Ngokholo, UBbharaki Wangquzula Ibutho Elinamandla

ZICABANGE ubhekene nebutho lamasosha anonya. Lihlome ngezikhali zamuva, futhi lilungele ukuzisebenzisa. Kubonakala lizozigwazela ibhece nje kuwe nabakanye nawe.

Ngenkathi yabahluleli bakwa-Israyeli, uBharaki, uDebora namanye ama-Israyeli angu-10 000 baba kuleso simo. Ibutho ababebhekene nalo kwakungamaKhanani ayeholwa umlawuli wamabutho uSisera. Izikhali zawo zazihlanganisa nezinqola zempi, ezazinamasondo anamasikela ensimbi abukhali. Inkundla yempi kwakuyiNtaba iThabori nesigodi sesifufula saseKishoni. Okwenzeka lapho kuveza uBharaki eyindoda enokholo oluyisibonelo. Cabanga ngezimo ezaholela kule mpi.

U-Israyeli Ukhala KuJehova

Incwadi yabaHluleli ilandisa ngokushiya kuka-Israyeli ngokuphindaphindiwe ukukhulekela okumsulwa nemiphumela emibi yokwenza kanjalo. Isikhathi ngasinye, babecela ngobuqotho umusa kaNkulunkulu bese emisa umsindisi, bakhululwe, baphinde futhi bahlubuke. Njengenhlalayenza, “abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baphinda futhi benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova kwazise u-Ehudi [umahluleli owayebasindise ekucindezelweni abakwaMowabi] wayesefile.” Eqinisweni, “bakhetha onkulunkulu abasha.” Waba yini umphumela? “UJehova wabathengisa esandleni sikaJabini inkosi yaseKhanani, owayebusa eHazori; induna yempi yakhe kwakunguSisera . . . Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhala kuJehova, ngoba [uSisera] wayenezinqola zempi ezingamakhulu ayisishiyagalolunye ezinamasikela amakhulu ensimbi, futhi yena wabacindezela ngonya abantwana bakwa-Israyeli iminyaka engamashumi amabili.”—AbaHluleli 4:1-3; 5:8.

Ngokuphathelene nokuphila kwa-Israyeli, imiBhalo ithi: “[Ngalezo zinsuku] izindlela zazingasetshenziswa, nabahamba ngemigwaqo babehamba ngezindlela ezijikelezayo. Abahlala ezweni elivulekile baphela.” (AbaHluleli 5:6, 7) Abantu babesaba abaphangi abahamba ngezinqola. Esinye isazi sithi: “Ukuphila kwabantu kwa-Israyeli kwakubuswa ukwesaba, wonke umphakathi wawubonakala ungenamandla futhi ungenakuzisiza.” Ngakho, ama-Israyeli angenamandla, enza njengoba ayenzile kaningi ngaphambili, akhala kuJehova ecela usizo.

UJehova Umisa Umholi

Inkathi yokucindezela kwamaKhanani yaba isikhathi esibucayi esizweni sakwa-Israyeli. UNkulunkulu wasebenzisa umprofethikazi uDebora ukuba adlulisele izahlulelo neziyalezo zakhe. Ngaleyo ndlela uJehova wamnika ilungelo lokuba ngumama ongokomfanekiso kwa-Israyeli.—AbaHluleli 4:4; 5:7.

UDebora wathumela ukuba kubizwe uBharaki wathi kuye: “Akazange yini uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli anikeze umyalo? ‘Hamba uthi chithi saka eNtabeni iThabori, uthathe amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi kubantwana bakwaNafetali nakubantwana bakwaZebhuloni. Ngokuqinisekile ngizodonsela kuwe esigodini sesifufula saseKishoni uSisera induna yempi kaJabini nezinqola zakhe zempi nesixuku sakhe, futhi ngizomnikela impela esandleni sakho.’” (AbaHluleli 4:6, 7) Ngokuba athi ‘akazange yini uJehova anikeze umyalo?’ uDebora wakwenza kwacaca ukuthi wayengasebenzisi igunya lakhe phezu kukaBharaki. Wayemane nje engumgudu okwakudluliselwa ngawo umyalo kaNkulunkulu. Wenze njani uBharaki?

