Ngaba Unokholo OlunjengolukaEliya?

IBUTHO labantu namhlanje lilujongela phantsi ukholo. Iingqondi ziyabukhanyela ubukho bukaThixo. Abahanahanisi bonqulo bayamgculela uThixo. Yaye ngokwandayo abantu behlabathi benza izinto ngokungathi uThixo akabalulekanga. Enoba ezi zimo zengqondo zibangela umntu oyike, adimazeke, okanye angakhathali, nakuyiphi na imeko umphumo mnye: Ukholo lwakhe luyaphela. Akumangalisi ke ukuba umpostile uPawulos athi ukungabi nalukholo ‘kusisono esinokusirhawula ngokusisisulu’!—Hebhere 12:1.

Mhlawumbi yiloo nto eyabangela uPawulos ukuba enze umgudu okhethekileyo wokutsalela ingqalelo yethu kubomi bamadoda namabhinqa awayenokholo olomeleleyo. (Hebhere, isahluko 11) Imizekelo enjalo inokusikhuthaza ize yomeleze ukholo lwethu. Ngokomzekelo, masiqwalasele umprofeti uEliya, sinikel’ ingqalelo kwinxalenye nje yokuqala yomsebenzi wakhe wobuprofeti wobomi bonke. Wayephila ebudeni bolawulo lukaKumkani uAhabhi nenkosikazi yakhe engumhedeni, uKumkanikazi uIzebhele, ngexesha laxa, njenganamhlanje, ukukholwa kuThixo wenyaniso kwakuhlile.

UBukumkani Bezizwe Ezilishumi Obonakeleyo

Esinjani sona isibini! UAhabhi wayengukumkani wesixhenxe woBukumkani bakwaSirayeli bezizwe ezilishumi. Nangona ookumkani abathandathu ababengaphambi kwakhe babengendawo, uAhabhi wayengendawo ngaphezu kwabo bonke. Akazange aphelele nje ekuhambiseleni phambili unqulo lokunganyaniseki lokunqulwa kwethole elizweni kodwa watshata inkosazana yasemzini uIzebhele, ngaloo ndlela engenisa uhlobo lonqulo lothixo wobuxoki uBhahali olwalunamandla ngakumbi kunalo naluphi na olwakhe lwabakho kwelo lizwe.—1 Kumkani 16:30-33.

UIzebhele waye bandakanyeke ngokunzulu kunqulo lukaBhahali kususela eselusana. Uyise, uEtebhahali, umbingeleli ka-Ashtoreti (umfazi kaBhahali), wabulala abanye ukuze abe ngukumkani waseTsidon, ubukumkani obukummandla ongasentla kwelizwe lakwaSirayeli. UIzebhele waphembelela umyeni wakhe owayengenamilinganiselo ingqongqo yokuziphatha ukuba aseke unqulo lukaBhahali kwaSirayeli. Kungekudala, kwakukho abaprofeti abangama-450 baloo thixo wobuxoki kunye nabaprofeti abangama-400 bothixokazi uAshera kweli lizwe, bonke besidla kwisithebe sikakumkani. Hayi indlela unqulo lwabo olwalucekiseka ngayo phambi koThixo wenyaniso, uYehova! Imifanekiso emela ilungu lesini lendoda, imibhiyozo yesithethe yendyebo, oonongogo basetempileni (amadoda namabhinqa), kuquka nokubingelela ngabantwana—ezi yayiziinkalo ezibalaseleyo zolu nqulo lunezothe. Ngokuvunyelwa nguAhabhi, olu nqulo lwasasazeka ebukumkanini lungathintelwa.

Izigidi zamaSirayeli zamlibala uYehova, uMdali womhlaba kunye namanzi. Wona ayesithi nguBhahali osikelele ilizwe ngeemvula ekupheleni kwexesha lembalela. Yonke iminyaka babelindela ngethemba ‘kuMkhweli Wamafu,’ lo thixo ekufane kuthiwe ngowendyebo nowexesha lemvula, ukuba aphelise imbalela. Iminyaka ngeminyaka, iimvula zazisina. Iminyaka ngeminyaka, uBhahali wadunyiswa.

