3—Ikratshi Lempumelelo

Ngexesha uSolomon wayewuphakamisile umthetho wasezulwini, uThixo wayenaye, wabunikwa ubulumko bokulawula uIsrayeli ngokungenamkhethe nangenceba. Ekuqaleni, xa efikelwa bubutyebi nakukuzukiswa, wahlala ethobekile, yanaba kakhulu impembelelo yakhe. “USolomon ubelawula ezikumkanini zonke, ethabathela kuwo uMlambo [iEfrati] naselizweni lamaFilisti, wesa nasemdeni weYiputa.” “Wayenoxolo ngeenxa zonke kuye. Ahlala amaYuda namaIsrayeli ekholosile, elowo ehleli phantsi komdiliya wakhe naphantsi komkhiwane wakhe, . . . yonke imihla kaSolomon.” 1 Kumkani 4:21, 24, 25.AN 51.1

Emva kwentsasa yesithembiso esikhulu, ubomi bakhe benziwa mnyama lukreqo olukhulu. Imbali engengxelo elusizi yokuba lowo wayefudula ebizwa ngokuba nguYedidiya,--“Othandekayo kaYehova” (2 Samuweli 12:25, margin),--lowo wayephakanyisiwe nguThixo ngemiqondiso yokuthandwa lizulu kakhulu kangangokuba ubulumkobakhe nokuthi tye kwakhe kwamzuzela udumo lwezwe lonke, lowo wayekhokelele abanye ukuba bamnike imbeko uThixo kaIsrayeli, wesuka ekumnquleni uYehova waqubuda phambi kwezithixo zabahedeni.AN 51.2

Amakhulu eminyaka phambi kokuba uSolomon abe setroneni, uYehova, ebona iintlekele eziza kuphazamisa ababe nokunyulwa babe ngabalawuli bakaIsrayeli, wamnika uMoses umyalelo wokubakhokela. Imigaqo yanikelwa ukuze lowo uya kuhlala etroneni kaIsrayeli “azibhalele impinda” yemithetho kaYehova “encwadini, ethabatha kwephambi kwababingeleli abaLevi.” “Yoba ngakuye,” watsho uYehova, “alese kuyo imihla yonke yobomi bakhe, ukuze afunde ukumoyika uYehova uThixo wakhe, nokuwagcina onke amazwi alo myalelo nale mimiselo, ukuba awenze; ingaphakami intliziyo yakhe phezu kwabazalwana bakhe, angatyeki emthethweni, aye ekunene nasekhohlo; ukuze ayolule imihla ebukumkanini bakhe, yena noonyana bakhe phakathi kwamaIsrayeli.” Duteronomi 17:18-20.AN 52.1

Ngokuhlangene nalo myalelo, uYehova wayemlumkise ngendlela eyodwa lowo wayenokuthanjiswa abe ngukumkani ukuba “makangazandiseli bafazi, ize ityeke intliziyo yakhe; angazandiseli kakhulu silivere nagolide.” Indima 17.AN 52.2

USolomon wayeqhelene nezi zilumkiso, wathi okwexeshana wazithobela. Ulangazelelo olukhulu yayikukuphila nolulawula ngokuhambelana nemithetho eyanikwa eSinayi. Indlela yokuphatha kwakhe imicimbi yobukumkani yayahluke kakhulu kwizithethe zezizwe zexesha lakhe—izizwe ezazingamoyiki uThixo, nezibalawuli bazo babewunyhasha umthetho waKhe ongcwele.AN 52.3

Ekuzameni ukuqinisa ubudlelwane bakhe nobukumkani obunamandla obabukumazantsi akwaIsrayeli, uSolomon wanyathela kumhlaba owalelweyo. USathana wazazi iziphumo ezaziya kuhambelana nokuthobela; kwathi ngeminyaka yokuqala yolawulo lukaSolomon—iminyaka eyayiqaqambile ngenxa yobulumko, ububele, nokuthi tye kukakumkani—wazama ukuzisa iimpembelelo ezaziya kuthi, ngendlela efihlakeleyo zikuthobe ukunyaniseka kukaSolomon kumthetho-siseko zimenze ukuba asuke kuThixo. Eyokuba utshaba lwaphumelela kweli linge, siyazi ngengxelo: “USolomon ke wakha ubuhlobo noFaro ukumkani wamaYiputa; wazeka intombi kaFaro, wayizisa emzini kaDavide.” 1 Kumkani 3:1.AN 53.1