“Uma uzohamba nami,” kusho uBharaki, “ngokuqinisekile ngizohamba; kodwa uma ungeke uhambe nami, ngeke ngihambe.” (AbaHluleli 4:8) Kungani uBharaki ayemanqikanqika ukwamukela umsebenzi awunikwa uNkulunkulu? Ingabe kwakungubugwala? Ingabe wayengazethembi izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu? Cha. UBharaki akenqabanga ukwamukela lesi sabelo, futhi akukhona ukuthi wayengamlaleli uJehova. Kunalokho, ukwenza kwakhe kwakubonisa ukuthi uzizwa engakufanelekele ukuwufeza yedwa umyalo kaNkulunkulu. Ukuba khona kommeleli kaNkulunkulu kwakuzoqinisekisa ukuthi uyasithola isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu futhi kumqunge isibindi yena namadoda ayekanye naye. Ngakho, kunokuba kube uphawu lobuthaka, lo mbandela uBharaki awubeka wawuwuphawu lokholo oluqinile.

Indlela uBharaki enza ngayo ingafaniswa nendlela uMose, uGideyoni noJeremiya abenza ngayo. La madoda nawo ayengethembi ukuthi angakwazi ukukwenza lokho uNkulunkulu ayewathume kona. Kodwa lokho akuwenzanga abhekwa njengangathembekile. (Eksodusi 3:11–4:17; 33:12-17; AbaHluleli 6:11-22, 36-40; Jeremiya 1:4-10) Yini engashiwo ngesimo sengqondo sikaDebora? Akazange azame ukulawula. Kunalokho, wahlala eyinceku kaJehova ethobekile. Wathi kuBharaki: “Nakanjani ngizohamba nawe.” (AbaHluleli 4:9) Wayezimisele ukuhamba ekhaya—indawo eyayilondekile—aye empini noBharaki. UDebora naye uyisibonelo sokholo nesibindi.

Ngokholo Balandela UBharaki

Indawo ayezohlangana kuyo amabutho akwa-Israyeli kwakuyintaba evelele okwakuthiwa iThabori. Lena kwakuyindawo ekahle. Yayikufanelekela kahle ngokwemvelo ukuba kubuthane kuyo isizwe sakwaNafetali nesakwaZebhuloni, ezazihlala eduze kwakhona. Ngakho, njengoba uNkulunkulu ayeyalile, amavolontiya ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi—kanye noDebora—alandela uBharaki akhuphuka le ntaba.

Kwakudingeka ukholo kubo bonke ababelandela uBharaki. UJehova wayethembise uBharaki ukuthi uzowanqoba amaKhanani, kodwa zikhali zini ayenazo ama-Israyeli? EyabaHluleli 5:8 ithi: “Isihlangu, noma ingcula, kwakungabonwa, phakathi kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi amane kwa-Israyeli.” Ngakho ama-Israyeli ayengahlomile okutheni. Ngisho noma kunjalo, izihlangu nezingcula zazingelutho uma ziqhathaniswa nezinqola zempi ezinamasikela ensimbi. Lapho ezwa ukuthi uBharaki ukhuphuke iNtaba iThabori, uSisera wabiza zonke izinqola zakhe zempi namabutho akhe wazibizela esigodini sesifufula saseKishoni. (AbaHluleli 4:12, 13) Lokho ahluleka ukukubona uSisera ukuthi wayezobe elwa noNkulunkulu uMninimandla Onke.

