Malo Kuchokera ku Dziko Lolonjezedwa

Chigwa cha Ela​—Kumene Davide Anaphera Chimphona!

PALI malemba a Baibulo oŵerengeka amene ali osangalatsa kwenikweni kuposa lija limene limalongosola mmene “Davide anapambana Mfilistiyo [Goliate chimphona] ndi mwala wa choponyera chake.” (1 Samueli 17:50) Umu munali m’Chigwa cha Ela.

Koma kodi ndikuti kumene kuli chigwa chimenecho, ndipo kodi icho chikuwoneka motani? Kudziŵa zimenezi kudzakuthandizani kuwona ndi diso lamaganizo chipambano chotchuka chimenechi cha m’nyamata wodzozedwa kukhala mfumu yam’tsogolo ya Israeli. Pambuyo pake Mulungu anapanga pangano lachifumu ndi Davide limene lingatibweretsere madalitso osatha, ndipo ichi chiyenera kutipatsa chifukwa chowonjezereka cha kuphunzira ponena za chimene chinachitika m’Chigwa cha Ela.

Afilisti anali kukhala m’mbali mwa gombe la Kanani. Aisraeli analamulira mapiri a Yuda (kumwera kwa Yerusalemu). Chotero mwawona tsono​—adani ali kuchitunda kunsi chakumadzulo, atumiki a Mulungu ali kuchitunda chapamwamba kummawa. Pakati pawo panali dera lachete lomwe analimbanirana, zitunda zakunsi zotchedwa Shephelah. Kodi ndimotani mmene Afilisti akawukira Israeli? Njira yabwino ikakhala kummawa chakumadzulo kwa kamfuleni kouma, kapena kanjira, yokulira ikumakhala Chigwa cha Ela. Iyi inali yofutukuka kuchokera m’zipululu za pafupi ndi mizinda yawo ya Gati ndi Ekroni, mokwezeka kupyola Shephelah, kufika kumapiri chifupifupi makilomita 24 kumwera chakumadzulo kwa Yerusalemu ndi Betelehemu. Chithunzi (chowonedwera kumwera chakummawa) chikusonyeza chitunda chothera cha chigwachi. Kutaliko m’chizimezime mukuwona mapiri Ayuda.a

Mutayang’ana pa chithunzichi, lingalirani Afilisti kukhala atabwera kupyola m’chigwa chosalala chimenchi kulinga kumapiri. Kuti awaimitse, Aisraeli anabwera kuchokera kumwera chakumadzulo akumachokera ku Yudeya. Pofika pano anaimilira. Chifukwa ninji? “Afilisti anaima paphiri tsidya lija, ndi Aisraeli anaima paphiri tsidya lina; ndi pakati pawo panali chigwa.”​—1 Samueli 17:3.

Ngakhale kuti sitikudziwa motsimikiza malo m’mbali mwa chigwacho kumene zinachitikira, kupyolera m’diso lamaganizo onani Afilisti ali paphiri kunsiko chakulamanja. Gulu lankhondo la Saulo liyenera kukhala lidali kutsidya paphiri kutsogolo kwa munda wotsiirawo. Palibe gulu lankhondo lomwe likatsika, kudutsa chigwacho, ndi kuwukira gulu lotsutsalo m’malo ake okwezeka, otetezeredwa mwachisungiko. Kuima kotulukapoko kunakhala tero koposa mwezi umodzi. Kodi nchiyani chomwe chikakuthetsa?

M’mawa mulimonse ndi madzulo Goliate, ngwazi ya Afilisti yemwe anali wamtali mamita oposa 2.7, anaimilira m’chigwacho akumatonza msasa wa Saulo kuti ayambitse nkhondoyo ndi gululo. Koma palibe m’Israeli aliyense yemwe anamuyankha konse. Pomalizira pake, m’busa wachichepere wotchedwa Davide anabwera kuchokera ku Betelehemu ndi zakudya za abale ake a mumsasawo. Kodi nchiyani chomwe chinali kuyankha kwake ku chitokoso chonyoza chimenechi? “Mfilisi uyu wosadulidwa ndiye yani, kuti azinyoza makamu a Mulungu wamoyo?” (1 Samueli 17:4-30) Mwachiwonekere Davide anali ndi lingaliro lowunikiridwa mu lemba la chaka limene Mboni za Yehova ziri nalo kaamba ka 1990: “Khalani olimba mtima kwambiri ndikuti: ‘Yehova ndiye mthandizi wanga.’”​—Ahebri 13:6; Salmo 56:11; 118:6.

Pamene Mfumu Saulo anamva kuti m’nyamata ameneyu, ngakhale kuti anali msilikali wopanda chida ndi wosaphunzitsidwa, akayang’anizana ndi Goliate woopsayo, iye anapereka chida chake kuti achigwiritsire ntchito. Davide anakana, pokhala kuti anali wofunitsitsa kukalimbana ndi chimphonacho ndi chida chake chaubusa, choponyerako miyala, ndi miyala isanu imene anaipeza m’chigwacho. Kodi miyalayo inali yofanana ndi chiyani? Iyo sinalidi miyala wamba yowulungana ya mlingo wa mphesa kapena azitona. Miyala ya choponyera yapezedwa kuti iri kuchokera pa masentimita 5 kufika ku 8 mu ukulu wake, mlingo wa lalanje laling’ono. Woponyayo akaponya mwala woterowo pa liŵiro lochokera pa makilomita 160 kufika ku 240 pa ola limodzi.

Inu mwachidziwikire munaŵerenga kale zimene zinachitika m’chigwacho, m’kuyang’anizana kwapoyera kwa magulu ankhondo onse aŵiriwo. Davide analengeza kuti: “Iwe ukudza kwa ine ndi lupanga, ndi mkondo, ndi nthungo; koma ine ndafika kwa iwe m’dzina la Yehova wa makamu, Mulungu wa ankhondo a Israeli amene iwe unatonza.” Chotero Yehova anapereka chilakikocho. M’nyamatayo anaponya mwala mwamphamvu kwenikweni kotero kuti unakapyoza pamphumi pa Goliate, ndi kumupha. Kenaka mbusayo anathamanga ndikukamudula mutu mogwiritsira lupanga la chimphonacho.​—1 Samueli 17:31-51.

Atalimbikitsidwa ndi chikhulupiriro ndi chidalilo cha Davide mwa Mulungu, Aisraeli anapitikitsa adani awo owopsedwawo, akumawatsatira iwo cha kunsi kwa Shephelah ndi kubwereranso kuloŵa mu Filistia.​—1 Samueli 17:52, 53.

Tangoganizirani za kusangalala kumene kuyenera kukhala kunamveka mu Yuda! Anthu a Mulungu m’mapiri akakhoza kuyang’ana kumadzulo cha kunsi mu Chigwa cha Ela ndi Shephelah, monga m’kawonekedwe ka makono pansipo kuchokera ku malo a pafupi ndi Hebron. Kuphuka koyera kwa mtengo wa katungulume kuli kokongola kukupenya, koma kukongola kwa kulaka adani a Mulungu kunalidi kokongola koposa. Akazi Achiisraeli akakhoza kunena bwino lomwe kuti: “Sauli anapha zikwi zake, koma Davide zikwi zake zankhani,” kuphatikizapo chimphona chija chimene anapha m’Chigwa cha Ela.​—1 Samueli 18:7.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 17]

[Mawu a Chithunzi patsamba 16]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.