilinganiselo efana neyakho, akunjalo? Kunjalo ke nangoYehova. Ngoko funda ukuthanda izinto azithandayo uYehova. Ezinye zazo zichaziwe kwiNdumiso 15:1-5, echaza uhlobo lwabantu uThixo abagqala  njengabahlobo bakhe. Abahlobo bakaYehova babonisa oko iBhayibhile ikubiza ngokuba ‘sisiqhamo somoya.’ Siquka iimpawu ‘ezinjengothando, uvuyo, uxolo, ukuzeka kade umsindo, ububele, ukulunga, ukholo, ubulali nokuzeyisa.’—Galati 5:22, 23.

21. Yintoni eya kukunceda uhlakulele iimpawu ezimkholisayo uThixo?

²¹ Ukufundisisa iBhayibhile rhoqo kuya kukunceda ukuba uhlakulele iimpawu ezimkholisayo uThixo. Yaye ukufunda oko akufunayo uThixo kuya kukunceda ukuba uvisisanise iingcamango zakho kunye nezakhe. (Isaya 30:20, 21) Okukhona umthanda ngakumbi uYehova, kokukhona uya kukhula ngakumbi umnqweno wakho wokufuna ukuphila ngendlela emkholisayo.

22. Yintoni oya kuyifeza ukuba uphila ngendlela emkholisayo uThixo?

²² Kufuna umgudu ukuphila ngendlela emkholisayo uYehova. IBhayibhile ikufanisa ukuguqula ubomi bakho nokukhulula ubuntu bakho obudala uze wambathe obutsha. (Kolose 3:9, 10) Kodwa umdumisi wabhala wathi ngokuphathelele imiyalelo kaYehova: ‘Ekuyigcineni kukho umvuzo omkhulu.’ (INdumiso 19:11) Nawe uya kufumanisa ukuba ukuphila ngendlela emkholisayo uThixo kunomvuzo omkhulu. Ngaloo ndlela, uya kunikela impendulo kucelomngeni lukaSathana uze uvuyise intliziyo kaYehova!