Uehude Indoda Eyayinokholo Nenkalipho

AMASIRAYELI ayeneminyaka emininzi efikile kwiLizwe Ledinga. UMoses noYoshuwa owangena ezihlangwini zakhe, kwakukudala bafayo. Ekubeni ayengekho loo madoda okholo, uxabiso ngonqulo olunyulu lwaphela. AmaSirayeli ayede aqalisa ukukhonza ooBhahali neentsika ezingcwele.a Ngenxa yoko, uYehova wabanikela abantu bakhe ezandleni zamaSiriya kangangeminyaka esibhozo. Emva koko amaSirayeli akhala kuThixo efuna uncedo. Ngenxa yenceba yakhe, wawaphulaphula. UYehova wamisela umgwebi, uOteniyeli, ukuba abahlangule abantu Bakhe.—ABagwebi 3:7-11.

Ezi ziganeko zifanele ukuba zawafundisa inyaniso esisiseko amaSirayeli—ukuthobela uYehova kuzisa iintsikelelo, ngoxa ukungamthobeli kuphumela kwiziqalekiso. (Duteronomi 11:26-28) Noko ke, abantu bakwaSirayeli basilela ukufunda esi sifundo. Emva kweminyaka engama-40 yoxolo, kwakhona balushiya unqulo olunyulu.—ABagwebi 3:12.

Ukugaganyelwa NgamaMowabhi

Ngesi sihlandlo uYehova wavumela abantu bakhe bawela ezandleni zikaKumkani uEglon wakwaMowabhi. IBhayibhile imchaza ‘njengomntu owayetyebe kakhulu.’ Ngoncedo lwama-Amon nama-Amaleki, uEglon wahlasela amaSirayeli waza wakha ibhotwe lakhe eYeriko, “uMzi wamaSundu.” Hayi indlela ekwakuyimpoxo ngayo ukuba isixeko sokuqala samaKanan esoyiswa ngamaSirayeli ngoku sibe likomkhulu lomntu owayenqula uthixo wobuxoki uKemoshe!b—ABagwebi 3:12, 13, 17, thelekisa iAppleyard’s Version.

UEglon wawacinezela amaSirayeli kangangeminyaka eli-18, ekubonakala ukuba wayewarhafisa kakhulu. Ngokufuna iminikelo ngamaxesha athile, amaMowabhi awuphakamisa umgangatho wawo wezoqoqosho ngoxa ebhuqa ubuncwane bamaSirayeli. Ngesizathu esivakalayo, abantu bakaThixo bakhala becela uncedo, ibe kwakhona uYehova wabaphulaphula. Wabamisela omnye umsindisi—ngesi sihlandlo yayingumBhenjamin ogama linguEhude. Ukuze aphelise ulawulo lwegqudu lukaEglon kumaSirayeli, uEhude waceba ukuthabatha inyathelo ngosuku olulandelayo lokusa umnikelo.—ABagwebi 3:14, 15.

Elungiselela inyathelo lakhe lenkalipho, uEhude wenza ikrele elintlangothi-mbini elinobude obuyikubhite. Ukuba le yayiyikubhite emfutshane, esi sixhobo sasimalunga neesentimitha ezingama-38 ubude. Bambi bangathi sasiyisabile. Kubonakala ukuba sasingenalo ixhanti phakathi kwentsimbi nesiphatho. Ngoko ke, uEhude wayenokulifihla eli krelana lakhe kwimiphetho yeengubo zakhe. Ngaphezu koko, ekubeni uEhude wayelinxele, ikrele lakhe wayenokulifaka ngasekunene—indawo engaqhelekanga yokufaka isixhobo.—ABagwebi 3:15, 16.

Icebo likaEhude lalinobungozi. Ngokomzekelo, kuthekani ukuba abalindi bokumkani babemhlolile uEhude befuna izixhobo? Kwanokuba babengakwenzanga oko, ngokuqinisekileyo babengenakushiya ukumkani wabo yedwa nomSirayeli! Kodwa ukuba kwakwenzekile oko aze uEglon abulawe, wayeya kuphuma phi uEhude ukuze asabe? Wayenokubaleka umgama ongakanani ngaphambi kokuba abalindi bakaEglon babone oko kwakwenzekile?

