63—UDavide NoGoliyati

[Esi sahluko sisekwe ku-1 Samuweli 16:14-23; 17.]

Wathi uKumkani uSawule akuqonda ukuba waliwe nguThixo, naxa esiva ubunzima bamazwi okumsingela phantsi awayewaxelelwa ngumprofeti, wazaliswa luvukelo olubi nokuswela ithemba. Yayingeyiyo inguquko yenene eyayithobayo intloko enekratshi kakumkani. Wayengenawo umbono ocacileyo ngohlobo esingathandeki ngalo isono sakhe, akawuphaphamela umsebenzi wokubuhlaziya ubomi bakhe, kodwa wahlala ecinga ngento awayibona njengokungabi nabulungisa kukaThixo ngokumhlutha itrone kaIsrayeli nasekuthabatheni ulandelelwano kwinzala yakhe. Wayesoloko ezixakekise ngokulindela intshabalalo eyayize phezu kwendlu yakhe. Wacinga ukuba, ukukhalipha awayekubonakalise ekuqubisaneni neentshaba zakhe kuya kusisusa isono sakhe sokungathobeli. Akazange akwamkele ngobulali ukohlwaya kukaThixo; kodwa umoya wakhe ophakamileyo wasuka waphelelwa lithemba, wada wakumngcipheko wokulahlekelwa yingqondo. Amaphakathi akhe, amcebisa ukuba afune uncedo lwemvumi elichule, ngethemba lokuba umculo opholileyo wesixhobo esitsho kamnandi, ungawuzolisa umoya wakhe okhathazekileyo. Ngokwazelela kukaThixo, uDavide, njengomkhalisi olichule eluhadini, waziswa phambi kukakumkani. Ingoma zakhe eziphakamileyo neziphefumlelwe lizulu, zaba nalo igalelo elibe lifunwa. Umvandedwa owawufukame njengelifu elimnyama phezu kwengqondo kaSawule, wanyangwa wemka.ANa 641.1

Zakuba iinkonzo zakhe zingasafuneki enkundleni kaSawule, uDavide wabuyela kwimihlambi yakhe phakathi kweenduli waqhubeka nokuwugcina uphantsi umoya wakhe wokuziphatha kwakhe. Lonke ixesha kufuneka, wayebizwa rhoqo ukuba aze kulungiselela phambi kukakumkani, athomalalise ingqondo ekhathazekileyo kakumkani ude umoya ombi umke kuye. Sekunjalo, nangona uSawule wabonakalisa uvuyo kuDavide nomculo wakhe, naye umalusi omtsha wayephuma endlwini kakumkani, esiya emathafeni nasezindulini zamadlelo akhe, enomoya okhululekileyo nowonwabileyo.ANa 641.2

UDavide wayekhula ekuthandweni nguThixo nangumntu. Wayeqeqeshiwe endleleni kaYehova, waza ngoku wayibeka intliziyo yakhe ekuyenzeni ngokupheleleyo intando kaThixo kunangaphambili. Wayenemixholo emitsha yokucinga. Wayekwibhotwe likakumkani wawubona umthwalo wobukhosi. Wafumanisa izilingo ezithile eziwuphazamisayo umphefumlo kaSawule, zangena nzulu kwezinye zeemfihlelo esimilweni nasekuphatheni kokumkani wokuqala kaIsrayeli. Wabubona ubuqaqawuli bobukumkani bugqunywe lilifu elimnyama lentlungu, wazi ukuba abendlu kaSawule, kubomi babo bangasese, babukude kakhulu ekonwabeni. Zonke ezi zinto zazisa iingcamango ezikhathazekileyo kuye, yena owaye ethanjiselwe ukuba abe ngukumkani phezu kukaIsrayeli. Nangona wangena nzulu ekucamngceni, ekhathazwa zingcinga zexhala, wabuyela kuhadi lwakhe, watsala iingoma ezaphakamisela ingqondo yakhe kwiMbangi yako konke okulungileyo, aze amafu amnyama asitha apho kuphuma khona ukukhanya kwexesha elizayo asuswe.ANa 644.1