UEliya Uvakalisa Imbalela

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uEliya wavela ngasekupheleni kwexesha lasehlotyeni elide nelalingenamvula—xa kanye abantu babeqalisa ukulindela ukuba uBhahali anise iimvula ezinika ubomi.a Ubonakala ngequbuliso ngokungathi sisandi sendudumo kwingxelo yeBhayibhile. Akukho nto ingako siyixelelwayo ngemvelaphi yakhe, asixelelwa nto ngabazali bakhe. Kodwa ngokungafaniyo nendudumo, uEliya wayengesosandulela sesiphango. Wamazisa oku uAhabhi: “Ehleli nje uYehova uThixo wakwaSirayeli, endimi phambi kwakhe, akuyi kukha kubekho mbethe namvula le minyaka, kungengalo ilizwi lam.”—1 Kumkani 17:1.

Yiba nombono wale ndoda, inxibe isambatho sasemaphandleni esenziwe ngoboya. Uzalelwe kwiinduli ezisemagqagaleni kwelaseGiliyadi, ngokunokwenzeka ekhuliselwa phakathi kwabelusi bemihlambi abathobekileyo. Uma phambi kokumkani onamandla uAhabhi, mhlawumbi kwibhotwe lakhe elikhulu kakhulu, elinendlu edumileyo eyenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu, elinezihombiso zobutyebi nezingaqhelekanga kunye nezithixo ezoyikekayo. Apho, kwisixeko esinyakazelayo nesinqabisekileyo selakwaSamari, apho phantse unqulo lukaYehova lulityelwe ngokupheleleyo, uxelela uAhabhi ukuba lo thixo wakhe, lo Bhahali, akanamandla, uyinto engento. UEliya uvakalisa ukuba kulo nyaka nakwiminyaka ezayo akuyi kubakho mvula nambethe!

Walufumana phi ukholo olunjalo? Ngaba akazange azive esoyika, emi apho phambi kwalo kumkani unekratshi nongumwexuki? Mhlawumbi wayesoyika. Kwiminyaka engaphezu kwewaka kamva, umntakwabo Yesu ngonina uYakobi usiqinisekisa ukuba uEliya “wayengumntu oluvo lunjengolwethu.” (Yakobi 5:17) Kodwa phawula la mazwi kaEliya: “UYehova uThixo wakwaSirayeli, endimi phambi kwakhe [uyaphila, NW].” UEliya wahlala ekhumbula ukuba njengomkhonzi kaYehova, wayemi phambi kwetrone ephakamileyo kuneka-Ahabhi—itrone yeNkosi enguMongami wendalo iphela! Wayengummeli nomthunywa waloo trone. Enale mbono, yintoni anokuyoyika kuAhabhi, ukumkani ongumntu ongenamandla nowalahlekelwa yintsikelelo kaYehova?

Akuzange kwenzeke ngamabona-ndenzile ukuba uYehova abe ngowokwenene kangako kuEliya. Ngokuqinisekileyo lo mprofeti wayeyifundisisile ingxelo yokuqhubana kukaThixo nabantu Bakhe. UYehova wayewalumkisile amaYuda ngelithi wayeya kuwohlwaya ngembalela nangendlala ukuba ayetyeka aze anqule oothixo bobuxoki. (Duteronomi 11:16, 17) Eqinisekile ukuba uYehova usoloko eyizalisekisa into ayithethileyo, uEliya “wathandaza umthandazo ukuba ingani.”—Yakobi 5:17.

Ukholo Olubonakaliswa Ngokuthobela Ulwalathiso

Noko ke, okwangoku, oko kuvakaliswa nguEliya kumbeka engozini enkulu. Kwakulixesha laxa kufuneka abonakalise ukholo kwakhona. Ukuze ahlale ephilile, wayefanele athembeke ekuthobeleni imiyalelo kaYehova: “Hamba umke apha, ubheke empumalanga, uzimele emlanjeni oyiKeriti, okhangelene neYordan. Wothi usele emlanjeni apho; ndiwawisele umthetho amahlungulu ukuba akuxhase khona.”—1 Kumkani 17:3, 4.

