1, 2. Kungani abanye bewathanda amakhiwane?

INGABE uyakujabulela ukudla amakhiwane, asanda kukhiwa noma omisiwe? Abaningi bayakujabulela, yingakho amakhiwane etshalwa kabanzi. AmaJuda asendulo ayewazisa amakhiwane. (Nah. 3:12; Luka 13:6-9) Amakhiwane ane-fiber, anezinhlayiya ezilwa nezinto ezilimaza amangqamuzana emzimbeni kanye namaminerali; yingakho abanye bethi asiza inhliziyo.

² UJehova wake wahlobanisa amakhiwane nenhliziyo. Wayengakhulumi ngezinzuzo ezingokwempilo zokudla amakhiwane. Wayekhuluma ngendlela engokomfanekiso. Lokho akusho ngomprofethi uJeremiya kuyayithinta inhliziyo yakho nezinhliziyo zabathandekayo bakho. Njengoba sicabangela lokho akusho, zindla ngokuthi lokhu kungasho ukuthini ngamaKristu.

3. Ayemelelani amakhiwane okukhulunywa ngawo esahlukweni 24 sencwadi kaJeremiya?

³ Okokuqala, ake sicabangele okuthile uNkulunkulu akusho ngamakhiwane ngosuku lukaJeremiya. Ngo-617 B.C.E., isimo esingokomoya sesizwe sakwaJuda sasisibi. UNkulunkulu wanikeza umbono ochaza ngekusasa, efanekisa ngezinhlobo ezimbili zamakhiwane—“ayemahle kakhulu” ‘nayemabi kakhulu.’ (Funda uJeremiya 24:1-3.) Amakhiwane amabi ayemelela iNkosi uZedekiya kanye nabanye abafana nayo ababeyophathwa kabi iNkosi uNebukhadinezari namabutho ayo. Kodwa kuthiwani ngoHezekeli, uDaniyeli nabangane bakhe abathathu abase bethunjelwe eBhabhiloni kakade, kanye namanye amaJuda ayesezothunjelwa khona? Babefana namakhiwane amahle. Insali yabo yayizobuyela emuva iyokwakha kabusha iJerusalema nethempeli lalo. Lokho kwenzeka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.—Jer. 24:8-10; 25:11, 12; 29:10.

4. Isiphi isikhuthazo esingasithola kulokho uNkulunkulu akusho ngamakhiwane amahle?

⁴ Nakhu uJehova akusho ngalabo ababemelelwa amakhiwane amahle: “Ngiyobanika inhliziyo yokungazi mina, ukuthi nginguJehova; bayoba ngabantu bami.”  (Jer. 24:7) Isihloko sethu sisekelwe kulo mBhalo futhi yeka indlela oyisikhuthazo ngayo! UNkulunkulu ukulungele ukunikeza abantu ngabanye ‘inhliziyo yokumazi.’ Kule ndaba, “inhliziyo” ihlobene nesimo sengqondo somuntu. Ngokuqinisekile, uyafuna ukuba nenhliziyo enjalo nokuba yingxenye yabantu baKhe. Izinyathelo ezingakusiza ufinyelele lokho zihlanganisa ukutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu nokukusebenzisa elikushoyo, ukuphenduka nokuguquka, ukunikezela ukuphila kwakho kuye nokubhapathizwa egameni likaYise, leNdodana nelomoya ongcwele. (Math. 28:19, 20; IzE. 3:19) Kungenzeka usuzithathile lezi zinyathelo noma mhlawumbe uhlanganyela njalo noFakazi BakaJehova futhi usuqalile ukuzithatha.

