28—UHezekiya

Ngokuchasene kakhulu nolawulo luka-Ahazi olwalungenayo inkathalo, kwabakho uhlaziyo olwenziwa ngexesha elalinempumelelo lonyana wakhe. UHezekiya wahlala etroneni ezimisele ukwenza konke okwakusemandleni akhe ukusindisa uYuda kwingozi eyayihlela ubukumkani bangasentla [uIsrayeli]. Izigidimi zabaprofeti zazinganiki nkuthazo kumanyathelo angapheli ndawo. Kwakukuphela ngohlaziyo olucacileyo ekwakunokujikwa izohlwayo ezazibonakala zisiza.AN 331.1

Kwintlekele, uHezekiya wazibonakalisa ukuba uyindoda efanele ixesha elo. Wathi engena nje etroneni, wakhawulezisa ukuceba nokwenza. Into yokuqala yaba kukuqwalasela kwakhe ukubuyiselwa kweenkonzo zasetempileni, ezazityeshelwe ixesha elide; wathi kulo msebenzi ngokunyanisekileyo wacela intsebenziswano neqela lababingeleli nabaLevi ababesele benyanisekile kubizo lwabo olungcwele. Eqinisekile ngenkxaso yabo enyanisekileyo, wathetha nabo ngokukhululekileyo ngolangazelelo lwakhe lokwenza iinguqulelo zohlaziyo olukhawulezileyo noluya kuba nendima enkulu. “Oobawo Benza ubumenemene,” wavuma, “benza ububi emehlweni kaYehova uThixo wethu, bamshiya, babusonga ubuso babo emnqubeni kaYehova.” “Ngoku ke kusentliziyweni yam ukumenzela umnqophiso uYehova uThixo kaIsrayeli, kubuye kuthi ukuvutha komsindo wakhe.” 2 IZikronike 29:6, 10.AN 331.2

Ngamazwi ambalwa nakhethwe kakuhle, ukumkani wayityhila imeko ababejongene nayo—itempile evaliweyo nokuyekwa kwazo zonke iinkonzo ezingaphakathi kweentendelezo zayo; unqulo lwezithixo oluphandle olwenziwa ezitratweni zesixeko nakuwo wonke ummandla wolawulo lwakhe; ukreqo lwezihlwele ezazimele ukuba zihleli zinyanisekile kuThixo ukuba, phambi kwazo, iinkokheli zakwaYuda zazibe ngumzekelo olungileyo; nokuhla kobukumkani nokulahleka kokuhlonitshwa emehlweni ezizwe ezijikelezileyo. Ubukumkani basentla babukhawuleza ukuba ziingceba; abaninzi babesifa ngekrele; imfumba yayisele isiwe ekuthinjweni; kungekudala uIsrayeli wayeza kuwela ngokupheleleyo ezandleni zama-Asiriya, atshatyalaliswe ngokupheleleyo; kwaye esi siphelo, ngokuqinisekileyo, sasiza kuwela noYuda, ngaphandle kokuba uThixo ubengasebenza ngamandla ngabameli abanyuliweyo.AN 332.1

UHezekiya wabhenela ngqo kubabingeleli ukuba bazimanye naye ekuziseni iinguqu ezifunekayo. “Kungokunje musani ukuhiliza,” wabayala; “ngokuba uYehova uninyule, ukuze nime phambi kwakhe, nilungiselele kuye, nibe ngabalungiseleli nabaqhumiseli kuye.” “Zingcwaliseni kaloku; yingcwaliseni indlu kaYehova, uThixo wooyihlo.” Iindima 11, 5.AN 332.2

Yayilixesha lokuba kusetyenzwe ngokukhawuleza. Ababingeleli baqalisa kwangoko. Ngokufaka abanye kwakubo ababeza kuncedisa ababengekho ngexeshalentlanganiso,nabobangena ngovuyo emsebenzini wokucoca nokungcwalisa itempile. Ngenxa yobuninzi beminyaka yokungcoliswa nokungakhathalelwa, kwabakho ubunzima obuninzi; kodwa ababingeleli nabaLevi basebenza nzima bengadinwa, kwathi ngexesha elifutshane kakhulu bakwazi ukunika ingxelo ngomsebenzi wabo owenziweyo. Iingcango zetempile zazilungisiwe zavulwa; izitya ezingcwele zazihlanganisiwe zabekwa endaweni yazo; kwaye konke kwakulungele ukumiselwa ngokutsha kweenkonzo zengcwele.AN 333.1

