Xelisa Ukholo Lwabo
Wanyamezela Ngaphezu Nje Kokuphoxeka
USAMUWELI wayeyiva intlungu eyayiseShilo. Kwakubonakala ngathi abantu babesoloko belila. Bamel’ ukuba babebangaphi abafazi nabantwana ababekhalela ootata, abayeni, oonyana nabantakwe abafel’ emfazweni? Siyazi ukuba amaSirayeli aphulukana namajoni amalunga nangama-30 000 xa atywatyushwa ngamaFilisti emva kokuba ephulukene namajoni angama-4 000 kwelinye idabi.—1 Samuweli 4:1, 2, 10.
Olu yayiluthotho nje lweentlekele. Umbingeleli Omkhulu uEli wayenoonyana ababini, uHofeni noFinehasi, abaphuma netyeya yomnqophiso eShilo. Yayidla ngokugcinwa kwinxalenye engcwele yomnquba—itempile eyayingathi yintente—yaye le tyeya ixabisekileyo yayifuzisela ubukho bukaThixo. Abantu bahamba nale tyeya xa besiya edabini, becinga ukuba iya kubanceda boyise. Kodwa amaFilisti ayithimba aza abulala uHofeni noFinehasi.—1 Samuweli 4:3-11.
Umnquba wokuhlangana eShilo wawunendili ngenxa yokuba le Tyeya yayihlala khona kangangeenkulungwane. Ngoku yayingasekho. Wathi esakuva ezi ndaba, uEli owayeneminyaka engama-98 ubudala wawa ngomqolo kwisitulo awayehleli kuso waza wafa. Umolokazana wakhe waba ngumhlolokazi ngaloo mini, waza wafa ebeleka. Ngaphambi kokuba abhubhe, wathi: “Uzuko lumkile kwaSirayeli luye ekuthinjweni.” Ewe, iShilo yayingasoze iphinde ibe yinto eyayiyiyo ngaphambili.—1 Samuweli 4:12-22.
Wayeza kumelana njani uSamuweli noku kuphoxeka? Ngaba ukholo lwakhe lwaluza kwazi ukunceda abantu abaphulukene nenkuseleko nenkoliseko kaYehova? Maxa wambi sonke namhlanje sisenokujamelana neengxaki ezicel’ umngeni ukholo lwethu, makhe sibone ukuba yintoni esinokuyifunda kuSamuweli.
‘Waphumeza Ubulungisa’
Ngoku iBhayibhile iphethulela ingqalelo yayo kwiTyeya engcwele, isibonisa indlela abandezeleka ngayo amaFilisti emva kokuba eyithimbile aze anyanzeleka ukuba ayibuyise. Kuphindwa kuthethwe ngoSamuweli emva kweminyaka emalunga nama-20. (1 Samuweli 7:2) Wayesenza ntoni ebudeni baloo minyaka? IBhayibhile ayisishiyanga nyanyeni kule nkalo.
Sifunda ukuba ngaphambi kweli xesha, “ilizwi likaSamuweli laqhubeka lifika kuSirayeli wonke.” (1 Samuweli 4:1) Emva kwale minyaka, ingxelo isixelela ukuba uSamuweli wakwenza umkhwa wakhe ukutyelela izixeko ezithathu kwaSirayeli, ekwenza oku nyaka ngamnye, ecombulula iingxaki aze aphendule imibuzo. Emva koko wayebuyela kwidolophu yakowabo eRama. (1 Samuweli 7:15-17) Kucacile ukuba, uSamuweli wayesoloko exakekile yaye ebudeni baloo minyaka ingama-20, wayenomsebenzi omninzi.
Ukuziphatha okubi nobuqhophololo boonyana bakaEli babulonakalisile ukholo lwabantu. Ngenxa yoko abaninzi kubonakala ukuba baqalisa ukunqula izithixo. Noko ke, emva kweminyaka engama-20 esebenza nzima, uSamuweli wathetha la mazwi ebantwini: “Ukuba nibuyela kuYehova ngentliziyo yenu yonke, balahleni oothixo basemzini abaphakathi kwenu kwakunye nemifanekiso ka-Ashtoreti, nize nibhekise ngokungaxengaxengiyo intliziyo yenu kuYehova nikhonze yena yedwa, yaye uya kunihlangula esandleni samaFilisti.”—1 Samuweli 7:3.
