Bavuzwa Ngenxa Yokuhamba Ngokungasoleki
UJEHOVA ubusisa futhi avuze izinceku zakhe ezithembekile. Kungase kudingeke zilinde isikhathi esithile ukuze zibone ukufezwa kwezinjongo zikaNkulunkulu, kodwa yeka ukuthi kujabulisa kanjani lapho sezithola isibusiso sakhe!
Lokhu kwaboniswa kahle eminyakeni engaba izinkulungwane ezimbili edlule endabeni yompristi ongumJuda uZakariya nomkakhe, u-Elisabethe, bobabili ababengabozalo luka-Aroni. UNkulunkulu wayethembise ukubusisa ama-Israyeli ngenzalo uma ayemkhonza ngokwethembeka. Wathi abantwana bangumvuzo. (Levitikusi 26:9; IHubo 127:3) Nokho, uZakariya no-Elisabethe babengenabantwana futhi base bebadala kakhulu.—Luka 1:1-7.
ImiBhalo ithi uZakariya no-Elisabethe “babelungile bobabili phambi kukaNkulunkulu behamba ngayo yonke imiyalo nezimiso zeNkosi, bengasoleki.” (Luka 1:6) Babemthanda kakhulu uNkulunkulu kangangokuthi kwakungewona umthwalo kubona ukuphishekela inkambo yokulunga nokugcina imiyalo yakhe.—1 Johane 5:3.
Izibusiso Ezingalindelekile
Ake sibuyele enkathini engasekupheleni kwentwasahlobo noma ekuqaleni kwehlobo ngonyaka ka-3 B.C.E. UHerode oMkhulu ubusa njengenkosi eJudiya. Ngolunye usuku, umpristi uZakariya ungena endaweni eNgcwele yethempeli eJerusalema. Lapho abantu behlangene bethandaza ngaphandle kwendlu engcwele, ushisa impepho e-altare legolide. Cishe njengoba lena ibhekwa njengenkonzo ebaluleke ukuzedlula zonke izinkonzo zansuku zonke, yenziwa ngemva kokwenziwa komnikelo. Kungenzeka ukuthi umpristi wayeba nalelilungelo kanye kuphela ekuphileni kwakhe.
UZakariya umangazwa yilokho akubonayo. Phela, ingelosi kaJehova imi ngakwesokudla se-altare lempepho! Lompristi osekhulile uyakhathazeka futhi uyethuka. Kodwa ingelosi ithi: “Ungesabi, Zakariya, ngokuba isicelo sakho sizwakele; umkakho uElisabethe uzakukuzalela indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJohane.” Yebo, uJehova wayeyizwile imithandazo eqotho ka-Elisabethe noZakariya.—Luka 1:8-13.
Lengelosi iyenezela: “Uzakuba-nokujabula nokuthokoza wena; nabaningi bazakujabula ngokuzalwa kwakhe. Ngokuba uzakuba-mkhulu emehlweni eNkosi; kasoze waphuza iwayini nophuzo oludakisayo; uzakugcwaliswa nguMoya oNgcwele esesesiswini sikanina.” UJohane uzoba umNaziri ogcwaliswe ngomoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu kukho konke ukuphila kwakhe. Lengelosi iyaqhubeka: “Abaningi kubantwana bakwaIsrayeli uyakubaphendulela eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabo. Uyakuhamba ngaphambi kwayo emoyeni nasemandleni kaEliya ukuphendulela izinhliziyo zawoyise kubantwana nabangalaleliyo ekuqondeni kwabalungileyo, ukulungisela iNkosi isizwe esilungiselweyo.”—Luka 1:14-17.
UZakariya uyabuza: “Ngiyakukwazi ngani lokhu na? Ingani sengiyindoda endala mina, nomkami uqhubekile ezinsukwini zakhe.” Ingelosi iyaphendula: “NginguGabriyeli mina, omiyo phambi kukaNkulunkulu; ngithunyiwe ukuba ngikhulume kuwe, ngikubikele lezizindaba ezinhle. Bheka-ke, uzakuba-yisimungulu, ungakwazi ukukhuluma kuze kube-lusuku okwenzeka ngalo lokhu, ngokuba ungakholwanga ngamazwi ami azakugcwaliseka ngesikhathi sawo.” Lapho uZakariya ephuma endlini engcwele, akakwazi ukukhuluma, futhi abantu bacabanga ukuthi ubone umbono wamandla angaphezu kwawemvelo. Okuwukuphela kwento akwazi ukuyenza ukukhuluma ngezimpawu, esebenzisa ukushukuma komzimba ukuze adlulisele imicabango yakhe. Lapho inkonzo yakhe yasobala isidlulile, uphindela ekhaya.—Luka 1:18-23.
