9—UEliya UmTishbhi

[Esi sahluko sisekwe ku-1 Kumkani 17:1-7.]

Phakathi kweentaba zaseGiliyadi, kwimpuma yeYordan, kwakuhlala, ngemihla ka-Ahabhi, indoda yokholo nomthandazo, enkonzo yayo engenaloyiko, yayimiselwe ukunqanda ukusasazeka kokreqo kwaIsrayeli. Yayikude kakhulu nakwesiphi isixeko esidumileyo, ingenaso nesikhundla esiphakamileyo ebomini, uEliya umTishbhi, owathi nangona kunjalo wangena emsebenzini awuthunyiweyo ethembele kwinjongo kaThixo ukuba uya kuyilungisa indlela phambi kwakhe amnike impumelelo enkulu. Ilizwi lokholo namandla lalisemilebeni yakhe, nobomi bakhe bonke bunikelwe emsebenzini wohlaziyo. Wayelilizwi lodanduluka entlango elikhalimela isono nokuhlehlisa umsinga wobubi. Ngexesha esiza ebantwini ukuba akhalimele isono, isigidimi sakhe sabanika abamiphefumlo igulayo umathunga waseGiliyadi bonke ababelangazelela ukuphiliswa.AN 119.1

Wathi uEliya akumbona uIsrayeli esihla ngokuhla ngokunqula izithixo, umphefumlo wakhe wakhathazeka, yakhula ingqumbo yakhe. UThixowayebenzele izinto ezinkulu abantu baKhe.Wayebahlangule ebukhobokeni wabanika “amazwe eentlanga, . . . ukuze bayigcine imimiselo yakhe, bayibambe imiyalelo yakhe.” Indumiso 105:44, 45. Sekunjalo, ngoku konke ukwenza ngobubele kukaYehova kwakusele kuza kulityalwa. Ukungakholwa kwakukhawuleza ukusahlula isizwe kwiThende lamandla aso. Wathi elukhangele olu kreqo esentabeni apho wayehlala khona, uEliya wazaliswa yintlungu. Ngentlungu yomphefumlo, wamcela uThixo ukuba abanqande abantu awayekhe wabathanda kwindlela yabo ekhohlakeleyo, abathumele izohlwayo, ukuba kunyanzelekile, ukuze bancedwe bakubone njengoko kunjalo ukushiya ukukhanya okuvela eZulwini. Wanqwenela ukubabona bebuyiselwa enguqukweni phambi kokuba bemke kakhulu ekwenzeni ububi bade bamcaphukise uYehova aze abatshabalalise kuphele.AN 120.1

Umthandazo kaEliya waphendulwa. Izibheno eziphindaphindwe futhi futhi, ukungxolisa, nezilumkiso zoyiswa kukumbuyisela uIsrayeli enguqukweni. Ixesha lalifikile ukuba uThixo athethe nabo ngezohlwayo. Nangona abakhonzi bakaBhahali babebanga ukuba iintsikelelo zezulu, umbethe nemvula, zazingaveli kuYehova, kodwa kumandla alawulayo endalo, nokuba, kwakungamandla adalayo elanga owawuye utyebe umhlaba uvelise okuninzi, isiqalekiso sikaThixo sahlala sanzima phezu komhlaba ongcolisiweyo. Iintlanga ezikreqileyo zikaIsrayeli kwakufuneka ziboniswe ubudenge bazo ngokuthembela kumandla kaBhahali kwiintsikelelo zabo zasemhlabeni. Babeya kude babuyele kuThixo ngokuguquka, bamvume ukuba ulithende lazo zonke iintsikelelo, kungenjalo kwakungasayi kuwa mbethe namvula phezu komhlaba.AN 120.2

