1, 2. Ngokwahlukileyo kwiicawa zeNgqobhoko, wona amaNgqina kaYehova alijonga njani igama likaThixo?

UBUKHULU becala, iicawa zeNgqobhoko azilisebenzisi igama likaThixo. Ngokomzekelo, iRevised Standard Version ithi kwintshayelelo yayo: “Ukusetyenziswa kwalo naliphi na igama lobuqu lokuphela koThixo . . . akuwafanelanga amaKristu.”

² Kwelinye icala, amaNgqina kaYehova, aneqhayiya ngokuthwala igama likaThixo nokulizukisa. (Funda iNdumiso 86:12; Isaya 43:10.) Ukongezelela koko, sikugqala njengelungelo ukwazi intsingiselo yeli gama nembambano yokungcwaliswa kwalo kwindalo iphela. (Mat. 6:9) Noko ke, elo lilungelo esimele singaze silithabathe lula. Ngoko ke, makhe sixubushe le mibuzo mithathu ibalulekileyo: Kuthetha ukuthini ukwazi igama likaThixo? UYehova uye wenza ntoni ngokuvisisana negama lakhe elikhulu, nebangela ukuba lizukiswe? Thina sinokuhamba njani egameni likaYehova?

3. Kuthetha ntoni ukwazi igama likaThixo?

³ Ukwazi igama likaThixo akupheleli nje ekuqhelaneni negama “uYehova.” Kuquka ukwazi udumo analo, iimpawu zakhe, injongo, nemisebenzi yakhe echazwa yiBhayibhile, njengendlela abaphatha ngayo abakhonzi bakhe. Kakade ke, olu lwazi uYehova usinika ngokuthe ngcembe ngokuvisisana nokuphunyezwa kwenjongo yakhe. (IMize. 4:18) UYehova walityhila igama lakhe kwisibini sokuqala; ngoko uEva walisebenzisa emva kokuzala uKayin. (Gen. 4:1) Oosolusapho abathembekileyo uNowa, uAbraham, uIsake, noYakobi babelazi igama likaThixo. Enye into, baya belixabisa ngakumbi njengoko uYehova wayebasikelela, ebanyamekela, yaye ebatyhilela iinkalo ezithile eziphathelele iinjongo zakhe ngabo. Kamva, uThixo watyhilela noMoses ngendlela ekhethekileyo intsingiselo yegama lakhe.

4. Kwakutheni ukuze uMoses abuze uThixo igama lakhe, ibe kutheni siqondakala nje isizathu sokuba axhalabe?

 ⁴ Funda iEksodus 3:10-15. Xa uMoses wayeneminyaka engama-80 ubudala, uThixo wamnika le mbopheleleko: “Ubakhuphe eYiputa abantu bam, oonyana bakaSirayeli.” UMoses wasabela ngentlonelo ngokubuza umbuzo onentsingiselo ebalulekileyo. Enyanisweni umbuzo kaMoses wawusithi: ‘Ungubani igama lakho?’ Ekubeni kwakukudala lisaziwa igama likaThixo, yintoni kanye le wayefuna ukuyazi uMoses? Kuyacaca ukuba wayefuna ukwazi ongakumbi ngomnini welo gama—izibakala ezaziza kuqinisekisa abantu bakaThixo ukuba wayeza kubahlangula ngokwenene. Siyaqondakala isizathu sokuba uMoses axhalabe ngolo hlobo, kaloku amaSirayeli ayesele engamakhoboka ixesha elide. Kwakusenokuba nzima ukuqiniseka ukuba uThixo wooyisemkhulu wayenako ukuwahlangula kusini na. Amanye amaSirayeli ayesede anqula noothixo bamaYiputa!—Hez. 20:7, 8.

5. UYehova wayityhila njani inkcazelo engakumbi ngentsingiselo yegama lakhe xa wayephendula uMoses?

⁵ Wathini uYehova xa ephendula loo mbuzo? Wathi: “Uze uthi koonyana bakaSirayeli, ‘UNDINGUYE undithumile kuni.’” * Waphinda wathi: “UYehova uThixo wookhokho benu . . . undithumile kuni.” UThixo watyhila ukuba uya kuba yiyo nantoni na afuna ukuba yiyo ukuze aphumeze injongo yakhe, uya kusoloko enyanisekile kwilizwi lakhe. Yiloo nto, kwindinyana 15 simva esithi uYehova: “Lilo elo igama lam kuse kwixesha elingenammiselo, yaye sisikhumbuzo sam eso kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana.” Loo nkcazelo imele ukuba yalomeleza gqitha ukholo lukaMoses watsho wamoyika ngakumbi uThixo!

