1, 2. Bobani ebebabangani bakaJehova?

BABANTU abanjani ofuna babe bangani bakho? Babantu obathandako, okghona ukuzwisisana nabo, abanomusa nabanobuntu obuthandako.

² NoJehova uZimu uyabakhetha abantu abazokuba bangani bakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, u-Abrahamu bekamnganakhe. (Isaya 41:8; Jakopo 2:23) UJehova bekathanda noDavida. Bewatjho nokuthi uDavida ‘mumuntu wehliziywami.’ (IzEnzo 13:22) Omunye umuntu uJehova ‘ebekamthanda khulu’ mphorofidi uDanyela.—Danyela 9:23.

3. Khuyini eyenza u-Abrahamu, uDavida noDanyela baba bangani bakaJehova?

³ Kwenzeke njani bona u-Abrahamu, uDavida noDanyela babe bangani bakaJehova? UJehova wathi ku-Abrahamu: “Ngombana ulalele ilizwi lami.” (Genesisi 22:18) UJehova umngani walabo abazithobako bebamlalele. Ngitjho nesitjhaba sabantu kuyakghonakala bona sibe bangani bakhe. Nakahlathululela ama-Israyeli uJehova wathi: “Nanithobela ilizwi lami, khona-ke ngizakuba nguZimenu, nina nibe babantu bami.” (Joromiya 7:23) Yeke, kufuze ulalele uZimu nawukufuna kwamambala ukuba mnganakhe.

4, 5. UJehova ubavikela njani abangani bakhe?

⁴ IBhayibheli lithi uJehova ufuna iindlela zokutjengisa amandlakhe ngebanga labantu ‘abanehliziyo enamathele  kuye.’ (2 IinKronike 16:9) KuRhubo 32:8, uJehova uthembisa abangani bakhe ukuthi: “Ngizakufundisa, ngikubonise indlela ozakukhamba ngayo; ngikweluleke, ngikuphose ilihlo.”

⁵ Inaba lakaZimu lona lifuna singabi bangani bakhe. Kodwana uJehova ufuna ukusivikela. (Funda iRhubo 55:22.) Nasibangani bakaZimu kufuze simkhonze ngehliziywethu yoke. Kufuze sithembeke kuye nanyana kubudisi. Begodu sinethemba umrhubi ebekanalo nakatlola ngoJehova. Wathi: “Njengombana angesidleni sami angeze nganyakaziswa.” (IRhubo 16:8; 63:8) USathana lo ulinga njani ukusikhandela bona singabi bangani bakaZimu?

6. Ngimuphi umlandu uSathana awuthwesa abantu?

⁶ EsAhlukweni 11 sifunde ukuthi uSathana uthwese uZimu umlandu wathi unamala begodu bekufuze avumele u-Adamu no-Eva baziquntele phakathi kokulungileko nokungakalungi. Incwadi yeBhayibheli kaJobho isifundisa ukuthi uSathana wasola nabantu abafuna ukuba bangani bakaZimu. Uthi balotjha uZimu ngombana kukhona abakufunako kuye, ingasi ngombana bamthanda. Uthi yena angenza woke umuntu ajikele uZimu. Khesibone ukuthi singafundani kuJobho nokuthi uJehova wamvikela njani.

7, 8. (a) UJehova bekazizwa njani ngoJobho? (b) USathana wathini ngoJobho?

⁷ Bekungubani uJobho? Bekayindoda elungileko eyaphila eminyakeni eyi-3 600 edlulileko. UJehova wathi akekho ngesikhatheso obekanjengoJobho ephasini. UJobho bekamhlonipha khulu uZimu, ahloye ubumbi. (Jobho 1:8) Bekamngani kaJehova wamambala.

 ⁸ USathana wathi uJobho ukhonza uZimu ngebanga lomrhobholo. USathana wathi kuJehova: “Angithi umbiyele ngomthangala kanye nomzakhe nakho koke anakho. Ubusise umsebenzi wezandla zakhe, ngalokho imihlambakhe yandile enarheni. Kodwana nawelula isandla sakho uthinte koke anakho gadesi, ngiyakutjela ngithi uzakuthuka emtarini.”—Jobho 1:10, 11.

9. UJehova wanikela uSathana imvumo yokwenzani?

⁹ USathana wasola uJobho ngokuthi ukhonza uJehova nje ngombana kukhona akufunako kuye. Watjho nokuthi yena angenza uJobho alise ukukhonza uJehova. UJehova khenge avumelane noSathana, yeke wamvumela bona alinge uJobho, khona kuzokubonakala ukuthi uJobho umthanda kwamambala na uJehova.

