56—UEli Noonyana Bakhe

[Esi sahluko sisekwe ku-1 Samuweli 2:12-36.]

UEli wayengumbingeleli nomgwebi kwaIsrayeli. Wayebambe ezona ziphezulu nezinoxanduva izikhundla phakathi kwabantu bakaThixo. Njengendoda enyulwe lizulu kwimisebenzi engcwele yobubingeleli, yamiswa phezu kwelizwe njengelona gunya liphezulu logwebo, kwakukhangelwe kuye njengomzekelo, kwaye enempembelelo enkulu kwiintlanga zikaIsrayeli. “Nangona wayenyuliwe ukuba alawule abantu, akazange ayilawule eyakhe indlu. UEli wayengumzali oyekelelayo. Ethanda uxolo nokonwaba, akazange alisebenzise igunya lakhe lokulungisa imikhwa emibi neenkanuko zabantwana bakhe. Endaweni yokuxabana nabo okanye abohlwaye, ube ebayekela kwintando yabo abanike benze ngokubona kwabo. Endaweni yokuyithabatha imfundo yoonyana bakhe njengenye ebaluleke kakhulu kwimisebenzi yakhe, wawuphatha umcimbi ngokungathi awubalulekanga. Umbingeleli nomgwebi kaIsrayeli wayengekho bumnyameni ngoxanduva lokunqanda nokulawula abantwana uThixo amnike ukuba abaluse. Noko kunjalo, uEli warhoxa kulo msebenzi, kuba wawubandakanya ukunqumla kwintando yoonyana bakhe, kwaye kwakuza kunyanzeleka ukuba abohlwaye abanqande. Ngaphandle kokubeka esilinganisweni iziphumo ezibi ezaziza kulandela indlela yakhe, wabayekela abantwana bakhe kuyo yonke into ababeyinqwenela waza wawutyeshela umsebenzi obafaneleyo enkonzweni kaThixo kunye nemithwalo yobomi.ANa 575.1

UThixo wayethe kuAbraham, “Ndaze yena, ukuze abawisele umthetho abantwana bakhe, nendlu yakhe emva kwakhe, bagcine indlela kaYehova, benze ubulungisa nokusesikweni.” Genesis 18:19. Yena uEli wabavumela abantwana bakhe ukuba bamlawule. Utata waba ngaphantsi kwabantwana. Isiqalekiso sokugqitha umthetho sasibonakala kwinkohlakalo nobubi obabuphawula ikhondo loonyana bakhe. Babengenantlonipho iyiyo kwisimilo sikaThixo okanye kubungcwele bomthetho waKhe. Inkonzo yaKhe kubo yayiyinto eqhelekileyo. Kususela ebuntwaneni, babeqhelene nengcwele nenkonzoyayo;kodwaendaweniyokuba bahloniphekakhulu ngakumbi, balahlekwa yiyo yonke ingqondo yobungcwele nokubaluleka kwayo. Uyise akazange akulungise ukuswela kwabo intlonipho kwigunya lakhe, akakunqanda ukuswela kwabo intlonipho kwiinkonzo ezingcwele zasengcweleni; bathi bakufika ebudodeni, baye bezele ziziqhamo zentandabuzo novukelo.ANa 575.2

Nangona babengawufanelanga ngokupheleleyo umsebenzi, babekwa njengababingeleli engcweleni, ukuba balungiselele phambi kukaThixo. UYehova wayenike imiqathango ecace kakhulu ngokubhekisele kwiminikelo nemibingelelo; kodwa la madoda akhohlakeleyo ayezaliswe kukungalikhathaleli igunya ukungena kwawo emsebenzini kaThixo, aza akawugqala umthetho weminikelo, ekwakufuneka yenziwe ngendlela enesidima kakhulu. Imibingelelo, eyayisalatha ekufeni kukaKristu, yayilungiselwe ukugcina ezintliziyweni zabantu ukholo kuMhlanguli owayeza kuza; kungoko kwakubaluleke kakhulu ukuba imiyalelo kaYehova ngokubhekiselele kuyo igcinwe ngqongqo. Iminikelo yoxolo ngendlela eyodwa yayikukubonisa ukwenziwa kombulelo kuThixo. Kule minikelo, linqatha kuphela elalitshiswa phezu kwesibingelelo; indawo ethile ekhankanyiweyo yayigcinelwa ababingeleli, kodwa indawo enkulu yayibuyela kulowo unikelayo, ukuba ayitye yena nabahlobo bakhe njengesidlo sombingelelo. Ngokunjalo, zonke iintliziyo zazikhokelelwa, ngombulelo nokholo, kuMbingelelo omkhulu owawuza kususa isono sehlabathi.ANa 576.1

