UYifeta Uphumeza Isibhambathiso Asenze KuYehova

IQHAWE libuyela ekhaya emva kokoyisa edabini lokukhulula isizwe salo kwingcinezelo. Intombi yalo ithi gqada sekungathi ayifiki kuyise, njengoko ibetha intambula imkhawulela ngomngqungqo. Kunokuba livuyiswe koko, eli qhawe lithi lakuyibona lizikrazule izambatho zalo. Konakele phi? Asikokubuya kwalo likhuselekile na kaloku oku kuvuyisa le ntombi? Liliphi eli dabi loyise kulo? Ngubani lona eli qhawe?

Le ndoda nguYifeta, omnye wabagwebi bamandulo bakwaSirayeli. Kodwa ukuze siphendule yonke le mibuzo size sibone indlela okusichaphazela ngayo oku, kufuneka siqwalasele izinto ezenzeka ngaphambi kokudibana kwale ntombi noyise.

Iimeko Emaxongo KwaSirayeli

UYifeta uphila ngexesha lobunzima. Amanye amaSirayeli alunikele umva unqulo olunyulu akhonza oothixo baseSidon, bakwaMowabhi, baka-Amoni nabamaFilisti. Ngoko uYehova ubayekela kuma-Amoni namaFilisti abantu bakhe, abacinezele kangangeminyaka eli-18. Abemi baseGiliyadi, kwimpuma yoMlambo iYordan babandezeleke gqitha.a Ekugqibeleni, amaSirayeli abuyela ezingqondweni, aze aguquke afune uncedo kuYehova, aqale phantsi ukumkhonza aze abalahle oothixo basemzini.—ABagwebi 10:6-16.

Ama-Amoni amise intente eGiliyadi, ibe amaSirayeli ayahlanganisana ukuza kuqubisana nawo. Noko ke, amaSirayeli aswele umntu oza kuwakhokela. (ABagwebi 10:17, 18) Ngelo xesha, uYifeta ujamelene nezakhe iingxaki. Ngokunyoluka abantakwabo ngoyise baye bamgxotha befuna ukurhwaphiliza ilifa lakhe. Ngoko uYifeta ubalekela kwaTobhi, ummandla okwimpuma yeGiliyadi apho aba sesichengeni seentshaba zikaSirayeli. “Amadoda angoongantweni” ekusenokwenzeka ukuba aphulukana nomsebenzi ngenxa yabacinezeli okanye avukela engafuni kubakhonza, abuthelana ndawonye kuYifeta. “Ayephuma naye,” into esenokuthetha ukuba ayempheleka xa esiya kuhlasela abo bamelwane baneengcwangu. Mhlawumbi bubugorha bakhe obubangela ukuba iZibhalo zimbize ngokuthi “yindoda enamandla, elikroti.” (ABagwebi 11:1-3) Ngubani ke oza kukhokela uSirayeli xa esilwa nama-Amoni?

“Yiza Ube Ngumphathi Wethu”

Amadoda amakhulu aseGiliyadi acela uYifeta athi: “Yiza ube ngumphathi wethu.” Ukuba alindele ukuba uza kulitsibela elo thuba lokubuyela kowabo, atsho phantsi. Uthi: “Asinini na ababendithiyile kangangokude nindigxothe endlwini kabawo? . . . Kutheni na kaloku neza kum kanye xa nisekubandezelekeni?” La madoda makhulu ayengenako kwaphela okusesikweni kuba ekuqaleni amgatya uYifeta kodwa ngoku afuna uncedo lwakhe.—ABagwebi 11:4-7.

Kuxa esamkela isicelo sakhe kuphela apho aya kuwakhokela ukuya eGiliyadi. Uthi kuwo: ‘Ukuba uYehova umnikele kum uAmoni, mna ndiya kuba yintloko yenu!’ Ukoyisa kwawo kuya kuba bubungqina bokuxhaswa kwawo nguThixo, kodwa uYifeta uzimisele nokuqinisekisa ukuba abantu abayi kumphosa kwelokulibala uYehova zakuba nje izinto zibahambela kakuhle.—ABagwebi 11:8-11.

Ukuqhubana Nama-Amoni

UYifeta uzama ukubonisana nama-Amoni. Uthumela abathunywa kukumkani wawo ukuba baye kuqonda isizathu sokuba abe neengcwangu. Kwimpendulo yakhe ukhala ngelithi: Xa amaSirayeli ayephuma eYiputa, eza kuma kumhlaba wama-Amoni, ibe amele awubuyise.—ABagwebi 11:12, 13.

