1, 2. Yayingoobani abanye abahlobo bakaThixo?

 UFUNA ukuba nomhlobo onjani? Ufuna ukuba nomhlobo onobubele nonobuntu obuthandayo. Ufuna nivane naloo mntu, ize ibe ngumntu omthandayo.

² Bakhona abantu uYehova uThixo abakhethileyo ukuba babe ngabahlobo bakhe. Ngokomzekelo, uAbraham wayengomnye wabantu ababengabahlobo bakaYehova. (Isaya 41:8; Yakobi 2:23) UYehova wayemthanda noDavide. Wathi uDavide ‘yindoda ethandwayo yintliziyo yakhe.’ (IZenzo 13:22) Umprofeti uDaniyeli yena ‘wayexabiseke kakhulu’ kuYehova.​—Daniyeli 9:23.

 3. Kwakutheni ukuze uAbraham, uDavide noDaniyeli babe ngabahlobo bakaYehova?

³ Kwakutheni ukuze uAbraham, uDavide noDaniyeli babe ngabahlobo bakaYehova? UYehova wathi ngoAbraham: “Ulimamele ilizwi lam.” (Genesis 22:18) UYehova uba ngumhlobo wabantu abamthobelayo. Nohlanga lwabantu lunokuba ngabahlobo bakhe. UYehova wathi kumaSirayeli: “Thobelani ilizwi lam, yaye ndiza kuba nguThixo wenu, nina nibe ngabantu bam.” (Yeremiya 7:23) Nawe ke, umele umthobele uYehova ukuba ukufuna nyhani ukuba ngumhlobo wakhe.

4, 5. UYehova ubakhusela njani abahlobo bakhe?

⁴ IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba uYehova uzame iindlela “ukuze abonise amandla akhe ngenxa yabo bantliziyo zipheleleyo kuye.” (2 Kronike 16:9) KwiNdumiso 32:8,  uYehova uthi kubahlobo bakhe: “Ndiza kukubonisa ndize ndikuyalele indlela omele uhambe ngayo. Ndiza kukucebisa, ilihlo lam likuwe.”

⁵ Kukho utshaba olunamandla olufuna ukusiyekisa ukuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo. Kodwa uYehova ufuna ukusikhusela. (Funda iNdumiso 55:22.) Kuba singabakhonzi bakhe, simkhonza ngentliziyo yethu yonke uYehova. Asigungqi ekumkhonzeni nokuba sekunzima kangakanani na. Siqiniseke njengomdumisi. Wabhala wathi ngoYehova: “Ekubeni engasekunene kwam, soze ndigungqiswe.” (INdumiso 16:8; 63:8) USathana uzama njani ukusiyekisa ukuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova?

 6. Wathini uSathana ngabantu?

⁶ KwiSahluko 11 sifundile ukuba uSathana watyhola uYehova esithi uyaxoka, ibe akazenzi kakuhle izinto kuba engazange abavumele uAdam noEva ukuba bazenzele ngokwabo isigqibo ngento elungileyo nengalunganga. EBhayibhileni, kwincwadi kaYobhi sifunda ukuba uSathana watyhola nabantu abafuna ukuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo. USathana uthi abamkhonzi kuba bemthanda uThixo, kodwa kuba bejonge izinto. Ude athi unokwenza nabani na amjikele uThixo. Makhe sibone ukuba yintoni esinokuyifunda kuYobhi, nokuba wagungqa okanye akazange agungqe na ekukhonzeni uYehova.

7, 8. (a) UYehova wayemjonga njani uYobhi? (b) USathana wathini ngoYobhi?

⁷ Wayengubani uYobhi? Wayeyindoda elungileyo neyayiphila kwiminyaka engaphezu kweyi-3 600 eyadlulayo. UYehova wathi ngela xesha kwakungekho ndoda inje ngaye. UYobhi wayemhlonipha kakhulu uYehova, ibe wayeyicaphukela into embi. (Yobhi 1:8) Kucacile ukuba uYobhi wayengumhlobo kaYehova nyhani.

 ⁸ USathana wayesithi uYobhi ukhonza uYehova kuba kukho izinto azifumanayo kuye. USathana wathi kuYehova: “Andithi wena umkhusele yena nendlu yakhe nayo yonke into anayo? Kaloku uwusikelele umsebenzi wezandla zakhe, nemfuyo yakhe igcwele ilizwe lonke. Khawolule nje isandla sakho, uthathe yonke into anayo, ubone ukuba akazukujika akuthuke na.”​—Yobhi 1:10, 11.

 9. Yintoni uYehova awavumela ukuba uSathana ayenze?

⁹ USathana wathi uYobhi ukhonza uYehova ngenxa yezinto anokuzifumana kuye. USathana waphinda wathi unokwenza uYobhi ayeke ukukhonza uYehova. UYehova wayengavumelani nento eyayithethwa nguSathana, kodwa wamvumela ukuba amvavanye uYobhi ukuze kucace ukuba wayemkhonza kuba emthanda na uYehova.