UThixo wayemfundisa uDavide isifundo sokuthembela. Njengoko uMoses waqeqeshelwa umsebenzi wakhe, ngokunjalo uYehova wamlungisa unyana kaYesu ukuba abe ngumkhokeli wabantu baKhe abanyuliweyo. Ekukhathaleleni kwakhe imihlambi yakhe, wayezuza ukuthanda ukuxabisa uMalusi omKhulu anako kwizimvu zedlelo laKhe.ANa 644.2

Kwiinduli ezizodwa, nemiwonyo eyoyikekayo, apho uDavide wayehambahamba khona nemihlambi yakhe, kwakubuthuma izilwanyana eziqwengayo zasendle. Kwakungaswelekanga ukuba kuthi rhoqo ingonyama ephume kwihlathi elingaseYordan, okanye ibhere iphume kwindawo yayo phakathi kweenduli, ize, ilugcalagcala ngenxa yendlala, ihlasele imihlambi. Ngokwesithethe sexesha lakhe, uDavide wayexhobe kuphela ngesilingi sakhe kunye nentonga kamalusi; kanti wathi kwakuqala wanika ubungqina bamandla akhe nesibindi ekukhuseleni impahla yakhe. Emva kokuba echaze oku kuqubisana, wathi: “Kwafika ingonyama nebhere, yathabatha ixhwane emhlambini; ndaphuma, ndayilandela, ndayibetha, ndalihlangula ixhwane emlonyeni wayo. Yesuka phezu kwam, ndayibamba ngodevu lwayo, ndayibetha, ndayibulala.” 1 Samuweli 17:34, 35. Amava akhe kwezi ziganeko ayilinga intliziyo kaDavide akhulisa kuye isibindi, ukukhalipha, kunye nokholo.ANa 644.3

Kwangaphambi kokuba abizelwe kwibhotwe likaSawule, uDavide wayesele ezibalule ngezenzo zobugorha. Umphathi owamzisa kuqaphelo lukakumkani wathi ngaye “ligorha elinobukroti, indoda yokulwa, iciko,” yatsho isithi, “uYehova unaye.”ANa 644.4

Kwathi kwakuba kubhengezwe imfazwe nguIsrayeli ngakumaFilisti, oonyana abathathu bakaYese bangenelela phantsi komkhosi kaSawule; kodwa uDavide wasala ekhaya. Emva kwexesha, kunjalo, wahambela kwinkampu kaSawule. Ngokomyalelo kayise, kwakufuneka ase isigidimi kunye nesipho kubakhuluwa bakhe, nokuva ukuba bangaba basakhuselekile na, kwanokuba basesempilweni na. Engazi yena uYese, igatya elingumalusi lalinikwe umsebenzi ongaphezulu. Imikhosi kaIsrayeli yayisengozini, abe uDavide eyalelwe yingelosi ukuba asindise abantu bakhe.ANa 645.1

Wathi ngokuya esondela uDavide emkhosini, weva isandi sesiphithiphithi, ngokungathi kuza kuqala idabi. “Umkhosi [wa]wuphuma usiya kuma eluhlwini, uhlaba umkhosi.” UIsrayeli namaFilisti baphuma kwamiwa izintlu ngezintlu, umkhosi ujongene nomkhosi. Wabaleka uDavide waya emkhosini, wafika wabulisa abantakwabo. Ngexesha ethetha nabo, uGoliyati, intshatsheli yamaFilisti, waphuma, ngentetho enyelisayo, wamdelela uIsrayeli ebanika umngeni ukuba bakhuphe indoda phakathi kwezintlu zawo ukuba iqubisane naye balwe umntu nomntu. Wawuphinda umngeni wakhe, wathi uDavide akubona ukuba uIsrayeli wonke uzaliswe luloyiko, wafumanisa nokuba ukudelela komFilisti kubhekiswe kubo umhla nezolo, lingekho itshantliziyo lokuthulisa lo uzibabazayo, umoya wakhe waphazamiseka ngaphakathi kwakhe. Watshiseka yinzondelelo yokugcina isidima sikaThixo ophilayo nexabiso labantu baKhe.ANa 645.2