Alithandabuzeki elokuba uEhude wacamngca ngezi nkcukacha, mhlawumbi ecinga ngemiphumo emininzi eyintlekele. Noko ke, waqhubeka necebo lakhe, ebonakalisa inkalipho yaye enokholo kuYehova.

UEhude Udibana NoEglon

Usuku lokusa umnikelo olandelayo lwafika. UEhude namadoda akhe bangena ebhotwe lokumkani. Kungekudala, babemi phambi koKumkani uEglon ngokwakhe. Kodwa lalingekafiki ixesha lokuba uEhude ahlasele. Emva kokudlulisa iminikelo, uEhude wabandulula abo babethwele umnikelo.—ABagwebi 3:17, 18.

Kwakutheni ukuze uEhude alibazise ukubulala uEglon? Ngaba wayenkwantya? Akunjalo konke konke! Ukuze aphumeze icebo lakhe, uEhude wayefuna ukuba yedwa nokumkani—nto leyo angazange ayifumane ngesi sihlandlo sokuqala. Ngaphezu koko, uEhude kwakuya kufuneka aqhawule ngokukhawuleza. Ukusaba kwakuya kuba lula kumntu omnye kunabantu abaninzi ababethwele iminikelo. Ngoko ke, uEhude walindela ithuba elifanelekileyo. Utyelelo lwakhe olufutshane kuEglon lwamenza wanofifana ngebhotwe waza wabona umgangatho wonqabiseko lokumkani.

Akufika “emifanekisweni eqingqiweyo eseGiligali,” uEhude washiya amadoda akhe waza wabuyela kwibhotwe likaEglon. Umgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezimbini wanika uEhude ithutyana lokucinga ngephulo lakhe nokuthandazela intsikelelo kaYehova.—ABagwebi 3:19.

Ukubuya KukaEhude

Kubonakala ukuba uEhude waphinda wamkelwa ebhotwe. Mhlawumbi umnikelo wesisa awayewunikele ngaphambilana watsho kwaxhelw’ eXhukwane kuEglon. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba nangona utyelelo lokuqala lwalulufutshane, lwanika uEhude ithuba elaneleyo lokuzakhela ubuhlobo nokumkani. Enoba iyintoni na imeko, uEhude wayebuyele kuEglon.

UEhude wathi: “Ndinelizwi lasentsithelweni nawe, kumkani.” Isibakala sokuba sele ehambe umgama ongako sasiyimbonakaliso yokuba wayekhokelwa nguYehova. Kodwa, kwakukho ingxaki. ‘Ilizwi lasentsithelweni’ elalisiza noEhude lalingenakuthethwa phambi kwabalindi bokumkani. Ukuba uYehova wayeza kungenelela, uEhude wayelufuna olo ncedo ngokukhawuleza. “Yithini tu,” wayalela ukumkani. Ekubeni uEglon wayengafuni ukuba eli “lizwi lasentsithelweni” liviwe, wabakhupha abalindi bakhe. Khawuthelekelele indlela ezehla ngayo izibilini kuEhude!—ABagwebi 3:19.

UEglon wayehleli kwigumbi lakhe eliphezulu xa uEhude weza kuye waza wathi: “Ndinelizwi likaThixo eliza kuwe.” Ngokukhankanya ‘uThixo,’ ngaba uEhude wayebhekisela kuKemoshe? UEglon usenokuba wacinga njalo. Enomdla, wawufunqula loo mzimba wakhe mkhulu etroneni waza wema ngeenyawo elindile. UEhude wasondela, ngokunokwenzeka ethe chu ukuze ukumkani angarhaneli ukuba uza kumhlasela. Wandula ke, ngephanyazo, “uEhude wasolula isandla sakhe sokhohlo, walithabatha ikrele ethangeni lakhe lokunene, walifaka esiswini [sikaEglon]. Watsho sangena nesiphatho, salandela intsimbi; inqatha layivingcela intsimbi, ngokuba akalirholanga ikrele esiswini sakhe; laphuma phakathi kweempundu.”—ABagwebi 3:20-22.