Abantu babexhatshazwa ‘sisandla samaFilisti.’ Ekubeni umkhosi wamaSirayeli wawoyisiwe, amaFilisti azityel’ itheko kubantu bakaThixo esazi ukuba akazukwenziwa nto. Kodwa uSamuweli waqinisekisa abantu ukuba imeko yabo yayinokutshintsha ukuba nje babenokubuyela kuYehova. Ngaba babekulungele ukubuyela kuye? USamuweli wavuya akubona ukuba bazilahla izithixo zabo baza “baqala ukukhonza uYehova yedwa.” USamuweli wabiza indibano eMizpa, idolophu esezintabeni emntla weYerusalem. Abantu badibana, bazila ukutya baza baguquka kwizono zabo zokunqula izithixo.—1 Samuweli 7:4-6.
Kodwa ke, amaFilisti eva ngale ndibano inkulu aza abona ithuba. Athumela umkhosi eMizpa ukuba uye kubulala abo banquli bakaYehova. AmaSirayeli aziva ezo ndaba. Oyika aza acela uSamuweli ukuba awathandazele. Wawathandazela waza wenza nombingelelo. Ebudeni baloo nkonzo ingcwele, umkhosi wamaFilisti wafika eMizpa. UYehova wawuphendula umthandazo kaSamuweli. Kwakungathi uYehova uvakalise umsindo wakhe. “Wabangela ukuba kududume ngengxolo enkulu ngaloo mini kumaFilisti.”—1 Samuweli 7:7-10.
Ngaba ke ngoku simele sicinge ukuba loo maFilisti ayefana nabantwana abazimela emva koonina besoyika xa besiva iindudumo? Akunjalo, kuba la yayingamajoni anamava naqhel’ ukulwa. Ngoko amel’ ukuba ayeqala ngqa ukuva indudumo enjengale. Ngaba ayenkwantyiswa sisandi sale ‘ngxolo inkulu’? Ngaba le ngxolo yayivela esibhakabhakeni, okanye ngaba yayivela ezintabeni? Enoba yayivela phi, le ngxolo yawothusa amaFilisti. Adideka, ayeka ukuba ngabaxhaphazi ajika aba ngamaxhoba. Amadoda akwaSirayeli abaleka esuka eMizpa, oyisa awaleqa kangangeekhilomitha ezininzi, ngakumzantsi-ntshona weYerusalem.—1 Samuweli 7:11.
Elo dabi layitshintsha imeko yabantu bakaThixo. AmaFilisti ayesoloko esoyiswa xa uSamuweli wayengumgwebi. Abantu bakaThixo babethimba isixeko emva kwesinye.—1 Samuweli 7:13, 14.
Kwiminyaka engamakhulu khulu emva koko, umpostile uPawulos waquka uSamuweli phakathi kwabagwebi nabaprofeti abathembekileyo ‘abaphumeza ubulungisa.’ (Hebhere 11:32, 33) USamuweli wabanceda bakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaThixo. Wakwazi ukukwenza oku kuba wayethembele kuYehova yaye enomonde, waza waqhubeka esenza umsebenzi wakhe ngaphezu nje kokuphoxeka. Kwakhona wayenombulelo. Emva koloyiso lwabo lwaseMizpa, uSamuweli wamisa ilitye ukuze kukhunjulwe indlela uYehova awayebancede ngayo abantu bakhe.—1 Samuweli 7:12.
Ngaba nawe uyafuna ‘ukuphumeza ubulungisa’? Ukuba kunjalo, kuya kukunceda ukufunda kumzekelo kaSamuweli womonde nokuba nombulelo kwakhe. Ngubani ongazifuniyo kuthi ezo mpawu? Kwakubalulekile ngoSamuweli ukuba azihlakulele ezo mpawu eselula, kuba zaziza kumnceda ajamelane nokuphoxeka okungakumbi kwiminyaka eyalandelayo.