Imikhosi kaIsrayeli yayiphantsi koxinzelelo. Isibindi sayo sasiphelile. Bathi, omnye komnye, “Niyibonile na le ndoda inyukayo? Kuba inyuka isiza kungcikiva amaIsrayeli.” Ngodano nangomsindo, uDavide wadanduluka, “Ungubani na umFilisti, le nto ingalukileyo, ukuba ade angcikive izintlu zikaThixo ophilileyo?”ANa 645.3

Eliyabhi, oyena mntakwabo kaDavide omkhulu, wathi akuva la mazwi, wayazi kakuhle imvakalelo eyayiwuhlupha umphefumlo wendodana. Nanje ngomalusi, uDavide wayebonakalise ukukhalipha, isibindi namandla anqabileyo ukubonwa; kwaza ukutyelela okumangalisayo kukaSamuweli endlwini kayise, nokunduluka kwakhe okwakuthe cwaka, kwavusa urhano ezingqondweni zabantakwabo ngeyona njongo yotyelelo. Ikhwele labo lavuka bakumbona uDavide ephakanyiswa ngaphezu kwabo, abamnika intlonipho nothando olufanele isidima nothando lwabazalwana. Bambona njengetyendyana lomalusi, ngenxa yoko, umbuzo awawubuzayo, wathatyathwa nguEliyabhi njengohlaselo kubugwalababongokungazami ukuthulisaingxilimbela yomFilisti. Umkhuluwa wadanduluka ngomsindo, “Uhlele ni na? Uyishiye nabani na laa mpahla imfutshane imbalwa entlango? Ndiyakwazi mna ukukhukhumala kwakho, nobubi bentliziyo yakho; ngokuba uhle uze kubonela ukulwa.” Impendulo kaDavide yabonisa imbeko kodwa yayicacile: “Kowu! Sendenze ntoni ngoku? Uthetha ukuba andinakuba sabuza nokubuza oku?” [IBHAYIBHILE].ANa 645.4

Amazwi kaDavide axelelwa ukumkani, owaya wambiza umfana ukuba avele phambi kwakhe. USawule wawaphulaphula emangalisiwe amazwi kamalusi, xa esithi, “Makungathambi ntliziyo yamntu ngenxa yakhe; umkhonzi wakho lo uya kuya alwe nalo mFilisti.” USawule wazama ukumjika uDavide kwinjongo yakhe, kodwa indodana ayizange ishukunyiswe. Waphendula ngendlela elula, nengazigqatsiyo, ebalisa amava akhe ngexesha esalusa imihlambi kayise. Wathi, “UYehova owandihlangulayo ethupheni lengonyama nasethupheni lebhere, nguye oya kundihlangula esandleni salo mFilisti. Wathi uSawule kuDavide, Hamba ke, abe nawe uYehova.”ANa 646.1

Yaba ziintsuku ezimashumi mane umkhosi kaIsrayeli ungcangcazela phambi komngeni onokuzingca wesigebenga somFilisti. Iintliziyo zabo zanyibilika ngaphakathi kwabo bakukhangela isithomo sakhe esikhulu, ngobude sizikhubhite ezintandathu, nokungxabalaza. Entloko wayethwele umnqwazi wobhedu, enxibe impahla yokulwa ebunzima buziishekele eziliwaka, izikhuselo zembande zobhedu, ingubo eyenziwe ngeepleyiti zobhedu eziqabelene ngokwamaxolo entlanzi. Zisondelelene kangangokuba utolo lwalungenako ukuphumela kwisixhobo eso. Ngasemva le ngxilimbela yayithwele umkhonto omkhulu okanye incula, nayo iyeyobhedu. “Uluthi lwentshuntshe yayo belungangomthi wabaluki; intsimbi yentshuntshe yayo ibiziishekele ezimakhulu mathandathu esinyithi; kuhamba umphathi wekhaka phambi kwayo.”ANa 646.2

