Umsebenzi wokuphatha kaNkulunkulu waqala ekudalweni komhlaba, futhi umuntu uyingqikithi yalo msebenzi. Ukudala kukaNkulunkulu zonke izinto, kungashiwo ukuthi kungenxa yomuntu. Ngoba umsebenzi wokuphatha Kwakhe uqhubeke izinkulungwane zeminyaka, futhi awenziwa ngesikhathi esingangemizuzu noma imizuzwana, noma ngokuphazima kweso, noma ngonyaka owodwa noma emibili, kwadingeka ukuthi adale ezinye izinto ezidingekayo ukuze aphile umuntu, njengelanga, inyanga, ngezinhlobo ngezinhlobo zezidalwa eziphilayo, nokudla, kanye nendawo yokuphila yesintu. Lokhu kwabe kuwukuqala kokuphatha kukaNkulunkulu.

Emuva kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wanikezela ngesintu kuSathane, umuntu waphila ngaphansi kokubusa kukaSathane, futhi lokhu kancane kancane kwaholela emsebenzini kaNkulunkulu wenkathi yokuqala: indaba yeNkathi Yomthetho…. Eminyakeni eyizinkulungwane eziningi yeNkathi Yomthetho, isintu sajwayela ukuqondiswa kweNkathi Yomthetho, futhi baqala bakuthatha kalula, futhi kancane kancane, bakushiya ukunakekelwa nguNkulunkulu. Ngakho, ngesikhathi benamathele emthethweni, bakhonza izithixo futhi benza izinto ezimbi. Babengavikelwe nguJehova, futhi babemane bephila izimpilo zabo phambi kwethempeli. Empeleni, umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wabe usubashiyile kudala, nakuba abakwa-Israyeli babebambelele emthethweni, futhi bekhuluma ngegama likaJehova, futhi ngokuziqhenya besakholelwa ukuthi kwabe kuyibo bodwa abantu baJehova futhi babengabakhethiweyo baJehova, inkazimulo kaNkulunkulu yabalahla buthule…

Uma uNkulunkulu enza umsebenzi Wakhe, uyayishiya buthule indawo ethile kodwa abe enza umsebenzi omusha ngokuthulile, uqala kwenye indawo. Lokhu kubukeka kungakholeki kubantu, abasala bendikindiki. Abantu selokhu benza igugu lokho okudala, futhi babuke izinto ezintsha, ezingajwayelekile ngobutha, noma njengohlupho. Ngakho, noma imuphi umsebenzi omusha uNkulunkulu awenzayo, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kufike ekugcineni ngci, umuntu ungowokugcina ukwazi ngawo phakathi kwezinto zonke.

Njengoba kwakuhlale kwenzeka, emuva komsebenzi kaJehova ngeNkathi Yomthetho, uNkulunkulu waqala umsebenzi Wakhe wesigaba sesibili: wathatha inyama—wathatha isimo somuntu iminyaka eyishumi, amashumi amabili—futhi ekhuluma futhi enza umsebenzi Wakhe phakathi kwamakholwa. Kepha, ngaphandle kokukhetha, akekho owayazi, futhi bambalwa abantu abemukela ukuthi wayenguNkulunkulu othathe isimo senyama emuva kokuthi iNkosi uJesu ibethelwe esiphambanweni futhi yavuswa. … Kwathi lapho isigaba sesibili somsebenzi kaNkulunkulu sesiphelile—emuva kokubethelwa esiphambanweni—umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wokukhipha umuntu esonweni (okungukuthi, ukukhipha umuntu ezandleni zikaSathane) wafezeka. Ngakho, kusukela kulowo mzuzu kuqhubeka, isintu sase sidinga ukwemukeka iNkosi uJesu njengoMsindisi ukuze izono zaso zithethelelwe. Ngokubuka, izono zomuntu zabe zingasesona isithiyo ekutholeni kwakhe insindiso futhi ukuza phambi kukaNkulunkulu futhi zabe zingaseyona into uSathane ayengasizakala ngayo ukumangalela umuntu. Yingoba uNkulunkulu uqobo Lwakhe wayenze umsebenzi ngempela, wayefike efana nenyama yesono, futhi uNkulunkulu uqobo Lwakhe wabe engumhlabelo wesono. Ngale ndlela, umuntu wahlika esiphambanweni, ehlengiwe futhi esindisiwe ngenxa yenyama kaNkulunkulu, umfanekiso wale nyama yesono. Ngakho, emuva kokuthunjwa nguSathane, umuntu wasondela kakhulu ekutheni emukele insindiso phambi kwaNkulunkulu. Impela, lesi sigaba somsebenzi kwabe kungukuphatha kukaNkulunkulu okwabe kuyisinyathelo esinyukelayo ukusuka eNkathini Yomthetho, futhi kwabe kusezingeni elijulile kuneNkathi Yomthetho.