10. USathana wamhlasela njani uJobho? UJobho wasabela njani?

¹⁰ USathana wathoma ngokweba nangokubhubhisa yoke ifuyo kaJobho. Ngemva kwalokho wabulala iinceku zakaJobho. UJobho walahlekelwa ngikho koke ebekanakho. USathana waqedelela ngokubulala abantwana bakhe abalitjhumi ngesiwuruwuru. Kodwana uJobho wahlala athembekile kuJehova. “Kikho koke lokhu uJobho azange one namkha asole uZimu ngobumbi.”—Jobho 1:12-19, 22.

11. (a) Khuyini enye uSathana ayenza kuJobho? (b) Wasabela njani uJobho?

¹¹ USathana khenge aphele amandla. Wasola uZimu wathi: “Yeke nange ungelula isandla sakho umthinte enyameni nemathanjenakhe, ngiyakutjela ngithi uzokuthuka emtarini.” Yeke uSathana wabetha uJobho ngobulwele obubuhlungu khulu. (Jobho 2:5, 7) Nalapho, uJobho wahlala athembekile kuJehova. Wabe  wathi: “Angeze bengivume bonyana nineqiniso, ngizabe ngiyokufa ngilokhu ngimsulwa.”—Jobho 27:5.

12. UJobho wakuveza njani bona uSathana unamala?

¹² UJobho bekangazi litho ngezinto uSathana amsola ngazo, nokuthi kubayini atlhoriseka kangaka. Bekacabanga ukuthi uJehova nguye obangela imiraro aqalane nayo. (Jobho 6:4; 16:11-14) Nanyana kunjalo, uJobho wahlala athembekile kuJehova. Kwaba sebaleni ukuthi uJobho akanamrhobholo. Bekamngani kaZimu ngombana amthanda. Zoke izinto uSathana azitjho bezimamala!

13. Waba yini umphumela wokuthembeka kwakaJobho?

¹³ Ngitjho nanyana uJobho bekangazi ebekwenzeka ezulwini, wathembeka kuZimu bewaveza ukuthi uSathana ukhohlakele. UJehova wamvuza uJobho ngokuba mngani othembekileko.—Jobho 42:12-17.

14, 15. Ngimuphi umlandu uSathana awuthwesa woke umuntu wembaji nowengubo?

¹⁴ Kunezinto eziqakathekileko esingazifunda kilokho okwenzeka kuJobho. Nanamhlanjesi, uSathana uthi sikhonza uJehova ngombana kunezinto esizifunako kuye. KuJobho 2:4 uSathana wathi: “Umuntu uzakunikela koke anakho ikani azakusindisa ipilwakhe.” Kuhlekuhle, uSathana uthi woke umuntu wembaji newengubo unomrhobholo, ingasi uJobho kwaphela. Nanyana sekwadlula amakhulu weminyaka uJobho ahlongakala, uSathana usamthuka uJehova, asole neenceku zakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, ngikho izAga 27:11 zithi: “Hlakanipha mntwanami, ulethele ihliziywami ukwenama; ngizakwazi ukuphendula . . . onginyazako [namkha ongithukako].”

 ¹⁵ Ungakhetha ukulalela uJehova nokuba mnganakhe othembekileko, uveze ukuthi uSathana unamala. Ngitjho nanyana kufuze wenze amatjhuguluko amakhulu epilwenakho nawuzakuba mngani kaZimu, leso kungaba siqunto esihle ukuzidlula zoke okhewazithatha! Isiquntwesi siqakatheke kwamambala. USathana uthi wena angekhe uthembeke kuZimu nawusemirarweni. Ngikho alinga ukusikhohlisa bona singathembeki kuZimu. Ukwenza njani lokho?

16. (a) Ngiziphi iindlela uSathana avimba ngazo abantu ekukhonzeni uJehova? (b) Ngiyiphi indlela uDeveli angalinga ukukuvimba ngayo ekukhonzeni uJehova?

¹⁶ USathana usebenzisa iindlela ezinengi bona asivimbe singabi bangani bakaZimu. Uhlasela “njengengwenyama ebhodlako, efuna ezomrhiribidela.” (1 Pitrosi 5:8) Ungarareki nakwenzeka abangani bakho, iinhlobo zakho nabanye abantu balinga ukukulisisa ukufunda iBhayibheli nokwenza okulungileko. Ungacabanga ngasuthi abantwaba bayakuhlasela. * (Jwanisi 15:19, 20) Okhunye, uSathana uyakwazi nokuzenza “ingilozi yokukhanya.” Ulinga ukusikhohlisa bona singamlaleli uJehova. (2 Korinte 11:14) Enye indlela uSathana asivimba ngayo ekukhonzeni uJehova, kusenza sicabange bona sibambi khulu bonyana singakhonza uZimu.—IzAga 24:10.

