Lingisa Ukholo Lwabo

Wakulwela Ukukhulekela Okumsulwa

U-ELIYA wabuka isixuku njengoba sasenyuka emagqumeni eNtaba iKarmeli. Nakuba kwakusantwela ezansi, ubumpofu nokuhlupheka kwalaba bantu kwakusobala. Babegqilazwe yisomiso seminyaka emithathu nesigamu.

Phakathi kwabo kwakunabaprofethi bakaBhali abangu-450 ababegcwele ukuzidla, beqhosha futhi bemzonda u-Eliya, umprofethi kaJehova. INdlovukazi uJezebeli yayibulale izinceku zikaJehova eziningi, kodwa le ndoda yalwa ngamandla nokukhulekelwa kukaBhali. Kodwa kwakuyoze kube nini? Mhlawumbe labo bapristi babecabanga ukuthi indoda eyodwa yayingeke ibanqobe bebonke. (1 AmaKhosi 18:3, 19, 20) Kwakukhona neNkosi u-Ahabi, igibele inqola yayo yasebukhosini. Nayo yayingamfuni u-Eliya.

Lo mprofethi owayeyedwa wayezobhekana nosuku ayengakaze abhekane nalo ekuphileni kwakhe. Njengoba u-Eliya ayebhekile, wayesazobona ukungqubuzana okwakungakaze kubonwe phakathi kobubi nobuhle. Wazizwa kanjani njengoba usuku luqhubeka? Wayenovalo, ngoba “wayengumuntu onemizwa efana neyethu.” (Jakobe 5:17) Okungenani singaqiniseka ngalokhu: Njengoba ayezungezwe abantu abangenalukholo, inkosi eyisihlubuki nabapristi ababefuna ukumbulala, kwakufanele ukuba u-Eliya azizwe eyedwa ngempela.—1 AmaKhosi 18:22.

Kodwa, yini eyayenze u-Israyeli wazithola ekule nkiyankiya? Futhi lokhu kulandisa kukuthinta ngani wena namuhla? IBhayibheli lisikhuthaza ukuba sigxilise amehlo ezincekwini zikaNkulunkulu ezazithembekile futhi ‘silingise ukholo lwazo.’ (Hebheru 13:7) Manje cabangela isibonelo sika-Eliya.

Impi Yesikhathi Eside Ifinyelela Umvuthwandaba

Engxenyeni enkulu yokuphila kwakhe, u-Eliya wabona into enhle kakhulu ngezwe lakubo nabantu bakubo ilahlwa futhi inyathelwa phansi, kodwa kungekho lutho ayengalwenza. Phela, kwase kuyisikhathi eside u-Israyeli ebhekene nempi phakathi kwenkolo emsulwa neyamanga, phakathi kokukhulekelwa kukaJehova uNkulunkulu nokukhulekela izithombe kwezizwe ezizungezile. Osukwini luka-Eliya, le mpi yayisifinyelele iqophelo elibi kakhulu.

INkosi u-Ahabi yayishade noJezebeli, indodakazi yenkosi yaseSidoni. UJezebeli wayezimisele ukusakaza ukukhulekelwa kukaBhali ezweni lakwa-Israyeli futhi aqede ukukhulekelwa kukaJehova. U-Ahabi wathonyeka ngokushesha. Wakha ithempeli ne-altare likaBhali futhi wahola ekukhothameleni lo nkulunkulu wamaqaba. Wamcasula kakhulu uJehova.—1 AmaKhosi 16:30-33.a

Yini eyayenza ukukhulekelwa kukaBhali kunyanyeke kangaka? Kwayenga u-Israyeli, kwenza abaningi bamhlubuka uNkulunkulu weqiniso. Futhi kwakuyinkolo eyonakele nenesihluku. Yayihlanganisa amadoda nabesifazane ababefeba ethempelini, amahlazo obulili ngisho nokwenziwa kwezingane umhlatshelo. UJehova wasabela ngokuthumela u-Eliya ku-Ahabi ukuba amemezele isomiso esasiyoqhubeka kuze kube yilapho umprofethi kaNkulunkulu ememezela ukuphela kwaso. (1 AmaKhosi 17:1) Kwadlula iminyaka ethile ngaphambi kokuba u-Eliya avele phambi kuka-Ahabi futhi amtshele ukuthi ahlanganise abantu kanye nabaprofethi bakaBhali eNtabeni iKarmeli.