Oonyana bakaEli, endaweni yokuba bakuqonde ukuzuka kwale nkonzo yomfuziselo, basuka bacinga ukuba bangayenza njani ukuze ibe nokwaneza ukuziyekela kwabo. Bathi benganeliswanga yiminikelo yoxolo eyabelwe bona, bafuna okungaphezulu; laza inani elikhulu lale minikelo inikelwa kwizidlo zomnyaka, labanika ababingeleli ithuba lokuba bazityebise ngokudla abantu. Abazange banele ukufuna ngaphezu koko kufanelekileyo, kodwa bala ukulinda ukuba inqatha lide litshe njengomnikelo kuThixo. Baqhubeka ekubangeni nayiphi indawo eyayibakholisa, kuthi, ukuba abayinikwa, bathembise ngokuzihluthela ngenkani.ANa 576.2

Oku kuswela intlonipho kwababingeleli, kwayihlutha inkonzo ukubaluleka okungcwele nokunesidima, baza abantu “bawudela umnikelo kaYehova.” Umbingelelo omkhulu owawufuziselwa, ekwakufuneka bekhangele phambili kuwo, kwakungasekho ukuwuhlonipha. “Saba sikhulu kunene isono samadodana phambi koYehova.”ANa 576.3

Aba babingeleli banganyanisekanga baya bawugqitha umthetho kaThixo bawuhlazisaumsebenziwaboongcwelengezenzozabo zenkohlakalo nehlazisayo; kodwa baqhubeka ukungcolisa ngobukho babo emnqubeni kaThixo. Abantu abaninzi, bezaliswe yingqumbo ngenxa yekhondo lenkohlakalo kaHofeni noPinehasi, bayeka ukuza kwindawo eyayibekelwe ukukhonza. Ngaloo ndlela, inkonzo uThixo awayeyibekele bucala yadelelwa yatyeshelwa kuba yayihlanganiswa nezono zabantu abakhokeleyo, lo gama abo bantliziyo zazikekelele ebubini baqiniselwa esonweni. Ukungahloneli Thixo, ukuphatha kakubi, nokunqula izithixo, kwaba nokoyisa okwafikelela kumgangatho owoyikekayo.ANa 577.1

UEli wona kakhulu ekuvumeleni oonyana bakhe ukuba balungiselele kwisikhundla esingcwele. Ngokuthethelela ikhondo labo, kwisizathu esinye ukuya kwesinye, waya engaziboni izono zabo; kodwa ekugqibeleni bafika kwindawo emxinwa apho wayengenakho ukuwafihla amehlo akhe kulwaphulo-mthetho loonyana bakhe. Abantu bakhalaza ngezenzo zabo ezindlongondlongo, waza umbingeleli omkhulu wanentlungu noxinzelelo. Akazange akwazi ukuba sathula. Bona oonyana bakhe babefikelele apho bacinga ukuba akukho mntu, ngaphandle kwabo, baye ngoku bengakhathalele mntu wumbi. Bayibona intlungu kayise, kodwa iintliziyo ezilukhuni azizange zichukumiseke. Bakuva ukuthethisa kwakhe okupholileyo, kodwa abazange bachukumiseke, bengazange bayitshintshe nendlela yabo ekhohlakeleyo nangona belunyukiswa ngesiphumo sesono sabo. Ukuba Eli wayenze ngobulungisa koonyana bakhe, ngebabaliwe kumsebenzi wobubingeleli baze bohlwaywe ngokufa. Esoyika ngoko ukuzisa ihlazo ekuhleni, nesigwebo phezu kwabo, wabaxhasa bekwezona zikhundla zingcwele zokuthenjwa. Wayesabavumela ukuba bahlanganise inkohlakalo yabo nenkonzo engcwele kaThixo, bafake ulwamvila emsebenzini wenyaniso, ukonakala okwakungekhe kucinywe yiminyaka. Wathi umgwebi kaIsrayeli akuwutyeshela umsebenzi wakhe, uThixo wawuthabathela kuYe ezandleni umcimbi.ANa 577.2