Imbangela Yenjabulo
Njengoba kwakuthenjisiwe, ngokushesha u-Elisabethe unesizathu sokujabula. Uyakhulelwa, kusuka ihlazo lokuba inyumba. Isihlobo sakhe uMariya, naso siyajabula, ngoba yona leyongelosi, uGabriyeli, iyamtshela: “Bheka, uzakukhulelwa, uzale indodana, uyiqambe igama lokuthi uJesu. Yena uyakuba-mkhulu, athiwe iNdodana yoPhezukonke; iNkosi uNkulunkulu iyakumnika isihlalo sobukhosi sikayise uDavide.” UMariya uzimisele ukufeza lendima yokuba ‘incekukazi yeNkosi.’—Luka 1:24-38.
UMariya uphuthuma ekhaya likaZakariya no-Elisabethe emzini wasezweni lakwaJuda elinezintaba. Lapho kuzwakala ukubingelela kukaMariya, umntwana osesizalweni sika-Elisabethe uyagxuma. Ngaphansi kwethonya lomoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, u-Elisabethe umemeza ngezwi elikhulu: “Ubusisiwe wena esifazaneni! Sibusisiwe nesithelo sesisu sakho! Ngehlelwe kanjani yilokhu ukuba unina weNkosi yami ahambele kimi na? Ngokuba bheka, kuthé izwi lokubingelela kwakho lifika ezindlebeni zami, umntwana waxhuma esiswini sami ngokujabula. Ubusisiwe owakholwayo, ngokuba kuzakuba-khona ukufezeka kwalokho akutshelwa, kuvela eNkosini.” UMariya usabela ngenjabulo enkulu. Uhlala no-Elisabethe izinyanga ezintathu.—Luka 1:39-56.
UJohane Uyazalwa
Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi u-Elisabethe noZakariya asebekhulile bazala indodana. Ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili, umntwana uyasokwa. Izihlobo zifuna ukwetha umfana igama lokuthi uZakariya, kodwa u-Elisabethe uthi: “Qhabo, uzakuthiwa uJohane.” Uyavuma yini umyeni wakhe ongakakwazi namanje ukukhuluma? Ubhala esiletini ukuthi: “NguJohane igama lakhe.” Kungazelelwe, ulimi lukaZakariya luyahlambuluka, futhi uqala ukukhuluma, edumisa uJehova.—Luka 1:57-66.
Egcwele umoya ongcwele, lompristi ojabule uyaprofetha. Ukhuluma njengokungathi uMkhululi othenjisiwe—“uphondo lwensindiso endlini kaDavide”—wayesephakanyisiwe kakade ngokuvumelana nesivumelwano sika-Abrahama esiphathelene neNzalo okuyobusiswa ngayo zonke izizwe. (Genesise 22:15-18) Njengomhlahli wendlela kaMesiya, indodana kaZakariya uqobo ezalwe ngokuyisimangaliso ‘iyakuhamba phambi kweNkosi ukunika abantu bayo ukuyazi insindiso.’ Njengoba iminyaka yayidlula, uJohane waqhubeka ekhula eqina emoyeni.—Luka 1:67-80.
Bavuzwa Ngokucebile
UZakariya no-Elisabethe babeyizibonelo ezinhle zokholo nokubekezela. Baqhubeka bekhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka ngisho noma kwadingeka balindele uNkulunkulu, futhi izibusiso zabo ezinkulu ukwedlula zonke zafika lapho sebebadala kakhulu.
Nokho, yeka izibusiso u-Elisabethe noZakariya abazijabulela! Ngaphansi kwethonya lomoya kaNkulunkulu, bobabili baprofetha. Baba nelungelo lokuba abazali nabeluleki bomhlahli wendlela kaMesiya, uJohane uMbhapathizi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uNkulunkulu wababheka njengabalungile. Ngokufanayo, labo namuhla abaphishekela inkambo yokwesaba uNkulunkulu bangaba nokuma okuhle noNkulunkulu futhi bayothola imivuzo eminingi ebusisekile ngenxa yokuhamba ngokungasoleki emiyalweni kaJehova.