UEliya wathobela ngokukhawuleza. Ukuba wayefuna ukusinda kwimbalela nakwindlala eyehlela ilizwe lakhe, wayemele athembele ngawo nawaphi na amalungiselelo awenzelwe nguYehova. Oku kwakungeyonto ilula. Kwakufuneka azifihle, ahlale eyedwa ngokupheleleyo ngalo lonke ixesha. Kwakufuneka atye inyama nesonka asiziselwa ngamahlungulu—iintaka ezitya inyama yento efileyo ezazigqalwa zingahlambulukanga kuMthetho kaMoses—yaye akholose ngoYehova ukuba loo nyama yayingeyiyo eyento efileyo kodwa yinyama eyayophiswe ngokufanelekileyo ngokuvisisana nomthetho. Ngenxa yokuba lo mmangaliso unamandla ubonakala kwabanye abahlalutyi beBhayibhile uyinto eyayingenakwenzeka bacebisa ukuba igama lantlandlolo elisetyenziswe apha limele ukuba lalithetha “ama-Arabhu” kungekhona “amahlungulu” konke konke. Kodwa amahlungulu ayefanelekile. Kwakungekho namnye owayenokukrokrela ukuba ezi ntaka zijongelwa phantsi nezingahlambulukanga ezazibhabha zisiya entlango zinokutya ezikuphetheyo zazisondla uEliya, owayefunwa nguAhabhi noIzebhele kubo bonke ubukumkani ababemelene nabo!—1 Kumkani 18:3, 4, 10.

Njengoko imbalela yayigquba, uEliya usenokuba waqala ukukhathazeka ngamanzi awayewafumana kumlanjana iKeriti. Imilanjana emininzi yakwaSirayeli iyatsha ngamaxesha embalela, ‘yaye ekuhambeni kwexesha,’ nalo mlanjana watsha. Ngaba unokuzithelekelela iimvakalelo zikaEliya njengoko amanzi ayesehla ngokuthe ngcembe ade aqukuqele kancinane namachibi esitsha imihla ngemihla? Ngokuqinisekileyo umele ukuba wazibuza ngoko kwakuza kwenzeka xa amanzi ephelile. Sekunjalo, uEliya ngokuthembeka wahlala. UYehova akazange amnike eminye imiyalelo yakhe wada watsha qoko umlambo. Lo mprofeti waxelelwa ukuba aye eTsarfati. Apho wayeza kufumana inkxaso ekhayeni lomhlolokazi.—1 Kumkani 17:7-9.

ETsarfati! Leyo yidolophu ekwisixeko saseTsidon, apho wayevela khona uIzebhele yaye kulapho uyise wayelawula khona njengokumkani! Ngaba iya kuba yindawo ekhuselekileyo? Usenokuba wazibuza oko uEliya. Kodwa “wesuka ke waya.”—1 Kumkani 17:10.

UYehova Unikela Inkxaso Nobomi

Ukuthobela kwakhe kwavuzwa ngokukhawuleza. Wadibana naloo mhlolokazi njengoko wayexelelwe kwangaphambili, yaye wafumana kuye uhlobo lokholo olwalungekho kubantu belizwe lakowabo. Lo mhlolokazi ulihlwempu wayenomgubo neoli zinto ezo ezazanele nje ukuba enze isidlo sokugqibela sakhe nesonyana wakhe oselula. Sekunjalo, naxa wayeswele kakhulu, wavuma ukwenzela uEliya isonka kuqala, ekholose ngedinga lakhe lokuba uYehova wayeya kuzalisa iselwa lakhe leoli nomphanda womgubo logama nje kwakukho imfuneko. Akumangalisi ukuba uYesu Kristu wakhumbula lo mzekelo uthembekileyo walo mhlolokazi xa wayebhenca amaSirayeli angathembekanga kumhla wakhe!—1 Kumkani 17:13-16; Luka 4:25, 26.

