52—Indoda Yexesha Elifanelekileyo

[Esi sakhluko sisekwe kuNehemiya 1; 2.]

UNehemiya, omnye wamaHebhere awayesemfudusweni, waye kwisikhundla esibalulekileyo sempembelelo nembeko ebhotweni lasePersi. Njengomngcamli wakwakumkani, wayengena ngokukhululekileyo phambi kokumkani. Ngelungelo lesikhundla sakhe, nangenxa yesakhono nokuthembeka kwakhe, waba ngumhlobo nomcebisi kakumkani. Njengowayezuze ukwamkelwa ngemfesane ngukumkani, phofu, nangona wayejikelezwe yimigcobo nobumbetshembetshe, akazange amlibale uThixo wakhe okanye abantu bakhe. Ngomdla omkhulu, intliziyo yakhe yaguqukela ngaseYerusalem; amathemba akhe novuyo lwakhe ayeqamangelene nempumelelo yayo. Ngale ndoda, eyalungiswa kukuhlala kwayo ebhotweni lasePersi ukuba yenze umsebenzi eyayibizelwe wona, uThixo wagqiba ukuba azise intsikelelo ebantwini baKhe emhlabeni wooyise.AN 628.1

Ngabathunywa ababevele kwaYuda, umthandi wohlanga womHebhere, wafumanisa ukuba iintsuku zokuvavanywa zaziyifikele iYerusalem, umzi onyuliweyo. Abo babebuyile emfudusweni babesiva ingcikivo nokugculelwa. Itempile nezabelo zomzi zazakhiwe ngokutsha; kodwa umsebenzi wokuyenza ngokutsha wathinteleka, iinkonzo zetempile zaphazamiseka, baza abantu bagcinwa bothukile yinto yokuba, ubukhulu becala, iindonga zomzi zazisawile.AN 628.2

Ezaliswe yintlungu, uNehemiya akazange akwazi ukutya nokusela; “Ndalila, ndenza isijwili iintsuku, ndazila ukudla,” utsho. Entlungwini yakhe, wabuyela kuMncedi ongcwele. “Ndathandaza,” watsho, “phambi koThixo wamazulu.” Ngokuthembeka wazivuma izono zakhe nezono zabantu bakhe. Wacengana noThixo ukuba awugcine umsebenzi kaIsrayeli, abuyisele isibindi namandla, abancede ukwakha iindawo ezingamanxuwa kwaYuda.AN 629.1

Njengoko uNehemiya wayethandaza, ukholo nesibindi sakhe zakhula ekuqineni. Umlomo wakhe wawuzaliswe ziintetho ezingcwele. Wakwalatha ukungahlonelwa okwakuza kwenzeka ngakuThixo, ukuba abantu baKhe, ngoku bebuyele kuYe nje, bangashiywa ekuphelelweni ngamandla nakwingcinezelo; waza wamkhunga uYehova ukuba asizalise isithembiso saKhe: “Ukuba nithe nabuyela kum, nayigcina imithetho yam, nayenza, nokuba kuthe kwabakho kuni abagxothelwe ekupheleni kwezulu; ndobabutha nalapho, ndibazise kuloo ndawo ndiyinyulele ukulibeka kuyo igama lam.” Khangela nakuDuteronomi 4:29-31. Esi sithembiso sasinikwe uIsrayeli ngoMoses phambi kokuba bangene eKanan, kwaza kwathi ngexesha leenkulungwane, sema singatshintshwanga. Abantu bakaThixo ngoku babebuyele kuYe ngokuzohlwaya nokholo, ngoko ke, isithembiso saKhe sasingayi kuwa phantsi.AN 629.2

UNehemiya wayesoloko ewuthulula umphefumlo wakhe ngenxa yabantu bakhe. Wathi ngoku, xa wayethandaza, injongoengcwele yakheka engqondweni yakhe. Wagqiba kwelithi, ukuba unokufuma Imvumekukumkani,noncedo olufunekayoekuzuzeniizixhobo neempahla, yena ngokwakhe angawuthabathela kuye umsebenzi wokwakha ngokutsha iindonga zaseYerusalem nokubuyisela kuIsrayeli amandla esizwe. Waya wacela kuYehova ukuba amnike imfesane emehlweni kakumkani, ukuze eli cebo likwazi ukwenzeka. “Khawumphumelelise, ndiya thandanza (KJV), umkhonzi wakho namhla,” wacenga, “umfumanise imfesane phambi kwale ndoda.”AN 630.1

Kwaba ziinyanga ezine uNehemiya elindele ithuba elifanelekileyo lokubeka isicelo sakhe kukumkani. Ngeli xesha, nangona intliziyo yakhe yayisindwa yintlungu, wazama ukuziphatha ngokuchwayita phambi kokumkani. Kuloo maholo obuhle nobumbetshembetshe, wonke umntu kufuneka abonakale onwabile enovuyo. Ukuxinzeleka akufuneki kwenze isithunzi kwimbonakalo yakhe nawuphi osebenza ebukumkanini. Kwakusithi kodwa ngexesha lokulala kwakhe uNehemiya, efihlakele emehlweni abantu, yayiba mininzi imithandazo, uvumo lwezono, iinyembezi, eviwa ibonwe ziingelosi zikaThixo.AN 630.2

Kwakuba kudala, intlungu eyayingumthwalo entliziyweni yomhlambi wohlanga lwakhe, ayizange ikwazi ukufihlakala. Ubusuku obungenabuthongo neemini ezizaliswe kukuxhalaba, zashiya umda kwimbonakalo yakhe. Ukumkani, enekhwele ngenxa yenkuseleko yakhe, wayeqhelene nokufunda iimbonakalo nokungena ngaphaya kokuzifihla, wabona ukuba kukho imfihlakalo ehluphayo elandelana nomngcamli wakhe.“Kunganina ukuba ubuso bakho bube nje, ukuba bubi,” wabuza, “ungafi nje? Le nto bububi bentliziyo asinto yimbi.”AN 630.3

Umbuzo wamnxunguphalisa uNehemiya. Ingaba ukumkaniakayi kuba nomsindo akuva ukuba lo gama ngaphandle exakeke emsebenzini wakhe, iingcinga zomsebenzi wasebhotwe zazikude, zikubantuabangcungcuthekiswayo? Ingabaubomi balowonayo abuyi kuncanywa? Icebo lakhe lokubuyisela amandla eYerusalem—laliza kubhukuqwa? Ubhala athi, “Ndoyika ke kakhulu kunene.” Ngemilebe engcangcazelayo namehlo aneenyembezi, wamtyhila unobangela wentlungu yakhe. “Ukumkani makadle ubomi ngonaphakade,” waphendula. “Bebungathini na ubuso bam bungabi bubi, ulinxuwa nje umzi lowa, indawo yamangcwaba oobawo, amasango awo etshiswe ngomlilo?AN 630.4

Ukucengceleza imeko yeYerusalem kwavusa uvelwano kukumkani endaweni yokuvusa intiyo. Omnye umbuzo wanika ithuba awaye kade elilindele uNehemiya: “Ufuna ntoni na ke?” Indoda kaThixo ayizange ikhawuleze itsibe iphendule yada yaba ifune inkokhelo kOngaphezulu kunoAhaswerosi. Wayenomsebenzi awuphathisiweyo ongcwele ekufuneka ewuzalisekisile, nawayefuneka efumene uncedo ngawo kukumkani; waza waqonda ukuba kuninzi okuxhomekeke kwindlela awubeka ngayo umcimbi ukuze azuze ukuvunyelwa nokuba afumane uncedo lwakhe. “Ndathandaza ke,” watsho, “kuThixo wamazulu.” Kuloo mthandazo mfutshane, uNehemiya watyhudisela phambi kokuKumani wookumkani, wazuzela kwicala lakhe amandla anokujika iintliziyo njengoko imilambo yamanzi ijikwa.AN 631.1

Ukuthandaza ngohlobo awathandaza ngalo uNehemiya ngexesha lakhe lentswelo, kusisixhobo esiphantsi kolawulo lomKristu phantsi kweemeko xa ezinye iimo zomthandazo zibonakala zingenakwenzeka. Abahamba nzima kwiindlela zobomi ezixakekileyo, bexinwe phantse bagutyungelwa, kukudideka, bangathumela isikhungo kuThixo ukuba bafumane inkokhelo yezulu. Abahambi elwandle nasemhlabeni, xa besoyikiswayingozi ethile enkulu, banakho ukuzinikela ngolo hlobo kwinkuselo yeZulu. Ngamaxesha obunzimaobuqubulisayookanye ingozi,intliziyo ingathumela isikhalo sayo soncedo kuLowo uthe wabhambathisa ukuba uya kuza abancede abaKhe abathembekileyo, abakholwayo nanini xa bebiza kuYe. Kuyo yonke imeko, phantsi kwayo nayiphi imeko, umphefumlo osindwayo yintlungu nexhala, okanye ohlaselwa kakhulu sisilingo, ungafumana ingqiniseko, ukuxhaswa nokuthwalwa eluthandweni olungethi mandla kunye namandla kaThixo owugcinayo umnqophiso.AN 631.2

UNehemiya, ngaloo mzuzwana wokuthandaza kuKumkani wookumkani, waba nesibindi sokumxelela uAhaswerosi umnqweno wakhe wokukhululwa okwexeshana emsebenzini wakhe wasebhotwe, wacelaigunya lokuvusaiindawoezingamanxuwa wacela igunya lokuvusa lokuvusa iindawo ezingamanxuwalokuvusa iindawo ezingamanxuwa eYerusalem nokuba ayenze ukuba kwakhona ibe ngumzi oqine kakhulu nokhuselekileyo. Iziphumo ezibalulekileyo kwisizwe sakwaYuda zazixhomekeke kwesi sicelo. “Wandinika ke ukumkani,” utsho uNehemiya, “ngokwesandla sikaThixo esilungileyo esiphezu kwam.”AN 632.1

Wathi akuba elufumene uncedo awayelufuna, uNehemiya ngobulumko nokucinga kwangaphambili waqhubeka nokwenza amalungiselelo afunekayo ukuqinisekisa impumelelo yomsebenzi. Akazange atyeshele nanye ingqalelo eyayinokwenza ukuba wenzeke umsebenzi. Akazange ayityhile nakubantu bezwe lakhe injongo yakhe. Nangona wayesazi ukuba abaninzi babeya kuvuya ngempumelelo yakhe, wayenoloyiko, hleze abanye, ngezenzo zokungazilumkeli, bangavusa umona kwiintshaba zabo kuthi mhlawumbi kubekho ukoyiswa kwephulo.AN 633.1

Isicelo sakhe kukumkani samkeleka kakuhle kangangokuba uNehemiya wakhuthazeka ukuba acele nolunye uncedo. Ukunika isidima negunya kumsebenzi awayeza kuwuhambela, nokunika inkuseleko eluhambeni, wacela wafumana umkhosi wokumkhapha. Wafumana iincwadi zasebukhosini eziya kubaphathi bemimandla engaphesheya komEfrati, umhlaba awayeza kunyanzeleka ukuba acande kuwo kwindlela yakhe eya kwaYuda; wazuza, kanjalo, ileta eya kumgcini wamahlathi kakumkani ezintabeni zeLebhanon, imyalela ukuba anike loo mithi yayiya kuthi ifuneke. Ukuze kungabikho thuba lakukhalaza ngelithi udlulisile koko ayalelwe kona, uNehemiya waqaphelisisa ukuba unalo igunya namalungelo awanikwayo echazwe ngokucacileyo.AN 633.2

Lo mzekelo wokucinga kwangaphambili nokuba nesenzo esigqitywe kakuhle, umele ukuba ube sisifundo kuwo onke amaKristu. Abantwana bakaThixoakufunekibanelekukuthandaza ngokholo qha,kodwa basebenzengenkuthalo nokubonelelangenkathalo. Bahlangana neenzima ezininzi kude kuthande ukuphazamiseka ukusebenza kokubonelela kukaThixo ngenxa yabo, kuba bebuthabatha ubulumko nokulinga nzima ngokungathi kunento encinane enokwenza nenkolo. UNehemiya akazange athi ugqityiwe umsebenzi wakhe xa wayelila ethandaza phambi kukaThixo. Wazihlanganisa izikhungo zakhe nemizamo engcwele, ekhokelisa amalinge anyanisekileyo omthandazo ukuze kuphumelele umsebenzi awayexakeke nguwo. Ukuqaphelisisa ngobunono kunye namacebo avuthiweyo kakuhle zizinto ezifunekayoekuhambiseleni phambili imisebenzi engcwele namhlanje njengakwixesha lokwakhiwa ngokutsha kweendonga zeYerusalem.AN 634.1

UNehemiya akazange axhomekeke ekungaqinisekini. Indyebo awayengenayo wayifuna kwabo babekwazi ukunikela ngayo. UThixo yena usenentumekelelo ukuqhuba iintliziyo zabo banempahla yaKhe, ngenxa yomsebenzi wenyaniso. Abo basebenzela Yena kufuneka bazenze ukuba bafumaneke ukwamkela uncedo athi (uThixo) enze abantu ukuba balunike. Ezi zipho zinokuvula iindlela ekungathi ngazo ukukhanya kwenyaniso kuye kumazwe amaninzi asebumnyameni. Abo benza izipho basenokungabi nalo ukholo kuKristu, bengaqhelananga nelizwi laKhe; kodwa izipho zabo akufuneki kuthi ngenxa yoku zilandulwe.AN 634.2