18—Ukunyangwa Kwamanzi

Ngamaxesha amanyange, intili yeYordan ibingumhlaba “[o]bunamanzi wonke, . . . unjengomyezo kaYehova.” Kwaye kukule ntili apho uLote wakhetha ukumisa ikhaya lakhe xa “wayisondezela eSodom intente yakhe.” Ngexesha izixeko zasentilini zazitshatyalaliswa, ummandla ojikelezileyo waba yinkqantosi, ukususela ngoko waba yinxalenye yentlango yaseJudeya.AN 229.1

Inxalenye yentili entle yasala, nemithombo nemijelo yayo enika ubomi, ukuze ivuyise intliziyo yabantu. Kule ntili, eyayityebile ngamasimi engqolowa namahlathi emithi yamasundu neminye imithi ethwala iziqhamo, imikhosi kaIsrayeli yayimise khona emva kokuwela iYordan nalapho yaqala ukutya iziqhamo zeZwe leDinga. Phambi kwabo kwakumi iindonga zeYeriko, inqaba yobuhedeni, iziko lonqulo lukaAshtorete, olona nqulo lukhohlakeleyo nolona luhlazisayo kulo lonkeunqulo lwamaKanan. Kungekudala,iindonga zayo zawiswa phantsi, babulawa abahlali bayo,kwathi ngexesha lokuwa kwayo, kwenziwa isibhengezo esindilisekileyo phambi kwakhe wonke uIsrayeli: “Uqalekisiwe phambi koYehova umntu oya kusuka awakhe lo mzi, iYeriko le; wowuseka ngowamazibulo akhe, azimise iingcango zawo ngowamathumbu akhe.” Yoshuwa 6:26.AN 229.2

Kwadlula iinkulungwane ezintlanu. Indawo yayiyinkangala, iqalekisiwe nguThixo. Nemithombo, eyayenze ukuhlala kule ndawo iyintili ukuba kunqweneleke kakhulu, yafumana kwiziphumo ezibi zesiqalekiso. Kanti ke, ngemihla yokreqo luka-Ahabhi, xa kwathi ngenxa yempembelelo kaIzebhele, unqulo lukaAshtorete lwavuselelwa, iYeriko, isihlalo sakudala solu nqulo, yakhiwa ngokutsha, kodwa ngexabiso eloyikekayo kumakhi. UHiyeli waseBheteli “wayiseka ngoAbhiram, amazibulo akhe, wawamisa amasango ayo ngoSegubhi, owamathumbu akhe, ngokwelizwi likaYehova.” 1 Kumkani 16:34.AN 230.1

Kungekude kakhulu ukusuka eYeriko, phakathi kwezigcume ezityebileyo, kwakukho esinye isikolo sabaprofeti, kwaye kulapho, emva kokunyuka kukaEliya, uElisha waya khona. Ngexesha ehleli apho, abantu besixeko beza kumprofeti bathi, “Uyabona, ukuma kwalo mzi kuhle, njengoko ibonayo inkosi yethu; ke amanzi mabi, nalo mhlaba awuniki nto.” Umthombo owawucocekile unika impilo ngaphambili, owawunika ngokukhulu amanzi esixeko nesithili esijikelezileyo, ngoku wawungafanele kusetyenziswa.AN 230.2

Ukusabela kwisibongozo sabantu baseYeriko, uElisha wathi, “Ndiziseleni isityaesitsha,nigalele ityuwa kuso.” Akuba eyifumene,“waphuma waya apho aphuma khona amanzi, wayigalela kuwo ityuwa, wathi, Utsho uYehova ukuthi,Ndiwaphilisile la manzi; akusayi kuba saphuma kufa kuwo, nakunganiki.” 2 Kumkani 2:19-21.AN 230.3

Ukuphiliswa kwamanzi aseYeriko kwenzeka, kungengabo ubulumko bomntu, kodwa kungommangaliso wokungenelela kukaThixo. Abo babakhe ngokutsha isixeko babengalufanele uthando lweZulu; ukanti Lowo “ilanga lakhe elenza liphume phezu kwabakhohlakeleyo nabalungileyo; nemvula eyinisa phezu kwabalungisayo nabangalungisiyo,” wabona kufanelekile kwesi siganeko ukuba atyhile, ngalo mqondiso wemfesane, ukulungela kwaKhe ukuphilisa uIsrayeli kwizigulo zabo zasemoyeni.AN 231.1