KuEliya kwanikelwa umsebenzi wokuthunywa ukuba aseisigidimi seZulu sesohlwayo. Akazange afune ngokwakheukuba ngumthunywa kaYehova; ilizwi likaYehova leza kuye. Ngenxa yekhwele ngozuko lomsebenzi kaThixo, akazange alibazise ukuthobela ukubizwa lizulu, nangona ukuthobela kwakubonakala kumema intshabalalo ekhawulezileyo esandleni sikakumkani okhohlakeleyo. Umprofeti waphuma kwangoko wahamba ubusuku nemini wada waya kufika kwaSamari. Ebhotwe akazange acele kungeniswa, engazange alindele nokwaziswa ngokusesikweni. Enxibe iingubo ezirhwexayo eziye zinxitywe ngabaprofeti belo xesha, wadlula kubalindi, kubonakala ukuba akaqaphelekanga, wema umzuzwana phambi kokumkani omatshekileyo.AN 121.1

UEliya akazange acele luxolo ngokusuka athi gqobho ukungena. Omkhulu kunomlawuli kaIsrayeli wayemthume ukuba athethe; athi, esiphakamisele ezulwini isandla sakhe, aqinisekise ngesidima ngoThixo ophilayo ukuba izigwebo zOsenyangweni sele ziza kuwa phezu kukaIsrayeli. “Ehleli nje uYehova uThixo wakwaIsrayeli, endimi phambi kwakhe,” watsho, “akuyi kukha kubekho mbethe namvula le minyaka, kungelilo ilizwi lam.”AN 121.2

Kwaba kuphela ngokusebenzisa ukholo oluqinileyo kumandla angasileliyo elizwi likaThixo awathi uEliya wabanakho ukusidlulisa isigidimi sakhe. Ukuba wayengenalo ithemba elipheleleyo kuLowo wayemkhonza, ngewayengazange eme phambi kuka-Ahabhi. Endleleni yakhe esinga kwaSamari, uEliya wadlula imilambo ehlala ibaleka amanzi, iinduli ezigqunywe luhlaza, namahlathi anemithi emikhulu ebukeka ingaphaya kokuba ingafikelelwa yimbalela. Yonke into elalifikelela kuyo iliso lakhe, yayambeswe ngobuhle. Umprofeti unokuba wamangala ukuba ingathini na imilambo engazange yayeka ukubalekaamanzi ukusuka yome, okanye ezo ndulineentilizingatshanjaniyimbalela. Sekunjalo, akazange akunike ndawo ukungakholwa. Wakholwa ngokupheleleyo ukuba uThixo uya kumthoba uIsrayeli okreqileyo, nokuba, ngezigwebo, baya kwenziwa baguquke. Ukukhanya kwezulu kwakuphumile; ilizwi likaThixo aliwi phantsi; wathi, ebeka ubomi bakhe engozini, uEliya wakwenza oko akuthunyiweyo engenaloyiko. Njengesithonga sendudumo sithe nkcwee isibhakabhaka, isigidimi somgwebo olindelekileyo kungekudala sawa ezindlebeni zekumkani ekhohlakeleyo; kodwa, phambi kokuba uAhabhi aphaphame ekukhwankqisweni kwakhe, okanye alungise impendulo, uEliya wathi shwaka ngokukhawuleza njengoko wayengenile, engalindanga ukuba akubone okwenziwa lifuthelesigidimisakhe.UYehovawahambaphambikwakhe, emcacisela indlela “Hamba umke apha, ubheke empumalanga,” wayalelwa njalo umprofeti, “uzimele emlanjaneni oyiKeriti, okhangelene neYordan. Wothi usele emlanjaneni apho; ndiwawisele umthetho amahlungulu ukuba akuxhase khona.”AN 121.3