Kunjalo ukuphatha kukaNkulunkulu: ukunikezela isintu phezu kukaSathane—isintu esingazi ukuthi uyini uNkulunkulu, ukuthi uyini uMdali, ukhonzwa kanjani uNkulunkulu, nokuthi kungani kunesidingo sokuthobela uNkulunkulu—futhi ukunika inkululeko enkohlakalweni kaSathane. Isinyathelo ngesinyathelo, uNkulunkulu uyamkhipha umuntu ezandleni zikaSathane, aze umuntu akhonze uNkulunkulu ngokuphelele futhi ashiye uSathane. Lokhu ukuphatha kukaNkulunkulu. Konke lokhu kuzwakala njengendaba eyinganekwane; futhi kubonakala kuyindida. Abantu bacabanga ukuthi kunjengendaba eyinganekwane, futhi lokho yingoba abazi nhlobo ukuthi zingakanani izinto ezehlele umuntu kule minyaka eyizinkulungwane eziningi eyedlule, kungasaphathwa izindaba ezenzekile emhlabeni jikelele. Futhi, ngaphezu kwalokho, yingoba abakwazi ukuqondisisa izwe elishaqisayo, elifaka ukwesaba kakhulu elikhona ngaleya kwalo mhlaba esiwubonayo, kodwa amehlo abo enyama ayabavimba ukuthi bawubone Kuzwakala kungaqondakali kumuntu, futhi lokho yingoba umuntu akakuqondi ukubaluleka kokusindisa kukaNkulunkulu isintu kanye nokubaluleka komsebenzi kaNkulunkulu wokuphatha, futhi akaqondi ukuthi uNkulunkulu ufisa isintu sibe njani ekugcineni. Isintu esifana no-Adamu no-Eva, abangakonakaliswa nguSathane? Cha! Ukuphatha kukaNkulunkulu kwenziwa ukuzuza iqembu labantu abakhonza uNkulunkulu nabamthobelayo Yena. Lesi sintu sonakalisiwe nguSathane, kodwa asisamboni uSathane njengobaba waso; siyabubona ubuso obubi bukaSathane, futhi siyabukhahlela, futhi sifike phambi kwaNkulunkulu ukwemukela isahlulelo nokusola Kwakhe. Uyazi uthi yini embi, nokuthi injani uma uyiqhathanisa nalokho okuyingcwele, futhi uyabona ubukhulu bukaNkulunkulu nobubi bukaSathane. Isintu esinjalo ngeke sisamsebenzela uSathane, noma simkhonze uSathane, noma simenze isithixo uSathane. Yingoba bayiqembu labantu abazuzwe ngempela wuNkulunkulu. Lokhu ukubaluleka kokuphatha isintu kukaNkulunkulu. Ngesikhathi somsebenzi wokuphatha kukaNkulunkulu lesi sikhathi, isintu siwumenziwa wenkohlakalo kaSathane, futhi ngaso leso sikhathi siwumenziwa wensindiso kaNkulunkulu, kanye nento uNkulunkulu noSathane abayilwelayo. Ngesikhathi enza umsebenzi Wakhe, uNkulunkulu kancane kancane uyamkhipha umuntu ezandleni zikaSathane, ngakho umuntu uba seduzane kakhulu noNkulunkulu…