5. UJeremiya waloba ngenhliziyo yobani ngokukhethekile?

⁵ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sisathathe ezinye zalezo zinyathelo noma sesizithathe zonke, kusadingeka ukuba sinake isimo sethu sengqondo nokuziphatha kwethu. Isizathu salokho ungasithola kokunye uJeremiya akuloba ngenhliziyo. Ezinye izahluko zencwadi kaJeremiya zikhuluma ngezinye izizwe, kodwa yona ngokuyinhloko yayigxile esizweni sakwaJuda phakathi nokubusa kwamakhosi aso amahlanu. (Jer. 1:15, 16) Yebo, uJeremiya wayebhala ngokukhethekile ngamadoda, abesifazane nezingane ababezinikezele kuJehova. Okhokho babo babekhethe ngokuzithandela ukuba isizwe esinobuhlobo noJehova. (Eks. 19:3-8) Ngosuku lukaJeremiya, abantu bavuma ukuthi babezinikezele kuNkulunkulu. Bathi: “Sizé kuwe, ngoba wena Jehova, unguNkulunkulu wethu.” (Jer. 3:22) Nokho, ucabanga ukuthi sasinjani isimo senhliziyo yabo?

6. Kungani kufanele sibe nesithakazelo ngokukhethekile kulokho uNkulunkulu akusho ngenhliziyo?

⁶ Odokotela banamuhla bangasebenzisa izinto zobuchwepheshe obuphambili ukuze babone isimo senhliziyo nendlela esebenza ngayo. Nokho, uJehova angenza okungaphezu kwalokho, njengoba enza osukwini lukaJeremiya. UNkulunkulu ukwazi kahle ukuyihlola, njengoba sibona emazwini akhe: “Inhliziyo ikhohlisa ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye futhi yenza ngokuphelelwa yithemba. Ubani ongase ayazi? Mina, Jehova, ngiphenya inhliziyo, . . . ukuze nginike yilowo nalowo ngokwezindlela zakhe, ngokwezithelo zezenzo zakhe.” (Jer. 17:9, 10) ‘Ukuphenya inhliziyo’ akuhileli ukuhlola kodokotela inhliziyo engokoqobo, okungenzeka ishaye izikhathi ezingaba izigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu phakathi neminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80. Kunalokho, uJehova wayekhuluma ngenhliziyo engokomfanekiso. Leyo “nhliziyo” ibhekisela kumuntu wangaphakathi, ohlanganisa izifiso, imicabango, isimo sengqondo kanye nemigomo yakhe. Unenhliziyo enjalo. UNkulunkulu angayihlola futhi nawe ngokwezinga elithile ungayihlola.

7. UJeremiya wayichaza kanjani inhliziyo yamaJuda amaningi osuku lwakhe?

⁷ Ukuze silungiselele lokhu kuhlolwa, singase sibuze, ‘Sasinjani isimo senhliziyo engokomfanekiso yamaJuda amaningi ngesikhathi sikaJeremiya?’ Ukuze uphendule, cabanga ngenkulumo engavamile uJeremiya ayisebenzisa: “Yonke indlu ka-Israyeli ayisokile enhliziyweni.” Wayengakhulumi ngokusoka okuvamile kwabesilisa abangamaJuda, ngoba wayethe: “‘Bheka! Kuza izinsuku,’ kusho uJehova, ‘futhi ngiyokwenza ukuba kulandise wonke umuntu osokile kodwa oqhubeka esekungasokini.’” Ngakho ngisho namadoda angamaJuda asokile, ‘ayengasokile enhliziyweni.’ (Jer. 9:25, 26) Kwakusho ukuthini lokhu?

8, 9. Yini amaJuda amaningi okwakudingeka ayenze ngezinhliziyo zawo?