Ukumkani wenza uphando olukhawulezileyo, kodwa umprofeti akafumaneka ndawo. Ukumkanikazi uIzebhele, enziwe umsindo sisigidimi esasivala oovimba basezulwini, akazange alibazise ukudlana iindlebe nababingeleli bakaBhahali, abaya bamanyana naye ekumqalekiseni umprofeti nokuyikhanyela ingqumbo kaYehova. Nangona yayilulangazelelo lwabo ukumfumana lo uthethe ilizwi lentshabalalo, babemiselwe ukuhlangana nokudaniswa. Babengenakho nokulufihla kwabanye ulwazi ngomgwebo ovakalisiweyo njengesiphumo sokreqo olugqubayo. Iindaba zokuhlasela kukaEliya izono zikaIsrayeli, nesiprofeto sakhe sesohlwayo esiza kukhawuleza sifike, zakhawuleza zasasazeka kulo lonke ilizwe. Lwavuka uloyiko kwabanye, kodwa, jikelele isigidimi sezulu samkelwa ngokugculela nokuhlekisa.AN 123.1

Amazwi omprofeti akhawuleza ukusebenza. Abo bathi ekuqaleni bakekelela ekuhlekiseni ngengcamango yentlekele, bakhawuleza ukuba nesizathu sokucingisisa; kuba emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, umhlaba, ungahlaziywanga ngumbethe okanye imvula, woma, babuna utyani. Ngokuhamba kwexesha imilambo engazange yoma, yehla, imifulana yoma. Sekunjalo, abantu bakhuthazwa ziinkokeli zabo ukuba zithembele kumandla kaBhahali bawatyhalele ecaleni njengangenamsebenzi amazwi esiprofeto sikaEliya. Ababingeleli babesathi kungamandla kaBhahali ekuthi ngawo ibe nokuna imvula. Musani ukumoyika uThixo kaEliya, ningangcangcazeli lilizwi laKhe bakhuthaza ngelitshosyo, nguBhahali ozisa isivuno ngexesha laso, ondle umntu nesilwanyana.AN 123.2

Isigidimi sikaThixo kuAhabhi sanika uIzebhele nababingeleli bakhe kunye nabalandeli bakaBhahali noAshteroti ithuba lokuvavanya oothixo babo, bathi, ukuba banakho, baliveze ilizwi likaEliya ukuba libubuxoki. Kwiziqinisekiso zamakhulu abanquli bezithixo, ilizwi likaEliya lema lodwa. Ukuba, akubanga njengoko evakalisile umprofeti, uBhahali uye wakwazi ukunika umbethe nemvula, wenza ukuba imifula ibaleke notyani buqhame, ngoko makayekwe ukumkani wakwaIsrayeli amnqule, nabantu bathi unguThixo.AN 124.1

Bezimisele ukubagcina abantu enkohlisweni, ababingeleli bakaBhahali baqhubeka nokunikela imibingelelo koothixo babo nokubiza kubo imini nobusuku ukuba bawuhlaziye umhlaba. Ngeminikelo enexabiso elikhulu, ababingeleli bazama ukuyithomalalisa ingqumbo yoothixo babo; ngenzondelelo nangokuzingisa okufanele umsebenzi olunge kakhulu, basoloko bejikeleza ngasezibingelelweni zabo zobuhedeni bethandaza benyanisile ukuba kubekho imvula. Ubusuku emva kobunye, kulo lonke ilizwe elijongene nentshabalalo, izikhalo nezicengo zabo zazinyuka. Phofu kwakungekho lifu livelayo emazulwini emini ukubasithelisa kwimitha egqatsayo yelanga. Wawungekho umbethe okanye imvula ukuhlaziya umhlaba onxaniweyo. Ilizwi likaYehova limi lingaguqulwa nayintoni eyayinokwenziwa ngababingeleli bakaBhahali.AN 124.2