6, 7. UYehova wenza ntoni ngokuvisisana negama lakhe elikhulu?

⁶ Emva kokuthuma uMoses, uYehova wenza ngokuvisisana negama lakhe ‘ngokuzingqina’ enguMhlanguli kaSirayeli. Wahlazisa iYiputa ngezibetho ezilishumi, kwangaxeshanye etyhila ukuba kwakungekho yabo oothixo baseYiputa—kuquka uFaro. (Eks. 12:12) Emva koko, uYehova wavula uLwandle Olubomvu, eweza uSirayeli, entywilisela uFaro nomkhosi wakhe. (INdu. 136:13-15) Kuloo “ntlango inkulu neyoyikekayo,” uYehova wazingqina enguMlondolozi wobomi njengoko wayebondla aze abaseze abantu bakhe, ababenokufikelela kwizigidi ezibini ukusa kwezintathu nangaphezulu! Wade waqinisekisa ukuba  izambatho neembadada zabo azipheli. (Dut. 1:19; 29:5) Ngokwenene, ayikho into enokuthintela uYehova ekwenzeni ngokuvisisana negama lakhe. Kamva wathi kuIsaya: “Mna—ke, ndinguYehova, yaye akukho msindisi ngaphandle kwam.”—Isa. 43:11.

⁷ NoYoshuwa owangena ezihlangwini zikaMoses, wazibonela izenzo ezimangalisayo zikaYehova eYiputa nasentlango. Ngoko, xa sele eza kufa, eqinisekile uYoshuwa wathi kumaSirayeli: “Niyazi kakuhle ngeentliziyo zenu zonke nangemiphefumlo yenu yonke ukuba akusilelanga nalinye ilizwi kuwo onke amazwi alungileyo uYehova uThixo wenu awathethileyo kuni. Onke abe yinyaniso kuni. Akusilelanga nalinye ilizwi kuwo.” (Yosh. 23:14) Ngokwenene, uYehova waliphumeza ilizwi lakhe, ezingqina ukuba ‘unguNdinguye.’

8. UYehova wenza ntoni namhlanje ngokuvisisana negama lakhe?

⁸ Nanamhlanje, uYehova ‘usenguNdinguye.’ Esebenzisa uNyana wakhe, wathi ngemihla yokugqibela, isigidimi soBukumkani sasiza kushunyayelwa “kuwo wonke umhlaba omiweyo.” (Mat. 24:14) NguThixo uSomandla kuphela owayenokuzichaza kusengaphambili iziganeko ezinjalo, aqinisekise ukuba ziyaphunyezwa esebenzisa abantu abaninzi “abangenamfundo nabaqhelekileyo.” (IZe. 4:13) Ngoko ke, xa sishumayela iindaba ezilungileyo sifaka isandla ekuzalisekeni kwesiprofeto seBhayibhile. Sizukisa uBawo wethu yaye sibonisa ukuba sinyanisekile xa sithandaza sisithi: “Malingcwaliswe igama lakho. Mabufike ubukumkani bakho. Makwenzeke ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengasezulwini.”—Mat. 6:9, 10.

9, 10. Kwindlela awawaphatha ngayo amaSirayeli, uYehova wayityhila njani intsingiselo yegama lakhe, ibe waba yintoni umphumo?

⁹ Ngokukhawuleza emva kwemfuduko yamaSirayeli, uYehova wazityhila ngakumbi kubantu bakhe. Wenza umnqophiso woMthetho nabo, waba ‘yindoda engumnini wabo,’ waza ngokuzithandela wazithwalisa zonke iimbopheleleko ezihambisana noko. (Yer. 3:14) Wona ke amaSirayeli afana nomfazi wakhe wokomfuziselo, abantu ababizwa ngegama lakhe. (Isa. 54:5, 6) Lo gama emthobela ngokuzithandela yaye egcina nemithetho yakhe, wayeza kuba ‘yiNdoda’ egqibeleleyo kuwo. Wayeza kuwasikelela, awakhusela, aze awanike uxolo. (Num. 6:22-27) Ngenxa yoko, igama elikhulu likaYehova laliza kuzukiswa phakathi kweentlanga. (Funda iDuteronomi 4:5-8; iNdumiso 86:7-10.) Enyanisweni, ukutyhubela imbali yamaSirayeli, iintlanga ezininzi zazitsaleleka kunqulo lokwenyaniso. Eneneni, zatsho amazwi afanayo nalawo athethwa ngumMowabhikazi, uRute kuNahomi esithi: “Abantu bakowenu baya  kuba ngabantu basekhaya, noThixo wakho abe nguThixo wam.”—Rute 1:16.

