Imifanekiso Evela EZweni Lesithembiso

Ukuya EShilo—Izingane Eziqotho Nezimbi

LAPHO ucabanga ngemizi, amadolobha, noma izindawo zeZwe Lesithembiso, ingabe engqondweni yakho kufika abesilisa nabesifazane abathile abaphawulekayo? Cishe kunjalo, ngoba ukulandisa okuningi kakhulu kweBhayibheli kuhilela abantu abadala. Kodwa kuthiwani ngezingane emuva ngalesosikhathi? Ingabe uyazibona ngeso lengqondo kukhona okuthile ezikwenzayo?

Lesithombe esingenhla singasisiza ukuba sigxile ekulandiseni okuhilela intsha, enye yayo eyayiyizibonelo ezinhle zamaKristu nenye eyayiyizibonelo eziyizixwayiso. Leligquma eliyindingilizi eliphakathi nendawo ngokusobala liyinxiwa yeShilo yasendulo.a

Cishe uyakhumbula ukuthi lapho uIsrayeli engena eZweni Lesithembiso, waqala wamisa itabernakele likaNkulunkulu eGiligali eduze kwaseJeriko. (Joshuwa 4:19) Kodwa lapho lelizwe lihlukaniswa, lelitende elingcwele—isikhungo sokukhulekela kukaIsrayeli—lasuswa lapha layiswa eShilo. (Joshuwa 18:1) Yayingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-30 enyakatho yeJerusalema esifundeni sakwaEfrayimi esinezintaba. Abesilisa nabesifazane abavela kulo lonke elakwaIsrayeli babehamba baye eShilo; izixuku zabantu zazingabuthana ethafeni eliseningizimu yalapho okungenzeka itabernakele lalimi khona. (Joshuwa 22:12) Ingabe ungazicabanga izingane ziza lapha?

Ezinye zazifika. Isibonelo esiphawuleka kakhulu okufanele sisazi esikaSamuweli osemncane. Abazali bakhe, uElkana noHana, babehlala edolobheni elithile elingalé kwamagquma ngasentshonalanga. Unyaka ngamunye babehamba lapha, mhlawumbe behamba nezinye zezingane zenye inkosikazi kaElkana. Ekugcineni uJehova wabusisa uHana ngendodana, eyethiwa ngokuthi uSamuweli. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi abazali bakhe bamletha ukuba azohlala eShilo ukuze akwazi ukukhonza etabernakele nompristi omkhulu uEli.—1 Samuweli 1:1–2:11.

Lomfana wayenemisebenzi okwakudingeka ayenze endlini kaNkulunkulu, futhi kumelwe ukuba wayenamathuba amaningi okuqombola nje amagquma aseduze. (1 Samuweli 3:1, 15) Ezinye zazo zaziqondile zigcwele izihlahla zeminqumo, njengoba kubonakala kulesithombe esisekhasini 9. Phawula lelitshe elincane eliyinqaba yokulinda. Abalimi abangabodwa noma abelusi babengaqapha bemi enqabeni yokulinda enjengalena, kodwa ungamcabanga uSamuweli omncane naye egibela efuna ukubuka. (Qhathanisa neyesi-2 IziKronike 20:24.) Lena kwakungaba indawo enhle okwakungabukwa kuyo izilwane zasendle.

Emuva ngalesosikhathi, kwakunezihlahla eziningi ngokwengeziwe kunamanje; ngisho namahlathi lapho kwakuzulazula khona izilwane zasendle. (Joshuwa 17:15, 18) Lokhu sikubona esenzakalweni esenzeka lapho uElisha esengumprofethi oyinhloko kaNkulunkulu. UElisha wayekhuphuka evela eJeriko eya ngaseBethele, ngakho-ke wayekulendawo, engamakhilomitha angu-16 ukuya ngaseningizimu yeShilo. Wayeyokwamukelwa kanjani abantu baseBethele, eyase iyisikhungo sokukhulekela ithole legolide? (1 AmaKhosi 12:27-33; 2 AmaKhosi 10:29) Ngokusobala abantu abadala babengabathandi abaprofethi bakaJehova, futhi kubonakala sengathi isimo sabo sengqondo sadlulela nasenzalweni yabo.

Incwadi yeSibili yamaKhosi 2:23, 24 isitshela ukuthi iqembu lentsha laklolodela umprofethi kaNkulunkulu lithi: “Yenyuka wena-mpandlandini! Yenyuka wena-mpandlandini!” Ephendula, uElisha “wabaqalekisa egameni likaJehova. Kwase kuphuma ehlathini amabhere amabili ezinsikazi, adwengula abafana abangamashumi amane nambili kubo.” Amabhere anjalo ansundu aseSiriya angaba nolaka lapho ethusiwe noma lapho amazinyane awo ebonakala esongelwa. (2 Samuweli 17:8; IzAga 17:12; 28:15) UNkulunkulu wasebenzisa wona ekukhipheni isahlulelo saphezulu ngokumelene nalabo abadelela ummeleli wakhe futhi ngaleyondlela badelela uJehova ngokwakhe.

Ukuthi ingane yayingase ihlangane nezilwane ezinjalo zasendle emagqumeni azungeze iShilo kufanele kusisize ukuba silwazise ngokwengeziwe ukholo abazali bakaSamuweli abalubonisa ngokumletha ukuba azokhonza etabernakele.

Omunye umkhulekeli weqiniso ekuqaleni wayebonise ukholo nokuzinikela okufanayo—uMahluleli uJefta. Wayehlala ezweni elinamagquma laseGiliyadi ngasempumalanga yeJordani. Njengoba ayeshisekela uJehova ngokumelene nesitha esingama-Amoni, uJefta wenza isithembiso sokuthi noma ubani ophuma kuqala endlini yakhe ukumhlangabeza wayeyakunikelwa kuJehova. Kwaphuma indodakazi yakhe emsulwa. Khona-ke waletha ingane yakhe okuwukuphela kwayo endlini engcwele kaNkulunkulu eShilo, lapho yahlala khona yakhonza ngokwethembeka iminyaka eminingi.—AbAhluleli 11:30-40.

Ukuzinikela ngokwethembeka okwabonakaliswa uSamuweli nendodakazi kaJefta kulendawo yaseShilo ngokuqinisekile kuhluke kakhulu esibonelweni esibi samahlongandlebe angu-42 agcona umprofethi kaJehova kuyona lendawo efanayo.—Qhathanisa neyoku-1 Korinte 10:6, 11.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 8]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 9]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 9]

Safari Zoo, Ramat-Gan, Tel Aviv