“Oonyana Bakho Abahambanga Ngeendlela Zakho”
Siphinda sive ngoSamuweli sele ‘emdala.’ Ngeli xesha uSamuweli wayesele enoonyana ababini abasele bekhulile, uYoweli noAbhiya waye wabanika isabelo sokuncedisa ekugwebeni. Okubuhlungu kukuba, wayewuphosil’ umhlola. Nangona uSamuweli wayenyanisekile yaye elilungisa, oonyana bakhe bawasebenzisela ukuzingca amagunya ababenawo, begqwetha umthetho yaye besamkela nezinyobo.—1 Samuweli 8:1-3.
Ngenye imini, amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli aya kulo mprofeti mdala eze kumangala. Athi: “Oonyana bakho abahambanga ngeendlela zakho.” (1 Samuweli 8:4, 5) Ngaba uSamuweli wayesazi ngale ngxaki? Ingxelo ayisixeleli. Kodwa ke ngokungafaniyo noEli, uSamuweli wayengabekek’ ityala. UYehova wayemkhalimele uEli kuba engazange abulungise ubungendawo boonyana bakhe yaye ebeke oonyana bakhe ngaphezu kukaThixo. (1 Samuweli 2:27-29) UYehova akazange abe naloo ngxaki kuSamuweli.
Le ngxelo ayisixeleli ngentlungu, iintloni, ixhala nokuphoxeka kukaSamuweli emva kokuba eve ngobubi obenziwe ngoonyana bakhe. Noko ke, abazali abaninzi banokuyithelekelela indlela amel’ ukuba wayevakalelwa ngayo. Kule mihla kuxhaphakile ukuvukelwa kwabazali nengqeqesho yabo. (2 Timoti 3:1-5) Abazali abajamelene naloo ntlungu banokufumana intuthuzelo namacebiso kumzekelo kaSamuweli. Akazange avumele iindlela zoonyana bakhe ezingabonisi lukholo zimchaphazele. Kaloku khumbula, kwanaxa amazwi nengqeqesho zingayifikeleli intliziyo elukhuni yomntwana, umzekelo wabazali onokuyifikelela. Abazali basoloko benamathuba okukholisa owabo uYise, uYehova uThixo—njengoko uSamuweli wenzayo.
“Simisele Ukumkani”
Oonyana bakaSamuweli babengayiqondi imiphumo enzulu yokubawa nokuzingca kwabo. Amadoda amakhulu ahlabela mgama esithi kuSamuweli: “Simisele ukumkani abe ngumgwebi phezu kwethu njengazo zonke iintlanga.” Ngaba uSamuweli wasijonga eso sicelo njengendlela yokumgatya? Kaloku, yayinguye owayegweba abantu egameni likaYehova kangangamashumi eminyaka. Ngoku babefuna ukugwetywa, kungekhona ngumprofeti nje onjengoSamuweli, kodwa ngukumkani. Ezinye iintlanga ezazikufutshane nawo zazinookumkani yaye amaSirayeli ayefuna owawo ukumkani. Wavakalelwa njani uSamuweli? Sifunda ukuba “le nto yayimbi” emehlweni akhe.—1 Samuweli 8:5, 6.
Phawula indlela uYehova awasabela ngayo xa uSamuweli ethandaza kuye ngalo mba: “Liphulaphule ilizwi labantu kuko konke abakutshoyo kuwe; kuba ingenguwe abamgatyayo, kodwa bagatye mna ukuba ndingabi ngukumkani phezu kwabo.” Loo mazwi amel’ ukuba amthuthuzela uSamuweli, kodwa le nto yayisisithuko kuThixo onguSomandla! UYehova waxelela umprofeti wakhe ukuba alumkise amaSirayeli ngemiphumo yokuba nokumkani ongumntu. Xa uSamuweli wakwenza oku, anyanzelisa esithi: “Hayi, kodwa ke thina siya kuba nokumkani phezu kwethu.” USamuweli, owayesoloko ethobela uThixo wakhe, wahamba waya kuthambisa ukumkani owayenyulwe nguYehova.—1 Samuweli 8:7-19.