Ukubuyiselwa kwakungenasiphelo; “Aphila ke amanzi lawo unanamhla, ngokwelizwi lika“Elisha awalithethayo.” 2 Kumkani 2:22. Kwizizukulwana ukuya kwizizukulwana, amanzi ampompoza eyenza le ndawo iyintili ibe luhlaza lobuhle.AN 231.2

Zininzi izifundo zikaMoya ezinokufunyanwa kwibali lokuphiliswa kwamanzi. Ingqayi entsha, ityuwa, umthombo—zonke zingumfuziselo omkhulu.AN 231.3

Ekugaleleni ityuwa emanzini akrakra, uElisha wayefundisa isifundo esinye sikamoya esanikwa kwiinkulungwane kamva nguMsindisi kubafundi baKhe xa wayesithi, “Niyityuwa yehlabathi nina.” Mateyu 5:13. Ityuwa eyahlangana nomthombo ongcolileyo yawahlambulula amanzi awo azisa ubomi nentsikelelo apho ngaphambili kwakukho isifo nokufa. Xa uThixo efanisa abantwana baKhe netyuwa, ubebafundisa ukuba injongo yaKhe ngokubenza amalungu obabalo lwaKhe yeyokuba babe ngabathunywa ekusindiseni abanye. Injongo kaThixo ngokukhetha abantu phambi kwalo lonke ihlabathi, yayingekuphela ukuba abamkele njengoonyana neentombi zaKhe, kodwa ukuze kuthi ngabo ihlabathi lizuze ubabalo oluzisa elusindisweni. Xa uYehova wayenyula uAbraham, kwakungekuko ukuba wayefuna nje ukuba nomhlobo okhethekileyo, kodwa ukuze abe lijelo lamalungelo awodwa uYehova awayelangazelela ukuba awabeke phezu kwezizwe.AN 231.4

Ihlabathi lidinga ukubona ubungqina bobuKristu obunyanisekileyo. Ityhefu yesono iyasabenza entliziyweni yomphakathi. Izixeko needolophu zikekelele esonweni nasekuziphatheni kakubi. Ilizwe lizele zizigulo, ukuphatheka kakubi, nobugwenxa. Kufuphi nakude imiphefumlo esekuhluphekeni nasekuxinzelekeni, isindwa kukuziva inobutyala kwaye itshabalala kukuswela impembelelo esindisayo. Ivangeli yenyaniso isoloko imiswe phambi kwabo, ukanti bayatshabalala kuba umzekelo wabo bamelwe kukuba sisongo sobomi kubo basisongo sokufa. Imiphefumlo yabo isela ubukrakra kuba imithombo ityhefekile, nangona bekufuneka benjengequla lamanzi ampompozela ebomini obungunaphakade.AN 232.1

Ityuwa kufuneka ihlanganiswe nale nto igalelwa kuyo; kufuneka ingene, ixubane nayo, ukuze loo nto igcinakale. Ngoko ke, kungokuhlangana nokudlelana ekuthi abantu bafikelelwe ngamandla asindisayo evangeli. Abasindiswa ngobuninzi, kodwa ngabanye. Impembelelo eya emntwini ingamandla. Kukusebenza ngempembelelo kaKristu, ukuphakamisa apho uKristu aphakamisayo, ukugqithisa imithetho yokuziphatha elungileyo, nokunqanda ukubheka phambili kwenkohlakalo yehlabathi. Kukuthubelezisa olo babalo inguKristu kuphela onokulunika. Kukuphakamisa, ukumnandisa ubomi nezimilo zabanye ngamandla omzekelo onyulu ohlanganiswe nokholo kunye nothando lwenene.AN 232.2