“Kweza umntu kaThixo kuEli, wathi kuye, utsho uYehova ukuthi, Kanene ndazityhila na kwindlu kayihlo, beseYiputa endlwini kaFaro? Ndamnyula na ezizweni zonke zakwaIsrayeli, ukuba abe ngumbingeleli aqhumisele ngeziqhumiso, anxibe iefodi phambi kwam? Ndayinika yonke indlu kayihlo konke ukudla kwasemlilweni koonyana bakaIsrayeli? Yini na ke ukuba niwunyathelele phantsi umbingelelo wam nomnikelo wam wokudla, endiwise umthetho ngawo ekhayeni lam, usuke ubazukise oonyana bakho ngaphezu kwam, ukuze nizityebise ngelona nqatha leminikelo yonke yamaIsrayeli, abantu bam? Ngoko utsho uYehova, uThixo kaIsrayeli, ukuthi, Ndatsho okunene ukuthi, Indlu yakho nendlu kayihlo yohamba phambi kwam kude kuse ephakadeni; kungoku utsho uYehova ukuthi, Oko makube lee kum; ngokuba ondizukisayo ndiya kumzukisa, abandidelayo bacukucezwe. . . . Ndiya kuzivelisela umbingeleli othembekileyo, oya kwenza njengoko kusentliziyweni yam, nasemphefumlweni wam; ndimakhele indlu eqinileyo, ahambe phambi komthanjiswa wam yonke imihla.”ANa 577.3

UThixo wammangalela uEli ngokuzukisa oonyana bakhe ngaphezu kukaYehova. UEli wavumela umnikelo omiselwe nguThixo njengentsikelelo kuIsrayeli ukuba wenziwe into ecekisekayo, endaweni yokuhlazisa oonyana bakhe ngezenzo zabo ezingengcwele nezithiyekileyo. Abo balandela okufunwa ngabo, bathi ngothando olungaboniyo kubantwana babo, babayekele ekwaneliseni iminqweno yabo yokuzithandela, bangenzi ngokwegunya likaThixo ukukhalimela isono nokulungisa ububi, basuke benze kucace ukuba bazukisa abantwana babo abakhohlakeleyo ngaphezu kokuba bezukisa uThixo. Bazondelele kakhulu ukukhusela igama labo kunokuzukisa uThixo; belangazelela kakhulu ukukholisa abantwana babo kunokukholisa uYehova nokugcina inkonzo yaKhe kuyo yonke imbonakalo yobubi.ANa 578.1

UThixo wambeka ityala uEli, njengombingeleli nomgwebi kaIsrayeli, ityala ngokuziphatha nokuma ngokwasenkolweni kwabantu bakhe, ngendlela eyodwa ngenxa yesimilo soonyana bakhe. Kwakufuneka kuqala ezame ukuthintela ububi ngamanyathelo angekho qatha; kuthi ke ukuba la akaphumelelanga, akucinezele ukona ngeendlela eziqatha. Wazuza ukunganeliseki kukaThixo ngokungakukhalimeli ukona nokungenzi ngobulungisa kumntu ongumoni. Kwakungekho kuxhomekeka kuye ukugcina uIsrayeli enyulu. Abo banesibindi esincinane ukukhalimela imposiso, okanye bathi ngokunqena okanye ukuswela umdla bangenzi nzame ukuhlambulula usapho okanye ibandla likaThixo, baya kuphendula ngobubi obunokuba sisiphumo sokutyeshela kwabo uxanduva lwabo. Sinoxanduva olufanayo ngobubi engesibunqandile kwabanye ngokusebenzisa igunya lobuzali okanye lobufundisi njengathi izenzo ezo zibe zizezethu.ANa 578.2