Kwinkonzo yokuqala eyayibanjiwe, abalawuli besixeko bamanyana nokumkani eHezekiya kunye nababingeleli nabaLevi ekufuneni uxolo ngenxa yezono zesizwe. Phezu kwesibingelelo kwabekwa iminikelo yesono ukuze “bawacamagushele amaIsrayeli.” “Kwakugqitywa ukunyuswa idini elinyukayo, ukumkani nabo bonke abafumaneka benaye, baguqa baqubuda.” Yaphinda itempile yahlokoma ngamazwi okubonga nokudumisa. Iingoma zikaDavide nezika-Asafu zavunywa ngovuyo, ngexesha abanquli beqonda ukuba babehlangulwa ebukhobokeni besono nokreqo. “UHezekiya nabantu bonke bakuvuyela oko uThixo akuqinisele abantu; ngokuba le nto yenziwa ngesiquphe.” Iindima 24, 29, 36.AN 333.2

UThixo ngokwenene wazilungisa iintliziyo zamadoda aphambili kwaYuda ukuba akhokele ngendlela ecacileyo kwintshukumo yohlaziyo ukuze umiswe umsinga wokreqo. Ngabaprofeti baKhe, wayethumele kubantu baKhe abanyuliweyo isigidimi emva kwesigidimi socengo olunyanisekileyo nezadelelwayo zaliwa zizizwe ezilishumi zobukumkani bakwaIsrayeli, nezithe ngoku zayekelwa elutshabeni. Noko ke, kwaYuda kwakuseleisisalela esihle, baza abaprofetibaqhubeka besenza isibheno kuso. Yiva uIsaya ekhuthaza, “Buyelani kulowo nimkileyo kuye ngokunzulu, nyana bakaIsrayeli.” Isaya 31:6. Mve uMika xa evakalisa ngesibindi: “Mna ke ndiya kuqwalasela kuYehova; ndiya kulindela kuThixo wokusindiswa kwam; uya kundiva uThixo wam. Musa ukundivuyelela, lutshaba lwam; kuba, ndiwile nje, ndiya kubuya ndivuke; kuba, ndihleli emnyameni nje, uYehova uya kuba kukukhanya kum. Ukujala kukaYehova ndiya kukuthwala, kuba ndonile kuye, ade andithethelele etyaleni lam, andilungisele; uya kundikhuphela ekukhanyeni; ndiya kububona ubulungisa bakhe.” Mika 7:7-9.AN 333.3

Ezi kunye nezinye izigidimi ezifanayo ezazityhila intumekelelo kaThixo ukuxolela nokwamkela abo babuyela kuYe ngenjongo epheleleyo yentliziyo, zazisa ithemba kwimiphefumlo emininzi etyhafileyo kwiminyaka yobumnyama, xa iingcango zetempile zahlala zivaliwe; kwathi ngoku, xa iinkokeli ziqala ukwenza uhlaziyo, isihlwele sabantu, sidinwe bubukhoboka besono, sasikulungele ukusabela.AN 334.1

Abo bangena ezintendelezweni zetempile bezokufuna ukuxolelwa nokuhlaziya izifungo zabo zokunyaniseka kuYehova, bafumana inkuthazo emangalisayo abayinikwa kwiindawo zesiprofeto sesiBhalo. Izilumkiso ezindilisekileyo ezichasa unqulo lwezithixo, ezathethwa ngoMoses ezindlebeni zakhe wonke uIsrayeli, zazikhatshwa ziziprofeto zentumekelelo kaThixo ukuva nokuxolela abo baye bathi ngamaxesha athile bakreqe xa beye bamfuna (uThixo) ngentliziyo yabo yonke. “[Ukuba niye nabuyela] kuYehova uThixo wenu,” wayetshilo uMoses, “niliphulaphule ilizwi lakhe. Ngokuba nguThixo onemfesane uYehova uThixo wakho; akayi kukuyekela, akayi kukonakalisa, akayi kuwulibala umnqophiso wooyihlo awawufungelayo.” Duteronomi 4:30, 31.AN 334.2

