55—Umntwana USamuweli
[Esi sahluko sisekwe ku-1 Samuweli 1; 2:1-11.]
UElikana, umLevi, weNtaba iEfrayim, wayeyindoda enobutyebi nempembelelo, neyayimthanda imoyika uYehova. umfazi wayo, uHana, wayengumfazi onobungcwele obushushu. Enobulali engazigwagwisi, isimilo sakhe sasinophawu lokunyaniseka okukhulu nokholo oluphakamileyo.ANa 569.1
Intsikelelo eyayifunwa kakhulu nguye wonke umHebhere sasingayinikwanga esi sibini sinobuThixo; ikhaya labo alizange lifekethiswe ngelizwi lomntwana; lwaza ulangazelelo lokuhambisela phambili igama layo indoda, lwayikhokelela, njengoko lwawakhokelayo amaninzi, ekubeni ingene kumtshato wesibini. Sekunjalo, eli nyathelo lalikhuthazwe kukuswela ukholo kuThixo, alizange likuzise ukonwaba. Oonyana neentombi bongezwa ekhayeni; kodwa uvuyo nobuhle bommiselo omhle kaThixo babungcolisiwe, noxolo elusatsheni lwaphulwe. UPenina, umfazi omtsha, wayenomona nengqondo encinane, waziphatha ngekratshi nokudelela. KuHana, ithemba lalibonakala lityumkile nobomi buyindinisa; ukanti wamelana nolu vavanyo ngobulali obungakalaziyo.ANa 569.2
UElikana wayigcina imimiselo kaThixo ngokuthembeka. Unqulo eShilo lwalusagciniwe, kodwa, ngenxa yokungahambi kakuhle kwezinto ekulungiseleleni, ukusebenza kwakhe kwakungasafuneki etempileni, apho, njengombingeleli kwakufuneka ekho. Noko kunjalo, wenyuka nentsapho yakhe, waya kunqula, ebingelela kwimihlangano emiselweyo.ANa 569.3
Kwathi naphakathi kwemigcobo engcwele ehlangene nenkonzo kaThixo, umoya ombi owawuqalekise ikhaya lakhe wangenelela. Emva kokuba enikele umnikelo wombulelo, lonke usapho, ngokwesithethe esimiselweyo, lwahlangana kwisidlo sovuyo olundilisekileyo. Kwezi ziganeko, uElikana wanika umama wabantwana bakhe isabelo sakhe nesomntwana ngamnye oyindodana noyintombi; waza kumqondiso obhekisele kuHana, wamnika isabelo esiphindwe kabini, ebonakalisa ukuba uthando lwakhe kuye lwalufana nokuba unomntwana. Umfazi wesibini, ezaliswe ngumona, wenza ibango lokuba uhamba phambili ekuthandweni nguThixo, waza wamchukusha uHana ngokungabi namntwana kwakhe, kwaba ngathi kubonisa ukunganeliseki kukaYehova. Yaphindaphindwa le nto unyaka nonyaka, wada uHana akakwazi ukuyinyamezela. Ngokungakwazi ukuyifihla intlungu yakhe, walila akathuthuzeleka, akangena esidlweni. Kwaba lilize, ukuzama komyeni wakhe ukumthuthuzela. “Ulilelani na? Yinina ukuba ungadli? Yini na ukuba ibe mbi intliziyo yakho?” watsho; “Andilungile na kuwe ngaphezu koonyana abalishumi?”ANa 569.4
UHana akazange athethe ngokugculela. Umthwalo ekwakungekho mhlobo wasemhlabeni anokwabelana naye ngawo, wawubeka kuThixo. Ngenyameko wamcela [uThixo] ukuba ayisuse kuye ingcikivo yakhe ngokumnika isipho esixabisekileyo esingunyana, aya kumkhulisa amqeqeshele Yena [uThixo]. Wenza isibhambathiso esinendili sokuba, xa sithe isicelo sakhe safezekiswa, uya kumnikela umntwana wakhe kuThixo, kwasekuzalweni kwakhe. UHana wayesondele kakhulu ekungeneni komnquba, wathi, esentlungwini yomoya wakhe, “wathandaza . . . wasitsho isililo.” Wathetha noThixo ngokuzolileyo, kungavakali sandi salizwi. Ngaloo maxesha akhohlakeleyo, imiboniso enjalo yokukhonza yayingafane ibonwe, nakwimivuyo yenkolo; waza uEli, umbingeleli omkhulu, akumbona uHana, wacinga ukuba wayesoyiswa yiwayini. Wacinga ngokwenza ukukhalima okufanelekileyo, wathetha kabukhali, wathi, “Koda kube nini na unxila? Yisuse iwayini yakho kuwe.”ANa 570.1
