IBhayibheli futhi libizwa ngokuthi iTestamente Elidala neTestamente Elisha. Niyazi ukuthi “itestamente” kuchaza ukuthini? “Itestamente” eTestamenteni Elidala livela esivumelwaneni sikaJehova kanye nabantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngesikhathi ebulala abantu baseGibhithe futhi wasindisa abakwa-Israyeli kuFaro. Impela, ubufakazi balesi sivumelwano kwabe kuyigazi le wundlu elalibhecwe eminyango, uNkulunkulu amisa ngalo isivumelwano nomuntu, lapho okwathiwa bonke labo ababenegazi lewundlu emakhothameni nasezinsikeni zomnyango kwabe kungama-Israyeli, babengabantu baNkulunkulu abakhethiweyo, futhi bonke babeyosindiswa nguJehova (ngoba uJehova ngaleso sikhathi wayesezobulala wonke amadodana angamazibulo eGibhithe kanye namazibulo ezimvu nezinkomo) Lesi sivumelwano sinamazinga amabili encazelo. Abekho abantu noma imfuyo yaseGibhithe eyabe izosindiswa nguJehova; Yena wayezobulala wonke amadodana abo angamazibulo kanye namazibulo ezimvu nezinkomo. Ngakho, ezincwadini eziningi zeziphrofetho kwabikezelwa ukuthi abaseGibhithe babeyojeziswa kanzima ngenxa yesivumelwano sikaJehova. Lokhu yizinga lokuqala lencazelo yesivumelwano. UJehova wabulala amadodana angamazibulo aseGibhithe kanye namazibulo ayo yonke imfuyo, futhi wasindisa bonke abakwa-Israyeli, okwakuchaza ukuthi bonke labo basezweni lakwa-Israyeli wayebazisa kakhulu uJehova, futhi babezosindiswa; Yena wayefisa ukwenza umsebenzi wesikhathi eside kubo, futhi wamisa isivumelwano nabo ngokusebenzisa igazi lewundlu. Kusukela lapho kuqhubeka, uJehova wayengeke ababulale abakwa-Israyeli, futhi wathi babeyohlala bengabakhethiweyo bakhe ingunaphakade. Wayeyoqala umsebenzi Wakhe eNkathini Yomthetho iyonke phakathi kwezizwe eziyi-12 zakwa-Israyeli. Wayezokwembula yonke imithetho Yakhe kuma-Israyeli, futhi akhethe phakathi kwabo abaphrofethi kanye namajaji, futhi babeyoba maphakathi komsebenzi Wakhe. UJehova wenza isivumelwano nabo: Ngaphandle uma inkathi yayishintsha, wayeyosebenza phakathi kwabakhethiweyo kuphela. Isivumelwano sikaJehova sasingenakuguqulwa, ngoba senziwa ngegazi futhi samiswa nabantu Bakhe abakhethiweyo. Okubaluleke kakhulu, Yena wayekhethe isilinganiso nabantu abafanelekile ayezosebenza kubo inkathi iyonke, ngakho abantu basibona isivumelwano njengesibaluleke kakhulu. Lokhu izinga lesibili lencazelo. Ngaphandle kwekaGenesise, eyayingaphambi kokumiswa kwesivumelwano, zonke ezinye izincwadi eTestamenteni Elidala zikhuluma ngomsebenzi kaNkulunkulu phakathi kwama-Israyeli emuva kokumiswa kwesivumelwano. Impela, ngezinye izikhathi kukhona izindaba ngabeZizwe, kodwa jikelele, iTestamente Elidala likhuluma ngomsebenzi kaNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli. Ngenxa yesivumelwano sikaJehova nabakwa-Israyeli, izincwadi ezibhalwe ngeNkathi Yomthetho zibizwa “ngeTestamente Elidala.” Zibizwa ngesivumelwano sikaJehova nabakwa-Israyeli.