Ngokokubona komntu, lo mtshato nangona wawuchasene neemfundiso zomthetho kaThixo, wabonakala ngathi uyintsikelelo; kuba umfazi kaSolomon ongumhedeni waguquka wazimanya naye ekunquleni uThixo oyinyaniso. Ukudlula apho, uFaro wanikela inkonzo ebalulekileyo kuIsrayeli ngokuthabatha iGezere, ebulala “amaKanan abehleli kuloo mzi, wayinika intombi yakhe, umkaSolomon, yaba yinqakwe.” 1 Kumkani 9:16. Esi sixeko, uSolomon waphinda wasakha, waba ngolo hlobo uqinisa kakhulu ubukumkani bakhe ngakunxweme lweMeditere. Sekunjalo, ngokungena kwisivumelwano nesizwe sobuhedeni, nokutywina isivumelwano ngokutshata nenkosazana enqula izithixo, uSolomon, ngobutyhuthutyhuthu, wawutyeshela umsindleko olumkileyo awawenzayo uThixo ukuze agcine ubunyulu babantu baKhe. Ithemba lokuba inkosikazi engumYiputa yayinokuguquka yayikukuzithethelela nje okungenamongo esonweni.AN 53.2

Okwexeshana, uThixo, ngenceba enemfesane wangenelela kule mpazamo imbi kakhulu; wazaukumkani, ngobulumko amnikileyo, wakwazi ukunqanda, kakhulu noko, imikhosi yobubi okwathi ukungalumki kwakhe kwayenza yasebenza. Noko kunjalo, uSolomon wayeqalile ukulahlekwa ngumbono weThende lamandla nokuzukiswa kwakhe. Ngokuya kunyuka ukuthambeka kwakhe ngaphezu kokucingisisa, kwenyuka ukuzithemba, wafuna ukuyenza injongo kaYehova ngeyakhe indlela. Wazixelela ukuba izivumelwano zopolitiko nezorhwebelwano kunye nezizwe ezibangqongileyo kwakuya kuzisa ezi zizwe ekumazini uThixo oyinyaniso; waza wazenza izivumelwano ezingekho ngcwele nezizwe, esinye emva kwesinye. Kwakusithi rhoqo kusenziwa isivumelwano, sitywinwe ngomtshato namakhosazana abahedeni. Imiyalelo kaYehova yabekelwa bucala kwalandelwa izithethe zabantu abajikelezileyo.AN 54.1

USolomon wazikhohlisa ngokuthi ubulumko namandla omzekelo wakhe uya kubakhokelela abafazi bakhe ukuba bakushiye ukunqula izithixo banqule uThixo wenene, nokuba izivumelwano ezenziweyo ziya kuzitsala izizwe ezingqongileyo ukuba ziqhagamshelane noIsrayeli. Ithemba elililize! Impazamo kaSolomon ukuzicingela ukuba unamandla ngokwaneleyo ukuba angamelana nempembelelo yabahlobo abangabahedeni yayiyingozi. Enye into eyayiyingozi nayo, inkohliso eyamkhokelela ukuba athembe ukuba nangona ewutyeshele umthetho kaThixo kweyakhe indawo, abanye banokwenziwa ukuba bayihloniphe bayithobele imiyalelo yawo engcwele.AN 54.2

Izivumelwano zikakumkani nolwalamano ngokurhwebelana nezizwe zabahedeni kwamzisela ukwaziwa, udumo, nobutyebi beli lizwe. Wakwazi ukuzisa igolide evela kwaOfire nesilivereevela eTarshishe ngobuninzi bazo. “Ukumkani wayenza isilivere negolide yaninzi njengamatye eYerusalem, nemisedare wayenza yanjengemithombe esesihlanjeni, ukubamininzi.” 2 IZikronike 1:15. Ubutyebi, nezilingo zonke okuhamba nazo, zizinto ezathi, ngexesha likaSolomon, zafunyanwa kakhulu liqela elikhulu labantu; kodwa igolide ecikizekileyo yesimilo yayigqolile yonakele.AN 54.3

