Benza Ukuthanda KukaYehova

UEliya Uphakamisa UThixo Oyinyaniso

WAYEYEYONA ndoda ifunwayo kwaSirayeli. Ngokuqinisekileyo yayiya kubulawa ukuba ukumkani wayenokuyifumana. Yayingubani le ndoda izingelwayo? Yayingumprofeti kaYehova uEliya.

UKumkani uAhabhi nomfazi wakhe ongumhedeni, uIzebhele, babebangele ukuba ukunqulwa kukaBhahali kunwenwe kwaSirayeli. Ngenxa yoko, uYehova wayebangele imbalela kwelo lizwe, ngeli xesha eyayisele ikunyaka wayo wesine. UIzebhele owayenomsindo walungiselela ukuba kubulawe abaprofeti bakaYehova, kodwa ngokukhethekileyo uAhabhi wayefuna uEliya. YayinguEliya owayethe kuAhabhi kwiminyaka engaphezu kwemithathu ngaphambilana: “Akuyi kukha kubekho mbethe namvula le minyaka, kungengalo ilizwi lam!” (1 Kumkani 17:1) Yaye imbalela eyayingumphumo woko yayisaqhubeka.

Kule meko iyingozi kangaka, uYehova wamxelela oku uEliya: “Hamba uye kubonana noAhabhi, ndinise imvula phezu komhlaba.” Ezibeka esichengeni, uEliya wathobela umyalelo kaYehova.—1 Kumkani 18:1, 2.

Iintshaba Ezimbini Ziyadibana

Akubona uEliya, uAhabhi wathi kuye: “Ulapha na wena, uwahlisele intlekele amaSirayeli?” UEliya waphendula ngesibindi wathi: “Andiwahliselanga ntlekele amaSirayeli; nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuyishiya kwenu imithetho kaYehova, walandela ooBhahali.” Emva koko uEliya wayalela ukuba onke amaSirayeli ahlangane kwiNtaba yeKarmele, kuquka “nabaprofeti bakaBhahali abangamakhulu amane anamanci mahlanu nabaprofeti baka-Ashera abangamakhulu amane.” Emva koko uEliya wathi kwisihlwele: “Koda kube nini na nimbaxa?a Ukuba uYehova nguThixo, landelani yena; ke ukuba nguBhahali uThixo, landelani yena?”—1 Kumkani 18:17-21.

Abantu bathi cwaka. Mhlawumbi baliqonda ityala labo lokungazinikeli ngokupheleleyo kuYehova. (Eksodus 20:4, 5) Okanye kusenokwenzeka ukuba izazela zabo zaziqaqadekile kangangokuba abazange babone isono ekubeni babe mbaxa phakathi koYehova noBhahali. Sekunjalo, uEliya wayalela abantu ukuba bakhuphe iinkunzi zenkomo ezimbini ezintsha—enye ibe yeyabaprofeti bakaBhahali enye ibe yeyakhe. Zombini ezi nkunzi zenkomo zaziza kulungiselelwa umbingelelo, kodwa kwakungekho mlilo wawuza kubaswa. “Nize ninqule igama loThixo wenu, mna ndinqule igama likaYehova; athi, uThixo othe waphendula ngomlilo, abe nguye uThixo.”—1 Kumkani 18:23, 24.

UYehova Uyaphakanyiswa

Abaprofeti bakaBhahali baqalisa ‘ukuxhentsa ngasesibingelelweni esasenziwe.’ Ukususela ekuseni babekhala besithi: “Bhahali siphendule!” Kodwa uBhahali akazange aphendule. (1 Kumkani 18:26) Emva koko uEliya waqalisa ukubagculela: “Nqulani ngezwi elikhulu, ngokuba enguthixo.” (1 Kumkani 18:27) Abaprofeti bakaBhahali bade baqalisa ngokuzicenta ngamakrele nangezikhali—into eyayiqhele ukwenziwa ngabahedeni besenzela ukuba basizelwe zizithixo zabo.b—1 Kumkani 18:28.

Ngoku kwakusele kusemva kwemini, yaye abanquli bakaBhahali baqhubeka ‘bezenza abaprofeti’—elo binzana kulo mbandela lithetha inzondelelo yempambano nokungakwazi ukuzeyisa. Seyihambile imva kwemini, ekugqibeleni uEliya wathi ebantwini bonke: “Sondelani kum apha.” Bonke babeqwalasele njengokuba uEliya wayephinda esakha isibingelelo sikaYehova, wemba umsele, wahlahlela inkunzi entsha yangamaqhekeza, waza wayibeka esibingelelweni neenkuni ukuze itshiswe. Emva koko, inkunzi yenkomo, isibingelelo neenkuni zafakwa emanzini, yaye umsele wazaliswa ngamanzi (alithandabuzeki elokuba yayingamanzi olwandle awayevela kuLwandle iMeditera.) Emva koko, uEliya wathandaza kuYehova wathi: “Namhla makwaziwe ukuba nguwe uThixo kwaSirayeli; ukuba ndingumkhonzi wakho mna; ukuba ndizenze zonke ezi zinto ngelizwi lakho. Ndiphendule, Yehova, ndiphendule, bazi aba bantu ukuba wena Yehova unguThixo, ukuba uyiguqulele kuwe intliziyo yabo.”—1 Kumkani 18:29-37.

Ngesiquphe, umlilo wehla uvela ezulwini “walidla idini elinyukayo, kwaneenkuni, kwanamatye, kwanomhlaba; namanzi abe esemseleni wawakhotha.” Abantu ababebukele ngokukhawuleza bawa ngobuso bathi: “UYehova nguye uThixo! UYehova nguye uThixo!” Ngokomyalelo kaEliya, abaprofeti bakaBhahali babanjwa baza basiwa emlanjaneni oyiKishon, apho babulawelwa khona.—1 Kumkani 18:38-40.

Oko Sikufundayo

UEliya wabonakalisa oko kusenokuba yinkalipho engaphezu kweyomntu oqhelekileyo. Sekunjalo, umbhali weBhayibhile uYakobi uyasiqinisekisa ukuba “uEliya wayengumntu oneemvakalelo ezinjengezethu.” (Yakobi 5:17) Wayengengomntu ongenaloyiko naxhala. Ngokomzekelo, xa uIzebhele wafunga efuna impindezelo ngenxa yokutshatyalaliswa kwabaprofeti bakaBhahali, uEliya wabaleka waza wakhawuleza wathandaza kuYehova ekhathazekile: “Kwanele ngoku, Yehova; wuthabathe umphefumlo wam.”—1 Kumkani 19:4.

UYehova akazange ambulale uEliya. Kunoko, ngenxa yenceba wanikela uncedo. (1 Kumkani 19:5-8) Namhlanje abakhonzi bakaThixo basenokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova uya kwenza okufanayo xa bejamelene namaxesha okucinezelwa ngamaxhala, mhlawumbi ngenxa yenkcaso. Ngokwenene, ukuba bathandazela uncedo lukaYehova, uya kubanika “amandla angaphaya koko kuqhelekileyo,” ukuze nokuba ‘bayaxinwa ngandlela zonke, bangaxineki ngokokude bangabi nakushukuma.’ Ngaloo ndlela, baya kuncedwa bakwazi ukunyamezela, njengoEliya.—2 Korinte 4:7, 8.

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