¹⁰ Indlela uYehova awawaphatha ngayo amaSirayeli kwiminyaka emalunga ne-1 500 yatyhila iinkalo eziliqela nezintsha zobuntu bakhe. Nakuba olo hlanga lwalumana lungamthobeli, wayesoloko ebonisa ukuba ‘unguThixo onenceba’ ‘nozeka kade umsindo.’ Wayebalasele ngomonde nokuzeka kade umsindo. (Eks. 34:5-7) Noko ke, umonde wakhe wawunomda ibe wafika kuloo mda xa uhlanga lwamaYuda lwamgatyayo lwaza lwambulala uNyana wakhe. (Mat. 23:37, 38) Inzala kaSirayeli wemvelo yayeka ukuba ngabantu begama likaThixo. Njengohlanga yafa ngokomoya, njengomthi xa womile. (Luka 23:31) Oku kwawenza amaSirayeli alijonga njani igama likaThixo?

11. Kwakutheni ukuze uThixo alisuse igama lakhe kumaYuda?

¹¹ Imbali ibonisa ukuba, ethubeni amaYuda aba nengcamango ephosakeleyo ngegama likaThixo, elijonga njengelingafanele kubizwa. (Eks. 20:7) Agqibela ngokuyeka ukulisebenzisa igama likaThixo. UYehova umele ukuba waba buhlungu xa ebona igama lakhe liphathwa kakubi ngolo hlobo. (INdu. 78:40, 41) Kodwa ke, uThixo “ogama lakhe linguKhwele,” wayengenakuze avumele abantu abagatyileyo kuba bemshiyile basebenzise igama lakhe ngonaphakade. (Eks. 34:14) Oku kusifundisa ukuba simele siliphathe ngentlonelo igama loMdali wethu.

12. UYehova waluvelisa njani uhlanga olwaxelwa kwangaphambili lwabantu begama lakhe?

¹² UYehova watyhilela uYeremiya injongo yakhe yokusungula “umnqophiso omtsha” nohlanga olutsha, uSirayeli wokomoya. UYeremiya wachaza ukuba onke amalungu alo mnqophiso, ‘ukususela koyena mncinane ukusa koyena mkhulu kuwo uya kumazi uYehova.’ (Yer. 31:31, 33, 34) Eso siprofeto saqala ukuzaliseka ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E. xa uThixo wasungula umnqophiso omtsha. Olu hlanga lutsha, “uSirayeli kaThixo” obunjwa ngamaYuda neentlanga, waba ‘ngabantu begama [likaThixo]’ okanye ‘abantu ababizwa ngegama likaYehova.’—Gal. 6:16; funda iZenzo 15:14-17; Mat. 21:43.

13. (a) Ngaba amaKristu okuqala ayelisebenzisa igama likaThixo? Cacisa. (b) Ulijonga njani ilungelo lokusebenzisa igama likaThixo xa ushumayela?

¹³ ‘Njengabantu ababizwa ngegama [likaThixo,]’ amalungu olo hlanga lokomoya alisebenzisa igama likaThixo, esenjenjalo ngokucaphula iZibhalo zesiHebhere. * Ngoko ke, xa umpostile uPetros wayethetha nesihlwele esasivela kumazwe ngamazwe samaYuda nabangeni ebuYudeni ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., wasebenzisa igama likaThixo izihlandlo eziliqela. (IZe. 2:14, 20, 21, 25, 34) AmaKristu okuqala amzukisa uYehova, waza ke naye wayisikelela imigudu yawo yokushumayela. Nanamhlanje, uYehova uyawusikelela umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela xa silivakalisa ngehlombe igama lakhe size abo banomdla sibabonise lona kwiiBhayibhile zabo. Oko kubanceda bazane noThixo oyinyaniso. Lilungelo ngokwenene elo—kubo nakuthi! Kwezinye iimeko ukwazi kwabo uThixo kunokuthetha isiqalo sokuba nolwalamano olumangalisayo noYehova oluya kukhula lomelele luze luhlale ngonaphakade.

14, 15. Nakuba kugquba uwexuko, yintoni uYehova aye wayenza ngesikhumbuzo esiligama lakhe?