Noko ke, phezu kwawo nje lo mmangaliso, kungekudala ukholo lwalo mhlolokazi nolukaEliya lwaluza kujamelana novavanyo oluqatha. Ngequbuliso unyana wakhe wafa. Etshelwe zizicheku, lo mhlolokazi wasuka nje waqikelela ukuba le ntlekele inento yokwenza noEliya, ‘umfo wakwaThixo.’ Wazibuza enoba wayesohlwaywa kusini na ngenxa yesono esithile esadlulayo. Kodwa uEliya wamthabathela ezandleni zakhe lo nyana ufileyo waza wenyuka naye ukuya egumbini eliphezulu. Wayesazi ukuba uYehova unokunikela okungaphezu kokudla. UYehova ungumthombo wobomi! Ngoko uEliya wathandaza ngokunyanisekileyo nangokuphindaphindiweyo ukuba umntwana avuke.

UEliya wayengengomntu wokuqala ukuba nokholo olunjalo eluvukweni, kodwa kwingxelo yeBhayibhile, wayengowokuqala ukuvusa umntu. Le nkwenkwe ‘yaphila’! Uvuyo lukanina lumele ukuba lwalungumbono obukelekayo njengoko uEliya esizisa unyana wakhe kuye nala mazwi alula: “Uyabona, uphilile unyana wakho.” Ngokungathandabuzekiyo elila, wathi: “Kaloku ke ndiyazi ukuba ungumfo wakwaThixo wena, nelizwi likaYehova elisemlonyeni wakho liyinyaniso.”—1 Kumkani 17:17-24.

“UThixo Wam NguYehova”

Hayi indlela ekuchukumisa nekufaneleke ngayo ukuba igama likaEliya lithethe ukuthi “UThixo Wam NguYehova”! Ngexesha lembalela nelendlala, uYehova wamnika ukutya namanzi; ngexesha lokuwohloka kokuziphatha, uYehova wamnika ulwalathiso olufanelekileyo; ngexesha lokufa, uYehova wamsebenzisa ukuba abuyisele ubomi. Yaye kuyabonakala ukuba sihlandlo ngasinye uEliya ekwakufuneka abonakalise ukholo kuThixo wakhe ngaso—ngokukholosa Ngaye ukuba amxhase, ngokuthobela imiyalelo Yakhe, ngokuthembela Kuye ukuba angcwalise igama Lakhe—wavuzwa ngokuba nezizathu ezingakumbi zokuba nokholo kuYehova. Eli khondo lahlala linjalo njengoko waqhubeka esamkela izabelo ezinzima nezoyikisayo kuThixo wakhe, uYehova; enyanisweni, eminye yeyona mimangaliso iphawulekayo wayeseza kuyenza.—Bona eyoku-1 yooKumkani, isahluko 18.

Kukwanjalo nangabakhonzi bakaYehova namhlanje. Sisenokungondliwa ngokungummangaliso okanye sisetyenziswe ukuba sivuse abafileyo; eli asiloxesha lemimangaliso enjalo. Noko ke, uYehova akazange aguquke nakancinane ukususela kumhla kaEliya.—1 Korinte 13:8; Yakobi 1:17.

Nathi sisenokufumana izabelo ezoyikekayo, iintsimi ekunzima nekoyikekayo ukuzifikelela ngesigidimi sethu esisinikwe nguThixo. Sisenokutshutshiswa. Sisenokude sithwaxwe liphango. Kodwa kubantu ngabanye abathembekileyo nakuyo yonke intlangano yakhe, uYehova uye wangqineka ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukuba usabalathisa yaye usabakhusela abakhonzi bakhe. Usabanika amandla okuphumeza nawuphi na umsebenzi aye wabanika wona. Yaye usabanceda ukuba banyamezele naziphi na iimvavanyo ezinokubafikela kweli hlabathi lineenkathazo.—INdumiso 55:22.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Ngaba nawe, njengoEliya, unokholo lokuba uYehova uya kuzinyamekela iimfuno zabakhonzi bakhe?