Kusasa naxa kuhlwayo, uGoliyati wayesiza phambi kwenkampu kaIsrayeli, esithi, ngelizwi elikhulu, “Yini na ukuba niphume nakhe uluhlu lokulwa? Andinguye na umFilisti, naye nina ningabakhonzi bakaSawule? Zikhetheleni indoda, ihle ize kum. Ukuba ithe yanako ukulwa nam, yandibulala, soba ngabakhonzi kuni; ukuba ndithe ndayeyisa mna, ndayibulala, noba ngabakhonzi kuthi, nisikhonze. Wathi umFilisti, Mna ndiyazingcikiva namhla izintlu zakwaIsrayeli; ndikhupheleni indoda silwe sobabini.”ANa 646.3

Nangona uSawule wayemnike imvume uDavide ukuba awamkele umngenikaGoliyati, ukumkaniwayenethembaelincinaneukuba uDavide uya kuphumelela kwiphulo lakhe lesibindi. Wakhupha umyalelo wokuba umfana anxibe ezakhe kumkani izixhobo. Umnqwazi onzima wobhedu wabekwa phezu kwentloko yakhe, impahla yentsimbi yabekwa emzimbeni wakhe; laza ikrele likakumkani lasecaleni lakhe. Exhobe enjalo, wahamba waya emsebenzini wakhe, kodwa kwathi kungekudala, wawajika amanyathelo akhe, wabuya. Ingcamango yokuqala kubabukeli ababenexhala, yayiyeyokuba uDavide ugqibe ukuba angabeki ubomi bakhe esichengeni ngokuqubisana nomchasi kungquzulwano lwabangalinganiyo kangako. Le yingcamango eyayikude lee kwingqondo yegorha eliselula. Akuba ebuyele kuSawule, wamcenga ukuba amvumele ukuba asikhulule isikrweqe esinzima esithi, “Andinako ukuhamba nezi zinto, ngokuba andizilinganga.” Wasikhulula isikrweqe sikakumkani, endaweni yaso waphatha intonga yakhe kuphela esandleni, nempahla yakhe yokwalusa kunye nesilingi sakhe. Wakhetha amatye amahlanu emlanjeni, wawafaka engxoweni yakhe, isilingi sisesandleni, wasondela kumFilisti. Ingxilimbela yagxanya ukuza kuye imkhawulela, ilindele ukuhlangana neyona ndoda yomeleleyo kumadoda okulwa kaIsrayeli. Umthwali-zikrweqe wakhe wayehamba phambi kwakhe, ekhangeleka ngokungathi akukho nto inokuma phambi kwakhe. Wathi xa eya esondela kuDavide, wabona igatyana, ekwakuthiwa yinkwenkwe ngenxa yobutsha balo. Imbonakalo kaDavide yayingqombo kukuba nempilo entle, nesithomo sakhe esakheke kakuhle, engakhuselwanga ngesixhobo, wabonakala elungile; kanti ke phakathi kobu butsha bubonakala ngaphandle nobukhulu obugqithisileyo bomFilisti, kwakukho umahluko omkhulu.ANa 647.1

UGoliyati wazaliswa kukumangala nomsindo. “Ndiyinja na,” wadanduluka, “ukuba uze kum uneentonga?” Waba sele egalela zonke iziqalekiso ezibi kakhulu ngabo bonke oothixo abaziyo. Wamkhwaza emtshabhisa, “Yiza kum apha, ndiyinike iintaka zezulu namarhamncwa asendle inyama yakho.”ANa 647.2

