1, 2. N’chifukwa chiyani anthu ambiri salemekeza malamulo, nanga n’chiyani chingatithandize kuti tizikonda malamulo a Mulungu?

 M’MAYIKO ambiri anthu sakulemekezanso malamulo. N’chifukwa chiyani zili choncho? Nthawi zambiri malamulowo amakhala ovuta kuwamvetsa. Komanso nthawi zina olamulira amachita zinthu mokondera. Anthu akapita kukhoti ndi mlandu, pamatenga nthawi yaitali kuti mlandu wawo uweruzidwe komanso amawononga ndalama zambiri.

² Zimenezi n’zosiyana kwambiri ndi mawu awa amene analembedwa zaka pafupifupi 2,700 zapitazo, akuti: “Ndimakonda kwambiri chilamulo chanu!” (Salimo 119:97) N’chifukwa chiyani wolemba masalimoyu ankakonda malamulo kwambiri chonchi? Chifukwa malamulowo anali ochokera kwa Yehova Mulungu osati opangidwa ndi maboma am’dzikoli. Mukamapitiriza kuphunzira malamulo a Yehova, nanunso mudzayamba kuwakonda kwambiri ngati mmene anachitira wamasalimoyu. Kuphunziraku kudzakuthandizani kuti mumvetse mmene Yehova, yemwe ndi Woweruza komanso Wopereka Malamulo Wamkulu, amaganizira.

3, 4. Kodi Yehova anasonyeza bwanji kuti ndi Wopereka Malamulo?

³ Baibulo limatiuza kuti: “Wopereka Malamulo komanso Woweruza alipo mmodzi yekha.” (Yakobo 4:12) Yehova ndi amene ali woyenera kukhazikitsa malamulo oti zinthu zonse zomwe analenga zizitsatira. Iye anapereka “malamulo amene zinthu zakuthambo zimatsatira.” (Yobu 38:33) Angelo oyera mamiliyoni ambirimbiri nawonso amatsatira malamulo a Mulungu, ndipo amamutumikira mwadongosolo komanso anawapatsa maudindo osiyanasiyana.​—Salimo 104:4; Aheberi 1:7, 14.

⁴ Yehova anaperekanso malamulo kwa anthu. Munthu aliyense ali ndi chikumbumtima, chomwe chimasonyeza mmene Yehova amaonera chilungamo. Chikumbumtimachi chili ngati malamulo  amene ali mumtima mwathu omwe amatithandiza kudziwa zoyenera ndi zosayenera. (Aroma 2:14) Makolo athu oyambirira anali ndi chikumbumtima changwiro, choncho sankafunika malamulo ambirimbiri. (Genesis 2:15-17) Koma anthu omwe si angwiro amafunika malamulo ambiri kuti aziwathandiza kuchita zofuna za Mulungu. Makolo akale monga Nowa, Abulahamu ndi Yakobo ankalandira malamulo kuchokera kwa Yehova ndipo ankauza anthu a m’banja lawo malamulowo. (Genesis 6:22; 9:3-6; 18:19; 26:4, 5) Koma Yehova anakhala Wopereka Malamulo m’njira ina yatsopano pamene anapereka Chilamulo kwa Aisiraeli kudzera mwa Mose. Chilamulo chomwe anaperekachi chimatithandiza kudziwa mmene iye amaonera chilungamo.

5. Kodi Chilamulo cha Mose chinali ndi malamulo ambiri komanso ovuta kumvetsa? N’chifukwa chiyani mukuyankha choncho?

⁵ Anthu ambiri amaganiza kuti m’Chilamulo cha Mose munali malamulo ambiri komanso ovuta kuwamvetsa. Komatu maganizo amenewa si oona. M’Chilamulo munali malamulo oposa 600. Angaoneke ngati ambiri, koma taganizirani izi: Pofika kumapeto kwa zaka za m’ma 1900, malamulo a dziko la United States analembedwa m’mabuku ambiri moti kuphatikiza onse, masamba ake ankaposa 150,000. Pa zaka ziwiri zilizonse amawonjezera malamulo ena pafupifupi 600. Choncho Chilamulo cha Mose chinali ndi malamulo ochepa kwambiri tikayerekezera ndi malamulo a anthu. Komatu Chilamulo cha Mulungu chinkauza Aisiraeli zochita pa nkhani zina zimene malamulo a anthu masiku ano sakhudzako n’komwe. Tiyeni tione zitsanzo zina.

