“Kukho Umvuzo Emsebenzini Wenu”

EKHOKELE umkhosi wakhe, uKumkani uAsa wehlisa intlambo enzulu esuka kwiintaba zakwaYuda ejongise kumathafa agudle ulwandle. Xa efika apho intlambo ibanzi khona, uAsa uyema aze aphefumlele phezulu. Ngezantsi kwendawo awayemi kuyo, utshaba lwalugxumeke iintente—yaye lwalungumkhosi omkhulu! Loo majoni aseTiyopiya ayemalunga nesigidi. Uwonke umkhosi ka-Asa wawungaphezulu nje kancinane kwisiqingatha salowo wotshaba.

Njengoko ejamelene nedabi, yintoni aqala ayenze uAsa? Ngaba uyalela iinjengele zakhe? Ngaba ukhuthaza amajoni akhe? Ngaba uthumela iileta kwintsapho yakhe? Akenzi nob’ ibenye kwezi! UAsa uyathandaza njengoko ejongene nale nquleqhu.

Ngaphambi kokuba sihlolisise lo mthandazo size sixubushe ngoko kwenzekayo, makhe siqwalasele uhlobo lomntu awayenguye uAsa. Yintoni eyabangela ukuba enze ngale ndlela? Ngaba wayefanele afune uncedo lukaThixo? Le ngxelo ka-Asa isifundisa ntoni ngendlela uYehova azisikelela ngayo izinto ezenziwa ngabakhonzi bakhe?

INGXELO EPHATHELELE UASA

Kwiminyaka engama-20 eyalandela ukwahlulwa kubini kobukumkani bakwaSirayeli, uYuda wayengcoliswe kanobom zizithethe zobuhedeni. Ngexesha lokuba ngukumkani kuka-Asa ngowama-977 B.C.E., nenkundla yakomkhulu yayingcoliswe kukunqulwa koothixo benzala bamaKanan. Kodwa ingxelo ephefumlelweyo yolawulo luka-Asa ithi “wenza okufanelekileyo nokulungileyo emehlweni kaYehova uThixo wakhe.” UAsa “washenxisa izibingelelo zasemzini neendawo eziphakamileyo, waziqhekeza iintsika ezingcwele waza wagawula izibonda ezingcwele.” (2 Kron. 14:2, 3) Kanti uAsa wagxotha kubukumkani bakwaYuda “amahenyu asetempileni,” angamadoda awayelala namanye amadoda egameni lonqulo. UAsa akazange aphelele ekutshayeleni le mikhuba. Wakwabongoza abantu ukuba ‘bafune uYehova uThixo wookhokho babo’ baze bathobele ‘umthetho nomyalelo’ kaThixo.—1 Kum. 15:12, 13; 2 Kron. 14:4.

Ekholiswa kukuzondelela kuka-Asa unqulo lokwenyaniso, uYehova wamvuza ngeminyaka emininzi yoxolo. Ngoko ukumkani wayenokuthi: “siye safuna uYehova uThixo wethu. Simfunile, yena usinike ukuphumla macala onke.” Abantu balisebenzisa eli thuba ngokwenza luqilima izixeko zobukumkani bakwaYuda. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ithi: “Baqhubeka besakha baba nempumelelo.”—2 Kron. 14:1, 6, 7.

EDABINI

Xa sijonga le ngxelo ka-Asa, ayimele isothuse into yokuba athandaze xa ejamelene nowona mkhosi mkhulu wabantu, okhankanywe eZibhalweni. UAsa wayesazi ukuba uThixo uyabavuza abantu abenza izinto benokholo. Xa wayethandaza, lo kumkani wacela uncedo lukaYehova. UAsa wayeqonda ukuba xa ethembele ngoThixo yaye exhaswa nguye, yayingenamsebenzi into yokuba ulwa notshaba olukhulu nolunamandla kangakanani na. Igama likaYehova lalibandakanyekile kweli dabi, kungeso sizathu uAsa wacela uncedo lukaThixo. Lo kumkani wathandaza wenjenje: “Khawusincede, Yehova Thixo wethu, kuba sayama ngawe, siza nxamnye nesi sihlwele ngegama lakho. Owu Yehova, unguThixo wethu. Musa ukuvumela umntu ofayo abe namandla nxamnye nawe.” (2 Kron. 14:11) Kwakungathi uthi: ‘ITiyopiya ihlasela wena Yehova. Ungavumi igama lakho lidelelwe ngokuvumela amatyutyusi abhukuqe abantu bakho.’ Ngoko “uYehova wawoyisa amaTiyopiya phambi kuka-Asa naphambi kukaYuda, aza asaba amaTiyopiya.”—2 Kron. 14:12.