Esebenzisa ulwazi lwakhe ngembali kaSirayeli, uYifeta uliphikisa ngobuchule elo bango lama-Amoni. Uwaxelela ukuba amaSirayeli akazange amxhaphaze uAmoni, uMowabhi, okanye uEdom xa ayephuma eYiputa; ibe uAmoni wayengahlali nakwelo lizwe awankqangisa ngalo amaSirayeli ngexesha leMfuduko yawo. Kwakuhlala ama-Amori kulo, kodwa uThixo wanikela ukumkani wawo, uSihon kuSirayeli. Ngapha koko, amaSirayeli ayesele ehleli apho iminyaka engama-300. Kutheni ke ama-Amoni kukhona enza elo bango ngoku?—ABagwebi 11:14-22, 26.

UYifeta unikela ingqalelo koyena nobangela wokubandezeleka kukaSirayeli: Ngubani uThixo oyinyaniso? NguYehova okanye ngoothixo belo lizwe ahlala kulo uSirayeli? Ukuba uKemoshe wayenawo amandla, ngaba wayengayi kulihlangula ilizwe labantu bakhe? Le yimfazwe phakathi konqulo lobuxoki olumelwa ngama-Amoni, nxamnye nonqulo oluyinyaniso. Ngokusengqiqweni ke uYifeta uqukumbela ngelithi: “UYehova uMgwebi makagwebe namhlanje phakathi koonyana bakaSirayeli noonyana baka-Amoni.”—ABagwebi 11:23-27.

Ukumkani wama-Amoni akawaphulaphuli amazwi angagwegweleziyo kaYifeta. ‘Umoya kaYehova ufika kuYifeta, aze adlule eGiliyadi nakwaManase,’ mhlawumbi eqokelela amadoda okulwa.—ABagwebi 11:28, 29.

Isibhambathiso SikaYifeta

Efuna ulwalathiso lukaThixo ngamandla, uYifeta wenza isibhambathiso kuThixo athi: “Ukuba uyabanikela oonyana baka-Amoni esandleni sam, kuya kuthi lowo uphumayo, ophuma ngeengcango zendlu yam eze kundihlangabeza xa ndibuya koonyana baka-Amoni ndiseluxolweni, abe ngokaYehova, yaye lowo ndiya kumnikela njengomnikelo otshiswayo.” Naye ke uThixo wamsikelela uYifeta ngokumnceda axabele izixeko zama-Amoni ezingama-20 “ngogonyamelo olukhulu,” ngaloo ndlela esoyisa iintshaba zikaSirayeli.—ABagwebi 11:30-33.

Ngubani ke ohlangabeza uYifeta xa ebuya edabini ingeyiyo intombi yakhe ayithandayo nekuphela komntwana amzeleyo! Le ngxelo ithi: “Wathi akumbona, wazikrazula izambatho zakhe wathi: ‘Awu, ntombi yam! Eneneni undenze ndagoba phantsi, yaye wena ndikuhlisele ishwangusha. Kwaye mna—ndiwuvulile umlomo wam kuYehova, andikwazi ukujika.’”—ABagwebi 11:34, 35.

Ngaba uYifeta uza kubingelela ngayo ngokwenene intombi yakhe? Nakanye. Oko akuzange kuthi qatha nakancinane engqondweni yakhe. UYehova uyakucekisa ukubingelela ngabantu, umkhwa ongendawo wamaKanan. (Levitikus 18:21; Duteronomi 12:31) Umoya kaThixo awuzange umncede nje kuphela uYifeta xa esenza eso sibhambathiso kodwa uYehova wasikelela nemigudu yakhe. IZibhalo ziyamncoma uYifeta ngokholo lwakhe nendima yakhe ngokuphathelele injongo kaThixo. (1 Samuweli 12:11; Hebhere 11:32-34) Ngoko ke, ukubingelela ngabantu—ukubulala—yinto awayengayicingi nakancinane. Wayecinga ntoni ke uYifeta xa wayesenza isibhambathiso sokunikela umntu njengomnikelo kuYehova?

Kucacile ukuba wayethetha ukuba wayeza kunikela ngalowo umhlangabeze kuqala kwinkonzo ekhethekileyo kaThixo. KuMthetho kaMoses kwakukho ilungiselelo lokubhambathisa ngemiphefumlo kuYehova. Ngokomzekelo, amabhinqa ayekhonza engcweleni, mhlawumbi esikha amanzi. (Eksodus 38:8; 1 Samuweli 2:22) Kuncinane gqitha esikwaziyo ngezo nkonzo singazi nokuba abantu babezenza ngokusisigxina kusini na. Kuyabonakala ukuba uYifeta wayecinga ngoko kuzinikela kukhethekileyo xa wayesenza isibhambathiso, ibe kucaca ukuba esakhe yayisesenkonzo esisigxina.

