U-Ehudi—Indoda Yokholo Nesibindi

KWASE kudlule iminyaka eminingi ama-Israyeli abeka unyawo lwawo okokuqala eZweni Lesithembiso. UMose nalowo owamlandela, uJoshuwa, kwase kukudala bafa. Engasekho amadoda okholo anjalo, ukwazisa ngokukhulekela okuhlanzekile kwancipha. Ama-Israyeli ayeseqale ngisho nokukhonza uBali nezigxobo ezingcwele.a Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova wanikela abantu bakhe ezandleni zabaseSiriya iminyaka engu-8. Ama-Israyeli abe esekhala ecela usizo kuNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yesihe, walalela. UJehova wavusa umahluleli, u-Otheniyeli, ukuba akhulule abantu baKhe.—AbAhluleli 3:7-11.

Lezi zenzakalo kufanele ngabe zafundisa ama-Israyeli iqiniso eliyisisekelo—ukulalela uJehova kuletha izibusiso, kuyilapho ukungamlaleli kuphumela eziqalekisweni. (Duteronomi 11:26-28) Nokho, abantu bakwa-Israyeli bahluleka ukufunda lesi sifundo. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-40 yokuthula, baphinde bakushiya ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile.—AbAhluleli 3:12.

Ukunqotshwa KwabakwaMowabi

Kulokhu uJehova wavumela ukuba abantu bakhe bawele ezandleni zeNkosi u-Egiloni yakwaMowabi. IBhayibheli limchaza ‘njengomuntu okhuluphele kakhulu.’ Ngosizo lwabakwa-Amoni nama-Amaleki, u-Egiloni wahlasela u-Israyeli futhi wamisa isigodlo sakhe eJeriko, “umuzi wamasundu.” Yeka ukuthi kwakungafaneleki kanjani ukuthi umuzi wokuqala wamaKhanani owanqotshwa u-Israyeli wawusuyindlunkulu yalowo owayekhulekela unkulunkulu wamanga uKemoshi!b—AbAhluleli 3:12, 13, 17.

U-Egiloni wacindezela ama-Israyeli iminyaka engu-18 eyalandela, ngokusobala efuna kuwo intela emba eqolo. Ngokufuna intela ngezikhathi ezithile, abakwaMowabi baqinisa isimo sabo sezomnotho kuyilapho bephundla u-Israyeli ingcebo yakhe. Ngokuqondakalayo, abantu bakaNkulunkulu bakhalela ukukhululwa, futhi uJehova waphinde walalela. Wabavusela omunye umsindisi—kulokhu umuntu wesizwe sakwaBenjamini okuthiwa u-Ehudi. Ukuze aqede ubushiqela buka-Egiloni phezu kuka-Israyeli, u-Ehudi wahlela ukuthatha isinyathelo ngosuku olulandelayo lokukhokha intela.—AbAhluleli 3:14, 15.

Ukuze alungiselele isenzo sakhe sesibindi, u-Ehudi wenza inkemba esika nhlangothi zombili enobude obuyingalo. Uma kwakuyingalo emfushane, lesi sikhali sasingamasentimitha angaba ngu-38 ubude. Abanye bangathi isinqindi. Kubonakala sengathi yayingekho ingxenye ehlukanisa indawo ebukhali nesibambo. Ngakho-ke, u-Ehudi wayengafihla lenkemba yakhe encane emphethweni wengubo yakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba u-Ehudi ayeyinxele, wayengabhinca inkemba yakhe ngakwesokudla sakhe—okungeyona indawo evamile yenkemba.—AbAhluleli 3:15, 16.

Icebo lika-Ehudi lalinezingozi. Ngokwesibonelo, kwakuyothiwani uma abalindi benkosi bemsesha u-Ehudi befuna izikhali? Ngisho noma bengakwenzi lokho, ngokuqinisekile babengenakushiya inkosi yabo iyodwa nomIsrayeli! Kodwa uma beyishiya futhi u-Egiloni ebulawa, wayeyobaleka kanjani u-Ehudi? Wayeyobaleka ibanga elide kangakanani ngaphambi kokuba abalindi baka-Egiloni bathole okwenzekile?