Kodwa le mpi isithinta kanjani namuhla? Abanye bangase bacabange ukuthi indaba ephathelene nokukhulekelwa kukaBhali ayisithinti manje, ngoba awekho amathempeli nama-altare kaBhali. Kodwa lokhu kulandisa akuwona nje umlando wasendulo. (Roma 15:4) Igama elithi “uBhali” lisho “umnikazi” noma “inkosi.” UJehova watshela abantu bakhe ukuthi kufanele bakhethe yena ‘njengobhali’ wabo, noma umyeni wabo. (Isaya 54:5) Awuvumi yini ukuthi abantu basakhonza amakhosi ahlukahlukene ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke? Empeleni, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abantu basebenzisa ukuphila kwabo ekuphishekeleni imali, umsebenzi othile, ukuzilibazisa, injabulo yobulili, noma abanye onkulunkulu abaningi abakhulekelwayo esikhundleni sikaJehova, bakhetha inkosi. (Mathewu 6:24; Roma 6:16) Khona-ke, ngomqondo othile, izici ezivelele ezazitholakala ekukhulekelweni kukaBhali zisekhona nanamuhla. Leyo mpi phakathi kukaJehova noBhali ingasisiza ukuba senze isinqumo esihlakaniphile ngokuphathelene nokuthi ubani esiyomkhonza.

‘Ukuxhugela’—Kanjani?

INtaba iKarmeli, enesiqongo esiheleza umoya, yengame elakwa-Israyeli—kusuka esigodini saseKhishoni ngaphansi kwayo kuya oLwandle Olukhulu (uLwandle iMedithera) oluseduze kuze kuyofika ezintabeni zaseLebhanoni lé enyakatho.b Kodwa njengoba ilanga laliphuma ngalolu suku lwamanqamu, isimo sasishubile. Leli zwe elalikade livundile uJehova ayelinike abantwana baka-Abrahama lalenganywe yithunzi lokufa. Manje lase liyizwe eligagadekile ngenxa yokushisa kwelanga, lonakaliswe ubuwula babantu bakaNkulunkulu ngokwabo! Njengoba labo bantu babebuthana, u-Eliya wasondela kubo wathi: “Kuyoze kube nini nixhugela phakathi kwemibono emibili? Uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu weqiniso, landelani yena.”—1 AmaKhosi 18:21.

Wayesho ukuthini u-Eliya ngamazwi athi “nixhugela phakathi kwemibono emibili”? Labo bantu babengaqapheli ukuthi kufanele bakhethe phakathi kokukhulekela uJehova nokukhulekela uBhali. Babecabanga ukuthi bangakwenza kokubili—babengakhetha ukushweleza kuBhali ngemicikilisho yabo enyanyekayo bebe becela umusa kaJehova uNkulunkulu. Mhlawumbe babecabanga ukuthi uBhali wayezobusisa isivuno sabo nemfuyo, kuyilapho “uJehova wamabutho” ayezobavikela empini. (1 Samuweli 17:45) Babekhohlwe iqiniso elisemqoka—elingakabakhanyeli abantu abaningi namuhla—lokuthi uJehova akafuni ukuhlanganyela ukukhulekelwa kwakhe nanoma ubani. Ufuna ukukhulekelwa yedwa futhi uyakufanelekela. Noma ikuphi ukukhulekelwa kwakhe okuxutshwa nolunye uhlobo lokukhulekela akakwamukeli, empeleni kuyamcasula!—Eksodusi 20:5.

Ngakho lawo ma-Israyeli ‘ayexhugela’ njengomuntu ozama ukuhamba ezindleleni ezimbili ngasikhathi sinye. Abantu abaningi bavame ukwenza iphutha elifanayo namuhla, bavumele abanye “obhali” ukuba bangene ekuphileni kwabo, badedisele kude ukukhulekelwa kukaNkulunkulu! Umkhosi ka-Eliya wokuba abantu bayeke ukuxhugela usisiza ukuba sihlaziye izinto eziza kuqala nendlela yethu yokukhulekela.

