“Isikhathi Sokuthanda Nesikhathi Sokuzonda”

“UNKULUNKULU uluthando.” Kwamanye amazwe abantu bachoma lawo mazwi ezindongeni zemizi yabo. Ngempela, lawa amazwi amahle achaza lokho uNkulunkulu ayikho—isibonelo esizedlula zonke sothando.

Nokho, abantu abaningi abazi ukuthi lawo mazwi atholakala eBhayibhelini. Abhalwa umphostoli uJohane: “Lowo ongenalo uthando akamazi uNkulunkulu, ngoba uNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) Wabuye wabhala ngothando uNkulunkulu analo ngabantu ebalalelayo: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangangokuba waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke umuntu obonisa ukholo kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe nokuphila okuphakade.”—Johane 3:16.

Uma bezwa la mazwi, abanye bangase bacabange ukuthi uNkulunkulu uhlale eshalazelela noma yini esiyenzayo. Indlela abaningi abaphila ngayo ibonisa ukuthi bacabanga ukuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi baziphatha kanjani, ngeke balandise kuNkulunkulu ngokuziphatha kwabo. Kodwa ingabe lokho kuyiqiniso ngempela? Ingabe uNkulunkulu uthanda bonke abantu, abalungile nababi? Ingabe sikhona isikhathi lapho uNkulunkulu ezonda khona?

Uthando LukaNkulunkulu Nenzondo Yakhe

Inkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yasho la mazwi: “Kukhona isikhathi esimisiwe sayo yonke into, yebo isikhathi sazo zonke izindaba phansi kwamazulu . . . isikhathi sokuthanda nesikhathi sokuzonda.” (UmShumayeli 3:1, 8) Ngokuvumelana nalesi simiso, nakuba uNkulunkulu enothando nomusa kangaka, zikhona izikhathi lapho ezonda khona.

Okokuqala, lisho ukuthini igama elithi ‘ukuzonda’ njengoba lisetshenziswe eBhayibhelini? Enye incwadi iyaphendula: “EmiBhalweni, igama elithi ‘zonda’ linezincazelo ezihlukahlukene. Lingase lisho inzondo ejulile neqhubekayo, ngokuvamile ehambisana nobutha. Inzondo enjalo ingase ibangele isifiso esikhulu sokufuna ukulimaza lowo ozondwayo.” Lena iyona ncazelo esiyazi kakhulu, futhi siyayibona imiphumela yalolu hlobo lwenzondo kuwo wonke umhlaba. Kodwa le ncwadi iqhubeka ithi: “‘Inzondo’ ingase futhi isho ukungayithandi nhlobo into kodwa ungafisi ukuyilimaza.”

Kulesi sihloko sikhuluma ngale ncazelo yesibili. Lena inzondo enkulu, ukwenyanya ngokuphelele—akulona unya, ubutha noma isifiso sokulimaza. Ingabe uNkulunkulu angaba nalolu hlobo lwenzondo? Phawula lokho okushiwo encwadini yezAga 6:16-19: “Kukhona izinto eziyisithupha uJehova azizondayo; yebo, ziyisikhombisa izinto ezinengekayo emphefumulweni wakhe: amehlo aqhoshayo, ulimi olunamanga, izandla ezichitha igazi elingenacala, inhliziyo eceba amacebo alimazayo, izinyawo ezisheshayo ukugijimela ebubini, ufakazi wamanga ophafuza amanga, nanoma ubani odala imibango phakathi kwabantu abangabafowabo.”

 Kusobala ukuthi kunemikhuba ethile uNkulunkulu ayizondayo. Noma kunjalo, lokhu akusho ukuthi uzonda umuntu owenza lezi zinto. Ucabangela izizathu eziye zabangela lowo muntu ukuba azenze, njengobuthakathaka benyama, indawo emzungezile, indlela akhuliswe ngayo nokungazi. (Genesise 8:21; Roma 5:12) Umlobi wezAga wenza isibonelo esihle ukuze achaze lokhu: “UJehova uyamsola lowo amthandayo, njengoba nje nobaba eyisola indodana ayijabulelayo.” (IzAga 3:12) Umzali angase azizonde izenzo zokungalaleli zengane, kodwa usayithanda ingane yakhe futhi wenza konke angakwenza ukuze ayisize iyeke ukuziphatha kwayo okubi ngokuyijezisa. Ngothando, uJehova wenza okufanayo lapho kunethemba lokuthi umuntu owonayo angashintsha.

Lapho Inzondo Ifaneleka

Nokho, kuthiwani uma othile eseyazi intando kaNkulunkulu kodwa enqaba ukuyenza? UNkulunkulu akamamukeli umuntu onjalo, akamthandi. Uma enza ngamabomu izinto uJehova azizondayo, usuke ezibangela ukuba uNkulunkulu amzonde. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli lithi: “UJehova ngokwakhe uhlola olungile kanye nomubi, futhi ngokuqinisekile umphefumulo wakhe uyamzonda umuntu othanda ubudlova.” (IHubo 11:5) Umuntu onjalo ongaphenduki ngeke athethelelwe, njengoba umphostoli uPawulu ekucacisa encwadini yakhe ayibhalela amaHebheru: “Uma senza isono ngamabomu ngemva kokuba sesamukele ulwazi olunembile lweqiniso, awusekho umhlatshelo wesono osele, kodwa kukhona ukulindelwa okuthile kwesahlulelo okwesabisayo futhi kukhona isikhwele esinjengomlilo esizodla labo abaphikisayo.” (Hebheru 10:26, 27) Kungani uNkulunkulu onothando enza ngale ndlela?