Akungabazeki ukuthi u-Ehudi wazindla ngezinto ezinjalo, mhlawumbe ecabanga ngemiphumela eminingana eyinhlekelele. Noma kunjalo, waqhubeka necebo lakhe, ebonisa isibindi nokholo kuJehova.

U-Ehudi Uhlangana No-Egiloni

Lwafika usuku lokuletha intela elandelayo. U-Ehudi namadoda ayenaye bangena esigodlweni senkosi. Ngokushesha, base bemi phambi kweNkosi u-Egiloni uqobo. Kodwa sasingakafiki isikhathi sokuba u-Ehudi ahlasele. Ngemva kokukhipha intela, u-Ehudi waphelezela abathwali bentela.—AbAhluleli 3:17, 18.

Kungani u-Ehudi athatha isikhathi ngaphambi kokuba abulale u-Egiloni? Ingabe wanqotshwa ukwesaba? Lutho neze! Ukuze afeze icebo lakhe, u-Ehudi wayedinga ukuba nenkosi ngasese—okuthile angazange akunikwe kulokhu kuhlangana kokuqala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Ehudi kwakuyodingeka abaleke ngokushesha. Kwakungaba lula ngomuntu oyedwa ukuba abaleke kunokubaleka nabo bonke abathwali bentela ayehamba nabo. Ngakho-ke, u-Ehudi walindela ithuba elihle. Ukuhambela u-Egiloni okwesikhashana kwamenza wajwayelana nendlela isigodlo esimi ngayo waqiniseka nangesimiso sokuvikela inkosi.

Ngemva kokufika “endaweni yezithombe ezibaziweyo engaseGiligali,” u-Ehudi washiya amadoda ayenawo wabuyela emuva esigodlweni sika-Egiloni. Uhambo olungaba amakhilomitha amabili lwanika u-Ehudi isikhashana sokucabanga ngalokho ayeyokwenza nokuthandazela isibusiso sikaJehova.—AbAhluleli 3:19.

U-Ehudi Uyabuyela

Kubonakala sengathi u-Ehudi wamukelwa esigodlweni. Mhlawumbe intela eningi ayeyilethile yenza u-Egiloni wenama. Kungase kwenzeke ukuthi nakuba ukuhambela kokuqala kwakukufushane, kwanika u-Ehudi ithuba elanele lokwakha ubuhlobo nenkosi. Noma ikuphi, u-Ehudi wayesephambi kuka-Egiloni.

“Nginendaba eyisifuba kuwe-nkosi,” kusho u-Ehudi. Iqiniso lokuthi wayesefinyelele kuleli qophelo lalibonisa ukuthi wayeqondiswa uJehova. Noma kunjalo, kwakunenkinga. ‘Lendaba eyisifuba’ u-Ehudi ayeyiphethe yayingenakukhulunywa phambi kwabalindi benkosi. Uma uJehova ayeyongenela, u-Ehudi wayeludinga ngokushesha lolo sizo. “Thulani,” kuyala inkosi. Njengoba u-Egiloni ayengafuni ukuba ‘lendaba eyisifuba’ izwiwe, waxosha abalindi bakhe. Cabanga ukuthi u-Ehudi wakhululeka kanjani!—AbAhluleli 3:19.

U-Egiloni wayehlezi ekamelweni lakhe eliphezulu lapho u-Ehudi eza kuye ethi: “Nginodaba oluvela kuNkulunkulu kuwe.” Ingabe u-Ehudi wayebhekisele kuKemoshi lapho ekhuluma ‘ngoNkulunkulu’? Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Egiloni wacabanga kanjalo. Enesithakazelo, wasukuma esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi wama elindele. U-Ehudi wasondela, cishe ehamba ngobunyoninco ukuze angabangeli ukuba inkosi isole ukuthi iyahlaselwa. Khona-ke, ngokuphazima kweso, “u-Ehudi welula isandla sakhe sokhohlo, wabamba inkemba ethangeni lakhe lokunene, wamgwaza esiswini sakhe; kwangena nesibambo emva kwenkemba, amanoni azungeza inkemba, ngokuba akayikhiphanga inkemba esiswini sakhe; yaphumela emuva.”—AbAhluleli 3:20-22.