Wadlula umnyaka, ingekho imvula. Umhlaba woma wafana notshiswe ngomlilo. Ilanga eligqatsayo latshabalalisa nentwana ekhoyo ebisaphila yotyani. Imifula yoma, iinkomo zabhonga, impahla emfutshane yanxakama isihla inyuka inoxinzelelo. Amadlelo awayefudula enotyani asuke ayintlango enentlabathi etshisayo, inkangala ebharhileyo. Izigcumeezazizindawo zokunqulaizithixo, azinamagqabi; imithi yamahlathi izizigodo ezomileyo zendalo, ezingakwazi kunika mthunzi. Umoya womile uyafuthanisela; izaqhwithi ziphandla amehlo zenze kube nzima nokuphefumla. Izixeko nezithili ezazikhe zanempumelelo, zisuke zaba ziindawo zokugxwala. Ukulamba nonxano zizinto ezibonakala emntwini nasesilwanyaneni ngokufa okoyikekayo. Indlala, nobubi bayo, iyasondela ngokusondela.AN 124.3

Kanti ke, nangona kukho ezi zibonakaliso zamandla kaThixo, uIsrayeli akazange aguquke, engazange asifunde nesifundouThixo awayefuna basifunde. Abazange babone ukuba Lowo wadala indalo ulawulaimithetho yayo, kwaye unokubenza izixhobo zentsikelelo AN 125.1

okanye zentshabalalo. Bezaliswe likratshi, bexhotyisiwe ngonqulo lwabo lobuxoki, babengakufuni ukuzithoba phantsi kwesandla esinamandla sikaThixo, baza baqala ukuhlanganisa le naleya bekhangela oyena nobangela abanokumtyabeka ngokuphatheka kakubi kwabo.AN 125.2

UIzebhele wala kwaphela ukuyivuma imbalela njengesigwebo esivela kuYehova. Engakuyekanga ukuzimisela ukumdela uThixo wezulu, wathi, ekunye phantse naye wonke uIsrayeli, wahlangana ekusingeleni phantsi uEliya njengembangi wayo yonke intlekele yabo. Asinguye yini owathetha ngokuchasene nohlobo abanqula ngalo? Ukuba nje wayenokususwa endleleni, watsho [uIzebhele], ingqumbo yoothixo babo ingathomalaliswa, iinkathazo zabo ziphele.AN 126.1

Ekhuthazwe ngukumkanikazi, uAhabhi wamisela uphando olungqongqo lwendawo apho wayezimele khona umprofeti. Kwizizwe ezingqongileyo, kude nakufuphi, wathumela abathunywa ukuba bayifune indoda ayithiye kakhulu, kodwa eyoyika; wathi kunxunguphalo lwakhe ekwenzeni uphando olucokiseke kangangoko, wazicela ezi zikumkani nezizwe ukuba zifunge ukuba azazi nto ngendawo akuyo umprofeti. Ukuphanda kona kwaba lilize. Umprofeti wayekhuselekile kububi bukakumkani ozono zakhe zazisa ukuchaswa nguThixo okhutyekisiweyo.AN 126.2

Akusilela kumalinge akhe okuchasa uEliya, uIzebhele wazimisela ukuziphindezela ngokubulala bonke abaprofeti bakaYehova kwaIsrayeli. Akukho noyedwa ekufuneka ashiywe ephila. Umfazi ofutha yingqumbo wayenza injongo yakhe yokubulala abaninzi kubakhonzi bakaThixo. Asingabo bonke, kodwa, abatshabalalayo. UObadiya, umlawuli wendlu ka-Ahabhi, owayesathembekile kuThixo, “wathabatha ikhulu labaprofeti,” ebeka ubomi bakhe esichengeni, “wabazimeza ngamashumi ngamahlanu, ngamashumi ngamahlanu, emqolombeni, wabondla ngesonka namanzi.” 1 Kumkani 18:4.AN 126.3