Noko ke, uSamuweli wathobela njani? Ngaba waqumba, ethobela kuba enyanzelekile? Ngaba wavumela ukuphoxeka kwakhe kumenze acaphuke? Abantu abaninzi babenokuvakalelwa ngaloo ndlela, kodwa akuzange kubenjalo ngoSamuweli. Wathambisa uSawule waza wavuma ukuba le ndoda ikhethwe nguYehova. Wamanga, ebonisa ukuba wayemamkela njengokumkani omtsha. Wathi ebantwini: “Nimbonile na lowo uYehova amnyulileyo, ukuba akukho namnye unjengaye phakathi kwabantu bonke?”—1 Samuweli 10:1, 24.
USamuweli wanikela ingqalelo, kungekhona kwiimpazamo, kodwa kwiimpawu ezintle zendoda enyulwe nguYehova. Wanikela ingqalelo kwikhondo lakhe lokugcina ingqibelelo kuThixo kunokuba acinge ngokuthandwa ngabantu abangazaziyo ukuba bafuna ntoni. (1 Samuweli 12:1-4) Wazimisela nakwisabelo sakhe, eluleka abantu bakaThixo ngeengozi zokomoya ababejamelene nazo waza wabakhuthaza ukuba bahlale bathembekile kuYehova. Isiluleko sakhe sazifikelela iintliziyo zabo, baza bambongoza uSamuweli ukuba abathandazele. Wabaphendula wathi: “Makube lee kum, ukuba ndone kuYehova ngokuyeka ukunithandazela; yaye ndimele ndiniyalele ngendlela elungileyo nefanelekileyo.”—1 Samuweli 12:21-24.
Ngaba wakha waphoxeka xa kwanikwa omnye umntu isigxina okanye ilungelo elithile? Umzekelo kaSamuweli usikhumbuza ukuba asimele sivumele umona okanye ukucaphuka kusilawule. UThixo unezabelo ezininzi ezanelisayo anokuzinika abakhonzi bakhe abathembekileyo.
“Kuya Kude Kube Nini Na Uzilile Ngenxa KaSawule?”
USamuweli wayefanele ukubona iimpawu ezintle kuSawule; kuba wayeyindoda elungileyo. Wayesukil’ egadeni yaye eyinzwana, ekrelekrele, kodwa kwangaxeshanye ethozamile yaye engazicingeli kakhulu. (1 Samuweli 10:22, 23, 27) Ukongezelela kwezo ziphiwo, wayenesinye esikhethekileyo—inkululeko yokuzikhethela, ukukwazi ukukhetha ubomi aza kubuphila nokuzenzela izigqibo. (Duteronomi 30:19) Ngaba wasisebenzisa kakuhle eso siphiwo?
Okubuhlungu kukuba, xa indoda ifumana igunya, ukuthozama lolona phawu ludla ngokukhawuleza luthi shwaka. Akuzange kube kudala, uSawule waba nekratshi. Wakhetha ukungayithobeli imiyalelo kaYehova awayinikwa nguSamuweli. Ngesinye isihlandlo, uSawule waphelelwa ngumonde waza wenza umbingelelo, nto leyo eyayimele yenziwe nguSamuweli kuphela. USamuweli wanyanzeleka ukuba amluleke qatha waza wachaza kusengaphambili ukuba ubukumkani babungayi kuqhubeka entsatsheni kaSawule. Endaweni yokuba afunde kule ngqeqesho, uSawule waqhubeka esenza izinto ezibonisa ukungathobeli.—1 Samuweli 13:8, 9, 13, 14.