ITestamente Elisha libizwa ngegazi likaJesu elachitheka esiphambanweni kanye nesivumelwano Sakhe nabo bonke abakholwa Kuye. Isivumelwano sikaJesu kwabe kuyilesi: Abantu babedinga ukukholwa kuye nje ukuze izono zabo zithethelelwe ngegazi Lakhe elalichithekile, ngaleyo ndlela babeyosindiswa, futhi bazalwe kabusha Ngaye, futhi babengeke besaqhubeka ukuba yizoni. Abantu babedinga ukuthi bakholwe Kuyena ukuze bathole umusa Wakhe, futhi babengeke bahlupheke esihogweni emuva kokufa. Zonke izincwadi ezabhalwa ngeNkathi Yomusa zaba khona emuva kwalesi sivumelwane, futhi zonke zikhuluma ngomsebenzi namazwi akuso. Lezi zincwadi azidluli ekusindiseni kwesiphambano seNkosi uJesu noma isivumelwano; zonke ziyizincwadi ezabhalwa bangafowethu eNkosini ebabedlule kokuthile. Ngakho, nalezi zincwadi zibizwa ngesivumelwano: Zibizwa ngokuthi ITestamente Elisha. La matestamente amabili aphethe kuphela iNkathi Yomusa kanye neNkathi Yomthetho, futhi awaxhumene nenkathi yokugcina. Ngakho, iBhayibheli alilona olutheni kubantu banamuhla ezinsukwini zokugcina. Okuningi elingakwenza ukusiza ukubuyekeza noma ukuhlola okwesikhashana, kodwa kancane empeleni. Kepha abantu benkolo balazisa kakhulu. Abalazi iBhayibheli; bazi ukulichaza kuphela iBhayibheli, futhi ngokuyisisekelo abawazi umsuka walo. Isimo sabo sengqondo ngeBhayibheli yilesi: Yonke into eBhayibhelini ilungile, alinawo amaphutha noma ukuphambeka. Ngoba baqale banquma ukuthi iBhayibheli lilungile, futhi alinaphutha, balifunda futhi balihlole ngenkulu intshisekelo. Isigaba somsebenzi wanamuhla asizange sibikezelwe eBhayibhelini. Akukho lapho kukhulunywe ngomsebenzi wokunqoba endaweni embi kunazo zonke, ngoba umsebenzi wakamuva lona. Ngenxa yokuthi inkathi yomsebenzi ihlukile, ngisho uJesu uqobo Lwakhe wayengazi ukuthi lesi sigaba somsebenzi sasizokwenziwa ngezinsuku zokugcina—ngakho abantu basezinsukwini zokugcina babezohlola kanjani ukuze bazi ngalesi sigaba somsebenzi eBhayibhelini?

Iningi lalabo abachaza iBhayibheli basebenzisa ukuhlanganisa ingqondo, futhi abanaso isendlalelo soqobo salokho. Bamane basebenzise ukucabanga okuqondisayo kwengqondo ukuze bazi izinto eziningi. Unyaka nonyaka akekho oke walokotha wahlaziya iBhayibheli, noma wathi “cha” eBhayibhelini, ngoba le ncwadi iyincwadi engcwele, futhi abantu bayayikhonza njengoNkulunkulu. Lokhu sekuqhubeke iminyaka eyizinkulungwane eziningi. UNkulunkulu ukushaye indiva lokho, futhi akekho osethole ulwazi olunzulu ngeBhayibheli. Sithi, ukuthatha iBhayibheli njengento eyigugu, wukukhonza izithixo, kepha awekho amakholwa azinikele alokothayo akubone lokhu, futhi bazothi kuwe: “Mfowethu! Ungakusho lokho, kubi kakhulu! Ungamthuka kanjani uNkulunkulu?” Okulandelayo bazobukeka bedabukile: “Jesu onomusa, Nkosi yensindiso, ngiyakuncenga ukuthi uthethelele izono zakhe, ngoba Wena uyiNkosi emthandayo umuntu, futhi sonke sonile, sicela usikhombise isihe esikhulu, amen.” “Balunge” kanjena-ke. kungalula kanjani kubona ukwamukela iqiniso? Ukusho kwakho kanjalo kungabathusa kakhulu. Akekho owayengalokotha acabange ukuthi iBhayibheli lingabe lingcoliswe ngamacebo abantu nemibono yabantu, futhi akekho olibonayo leli phutha. Okunye okuseBhayibhelini yilokho abantu abadlule kukho kanye nolwazi lwabantu, okunye kungukukhanyiselwa nguMoya oNgcwele, futhi kukhona nokungcolisa kwengqondo nomcabango womuntu. UNkulunkulu akakaze aphazame kulezi zinto, kodwa kunomngcele: Lezi zinto azikwazi ukudlula ukucabanga komuntu ojwayelekile, futhi