Izikhathi Sezishintshile

YEKA injabulo okumelwe ukuba kwakuyiyo ukuphila kwa-Israyeli wasendulo ngaphansi kokubusa okumangalisayo kweNkosi ekholekile uSolomoni! Kwakuyinkathi yokuthula, ukuchuma, nenjabulo. Phakathi nesikhathi lapho uSolomoni akumela ngokuqinile ukukhulekela kweqiniso, uJehova wabusisa isizwe ngokuchichimayo. UNkulunkulu akayinikezanga iNkosi uSolomoni ingcebo eningi nje kuphela kodwa futhi wayinikeza ‘nenhliziyo enokuhlakanipha nokuqonda’ ukuze ibuse ngokulunga nangothando. (1 AmaKhosi 3:12) IBhayibheli lithi: “Onke amakhosi omhlaba afuna ubuso bukaSolomoni ukuba ezwe ukuhlakanipha kwakhe, uNkulunkulu akubekile enhliziyweni yakhe.”—2 IziKronike 9:23.

UJehova wanikeza abantu ukulondeka, ukuthula, nensada yezinto ezinhle. IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “OJuda noIsrayeli babebaningi ngangesihlabathi solwandle ngobuningi, bedla, bephuza, bejabula.” Ngomqondo ongokoqobo nongokomfanekiso, abantu “bahlala belondekile, kwaba-yilowo nalowo phansi komvini wakhe nomkhiwane wakhe . . . zonke izinsuku zikaSolomoni.”—1 AmaKhosi 4:20, 25.

Izikhathi sezishintshile. Namuhla ukuphila kuhluke kakhulu kulezo zinsuku ezijabulisayo zakudala. Ngokungafani nasesikhathini sikaSolomoni, inkinga enkulu namuhla ubumpofu. Ngisho nasemazweni acebile, kukhona ubumpofu. Ngokwesibonelo, kokubili e-United States nasemazweni ayingxenye ye-European Union, cishe amaphesenti angu-15 abantu aphila ngobumpofu, kuphawula i-United Nations Development Program.

Ngokuphathelene nesimo sembulunga yonke, i-State of the World’s Children 1994, ewumbiko we-UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), iphawula ukuthi ingxenye eyodwa kweziyisihlanu yenani labantu emhlabeni iphila ngobumpofu ngokuphelele, inezela ukuthi ukuphila kweningi labampofu emhlabeni “kuya kuba nzima futhi kuba bucayi ngokwengeziwe.”

Kwamanye amazwe, ukwehla kwamandla emali okudlangayo kunezela izinkinga zabampofu. Owesifazane othile kwelinye izwe lase-Afrika wathi: “Ubona into ethile emakethe, bese uthi, ‘Kulungile, ake ngiye ekhaya ngiyolanda imali yokuyithenga.’ Uyabuya ngemva kwehora usutshelwa ukuthi awunakuyithenga ngalemali ngoba inani lisanda kukhushulwa. Yini umuntu azoyenza? Kukhungathekisa ngempela.”

Omunye wesifazane lapho wathi: ‘Ukuze siphile, siyakhohlwa ngezinye izidingo. Esikhathazeka ngakho manje ukuthi sikuthola kanjani ukudla.’

Ngokwenhlangano yeZizwe Ezihlangene, ikusasa libonakala lithena amandla. Ngokwesibonelo, i-UNICEF ilinganisela ukuthi uma ukwanda kwenani labantu kuqhubeka ngalendlela yamanje, inani labantu abampofu emhlabeni wonke liyophindeka kane “phakathi nesilinganiso sesikhathi sokuphila komuntu esisodwa.”

Nokho, naphezu kwezimo zomnotho nezenhlalo eziya ziba zimbi kakhulu, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zinesizathu sokuzizwa zinethemba. Nakuba ziphila phakathi kwabantu ababheka ikusasa ngokungabi nathemba okukhulayo, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zibheka ikusasa ngenjabulo nangokuqiniseka. Isihloko esilandelayo sizohlola izizathu zalokhu.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]

De Grunne/Sipa Press