Bengqungangqunga kude kufuphi, abalindi bokumkani abazange bathabathe nyathelo. Kodwa uEhude wayesesengozini. Nangaliphi na ixesha abalindi bakaEglon babenokumbonzeleka ngaphakathi baze bafumane isidumbu sokumkani wabo ofileyo. UEhude kwakufuneka eqhawule ngokukhawuleza! Ezitshixile iingcango, wasaba ngomngxuma wokungenisa impepho kwigumbi eliphezulu.—ABagwebi 3:23, 24a.

Ukuqabuka Nokoyiswa

Kungekudala abakhonzi bakaEglon bafun’ ukuqonda okwenzekayo. Kodwa, babengenabuganga bakucaphukisa ukumkani ngokuphazamisa intlanganiso yakhe yangasese. Bandula ke baphawula ukuba igumbi eliphezulu lalitshixiwe. Baqiqa ngelithi: “Fanel’ ukuba ugubungela iinyawo zakhe egumbini lempepho.” Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha, ukufun’ ukuqonda kwabo kwathatyathelw’ indawo lixhala. Abalindi bakaEglon babengasenakulinda. “Bathabatha isitshixo, bavula [iingcango zegumbi eliphezulu]: nantsi inkosi yabo iwe phantsi ifile.”—ABagwebi 3:24, 25.

Ngelo xesha, uEhude wayesabile. Wadlula kwimifanekiso eqingqiweyo yaseGiligali waza ekugqibeleni wafika eSehira, indawo ekweleentaba lakwaEfrayim. UEhude wabizela ndawonye amadoda akwaSirayeli waza wawakhokela ekuhlaseleni amaMowabhi emanyene. Le ngxelo ithi “babulala amaMowabhi ngelo xesha, amadoda angathi ngamawaka alishumi, onke etyebile, onke engamadoda anobukroti; akwasinda nanye indoda.” Ekubeni oyisiwe amaMowabhi, ilizwe lakwaSirayeli alizange liphazanyiswe kangangeminyaka engama-80.—ABagwebi 3:26-30.

Ukufunda Kumzekelo KaEhude

UEhude wayeshukunyiswa lukholo kuThixo. EyamaHebhere isahluko 11 ayimkhankanyi ngokukhethekileyo njengalowo ‘ngokholo woyisa izikumkani kungquzulwano, . . . waba nobukroti emfazweni, wayiphanzisa imikhosi yabasemzini.’ (Hebhere 11:33, 34) Noko ke, uYehova wamxhasa uEhude njengoko wayesenza isenzo sokholo waza wahlangula amaSirayeli kulawulo lobuzwilakhe lukaKumkani uEglon.

Inkalipho yayilolunye lweempawu awayenazo uEhude. Kwakufuneka abe nenkalipho ukuze aphathe ikrele lokoqobo aze enze into ebonakalayo. Njengabakhonzi bakaThixo bale mihla, asiliphathi ikrele elinjalo. (Isaya 2:4; Mateyu 26:52) Kodwa siyalisebenzisa ‘ikrele lomoya,’ iLizwi likaThixo. (Efese 6:17) UEhude wayenobunkunkqele ekusebenziseni isixhobo sakhe. Nathi kufuneka sibe nobuchule ekusebenziseni iLizwi likaThixo njengoko sishumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani. (Mateyu 24:14) Ufundisiso lobuqu lweBhayibhile, ukubakho rhoqo ezintlanganisweni zamaKristu, ukuba nenxaxheba ngenzondelelo kubulungiseleli, nokwayama ngoBawo wethu osezulwini ngomthandazo kuya kusinceda sixelise iimpawu ezabonakaliswa nguEhude, ngokwenene owayeyindoda eyayinokholo nenkalipho.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Picture On Page 31]

UEhude namadoda akhe babesisa iminikelo kuKumkani uEglon

[Inkcazelo]

Reproduced from Illustrirte Pracht - Bibel/Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testaments, nach der deutschen Uebersetzung D. Martin Luther’s