Kumthandazo owawubuprofeta owenziwa ekunikelweni kwetempile enkonzo zayo, uHezekiya nabahlangene naye, babezibuyisela, uSolomon wayethandaze wathi, “Xa bathe abantu bakho, amaIsrayeli, boyiswa ziintshaba zabo, kuba bekonile, baza babuyela kuwe, balivuma igama lakho, bathandaza batarhuzisa kuwe bekule ndlu: yiva ke wena emazulwini, usixolele isono sabantu bakho amaIsrayeli,” I Kumkani 8:33, 34. Itywina lokwamkela kwezulu lalibekiwe phezu kwalo mthandazo; kuba, ekupheleni kwawo, umlilo wehla uvela ezulwini, wawudla umnikelo otshisiweyo nemibingelelo, baza ubuqaqawuli bukaYehova bayizalisa itempile. Khangela: 2 IZikronike 7:1. Kwathi ngobusuku, uYehova wavela kuSolomon ukuba amxelele ukuba umthandazo wakhe uviwe, nokuba inceba iza kuboniswa kwabo baya kunqula apho. Isiqinisekiso esinobabalo sanikwa: “[Ukuba baye bathoba] abantu bam, ababizwa ngegama lam, bathandaza, bafuna ubuso bam, babuya ezindleleni zabo ezimbi: ndiya kuva mna emazulwini, ndibaxolele izono zabo, ndiliphilise ilizwe labo.” Indima 14.AN 335.1

Ezi zithembiso zaba nokuzaliseka ngokukhulu ngexesha lohlaziyo phantsi kukaHezekiya.AN 335.2

Isiqalo esilungileyo esenziwa ngexesha lokuhlanjululwa kwetempile salandelwa yintshukumo ebanzi, ekwathi kuyo uIsrayeli kunye noYuda banenxaxheba. Kwinzondelelo yakhe yokwenza ukuba iinkonzo zetempile zibe yintsikelelo yenene ebantwini, uHezekiya wazimisela ukuvuselela isiko lakudala lokuhlanganisela ndawonye amaIsrayeli ukuze kwenziwe isidlo sesikhumbuzo sePasika.AN 335.3

Kwakuyiminyaka emininzi iPasikaingenziwa njengesidlo sesizwe. Ukwahlukana kobukumkani emva kokuphela kolawulo lukaSolomon kwenza ukuba oku kubonakale ngathi akunakwenzeka. Ukuhla kwezohlwayo ezibuhlungu phezu kwezizwe ezilishumi kwavuselela kwiintliziyo zabanye ulangazelelo lwezinto ezingcono; zathi nezigidimi ezishukumisayo zabaprofeti zanegalelo. Ngabathwali basebukhosini, izimemo zokuza kwiPasika eYerusalem zasasazwa kude nakufuphi, “kwiimizingemizi ezweni lakwaEfrayim nelakwaManase,zeza nakwelakwaZebhulon.” Abathwali besaziso esinobubele babeye bagxothwe. Abantu abangakhathalele kuzohlwaya baphumela ecaleni kancinane; kodwa ke abanye, benolangazelelo lokufuna uThixo ukuze babe nolwazi olucacileyo ngentando yaKhe, “[ba]zithoba, [be]za eYerusalem.” 2 IZikronike 30:10, 11.AN 336.1

Elizweni lakwaYuda, impendulo yayiyekawonke-wonke; kuba kwabakho phezu kwabo “isandla sikaThixo,” ukuba “abanike ntliziyo-nye yokwenza umthetho wokumkani nowabathetheli”—umyalelo ongokwentando kaThixo njengoko yatyhilwa ngabaprofeti baKhe. Iindima 12.AN 337.1

Isiganeko saba nengeniso enkulu kwizihlwele ezazibuthene khona. Kwizitrato ezazingcolisiwe zesixeko, kwasuswa iziganga zezithixo ezazilapho ngexesha lolawulo luka-Ahazi. Ngemini eyayimisiwe, yenziwa iPasika, yaza iveki yachithwa ngabantu ngokunikela iminikelo yoxolo nokufunda oko uThixo wayefuna bakwenze. Imihla ngemihla abaLevi “bafundisa ukumazi okulungileyo uYehova (KJV);” bathi nabo babezilungisile iintliziyo zabo ukuba bamfune uThixo, bazuza ukuxolelwa. Uvuyo olukhulu lwasithimba isihlwele esasinqula; “bemdumisa uYehova iimini ngeemini abaLevi nababingeleli, ngeempahla zokumzukisa oye wanobubele nenceba enkulu kangako. Indima 22, 21.AN 337.2