⁸ Sithola inkomba esisiza siqonde ukuthi ‘ukungasoki enhliziyweni’ kusho ukuthini lapho sihlola lokho uNkulunkulu acela amaJuda ukuba akwenze: “[Susani] ijwabu lezinhliziyo zenu, nina bantu bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema; ukuze ukufutheka  kwami kungaphumi . . . ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.” Kodwa wawukuphi umsuka wezenzo zawo ezimbi? Ngaphakathi, ezinhliziyweni zawo. (Funda uMarku 7:20-23.) Yebo, ngoJeremiya, uNkulunkulu wawembula umsuka wezenzo ezimbi zamaJuda. Izinhliziyo zawo zazivukela zingaphenduki. Izinhloso nokucabanga kwawo kwakungamjabulisi uNkulunkulu. (Funda uJeremiya 5:23, 24; 7:24-26.) UNkulunkulu wathi kubo: “Zisokeleni uJehova, nisuse ijwabu lezinhliziyo zenu.”—Jer. 4:4; 18:11, 12.

⁹ Ngakho, amaJuda osuku lukaJeremiya ayedinga ukuhlinzwa kwenhliziyo engokomfanekiso—‘ukusokwa kwenhliziyo’—njengoba kwenza amaJuda angesikhathi sikaMose. (Dut. 10:16; 30:6) ‘Ukususa ijwabu lezinhliziyo zawo’ kwakusho ukususa izinto ezazenza izinhliziyo zawo zingasabeli—ukucabanga, imizwelo noma izisusa zawo ezazingqubuzana noNkulunkulu.—IzE. 7:51.

10. Silingisa uDavide, yini okufanele sifune ukuyenza?

¹⁰ Yeka ukuthi sibonga kangakanani ngokuthi uNkulunkulu usenza siyiqonde inhliziyo engokomfanekiso! Abanye bangase bazibuze: ‘Kodwa kungani oFakazi BakaJehova bezikhathaza ngale ndaba namuhla?’ Akusho ukuthi amaKristu amaningi emabandleni ahamba ebubini noma aba ‘amakhiwane amabi,’ njengamaJuda amaningi asendulo. Ngokuphambene nalokho, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu namuhla zingabantu abazinikele nabahlanzekile. Noma kunjalo, cabanga ngesicelo esenziwa uDavide kuJehova: “O Nkulunkulu ngihlolisise, wazi inhliziyo yami. Ngihlole, wazi imicabango yami engincisha ukuthula, ubone ukuthi ikhona yini indlela ebangela ubuhlungu kimi.”—IHu. 17:3; 139:23, 24.

11, 12. (a) Kungani ngamunye kithi kufanele ahlole inhliziyo yakhe? (b) Yini uNkulunkulu angeke ayenze?

¹¹ UJehova ufuna ukuba sibe nesimo esamukelekayo kuye futhi sisigcine. Ngokuphathelene nolungileyo, uJeremiya wavuma: “Wena, Jehova wamabutho, uhlola olungileyo; ubona izinso nenhliziyo.” (Jer. 20:12) Uma uMninimandla onke ehlola ngisho nenhliziyo yolungileyo, akufanele yini ukuba thina ngokwethu sizihlolisise? (Funda iHubo 11:5.) Njengoba senza kanjalo, singase siphawule ukuthi kunesimo sengqondo, umgomo noma umuzwa ojulile odinga ukulungiswa. Singase siphawule okuthile okwenza inhliziyo yethu ingazweli, ‘okunjengejwabu lenhliziyo yethu,’ esiqaphela ukuthi kumelwe lisuswe. Lokho kuyoba ukuhlinzwa kwenhliziyo okungokomfanekiso. Uma uvuma ukuthi kuyoba kuhle ukuba uhlole inhliziyo yakho engokomfanekiso, yini ongayibheka? Ungalwenza kanjani ushintsho oludingekayo?—Jer. 4:4.

¹² Nakhu esiqiniseka ngakho: Akufanele silindele ukuba uJehova asiphoqe ukuba sishintshe. Ngokuphathelene nalabo ‘abangamakhiwane amahle’ wathi ‘wayeyobanika inhliziyo yokumazi.’ Akazange athi uzobaphoqa ukuba bashintshe inhliziyo. Kwakudingeka bafise ukuba nenhliziyo ezwelayo ebonisa ukuthi bayamazi uNkulunkulu. Akukhona yini lokho nathi esikudingayo?

