Sondela KuNkulunkulu
“Wamncenga UJehova”
INDODA ethile eyakhuliswa ngendlela kaNkulunkulu kodwa kamuva yaphambuka, yathi: ‘Nganginomuzwa wokuthi angiyifanelekeli intethelelo kaNkulunkulu.’ Lapho iqala ukuthatha izinyathelo zokushintsha ukuphila kwayo, yayikhathazwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu ngeke ayithethelele. Kodwa lesi soni esase siphendukile saqina idolo ngemva kokufunda indaba kaManase eseBhayibhelini etholakala kweyesi-2 IziKronike 33:1-17. Uma uke waba nomuzwa wokuthi awuyifanelekeli intethelelo kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yezono zakho zangaphambili, isibonelo sikaManase singase sikududuze.
UManase wakhulela emndenini owesaba uNkulunkulu. Uyise, uHezekiya, waba ngomunye wababusi abavelele kwaJuda. UManase wazalwa cishe ngemva kweminyaka emithathu uNkulunkulu elule ukuphila kukayise ngokuyisimangaliso. (2 AmaKhosi 20:1-11) Akungabazeki ukuthi uHezekiya wayebheka le ndodana yakhe njengesipho esiyisibonakaliso sesihe sikaNkulunkulu futhi wazama ukuyifundisa ukuba ithande ukukhulekela okumsulwa. Kodwa ngezinye izikhathi izingane ezikhuliswa abazali abesaba uNkulunkulu azilandeli ezinyathelweni zabazali bazo. UManase wenza okufanayo.
Uyise washona engakayihlanganisi iminyaka engu-12. Ngokudabukisayo, uManase “wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova.” (Amavesi 1, 2) Kungenzeka yini ukuthi le nkosi esencane yathonywa abeluleki ababengakuhloniphi ukukhulekela kweqiniso? IBhayibheli alisho. Limane lithi uManase waqala umkhuba owenyanyekayo wokukhonza izithombe futhi waba nonya. Wamisela onkulunkulu bamanga ama-altare, wenza umhlatshelo ngamadodana akhe, wasebenzelana nemimoya futhi wabeka isithombe esibaziweyo ethempelini likaJehova elaliseJerusalema. Wenqaba ngenkani ukulalela izixwayiso zikaJehova eziphindaphindiwe, ekhohlwa ukuthi wayengeke azalwe ukube uNkulunkulu akazange elule iminyaka kayise.—Amavesi 3-10.
Ekugcineni, uJehova wavuma ukuba aboshwe futhi adingiselwe eBhabhiloni. Ngesikhathi elapho, waba nethuba lokucabangisisa ngenkambo yakhe. Ingabe wabona ukuthi izithombe zakhe ezingenamandla nezingaphili zazehlulekile ukumvikela? Ingabe waphinde wacabanga ngezinto uyise owesaba uNkulunkulu ayemfundise zona ngesikhathi eseyingane? Kunoma yikuphi, uManase waguquka. Ukulandisa kuthi: “Wamncenga uJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe waqhubeka ezithoba kakhulu . . . Wayelokhu ethandaza kuYe.” (Amavesi 12, 13) Kodwa ingabe uNkulunkulu wayengamthethelela ngempela lo muntu owayenze izono ezimbi kangaka?
Ukuphenduka kukaManase ngobuqotho kwamthinta inhliziyo uJehova. Wamuzwa njengoba ayecela ukuboniswa isihe futhi “wambuyisela eJerusalema ebukhosini bakhe.” (Ivesi 13) Ukuze abonise ukuthi wayephenduke ngempela, uManase wenza konke ayengakwenza ukuze alungise izinto ezimbi ayezenzile; waqeda konke ukukhulekelwa kwezithombe ezweni futhi wanxusa abantu ukuba ‘bakhonze uJehova.’—Amavesi 15-17.
Uma unomuzwa wokuthi awuyifanelekeli intethelelo kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yezono zakho zangaphambili, qiniseka ukuthi ungayithola njengoba isibonelo sikaManase sibonisa. Le ndaba iyingxenye yeZwi likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe. (Roma 15:4) Ngokusobala, uJehova ufuna sazi ukuthi “ukulungele ukuthethelela.” (IHubo 86:5) UJehova akanandaba kangako nesono, kodwa unendaba kakhulu nesimo senhliziyo sesoni. Isoni esithandaza ngenhliziyo eyaphukileyo, sishiye inkambo yaso embi futhi sizimisele ukwenza okulungile singase sikwazi ‘ukuncenga uJehova’ njengoba kwenza uManase.—Isaya 1:18; 55:6, 7.
Izahluko zeBhayibheli ongazifunda ngo-January: