UJefta Ugcina Isithembiso Asenza KuJehova

IQHAWE elinqobile libuyela ekhaya ngemva kokukhulula isizwe sakubo ekucindezelweni. Indodakazi yalo iyalihlangabeza, idansa ngenjabulo futhi idlala ihabhu. Lapho liyibona, kunokuba lijabule, liklebhula izingubo zalo. Kungani? Ingabe alijabule njengayo njengoba libuye liphephile? Iyiphi impi eliyinqobile? Lingubani leli qhawe?

Le ndoda nguJefta, omunye wabahluleli bakwa-Israyeli wasendulo. Kodwa ukuze sithole izimpendulo zalena eminye imibuzo futhi sibone ukuthi lokhu kulandisa kusisiza kanjani, kudingeka sicabangele okwenzeka ngaphambi kwalokhu kuhlangana okungavamile.

Isikhathi Esibucayi Kwa-Israyeli

UJefta uphila esikhathini esibucayi. Ama-Israyeli akubo akulahlile ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile futhi akhonza onkulunkulu baseSidoni, bakwaMowabi, bakwa-Amoni nabamaFilisti. Ngakho uJehova unikela abantu bakhe kwabakwa-Amoni nakumaFilisti, futhi babacindezela iminyaka engu-18. Abacindezeleke kakhulu izakhamuzi zaseGileyadi, ezisempumalanga yoMfula iJordani.a Ekugcineni, ama-Israyeli ayaqaphela ukuthi onile, ayaphenduka futhi acela usizo kuJehova, aqala ukumkhonza futhi asuse onkulunkulu bezizwe phakathi kwawo.—AbaHluleli 10:6-16.

Abakwa-Amoni bamisa ikamu eGileyadi, futhi ama-Israyeli ayabuthana ukuze abahlangabeze. Kodwa ama-Israyeli awanaye umholi. (AbaHluleli 10:17, 18) Ngaleso sikhathi, uJefta unezakhe izinkinga. Abafowabo abanobugovu bamxoshile ukuze bebe ifa lakhe. Ngakho, uJefta uthuthela eThobi, indawo esempumalanga yeGileyadi futhi engavikelekile ezitheni zakwa-Israyeli. “Amadoda angomahlalela,” okungenzeka ukuthi ayephelelwe umsebenzi ngenxa yabacindezeli noma ayevukele ebugqileni, abuthanela kuJefta. ‘Aphuma naye,’ okuyinkulumo okungenzeka isho ukuthi ahamba noJefta njengoba ehlasela omakhelwane abanobutha. Cishe ngenxa yokuthi uJefta unesibindi empini, imiBhalo imbiza ngokuthi “indoda enamandla, eyiqhawe.” (AbaHluleli 11:1-3) Ngakho, ubani ozohola u-Israyeli lapho elwa nabakwa-Amoni?

“Woza Uzokuba Ngumlawuli Wethu”

Amadoda amadala aseGileyadi ancenga uJefta: “Woza uzokuba ngumlawuli wethu.” Uma ecabanga ukuthi uzovele avume ngokungananazi abuyele ezweni lakubo, ashaye phansi. Uyaphendula: “Akunina yini enangizonda naze nangixosha endlini kababa? Kungani nizé kimi manje lapho nje senisekucindezelekeni?” Yeka ukuthi kuwukungabi nabulungisa kanjani ukuba aqale ngokumxosha abese eza kuye lapho esedinga usizo!—AbaHluleli 11:4-7.

Uma nje bengenza njengokwesicelo sakhe, uJefta uzobahola abaseGileyadi. Uthi: ‘Uma uJehova enikela kimi abakwa-Amoni, mina ngizoba yinhloko yenu!’ Ukunqoba kuzoba ubufakazi bokuthi uNkulunkulu uyamsekela, kodwa uJefta ufuna nokuqinisekisa ukuthi ngeke balahle ukubusa kukaNkulunkulu lapho nje isikhathi esibucayi sesidlulile.—AbaHluleli 11:8-11.

Izingxoxo Nokulwa Nabakwa-Amoni

UJefta uzama ukuxoxisana nabakwa-Amoni. Uthumela izithunywa enkosini yabo ukuze athole isizathu sokuba abakwa-Amoni babahlasele. Impendulo ibabeka icala: Lapho ama-Israyeli ephuma eGibhithe, athatha izwe labakwa-Amoni, futhi lelo zwe kufanele libuyiselwe kubo.—AbaHluleli 11:12, 13.