Lwaluthe chu ukreqo lukaSolomon kangangokuba, ngaphambi kokuba aluqaphele, wayesele ebhadule wemka kuThixo. Ngendlela engenakubonwa kakuhle, waqala wathembela kancinane, kancinane kwinkokhelo nentsikelelo yezulu, nokubeka ithemba lakhe kwawakhe amandla. Kancinane, kancinane wakurhoxisa kuThixo oko kuthobela kungagungqiyo okwakuza kumenza uIsrayeli abantu abayinqobo, wayama ngakumbi nangakumbi kumasiko ezizwe ezingqongileyo. Ngokuziyekela kwizilingo ezihamba nempumelelo yakhe kunye nesikhundla sakhe sembeko, walilibala iThende lempumelelo yakhe. Ibhongo lokuzidlula zonke ezinye izizwe ngamandla nobuhle lamkhokelela ekubeni agqwethe, ngeenjongo zokwenza akufunayo, izipho zezulu ezazisetyenziselwa uzuko lukaThixo. Imali eyayimele ukuba igcinwe njengengcwele, ukuze incede abangamahlwempu ngenene kunye nokuhambisela phambili imithetho-siseko yokuphila ngcwele kulo lonke ilizwe, yagalelwa kwimisebenzi yamabhongo ngendlela yokuzenzela unothanda.AN 55.1

Wathi ngokuthinjwa ingqondo lulangazelelo olungaphaya lokudlula ezinye izizwe ngobuqheleqhele bangaphandle, ukumkani wasityeshela isidingo sokufumana ubuhle nokugqibelela kwesimilo. Ekufuneni kwakhe ukudunyiswa lihlabathi, wathengisa ngembeko nesidima sakhe. Iimfumba zeemali ezazuzwa ngoshishino namazwe amaninzi zaphinda zongezwa ngeerhafu ezinzima. Ngaloo ndlela, ukuziphakamisa, amabhongo, ukuchitha ngemali, nokuziyekelela, konke kwaba nesiphumo senkohlakalo nengcinezelo. Umoya wenkathalo novelwano owawubonakala ekuphatheni kwakhe abantu esaqala ukulawula, wawuguqukile ngoku. Ukusuka ekubeni ngoyena ulumkileyo noyena unenceba kubo bonke abalawuli, wehla waphatha ngegqudu. Owayekhe wanovelwano, engumgcini wabantu omoyikayo uThixo, wasuka wangumcinezeli nolawula ngogonyamelo. Kwabizwa irhafu phezu kwerhafu ebantwini, ukuze kubekho inkxaso kwibhotwe elizaliswe bubuncwane.AN 55.2

Abantu baqala ukukhalaza. Intlonipho nothando ababenalo ngakukumkani kwaguquka kwayinkcaso nentiyo.AN 56.1

Ukuze kubekho ukukhuseleka kwingalo yenyama, uYehova wabayala abo babeya kulawula kwaIsrayeli ukuba bangaziqokeleleli imfumba yamahashe. Ukubonisa ukungawukhathaleli konke lo myalelo, “Amahashe kaSolomon ayevela eYiputa” (NIV). “Bazisa kuSolomon amahashe evela eYiputa, evela emazweni onke.” “USolomon wahlanganisa iinqwelo zokulwa namahashe akhwelwayo waba newaka elinamakhulu amane eenqwelo zokulwa, namawaka alishumi elinamabini amahashe akhwelwayo; wazibeka ezo zinto emizini yeenqwelo zokulwa nakukumkani eYerusalem.” 2 IZikronike 1:16; 9:28; 1 Kumkani 10:26.AN 56.2

Ngakumbi nangakumbi, ukumkani wakuthabatha ukonwaba, ukuziyekelela, nokuthandwa lilizwe njengeempawu zobukhulu. Abafazi abahle nabanomtsalane baziswa besuka eYiputa, eFenike, kwaEdom, nakwaMowabhi, nakwezinye iindawo ezininzi. Aba bafazi baba ngamakhulu. Inkolo yabo yayilunqulo lwezithixo, kwaye babefundiswe ukwenza iinkonzo ezikhohlakeleyo nezihlazisayo. Ngokuba ephithikezwe ingqondo bubuhle babo, ukumkani wayityeshela imisebenzi kaThixo neyobukumkani bakhe.AN 56.3

Abafazi bakhe babanempembelelo enamandla phezu kwakhe baya bemoyisa ukuba amanyane nabo ekunquleni. USolomon wayewubeke bucala umyalelo awayewunikile uThixo ukuze usebenze njengomqobo wokuthintela ukreqo, ngoku wazinikela ekunquleni oothixo ababuxoki. “Kwathi, ngexesha lobudala bukaSolomon, abafazi bakhe bayityekisela intliziyo yakhe ekulandeleni thixo bambi; intliziyo yakhe ayaphelela kuYehova uThixo wakhe, njengentliziyo kaDavide uyise. USolomon walandela uAshtoreti, uthixo wamaTsidon; walandela uMoleki, izothe lama-Amon. 1 Kumkani 11:4, 5.AN 57.1

