IShunemi—Ephawuleka Ngothando Nobudlova
ENINGIZIMU yeGalile, engxenyeni esempumalanga yesigodi saseJizreyeli, kwakunomuzi waseShunemi. Kulomuzi kwalwelwa izimpi ezimbili ezibaluleke kakhulu emlandweni weBhayibheli, kodwa wawudume nangokuba indawo okwazalelwa kuyo abesifazane ababili ababeka isibonelo sothando oluqotho.
Ngemva kweShunemi kunegquma okucatshangwa ukuthi elaseMore, kuyilapho ngaphesheya kwethafa, ebangeni elingamakhilomitha angaba ngu-8, kuneNtaba yaseGilibowa. Phakathi nalawo magquma amabili, kwakunezwe elithola amanzi ngokwanele nelithelayo—esinye sezifunda ezichume kakhulu kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli.
Lelizwe elivundile elingaseShunemi liyindawo okwenzeka kuyo enye yezindaba zothando ethakazelisa kakhulu kwezake zaxoxwa—IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo. Lesi sihlabelelo silandisa ngentombazane enhle yakulelozwe eyakhetha ukushada nomngane wayo ongumalusi kunokwamukela isicelo seNkosi uSolomoni sokuba ibe omunye wamakhosikazi ayo. USolomoni wasebenzisa konke ukuhlakanipha nengcebo yakhe ukuze azuze inhliziyo yayo. Wayeyincoma ngokuphindaphindiwe: “Ngubani lo olunguza njengokusa, emuhle njengenyanga, ecwebile njengelanga?” Wathembisa nokuyigidlabeza ngazo zonke izinto zokuhloba eziyigugu eyayingase izicabange.—IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 1:11; 6:10.
Ukuze ayinambithise ukuphila kwasebukhosini, uSolomoni wacela ukuba imphelezele njengengxenye yabakhaphi bakhe baye eJerusalema, ehamba namasosha akhe angu-60 angamaqhawe. (IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 3:6-11) Wayihlalisa esigodlweni sakhe, isigodlo esasihlaba umxhwele kangangokuthi lapho indlovukazi yaseSheba isibona, “akwabe kusabakho-moya kuyo.”—1 AmaKhosi 10:4, 5.
Kodwa intombazane yaseShunemi yayithembekile kumfana ongumalusi. “Njengomapula phakathi kwemithi yasehlathini,” isho, “unjalo othandiweyo wami.” (IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 2:3) USolomoni makajabulele imivini yakhe eyinkulungwane. Umvini owodwa—nothandiweyo wayo—wawuyanele. Uthando lwayo lwalungenakuzanyazanyiswa.—IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 8:11, 12.
Kwakunomunye wesifazane omuhle owayehlala eShunemi. Akukho esikwaziyo ngokubukeka kwakhe kwangaphandle, kodwa ngokuqinisekile wayenenhliziyo enhle. IBhayibheli lithi ‘wanakekela’—noma wazikhandla—ukuze njalo alungiselele umprofethi u-Elisha ukudla nendawo yokulala.—2 AmaKhosi 4:8-13.
Ngemva kohambo olude olukhathazayo, singacabanga ngo-Elisha ephindela ngenjabulo ekamelweni elincane eliphezulu alilungiselwe yilona wesifazane nomyeni wakhe. Cishe wayevakasha kakhulu emzini wabo, njengoba inkonzo yakhe yathatha iminyaka engu-60. Kungani lona wesifazane ongumShunemi anxusa ukuba u-Elisha ahlale emzini wabo njalo lapho edlula ngaleyo ndlela? Kungoba wayewazisa umsebenzi ka-Elisha. Lomprofethi othobekile nongenabugovu wayesebenza njengonembeza wesizwe, ekhumbuza amakhosi, abapristi nabantu abavamile ngesibopho sabo sokukhonza uJehova.
Akungabazeki ukuthi lona wesifazane ongumShunemi wayengomunye wabantu uJesu ayecabanga ngabo lapho ethi: “Lowo owamukela umprofethi ngoba engumprofethi uyothola umvuzo womprofethi.” (Mathewu 10:41) UJehova wanikeza lona wesifazane omesabayo umvuzo okhethekile. Nakuba ayeseneminyaka eminingi eyinyumba, wabeletha indodana. Eminyakeni ethile kamuva wabuye wanikezwa usizo lwaphezulu lapho indlala yeminyaka engu-7 ibhubhisa izwe. Lokhu kulandisa okushukumisayo kusikhumbuza ukuthi uBaba wethu osezulwini uyawuqaphela umusa esiwubonisa izinceku zikaNkulunkulu.—2 AmaKhosi 4:13-37; 8:1-6; Heberu 6:10.