Ngenxa yokuthi uJefta uwazi kahle umlando wakwa-Israyeli, ukuphikisa ngobuhlakani lokho okushiwo abakwa-Amoni. Uthi kubo lapho ama-Israyeli esuka eGibhithe awazange abahluphe abakwa-Amoni, abakwaMowabi noma abakwa-Edomi; futhi izwe elibangwayo kwakungelona elabakwa-Amoni ngesikhathi soFuduko luka-Israyeli. Ngaleso sikhathi lalingelama-Amori, kodwa uNkulunkulu wanikela inkosi yawo uSihoni esandleni sika-Israyeli. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ama-Israyeli ayeseneminyaka engu-300 ehlala kuleyo ndawo. Kungani abakwa-Amoni kuyima belifuna?—AbaHluleli 11:14-22, 26.

UJefta ubuye agxile empikiswaneni eyinhloko ekuhluphekeni kuka-Israyeli: Ubani uNkulunkulu weqiniso? UJehova noma onkulunkulu bezwe u-Israyeli ahleli kulo? Uma uKemoshi ayenamandla, wayengeke yini awasebenzisele ukulondoloza izwe labantu bakhe? Lona umbango phakathi kokukhulekela kweqiniso nenkolo yamanga emelelwa abakwa-Amoni. Ngakho, uJefta uphetha ngokunengqondo: “UJehova uMahluleli makahlulele namuhla phakathi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwa-Amoni.”—AbaHluleli 11:23-27.

Inkosi yabakwa-Amoni ayiwulaleli umyalezo kaJefta ongagunci. “Manje umoya kaJehova wehlela kuJefta, [udabula] eGileyadi nakwaManase,” mhlawumbe eqoqa amadoda ukuze ayokulwa.—AbaHluleli 11:28, 29.

Isithembiso SikaJefta

Efisa isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu ngobuqotho, uJefta uthembisa uNkulunkulu: “Uma nakanjani unikela abantwana bakwa-Amoni esandleni sami, kuyokuthi lowo ophumayo, ophuma eminyango yendlu yami ezongihlangabeza lapho ngibuya ngokuthula kubantwana bakwa-Amoni, abe ngokaJehova, ngizomnikela lowo abe ngumnikelo wokushiswa.” UNkulunkulu uphendula uJefta ngokumbusisa futhi wenza ukuba anqobe imizi engu-20 yabakwa-Amoni “ngokuceka okukhulu,” ngaleyo ndlela anqobe izitha zika-Israyeli.—AbaHluleli 11:30-33.

Lapho uJefta ebuya empini, uhlangatshezwa indodakazi yakhe ayithandayo, okungukuphela komntanakhe! Ukulandisa kuthi: “Lapho nje eyibona, waklebhula izingubo zakhe wathi: ‘Awu, ndodakazi yami! Ungithobisile impela, futhi wena ubé umuntu ebengimcwasa. Futhi mina—mina ngivulé umlomo wami kuJehova, futhi angikwazi ukuhlehla.’”—AbaHluleli 11:34, 35.

Ingabe ngempela uJefta uzokwenza indodakazi yakhe umhlatshelo? Cha. Akunakuba yilokho ayekucabanga. UJehova uyakwenyanya ukwenza umhlatshelo ngabantu, okungomunye wemikhuba emibi yabantu baseKhanani. (Levitikusi 18:21; Duteronomi 12:31) Umoya kaNkulunkulu wawusebenza kuJefta lapho enza isithembiso futhi uJehova wayibusisa imizamo yakhe. ImiBhalo iyamncoma uJefta ngokholo lwakhe nangendima ayifeza ngokuqondene nenjongo kaNkulunkulu. (1 Samuweli 12:11; Hebheru 11:32-34) Ngakho, ukwenza umhlatshelo ngomuntu—ukubulala—kuyinto ayengeke aze ayicabange. Pho uJefta wayecabangani lapho ethembisa ukunikela ngomuntu kuJehova?

Kusobala ukuthi uJefta wayesho ukuthi umuntu owayezohlangana naye wayezomnikela enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu ekhethekile. UMthetho KaMose wawukuvumela ukwenza isithembiso kuJehova ngemiphefumulo. Ngokwesibonelo, abesifazane babekhonza endlini engcwele, mhlawumbe bekha amanzi. (Eksodusi 38:8; 1 Samuweli 2:22) Kuncane okwaziwayo ngaleyo nkonzo noma ukuthi yayingeyasikhathi sonke noma cha. Kubonakala sengathi uJefta wayecabanga ngalokho kuzinikela okukhethekile lapho enza isithembiso, futhi isithembiso sakhe sibonakala sasisho inkonzo yasikhathi sonke.

Bobabili indodakazi kaJefta kamuva nomfana uSamuweli babambisana nabazali babo abesaba uNkulunkulu bazifeza izithembiso zabo. (1 Samuweli 1:11) Njengomkhulekeli kaJehova oqotho, indodakazi kaJefta yayiqiniseka njengoyise ukuthi isithembiso sakhe kufanele nakanjani sifezwe. Lokho kwakusho ukuzidela okukhulu, ngoba yayingeke ize ishade. Yalilela ubuntombi bayo ngoba wonke umIsrayeli wayefisa ukuba nabantwana ukuze alondoloze igama nefa lakubo. KuJefta, ukufeza lesi sithembiso kwakusho ukuhlukana nomntanakhe amthandayo nowukuphela kwakhe.—AbaHluleli 11:36-39.

Ukuphila kwale ntombi ethembekile kwakungelona ize. Ukukhonza isikhathi esigcwele endlini kaJehova kwakuyindlela enhle kakhulu, eyanelisayo netusekayo yokudumisa uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, “unyaka nonyaka amadodakazi akwa-Israyeli ayeya kotusa indodakazi kaJefta waseGileyadi.” (AbaHluleli 11:40) Futhi ngokuqinisekile uJefta wajabula ngenkonzo yayo kuJehova.

Abaningi phakathi kwezinceku zikaNkulunkulu namuhla bakhetha inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele njengamaphayona, izithunywa zevangeli, izikhonzi ezijikelezayo noma amalungu emikhaya yaseBethel. Lokhu kungase kusho ukungawaboni njalo amalungu omkhaya njengoba umuntu engase athande. Nokho, bonke bangajabula ngaleyo nkonzo engcwele enikelwa kuJehova.—IHubo 110:3; Hebheru 13:15, 16.

Ukuvukela Isiqondiso SikaNkulunkulu

Uma sibheka emuva osukwini lukaJefta, sibona ama-Israyeli amaningi enqaba isiqondiso sikaJehova. Naphezu kobufakazi besibusiso sikaNkulunkulu kuJefta, abakwa-Efrayimi baxabana naye. Bafuna ukwazi isizathu sokuba angababizi ukuze baye empini. Bafuna ngisho nokushisela indlu yakhe ‘phezu kwakhe’!—AbaHluleli 12:1.

UJefta uthi wababiza abakwa-Efrayimi, kodwa abaphendulanga. Kunoma ikuphi, nguNkulunkulu owanqoba impi. Ingabe-ke bathukuthelele ukuthi abaseGileyadi abazange bakhulume nabo lapho bekhetha uJefta ukuba abe umholi? Empeleni, ukuphikisa kwabakwa-Efrayimi kubonisa ukuvukela uJehova, ayikho enye indlela ngaphandle kokulwa nabo. Kuleyo mpi abakwa-Efrayimi bayanqotshwa. Ngenxa yokuthi lapho evivinywa ayehluleka ukulisho kahle igama elithi “Shiboleti,” amadoda abalekayo akwa-Efrayimi atholakala kalula. Sebebonke abantu bakwa-Efrayimi ababulawayo empini bangu-42 000.—AbaHluleli 12:2-6.

Yeka isikhathi esidabukisayo emlandweni wakwa-Israyeli! Izimpi ezanqotshwa abaHluleli u-Otheniyeli, u-Ehudi, uBharaki noGideyoni zaletha ukuthula. Manje akukhulunywa ngokuthula. Ukulandisa kumane kuphethe ngokuthi: “UJefta waqhubeka nokwahlulela u-Israyeli iminyaka eyisithupha, okwathi kamuva uJefta waseGileyadi wafa wangcwatshwa emzini wakubo eGileyadi.”—AbaHluleli 3:11, 30; 5:31; 8:28; 12:7.

Yini esingayifunda kukho konke lokhu? Ukuthi nakuba aba nezinkinga eziningi ekuphileni, uJefta wayethembekile kuNkulunkulu. Leli qhawe lakhuluma ngoJehova lapho likhuluma namadoda amadala aseGileyadi, nabakwa-Amoni, nendodakazi yalo nabakwa-Efrayimi, yebo, nalapho lenza isithembiso salo. (AbaHluleli 11:9, 23, 27, 30, 31, 35; 12:3) UNkulunkulu wambusisa uJefta ngokuzinikela kwakhe, emsebenzisa yena nendodakazi yakhe ekuthuthukiseni ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile. Ngesikhathi abaningi beshiya izimiso zikaNkulunkulu, uJefta wanamathela kuzo. Ingabe uyohlala ulalela uJehova njengoJefta?

[Umbhalo waphansi]