Wathi esentlungwini, othukile, uHana waphendula ngokuzolileyo, “Hayi, nkosi yam, ndingumfazi omoya unobunzima, andiselanga wayini nasiselo sinxilisayo; ndiphalaza umphefumlo wam phambi koYehova. Musa ukumbalela umkhonzazana wakho ekuthini yintombi yetshijolo; ngokuba unangoku ndithethe ngobuninzi bokukhalaza kwam nokuqunjiswa kwam.”ANa 570.2
Umbingeleli wachukumiseka kakhulu, kuba wayeyindoda kaThixo; waza, endaweni yokumngxolisa, wathetha amazwi entsikelelo: “Hamba unoxolo; uThixo kaIsrayeli makakunike isicelo sakho osicelileyo kuye.”ANa 570.3
Umthandazo kaHana waphendulwa; wafumana isipho abe esoloko ecengela sona ngenyameko. Wathi akumjonga umntwana, wambiza ngokuthi nguSamuweli, “oceliweyo kuThixo.” Lwathi lwakuba usana lukhule ngokwaneleyo ukuba lungahlulwa nonina, wasizalisekisa isibhambathiso sakhe. Wayemthanda umntwana wakhe ngako konke ukuzinikela kwentliziyo kamama; umhla nezolo, xa emkhangele amandlaacheesiyangokwanda,ephulaphulaiincokwanazakhe zobuntwana, uthando lwakhe lwaphothana naye ngakumbi nangakumbi. Waye kuphela konyana wakhe, isipho esisodwa seZulu; kodwa wayemfumene njengegugu elinikelwe kuThixo, waye engasayi kukubamba kuLowo uphileyo oko kukokwaKhe. Waphinda uHana wahamba nomyeni wakhe basinga eShilo, wanikela kumbingeleli, egameni likaThixo, isipho esixabisekileyo, esithi, “Ndandithandazela lo mntwana; undinikile ke uYehova isicelo sam endandisicela kuye; nam ndiya kumenza oceliweyo kuYehova; yonke imihla yokubakho kwakhe, woba ngoceliweyo kuYehova.” UEli wachukumiseka kakhulu lukholo nokuzinikela kwale nkosikazi yakwaIsrayeli. Yena njengoyise oziyekela kakhulu, wothuswa wazithoba akubona umbingelelo omkhulu walo mama xa esahlukana nonyana wakhe ekuphela kwakhe, ukuba amnikele emsebenzini kaThixo. Waziva ethethisiwe ngothando lwakhe olufuna okukokwalo, waza ngokuzithoba nangembeko wathoba phambi koYehova wanqula.ANa 570.4
Intliziyo kamama yazaliswa luvuyo nokudumisa, waza walangazelela ukuwuthulula umbulelo wakhe kuThixo. UMoya weMpefumlelo wamfikela; “Wathandaza uHana, wathi,ANa 571.1
“Intliziyo yam idlamkile ngoYehova,
Uphondo lwam luphakanyisiwe nguYehova.
Uvulekile umlomo wam kakhulu ngazo
iintshaba zam;
Ngokuba ndivuyele usindiso lwakho;
Akukho liwa linjengoThixo wethu.
Musani ukukwandisa ukuthetha izinto
eziphakamileyo,
Kungaphumi ntetho yakuhlakanipha emlonyeni wenu;
Ngokuba uYehova nguThixo owazi konke,
Yena nguMlinganisi wezenzo eziyincamisa. . . .
UYehova uyabulala, adlise ubomi;
Uhlisela kwelabafileyo, abuye anyuse.
UYehova uyahlwempuza, atyebise;
Uthoba, abuye aphakamise.
Uvusa eluthulini abasweleyo,
Aphakamise amahlwempu ezaleni,
Ukuba awahlalise namanene;
Uwabela ilifa elisihlalo sozuko;
Ngokuba zezikaYehova iintsika zehlabathi,
Walimisa phezu kwazo elimiweyo.
Iinyawo zabakhe benceba uya kuzigcina,
Abangendawo badake ebumnyameni;
Ngokuba indoda ayeyisi ngamandla.