UEli akazange ayilawule kakuhle indlu yakhe ngokwemigaqo kaThixo yokulawula usapho. Walandela ezakhe iimbono. Utata onothando wazibetha ngoyaba iimposiso nezono zonyana bakhe kwasebuntwaneni babo, ezikhohlisa ngokuthi emva kwexesha baya kukhula bakushiye ukuthanda ububi. Abaninzi benza kwaleyo mpazamo nangoku. Bacinga ukuba bazi indlela engcono yokuqeqesha abantwana babo kunaleyo inikwe nguThixo elizwini laKhe. Bondla imikhwa engeyiyo kubo, bebakhuthaza ngesizathu esithi, “Basebancinane kakhulu ukuba bohlwaywe. Makulindwe bade babe bakhudlwana, kuze kube nokuzathuzwa nabo.” Ngaloo ndlela imikhwa emibi iyekwa ukuba iqine kude kufane nokudalwa kwesibini kubo. Abantwana bakhula ngaphandle kokunqandwa, beneempawu zesimilo ezisisiqalekiso sobomi bonke, babe nesakhono sokuziveza nakwabanye.ANa 578.3

Akukho siqalekiso sikhulu emakhayeni ngaphezu kokuvumela ulutsha ukuba lwenze unothanda. Xa abazali bevumela wonke umnqweno wabantwana baze babayekele kuko konke abaziyo ukuba akulungile, abantwana bayakhawuleza ukuyilahla yonke intlonipho kubazali babo, nako konke ukuhlonela igunya likaThixo okanye elomntu, bakhokelelwe ekuthinjweni yintando kaSathana. Impembelelo yekhaya elingalawulekanga isasazeka iyingozi kubo bonke ekuhlaleni. Ikhula ibe ngumsinga wobubi ochukumisa zonke iintsapho, emphakathini, nasemagunyeni alawulayo.ANa 579.1

Ngenxa yesikhundla sakhe uEli, impembelelo yakhe yanaba kakhulu kunokuba ibiya kubanjalo xa engumntu nje. Ubomi bosapho lwakhe babufuziselwa kuye wonke uIsrayeli. Iziphumo ezibi zokutyeshela kwakhe, ukuthanda iindlela zolonwabo, kwakubonakala kumawaka amakhaya awaqulunqwa ngokomzekelo wakhe. Ukuba abantwana bayekelwa kwizenzo ezibi, lo gama abazali bezibiza ngenkolo, inyaniso kaThixo iyahlaziswa. Uvavanyo olulolona luhle lobuKristu ekhayeni luhlobo lwesimilo esizalwa yimpembelelo lwabo [ubuKristu]. Izenzo zingxola kakhulu kunokuvuma ngeyona ndlela ivakala kakhulu ukuhlonipha uThixo. Ukuba abo bazibiza ngenkolo, endaweni yokubeka phambili umzamo ozimiseleyo, ozingileyo, novakala unzima ukukhulisa usapho oluqeqeshekileyo njengobungqina kubuhle bokukholwa kuThixo, basuka bayekelele ekulawuleni kwabo bayiyekele iminqweno emibi ebantwaneni babo, benza njengoko noEli wenzayo, babe bazisa ihlazo emsebenzini kaKristu nentshabalalo phezu kwabo neentsapho zabo. Kanti ke, sebubukhulu bunjalo ububi nokunganyaniseki kwabazali phantsi kwazo naziphi iimeko, buphindwe kalishumi xa bukwezo ntsapho zabo banyuliweyo njengabafundisa abantu. Xa aba besilela ukulawula ezabo iintsapho, basuka, ngomzekelo wabo ongalungileyo, babalahlekise abaninzi. Ubutyala babo bukhulu kakhulu kunobabanye njengoko ezabo izikhundla zinoxanduva olukhulu.ANa 579.2