Isivivinyo Esiwujuqu

U-Eliya wabe esehlongoza isivivinyo. Sasilula kakhulu. Abapristi bakaBhali babezomisa i-altare babeke umhlatshelo phezu kwalo; khona-ke kwakufanele bathandazele ukuba unkulunkulu wabo okhele umlilo. No-Eliya wayezokwenza okufanayo. Wathi: “UNkulunkulu weqiniso ophendula ngomlilo kube nguye onguNkulunkulu weqiniso.” U-Eliya wayazi kahle ukuthi ubani onguNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ukholo lwakhe lwalunamandla kangangokuba akazange angabaze ukuvumela labo bapristi bakaBhali ukuba bathandaze kuqala. Wanika abamelene naye ithuba elingcono, wabavumela ukuba bakhethe inkunzi ababezoyinikela futhi bathandaze kuBhali kuqala.c—1 AmaKhosi 18:24, 25.

Asiphili enkathini yezimangaliso. Kodwa uJehova akakashintshi. Singamethemba njengoba nje no-Eliya amethemba. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho abanye bengavumelani nalokho okufundiswa yiBhayibheli, akudingeki sesabe ukubavumela ukuba baveze umbono wabo kuqala. Njengo-Eliya, singathembela kuNkulunkulu weqiniso ukuba axazulule udaba. Lokho asikwenzi ngokuzethemba thina, kodwa ngokuthembela eZwini lakhe eliphefumulelwe, eliklanyelwe ukuba ‘liqondise izinto.’—2 Thimothewu 3:16.

Abaprofethi bakaBhali balungisa umhlatshelo wabo base bebiza unkulunkulu wabo. Bamemeza ngokuphindaphindiwe: “O Bhali, siphendule!” Kwaphela imizuzu namahora belokhu bememeza. IBhayibheli lithi: “Kodwa kwakungekho zwi, kungekho namuntu ophendulayo.” Emini u-Eliya waqala ukubagcona, ebabhuqa ngokuthi kumelwe ukuba uBhali umatasa kakhulu ukuba angaphendula, wayesendlini yangasese, noma wayesacambalele, ngakho othile kwakufanele amvuse. U-Eliya wakhuthaza laba bakhohlisi: “Memezani ngalo lonke izwi lenu.” Ngokusobala, wayebona ukuthi lokhu kukhulekelwa kukaBhali kungamanga anobuwula, futhi efuna ukuba abantu bakaNkulunkulu bakubone ngokucacile lokho.—1 AmaKhosi 18:26, 27.

Besabela, abapristi bakaBhali bahlanya nakakhulu, ‘bememeza ngezwi labo lonke bazisika ngokwenkambiso yabo ngezinqindi nangezijula, baze bagxaza igazi.’ Kwaba nhlanga zimuka nomoya! “Akubanga nazwi, kwangaba namuntu ophendulayo, futhi kwangaba nakunaka.” (1 AmaKhosi 18:28, 29) Empeleni, wayengekho uBhali. Wayeyicebo likaSathane lokususa abantu kuJehova. Nanamuhla, njengoba kwakunjalo ngaleso sikhathi, ukukhetha enye inkosi ngaphandle kukaJehova kuholela ekudumazekeni, ngisho nasehlazweni.—IHubo 25:3; 115:4-8.

Impendulo

Ntambama ngalolo suku, ithuba lika-Eliya lafika. Walungisa i-altare likaJehova elalidiliziwe, ngokungangabazeki lidilizwe izitha zokukhulekela kweqiniso. Wasebenzisa amatshe angu-12, okungenzeka akhumbuza abaningi esizweni sakwa-Israyeli esinezizwana eziyishumi ukuthi zazisengaphansi koMthetho owanikwa zonke izizwana ezingu-12. Wabe esebeka umhlatshelo wakhe futhi wayala ukuba konke okwakulapho kuthelwe ngamanzi, okungenzeka ayelandwe oLwandle iMedithera oluseduze. Waze wayala ukuba kumbiwe umsele ozungeza i-altare, nawo ugcwaliswe ngamanzi. Nakuba ayenikeze abaprofethi bakaBhali ithuba elingcono kakhulu, wenza okuphambene ngoJehova—ngoba wayemethemba ngempela uNkulunkulu wakhe.—1 AmaKhosi 18:30-35.