Izimpi Ezimbili Eziwumnqamulajuqu
Nakuba iShunemi ikhunjulwa njengekhaya lalaba besifazane ababili abathembekile, iyindawo futhi lapho kwalwelwa khona izimpi ezimbili ezashintsha umlando wama-Israyeli. Kwakunenkundla enhle yempi budebuduze—ithafa eliphakathi kwegquma lwaseMore nelaseGilibowa. Ezikhathini zeBhayibheli njalo abakhuzi bezempi babekanisa lapho kwakunamanzi amaningi khona, endaweni ephezulu ukuze bavikeleke, futhi uma kungenzeka, endaweni ephakeme ebheke ithafa elomile elinendawo eyanele yokuqondisa uquqaba lwabesilisa, amahhashi nezinqola. EShunemi naseGilibowa kwakunalezo zici eziyinzuzo.
Esikhathini sabahluleli, ibutho labangu-135 000 labakwaMidiyani, ama-Ameleki nabanye lalikanise kuleli thafa phambi kweMore. Amakamela alo ‘ayengangesihlabathi esisogwini lolwandle ngobuningi.’ (AbAhluleli 7:12) Lalibhekene nama-Israyeli ayengaphansi koMahluleli uGideyoni owayenamasosha angu-32 000 kuphela, engaphesheya kwethafa, ngasemthonjeni waseHarodi ngaphansi kweNtaba yaseGilibowa.
Ezinsukwini ezingaphambi kwempi, uhlangothi ngalunye lwaluzama ukudumaza olunye. Uquqaba lwamabutho aklolodayo, amakamela empi, izinqola namahhashi lwalungethusa lamasosha angezansi. Ngokungangabazeki, abakwaMidiyani—abase behlelekile kakade lapho ama-Israyeli eviva—babesabisa lapho ama-Israyeli ebabuka. Lapho uGideyoni ebuza, “Ubani owesabayo nothuthumelayo?” izingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zempi yakhe zasabela ngokushiya inkundla yempi.—AbAhluleli 7:1-3, qhathanisa ne-NW.
Kwase kunamabutho ama-Israyeli angu-10 000 kuphela ayebhekene namasosha esitha angu-135 000 ayengaphesheya kwethafa, futhi ngokushesha uJehova walinciphisa inani lamasosha ama-Israyeli laba idlanzana labangu-300. Kulandelwa umkhuba wama-Israyeli, leli qembu elincane lahlukaniswa laba izigaba ezintathu. Ebumnyameni, lahlakazeka futhi lama ezinhlangothini ezintathu zekamu lezitha. Khona-ke ngokuyala kukaGideyoni, leli qembu labangu-300 laphohloza izitsha elalithukuse kuzo izimbaqa zalo, laphakamisa lezo zimbaqa, labe selimemeza, “Inkemba kaJehova nekaGideyoni.” Lashaya amacilongo isikhathi eside. Ebumnyameni, isixuku samasosha esixubene nesithukile sacabanga ukuthi amaqembu abangu-300 ayesihlasela. UJehova wasenza saphendukelana, futhi “bonke abasekamu bagijima bamemeza.”—AbAhluleli 7:15-22; 8:10.
Impi yesibili yaba seduze naseShunemi ngesikhathi seNkosi uSawule. IBhayibheli libika ukuthi “amaFilisti abuthana afika, amisa eShunemi; uSawule wabutha wonke uIsrayeli, wamisa eGilibowa,” njengoba kwakwenze ibutho likaGideyoni eminyakeni ethile ngaphambili. Kodwa uSawule, ngokungafani noGideyoni, wayengenalo ithemba kuJehova futhi wakhetha ukuya kumuntu osebenzelana nemimoya e-Eni-Dori. Lapho ebona ikamu lamaFilisti, “wesaba, inhliziyo yakhe yathuthumela kakhulu.” Empini eyalandela, ama-Israyeli abaleka futhi anqotshwa ngokuphelele. Bobabili uSawule noJonathani bafa.—1 Samuweli 28:4-7; 31:1-6.
Ngakho umlando weShunemi waphawuleka ngaleyo ndlela ngothando nangobudlova, ukwethembela kuJehova nokuthembela emademonini. Kulesi sigodi, abesifazane ababili babonisa uthando nokungenisa izihambi ngokungaguquguquki, kanti abaholi ababili bama-Israyeli balwa izimpi eziwumnqamulajuqu. Zozine lezi zibonelo zibonisa ukubaluleka kokuthembela kuJehova, ongahluleki ukubavuza labo abamkhonzayo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 31]
Idolobhana lanamuhla laseSulam eduze kweShunemi yasendulo, kanti ngemuva kuvele iMore
[Umthombo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.