Isithembiso sasenziwe sokuba indlu ka-Aron ihambe phambi kukaThixo ngonaphakade; kodwa esi sithembiso sasenziwe phantsi kwemeko ethi kuya kufuneka bazinikele bona emsebenzini wengcwele ngentliziyo enye bamzukise uThixo ngazo zonke iindlela zabo, bangakhonzi u-mna, bangalandeli eyabo iminqweno etenxileyo. UEli noonyana bakhe bavavanywa, waza uYehova wabafumana bengasifanele konke isikhundla esiphezulu sababingeleli enkonzweni yaKhe. Kungoko uThixowathi, “Makube lee kum.” Wayengenako ukwenza okulungileyo awayeceba ukubenzela kona, kuba basilela ukuyenza eyabo indawo.ANa 579.3

Umzekelo wabo balungiselela kwizinto ezingcwele kufuneka ube luhlobo oluza kutsalela abantu kwintlonipho kaThixo kwanokoyika ukumona. Xa abantu, bemi “endaweni kaKristu” (2 Korinte 5:20) ukuba bathethe isigidimi sikaThixo senceba noxolelaniso, besebenzisa ubizo lwabo olungcwele njengengubo yokwenza ngokuzithandela okanye ukwanelisa imikhwa emibi, bazenza abona bathunywa banempumelelo bakaSathana. NjengoHofeni noPinehasi, benza ukuba abantu “bawudela umnikelo kaYehova.” Banokulandela indlela yabo embi emfihlakalweni okwexeshana; kodwa, xa ekugqibeleni kutyhilwa isimilo sabo esisiso, ukholo lwabantu lufumana umothuko okholisa ngokutshabalalisa ithemba labo enkolweni. Kusala engqondweni ukungathembi bonke abathi bafundisa izwi likaThixo. Isigidimi somkhonzi wenene kaKristu, samkelwa ngentandabuzo. Umbuzo oye ubuzwe uthi, “Ingaba lo umntu akayi kufana nalowo ebengcwele kakhulu, waza wafunyanwa enenkohlakalo?” ngaloo ndlela ilizwi likaThixo lilahlekwa ngamandla alo phezu kwemiphefumlo yabantu.ANa 580.1

Amazwi kaEli okuthethisa oonyana bakhe abalulekile kwaye anendili, esoyikeka, amazwi ekufuneka bonke abalungiselela kwizinto ezingcwele bawetyise: “Ukuba umntu uthe wona umntu, uThixo uyamlamlela; ke ukuba umntu uthe wona kuYehova, ngubani na oya kumlamlela?” Ukuba ukwaphula kwabo umthetho kwakulimaza kuphela abanye abantu, umgwebi ebengenza uxolelaniso ngokunyula isigwebo afune nembuyekezo; ngolo hlobo aboni bebeya kuba baxolelwe. Kungenjalo, ukuba bebenganalo ityala lokusithabatha lula isono, umnikelo wesono ubunganikelwa ngenxa yabo. Noko ke izono zabo zazithandelene nokulungiselela kwabo njengababingeleli bOsenyangweni, ekunikeleni umbingelelo wesono, umsebenzi kaThixo wanyeliswa awahlonitshwa phambi kwabantu, kangangokuba kungabikho lucamagusho lwamkelekayo ngenxa yabo. Uyise wabo, nangona naye engumbingeleli omkhulu, wayengakwazi ukubathethelela; wayengenako ukukhusela kwingqumbo kaThixo ongcwele. Kubo bonke aboni, banetyala kakhulu abo badelela indlela emiswe liZulu ukuba kuhlangulwe umntu, “bephinda ukuzibethelelela emnqamlezweni uNyana kaThixo, bamhlaze ekuhleni.” Hebhere 6:6.ANa 580.2