Lapho umuntu eqhubeka enza isono esibi kakhulu ngamabomu, ububi bungagxila bungaphinde buhlukaniswe nalowo muntu. Angase onakale, angalungiseki futhi angashintshi. IBhayibheli lifanisa umuntu onjalo nengwe engeke yakwazi ukushintsha amabala ayo. (Jeremiya 13:23) Njengoba engeke esaphenduka, lowo muntu wenza lokho iBhayibheli elikubiza ngokuthi ‘isono saphakade’ esingenakuthethelelwa.—Marku 3:29.

Kwaba njalo ngo-Adamu no-Eva kanye noJuda Iskariyothe. Njengoba u-Adamu no-Eva babedalwe bephelele futhi umyalo uNkulunkulu ayebanike wona ucacile futhi bobabili bewuqonda, kusobala ukuthi bona ngamabomu, ngakho babengeke baxolelwe. Amazwi uNkulunkulu awasho kubo ngemva kokona abonisa ukuthi babengeke besaphenduka. (Genesise 3:16-24) Nakuba uJuda ayengaphelele, wasebenzelana eduze neNdodana kaNkulunkulu uqobo kodwa waphenduka imbuka. UJesu ngokwakhe  wambiza ngokuthi ‘uyindodana yokubhubha.’ (Johane 17:12) IBhayibheli libonisa nokuthi sekuyisikhathi eside uDeveli enza isono futhi ulindelwe imbubhiso. (1 Johane 3:8; IsAmbulo 12:12) Laba baye benza ukuba uNkulunkulu abazonde.

Nokho, kuqinisa idolo ukwazi ukuthi akubona bonke abantu abonile abangeke bathethelelwe. UJehova ubekezela kakhulu futhi akakujabuleli ukujezisa labo abone bengazi. (Hezekeli 33:11) Ubamema ukuba baphenduke futhi bathethelelwe. Siyafunda: “Umuntu omubi makashiye indlela yakhe, nomuntu olimazayo imicabango yakhe; makabuyele kuJehova, oyoba nesihe kuye, nakuNkulunkulu wethu, ngoba uyothethelela ngendlela enkulu.”—Isaya 55:7.

Umbono Onokulinganisela Ngothando Nangenzondo

Kusobala ukuthi njengabalingisi bakaNkulunkulu, amaKristu eqiniso kudingeka azi lapho ‘kuyisikhathi sokuthanda’ nalapho ‘kuyisikhathi sokuzonda.’ Imizwa yozwela ingabangela umbono womuntu ngothando nesihe ube ongenakulinganisela. Kodwa amazwi omfundi uJude angasisiza sihlale sinombono ofanele phakathi kokubonisa isihe nokuzonda isono: “Qhubekani nibonisa isihe kwabanye, nenza kanjalo ngokwesaba, kuyilapho nizonda ngisho nengubo yangaphakathi enindwe inyama.” (Jude 22, 23) Ngakho kufanele sizonde okubi, hhayi umuntu owenza okubi.

AmaKristu atshelwa nokuba azibonise uthando izitha zawo ngokuzenzela okuhle. UJesu wathi: “Qhubekani nithanda izitha zenu, nithandazela nalabo abanishushisayo.” (Mathewu 5:44) Yingakho oFakazi BakaJehova bengayeki ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngokuphindaphindiwe komakhelwane, ngisho noma abanye bengasilaleli leso sigijimi. (Mathewu 24:14) Ngokubheka izindaba ngombono weBhayibheli, oFakazi babona wonk’ umuntu engazuza othandweni nasesiheni sikaJehova. Lapho abanye bengayazisi imizamo yabo yokubasiza noma bengayamukeli noma ngisho beshushiswa, oFakazi balalela iseluleko somphostoli uPawulu: “Qhubekani nibusisa labo abashushisayo; busisani ningaqalekisi . . . Ningabuyiseli muntu okubi ngokubi.” (Roma 12:14, 17) Bayakhumbula ukuthi nguJehova oyonquma ukuthi ubani ofanelwe uthando lwakhe nofanelwe inzondo yakhe. UnguMahluleli wokugcina ezindabeni zokufa nokuphila.—Hebheru 10:30.

Yebo, “uNkulunkulu uluthando.” Thina kufanele sibonise ukwazisa ngothando lwakhe futhi sizame ukuthola ukuthi iyini intando yakhe bese siyenza. OFakazi BakaJehova basendaweni yakini bayokujabulela ukukusiza uzifundele eBhayibhelini lakho ukuthi iyini intando kaNkulunkulu nokuthi ungayenza kanjani ekuphileni kwakho. Ngokwenza kanjalo uyoyigwema inzondo kaNkulunkulu ujabulele uthando lwakhe.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 23]

“Kukhona izinto eziyisithupha uJehova azizondayo; yebo, ziyisikhombisa izinto ezinengekayo emphefumulweni wakhe: amehlo aqhoshayo, ulimi olunamanga, izandla ezichitha igazi elingenacala, inhliziyo eceba amacebo alimazayo, izinyawo ezisheshayo ukugijimela ebubini, ufakazi wamanga ophafuza amanga, nanoma ubani odala imibango phakathi kwabantu abangabafowabo.”—IZAGA 6:16-19

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 24]

“Uma senza isono ngamabomu ngemva kokuba sesamukele ulwazi olunembile lweqiniso, awusekho umhlatshelo wesono osele, kodwa kukhona ukulindelwa okuthile kwesahlulelo okwesabisayo.”—HEBHERU 10:26, 27

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 25]

“Umuntu omubi makashiye indlela yakhe, nomuntu olimazayo imicabango yakhe; makabuyele kuJehova, oyoba nesihe kuye . . . Uyothethelela ngendlela enkulu.”—ISAYA 55:7

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Umzali onothando uyamjezisa umntanakhe ukuze amsize

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Iziboshwa eziningi ziye zazuza othandweni nasesiheni sikaNkulunkulu