ZIINDABA EZIMNANDI EZI! UMdali wethu uthembisa ukusenza siphile ubomi obungenasiphelo, apha emhlabeni. Kodwa kunzima ukuyikholelwa le nto kubantu abaninzi. Badla ngokuthi: ‘Wonke umntu ekugqibeleni uza kusweleka. Bunjalo ubomi, abanye bayasweleka, abanye bayazalwa.’ Abanye bona bathi ungaphila ubomi obungenasiphelo, kodwa hayi apha emhlabeni. Bathi ungakwazi kuphela emva kokuba uswelekile waza wanyukela ezulwini. Uthini wena?

Ngaphambi kokuba uphendule, kutheni ungakhe uve iimpendulo zeBhayibhile zale mibuzo mithathu: Indlela umntu enziwe ngayo ibonisa ukuba wayedalelwe ukuba aphile ixesha elingakanani? Yayiyintoni injongo kaThixo xa wayedala umhlaba nabantu? Kwenzeka njani ukuba abantu bafe?

Kuzo zonke izinto eziphilayo ezidalwe nguThixo apha emhlabeni, umntu udalwe ngeyona ndlela yahlukileyo. Njani? IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba ngabantu kuphela abadalwe “ngokomfanekiso” kaThixo. (Genesis 1:26, 27) Ithetha ukuthini loo nto? Ithetha ukuba abantu bafuze uThixo ngeempawu zabo, bayakwazi ukuthanda nokugweba ngendlela elungileyo.

Ukongezelela koko abantu bayakwazi ukucinga, ukuyibona into elungileyo nento embi, nokufuna ukusondela kuThixo. Yiloo nto kusiba mnandi xa sibona ubukhulu bendalo, nezinto ezimangalisayo ezinjengobugcisa, umculo nemibongo. Eyona nto ibaluleke ngaphezu kwazo zonke kukuba ngabantu bodwa abakwazi ukunqula uMdali. Ezi mpawu zenza abantu bahluke kakhulu kwezinye izinto eziphilayo emhlabeni.

Nanku ke umbuzo: Ngaba uThixo ngewayenike abantu ezi mpawu zintle kangaka, waphinda wabanika namandla okuziphucula, ukuba wayefuna baphile iminyaka embalwa? Inyaniso kukuba uThixo wanika abantu ezi mpawu nobuchule obahlukileyo ukuze baphile kamnandi apha emhlabeni, bengafi.

Abanye abantu bathi uThixo zange wanenjongo yokuba abantu baphile bengafi apha emhlabeni. Bathi umhlaba yindawo nje ekudlulwayo kuyo, kujongwe ukuba ngoobani abafanelekayo ukuya kuphila ngonaphakade noThixo ezulwini. Kodwa  ukuba ibiyinyani loo nto, ngaba ibingayi kuthetha ukuba uThixo ungunobangela wezinto ezimbi ezenzeka emhlabeni? Kaloku loo nto ayifani tu noThixo. IBhayibhile ithi xa imchaza: “Zonke iindlela zakhe zisesikweni. NguThixo wentembeko, tu ubugqwetha; lilungisa yaye uthe tye yena.”—Duteronomi 32:4.

IBhayibhile isixelela eyona njongo uThixo awayenayo kwasekuqaleni ngomhlaba ngala mazwi: “Wona ke amazulu, ngamazulu kaYehova, kodwa umhlaba uwunike oonyana babantu.” (INdumiso 115:16) Nyhani ke uThixo wenza umhlaba ukuba ube likhaya lethu elihle likanaphakade, wanazo zonke izinto esizidingayo ukuze siphile kamnandi, kwaye singafi.—Genesis 2:8, 9.

“Wona ke amazulu, ngamazulu kaYehova, kodwa umhlaba uwunike oonyana babantu.”—INdumiso 115:16

Icacile eBhayibhileni eyona njongo uThixo anayo ngabantu. Wayalela abantu bokuqala ukuba ‘bawuzalise umhlaba baze bawoyise, babe nobukhosi kuzo zonke izidalwa eziphilayo ezinambuzelayo emhlabeni.’ (Genesis 1:28) Kwakuyinyhweba nyhani kubo ukuhoya eli khaya labo nokwenza umhlaba wonke ube yiParadesi! Nyhani ke, elona themba wayenalo uAdam noEva nenzala yabo yayikukuphila bangafi apha emhlabeni, hayi ezulwini.

Kutheni ke sisifa? IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba enye yeengelosi zikaThixo, eyathi kamva yabizwa ngokuba nguSathana uMtyholi, yazama ukumosha imisebenzi kaThixo e-Eden. Njani?

USathana wahenda abazali bethu bokuqala, uAdam noEva, ukuba bavukele uThixo kunye naye. Xa uSathana wathi uThixo wayebavimba ilungelo lokuzikhethela phakathi kokulungileyo nokubi, bamkholelwa baza bamshiya uThixo. Waba yintoni umphumo? Emva kwexesha baye bafa, kanye njengokuba uThixo wayetshilo. Babengasenalo ithemba lokuphila bangafi apha emhlabeni.—Genesis 2:17; 3:1-6; 5:5.

Ukungathobeli kuka-Adam noEva kusenefuthe nangoku kubo bonke abantu. ILizwi LikaThixo lithi: “Isono sangena ngamntu mnye [uAdam] ehlabathini nokufa ngaso isono, ngaloo ndlela ukufa kwasasazeka kubo bonke abantu.” (Roma 5:12) Sifa kuba sosulelwa ngesono ngabazali bethu bokuqala, hayi kuba uThixo ‘eneplani’ ayazi yedwa nesingenakuyiqonda thina.

Imvukelo yase-Eden ayizange iyinqande injongo uThixo awayenayo ngabantu nomhlaba. Uthando olugqibeleleyo nokukwazi kukaThixo ukugweba kakuhle zabangela ukuba eze nendlela yokusikhulula kwisono nokufa. Umpostile uPawulos wacacisa wathi: “Umvuzo isono esiwuhlawulayo kukufa, kodwa isipho uThixo asinikayo bubomi obungunaphakade ngoKristu Yesu iNkosi yethu.” (Roma 6:23) Ngothando, uThixo “wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo [uYesu Kristu], ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo kuye angatshabalali kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.” (Yohane 3:16) Ngokuvuma kwakhe ukufela izono zethu, uYesu wabuyisa yonke into eyayilahlekile ngenxa ka-Adam. a

Kungekudala isithembiso sikaThixo somhlaba oyiparadesi siza kuzaliseka. Nawe ungalapho ukuba umamela amazwi kaYesu athi: “Ngenani ngesango elimxinwa; ngokuba ibanzi kwaye iphangalele indlela esa entshabalalweni, yaye baninzi abangena ngayo; kanti limxinwa isango kwaye imxinwa indlela esa ebomini, yaye bambalwa abayifumanayo.” (Mateyu 7:13, 14) Yonke le nto ixhomekeke kuwe. Uza kwenza ntoni ke?