Kwindawo ephakamileyo ekumzantsi weNtaba yeMinquma, ejongene neNtaba iMoriya, apho yayimi khona itempile entle kaYehova, uSolomon wakha izakhiwo ezikhulu eziliqela ukuba zibe ziitempile zonqulo lwezithixo. Ukukholisa abafazi bakhe, wabeka izithixo ezikhulu, imifanekiso engenaso nesidima yomthi nelitye, phakathi kwezigcume zomterebhinti nomnquma. Apho, phambi koothixo babahedeni, uKemoshe, izothe lamaMowabhi, . . . noMoleki, izothe loonyana baka-Amon,” kwenziwa ezona nkonzo zihlazisayo zobuhedeni. Indima 7.AN 57.2

Ikhondo likaSolomon leza nesohlwayo salo esiqinisekileyo. Ukuzahlula kwakhe kuThixo ngokuqhagamshelana nabanquli bezithixo kwaba yintshabalalo yakhe. Ngeli xesha ekulahla ukuthembela kuThixo, walahlekwa kukuziphatha. Ukukwazi kwakhe ukuziphatha kwemka. Ingqondo yakhe echubekileyo yaba buthuntu, isazela sakhe satywineka. Lowo wathi ngexesha lobutsha bolawulo lwakhe wabonakalisa ubulumko obuninzi kakhulu novelwabo ekubuyiseleni usana olungenakuzinceda kunina owayeseshweni (bona: 1 Kumkani 3:16-28), wehla waya kuthi bhaxa wada wavuma ukwakha isithixo ekwakunikelwa kuso abantwana babe ngamadini. Lo wathi ebutsheni bakhe wathiwa jize ngokukwazi ukwahlula [okuhle kokubi] nokuqiqa, nowathi xa esiba liqina, waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale athi, “Kukho indlela ethe tye phambi komntu, ukanti ukuphela kwayo ziindlela zokufa” (Imizekeliso 14:12),wathi ngeminyaka yamva wasuka wemka kakhulu kubunyulu wada wayimbonakalo yohenyuzo, neenkonzo zovukelo ezazihlangene nonqulo lukaKemoshe noAshtoreti. Lo wanikela itempile waza wathi ebantwini, “Mayiphelele intliziyo yenu kuYehova uThixo wethu” (1 Kumkani 8:61), yena ngokwakhe waba ngumoni, entliziyweni nasebomini ewakhanyela amazwi akhe. Imvume wayiphazamisa nenkululeko. Wazama—kodwa ngengakanani ilahleko!—ukumanya ukukhanya nobumnyama, okulungileyo nokubi, okunyulu nokungekho nyulu, uKristu nobutyebi.AN 57.3

Ukusuka ekubeni ngoyena kumkani mkhulu owakha waphatha intonga yokulawula, uSolomon waba ngokhohlakeleyo, isixhobo nekhoboka labanye. Isimilo sakhe, esasikhe sanesidima sisesendoda, sasuka satyhafisa sanobufazi. Ukholo lwakhe kuThixo ophilayo lwancothulwa ziintandabuzo ezithi akukho Thixo. Ukungakholwa konakalisa ulonwabo lwakhe, kwenza buthakathaka imithetho-siseko yakhe, kwawuhlisa umgangatho wobomi bakhe. Ubulungisa nesisa sasekuqaleni kwakhe ukuphatha, kwatshintsha kwaba lulawulo lwegqudu nenkohlakalo. Usizi, indalo yomntu ebuthakathaka! Kuncinane uThixo anokukwenzela abantu abalahlekwa yingqondo yokuxhomekeka kuYe.AN 58.1

Ngale minyaka yokreqo, kwabakho ukuhla okuthe ngcembe ukubheka phambili kuIsrayeli. Kwakunokuthini kakade, xa ukumkani wabo ekumanye akuthandayo nezenzeleli zenkohlakalo? Ngezi zenzeleli utshaba lwasebenza ukuziphazamisa iingqondo zamaIsrayeli ngokubhekiselele kunqulo oluyinyaniso nolobuxoki, aza alixhoba elilula. Ushishino nezinye izizwe kwawazisa ekuhlanganeni nabo babengamthandi uThixo, lwaza nolwawo uThando ngakuYe lwehla kakhulu. Ukuqaphelakwawo isimilo esiphakamileyo nesingcwele sikaThixo kwafa. Esala ukulandela indlela yokuthobela, akususa ukuthobela kwawo akubeka kutshaba lobulungisa. Yaba yinto eqhelekileyo ukwendiselana nabanquli bezithixo, aza amaIsrayeli alahlekwa ngokukhawuleza kukuluthiya unqulo lwezithixo. Isithembu yaba yinto exhaphakileyo. Oomama abangabanquli bezithixo beza nabantwana babo ukuba benze iinkonzo zobuhedeni. Ebomini babanye, inkolo enyulu eyayimiselwe nguThixo yasuswa kwema endaweni yayo unqulo lwezithixo, olona lumnyama ngokwembonakalo.AN 58.2