Umnyaka wesibini wendlala wadlula, kodwa aqhubeka amazulu angenanceba ukunganiki mqondiso wemvula. Imbalela nendlala zaqhubeka nembubhiso yazo kubo bonke ubukumkani. Ootata noomama, bengenawo amandla okubakhulula abantwana babo kwimbulaleko, banyanzeleka ukuba bababukele besifa. Noko kunjalo, uIsrayeli ogwilikileyo waqhubeka nokwala ukuzithoba iintliziyo zabo phambi kukaThixo baqhubeka bekhalaza ngakumntu ozwi lakhe zeza ngalo ezi zigwebo zibi phezu kwabo. Babonakala bengakwazi ukuqonda ukuba, ekubulalekeni nasekuxinzelekeni kwabo, nokubizelwa enguqukweni, kukho ukungenelela kwezulu olubasindisa ekuthabatheni inyathelo elibulalayo ngaphaya komda woxolelo lwezulu.AN 127.1

Ukreqo lukaIsrayeli kwakubububi oboyikeka ngaphezu kwalo lonke luphindaphindiwe unkwantyo lwendlala. UThixo wayezama ukukhulula abantu ekulahlekisweni kwabo abakhokelele ekuqondeni okulindeleke kubo kuLowo ababomi babo bukuYe nazo zonke izinto. Wayezama ukubanceda ukuba babuye baluzuze ukholo lwabo olulahlekileyo, kwaye ufanelekile ukuba azise phezu kwabo imbandezelo enkulu.AN 127.2

“Kumnandi na kanene kum ukufa kongendawo? Itsho iNkosi uYehova. Okumnandi kum asikuko na ukuthi abuye ezindleleni zakhe, aphile?” “Lahlani zonke izikreqo zenu enikreqe ngazo, nizenzele intliziyo entsha nomoya omtsha. Yini na ukuba nife, ndlu kaIsrayeli? Ngokuba akumnandi kum ukufa kofayo; itsho iNkosi uYehova. Zibuyiseni ke niphile.” “Buyani, buyani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi! Yinina ukuba nide nife, ndlu kaIsrayeli?” Hezekile 18:23, 31, 32; 33:11.AN 127.3

UThixo wayethumele abathunywa kuIsrayeli, benezicengo zokuba babuyele ekuthobeleni kwabo. Ukubababezivile ezizicengo, ukuba babebuyile kuBhahali beza kuThixo ophilayo, isigidimi sikaEliya somgwebo ngesingazange sanikwa. Kubo izilumkiso engezazibe yincasa yobomi esa ebomini zasuka zayincasa yokufa esa ekufeni. Ikratshi labo langxwelerheka, umsindo wabo wakhula ngakubathunywa, baza ngoku bamjonga ngentiyokazi enkulu umprofeti uEliya. Ukuba ebengathi nje awe ezandleni zabo, bebeya kumsa kuIzebhele bevuya--ngokungathi ngokulithulisa izwi lakhe bangakuthintela ukuzaliseka kwamazwi akhe! Noko babejongene nentlekele, baqhubeka nokuma baqine ekunquleni kwabo izithixo. Njalo ke, baya besongeza kwityala elazisa izigwebo zezulu phezu kwelizwe.AN 128.1

KuIsrayeli obethiweyo, wayemnye kuphela umathunga—ukubuya ezonweni ezizise phezu kwabo ukohlwaywa sisandla sOnamandla onke, nokubuyela kuYehova ngenjongo epheleleyo yentliziyo. Babenikwe isiqinisekiso esithi, “Ukuba ndithe ndalivala izulu, akwabakho mvula, ukuba ndithe ndaziwisela umthetho iinkumbi, ukuba zidle ilizwe, nokuba ndithe ndathumela ebantwini bam indyikitya yokufa; bathoba ke abantu bam, ababizwa ngegama lam, bathandaza, bafuna ubuso bam, babuya ezindleleni zabo ezimbi: ndiya kuva mna emazulwini, ndibaxolele izono zabo, ndiliphilise ilizwe labo.” 2 IZikronike 7:13, 14. Yayikukwenza ukuba sibekho esi siphumo sisikelelekileyo sokwenza ukuba uThixo aqhubeke nokubavimba umbethe nemvula kude kubekho uhlaziyo olugqibeleleyo olwenzekayo.AN 128.2