UBharaki Ungquzula Ibutho LikaSisera

Lapho kufika isikhathi sokuba itholane phezulu, uDebora wathi kuBharaki: “Sukuma, ngoba lolu usuku uJehova azonikela ngalo ngokuqinisekile uSisera esandleni sakho. Akuyena yini uJehova ophumé phambi kwakho?” UBharaki nebutho lakhe kwakumelwe behle esiqongweni seThabori behlele emathafeni esigodi, kodwa izinqola zikaSisera zazizoba sethubeni elihle lapho. Wawuyozizwa kanjani ukube wasebuthweni likaBharaki? Ingabe wawuyolalela ngokushesha, ukhumbula ukuthi lesi siqondiso sasivela kuJehova? UBharaki nebutho lakhe lamadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi balalela. “UJehova waphithizelisa uSisera nazo zonke izinqola zakhe zempi nalo lonke ikamu ngosiko lwenkemba phambi kukaBharaki.”—AbaHluleli 4:14, 15.

Esekelwa uJehova, uBharaki walingquzula ibutho likaSisera. Ukulandisa ngale mpi akukuchazi konke okwenzeka. Noma kunjalo, ingoma yokunqoba kaBharaki noDebora ithi ‘amazulu namafu aconsa amanzi.’ Okungenzeka kakhulu ukuthi isivunguvungu esinemvula senza ukuba izinqola zikaSisera zibhajwe odakeni, okwamsiza uBharaki. Ngaleyo ndlela isikhali esiphambili samaKhanani saba isithiyo. Ngokuphathelene nezidumbu zebutho likaSisera, le ngoma ithi: “Isifufula saseKishoni sabakhukhula.”—AbaHluleli 5:4, 21.

Ingabe ingenzeka into enje? Isigodi sesifufula saseKishoni siyisiqu somfudlana ngokuvamile ogeleza amanzi amancane. Ngemva kweziphepho zemvula noma ngemva kwesikhathi eside lina, imifudlana enjalo ingagcwala ngokushesha ibe izifufula esigijimayo futhi eziyingozi. Kuthiwa ngeMpi Yezwe I, imvula eyana imizuzu engu-15 nje kuphela emhlabathini oyibumba kuleyo ndawo yayibeka engozini yonke imizamo yempi yabamahhashi. Izindaba zempi yaseNtabeni iThabori eyayiphakathi kukaNapoleon nabaseTurkey ngo-April 16, 1799, zibika ukuthi “abaningi [baseTurkey] baminza lapho bezama ukubaleka benqamula ithafa elalimbozwe amanzi eKishoni.”

Isazimlando esingumJuda uFlavius Josephus sithi kwathi esezotholana phezulu amabutho kaSisera nakaBharaki, “kwehla isivunguvungu esikhulu ezulwini, esasihambisana nemvula nesichotho esiningi, umoya waphephulela imvula ebusweni bamaKhanani, kwavaleka amehlo, kangangokuthi imicibisholo nezindwayimane zawo akuwasizanga ngalutho.”

“Izinkanyezi zalwa zisezulwini,” kusho abaHluleli 5:20, “zalwa noSisera zisemikhondweni yazo.” Izinkanyezi zalwa kanjani noSisera? Abanye bathi le nkulumo ibhekisele osizweni oluvela kuNkulunkulu. Abanye bathi ibhekisela osizweni lwezingelosi, ekuneni kwemvula yezinkanyezi ezinomsila, noma ekuthembeleni kukaSisera emabikeni ezinkanyezi angabanga iqiniso. Njengoba iBhayibheli lingachazi ukuthi izinkanyezi zalwa kanjani kule mpi, kubonakala kwanele ukubheka le nkulumo njengebhekisela ohlotsheni oluthile lokungenela kukaNkulunkulu esiza ibutho lakwa-Israyeli. Noma ngabe ikuphi, ama-Israyeli alisebenzisa ngokugcwele leli thuba. “UBharaki wazisukela izinqola zempi . . . kangangokuba lonke ikamu likaSisera lawa ngosiko lwenkemba. Akusalanga ngisho noyedwa.” (AbaHluleli 4:16) Kwenzekani enduneni yempi uSisera?