UDavide akazange ethe mandla phambi kweqhawe lamaFilisti. Wabheka phambili, wathi kumchasi wakhe: “Wena uza kum unekrele, nentshuntshe, nomkhonto; ke mna ndiza kuwe egameni likaYehova wemikhosi, uThixo wezintlu zakwaIsrayeli omngcikivileyo. Namhlanje uYehova uya kukunikela esandleni sam, ndikubulale, ndikunqumle intloko, namhla ndizinike iintaka zezulu namarhamncwa omhlaba izidumbu zomkhosi wamaFilisti, wazi wonke umhlaba ukuba amaIsrayeli anaye uThixo; lazi lonke eli bandla, ukuba akungakrele, akungantshuntshe ukusindisa kukaYehova; ngokuba imfazwe yekaYehova; woninikela ke esandleni sethu.”ANa 647.3

Kwakukho ukuvakala kokungoyiki kwilizwi lakhe, inkangeleko yoloyiso novuyo kwimbonakalo yakhe entle. Le ntetho, inikwa ngelizwi elicacileyo elibumculo, lavakala emoyeni, laviwa ngokucacileyo ngamawaka ahlanganiselwe emfazweni. Umsindo kaGoliyati wenyukela kwelona liphezulu iqondo lobushushu. Kwingqumbo yakhe, wawunyusa umnqwazi owawukhusele ibunzi lakhe, wakhawuleza waya phambili ukuba akhuphele ingqumbo yakhe kumchasi wakhe. Unyana kaYese wayezilungiselela utshaba lwakhe. “Kwathi, xa asukayo umFilisti, ehamba esondela, esiya kumhlangabeza uDavide, wakhawuleza uDavide, wabalekela eluhlwini, esiya kumhlangabeza umFilisti. UDavide wafaka isandla sakhe engxoweni warhola ilitye khona, wasawula, watsho kumFilisti ebunzi; latshona ilitye ebunzini lakhe, wawa ngobuso bakhe emhlabeni.”ANa 648.1

Ukhwankqiso lwasasazeka kuwo onke amaqilima emikhosi yomibini. Babeqinisekile ukuba uDavide uya kubulawa; kodwa lathi ilitye lakuntshuza emoyeni, labetha apho belijoliswe khona, balibona igorha elinobukroti lingcangcazela, lisolula izandla, ngokungathi libethwe ngobumfama obukhawulezileyo. Isigebenga sagxadazela, ngokom-oki ogawulwayo, sawa emhlabeni. UDavide akazange alinde nomzuzwana. Watsibela phezu komzimba oguqileyo womFilisti, ngezandla zozibini, walithabatha ikrele elinzima likaGoliyati. Kumzuzwana nje ngaphambili, ingxilimbela yayiqhayise ukuba ngalo iya kuyisusa intloko yomfana phezu kwamagxa akhe, awunikele umzimba wakhe ezintakeni zezulu. Ngoku liphakanyiselwe emoyeni, yaza emva koko intloko yalowo ebeqhayisa yaqengqwa ukususwa esikhondweni, kwabakho ukhwazo lokuvuyela uloyiso olwaphuma kwinkampu kaIsrayeli.ANa 648.2

AmaFilisti abulawa kukoyika, saza isiphithiphithi esalandelayo saphela ngokuthi aphangise ukubuyela emva. Imikhwazo yamaHebhere awoyisileyo yavakala ezincotsheni zeentaba, ngexesha besukela iintshaba zabo ezisabayo; “bawa[sukela] amaFilisti kwada kwayiwa emfuleni, kwesa emasangweni ase-Ekron. Awa amaFilisti angxwelerhiweyo endleleni yaseShaharayim, kwesa naseGati, kwesa nase-Ekron. Babuya oonyana bakaIsrayeli ekuwasukeleni ngokushushu amaFilisti, baziphanga iintente zawo. UDavide wayithabatha intloko yomFilisti, wayisa eYerusalem; impahla yakhe wayibeka ententeni yakhe.”ANa 648.3