17. Ngiliphi ibanga elenza silalele uJehova?

¹⁷ Nasilalela uJehova vane siveza ukuthi uSathana  unamala. Singasizwa yini bona simlalele? IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngalokho [thanda uJehova] uZimakho ngayo yoke ihliziywakho, nangomphefumulwakho woke nangawo woke amandlakho.” (Duteronomi 6:5) Kufuze silalele uJehova ngombana simthanda. Ithando lethu ngaye nalisolo likhula, sizokufuna ukwenza koke asibawa khona. Umpostoli uJwanisi watlola wathi: “Ukuthanda uZimu kukobana silonde imiyalwakhe, begodu imiyalwakhe ayisinzima.”—1 Jwanisi 5:3.

18, 19. (a) Ngiziphi izinto uJehova athi azikalungi? (b) Sazi njani bona uJehova angekhe asibawe ukuthi senze izinto esingakghoni ukuzenza?

¹⁸ Kodwana ngiziphi izinto uJehova athi azikalungi? Ezinye zazo zisebhoksini elinesihloko esithi, “ Zonda Izinto UJehova Azizondako.” Ekuthomeni kungenzeka bewucabanga ukuthi ezinye zazo azisizimbi kangako. Kodwana nawufunda amavesi weBhayibheli, ucabangisisa ngawo, uzokuzwisisa bona kukuhlakanipha ukulalela  imithetho kaJehova. Ungalemuka nokuthi kunezinto okufuze uzilise ungasazenzi. Ngitjho nanyana kungaba budisi ngezinye iinkhathi, nawungazilisa uzokuthaba ube nokuthula ngokuba mngani kaZimu othembekileko. (Isaya 48:17, 18) Sazi njani ukuthi kuyakghonakala ukuzilisa izintwezi ungasazenzi?

¹⁹ UJehova angekhe athi senze nanyana yini esingekhe sikghone ukuyenza. (Duteronomi 30:11-14) Njengombana aMngani wamambala, usazi ukudlula indlela thina esizazi ngayo. Wazi lokho esikghona ukukwenza nalapho esibogaboga khona. (IRhubo 103:14) Umpostoli uPowula nakasikhuthazako uthi: “Nje-ke uZimu uthembekile; angeze avume bona nilingwe ngaphezu kwamandlenu. Kodwana nanilingwako, uzaninikela nendlela yokuphepha ukuze nijamelane naso.” (1 Korinte 10:13) Singaqiniseka ukuthi uJehova uzosinikela amandla wokwenza okulungileko. Uzosinikela  “amandla amakhulu” azosisiza sikghodlhelele ubudisi. (2 Korinte 4:7) Ngemva kobana uPowula asizwe nguJehova, wathi: “Ngikghona ukwenza yoke into ngaloyo ongiqinisako.”—Filipi 4:13.

20. Bubuntu obunjani okufuze sibulingise? Kubayini senza njalo?

²⁰ Nasifuna ukuba bangani bakaJehova, kufuze silise ukwenza lokho uJehova athi akukalungi, kodwana kunokhunye godu okufuze sikwenze. (Roma 12:9) Abangani bakaZimu bathanda akuthandako. IRhubo 15:1-5 liyakhuluma ngabo. (Lifunde.) Abangani bakaJehova balingisa ubuntu bakhe ngokuba ‘nethando, ukujabula, ukuthula, ukubekezela, umusa, ukulunga, ukukholwa, ubumnene, nokuzithiba.’—Galatiya 5:22, 23.

21. Ungafunda njani ukuba nobuntu uZimu abuthandako?

²¹ Ungafunda njani ukuba nobuntu obuhle? Kufanele ufunde lokho uJehova akuthandako ngokufunda iBhayibheli soke isikhathi. (Isaya 30:20, 21) Nawenza nje, ithando lakho ngoJehova lizokukhula, begodu lizathi nalikhulako ufune ukumlalela.

22. Khuyini ozokufumana nawulalela uJehova?

²² Amatjhuguluko okufuze uwenze epilwenakho singawafanisa nokuhlubula iimpahla ezidala umbathe ezitja. IBhayibheli lithi sihlubule ubuntu “obudala” simbathe ubuntu “obutjha.” (Kolose 3:9, 10) Ngitjho nanyana kungasibulula, singakghona ukutjhuguluka silalele uJehova. Usithembisa ‘umvuzo omkhulu’ nasenza njalo. (IRhubo 19:12 [19:11, NW]) Khetha ukulalela uJehova, uveze ukuthi uSathana umleyi mala. Khonza uJehova, ingasi ngebanga lananyana yini azokunikela yona ngomuso, kodwana ngebanga lokumthanda ngaphandle kokuzenzisa. Nawenza njalo uzakuba mngani kaZimu wamambala!