6, 7. (a) Kodi n’chiyani chimasiyanitsa Chilamulo cha Mose ndi malamulo a anthu, nanga lamulo lalikulu kwambiri m’Chilamulo ndi liti? (b) Kodi Aisiraeli ankasonyeza bwanji kuti akulemekeza ulamuliro wa Yehova?

⁶ Chilamulo chinkauza Aisiraeli kuti azimvera Yehova monga wolamulira. Zimenezi zimachititsa Chilamulo cha Mose kukhala chosiyana kwambiri ndi malamulo alionse amene anthu anapangako. Lamulo lalikulu kwambiri m’Chilamulochi linali lakuti: “Tamverani, Aisiraeli inu: Yehova Mulungu wathu ndi Yehova mmodzi. Muzikonda Yehova Mulungu wanu ndi mtima wanu wonse, moyo wanu wonse ndi mphamvu zanu zonse.” Kodi anthu a Mulungu  akanasonyeza bwanji kuti amamukonda? Ankafunika kumamutumikira, kapena kuti kumumvera monga wolamulira wawo.​—Deuteronomo 6:4, 5; 11:13.

⁷ Munthu aliyense wa ku Isiraeli ankasonyeza kuti amavomereza ulamuliro wa Yehova pogonjera anthu amene anali ndi udindo. Makolo, akalonga, oweruza, ansembe ndipo kenako mfumu, onsewa ankaimira ulamuliro wa Mulungu. Yehova ankaona kuti ngati munthu sakumvera anthu audindowa ndiye kuti sakumvera iyeyo. Komanso anthu audindo akamagwiritsa ntchito mphamvu zawo molakwika ankakwiyitsa Yehova. (Ekisodo 20:12; 22:28; Deuteronomo 1:16, 17; 17:8-20; 19:16, 17) Choncho olamulira ndiponso olamulidwa ankafunika kulemekeza ulamuliro wa Mulungu.

8. Kodi Chilamulo chinkathandiza bwanji Aisiraeli kuti azikhala oyera?

⁸ Chilamulo chinkathandiza Aisiraeli kuti azikhala oyera. Mawu a Chiheberi omwe nthawi zambiri amawamasulira kuti “woyera” ndiponso “kuyera” amapezeka maulendo oposa 280 m’Chilamulo cha Mose. Chilamulo chinkathandiza anthu a Mulungu kusiyanitsa pakati pa chinthu choyera ndi chodetsedwa ndipo chinatchula zinthu pafupifupi 70 zimene mwamwambo zikanachititsa kuti Aisiraeli akhale odetsedwa. Malamulo amenewa anali okhudza ukhondo, zakudya komanso njira yoyenera yotayira zinthu zosafunika. Malamulowa ankathandiza kwambiri Aisiraeli kuti akhale ndi moyo wathanzi. a Koma panali chifukwa china chachikulu chomwe Yehova anawapatsira malamulowa. Iye ankafuna kuti anthuwa akhalebe naye pa ubwenzi popewa makhalidwe oipa amene anthu a mitundu ina ankachita. Taonani chitsanzo ichi.

9, 10. Kodi malamulo a m’pangano la Chilamulo ankanena zotani pa nkhani yokhudza kugonana ndi kubereka ana, nanga ankathandiza bwanji Aisiraeli?