Namhlanje zininzi iintshaba ezinamandla zabantu bakaYehova. Asizokulwa nazo ngezixhobo zokoqobo kwithafa ledabi elithile. Sekunjalo, sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova uya kubajizeka ngoloyiso bonke abantu bakhe abathembekileyo abaye balwa imfazwe yokomoya egameni lakhe. Amadabi ethu anokuquka imigudu yokulwa nomoya ogqubayo wokuziphatha vakalala, ukulwa nobuthathaka bethu, okanye ukukhusela iintsapho zethu kwiimpembelelo ezingcolisayo. Noko ke, enoba sijamelana nabuphi na ubunzima, umthandazo ka-Asa unokusikhuthaza. Woyisa ngenxa kaYehova. Loo nto yabonisa izinto ezinokulindelwa ngabo bonke abantu abathembela kuThixo. Akukho gunya lamntu linokumelana noYehova.

UKHUTHAZO NESILUMKISO

Uthe xa ebuya edabini, uAsa wahlangatyezwa nguAzariya. Lo mprofeti wamkhuthaza waza wamlumkisa esithi: “Ndiphulaphule, Asa nawe wonke Yuda noBhenjamin! UYehova unani logama nje nani ninaye; nokuba nithe namfuna, uya kufumaneka kuni, kodwa ukuba nithe namshiya uya kunishiya. . . . Yibani nesibindi mazingawi izandla zenu, ngenxa yokuba kukho umvuzo emsebenzini wenu.”—2 Kron. 15:1, 2, 7.

La mazwi anokulomeleza ukholo lwethu. Abonisa ukuba uYehova uya kuba nathi logama nje simkhonza ngokuthembeka. Xa sikhalela uncedo lwakhe, sinokuqiniseka ukuba uyasiva. UAzariya wathi: “Yibani nesibindi.” Kusoloko kufuna inkalipho ukwenza okulungileyo, kodwa siyazi ukuba sinokukwenza oko xa sincedwa nguYehova.

Ngenxa yokuba umakhulu ka-Asa uMahaka “wenza isithixo esilisikizi kwisibonda esingcwele,” uAsa wajamelana nocelomngeni lokumsusa kwisikhundla sakhe sasebukhosini sokuba “linenekazi.” Wamshenxisa kweso sikhundla waza wasitshisa neso sithixokazi sakhe. (1 Kum. 15:13) Wasikelelwa ngenxa yeso sigqibo wasenzayo kwakunye nenkalipho yakhe. Nathi simele sinamathele ngokungagungqiyo kuYehova nakwimigaqo yakhe yobulungisa enoba izalamane zethu zinyanisekile kuThixo okanye akunjalo. Ukuba senjenjalo, uYehova uya kusivuza ngokuthembeka kwethu.

Enye into awavuzwa ngayo uAsa, kukubona amaSirayeli amaninzi awayesuka kubukumkani basentla obuwexukileyo esiza kwaYuda, esakuphawula ukuba uYehova uyamxhasa. Ayeluxabisa unqulo olunyulu kangangokuba akhetha ukushiya izindlu zawo ukuze ahlale phakathi kwabakhonzi bakaYehova. UAsa naye wonke uYuda benza ‘umnqophiso wokufuna uYehova ngentliziyo yabo yonke nangomphefumlo wabo wonke.’ Waba yintoni umphumo? UThixo ‘wazenza wafunyanwa ngabo; yaye uYehova waqhubeka emnika ukuphumla macala onke.’ (2 Kron. 15:9-15) Sivuya ngokwenene xa abathandi bobulungisa bebambelela kunqulo olunyulu lukaYehova!

Noko ke, kwakukho inxalenye eyoyikisayo kumazwi omprofeti uAzariya. Walumkisa ngelithi: “Ukuba nithe namshiya [uYehova] uya kunishiya.” Ngamana ingangaze isehlele loo nto, kuba imiphumo inokuba buhlungu! (2 Pet. 2:20-22) IZibhalo azisichazeli isizathu sokuba uYehova anike uAsa esi silumkiso, kodwa lo kumkani akazange asithobele.