uma bekwenza lokho, bayagxambukela futhi baphazamisa umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu. Lokho okudlula ukucabanga kwabantu abajwayelekile ngumsebenzi kaSathane, ngoba kuphuca abantu umsebenzi wabo, kungumsebenzi kaSathane, futhi kuqondiswa nguSathane, futhi kulo mzuzu uMoya oNgcwele ngeke akuvumele ukuthi wenze ngale ndlela. Kwesinye isikhathi abanye abazalwane bayabuza ukuthi: “Kulungile yini ukuthi ngisebenze ngale ndlela?” Ngibuka izinga labo bese ngithi: “Kulungile!” Kukhona futhi abanye abantu abathi: “Uma ngisebenza ngale ndlela nale ndlela, isimo sami silungile yini?” Futhi ngithi, “Yebo! Kujwayelekile, kujwayeleke kakhulu!” Abanye bathi: “Kulungile yini ukuthi ngisebenze ngale ndlela?” Bese Ngithi: “Cha!” Bathi bona: “Kungani kulungile kuye, kodwa hhayi kimina?” Futhi Ngithi: “Ngenxa yokuthi lokhu okwenzayo kuvela kuSathane, kuyaphazamisa, kanti nomsuka wokukhuthazeka kwakho uphambukile.” Kukhona izikhathi lapho umsebenzi ungahambanga wafika kude ngokwanelisayo, futhi abazalwane bengazi. Abanye bayangibuza ukuthi kulungile yini ukusebenza ngaleyo ndlela, futhi uma ngibona ukuthi izenzo zabo ngeke ziphazamise umsebenzi wangesikhathi esizayo, ngithi lokho kulungile. Umsebenzi kaMoya oNgcwele unika abantu isilinganiso; abantu abadingi balandele izifiso zikaMoya oNgcwele ngqo, ngoba abantu banokucabanga nobuthakathaka obujwayelekile, futhi banezidingo zenyama, banezinkinga zangempela, futhi ezingqondweni zabo kunemicabango abangenakuyilawula empeleni. Yonke into engiyifuna kubantu inomngcele. Abanye bakholwa ukuthi amazwi ami ayadida, ukuthi ngibatshela ukuthi benze noma ikanjani—yingoba awuqondi ukuthi kunesilinganiso esifanele emibandeleni Yami. Uma bekunjengoba ucabanga—uma bengifuna izinto ezifanayo kubo bonke ngaphandle kokukhetha, futhi bengibafuna ukuthi bafike ezingeni elifanayo—lokhu bekungeke kulunge. Lokhu ukufuna into engeke yenzeka, futhi isimiso somsebenzi wabantu, hhayi isimiso somsebenzi kaNkulunkulu. Umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wenziwa ngokuhambisana nezimo zabantu zangokoqobo, futhi uhambisana nezinga labantu lokuzalwa. Lesi futhi isimiso sokusabalalisa ivangeli: Kufanele uqhubeke kancane, uvumela ukuthi imvelo ithathe indawo; umuntu uyoqonda kuphela uma ukhuluma iqiniso ngokucacile. Yilapho kuphela beyoqonda khona, futhi yilapho kuphela beyokwazi ukubeka iBhayibheli eceleni. Uma uNkulunkulu ubengasenzi lesi sigaba somsebenzi, ubani obengakwazi ukuthi ayeke amasiko? Ubani obezokwazi ukwenza umsebenzi omusha? Ubani obezothola indlela entsha ngaphandle kweBhayibheli? Ngenxa yokuthi imibono yamasiko kanye nezimiso zasendulo ziphambene kakhulu, abanalo ikhono lokulahla lezi zinto ngokwabo, noma abanaso isibindi sokukwenza. Ingasaphathwa eyokuthi abantu banamhlanje babanjwe ngamagama afile ambalwa eBhayibhelini, amazwi asakhele ezinhliziyweni zabo. Bangavuma kanjani ukulahla iBhayibheli? Bangayemukela kanjani kalula indlela engaphandle kweBhayibheli? Lokho kunjalo ngaphandle uma ukwazi ukukhuluma kucace ngendaba yangaphakathi yeBhayibheli kanye nezimiso zomsebenzi woMoya oNgcwele, ukuze bonke abantu bagculiseke ngokuphelele—okuyisidingo esikhulu. Yingoba bonke abantu abasenkolweni bayalihlonipha iBhayibheli, futhi bayalikhonza njengoNkulunkulu, futhi bazama ukuphoqelela uNkulunkulu ngaphakathi kweBhayibheli, futhi kuyenzeka ngisho ukuthi bafeza izinhloso zabo lapho sebembethele okwesibili uNkulunkulu esiphambanweni.