⁹ Malamulo a m’pangano la Chilamulo ankanena kuti kugonana, ngakhale kwa anthu okwatirana, ndiponso kubereka mwana kunkachititsa anthuwo kukhala odetsedwa kwa kanthawi.  (Levitiko 12:2-4; 15:16-18) Malamulowa sankasonyeza kuti kugonana kwa anthu okwatirana ndiponso kubereka ana si mphatso zoyera zochokera kwa Mulungu. (Genesis 1:28; 2:18-25) M’malomwake, Yehova anapereka malamulo amenewa kuti anthu ake akhale oyera n’kumapewa kulambira kwabodza. Anthu amitundu ina omwe ankakhala pafupi ndi Aisiraeli ankasakaniza kulambira ndi miyambo yokhudza kugonana komanso kubereka. Mwachitsanzo, Akanani ankakhala ndi mahule aamuna ndiponso aakazi ngati mbali ya chipembedzo chawo. Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti akhale ndi makhalidwe oipa kwambiri omwenso anafalikira. Mosiyana ndi zimenezi, Chilamulo chinachititsa kuti kulambira Yehova kusamakhudzane m’pang’ono pomwe ndi nkhani za kugonana. b Koma Chilamulo chinkathandizanso Aisiraeli m’njira zina.

¹⁰ Malamulowo ankawaphunzitsa mfundo ya choonadi yofunika kwambiri. c Kodi anthu amapatsirana bwanji uchimo womwe tinatengera kwa Adamu, kuchoka ku m’badwo wina kupita m’badwo wina? Amachita zimenezi kudzera mu kugonana ndi kubereka ana. (Aroma 5:12) Choncho Chilamulo cha Mulungu chinkakumbutsa anthu ake kuti anali ochimwa. Ndipotu tonsefe timabadwa ochimwa. (Salimo 51:5) Timafunika kukhululukidwa machimo komanso kuwomboledwa kuti tiyandikire Mulungu wathu woyera.

11, 12. (a) Kodi Chilamulo chinkalimbikitsa mfundo yofunika kwambiri iti ya chilungamo? (b) Kodi m’Chilamulo munali mfundo ziti zothandiza kuti anthu osalakwa asamapatsidwe chilango?

¹¹ Chilamulo chinkasonyeza kuti Yehova ndi wachilungamo. Chilamulo cha Mose chinkalimbikitsa mfundo yoti milandu iziweruzidwa mwachilungamo. Choncho m’Chilamulochi munali lamulo lakuti: “Moyo kulipira moyo, diso kulipira diso, dzino kulipira  dzino, dzanja kulipira dzanja, phazi kulipira phazi.” (Deuteronomo 19:21) Ngati munthu waphwanya malamulo, chilango chake chinkayenera kukhala chofanana ndi mlandu umene wapalamulawo. Mbali imeneyi ya chilungamo cha Mulungu inkakhudza mfundo zonse za m’Chilamulocho ndipo monga mmene tionere m’Mutu 14, mpaka pano mbaliyi imatithandiza kwambiri kuti timvetse zokhudza nsembe ya dipo ya Khristu Yesu.​—1 Timoteyo 2:5, 6.

¹² M’Chilamulo munalinso mfundo zothandiza kuti anthu osalakwa asamapatsidwe chilango. Mwachitsanzo, pankafunika mboni zosachepera ziwiri kuti munthu amene amusumira mlandu apatsidwe chilango. Mboni yabodza inkapatsidwa chilango chokhwima. (Deuteronomo 19:15, 18, 19) Katangale ndi ziphuphu zinali zosaloleka ngakhale pang’ono. (Ekisodo 23:8; Deuteronomo 27:25) Ngakhalenso pochita zamalonda, anthu a Mulungu ankafunika kutsatira mfundo za Yehova zokhudza chilungamo. (Levitiko 19:35, 36; Deuteronomo 23:19, 20) Kunena zoona, Chilamulo chinali chabwino komanso chothandiza kwambiri kwa Aisiraeli.