13, 14. Inhliziyo yomKristu ingamlimaza ngamuphi umqondo?

¹³ UJesu wathi: “Enhliziyweni kuvela imicabango emibi, ukubulala, ukuphinga,  ubufebe, ukweba, ubufakazi obungamanga, ukuhlambalaza.” (Math. 15:19) Ngokucacile, uma inhliziyo yomzalwane engazweli iye yamshukumisela ukuba aphinge noma afebe futhi engakaphenduki, angase alahlekelwe umusa kaNkulunkulu ngokuphelele. Nokho, ngisho nomuntu ongazange enze ububi obunjalo kungenzeka uvumela isifiso esibi ukuba sikhule enhliziyweni yakhe. (Funda uMathewu 5:27, 28.) Yilapha-ke kungaba usizo khona ukuhlola inhliziyo yakho. Uma uhlolisisa inhliziyo yakho, ingabe uyothola ukuthi unomuzwa ongafanele ngomuntu wobulili obuhlukile, izifiso ezifihlekile uNkulunkulu angeke azishalazele okudingeka zisuswe?

¹⁴ Umzalwane ongazange ‘abulale’ muntu angase avumele intukuthelo ikhule enhliziyweni yakhe ize ifike eqophelweni lokuzonda umKristu akanye naye. (Lev. 19:17) Ingabe lo mzalwane uzozama ukuyisusa imizwa enjalo engenza inhliziyo yakhe ingasabeli?—Math. 5:21, 22.

15, 16. (a) Nikeza isibonelo sendlela umKristu angaba ngayo ‘ongasokile enhliziyweni.’ (b) Kungani ucabanga ukuthi ‘inhliziyo engasokile’ ngeke imjabulise uJehova?

¹⁵ Ngokujabulisayo, amaKristu amaningi awanayo ‘inkinga yenhliziyo’ enjalo. Noma kunjalo, uJesu wakhuluma ‘ngemicabango emibi.’ Lena imibono noma izimo zengqondo ezingonakalisa izici eziningi zokuphila kwethu. Ngokwesibonelo, umuntu angase abe nombono ophambene wokwethembeka ezihlotsheni zakhe. Yiqiniso, amaKristu afuna ukuba ‘nothando’ ngezihlobo zawo, angenzi njengabaningi abangenalo uthando olunjalo ‘kulezi zinsuku zokugcina.’ (2 Thim. 3:1, 3) Nokho, kungenzeka ukuba seqise ekuboniseni lolo thando. Abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi izihlobo azilahlani. Ngakho, bangase bavikele noma bathathe uhlangothi lwezihlobo zabo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi kwenzekani futhi bacasuke kakhulu lapho isihlobo siphathwa kabi. Cabanga ngalokho imizwa enjalo enamandla eyabangela ukuba abafowabo bakaDina bakwenze. (Gen. 34:13, 25-30) Cabanga nangalokho okwakusenhliziyweni ka-Absalomu, okwamholela ekubulaleni umfowabo ngamzali munye u-Amnoni. (2 Sam. 13:1-30) Akuyona yini ‘imicabango emibi’ eyabangela lezo zigigaba?

¹⁶ Kuyiqiniso ukuthi amaKristu eqiniso awabulali. Nokho, kungenzeka yini ukuba afukamele imizwa enamandla yokucasukela umzalwane noma udade oye wenza noma washo okuthile okulimazayo ezihlotsheni zawo noma lowo acabanga ukuthi ukwenzile? Angase enqabe izimemo ezivela kulowo muntu akholwa naye anomuzwa wokuthi uphathe kabi omunye wezihlobo zawo, noma angammemi nhlobo. (Heb. 13:1, 2) Imizwa enjalo enamandla yokucasuka nokungabonisi umoya wokungenisa  izihambi kwabanye ibonisa ukuntuleka kothando futhi akufanele ithathwe kancane. Yebo, uMhloli wezinhliziyo angase akubheke njengokuba ‘nenhliziyo engasokile.’ (Jer. 9:25, 26) Khumbula labo uJehova abanxusa: ‘Susani ijwabu lezinhliziyo zenu.’—Jer. 4:4.