Lapho konke sekumi ngomumo, u-Eliya wathandaza. Umthandazo wakhe, owawulula, wabonisa ngokucacile ukuthi yini u-Eliya ayeyikhathalela kakhulu. Okusemqoka, wayefuna ukuba kwaziwe ukuthi uJehova, hhayi uBhali, ‘wayenguNkulunkulu kwa-Israyeli.’ Okwesibili, wayefuna bonke abantu bazi ukuthi yena wayefeza nje indima yokuba inceku kaJehova; lonke udumo kwakufanele luye kuNkulunkulu. Ekugcineni, wabonisa ukuthi wayesabakhathalela abantu bakubo, ngoba wayezimisele ukubona uJehova ‘ebuyisa inhliziyo yabo.’ (1 AmaKhosi 18:36, 37) Naphezu kosizi olukhulu ababelubangele ngenxa yokuntula kwabo ukholo, u-Eliya wayesabathanda. Lapho sithandaza kuNkulunkulu, singakubonisa yini ukukhathalela okufanayo ngegama likaNkulunkulu, kanye nokuthobeka nozwela ngabanye abadinga usizo?

Ngaphambi kokuba u-Eliya athandaze, kungenzeka izixuku zazizibuza ukuthi ingabe uJehova wayezoba isehluleki njengoBhali yini. Kodwa ngemva komthandazo, sasingekho isikhathi sokungabaza. Ukulandisa kuthi: “Khona-ke umlilo kaJehova wehla wawudla umnikelo wokushiswa nezinkuni namatshe nothuli, wakhotha namanzi ayesemseleni.” (1 AmaKhosi 18:38) Yeka impendulo emangalisayo! Abantu basabela kanjani?

Bamemeza bonke: “UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso! UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso!” (1 AmaKhosi 18:39) Ekugcineni balibona iqiniso. Kodwa babengakalubonisi ukholo. Empeleni, ukuvuma ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso ngemva kokubona umlilo wehla ezulwini lapho ephendula umthandazo akusona isibonakaliso sokholo esihlaba umxhwele. Ngakho u-Eliya wafuna ukuba benze okwengeziwe. Wabacela ukuba benze lokho okwakufanele ngabe bakwenza eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambili—ukulalela uMthetho kaJehova. UMthetho kaNkulunkulu wawuthi abaprofethi bamanga nabakhulekeli bezithombe kufanele babulawe. (Duteronomi 13:5-9) Laba bapristi bakaBhali babeyizitha zangempela zikaJehova uNkulunkulu ezazimelene nezinjongo zakhe ngamabomu. Ingabe kwakufanele baboniswe isihe? Ingabe bonke labo bantwana abangenacala abashiswa bephila njengomhlatshelo kuBhali babeboniswe isihe? (IzAga 21:13; Jeremiya 19:5) Cha, labo bantu babengasenakusiboniswa isihe. Ngakho u-Eliya wayala ukuba babulawe, futhi babulawa.—1 AmaKhosi 18:40.

Abanye abagxeki banamuhla bayakhononda ngendlela lesi sivivinyo esaphetha ngayo eNtabeni iKarmeli. Abanye bangase bakhathazeke ngokuthi abashisekeli benkolo bangase basisebenzise njengebhaxa lezenzo zobudlova ezibangelwa ukungabekezelelani ngokwenkolo. Ngokudabukisayo, baningi abashisekeli benkolo abanobudlova namuhla. Kodwa u-Eliya wayengenjalo. Wayemelele uJehova ekukhipheni isahlulelo esinobulungisa. Ngaphezu kwalokho, amaKristu eqiniso ayazi ukuthi awanakuyilandela inkambo ka-Eliya ngokubulala ababi. Ngemva kokufika kukaMesiya, indinganiso yabo bonke abafundi bakaJesu itholakala emazwini uKristu awasho kuPetru: “Buyisela inkemba yakho endaweni yayo, ngoba bonke abaphatha inkemba bayobhubha ngenkemba.” (Mathewu 26:52) UJehova uyosebenzisa iNdodana yakhe ekukhipheni isahlulelo saphezulu esikhathini esizayo.

Umthwalo wemfanelo womKristu weqiniso uwukuphila ngokholo. (Johane 3:16) Enye indlela yokwenza lokho iwukulingisa amadoda ayethembekile njengo-Eliya. Wakhulekela uJehova kuphela futhi wakhuthaza nabanye ukuba benze okufanayo. Ngesibindi wadalula ukukhohlisa kwenkolo eyayisetshenziswa uSathane ukuze ahlubule abantu kuJehova. Futhi wathembela kuJehova ukuba axazulule izindaba kunokuba athembele emakhonweni nasemandleni akhe siqu. Ngempela, u-Eliya wakulwela ukukhulekela okumsulwa. Kwangathi ngabanye singalingisa ukholo lwakhe!

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 20]

Ukukhetha enye inkosi ngaphandle kukaJehova kuholela ekudumazekeni

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

“UJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso!”