10. USathana wamhlasela njani uYobhi, ibe wathini uYobhi?

¹⁰ Okokuqala, uSathana wenza ukuba yonke imfuyo kaYobhi ibiwe okanye ilahleke. Emva koko uSathana wabulala abakhonzi bakhe abaninzi. UYobhi waphelelwa yiyo yonke into awayenayo. Xa wayemhlasela okokugqibela, uSathana wabulala abantwana bakaYobhi abayi-10 ngesaqhwithi. Kodwa akazange agungqe ekukhonzeni uYehova. “Kuyo yonke loo nto, uYobhi zange one okanye atyhole uThixo nangantoni na.”​—Yobhi 1:12-19, 22.

11. (a) Yintoni enye uSathana awayenzayo kuYobhi? (b) Wathini uYobhi?

¹¹ USathana akazange ancame. Wathetha la mazwi kuThixo: ‘Mbethe emathanjeni nasenyameni, uze ubone ukuba akazukujika akuthuke na.’ Ngoko uSathana wahlasela uYobhi ngesona sigulo sakha sabuhlungu. (Yobhi 2:5, 7) Nangelo xesha, uYobhi akazange agungqe tu ekukhonzeni uYehova. Wathi: “Andizukuyeka ukuba msulwa de ndife!”​—Yobhi 27:5.

12. Yintoni eyenziwa nguYobhi eyabonisa ukuba uSathana ulixoki?

 ¹² Akukho nto wayeyazi uYobhi ngezityholo zikaSathana okanye isizathu sokuba ehlelwe zizinto ezibuhlungu. Wayecinga ukuba nguYehova owayebangela ukuba kwenzeke izinto ezibuhlungu kuye. (Yobhi 6:4; 16:11-14) Kodwa naxa kwakunjalo, uYobhi akazange agungqe ekukhonzeni uYehova. Kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba ithandabuzeke loo nto. UYobhi akazange acingele isiqu sakhe. Wayengumhlobo kaThixo kuba wayemthanda. Izinto uSathana awayemtyhola ngazo zazibubuxoki zonke!

13. Yintoni eyenzekayo ngenxa yokungagungqi kukaYobhi?

¹³ Nangona uYobhi wayengayazi ukuba uSathana uthethe noYehova ezulwini, akazange agungqe ekukhonzeni uThixo waza wabonisa ukuba uSathana ulixoki. UYehova wamvuza uYobhi kuba waba ngumhlobo othembekileyo.​—Yobhi 42:12-17.

14, 15. Uthini uSathana ngaye wonke umntu?

¹⁴ Unokufunda izinto ezibalulekileyo kwizinto ezenzeka kuYobhi. Namhlanje, uSathana uthi sikhonza uYehova ngenxa yezinto esizijongileyo kuye. KuYobhi 2:4 uSathana wathi: “Akukho nto umntu angenakuyincama ukuze asindise ubomi bakhe.” Loo nto ibonisa ukuba uSathana uthi ayingoYobhi nje qha kodwa bonke abantu, amadoda namabhinqa bacingela iziqu zabo. Kwiminyaka emininzi emva kokusweleka kukaYobhi, uSathana ebesaqhubeka ethetha kakubi ngoYehova esithi nabakhonzi bakhe abamthandi nyhani. Ngokomzekelo, kwiMizekeliso 27:11, sifunda la mazwi athethwa nguYehova esithi: “Yiba sisilumko nyana wam, uze uyivuyise intliziyo yam, ukuze ndimphendule lowo undigxekayo.”

¹⁵ Ungakhetha ukuthobela uYehova, ube ngumhlobo wakhe uze ungagungqi, ubonise ukuba uSathana ulixoki.  Nokuba kufuneka utshintshe izinto ezinkulu ebomini bakho ukuze ube ngumhlobo kaYehova, asikho isigqibo esihle onokusenza esingapha kwesi! Kaloku, kufuneka singagungqi. USathana uthi uza kugungqa ekukhonzeni uThixo xa uneengxaki. Uzama ukusiqhatha ukuze singathembeki kuThixo. Uyenza njani le nto?

16. (a) Zeziphi iindlela uSathana azisebenzisayo ukuze enze abantu bayeke ukukhonza uYehova? (b) UMtyholi unokuzama njani ukukuyekisa ukukhonza uYehova?

¹⁶ USathana usebenzisa iindlela ezininzi ezahlukahlukeneyo ukuze asiyekise ukukhonza uYehova. Uhlasela “njengengonyama egqumayo, ekhangela umntu anokumqwenga.” (1 Petros 5:8) Ungothuki ke xa abahlobo, abantu bakokwenu okanye abanye nje abantu bezama ukukuyekisa ukufunda iBhayibhile nokwenza izinto ezilungileyo. Kusenokuba ngathi uSathana uyakuhlasela. a (Yohane 15:19, 20) Enye into, uSathana uzenza “ngathi yingelosi yokukhanya.” Ngoko unokusiqhatha ukuze singamthobeli uYehova. (2 Korinte 11:14) Enye indlela uSathana ayisebenzisayo ukuze asiyekise ukukhonza uYehova kukusenza sicinge ukuba asoze side sikufanelekele ukukhonza uThixo.​—IMizekeliso 24:10.

