Izizathu Ezengeziwe Zokuba Ababongayo
ABANTU bakwaIsrayeli wasendulo babenezizathu ezengeziwe kunabanye zokubonisa ukubonga kuMdali. Kungani singakusho lokhu?
Phela, njengabo bonke abanye abantu, amaIsrayeli ayenesizathu sokubonga ngenxa yazo zonke izinto ezinhle nezimangalisayo ezidalwe uNkulunkulu. Kodwa ayenesizathu esengeziwe sokubonga ngenxa yokuthi uMninimandla onke wayewakhethe ukuba abe abantu bakhe abakhethekile futhi wayewanakekela ngokukhethekile. (Amose 3:1, 2) Cabangela ezinye zezizathu zawo ezivelele zokubonga.
Ukusinda Ekufeni Izikhathi Ezimbili
Yeka ukuthi bonke abazali abangamaIsrayeli kumelwe ukuba babonga kangakanani ngobusuku bukaNisan 14, 1513 B.C.E.! Ngalobobusuku obubalulekile, ingelosi kaNkulunkulu yabulala “onke amazibulo ezweni laseGibithe, abantu nezinkomo.” Kodwa yadlula ezindlini zamaIsrayeli lapho igazi lezilwane zePhasika lalibhecwe khona ezinsikeni zeminyango nasemakhothameni. Ukuthula kwaphazanyiswa njengoba “kwaba-khona ukukhala okukhulu eGibithe, ngokuba kwakungekho-ndlu, lapho kungafanga-muntu khona.” Nokho, amazibulo ayigugu ayo yonke imikhaya yakwaIsrayeli ayephila futhi esindile.—Eksodusi 12:12, 21-24, 30.
Esikhathini esingeside ngemva kwalokho, kumelwe ukuba izinhliziyo zamaIsrayeli zachichima ngokubonga njengoba abona ukungenela kukaJehova okuyisimangaliso lapho kubonakala sengathi avinjezelwe ogwini loLwandle Olubomvu, namabutho kaFaro ewalandela ezithendeni. Okokuqala, abona insika yefu elaliwahola iya emva kwawo, iphumelela ukulibazisa ababewaxosha. Khona-ke amaIsrayeli ayesebona uMose elula isandla sakhe phezu kolwandle, futhi abheka ngokumangala njengoba uNkulunkulu ebangela umoya wasempumalanga onamandla ukuba uvunguze bonke ubusuku, uhlukanisa amanzi futhi uguqula usebe lolwandle luba inhlabathi eyomile. AmaIsrayeli ayengadingi kutshelwa ukuba asheshe abaleke ngalomhubhe olungiselelwe ngokwaphezulu.
Nokho, manje, kwakunembangela entsha yokwesaba! AmaGibithe atheleka osebeni lolwandle, enethemba lokufica amaIsrayeli. Kodwa bheka! Lapho bonke abaseGibithe bekulomhubhe wezindonga zamanzi, amasondo aqala ukuphuma ezinqoleni zabo, futhi ngokushesha kwakunesidididi. Khona-ke, lapho wonke amaIsrayeli eselondekile ngakolunye ugu lolwandle, uJehova waphinde watshela uMose ukuba elule isandla sakhe, “ulwandle lwabuyela endaweni yalo ngokufika kokusa.” Waba yini umphumela? Akekho ngisho noyedwa emabuthweni empi athenjiwe kaFaro oqhoshayo owasinda ekuminzeni, ngisho nalenkosi eqhoshayo ngokwayo. (Eksodusi 14:19-28; IHubo 136:15) Ungacabanga yini ukuthi amaIsrayeli ayekhululiwe ayembonga kangakanani uJehova?
Izindlela ZikaNkulunkulu Zokulwa Ezimangalisayo
Nakuba ayebonga ngokukhululwa kwawo eGibithe nangokudlula kwawo okungenakukhohlakala oLwandle Olubomvu, amaIsrayeli kwakudingeka abhekane nezimo ezishaqisayo ngaphambi kokuba afike eZweni Lesithembiso. Kodwa okuhlangenwe nakho ngakunye phakathi nohambo lweminyaka engama-40 ehlane kwakufanele kube isizathu esengeziwe sokubonga ngokukhethekile kuJehova.