AmaKristu kufuneka azigcine ethe qelele ahlukile ehlabathini, kumoya walo, nakwiimpembelelo zalo. UThixo unakho ngokupheleleyo ukusigcina sisehlabathini, kodwa singengabo abehlabathi. Uthando lwakhe aluthandabuzi lwaye lungaguquguquki. Uhlala ekhangele abantwana baKhe ngenkathalo engenamlinganiselo. Eyona nto ayifunayo kukuba athotyelwe ngokupheleleyo. “Akukho mntu unako ukukhonza nkosi mbini; kuba eya kuyithiya le ayithande leya, athi mhlawumbi abambelele kule ayidele leya. Aninako ukukhonza uThixo nobutyebi.” Mateyu 6:24.AN 59.1

USolomon wayephiwe ubulumko obumangalisayo, kodwa ihlabathi lamtsala wemka kuThixo. Nanamhlanje abantu abanamandla ngaphezu kokuba wayenjalo; nabo banokoyiswa ziimpembelelo ezibanga ukuwa. Njengoko uThixo walumkisa uSolomon ngengozi akuyo, ngokukwanjalo nanamhla uyabalumkisa abantwana baKhe ukuba bangayibeki emngciphekweni imiphefumlo yabo ngokwayamana nehlabathi. “Phumani phakathi kwabo,” uyacenga, “nizahlule, . . . nento engcolileyo ningayichukumisi, ndibe nguyihlo, nina nibe ngoonyana neentombi kum; Itsho iNkosi uSomandla.” 2 Korinte 6:17, 18.AN 59.2

Phakathi kwempumelelo kubuthume ingozi. Kuzo zonke izizukulwana, ubutyebi nembeko zahlala zihamba nengozi ekuthobeni nangokwasemoyeni. Asiyindebe engaphethe nto esifumana ubunzima ukuyiphatha; yindebe ezele ichichima ekufuneka izinzisiwe ngononophelo. Imbandezelo nenkcaso zingabanga usizi, kodwa yimpumelelo eyona ngozi inkulu kubomi basemoyeni. Ngaphandle kokuba umntu azinikele rhoqo kwintando kaThixo, ngaphandle kokuba angcwaliswe ngenyaniso, impumelelo, ngokuqinisekileyo iya kuvusa indalo ekekelele ekwenzeni ngobuganga.AN 60.1

Entilini yokuthobeka, apho abantu bexhomekeka kuThixo ukuba abafundise abakhokele kwinyathelo ngalinye, sikho isilinganiso sokhuseleko. Ukuba ke, phofu, abantu abemi kwincopho ephakamileyo, baze bathi, ngenxa yesikhundla sabo, bacinge ukuba banobulumko obukhulu—aba basengozini enkulu. Ngaphandle kokuba abantu abanjalo bamenze uThixo ibe nguYe abaxhomekeke kuYe, ngokuqinisekileyo, baya kuwa.AN 60.2

Lonke ixesha ikratshi nebhongo ziyekelwa, ubomi buyonakala, kuba ikratshi, ukuziva ungaswele nto, kuyayivala intliziyo ngakwiintsikelelo zezulu ezingenamda. Lowo okwenza ukuzizukisa kube yinjongo yakhe uya kuzifumana eluswele ubabalo lukaThixo, ekuthi, ngesakhono salo, ezona ndyebo zenene neyona mivuyo yanelisayo ibe zizinto ezinokuzuzwa. Othi ke anikele konke, enze konke ngenxa kaKristu uya kuba nawo amava okuzaliseka kwesithembiso, “Intsikelelo kaYehova, yiyo etyebisayo, imbulaleko ayongezi nento kuyo.” Imizekeliso 10:22. Ngenkcukumiso enothando yenceba, uMsindisi uyakugxotha emphefumlweni womntu ukungaphumli nomnqweno ongahlambulukanga, aguqule ubutshaba bube luthando, nokungakholwa kube kukuqina. Xa ethetha nomphefumlo, esithi, “Ndilandele,” umtsalane wehlabathi uyaqhawuka. Kwisandi selizwi laKhe, umoya wokubawa nowokuthanda udumo uyabaleka uyishiye intliziyo, basukume abantu, bekhululekile, ukuba bamlandele.AN 60.3