13, 14. Kodi Chilamulo chinkathandiza bwanji kuti wakuba ndi oberedwa azichitiridwa zinthu mwachilungamo?

¹³ Kodi Chilamulo cha Mose chinali ndi malamulo okhwima omwe ankachititsa anthu kuti asamasonyeze chifundo? Ayi. Mfumu Davide anauziridwa kulemba kuti: “Chilamulo cha Yehova ndi changwiro.” (Salimo 19:7) Iye ankadziwa bwino kuti Chilamulo chinkalimbikitsa anthu kukhala achifundo komanso achilungamo. N’chifukwa chiyani tikutero?

¹⁴ Malamulo a m’mayiko ena masiku ano amakomera kwambiri anthu olakwa kusiyana ndi amene alakwiridwa. Mwachitsanzo, akuba angakhale kundende kwa nthawi ndithu. Anthu amene anaberedwawo angakhale kuti sanabwezeredwe katundu wawo, komabe amayenera kupereka ndalama zamsonkho zimene boma limagwiritsa ntchito kupeza malo okhala komanso chakudya cha akubawo. Ku Isiraeli kunalibe ndende ngati mmene zilili masiku ano. Ndiponso akamapereka chilango sankafunika kupitirira malire. (Deuteronomo 25:1-3) Mbava inkafunika kubweza kwa mwiniwake katundu amene inaba. Ndiponso mbavayo inkapereka  katundu wina kuwonjezera pa zimene inabazo. Kodi ankakhala wochuluka bwanji? Zinkangotengera mlandu wake. Zikuoneka kuti oweruza ankaganizira mfundo zosiyanasiyana. Mwachitsanzo, ankaganizira ngati wolakwayo walapa. N’chifukwa chake zinthu zimene mbava inkafunika kubweza mogwirizana ndi lemba la Levitiko 6:1-7 n’zochepa kwambiri kusiyana ndi zimene zinatchulidwa pa Ekisodo 22:7.

15. Kodi m’Chilamulo munali malamulo ati omwe ankathandiza kuti munthu wopha mnzake mwangozi achitiridwe chifundo komanso chilungamo?

¹⁵ Chilamulo chinkasonyeza kuti si machimo onse amene amachitidwa mwadala ndipo umenewu ndi umboni wakuti Yehova ndi wachifundo. Mwachitsanzo, munthu akapha mnzake mwangozi n’kuthawira ku umodzi wa mizinda yothawirako imene inali ku Isiraeli, sankafunika kupatsidwa chilango cha moyo kulipira moyo. Oweruza oyenerera akaweruza nkhani yake, iye ankakhalabe mumzindawo mpaka mkulu wa ansembe atamwalira. Zikatero ankatha kukakhala kulikonse kumene akufuna. Apatu chifundo cha Mulungu chinkamuthandiza kwambiri. Koma lamuloli linkasonyezanso kuti moyo wa munthu ndi wamtengo wapatali.​—Numeri 15:30, 31; 35:12-25.

16. Kodi Chilamulo chinkateteza bwanji ufulu wa anthu?

¹⁶ Chilamulo chinkateteza ufulu wa munthu. Taonani mmene chinkatetezera anthu amene anali ndi ngongole. Chilamulo chinkaletsa wokongoza kulowa m’nyumba ya wangongole n’kukatenga katundu monga chikole. M’malomwake, wokongozayo ankafunika kuima panja n’kuyembekezera wokongolayo kuti abweretsa chikolecho. Choncho munthu sankakhala ndi ufulu wolowa m’nyumba mwa mnzake n’kukasokoneza. Ngati wokongoza watenga chovala chakunja cha wangongole ngati chikole, ankafunika kubweza chovalacho dzuwa likamalowa chifukwa mwiniwakeyo ankachifuna kuti afunde usiku.​—Deuteronomo 24:10-14.