Ekugcineni, amaIsrayeli adabula uMfula iJordani futhi ayesezweni uNkulunkulu ayewanike lona. Ngokushesha abona isibonelo sezindlela ezimangalisayo zikaJehova zokuwalwela. Kanjani? Phela, ngokuthunjwa okumangalisayo nokubhujiswa komuzi wokuqala wamaKhanani ahlangana nawo—iJeriko! (uJoshuwa, isahluko 6) Yeka ukuthi lalingavamile kanjani isu lempi elaliqondiswa uNkulunkulu lokumasha azungeze iJeriko ethwele umphongolo wesivumelwano! Ngezinsuku eziyisithupha ezilandelanayo, amasha ezungeza ugange kanye ngosuku. Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, azungeza ugange ngokuphindwe kasikhombisa. Lapho abapristi bebetha amacilongo abo, amaIsrayeli avimbanisa umoya “ngokukhamuluka okukhulu,” futhi “ugange lwawela phansi endaweni yalo”! (Ivesi 20) Indlu kaRahabi kuphela nengxenye yogange olwalungaphansi kwayo okwasala kumile. Ugange lomuzi owawubonakala ungangeneki lwaluwile ngaphandle kwesidingo sokuba uJoshuwa nempi yakhe bacibe ngisho nomcibisholo owodwa! Ngokuqinisekile, lokho okuhlangenwe nakho kwaseJeriko kwakungesinye sezizathu ezivelele zokubonga uNkulunkulu.
Ngesinye isikhathi, kwakunokunye ukuboniswa okuvelele kwezindlela zikaJehova ezimangalisayo zokulwa. Lapho abantu baseGibeyoni benza ukuthula namaIsrayeli, amakhosi ayisihlanu ama-Amori ahloma ukuze ahlasele abaseGibeyoni. UJoshuwa wabasiza, futhi isandla esimangalisayo sikaJehova saboniswa ngokuphindaphindiwe kuleyompi eyayiqhubeka. UNkulunkulu wabangela ama-Amori ukuba asangane, futhi “kwathi besabalekela uIsrayeli behla eBeti-Horoni, uJehova wawisa phezu kwabo amatshe amakhulu, ehla ezulwini, baze bafika eAzeka, bafa.” Labo ababulawa amatshe esichotho babebaningi kunalabo ababulawa amaIsrayeli ngenkemba.—Joshuwa 10:1-11.
UJoshuwa wayesekhuluma kuJehova “ebusweni babakwaIsrayeli,” wathi: “Langa, yima eGibeyoni, nawe-nyanga, esigodini saseAjaloni.” Waba yini umphumela? Umbiko uthi, “lase lima ilanga, nenyanga yahlala, abantu baze baziphindisela ezitheni zabo.”—Joshuwa 10:12, 13.
Yeka izenzakalo ezimangalisayo! Futhi yeka izizathu ezengeziwe ezivelele zokubonga ngasengxenyeni yabantu bakaJehova!
Ukubonga Kwesikhashana
Ngemva kokuboniswa ngakunye kokungenela kukaJehova, amaIsrayeli ayegcwala ukubonga. Ngokunokwenzeka, umIsrayeli ngamunye wayethi enhliziyweni yakhe wayengeke alokothe akhohlwe izinto ayezibonile. Nokho, ngokungakholeki ukubonga okunjalo kwakungokwesikhashana. Ngokuphindaphindiwe, amaIsrayeli abonisa isimo sokungabongi. Kanjalo, uNkulunkulu “wabanikela esandleni sabezizwe; ababazondayo bababusa.”—IHubo 106:41.
Nokho, uJehova wabonisa umoya wakhe wobuntu wokuthethelela lapho amaIsrayeli engena enkathazweni, ephenduka ebubini bawo nasenkambweni yawo yokungabongi, futhi embiza ukuba awasize. “Nokho wanaka ukuhlupheka kwabo, esezwile ukukhala kwabo. Wabakhumbulela isivumelwano sakhe; waphenduka ngokobuningi bomusa wakhe.” (IHubo 106:44, 45) Ngokuphindaphindiwe, uNkulunkulu wawo othethelelayo wawakhulula kubacindezeli bawo futhi wawabuyisela emseni wakhe.
Naphezu kokubekezela kukaNkulunkulu nokuthumela kwakhe abaprofethi ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuze alungise ukucabanga kwawo, amaIsrayeli azibonakalisa engamaphika-nkani. Ekugcineni, ukubekezela kukaJehova kwaphela, futhi wavumela ukuba isizwe sakwaJuda sinqotshwe abaseBabiloni ngo-607 B.C.E. Lawo ayengabulawanga amabutho eNkosi uNebukadinesari athunjelwa eBabiloni.
Yeka isiphetho esiyinhlekelele ngenxa yokubonisa ukungabongi nokungathembeki okuphindaphindiwe kuNkulunkulu! Futhi lokhu kwenzeka naphezu kwezizathu eziningi zokubonga.
Namuhla, amaKristu angakugwema kanjani ukwenza iphutha elifanayo lokuhluleka ukubonisa ukubonga ngakho konke lokho uJehova uNkulunkulu awenzele khona, zingasaphathwa izenzo zakhe zokulunga esintwini sisonke? Lokho sikushiyela ukuba kucatshangelwe esihlokweni esilandelayo.