¹⁴ Kamva kwavela uwexuko kwibandla lamaKristu okuqala, ngakumbi emva kokufa kwabapostile. (2 Tes. 2:3-7) Abafundisi bobuxoki bathelela amaYuda ngokungalisebenzisi  igama likaThixo. Ngaba uYehova wayeza kuvuma ukuba igama elisisikhumbuzo sakhe licinywe? Nakanye! Yinyaniso ukuba, nakuba namhlanje sinokungaqiniseki ngeyona ndlela yokulibiza eli gama, kodwa lona liye lasinda. Kangangexesha, liye lavela kwiinguqulelo zeBhayibhile ezahlukeneyo, kuquka iincwadi zabaphengululi beBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, ngowe-1757, uCharles Peters wathi ngokwahlukileyo kwizibizo ezininzi zikaThixo, igama “uYehova, libonakala ilelona libuchaza kakuhle ubuntu bakhe.” Ngowe-1797 kwincwadi ethetha ngokunqula uThixo, uHopton Haynes waqala isahluko 7 ngokuthi: “UYEHOVA ligama elifanelekileyo loTHIXO wamaYuda; ekuphela kwakhe awayemnqula; kanye njengoKristu nabaPostile bakhe.” UHenry Grew (1781-1862) akazange anele nje ukulisebenzisa igama likaThixo kodwa waqonda nokuba belisoloko linyeliswa ngoko limele lingcwaliswe. NoGeorge Storrs (1796-1879), isinxulumani sikaCharles T. Russell, walisebenzisa igama likaThixo, kanye njengoRussell.

¹⁵ Unyaka ka-1931 wabalasela, kuba ngawo aBafundi BeBhayibhile Bezizwe ngeZizwe, igama ababesaziwa ngalo abantu bakaThixo, bamkela igama elisekelwe kwiZibhalo elithi amaNgqina kaYehova. (Isa. 43:10-12) Ngoko, bavakalisa ehlabathini ukuba bayazingca ngokuba ngabakhonzi bokuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, nokuba ‘ngabantu begama lakhe,’ belizukisa. (IZe. 15:14) Ukubona indlela uYehova aye walikhusela ngayo igama lakhe kusikhumbuza amazwi akuMalaki 1:11 athi: “Ukususela ekuphumeni kwelanga kuse ekutshoneni kwalo igama lam liya kuba likhulu phakathi kweentlanga.”

16. Kutheni simele sikugqale njengelungelo ukuhamba egameni likaYehova?

¹⁶ Umprofeti uMika wathi: “Kuba zonke izizwana ziya kuhamba ngasinye egameni lothixo waso; kodwa thina siya kuhamba egameni likaYehova uThixo wethu ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo, ewe ngonaphakade.” (Mika 4:5) Lilungelo elingathethekiyo ngokwenene into yokuba uYehova avumele aBafundi beBhayibhile basebenzise igama lakhe elikhulu. Kwabaqinisekisa ukuba uYehova uyakholiswa ngabo. (Funda uMalaki 3:16-18.) Ngaba kunjalo nangawe? Ngaba wenza konke ukuze ‘uhambe egameni likaYehova’? Ngaba uyiqonda kakuhle into ethethwa koko?

17. Kubandakanya ntoni ukuhamba egameni likaThixo?

¹⁷ Ubuncinane zintathu izinto ezibandakanyekileyo ekuhambeni egameni likaThixo. Okokuqala, simele sivakalise eli gama kwabanye, siqonde ukuba ngabo ‘babiza egameni likaYehova kuphela abaya kusindiswa.’ (Roma 10:13) Okwesibini, simele sibe neempawu zikaYehova, ngakumbi uthando. Okwesithathu, siya kuba sihamba egameni likaThixo xa sithobela imilinganiselo yakhe yobulungisa, singazisi ugculelo kwigama elingcwele loBawo wethu. (1 Yoh. 4:8; 5:3) Ngaba uzimisele ‘ukuhamba egameni likaYehova uThixo wethu ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo’?

18. Kutheni abalihlonelayo igama likaYehova bekhangele kwikamva ngengqiniseko?

¹⁸ Sekumbovu bamazi uYehova bonke abo bangafuni nokuva. (Hez. 38:23) Abo baquka abantu abafana noFaro owathi: “Ngubani na uYehova, ukuba ndingade ndithobele ilizwi lakhe?” Zange kube kudala wamazi! (Eks. 5:1, 2; 9:16; 12:29) Noko ke, ngokuzithandela thina siye samazi uYehova. Siyazingca ngokuthwala igama lakhe nokuba ngabantu abathobelayo ababizwa ngegama lakhe. Ngoko, sikhangele phambili kwikamva siqinisekile ngesithembiso esikwiNdumiso 9:10 esithi: “Abo balaziyo igama lakho baya kukholosa ngawe, kuba ngokuqinisekileyo akuyi kubashiya abo bakukhangelayo, Yehova.”