Bobabini intombi kaYifeta kamva nenkwenkwana uSamuweli baba nentsebenziswano ukuze baphumeze izibhambathiso ezenziwa ngabazali babo kuThixo. (1 Samuweli 1:11) Ekubeni yayingumkhonzi onyanisekileyo kaYehova, intombi kaYifeta yayiqiniseke njengoyise ukuba eso sibhambathiso simele siphunyezwe. Oko yayikukuzincama kokwenene, kuba kwakuthetha ukuba yayingayi kuze itshate. Yalilela ubunyulu bayo kuba wonke umSirayeli wayenqwenela ukuba nabantwana ukuze alondoloze igama nelifa lentsapho yakhe. KuYifeta, ukuphumeza eso sibhambathiso kwakuthetha ukuphulukana nentandane yakhe ekuphela kwayizeleyo.—ABagwebi 11:36-39.

Oku kwakungathethi ukuba le ntombi ithembekileyo iza kuphulukana nobomi obunenjongo. Ukukhonza uYehova ixesha elizeleyo endlwini yakhe kwakuyinto ebalaseleyo, eyanelisayo nencomekayo ngenxa yokuzukisa kwayo uThixo. Ngoko, “unyaka nonyaka iintombi zakwaSirayeli zazisiya kwintombi kaYifeta umGiliyadi, ukuze ziyincome.” (ABagwebi 11:40) Ngokuqinisekileyo yayikunandipha ukukhonza uYehova.

Abaninzi kubantu bakaThixo namhlanje bakhetha inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo njengokuba ngoovulindlela, abavangeli basemazweni, abaveleli abahambahambayo, okanye babe ngamalungu eentsapho zaseBheteli. Oku kusenokuthetha ukuba abakwazi ukubona amalungu eentsapho zabo njengoko benqwenela. Sekunjalo, bona neentsapho zabo bayavuyiswa kukwenzela uYehova olu hlobo lwenkonzo engcwele.—INdumiso 110:3; Hebhere 13:15, 16.

Ukuvukela Ulwalathiso LukaThixo

Xa sikhangela emva kwixesha likaYifeta, sifumanisa ukuba amaSirayeli amaninzi alugatya ulwalathiso lukaYehova. Phezu kwabo nje ubungqina bokusikelelwa kukaYifeta nguThixo, amadoda akwaEfrayim aqhwaya ingxabano naye. Afuna ukwazi isizathu sokungawabizeli kwakhe edabini. Ade afuna ukutshisa indlu kaYifeta ‘phezu kwakhe’!—ABagwebi 12:1.

UYifeta uyawaxelela ukuba uye wawabiza amadoda akwaEfrayim, kodwa akasabela. Enoba yayinjani na imeko, uThixo waphumelela kwelo dabi. Ngaba ngoku acatshukiswa yinto yokuba abemi baseGiliyadi bengakhange babonisane nawo xa eza kwenza uYifeta umphathi-mikhosi wawo? Enyanisweni, ukungavumelani kukaEfrayim noko kubonisa ukuvukela kwakhe uYehova, ibe ayikho enye indlela ngaphandle kokulwa naye. Kwidabi elilandelayo, uEfrayim ubethwa athi nca. Ngenxa yokungakwazi kwabo ukubiza kakuhle igama avavanywa ngalo elithi “Shibholete” amadoda abalekayo akwaEfrayim ayabanjwa. Ewonke angama-42 000 amadoda akwaEfrayim awabulawa kwelo dabi.—ABagwebi 12:2-6.

Olunjani usizi kwimbali kaSirayeli! Amadabi awaphunyelelwa ngabaGwebi uOteniyeli, uEhude, uBharaki noGidiyon azisa uxolo. Kodwa kolu uloyiso akuthethwa ngoxolo. Le ngxelo iqukumbela nje ngokuthi: “UYifeta waqhubeka engumgwebi kwaSirayeli iminyaka emithandathu, emva koko uYifeta umGiliyadi wafa waza wangcwatywa esixekweni sakowabo eGiliyadi.”—ABagwebi 3:11, 30; 5:31; 8:28; 12:7.

Yintoni esiyifundayo kuko konke oku? Sifunda into yokuba nakuba ubomi bukaYifeta babuzaliswe ziinkathazo, wayethembekile kuThixo. Eli gorha lakhankanya uYehova xa lalithetha namadoda amakhulu aseGiliyadi, nama-Amoni, nentombi yalo nakumadoda akwaEfrayim, kakade ke naxa lalisenza isibhambathiso. (ABagwebi 11:9, 23, 27, 30, 31, 35; 12:3) UThixo wamsikelela uYifeta ngokuzinikela kwakhe, wasebenzisa yena nentombi yakhe ukuze akhuthaze unqulo olunyulu. Kwixesha apho abanye babeyishiyile imilinganiselo kaThixo, yena uYifeta wabambelela kuyo. NjengoYifeta, ngaba uya kuhlala umthobela uYehova?

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]