Iintsuku ezisixhenxe ezazibekelwe isidlo sePasika ngokwesiqhelo zakhawuleza ukuphela, baza abanquli bazimisela ukuchitha ezinye ezisixhenxe ekufundeni ngakumbi ngokupheleleyo ngoYehova. Ababingeleli ababefundisa baqhubeka nokufundisa kwabo bethabatha encwadini yomthetho; yonke imihla abantu babehlanganisana etempileni ukuzisa iminikelo yokudumisa nokubulela;wathi xa umhlangano omkhulu usondela ekupheleni, kwaba kucaca ukuba uThixo wenze ngokumangalisayo ekuguquleni uYuda owayehlehlile nasekunqandeni umsinga wonqulo lwezithixo owawuthembisa ukukutshayela konke okuphambi kwawo. Izilumkiso ezinendili zabaprofeti azizange zivakaliswe ngelize. “Kwabakho uvuyo olukhulu ke eYerusalem; ngokuba kususela kwiimini zikaSolomon unyana kaDavide, ukumkani wakwaIsrayeli, akuzanga kubekho nto injalo eYerusalem.” Indima 26.AN 337.3

Lalifikile ixesha lokubuyela kumakhaya abo bangabanquli. “Ababingeleli, abaLevi, babasikelela abantu; ilizwi labo laviwa, nomthandazo wabo wangena ekhayeni lakhe elingcwele emazulwini.” Indima 27. UThixo wayebamkele abo bathi, ngeentliziyo ezaphukileyo, bazivuma izono zabo baza bathi ngenjongo enesigqibo babuyela kuYe ukuba baxolelwe bancedwe.AN 338.1

Kwakusele ngoku umsebenzi obalulekileyo ekwakuza kuthikuwo abo babe buyela emakhayeni abo kufuneke ukuba bathabathe inxaxheba ebonakalayo, kuthi nokugqitywa kwawo lo msebenzi kube bubungqina ekubeni yinene kohlaziyo olwenzekayo. Ingxelo ifundeka ngolu hlobo: “Aphuma onke amaIsrayeli afumanekileyo khona, aya emizini yakwaYuda, aziqhekeza izimiso zamatye, abagawula ooAshera, azidiliza iziganga nezibingelelo kulo lonke elakwaYuda, nelakwaBhenjamin, nelakwaEfrayim, nelakwaManase, kwada kwagqitywa. Babuya bonke oonyana bakaIsrayeli, elowo waya elifeni lakhe, emizini yakowabo.” 2 IZikronike 31:1.AN 338.2

UHezekiya nasebenza nabo bamisela iindlela ezahlukeneyo zokukhulisa uthando lwasemoyeni nolwexeshana lobukumkani. “KumaYuda onke,” ukumkani “wenzaokulungileyo, nokuthe tye, nokunyanisileyo, phambi koYehova uThixo wakhe; nasemsebenzini, . . . awawuqalayo . . . wawenza ngentliziyo yakhe yonke, waphumelela.” “Wakholosa ngoYehova uThixo kaIsrayeli; . . . akatyeka ekumlandeleni; wayigcina imithetho abethe uYehova wayiwisela uMoses. UYehova waba naye; waphumelela (KJV). Iindima 20, 21; 2 Kumkani 18:5-7.AN 338.3

Ulawulo lukaHezekiya lwabonakala ngodederhu oluhle kakhulu lokubonelela kukaThixo olwatyhilayo kwizizwe ezijikelezileyo ukuba uThixo kaIsrayeli wayenabo abantu baKhe. Impumelelo yama-Asiriya ekuthimbeni iSamariya nasekusasazeni phakathi kweentlanga isisalela sezizwe ezilishumi esasiziingceba, ngexesha lasekuqaleni kokulawula kwakhe (uHezekiya), yayikhokelela abaninzi ukuba bawasole amandla kaThixo wamaHebhere. Enikwe isibindi yimpumelelo yawo, amaNineve [iAsiriya] ayesibeke bucala kudala isigidimi sikaYona, adelela ekuchaseni kwawo iinjongo zeZulu. Kwiminyaka embalwa emva kokuwa kweSamari, imikhosieyayoyisile yaphinda yavela ePalestina, ngeli xesha, ijongise imikhosi yayo kwizixeko ezibiyelweyo zakwaYuda, inalo noko uloyiso; kodwa yabuya yarhoxa okomzuzu ngenxa yobunzima obaya bakho kwezinye iindawo zobukumkani bawo (amaSamari). Kwada kwaba liqela leminyaka emva koko, ngasekupheleni kolawulo lukaHezekiya, ekwakuza kubonakalaliswa phambi kwezizwe zehlabathi ukuba oothixo babahedeni mhlawumbi banganakho na ekugqibeleni ukoyisa.AN 339.1