“WENZE NGOBUDENGE”

Kunyaka wama-36 wolawulo luka-Asa, uKumkani uBhahasha wakwaSirayeli wamhlasela uYuda. Mhlawumbi ngelizama ukuthintela abalawulwa bakhe ekuthobeleni uAsa nonqulo olunyulu, uBhahasha wasenza luqilima isixeko esisemdeni, iRama, esikwiikhilomitha ezisibhozo kumntla weYerusalem. Kunokuba acele uncedo lukaThixo njengoko wenzayo xa wayejamelene nokuhlaselwa ngamaTiyopiya, uAsa wabhenela ebantwini. Wathumela isipho kukumkani waseSiriya, emcela ukuba ahlasele ubukumkani basentla bakwaSirayeli. Xa amaSiriya ahlaselayo, uBhahasha warhoxa eRama.—2 Kron. 16:1-5.

UYehova akazange akholiswe nguAsa yaye wathumela umprofeti uHanani ukuba amxelele. Ekubeni wayeyazi indlela uThixo awaqhubana ngayo namaTiyopiya, uAsa umele ukuba wayeyazi into yokuba ‘amehlo kaYehova asingasinga emhlabeni wonke ukuba ababonise amandla abo bantliziyo ziphelele kuye.’ Mhlawumbi uAsa wafumana icebiso elingalunganga okanye wayengagqali uBhahasha nemikhosi yakhe njengabayingozi yaye wacinga ukuba bamlingene. Enoba kwakutheni, uAsa wabhenela kwindlela yabantu yokucinga kunokuba athembele ngoYehova. UHanani wathi: “Wenze ngobudenge ngenxa yoku, ngoko ukususela ngoku kuse phambili kuya kubakho iimfazwe nxamnye nawe.”—2 Kron. 16:7-9.

UAsa waba krwada. Enomsindo, wamphosa esitokisini umprofeti uHanani. (2 Kron. 16:10) Mhlawumbi uAsa wayezibuza, ‘Ndingathini ukohlwaywa ngoku emva kokuthembeka iminyaka emininzi kangaka?’ Ekubeni wayesele emdala, ngaba ayengasasebenzi kakuhle amandla akhe okucinga? IBhayibhile ayisixeleli.

Kunyaka wama-39 wolawulo lwakhe, uAsa wafunyanwa sisifo ezinyaweni zakhe esamgulisa kakhulu. Ingxelo ithi: “Kwanasekuguleni kwakhe akamfunanga uYehova wafuna abaphilisi.” Kuyabonakala ukuba ngelo xesha, uAsa wayengasayikhathalelanga impilo yakhe yokomoya. Wasweleka ngonyaka wama-41 wolawulo lwakhe, ekucacayo ukuba wayengekatshintshi.—2 Kron. 16:12-14.

Nakuba kunjalo, iimpawu ezintle nenzondelelo ka-Asa ngonqulo olunyulu zabalasela kuneempazamo zakhe. Akazange ayeke ukukhonza uYehova. (1 Kum. 15:14) Kule nkalo, ingxelo yobomi bakhe isifundisa ntoni? Inokusinceda siqonde ukuba simele siyikhumbule indlela uYehova aye wasinceda ngayo kwixa elidluleyo, kuba loo nto inokusenza sithandazele uncedo lwakhe xa sijamelana nezinye izilingo. Sekunjalo, asifanele sigqibe kwelokuba isiluleko seZibhalo asiyomfuneko kuthi kuba nje siye sakhonza uThixo ngokuthembeka kangangeminyaka emininzi. Enokuba sinengxelo entle kangakanani, uYehova uya kusohlwaya xa siphambuka. Sifanele sikwamkele ngomoya omhle oko kulungiswa ukuze singenelwe. Okona kubalulekileyo kukuba, uBawo wethu osezulwini uya kuba nathi logama nje simthobela. Amehlo kaYehova asingasinga umhlaba wonke ekhangela abo bathembekileyo kuye. Ubavuza ngokubanika amandla akhe. UYehova wakwenza oko kuAsa, yaye unokwenza okufanayo nakuthi.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 9]

UYehova uyabavuza abantu bakhe abathembekileyo abaye balwa imfazwe yokomoya

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 10]

Kufuneka sibe nenkalipho ukuze senze oko kufunwa nguYehova