Esebenzisa uSamuweli, uYehova waxelela uSawule ukuba alwe nama-Amaleki. Omnye wemiyalelo kaYehova yayikukuba kubulawe ukumkani uAgagi wama-Amaleki ongendawo. Noko ke, uSawule wamsindisa uAgagi waza wagcina nempahla eyayifanele itshatyalaliswe. Xa uSamuweli weza kumlungisa, uSawule wabonakala ukuba wayetshintshile. Kunokuba azithobe avume ukulungiswa, wazama ukuzithethelela engafuni kuthethwe ngalo mbandela, waza watyhola abantu. Xa uSawule wazama ukulugatya uqeqesho esithi ezo wayeza kwenzela uYehova idini ngazo, uSamuweli wathetha la mazwi adumileyo: “Khangela! Ukuthobela kulunge ngakumbi kunombingelelo.” Ngenkalipho uSamuweli wamkhalimela waza wachaza isigqibo sikaYehova esithi: Ubukumkani babuza kuthatyathwa kuSawule buze bunikwe enye indoda elunge ngakumbi kunaye.—1 Samuweli 15:1-33.
USamuweli wayekhathazeke kakhulu kukusilela kukaSawule. Wachitha ubusuku bonke ethandaza kuYehova ngalo mbandela. Wada wamzilela. USamuweli wayebone iimpawu ezininzi ezintle kuSawule kodwa ngoku wayephelelwe lithemba kuye. Indoda awayekade eyazi yayitshintshile—yayingasenazo iimpawu ezintle yaye yayimjikele uYehova. USamuweli akazange avume ukuphinda adibane noSawule kwakhona. Kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha uYehova wamluleka ngobunono uSamuweli wathi: “Kuya kude kube nini na uzilile ngenxa kaSawule, ngoxa mna, kwelinye icala, ndimgatyile ekulawuleni njengokumkani phezu koSirayeli? Zalisa uphondo lwakho ngeoli uze uhambe. Ndiya kukuthumela kuYese waseBhetelehem, ngenxa yokuba ndizilungiselele ukumkani phakathi koonyana bakhe.”—1 Samuweli 15:34, 35; 16:1.
Injongo kaYehova ayixhomekekanga kubantu abangafezekanga abakhe banganyaniseki ngamanye amaxesha. Ukuba umntu akathembeki, uYehova uza kusebenzisa omnye umntu. USamuweli osele emdala wayeka ukulilela uSawule. Ngolwalathiso lukaYehova uSamuweli waya emzini kaYese eBhetelehem, apho wadibana neqela loonyana bakhe abanomkhitha. Kwasekuqaleni uYehova wakhumbuza uSamuweli oku: “Musa ukukhangela imbonakalo yakhe nokuphakama kwesithomo sakhe . . . Kuba indlela abona ngayo umntu [asiyondlela abona ngayo uThixo], ngenxa yokuba umntu nje ubona okubonakalayo emehlweni; kodwa uYehova yena, ubona oko ikuko intliziyo.” (1 Samuweli 16:7) Ekugqibeleni uSamuweli wadibana nonyana kaYese wokugqibela yaye uYehova wakhetha yena—uDavide!
Kwiminyaka yakhe yokugqibela, uSamuweli wasibona kakuhle isizathu sokubeka kukaYehova uDavide endaweni kaSawule. USawule wajika waba ngumbulali onomona waza waba ngumwexuki. UDavide wabonakalisa iimpawu ezintle—inkalipho, ingqibelelo, ukholo nokunyaniseka. Njengoko ubomi bukaSamuweli babusiya ngasekupheleni, ukholo lwakhe lwaya lusomelela. Wabona ukuba ayikho into angenakuyilungisa uYehova okanye ayicombulule, ijike ibe yintsikelelo. Ekugqibeleni uSamuweli wafa ethembekile emva kokuphila iminyaka ephantse ilingane nenkulungwane. Onke amaSirayeli akuzilela ukufa kwaloo ndoda ithembekileyo—yaye ayefanele. Nanamhlanje, abakhonzi bakaYehova benza kakuhle xa bezibuza ukuba, ‘Ngaba ndiya kuluxelisa ukholo lukaSamuweli?’
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
USamuweli wayeza kubanceda njani abantu bakwazi ukujamelana nokudimazeka nokuphoxeka?
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]
USamuweli wajamelana njani nokudandatheka okubangelwa kukuba noonyana ababi?