17. Ukwesaba uJehova kungasisiza kanjani ukuba sibe nenhliziyo ezwelayo?

¹⁷ Kuthiwani uma uye wayihlola inhliziyo yakho wathola ukuthi ibingasabeli eselulekweni sikaJehova ngendlela okufanele isabele ngayo nokuthi ngokwezinga elithile ‘ayisokile’? Mhlawumbe uye waphawula ukuthi inokwesaba umuntu, isifiso sokuvelela noma sokunethezeka, noma ngisho nokuthambekela ekubeni nenkani noma ukuzibusa. Kuzobe kungaqali ngawe. (Jer. 7:24; 11:8) UJeremiya waloba ukuthi amaJuda angathembekile osuku lwakhe ‘ayenenhliziyo enenkani nedlubulundayo.’ Wanezela: “Asishongo enhliziyweni yaso ukuthi: ‘Manje masimesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, Lowo osinika izihlambi nemvula yasekwindla.’” (Jer. 5:23, 24) Ingabe lokho akusikiseli ukuthi ukuhlakulela ukwesaba okujulile nokwazisa ngoJehova kungasisiza ukuba ‘sisuse ijwabu lenhliziyo’? Ukwesaba okunjalo okunempilo kungasiza omunye nomunye kithi ukuba abe nenhliziyo esabela ngokwengeziwe kulokho uJehova afisa sibe yikho.

18. Isiphi isithembiso uJehova asenza kulabo abasesivumelwaneni esisha?

¹⁸ Singabambisana noJehova njengoba esinikeza ‘inhliziyo yokumazi.’ Empeleni, yilokho athembise ukukwenzela abagcotshiwe esivumelwaneni esisha: “Ngiyofaka umthetho wami ngaphakathi kubo, ngiwulobe nasenhliziyweni yabo. Ngiyoba nguNkulunkulu wabo, bona babe ngabantu bami.” Kuthiwani ngokumazi ngempela? Wanezela: “Ngeke besafundisa yilowo nalowo umngane wakhe nalowo nalowo umfowabo, bethi, ‘Yazini uJehova!’ ngoba bonke bayongazi, kusukela komncane kunabo bonke kuya ngisho nakomkhulu kunabo bonke kubo . . . Ngoba ngizosithethelela isiphambeko sabo, nesono sabo ngeke ngisasikhumbula.”—Jer. 31:31-34. *

19. Iliphi ikusasa elimangalisayo amaKristu eqiniso abheke phambili kulo?

¹⁹ Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ubheke phambili ekuzuzeni kuze kube phakade kuleso sivumelwano esisha ezulwini noma emhlabeni, kufanele ufune ukwazi uJehova futhi ube yingxenye yabantu bakhe. Ukuze uthole lezo zinzuzo kudingeka uthethelelwe izono zakho ngesisekelo sesihlengo sikaKristu. Ukwazi nje ukuthi ungathethelelwa kufanele kukushukumisele ukuba ubathethelele abanye, ngisho nalabo okungenzeka ukuthi ubacasukele kakhulu. Ukuzimisela kwakho ukususa noma yiliphi igqubu enhliziyweni yakho kuyoyizuzisa inhliziyo yakho. Ngaleyo ndlela uyobe ungabonisi kuphela ukuthi ufuna ukukhonza uJehova kodwa nokuthi usuqala ukumazi kangcono. Uyofana nalabo uJehova akhuluma ngabo ngoJeremiya: “Niyongifuna futhi ningithole, ngoba niyongifuna ngayo yonke inhliziyo yenu. Ngiyozenza ngitholakale kini.”—Jer. 29:13, 14.