Kwase kufika iNkathi Yombuso, okuyisigaba somsebenzi esibonakalyo kepha futhi yiso esinzima kakhulu ukuthi umuntu asemukele. Yingoba njengoba umuntu esondela kuNkulunkulu, kungenkathi uswazi lukaNkulunkulu lusondela kumuntu, nangenkathi ubuso bukaNkulunkulu buya ngokuya bubonakala bucacile phambi komuntu. Kulandela ukuhlengwa komuntu, umuntu ubuyela ngokusemthethweni emndenini kaNkulunkulu. Umuntu wacabanga ukuthi manje yisikhathi sokujabula, kepha uzithola ebhekene nokuhlaselwa okuqhamuka ngaphambili ngomfutho okuvela kuNkulunkulu, uhlobo okungekho muntu oke wakubona ukuthi kuyokwenzeka. Kuyavela, ukuthi lokhu ukubhajadiswa abantu baNkulunkulu ekufanele bakujabulele. Ngaphansi kwempatho enjalo, abantu abanako abangakwenza kodwa ukuthi bame bacabange ukuthi, ngiyiwundlu ebelilahlekile iminyaka eminingi, uNkulunkulu akhiphe okukhulu ukulithenga futhi, ngakho kungani uNkulunkulu engiphatha kanje? Yindlela le yokuthi uNkulunkulu angihleke, angidalule?… Emuva kokuhamba kweminyaka, umuntu useshayekile, usedlule ebunzimeni bokucwengwa nokujeziswa. Nakuba umuntu eselahlekelwe “inkazimulo” kanye “nobumnandi” bezikhathi ezedlule, ngaphandle kokwazi, usefike ekuqondeni izimiso zokuziphatha komuntu, futhi usekwazi ukwazisa iminyaka yokuzinikela kukaNkulunkulu ukuthi asindise isintu. Umuntu uyaqala ukuzonda ukungaphucuki kwakhe. Uqala ukuzonda indlela anobudlova ngayo, nokungezwani kwakhe noNkulunkulu, nezicelo eziphoqayo ezingenangqondo azenzile Kuye. Isikhathi asinakuhlehliswa; izehlo ezedlule ziba izinkumbulo ezinokuzisola zomuntu, kanti amazwi nothando lukaNkulunkulu luba ngamandla amqhubela phambili umuntu empilweni yakhe entsha. Amanxeba omuntu ayaphola usuku nosuku, amandla akhe ayabuya, futhi asukume abheke ebusweni bukaSomandla … akutholayo nje ukuthi ubelokhu eseduze naye, nokuthi ukumamatheka Kwakhe kanye nobuso Bakhe obuhle buyamthinta kakhulu. Inhliziyo Yakhe isenokukhathazeka ngesintu asidala, futhi izandla Zakhe zisafudumele futhi zinamandla njengoba zazinjalo ekuqaleni. Kungathi-kumuntu ubuyele eNsimini Yase-Edeni, kepha manje umuntu akasalaleli ukuyenga kwenyoka, akasabususi ubuso bakhe kuJehova. Umuntu uyaguqa phambi kukaNkulunkulu, abheke phezulu ebusweni obumamathekayo bukaNkulunkulu, futhi anikele ngomhlatshelo wakhe oyigugu kunayo yonke—O! Nkosi Yami, Nkulunkulu Wami!

Uthando nozwelo lukaNkulunkulu lugcwele kuyo yonke imininingwane yomsebenzi Wakhe wokuphatha, futhi akunandaba noma abantu bayaqonda izinhloso ezinhle zikaNkulunkulu, ngokungakhathali, usawenza umsebenzi ahlose ukuwufeza. Ngaphandle kokubheka ukuthi abantu baqonda kangakanani ukuphatha kukaNkulunkulu, izinzuzo nosizo lomsebenzi owenziwe nguNkulunkulu lungathakaselwa inoma ngubani. Mhlawumbe, namhlanje awukaze uzwe inoma iluphi uthando noma impilo ehlinzekwa nguNkulunkulu, kodwa inqobo uma ungamlahli uNkulunkulu, futhi ungadeli ukuzimisela kwakho ukufuna iqiniso, kuyohlale kukhona usuku lapho ukumamatheka kukaNkulunkulu kuyovezwa kuwena. Ngoba inhloso yomsebenzi wokuphatha kukaNkulunkulu ukubuyisa isintu esingaphansi kwamandla kaSathane, ukungasilahli isintu esonakaliswe nguSathane futhi saphikisana noNkulunkulu.

Kucashunwe embhalweni othi Izwi Livela Lisenyameni