Imifanekiso Evela Ezweni Lesithembiso
Ihlane LakwaJuda—Liwugwadule Kodwa Lihle
UCABANGA ukuthi ihlane lakwaJuda eZweni Lesithembiso lalinjani? Abanye bacabanga ngehlathi elikhulu, eliminyene. Abanye bacabanga ngogwadule olunjengeSahara olunesihlabathi esiningi.
Awukho kulemibono ofanelana nalelihlane, njengoba ungabona esithombeni esingenhla. Kulesithombe, ubona ingxenye ethile yalelihlane ehlotshaniswa noJesu. Okwaziwa kabanzi ukuthi uSathane wabonisa uJesu “imibuso yonke yezwe” ekulesiqongo, esisonqenqemeni lwalelihlane esibheke phansi emzini waseJeriko ogcwele amasundu esiGodini saseJordani ngasempumalanga.—Mathewu 3:1; 4:1-11.
Lisuka kulengxenye esenyakatho-mpumalanga, lelihlane lakwaJuda linwebeka ligudle uhlangothi olungasentshonalanga loLwandle Olufile. Kungase kukusize ukuba ube nombono walendawo uma ubheka ibalazwe elisesembozweni seKhalenda LoFakazi BakaJehova Lika-1989. (Lelikhalenda futhi linalomfanekiso ongenhla okhulisiwe.) Lelihlane (elinobubanzi obungamakhilomitha ayi-16 kuya kwangama-24) lisemithambekeni engasempumalanga yezintaba zakwaJuda, kwehle kuze kube sogwini loLwandle Olufile.
Lezozintaba zivimba omningi womswakama ovela oLwandle lwaseMedithera. Ngakho amagquma athambile angenalutho asohlangothini olungasempumalanga, athola imvula encane ngaphandle kwasezinyangeni zasebusika uNovember noDecember. Ngalesosikhathi kuhluma utshani, kwenze imihlambi yezimvu iklabe lapha. Ngaleyondlela, ‘izibaya zezimvu’ okukhulunywa ngazo kweyoku-1 Samuweli 24:3 zifanelana nsé nalesifunda.
Utshani obumila lapha abuhlali isikhathi eside. Umoya wasempumalanga ophuma ogwadule ngokushesha ubunisa lobutshani obuluhlaza bube bovana. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kuwakhanyisa kahle kanjani amazwi angokwesiprofetho: “Utshani buyabuna, nembali iyavuthuluka, kepha izwi leNkosi limi kuze kube-phakade.”—Isaya 40:8; 1 Petru 1:24, 25.
Mhlawumbe uJesu wayezindla ngalombhalo lapho ehambahamba kulelihlane izinsuku ezingama-40 nobusuku obungama-40. Cabanga ngendlela uJesu okumelwe ukuba wazizwa ngayo ngaphansi kwelanga elishisayo elishaya emadwaleni angenazihlahla nasezindongeni. (Isaya 32:2) Yeka ukuthi kuqondakala kanjani ukuthi ngemva kwalokho “kwafika izingelosi, zamkhonza.”—Mathewu 4:1-11.
Ngenxa yokuba kwalo ugwadule nokungabi nezakhamuzi, ihlane lakwaJuda lalivame ukusetshenziswa njengesiphephelo. Lapho ebalekela iNkosi uSawule ethukuthele, uDavide wathola isivikelo khona, elichaza ‘njengezwe elomileyo eligagadekileyo, lapho amanzi engekho khona.’ (IHubo 63:1; 1 Samuweli 23:29) Okwesikhathi esithile wacasha emhumeni, mhlawumbe onjengoMhume iUmm Qatafa eWadi Khareitun (isigodi esisuka empumalanga yeBetlehema ngasoLwandle Olufile). (Heberu 11:32, 38) Usemhumeni, ungabona ngezansana kwesokudla izimvu ezimnyama zifuna uhlaza olugqagqene.
UDavide wayesemhumeni esifundeni sase-Eni-Gedi lapho uSawule engena eyophumula. Nakuba uDavide asika umphetho wengubo kaSawule, wayengenakumlimaza “ogcotshiweyo kaJehova.” Kamuva uDavide wamemeza uSawule, mhlawumbe lapho inkosi iphakathi kwamaqabunga amaningi. (1 Samuweli 24:1-22) ‘Amaqabunga amaningi lapha?’ ungase ubuze.
Yebo, lapho kunamanzi amaningi, lelihlane lingaqhakaza. IEni-Gedi iyisibonelo. Amanzi aphuma emadwaleni anezimbotshana njengemithombo nezimpophoma kulesigodi achithekela osebeni olungasentshonalanga loLwandle Olufile. Lokhu kwenza iEni-Gedi ibe ihlathi langempela, eligcwele izihlahla. Uma uvakashela khona, ungathola izinhlobo eziningi zezimbali nezithelo. Ungase ubone nezilwane zasendle, kusukela ezinseleni zasemadwaleni kuya ezimbuzini zasemadwaleni; kukhona ngisho nezingwe kulendawo!—1 Samuweli 24:2; IsiHlabelelo seziHlabelelo 1:14.
Ukuthi lelihlane lakwaJuda eliwugwadule lingaba luhlaza kangaka kujulisa ukuqonda kwethu umbono kaHezekeli wamanzi ageleza esuka ethempelini eJerusalema. Lokho kugeleza kwakhula kwaze kwaba umfula ogelezela empumalanga udabula ihlane lakwaJuda. Kwaba namuphi umphumela? UHezekeli wabhala: “Bheka, kwakukhona imithi eminingi kakhulu osebeni lomfula . . . izithelo zayo ziyakuba-ngukudla, amaqabunga ayo abe-ngawokuphilisa.” Lawomanzi ayegelezela oLwandle Olufile, elapha ngisho namanzi alo angenakho ukuphila.—Hezekeli 47:1-12; Isaya 35:1, 6, 7.
Ngakho, nakuba ihlane lakwaJuda licishe libe ugwadule, futhi lingenalutho, liyisifunda futhi esihle esinokungafani okuvela ekulandiseni okuningi kweBhayibheli.—Luka 10:29-37.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 16]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.