Benza Intando KaJehova

U-Eliya Uphakamisa UNkulunkulu Weqiniso

WAYEYINDODA eyayifunwa phansi phezulu kwa-Israyeli. Cishe wayezobulawa nakanjani uma inkosi yayingamthola. Ubani lendoda eyayizingelwa kangaka? Umprofethi kaJehova u-Eliya.

INkosi u-Ahabi nomkayo oyiqaba, uJezabeli, babebangele ukuba ukukhulekelwa kukaBali kuchume kwa-Israyeli. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova waletha isomiso ezweni, manje okwase kungunyaka waso wesine. UJezabeli owayethukuthele wayala ukuba kubulawe abaprofethi bakaJehova, kodwa u-Ahabi wayefuna u-Eliya kakhulu. Eminyakeni engaphezu kwemithathu ngaphambili, ngu-Eliya owayetshele u-Ahabi ukuthi: “Akuyikubakho-mazolo namvula kuleminyaka, kuphela ngesiyalezo sezwi lami.” (1 AmaKhosi 17:1) Futhi isomiso esaba umphumela saqhubeka.

Kulesi simo esibucayi, uJehova watshela u-Eliya: “Hamba, uzibonakalise kuAhabi; ngiyakunisa imvula emhlabeni.” Efaka ukuphila kwakhe engozini enkulu, u-Eliya walalela umyalo kaJehova.—1 AmaKhosi 18:1, 2.

Izitha Ezimbili Ziyahlangana

“Nguwe, ongumhluphi wakwaIsrayeli na?” kubuza u-Ahabi, lapho ebona u-Eliya. “Mina angimhluphanga uIsrayeli,” kuphendula u-Eliya ngesibindi, “kepha nguwe nendlu kayihlo, ngokuyilahla imiyalo kaJehova, uze ulandele oBali.” Khona-ke u-Eliya wayala ukuba wonke u-Israyeli ahlangane eNtabeni yaseKarmeli, kuhlanganise “nabaprofethi bakaBali abangamakhulu amane namashumi ayisihlanu, nabaprofethi baka-Ashera abangamakhulu amane.” U-Eliya wabe esekhuluma nesixuku: “Koze kube-nini nimanqikanqika [nixhugela] phakathi kwezinhlangothi ezimbili na?a Uma uJehova enguNkulunkulu, mlandeleni yena, kepha uma kunguBali mlandeleni yena.”—1 AmaKhosi 18:17-21.

Abantu bathula. Mhlawumbe baliqaphela icala labo lokuhluleka ukunika uJehova ukuzinikela okukhethekile. (Eksodusi 20:4, 5) Noma kungaba ukuthi onembeza babo babebuthuntu kangangokuthi babengaboni cala ekuthembekeni kubo bobabili uJehova noBali. Kunoma yikuphi, u-Eliya wayala abantu ukuba bamnike izinkunzi ezimbili—enye kube eyabaprofethi bakaBali enye kube eyakhe. Zombili izinkunzi zazizolungiselelwa umhlatshelo, kodwa kwakungeke kokhelwe mlilo. “Libizeni igama likankulunkulu wenu,” kusho u-Eliya, “mina ngibize igama likaJehova; bese-kuthi uNkulunkulu ophendula ngomlilo abe-nguye onguNkulunkulu.”—1 AmaKhosi 18:23, 24.

UJehova Uyaphakanyiswa

Abaprofethi bakaBali baqala “baxhuma ngase-altare ebelenziwe.” Imini yonke babekhamuluka: “Bali, siphenduleni!” Kodwa uBali akaphendulanga. (1 AmaKhosi 18:26) U-Eliya wayeseqala ukubabhinqa: “Memezani ngezwi elikhulu, noma engunkulunkulu.” (1 AmaKhosi 18:27) Abaprofethi bakaBali baqala ukuzisika ngemimese nangemikhonto—umkhuba owawenziwa amaqaba ukuze ashukumise isihawu sonkulunkulu bawo.b—1 AmaKhosi 18:28.

Kwase kuntambama manje, futhi abakhulekeli bakaBali babeqhubeka ‘beprofetha’—izwi kulomongo elidlulisela umqondo wokuqhubeka esimweni sobuhlanya nokuphelelwa ukuzithiba. Ntambama impela, u-Eliya wathi kubantu: “Sondelani kimi.” Bonke babuka ngokulangazelela njengoba u-Eliya akha kabusha i-altare likaJehova, emba umsele olizungezayo, ehlahlela inkunzi, eyibeka phezu kwe-altare nezinkuni ukuba kushiswe. Ngemva kwalokho, inkunzi, i-altare, nezinkuni kwamanziswa kwamanzi té, futhi umsele wagcwaliswa ngamanzi (ngokungangabazeki amanzi olwandle ayekhiwe oLwandle LwaseMedithera). Khona-ke, u-Eliya wayesethandaza kuJehova: “Makwazeke namuhla ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu kwaIsrayeli, nokuthi mina ngiyinceku yakho, nokuthi ngenzile konke lokhu ngezwi lakho. Ngiphendule, Jehova, ngiphendule ukuba lababantu bazi ukuthi wena-Jehova unguNkulunkulu nokuthi uphendukisela kuwe izinhliziyo.”—1 AmaKhosi 18:29-37.

Ngokushesha, umlilo wehla uvela ezulwini “wawuqeda umnikelo wokushiswa, nezinkuni, namatshe, nothuli, wakhotha amanzi asemseleni.” Abantu ababebukele ngokushesha bawa ngobuso, bathi: “UJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu; uJehova nguye onguNkulunkulu.” Ngokuyala kuka-Eliya abaprofethi bakaBali babanjwa behliselwa emfudlaneni iKishoni, lapho babulawelwa khona.—1 AmaKhosi 18:38-40.

Isifundo Kithi

U-Eliya wabonakalisa lokho okungase kubonakale njengesibindi esingaphezu kwesivamile. Nokho, umbhali weBhayibheli uJakobe uyasiqinisekisa ukuthi “u-Eliya wayengumuntu efana nathi.” (Jakobe 5:17) Wayengagonyelwe ukuba angesabi nokuba angakhathazeki. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho uJezabeli kamuva efunga ukuthi uzophindisela ngokufa kwabaprofethi bakaBali, u-Eliya wabaleka futhi wakhala kuJehova ngomthandazo: “Sekwanele; manje, Jehova, sale usuthatha umphefumulo wami.”—1 AmaKhosi 19:4.

UJehova akazange awuthathe umphefumulo ka-Eliya ngokufa. Kunalokho, wamnikeza usizo ngesihe. (1 AmaKhosi 19:5-8) Namuhla izikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu zingaqiniseka ukuthi uJehova uyokwenza okufanayo lapho zibhekene nezikhathi zokukhathazeka okukhulu, mhlawumbe ngenxa yokuphikiswa. Ngempela, uma zithandazela usizo lukaJehova, angazinika “amandla angaphezu kwavamile,” ukuze kuthi noma ‘zicindezelwa ngazo zonke izindlela, zingaminyani kangangokuthi zingakwazi nokunyakaza.’ Khona-ke, ziyosizwa ukuba zikhuthazele, njengoba no-Eliya asizwa.—2 Korinte 4:7, 8.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]