17, 18. Pa nkhani zokhudza nkhondo, kodi Aisiraeli ankasiyana bwanji ndi anthu amitundu ina, nanga n’chifukwa chiyani?

¹⁷ M’Chilamulo munalinso malamulo okhudza nkhondo. Anthu a Mulungu sankafunika kumenya nkhondo pofuna kungopeza mphamvu zolamulira kapena kugonjetsa ena, koma ankamenya “Nkhondo za Yehova.” (Numeri 21:14) Nthawi zambiri, Aisiraeli  ankapatsa kaye mwayi anthuwo kuti angovomereza kugonja. Anthuwo akakana zimenezi m’pamene Aisiraeli ankamanga msasa kuzungulira mzinda wa anthuwo, koma mogwirizana ndi malamulo a Mulungu. Komanso mosiyana ndi zimene asilikali ambiri amachita, Aisiraeli sankaloledwa kuti azigwiririra akazi kapena kupha anthu mwachisawawa. Ankafunikanso kumasamala zachilengedwe moti sankayenera kugwetsa mitengo ya zipatso ya adani awo. d Asilikali amitundu ina sankaletsedwa kuchita zinthu ngati zimenezi.​—Deuteronomo 20:10-15, 19, 20; 21:10-13.

¹⁸ Kodi mumakhumudwa mukamva kuti m’mayiko ena ana aang’ono amawaphunzitsa usilikali? Ku Isiraeli, munthu wosakwanitsa zaka 20 sankaloledwa kukhala msilikali. (Numeri 1:2, 3) Komanso ngati munthu akuchita mantha kwambiri, sankafunika kupita kunkhondo ngakhale kuti ali ndi zaka zoposa 20. Mwamuna yemwe wangokwatira kumene ankatha chaka asanapite kunkhondo kuti aone mwana wake woyamba akubadwa, asanayambe ntchito yoika moyo pachisweyi. Chilamulo chinafotokoza kuti zimenezi zinkachititsa kuti mwamuna wachinyamatayo “asangalatse mkazi wake.”​—Deuteronomo 20:5, 6, 8; 24:5.

19. Kodi Chilamulo chinkateteza bwanji akazi, ana, mabanja, akazi amasiye komanso ana amasiye?

¹⁹ Chilamulo chinkatetezanso akazi, ana ndi mabanja ndipo Aisiraeli ankafunika kuonetsetsa kuti anthuwa ali ndi zofunikira. Chinkalamula makolo kuti nthawi zonse azisamalira ana awo ndiponso kuwaphunzitsa zokhudza Yehova. (Deuteronomo 6:6, 7) Chinkaletsa kugonana ndi wachibale aliyense ndipo wochita zimenezi ankayenera kuphedwa. (Levitiko, chaputala 18) Chinkaletsanso kuchita chigololo, chomwe nthawi zambiri chimawononga mabanja komanso kubweretsa mavuto ambiri. M’Chilamulo munalinso malamulo othandiza kuti akazi amasiye ndi ana amasiye azipeza zofunikira, ndipo chinkaletsa mwamphamvu kuwachitira nkhanza.​—Ekisodo 20:14; 22:22-24.

20, 21. (a) N’chifukwa chiyani Chilamulo cha Mose chinkalola Aisiraeli kukwatira mitala? (b) N’chifukwa chiyani pa nthawi ina Yehova ankalola kuti anthu azithetsa banja?