Ngalo mthombo waseYeriko ubungcolile ukuza kufika ngoku, uYehova wathi, “Ndiwaphilisile la manzi; akusayi kuba saphuma kufa kuwo, nakunganiki.” Umsinga ongcolileyo umele umphefumlo owahlulweyo kuThixo. Isono asaneli nje ukumvalela kude umntu kuThixo, kodwa sitshabalalisa emphefumlweni womntu ulangazelelo nesakhono sokumazi [uThixo]. Ngesono, wonke umzimba womntu uyachithwa, ingqondo igqwetheke, ingcinga yonakale; izakhono zomphefumlo ziyathobeka. Kukho ukungabikho kwenkolo enyulu, nobungcwele bentliziyo. Amandla aguqulayo kaThixo awayenzi inguquko esimilweni. Umphefumlo ubuthakathaka, kuthi ngokuswela amandla okuziphatha, ungcoliswe wenziwe mbi.AN 233.1

Kwintliziyo ethe yahlanjululwa, konke kuyaguquka. Ukuhlaziywa kwesimilo bubungqina kwihlabathi lokuhlala ngaphakathi kukaKristu. UMoya kaThixo uveza ubomi obutsha emphefumlweni, uzise iingcinga neminqweno ekuthobeleni intando kaKristu; athi umntu wangaphakathi ahlaziywe abe ngumfanekiselo kaThixo. Amadoda nabafazi ababuthakathaka nabonayo babonisa ehlabathini ukuba amandla ahlangulayo obabalo anokwenza isimilo esigwenxa ukuba sikhule sibe nemilo entle nokuthwala isiqhamo ngokukhulu.AN 233.2

Intliziyo eyamkela ilizwi likaThixo ayililo iqula elimanzi aba ngumphunga, ngokungafaniyo nequla eliqhekekileyo elilahla ubutyebi balo. Linje ngomsinga ophuma entabeni, owondliwa yimithombo engomiyo, elimanzi alo amahle aqabela kumatye ngamatye, ehlaziya abadiniweyo, abanxaniweyo, nabasindwa ngumthwalo. Linje ngomlambo ohlala ubaleka amanzi uze uthi,njengoku uqhubeka,uye uba nzulu, ade amanzi awo anika ubomi asasazeke kuwo wonke umhlaba. Umsinga ohamba uhlabela endleleni yawo ushiya ngasemva isipho sohlaza neziqhamo. Ingca kwiindonga zawo iba luhlaza olupholileyo, imithi ibe luhlaza olutyebileyo, iintyantyambo ziqhame kakhulu. Uthi ngoku umhlaba ulele ubharhile umdaka phantsi kwengqatsini yobushushu behlobo, umgca wohlaza lubonakalisa indlela yomlambo.AN 233.3

Kubanjalo kumntwana kaThixo onyanisekileyo. Inkolo kaKristu iziveza njengomthetho ohlaziyayo, ongenayo, amandla aphilayo, asebenzayo kaMoya. Yakuba intliziyo ivuliwe kwimpembelelo yezulu yenyaniso nothando, le mithetho-siseko iya kumpompoza kwakhona njengemisinga entlango, yenze ukuba kuvele ubutyebi beziqhamo apho ngoku kuyinkqantosi nendlala.AN 234.1

Njengoko abo babehlanjiwe bangcwaliswa ngolwazi lwenyaniso yeBhayibile besenza ngovuyo umsebenzi wokuzuza imiphefumlo, baya kuthi ngokwenene babe sisongo sobomi esisingisa ebomini. Baya kuthi njengoko besela yonke imihla kumthombo ongatshiyo wobabalo nolwazi, baya kufumana ukuba iintliziyo zabo zizaliswe zafikelela ekuphuphumeni nguMoya weNkosi yabo, nokuba, ngokusebenza kwabo okungasekeleze nzuzo, baninzi abazuzayo ngokwasenyameni, engqondweni, nasemoyeni. Abadiniweyo bayahlaziyeka, abafayo babuyiselwa empilweni, baze abo basindwa ngumthwalo wesono bakhululeke. Kumazwe akude, imibulelo iyavakala iphuma kwimilebe yabo abantliziyo zabo zibuyisiweyo ekukhonzeni isono zeza ebulungiseni.AN 234.2

“Yiphani, naniya kuphiwa nani;” kuba ilizwi likaThixo “liliso lomthombo lasemiyezweni, iqula lamanzi aphilileyo, nemiqukuqela yamanzi yaseLebhanon.” Luka 6:38; Ingoma yazo Iingoma 4:15.AN 234.3