UYehova yena—baya kuqhiphuka umbilini
Uya kududumisa phezu kwabo emazulwini;
UYehova uya kuzigweba iziphelo zehlabathi,
Amnike ukumkani wakhe amandla,
Aluphakamise uphondo lomthanjiswa wakhe.”ANa 571.2
Amazwi kaHana ayenokuprofeta, ngoDavide, owayeza kulawula njengokumkani kaIsrayeli, kunye noMesiya, uMthanjiswa weNkosi. Ebhekisa kuqala ekuqhayiseni komfazi osileyo noxabanisayo, ingoma yalatha ekutshatyalalisweni kweentshaba zikaThixo kunye noloyiso lokugqibela lwabantu baKhe abahlangulweyo.ANa 572.1
Ukusuka eShilo, uHana wathi ezolile, wabuyela kwikhaya lakhe eRama, emshiya umntwana uSamuweli ukuba aqeqeshelwe ukusebenza endlwini kaThixo, phantsi kokufundiswa ngumbingeleli omkhulu. Kususela ekuvulekeni kokuqala kwengqondo, wamfundisa unyana wakhe ukuba amthande amhloniphe uThixo, azithabathe njengokuba ungokaYehova. Ngayo yonke into eqhelekileyo eyayimngqongile, wazama ukuzikhokelela iingcinga zakhe kuMdali. Naxa ahlukene nonyana wakhe, inkathalo kamama onyanisekileyo ayizange iphele. Yonke imihla, wayemthandazela. Minyaka yonke, wayemenzela, ngezakhe izandla, ingubo yomsebenzi; athi xa enyuka nomyeni wakhe besiya kunqula eShilo, amnike umntwana njengesikhumbuzo sothando lwakhe. Wonke umsonto wengutyana, wawuthungwe ngomthandazo wokuba abe nyulu, enesidima, anyaniseke. Akazange amcelele unyana wakhe ubukhulu behlabathi, kodwa wacela enyanisekile ukuba afikelele kubukhulu obuxatyiswe liZulu, ukuze amzukise uThixo abasikelele abantu.ANa 572.2
Ukubamkhulu komvuzo kaHana! Injani yona inkuthazeko yokunyaniseka komzekelo wakhe! Akho amathuba exabiso elingenakulinganiswa, umdla oligugu elingenasiphelo, obekwa esandleni sakhe wonke umama. Umsebenzi othobekileyo abaye abafazi bawujonge njengendinisa, kufuneka ubonwe njengomsebenzi obalulekileyo nozukileyo. Lilungelo likamama ukusikelela ilizwe ngempembelelo yakhe, kwaye ekwenzeni oku, uya kuzisa uvuyo entliziyweni yakhe. Unokwenza iindlela ezithe tye zeenyawo zabantwana bakhe, ekutshiseni kwelanga nasethunzini, kuse kwiincopho ezinozuko phezulu. Kuphela ke, xa ezama ebomini bakhe, ukulandela iimfundiso zikaKristu, apho anokuthi umama abe nako ukuxonxa isimilo sabantwana bakhe ukuba sifane nesomboniso wezulu. Ilizwe lizele ziimpembelelo ezonakalisayo. Izinto zeli xesha nezithethe zinoxinzelelo olunamandla kubantu abatsha. Ukuba umama uyasilela emsebenzini wakhewokufundisa,ukukhokela,nokunqanda,abantwana bakhe, ngokuqinisekileyo,bayakwamkela ububi, baze basuke ekwenzeni okulungileyo. Wonke umama makaye rhoqo kuMsindisi wakhe enomthandazo othi, “Sifundise, singamluleka njani umntwana, iyintoni ekufuneka siyenzile kuye?” (KJV). Makalulamele imfundiso uThixo ayinikileyo elizwini laKhe, ubulumko uya kubunikwa ngokwentswelo yakhe.ANa 572.3
“Ke inkwenkwe, uSamuweli, yaya ikhula ngokukhula, ithandeka kuYehova nakubantu.” Nangona ubutsha bukaSamuweli bachithwa emnqubeni bunikelwe ekunquleni uThixo, akazange asinde kwiimpembelelo ezimbi okanye kumzekelo wesono. Oonyana bakaEli babengamoyiki uThixo, bengamhloniphi noyise; kodwa uSamuweli akazange afune ukuhlangana nabo engafuni nokulandela iindlela zabo ezikhohlakeleyo. Yayingumzamo wakhe ozingileyo ukuba abe yiloo nto uThixo afuna ukuba abe yiyo. Eli lilungelo lakhe wonke umntu omtsha. UThixo uyakholiseka naxa nabona bantwana bancinane bezinikela emsebenzini wakhe.ANa 573.1