 ²⁰ Komabe ena angadabwe kuti, ‘N’chifukwa chiyani Chilamulo chinkaloleza mitala?’ (Deuteronomo 21:15-17) Tingamvetse zimenezi ngati titakumbukira mfundo yoti chikhalidwe cha Aisiraeli komanso zimene ankachita ndi zosiyana kwambiri ndi ife masiku ano. (Miyambo 18:13) Pamene Yehova analenga Adamu ndi Hava, anasonyeza momveka bwino kuti mwamuna ayenera kukhala ndi mkazi mmodzi ndipo awiriwo ayenera kukhala limodzi mpaka kalekale. (Genesis 2:18, 20-24) Koma pa nthawi imene Yehova ankapereka Chilamulo kwa Aisiraeli, zinthu ngati mitala zinali zitakhazikika kwa zaka zambiri. Yehova anadziwa kuti nthawi zambiri anthu ake omwe anali “okanika” azidzalephera kumvera ngakhale malamulo ofunika kwambiri, ngati oletsa kulambira mafano. (Ekisodo 32:9) Choncho anaona kuti imeneyi sinali nthawi yabwino yoti akonze zinthu zolakwika pa nkhani ya banja. Musaiwale kuti Yehova si amene anayambitsa mitala. Koma anapereka malamulo omwe ankateteza akazi kuti asamachitiridwe nkhanza m’mabanja amitala.

²¹ Mofanana ndi zimenezi, Chilamulo cha Mose chinkalola mwamuna kuthetsa banja lake pa zifukwa zina zikuluzikulu. (Deuteronomo 24:1-4) Yesu anati Mulungu analola Ayuda kumachita zimenezi ‘chifukwa cha kuuma mtima kwawo.’ Komabe analola zimenezo kwa nthawi yochepa yokha. Patapita nthawi, Yesu anaphunzitsa otsatira ake kuti azitsatira zimene Yehova anakonza poyamba zokhudza banja.​—Mateyu 19:8.

22. Kodi Chilamulo cha Mose chinkaphunzitsa Aisiraeli kuti azisonyeza chikondi m’njira ziti ndiponso kwa ndani?

²² Masiku ano palibe dziko limene lingapange malamulo othandiza nzika zake kuti zizikondana. Chilamulo cha Mose chinkaphunzitsa anthu kuti azikondana. Moti m’buku la Deuteronomo lokha, mawu amene amanena za “chikondi” amapezeka maulendo oposa 20. Lamulo lachiwiri pa malamulo akuluakulu m’Chilamulo linali lakuti: “Uzikonda mnzako mmene umadzikondera wekha.”  (Levitiko 19:18; Mateyu 22:37-40) Anthu a Mulungu ankafunika kusonyeza chikondi choterechi kwa Aisiraeli anzawo komanso alendo amene ankakhala nawo, pokumbukira kuti nawonso pa nthawi ina anali alendo m’dziko lina. Ankafunika kumakonda anthu osauka ndiponso ovutika powathandiza kupeza zofunika komanso osamawachitira nkhanza. Anauzidwanso kuti azikomera mtima ndiponso kuganizira nyama zimene ankazigwiritsa ntchito.​—Ekisodo 23:6; Levitiko 19:14, 33, 34; Deuteronomo 22:4, 10; 24:17, 18.

23. Kodi amene analemba Salimo 119 ananena kuti chiyani, nanga ifeyo tingatsimikize mtima kuchita chiyani?

²³ Palibenso mtundu wina wa anthu umene unakhalapo ndi malamulo oterewa. M’pake kuti wolemba masalimo wina anati: “Ndimakonda kwambiri chilamulo chanu!” Komatu sikuti ankangoona kuti amakonda malamulo a Mulungu. Chifukwa chokonda malamulowo, ankayesetsa kuwatsatira. Iye ananenanso kuti: “Ndimaganizira mozama chilamulocho tsiku lonse.” (Salimo 119:11, 97) Nthawi zonse wolemba masalimoyu ankaphunzira malamulo a Yehova. N’zosachita kufunsa kuti akamachita zimenezi ankawakondanso kwambiri. Zimenezi zinkachititsanso kuti azikonda kwambiri Yehova, yemwe anapereka malamulowo. Inunso mukamapitiriza kuphunzira malamulo a Mulungu, Yehova yemwe ndi wachilungamo komanso Wopereka Malamulo Wamkulu, adzakhala mnzanu wapamtima.