17. Kutheni sithobela uYehova?

¹⁷ Xa sithobela uYehova, sibonisa ukuba uSathana ulixoki. Yintoni eza kusinceda sibe ngabantu abathobelayo? IBhayibhile ithi: “Umele umthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho yonke nangomphefumlo wakho  wonke nangamandla akho onke.” (Duteronomi 6:5) Sithobela uYehova kuba simthanda. Njengoko sisiya simthanda nakakhulu uYehova, sifuna ukuzenza zonke izinto athi masizenze. Umpostile uYohane wathi: “Ukuthanda uThixo kuthetha ukuba sithobele imithetho yakhe; ibe ayikho nzima imithetho yakhe.”​—1 Yohane 5:3.

18, 19. (a) Ziintoni ezinye izinto athi uYehova azilunganga? (b) Sazi njani ukuba uYehova akasiceli ukuba senze izinto esingenakukwazi ukuzenza?

¹⁸ Ziintoni ke ezinye izinto athi uYehova azilunganga? Ezinye zazo zikwibhokisi ethi “ Zicaphukele Izinto UYehova Azicaphukelayo.” Ekuqaleni, usenokucinga ukuba ezinye kwezi zinto azikho mbi kangako. Kodwa xa ufunda iivesi zeBhayibhile uze ucinge kakuhle ngazo, uza kuyibona indlela ekububulumko ngayo ukuthobela imithetho kaYehova. Usenokubona nokuba kukho izinto ezithile ekufuneka uzitshintshe ebomini bakho. Nangona  isenokuba nzima le nto ngamanye amaxesha, xa uzitshintsha ezi zinto, uza kuba seluxolweni uze wonwabe kuba ungumhlobo kaThixo ongagungqiyo ekumkhonzeni. (Isaya 48:17, 18) Sazi njani ukuba umntu unokutshintsha?

¹⁹ UYehova akasiceli ukuba senze izinto esingenakukwazi ukuzenza. (Duteronomi 30:11-14) Kuba enguMhlobo wokwenene, usazi ngaphezu kokuba sizazi nathi. Uyazazi izinto esikwazi nesingakwazi ukuzenza. (INdumiso 103:14) Umpostile uPawulos wasikhuthaza wathi: “UThixo uthembekile, ibe akazukuniyekela nilingwe ngento eningenakumelana nayo, kodwa uza kuninika indlela yokuphuma kweso silingo ukuze nikwazi ukusinyamezela.” (1 Korinte 10:13) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova uza kusoloko esinika amandla okwenza izinto ezilungileyo. Uza kukunika ‘amandla angaqhelekanga’ ukuze akuncede unyamezele xa kunzima. (2 Korinte 4:7) Emva  kokubona indlela uYehova amncede ngayo, uPawulos wathi: “Ezintweni zonke ndinamandla ngenxa yalowo undinika amandla.”​—Filipi 4:13.

20. Zeziphi iimpawu omele uzilinganise, ibe ngoba?

²⁰ Ukuba sifuna ukuba ngabahlobo bakaYehova, simele siyeke ukwenza izinto uYehova athi azilunganga, kodwa asimele siphelele nje apho. (Roma 12:9) Abahlobo bakaThixo bayazithanda izinto azithandayo. IBhayibhile iyabachaza ukuba banjani kwiNdumiso 15:1-5. (Yifunde.) Abahlobo bakaYehova balinganisa iimpawu zakhe “uthando, uvuyo, uxolo, umonde, ububele, ukulunga, ukholo ukululama nokukwazi ukuzibamba.”​—Galati 5:22, 23.

21. Unokwenza njani ukuze ube neempawu ezithandwa nguThixo?

²¹ Unokufunda njani ukuba neempawu ezintle ngolo hlobo? Funda iBhayibhile qho ukuze wazi ukuba uYehova uthanda ntoni. (Isaya 30:20, 21) Xa usenza loo nto, uza kuya umthanda uYehova, ibe xa umthanda kakhulu uza kufuna ukumthobela.

22. Kuza kwenzeka ntoni xa uthobela uYehova?

²² Izinto ekuza kufuneka uzitshintshe ebomini bakho zinokufaniswa nokukhulula iimpahla ezindala uze unxibe ezintsha. IBhayibhile ithi umele ‘ubukhulule ubuntu obudala’ uze unxibe “ubuntu obutsha.” (Kolose 3:9, 10) Nangona kusenokungabi lula, xa sizitshintsha ezi zinto size sithobele uYehova, uthembisa ukusinika “umvuzo omkhulu.” (INdumiso 19:11) Khetha ukuthobela uYehova uze ubonise ukuba uSathana ulixoki. Khonza uYehova kuba umthanda, hayi nje kuba ufuna ukufumana umvuzo. Xa usenza loo nto uza kuba ngumhlobo wokwenene kaThixo!