USamuweli wabekwa phantsi kweliso likaEli, baza ubuhle besimilo sakhe batsala ubushushu bothando kumbingeleli osele ekhulile. Wayenobubele, enesisa, ethobela, ehlonipha. UEli, ehlungiswa kukuphum’ ecaleni kwabakhe oonyana, wazuza ukuphumla nentuthuzelo nentsikelelo kubukho balowo wayemjongile. USamuweli wayeluncedo, ethandeka, kwaye akakho umzali owakha wathanda umntwana wakhe ngemfesane enkulu ukudlula ukuba wenza njalo uEli kule ndodana. Yayiyinto engaqhelekanga ukuba phakathi komgwebi omkhulu wesizwe nomntwana omncinane nje kubekho uthando olufudumele kangako. Kwathi xa kufika izikhwasilima zokukhula kuEli, ekwazaliswe kukukhathazeka nentlungu ngenxa yendlela ekhohlakeleyo yokuziphatha kwabakhe oonyana, wakhangela kuSamuweli ukuze azuze intuthuzelo.ANa 573.2
Yayingesiso isithethe ukuba abaLevi bangene kwimisebenzi yabo ekhethekileyo bade bafike kumaShumi amabini anesihlanu yeminyaka ubudala, kodwa uSamuweli waba ngobekelwe ecaleni kulo mgaqo. Minyaka yonke kwabakho imisebenzi ebalulekileyo ayinikwayo; kwathi, nangona esengumntwana, ingubo ye-efodi wayambathiswa njengomqondiso wokunikelwa kwakhe kumsebenzi wasengcweleni. Emncinane enjalo, ukuziswa kwakhe ukuba alungiselele emnqubeni, uSamuweli waba nemisebenzi ekufuneka eyenzele uThixo, ngokwesakhono sakhe. Ekuqaleni yayithobeke kakhulu, ingasoloko imnandi; kodwa yayisenziwa ngako konke akwaziyo ukukwenza, nangentliziyo enentumekelelo. Inkolo yakhe yayibonakala kuyo yonke into ayenzayo ebomini. Wazithabatha njengesisebenzi sikaThixo, nomsebenzi wakhe njengomsebenzi kaThixo. Imizamo yakhe yamkeleka, kuba yayiqhutywa luthando analo ngakuThixo nolangazelelo olunyanisekileyo ukwenzaintandoyaKhe. Kwabanjaloke ukuze uSamuweli abe ngosebenza kunye neNkosi yezulu nomhlaba. UThixo wamenza ukuba akufanele ukuwufeza umsebenzi omkhulu kaIsrayeli.ANa 573.3
Ukuba abantwana bebenokufundiswa ukuba bawuxabise wonke umsebenzi abawunikwa yonke imihla, njengendlela ababekelwe yona nguYehova, njengeziko lemfundo ekufuneka beqeqeshwe kulo ukuba banike inkonzo ethembekileyo nenempumelelo, ubuya kubonakala umnandi kakhulu, uhloniphekile umsebenzi wabo. Ukwenza wonke umsebenzi ngokokuwenzela uYehova, kunika umtsalane nakowona uphantsi umsebenzi, kubahlanganise abo bawusebenzayo emhlabeni nezidalwa ezingcwele ezenza intando kaThixo ezulwini.ANa 574.1
Impumelelo kobu bomi, impumelelo ekuzuzeni ubomi bexesha elizayo, kuxhomekeka ekuqapheleni ngenkathalo izinto ezincinane. Imfezeko ibonakala kwezona zincinane, ngokufanayo nakwezona zinkulu, kwimisebenzi kaThixo. Isandla esaxhoma amazwe esibhakabhakeni ikwasisandla esenza ngobuchule bobunono iintyatyambo ezisemadlelweni. Njengoko uThixo egqibelele kweyaKhe indawo, nathi kufuneka sigqibelele kweyethu. Ukumila kakuhle kwesimilo esomeleleyo nesihle, kwakhiwa zizenzo ngazinye zomsebenzi. Ukunyaniseka kufuneka kube luphawu lobomi bethu kwezona zincinane nakwezona zinkulu iinkcukacha. Ukunyaniseka kwizinto ezincinane, ukwenza imisebenzi emincinane yokuthembeka nezenzo ezincinane zobubele, kuyayivuyisa indlela yobomi; ukuze kuthi xa umsebenzi wethu emhlabeni ufikelele ekupheleni, kufumaniseke ukuba umsebenzi ngamnye omncinane owenziwe ngokuthembeka uye wanempembelelo kokulungileyo, impembelelo engasayi kuze itshabalale.ANa 574.2
Ulutsha lwexesha lethu lunako ukuxabiseka emehlweni kaThixo njengoSamuweli. Ngokubamba ngokuthembeka isidima salo sobuKristu, lunganempembelelo enkulu emsebenzini wohlaziyo. Amadoda anjalo ayafuneka kweli xesha. UThixo unomsebenzi womntu ngamnye kubo. Abazange abantu bamzuzela uThixo, kwakunye noluntu, iziphumo ezikhulu ngaphezu kwezo zinokuzuzwa, ngale mihla yethu, ngabo baya kuthi bathembeke koko bakugciniswe nguThixo.ANa 574.3