Umcindezeli Uwela “Esandleni Sowesifazane”

IBhayibheli lithi: “USisera yena, wabaleka ngezinyawo waya etendeni likaJayeli umkaHebhere umKheni, ngoba kwakukhona ukuthula phakathi kukaJabini inkosi yaseHazori nendlu kaHebhere umKheni.” UJayeli wamngenisa etendeni lakhe uSisera, wamphuzisa ubisi, wayesemembesa, walala. UJayeli wabe ‘esethatha isikhonkwane setende waphatha isando ngesandla sakhe,’ izinto umuntu ohlala ematendeni ayezisebenzisa njalo. “Khona-ke waya kuye ngokunyenya wabethela isikhonkwane ezinhlafunweni zakhe wasibethelela emhlabathini, esazumeké ngokuphelele futhi ekhathele. Ngakho wafa.”—AbaHluleli 4:17-21.

Ngemva kwalokho uJayeli waphuma wahlangabeza uBharaki wathi kuye: “Woza ngizokubonisa umuntu omfunayo.” Indaba inezela ithi: “Ngakho wangena kwakhe, bheka! nango uSisera ewile efile, isikhonkwane sisezinhlafunweni zakhe.” Yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuthi lokho kwaluqinisa kanjani ukholo lukaBharaki! Ngaphambili umprofethikazi uDebora wayethe kuye: “Ubuhle kulolu hambo oluhambayo ngeke bube obakho, ngoba uJehova uzothengisela uSisera esandleni sowesifazane.”—AbaHluleli 4:9, 22.

Ingabe isenzo sikaJayeli singabhekwa njengesiwukwambuka? UJehova akasibhekanga kanjalo. Ingoma yokunqoba kaBharaki noDebora yathi: “Phakathi kwabesifazane abasetendeni uyoba obusiswé ukubedlula bonke.” Leyo ngoma yenza sikubheke ngendlela efanele ukufa kukaSisera. Unina uvezwa emlindele ngexhala ukuba abuye empini. Uyabuza: “Kungani inqola yakhe yempi ilibele ukufika?” “Abahlakaniphile emakhosazaneni akhe ayizicukuthwane” bazama ukuqeda ukwesaba kwakhe ngokuba bathi kumelwe nakanjani ukuba uhlukanisa impango yempi—izingubo ezifekethiswe kahle namantombazane azotholwa abesilisa. La makhosazana ayabuza: “Akufanele yini bayabe impango, isibeletho—izibeletho ezimbili [inkulumo yamabutho esho izancinza ezithunjiwe, umbhalo waphansi we-NW] kuleyo naleyo ndoda enamandla, impango kaSisera yezingubo ezidayiwe . . . Ingubo efekethisiwe, ingubo edayiwe, izingubo ezimbili ezifekethisiwe zezintamo zamadoda empango?”—AbaHluleli 5:24, 28-30.

Esikufundayo Thina

Indaba kaBharaki isifundisa izifundo ezibalulekile. Noma ibaphi abamkhiphela ngaphandle kokuphila kwabo uJehova nakanjani bayobhekana nezinkinga nokukhungatheka. Labo abaphendukayo babuyele kuNkulunkulu futhi babe nokholo kuye bayokhululeka ekucindezelekeni okuhlukahlukene. Futhi akufanele yini sihlakulele umoya wokulalela? Ngisho noma lokho uNkulunkulu akufunayo kubonakala kuphambana nokucabanga komuntu, singaqiniseka ukuthi njalo iziyalezo zakhe ziyosizuzisa ngaso sonke isikhathi. (Isaya 48:17, 18) UBharaki wakwazi ‘ukungquzula amabutho ezinye izizwe’ kuphela nje ngokuba nokholo kuJehova nangokulalela iziyalezo zakhe.—Hebheru 11:32-34.

Isiphetho esithinta inhliziyo sengoma kaDebora noBharaki sithi: “Mazishabalale zonke izitha zakho, Jehova, abakuthandayo mababe njengalapho ilanga liphuma ngamandla alo.” (AbaHluleli 5:31) Yeka ukuthi kuyoba iqiniso kanjani lokhu lapho uJehova ebhubhisa leli zwe elibi likaSathane!

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UJehova wasebenzisa uDebora ukuba abize uBharaki

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UMfula iKishoni udla izindwani

[Umthombo]

Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.

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INtaba iThabori