Abalindi benkosi ababehambahamba eduze, abazange basole. Kodwa u-Ehudi wayesesengozini. Izinceku zika-Egiloni zazingase zitheleke noma nini futhi zithole isidumbu senkosi yazo ewile. U-Ehudi kwakudingeka abaleke ngokushesha! Wahluthulela iminyango, waphuma wabaleka ngembobo yokungenisa umoya yekamelo eliphezulu.—AbAhluleli 3:23, 24a.

Ukutholakala Nokunqoba

Ngokushesha izinceku zika-Egiloni zaba nelukuluku. Noma kunjalo, zazingenakulokotha zizifake engozini yokuthukuthelelwa inkosi ngokuphazamisa umhlangano wayo wangasese. Zabe seziqaphela ukuthi iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu ihluthulelwe. “Mhlawumbe uyembesa izinyawo zakhe ekamelweni lakhe elipholileyo,” zicabanga. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ilukuluku nje lathathelwa indawo ukukhathazeka okukhulu. Abalindi baka-Egiloni babengasenakulinda. ‘Ngalokho bathatha ukhiye, bayivula [iminyango yekamelo eliphezulu]; bheka, inkosi yabo yayiwele phansi ifile.’—AbAhluleli 3:24b, 25.

Ngaleso sikhathi, u-Ehudi wayesebalekile. Wadlula endaweni yezithombe engaseGiligali futhi ekugcineni wafika eSeyiri, indawo esesifundeni esinezintaba sakwa-Efrayimi. U-Ehudi wabizela ndawonye amadoda akwa-Israyeli futhi wawahola ekuhlaseleni abakwaMowabi ngokubahlanganyela. Ukulandisa kuthi “babulala kwabakwaMowabi kungathi abantu abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi abayizidlakela namajaha, akwaphunyuka-muntu.” Sebenqotshiwe abakwaMowabi, izwe lakwa-Israyeli alizange liphinde liphazanyiswe iminyaka engu-80.—AbAhluleli 3:26-30.

Ukufunda Esibonelweni Sika-Ehudi

U-Ehudi washukunyiswa ukholo kuNkulunkulu. AmaHeberu isahluko 11 awakhulumi ngaye ngokuqondile njengalowo ‘okwathi ngokholo wanqoba imibuso ekulweni, waba iqhawe empini, wangquzula amabutho ezinye izizwe.’ (Heberu 11:33, 34) Noma kunjalo, uJehova wamsekela u-Ehudi njengoba abonisa ukholo futhi wasindisa u-Israyeli ekubusweni ngonya iNkosi u-Egiloni.

Isibindi sasingenye yezimfanelo zika-Ehudi. Kwakudingeka abe nesibindi ukuze ayisebenzise ngokuphumelelayo inkemba engokoqobo. Njengezinceku zikaNkulunkulu zosuku lwanamuhla, asiyiphathi inkemba enjalo. (Isaya 2:4; Mathewu 26:52) Noma kunjalo, siyayisebenzisa ‘inkemba yomoya,’ iZwi likaNkulunkulu. (Efesu 6:17) U-Ehudi wayenekhono ekusebenziseni isikhali sakhe. Nathi sidinga ukuba nekhono ekusebenziseni iZwi likaNkulunkulu njengoba sishumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso. (Mathewu 24:14) Isifundo somuntu siqu seBhayibheli, ukuba khona njalo emihlanganweni yobuKristu, ukuhlanganyela ngentshiseko enkonzweni, nokuthembela kuBaba wethu wasezulwini ngomthandazo kuyosisiza ukuba silingise izimfanelo ezaboniswa u-Ehudi, indoda enokholo nesibindi ngempela.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 31]

U-Ehudi namadoda ayenaye baletha intela eNkosini u-Egiloni

[Umthombo]

Reproduced from Illustrirte Pracht - Bibel/Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testaments, nach der deutschen Uebersetzung D. Martin Luther’s