49—Amazwi Okugqibela KaYoshuwa

[Esi sahluko sisekwe kuYoshuwa 23 nama-24.]

Iimfazwe nokuzuzwa kwemihlaba ngoloyiso kwakuphelile, uYoshuwa wayebuyele ekuphumleni okunoxolo ekhayeni lakhe elaliseTimnasera. “Kwathi kwakuba yimihla emininzi, emveni kokuba uYehova ewaphumzile amaIsrayeli ezintshabeni zawo zonke ngeenxa zonke, . . . wawabiza uYoshuwa onke amaIsrayeli, amadoda awo amakhulu, neentloko zawo, nabagwebi bawo, nababhali bawo.”ANa 521.1

Kwakuse kudlule iminyaka kususela ukuba abantu behleli ezindaweni zabo, sekubonakala kuhluma kwakhona ububi obunye nobo babuzise ukubethwa kuIsrayeli. Njengoko uYoshuwa wayekuva ukuxhwaleka kobudala kumchwechwela, eqonda ukuba umsebenzi wakhe kungekudala uza kufikelela esiphelweni, wazaliswa lixhala ngekamva labantu bakhe. Kwakungaphezu komthwalo wokuba nguyise oko kwenza ukuba athethe nabo, xa babehlanganisene bengqonge umphathi wabo ogugileyo. “Nina nikubonile,” watsho, “konke abekwenzile uYehova uThixo wenu kwezo ntlanga zonke ngenxa yenu; ngokuba uYehova uThixo wenu nguye onilweleyo.” Nangona amaKanan ayoyisiwe, ayesenomhlaba omkhulu owawuthenjiswe uIsrayeli, waza uYoshuwa wabakhunga abantu ukuba bangazinzi bonwabe bawulibale umyalelo kaYehova wokuba bathabathe konke okwezizwe ezinqula izithixo.ANa 521.2

Kuyo yonke indawo abantu babengakhawulezi ukuwugqiba umsebenzi wokugxotha abahedeni. Izizwe zabuyela kwiindawo zazo, umkhosi wachithwa, kwaza kwakhangeleka kungumsebenzi onzima nothandabuzekayo owokuqala imfazwe. Wathi uYoshuwa: “NguYehova uThixo wenu oya kuzigxotha ebusweni benu, azigqogqe phambi kwenu, nilihluthe ilizwe lazo, njengoko wathethayo kuni uYehova uThixo wenu. Yomelelani kunene, ukuze nigcine nenze konke okubhaliweyo encwadini yomyalelo kaMoses, ukuze ningasuki kuwo, nityekele ekunene nasekhohlo.”ANa 521.3

UYoshuwa wenza isibheno ebantwini ngokwabo ukuba babe ngamangqina ukuba, kangangoko baye bathobela iimeko [ebezibekiwe], uThixo uwazalisekise ngokuthembeka amadinga awayewenzile kubo. “Niyazi ngentliziyo yenu yonke, nangomphefumlo wenu wonke,” watsho, “ukuba akuwanga phantsi nalinye ilizwi emazwini onke alungileyo, abewathethile uYehova uThixo wenu ngani.” Wavakalisa ukuba, njengoko uYehova ewazalisile amadinga aKhe, uya kukuzalisekisa nokubi akuthembisileyo. “Kothi, njengoko lenzekayo kuni lonke ilizwi elilungileyo, abelithethile uYehova uThixo wenu kuni, enjenjalo ukulenza kuni lonke ilizwi elibi. . . . Ekuwugqitheni umnqophiso kaYehova uThixo wenu, . . . wovutha umsindo kaYehova kuni, nicinywe kamsinya emhlabeni olungileyo aninikileyo.”ANa 522.1

USathana ubakhohlisa abaninzi ngentetho encomekayo ethi, uthando lukaThixo kubantu baKhe lukhulu kangangokuba uya kusixolela isono sabo; umele into ethi, nangona izoyikiso zikaThixo zisebenza injongo eqinisekileyo yolawulo lwaKhe lokuziphatha, azisayi kuze zizalisekiswe ngendlela ephathekayo. Kuko konke ukuphatha kwaKhe izidalwa zaKhe, uThixo ugcine njalo umthetho-siseko wobulungisa ngokusiveza isono sinjengoko sinjalo, ngokusibonakalisa ukuba esona siphumo saso yinkxwaleko nokufa. Uxolelo lwesono olungenammiselo aluzange lubekho, kwaye alusayi kuze lubekho. Uxolelo olunjalo lungabonisa ukulahlwa kwemithetho-siseko yobulungisa, esesona siseko solawulo lukaThixo. Lungazalisa yonke iyunivesi engawanga ngonxunguphalo. UThixo uzibonakalise ngokuthembeka iziphumo zesono, kwaye ukuba ezi zilumkiso bezingeyiyo inyaniso, besingaqiniseka njani ukuba izithembiso zaKhe zingazaliseka? Obo bubele kuthiwa bubo obunokubeka bucala ubulungisa asibubo ububele kodwa bubuthakathaka.ANa 522.2

UThixo ungumniki-bomi. Kususela kwasekuqaleni, yonke imithetho yaKhe yayingcwaliselwe ubomi. Isono sangenelela kucwangco olwalumisiwe, kwaza kwalandela isiphithiphithi. Lonke ixesha isono sisekhona, intlungu nokufa zizinto eziqinisekileyo. Kuphela, kungokuba uMhlanguli uye wathwala isiqalekiso sesono endaweni yethu athi umntu abe nethemba lokusinda, yena ubuqu, kwiziphumo zaso ezibi.ANa 522.3

Phambi kokufa kukaYoshuwa, iintloko nabameli bezizwe, besabele ubizo, baphinda bahlanganisana kwaShekem. Ayikho indawo kulo lonke ilizwe eyayihlanganiswa neengcamango ezingcwele, ezazibuyiselaingqondo emva emnqophisweni kaThixo noAbraham noYakobi, nekhumbuza nezabo izifungo ezinesidima ekungeneni kwabo eKanan. Zazilapha iintaba, iEbhali neGerizim, amangqina athe cwaka ezo zifungo ezathi ngoku, phambi kwenkokeli yabo efayo, bahlangana ukuba bazihlaziye. Kumacala onke, kwakukho izibonakaliso zoko uThixo wabenzela kona; indlela awabanika ngayo ilizwe abangazange balisebenzele, nezixeko abangazange bazakhe, izidiliya namabhoma eminquma, izinto abangazange bazityala. UYoshuwa wayiphinda imbali kaIsrayeli, ebalula imisebenzi emangalisayo kaThixo, ukuze bonke babe nengqondo yothando nenceba yaKhe baze bamkhonze “ngokunyaniseka nangenyaniso.”ANa 523.1

Ngomyalelo kaYoshuwa, ityeya yayiziswe eShilo. Isiganeko sasizuke kakhulu, waza lo mfuziselo wobukho bukaThixo wanomda omkhulu owenzayo kumava abantu. Emva kokuba ebonise ukulunga kukaThixo ngakuIsrayeli, wababiza, egameni likaYehova, ukuba bakhethe abaya kumkhonza. Ukukhonzwa kwezithixo kwakusamana kuqhutywa emfihlakalweni, waza uYoshuwa wazama ukuba bathabathe isigqibo esasiya kusigxotha esi sono kwaIsrayeli. “Ke ukuba kubi emehlweni enu ukumkhonza uYehova,” watsho, “zinyuleleni namhla oyena niya kumkhonza.” UYoshuwa wayelangazelela ukubakhokelela abantu ekukhonzeni uThixo, kungekho ngokunyanzelwa, kodwa ngokuzithandela. Ukumthanda uThixo kusisiseko senkolo. Ukuwenza umsebenzi waKhe ngenxa nje yethemba lokuzuza umvuzo okanye ukoyika ukohlwaywa akuncedi nto. Ukreqo oluphandle belungayi kuthiyeka kuThixo ngaphezu kokuhanahanisa nokunqula nje ngesiqhelo.ANa 523.2

