Ukuthinjwa kweJeriko
“UYoshuwa unyana kaNun, wababiza ababingeleli, wathi kubo, Thwalani ityeya yomnqophiso, ababingeleli abasixhenxe baphathe izigodlo ezisixhenxe zokuhlaba umkhosi phambhi kwetyeya kaYehova. Wathi ebantwini, Dlulani niwujikeleze umzi, abaxhobileyo bagqithele phambhi kwetyeya kaYehova. Kwathi, xenikweni uYoshuwa abetshilo ebantwini, ababingeleli abasixhenxe, abaphethe izigodlo ezisixhenxe zokuhlaba umkhosi phambhi koYehova, bagqitha, baqupha ukuvuthela ngezigodlo, ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova ibalandela.”IL 156.3
“Abaxhobileyo bahamba phambhi kwababingeleli abaquphayo ukuvuthela ngezigodlo; abasemva belandela ityeya, kuhanjwa kuqutshwa ukuvuthela ngezigodlo. UYoshuwa wabawisela umthetho abantu, wathi, Ize ningadumi, ningalivakalisi ilizwi lenu, kungaphumi nto emlonyeni wenu, kude kube yimini endothi kuni, Dumani; nidume ke. Ityeya ke kaYehova yawujikeleza umzi, yawuzunguleza isihlandlo saasinye; bangena eminqubeni, balala eminqubeni.”IL 156.4
Umkhosi wamaHebere wahambha kakuhle ngolungelelwano olufezekileyo. Kuqala kwahambha iqela elikhethiweyo lamadoda okulwa, enxibe iingubo zawo zokulwa, engaz’ ukubonisa ngoku ubuchule bawo ekulweni, kodwa eza kukholwa kuphela athobele imiyalelo anikwe yona. Emva kwawo kwalandela ababingeleli abasixhenxe bephethe izigodlo. Kweza ke ityeya kaYehova, ibengezela yigolide, kukho isanqha sobuqaqauli sindanda phezu kwayo, ithwelwe ngababingeleli bevethe isinxibo sabo esihonjisiweyo ngokukodwa esalatha ibanga elingcwele abakulo. Umkhosi omkhulu wamaSirayeli walandela uhambha ngolungelelwano olufezekileyo, isizwe ngasinye sihambha phantsi kwembhasa yaso. Ngalendlela ke basijikeleza isixeko benetyeya kaYehova. Akuvakalanga sandi ngaphandle kokunyathela kwaloo mkhosi mkhulu, nezwi elindilekileyo lezigodlo, elahlokonyiswa ziintaba, lavakala kuso sonke isixeko saseJeriko.IL 156.5
Ngolunqa nangokudideka abalindi beso sixeko siseshweni bayikhangela intshukumo nganye, banika ingxelo kwaabo basemagunyeni. Ababanga nako ukuwuxela ukuba lomboniso uthetha ntonina. Abanye bayenza into yokuhlekisa into yokuba isixeko singathinjwa ngalendlela, ekubeni abanye babesoyika bakuba bebona ukubengezela kwetyeya nokuzuka nokubekeka kwembhonakalo yababingeleli nomkhosi wooSirayeli ulandela, uYoshuwa ewakhokele. Bakhumbhula ukuba uLwandle oluBomvu, kwiminyaka emashumi amane eyadlulayo, lwahluka phakathi phambhi kwawo, nokuba kusandula ukwenziwa indlela yokuba bawele kumlambho oyiJordan. Boyika kakhulu ukuba bangadlalisa ngalento. Baqononondisa ngenyameko ukuba amasango esixeko avalwe ngokuqinileyo, kumiswe amagora anamandla ukuba alilinde isango ngalinye.IL 157.1
Imihla emithandathu imikhosi yooSirayeli yawenza umjikelo wayo wesixeko. Ngomhla wesixhenxe bayijikeleza iJeriko izihlandlo ezisixhenxe. Abantu bayalelwa, ngokwesiqhelo, ukuba bazole. Kwavakala izwi lezigodlo kuphela. Abantu babeza kugqala nje, bathi bakuba abavuthela izigodlo bolule ukuvuthela kwabo kunesiqhelo, badume ke bonke ngezwi elikhulu, kuba uYehova ubanikile lomzi. “Kwathi ngomhla wesixhenxe, bavuka kusasa ngesifingo, bawujikeleza umzi kwa ngolohlobo izihlandlo zaasixhenxe; kungaloo mini yodwa abawujikelezayo umzi izihlandlo zaasixhenxe. Kwathi ngesihlandlo sesixhenxe, ababingeleli ukuvuthela ngezigodlo baqupha. Wathi ke uYoshuwa ebantwini, Dumani, kuba uYehova uninikile lomzi.” “Baduma ke abantu ababingeleli bakuvuthela ngezigodlo bequpha; kwathi, bakusiva abantu isandi sesigodlo, baduma abantu ngokuduma okukhulu, lwawa udonga lwathi bhuma. Benyuka abantu kuwo umzi, elowo wathi ngqo, bawuthimbha umzi.”IL 157.2
UThixo wayejonge ukubonisa amaSirayeli ukuba ukoyiswa kweKanan akubalelwanga kuwo. Umthetheli womkhosi kaYehova wayoyisa iJeriko. Nguye nezithunywa zakhe abalwela uloyiso. NguKristu owayalela imikhosi yasezulwini ukuba izidilize iindonga zeJeriko ilungiselele indlela yokuba uYoshuwa nemikhosi yamaSirayeli bangene. UThixo, ngalommangaliso umangalisayo, akanelanga nje kuphela ukomeleza ukholo lwabantu bakhe emandleni akhe okuzeyisa iintshaba zabo, kodwa wakohlwaya ukungakholwa kwabo kwangaphambhili.IL 158.1
IJeriko yayi yidelile imikhosi kaSirayeli kunye noThixo wezulu. Bathi ke bakuyibona imikhosi kaSirayeli ihambha ijikeleza umzi wabo kanye umhla ngamnye banevuso; kodwa bakhangela iinqaba zabo ezomeleleyo, neendonga zabo eziphakamileyo, baziva beqinisekile ukuba zinako ukumelana nalo naluphina uhlaselo. Kodwa zakuba iindonga zabo zisuke zathi bhuma ngequbuliso ngesiwo esothusayo, okwezandi zendudumo ezinkulu, bafa kukoyika ababinako ukuxhathisa.IL 158.2