Christian Bible Discipleship

Yebo. IBhayibheli libikezela isikhathi esizayo esiseduze lapho kungekho muntu oyogula khona. Ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso wakhe, uNkulunkulu uzokwelapha zonke izinkinga zempilo. (Isaya 33:24; 35:5, 6) Uzoqeda ukuhlupheka, ubuhlungu nokufa. (IsAmbulo 21:4) Futhi uzovusa labo abafileyo ukuze bajabulele impilo enhle lapha emhlabeni ngaphansi kwezimo eziphelele.—IHubo 37:29; IzEnzo 24:15.

Ukuqubuka kwezifo eziwubhubhane, njenge-coronavirus, kuye kwenza abaningi babuza ukuthi kungani uNkulunkulu evumela—noma ngisho nokubangela—izifo eziwubhubhane nokuthi izifo ezinjalo ziyisibonakaliso sezikhathi zokugcina. IBhayibheli, ikakhulukazi iTestamente Elidala, lichaza izikhathi eziningi lapho uNkulunkulu eletha khona izinhlupho nezifo kubantu baKhe nasezitheni zaKhe “ukuze akwenze ubone amandla ami” (Eksodusi 9:14, 16). Wasebenzisa izinhlupho eGibhithe ukuze aphoqe uFaro ukuba akhulule ama-Israyeli ebugqilini, kuyilapho esindisa abantu baKhe ekuthintekeni yizo (Eksodusi 12:13; 15:26), ngaleyo ndlela ebonisa ukulawula kwaKhe phezu kwezifo nezinye izinhlupho.

UNkulunkulu waxwayisa nabantu baKhe ngemiphumela yokungalaleli, okuhlanganisa izinhlupho (Levitikusi 26:21, 25). Ezikhathini ezimbili, uNkulunkulu wabhubhisa abantu abangu-14,700 kanye nabantu abangu-24,000 ngenxa yezenzo ezahlukene zokungalaleli (Numeri 16:49 kanye no-25:9). Ngemva kokunikeza uMthetho KaMose, uNkulunkulu wayala abantu ukuba bawulalele noma bahlupheke ngobubi obuningi, okuhlanganisa nento ezwakala njengesifo: “INkosi izokushaya ngesifo sokuwohloka, ngomkhuhlane nangokuvuvukala… okuzokushaya uze ubhubhe” (Duteronomi 28:22). Lezi yizibonelo ezimbalwa nje zezinhlupho nezifo eziningi ezibangelwe uNkulunkulu.

Ngezinye izikhathi kunzima ukucabanga ngoNkulunkulu wethu onothando nesihawu ebonisa ulaka nentukuthelo enjalo kubantu baKhe. Kodwa izijeziso zikaNkulunkulu zihlala zinomgomo wokuphenduka nokubuyiselwa. Ku-2 IziKronike 7:13-14, uNkulunkulu wathi kuSolomoni, “Lapho ngivala amazulu ukuze kungabikho mvula, noma ngiyaleza izinkumbi ukuba zidle izwe noma ngithumele isifo phakathi kwabantu bami, uma abantu bami, ababizwa ngegama lami, bezozithoba, bathandaze, bafune ubuso bami, baphenduke ezindleleni zabo ezimbi, ngiyakuzwa ezulwini, ngithethelele isono sabo, ngiphilise izwe labo.” Lapha sibona uNkulunkulu esebenzisa inhlekelele ukuze adonsele abantu baKhe kuye, ukuze alethe ukuphenduka kanye nesifiso sokuza kuYe njengabantwana kuYise wasezulwini.

ETestamenteni Elisha, uJesu welapha “zonke izifo nazo zonke izifo,” kanye nezinhlupho ezindaweni azivakashela (Mathewu 9:35; 10:1; Marku 3:10). Njengoba nje uNkulunkulu akhetha ukusebenzisa izinhlupho nezifo ukukhombisa amandla Akhe kuma-Israyeli, uJesu welapha njengokubonakaliswa kwamandla afanayo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ngempela uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu. Wanikeza abafundi amandla afanayo okuphulukisa ukuqinisekisa inkonzo yabo (Luka 9:1). UNkulunkulu usavumela ukugula ngezinjongo Zakhe, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi izifo, ngisho nobhubhane lomhlaba wonke, zimane nje ziwumphumela wokuphila ezweni eliwile. Ayikho indlela yokunquma ukuthi ubhubhane lunesizathu esithile esingokomoya noma cha, kodwa siyazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu unamandla okulawula zonke izinto (Roma 11:36) futhi uzosebenzisana zonke izinto ukuze kuzuze labo abamaziyo nabamthandayo (Roma 8:28).

Ukusabalala kwezifo ezifana ne-coronavirus kuwukunambitha ubhubhane oluzoba yingxenye yezikhathi zokugcina. UJesu wabhekisela ezinhluphekweni zesikhathi esizayo ezihambisana nezinsuku zokugcina (Luka 21:11). Ofakazi ababili besAmbulo 11 bazoba namandla “okushaya umhlaba ngazo zonke izinhlobo zezinhlupho kaningi ngangokunokwenzeka” (IsAmbulo 11:6). Izingelosi eziyisikhombisa zizophatha izinhlupho eziyisikhombisa ochungechungeni lwezahlulelo zokugcina nezinzima ezichazwe kusAmbulo 16.

Ukuvela kwezifo eziwubhubhane kungase kuhlotshaniswe noma kungahlobene nesahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu esiqondile sesono. Kungaba futhi umphumela wokuphila ezweni eliwile. Njengoba kungekho muntu owazi isikhathi sokubuya kukaJesu, kumelwe siqaphele ngokuthi ubhubhane lomhlaba wonke luwubufakazi bokuthi siphila ezikhathini zokugcina. Kulabo abangamazi uJesu Kristu njengoMsindisi, izifo kufanele zibe yisikhumbuzo sokuthi impilo kulo mhlaba ibuthakathaka futhi ingalahleka nganoma yisiphi isikhathi. Nakuba ubhubhane lubi kangakanani, isihogo sizoba sibi kakhulu. Nokho, umKristu unesiqinisekiso sensindiso nethemba lokuphakade ngenxa yegazi likaKristu elachitheka esiphambanweni ngenxa yethu (Isaya 53:5; 2 Korinte 5:21; Hebheru 9:28).

AmaKristu kufanele asabele kanjani ezifweni eziwubhubhane? Okokuqala, ungesabi. UNkulunkulu uyalawula. IBhayibheli lisho okufanayo nokuthi “ungesabi” izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-300. Okwesibili, hlakanipha. Thatha izinyathelo ezifanele zokugwema ukuchayeka kulesi sifo futhi uvikele futhi wondle umndeni wakho. Okwesithathu, funa amathuba okukhonza. Ngokuvamile lapho abantu besaba izimpilo zabo, bazimisele kakhulu ukuba nezingxoxo mayelana nokuphila kwaphakade. Yiba nesibindi futhi ube nesihawu ekwabelaneni kwakho ngeVangeli, ukhulume iqiniso njalo ngothando (Efesu 4:15).

Kungani uNkulunkulu engavumela i-Covid-19? Ingabe ukuvalwa kwamasonto kuyindlela efanele yokusabela kubhubhane? UmKristu angabhekana kanjani nokuhlupheka kwesifo esiwohlozayo? Kungani uNkulunkulu adala omiyane? Ingabe ngezinye izikhathi kuyintando kaNkulunkulu ukuba amakholwa agule?