Inkokeli eseyikhulile yabakhuthaza abantu ukuba bakucingisise, nako konke okuhamba nako, oko wayekubeke phambi kwabo, baze benze isigqibo ukuba ngokwenene balangazelela ukuphila njengoko zazisenza izizwe ezazikhonza izithixo ezazibangqongile. Ukuba kwakubonakala kukubi kubo ukukhonza uYehova, ithende lamandla, umthombo wentsikelelo, mabakhethe ngaloo mini lowo baya kumkhonza -— “oothixo ababekhonza bona ooyihlo,” awabizwa ukuba aphume kubo uAbraham, “nokuba ngoothixo bama-Amori, enihleli ezweni lawo.” La mazwi okugqibela aba sisikhuzo esihlabayo kuIsrayeli. Oothixo bama-Amori abazange bakwazi ukubakhusela abakhonzi babo. Ngenxa yezono ezithiyekileyo nezihlazisayo zabo, eso sizwe sikhohlakeleyo satshatyalaliswa, laza ilizwe elihle elalilelaso lanikwa abantu bakaThixo. Ibiya kuba bubudenge obunjani ukuba uIsrayeli ebenganyula izithixo awatshatyalaliswa ama-Amori ngenxa yokuzikhonza! “Ke mna nendlu yam,” watsho uYoshuwa, “siya kukhonza uYehova.” Kwaloo nzondeleloinye eyakhuthazaintliziyoyenkokeli, yagqithiselwa ebantwini. Izibheno zakhe zenza ukuba kubekho impendulo ekhawulezileyo, Makube le kuthi ukumshiya uYehova, sikhonze thixo bambi.”ANa 523.3

“Aninakumkhonza uYehova; ngokuba nguThixo Oyingcwele, . . . watsho uYoshuwa: “akayi kuzithwala izikreqo zenu.” Phambi kokuba kubekho uhlaziyo oluzinzileyo, abantu kufuneka bakhokelelwe ekubeni bazive bengenako konke ukuthi ngokwabo bakwazi ukumthobela uThixo. Babewaphule umthetho, wabagweba njengabaphuli bawo, waye ungenawo umsindleko wokuba basinde. Lonke ixesha besathembele kwawabo amandla nobulungisa, babengenako ukuluzuza ukhuseleko noxolelo kwizono zabo; babengenako ukuhlangabezana namabango omthetho kaThixo ogqibeleleyo, ngoko kwakulilize ukuba babhambathise ukumkhonza uThixo. Kwakungokukholwa kuphela kuKristu ababenokuthi baxolelwe isono baze bazuze amandla okuthobela umthetho kaThixo. Kufuneka bayeke ukuxhomekeka kweyabo imizamo ukuba basindiswe. Kufuneka bathembele ngokupheleleyo kubuhle boMsindisi othenjisiweyo, ukuba bafuna ukwamkelwa nguThixo.ANa 524.1

UYoshuwa wazama ukubakhokelela abaphulaphuli bakhe ekubeni bawaqaphele kakuhle amazwi abo, bakuphephe ukwenza izifungo ababengayi kulungela ukuzizalisekisa. Ngenyameko enkulu, wayiphinda intetho yabo: “Hayi, siya kukhonza uYehova thina.” Bathi ngokuvuma ngesithozela kubungqina obabuchasene nabo bokuba banyule uYehova, basiphinda isibhambathiso sabo sokunyaniseka: “Siya kukhonza uYehova uThixo wethu, siliphulaphule ilizwi lakhe.”ANa 524.2

“UYoshuwa wenza ke umnqophiso nabantu ngaloo mhla; wabamisela imimiselo namasiko kwaShekem.” Akuba eyibhalile ingxelo yesi siganeko sizukileyo, wasibeka, kunye nencwadi yomthetho, ecaleni letyeya. Wamisa intsika njengesikhumbuzo, esithi, “Yabonani, eli litye liya kuba lingqina ngathi; ngokuba liwavile lona onke amazwi kaYehova, awathethileyo nathi; libe lingqina ngani, hleze nimkhanyele uThixo wenu. Wabandulula ke uYoshuwa abantu; elowo waya elifeni lakhe.”ANa 524.3

Umsebenzi kaYoshuwa kuIsrayeli wafikelela esiphelweni. Waye “emlandele kwaphela uYehova;” encwadini kaThixo kwabhalwa: “Umkhonzi kaYehova.” Obona bungqina buhle ngesimilo sakhe njengenkokeli kawonke-wonke, yimbali yesizukulwana esaxhamla ubumnandi bemisebenzi yakhe: “AmaIsrayeli amkhonza uYehova yonke imihla kaYoshuwa, nemihla yonke yamadoda amakhulu awasalayo kuYoshuwa.”ANa 524.4