“Ngicela Nilalele Iphupho Engiliphuphile”

UJOSEFA ubuka empumalanga ngosizi, efisa ukuphuma enqoleni abaleke ngelikhulu ijubane. IHebroni indawo azalelwa kuyo, ingaphesheya kwalawaya magquma, ebangeni elingekude kakhulu. Uyise, uJakobe, uzolungela ukulala engazi nhlobo ukuthi kwenzekeni endodaneni yakhe ayithanda kakhulu. Kodwa uJosefa akakwazi ukuya kuye; kuyamkhanyela ukuthi kungenzeka angaphinde ambone uyise. Abahwebi bayambuka njengoba beqhuba amakamela abo emgwaqweni owaziwayo belibangise eningizimu. Base bemthengile uJosefa, engowabo futhi babengeke bamdedele. Kubo, lo mfana wayefana namakha anuka kamnandi—impahla ebalulekile ababezokwenza ngayo inzuzo eGibhithe elikude.

Kumelwe ukuba uJosefa wayengakevi eminyakeni engu-17. Mbone nje ngeso lengqondo efifiyele ebheke entshonalanga, lapho ilanga lishona ngasoLwandle Olukhulu njengoba ezama ukuqonda indlela ukuphila kwakhe okwase kushintshe ngayo. Kwakunzima ukukholelwa ukuthi abafowabo bacishe bambulala nokuthi bagcine bemthengisele ebugqilini. Kumelwe ukuba uJosefa wayehlengezela izinyembezi. Wayengaqiniseki ukuthi ikusasa limphatheleni.

Kwenzeka kanjani ukuba uJosefa azithole ekulesi simo esibi kangaka? Yini esingayifunda okholweni lwale nsizwa eyahlukunyezwa futhi yalahlwa amalungu omndeni wayo?

Umndeni wakubo kaJosefa wawumkhulu kakhulu—kodwa ungajabule futhi ungenabo ubunye. Indlela iBhayibheli elichaza ngayo umndeni kaJakobe isenza siyibone ngokucacile imiphumela emibi yesithembu—umkhuba owawuvame kakhulu, uNkulunkulu awubekezelela kubantu bakhe kwaze kwaba yilapho iNdodana yakhe ibuyisela indlela yokuqala yokuba nenkosikazi eyodwa. (Mathewu 19:4-6) UJakobe wayenezingane okungenani ezingu-14 zizalwa abesifazane abane—amakhosikazi akhe amabili, uLeya noRaheli, nezincekukazi zabo, uZilipha noBhiliha. Kusukela ekuqaleni uJakobe wayethanda uRaheli owayemuhle. Akakaze amthande ngaleyo ndlela uLeya, udadewabo kaRaheli omdala, amshada ngoba ekhohlisiwe. Lezi zelamani zazihlale zixabana, futhi lokho kwenza ukuba ekugcineni, izingane zabo zingafiselani okuhle.—Genesise 29:16-35; 30:1, 8, 19, 20; 37:35.

URaheli waba inyumba isikhathi eside futhi ekugcineni lapho esezala uJosefa, uJakobe wayiphatha ngendlela ekhethekile indodana yakhe ayithola ekugugeni kwakhe. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho lo mndeni usohambweni uyohlangana nomfowabo kaJakobe, u-Esawu, owayengase abulale wonke umuntu kulowo mndeni, uJakobe waqikelela ukuthi uRaheli nendodana yakhe encane uJosefa baba sendaweni ephephile, ekugcineni kweqembu. Cishe uJosefa wayehlale elukhumbula lolo suku. Bona ngeso lengqondo ukuthi wazizwa kanjani ekuseni ngalolo suku njengoba evule amehlo, emangele, ezibuza ukuthi kungani uyise osekhulile kodwa onamandla ayesexhuga. Yeka indlela okumelwe ukuba wamangala ngayo lapho ezwa isizathu: Uyise wayebambene nengelosi enamandla ubusuku bonke! Kungani? UJakobe wayefuna ukuba uJehova uNkulunkulu ambusise. UJakobe wabusiswa ngokuba igama lakhe lishintshwe libe u-Israyeli. Isizwe sonke sasiyobizwa ngegama lakhe! (Genesise 32:22-31) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, uJosefa wathola ukuthi amadodana ka-Israyeli ayeyoba uyise wezizwe zaleso sizwe!

Kamuva, uJosefa osemusha wabhekana nobunzima obukhulu lapho elahlekelwa unina ngokuzumayo. Unina washona lapho ebeletha umfowabo omncane, uBhenjamini. Uyise wezwa ubuhlungu obukhulu ngalokhu kulahlekelwa. Mbone ngeso lengqondo uJakobe esula izinyembezi emehlweni kaJosefa, emduduza ngethemba elifana nalelo eladuduza umkhulu kaJakobe, u-Abrahama. Yeka indlela okumelwe ukuba uJosefa wajabula ngayo lapho ezwa ukuthi ngolunye usuku uJehova uyomvusa unina aphinde aphile! Mhlawumbe uJosefa waba nothando olujule nakakhulu ‘ngoNkulunkulu wabaphilayo’ ophanayo. (Luka 20:38; Hebheru 11:17-19) Ngemva kokushonelwa inkosikazi yakhe, uJakobe wabathanda kakhulu labo bafana bakhe ababili, amadodana akhe ngoRaheli.—Genesise 35:18-20; 37:3; 44:27-29.

Izingane eziningi zingonakala uma ziphathwa ngale ndlela ekhethekile, kodwa uJosefa wafunda ezimfanelweni eziningi ezinhle zabazali bakhe futhi waba nokholo oluqinile kanye nekhono lokuhlukanisa phakathi kokulungile nokungalungile. Lapho eseneminyaka engu-17 wayesebenza njengomalusi, eletha umbiko ngabanye babafowabo abadala lapho ebona izinto ezingalungile ababezenza. Ingabe wayelingeka ukuba angababiki abafowabo ukuze bamthande? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi wayezizwa kanjani, wenza okwakulungile. Wabika udaba kuyise. (Genesise 37:2) Mhlawumbe leso senzo sesibindi senza uJakobe wamthanda nakakhulu. Yeka isibonelo esihle intsha engamaKristu okufanele icabange ngaso! Lapho ulingeka ukuba ufihle isono esikhulu somunye—mhlawumbe esomuntu ozalwa naye noma esomngane—kuwukuhlakanipha ukulingisa uJosefa uqiniseke ngokuthi udaba luyabikwa kulabo abasesimweni esifanele sokusiza owonile.—Levitikusi 5:1.

Singafunda isifundo nasendleleni yokuphila yomndeni wakubo kaJosefa. Nakuba amaKristu namuhla engasithathi isithembu, kuyavunywa ukuthi miningi imindeni exubile phakathi kwawo, enosingamzali nezingane zokutholwa. Bonke bangafunda emndenini kaJakobe ukuthi ukukhetha nokubandlulula kuyabuqeda ubunye bomndeni. Abazali abahlakaniphile abanemindeni exubile benza konke okusemandleni ukuze benze izingane zabo nezokutholwa zibone ukuthi zibusiswe ngezipho ezingefani nokuthi zonke zinganezela enjabulweni yomndeni.—Roma 2:11.

Mhlawumbe ngenxa yesibindi sikaJosefa sokumelela okulungile, uJakobe wamnika udumo lo mfana. Wathi indodana yakhe ayithungelwe ingubo ekhethekile. (Genesise 37:3) Iye ibizwe ngokuthi ingubo enemithende noma ingubo emibalabala kodwa buncane kakhulu ubufakazi obusekela lokhu. Kungenzeka ukuthi kwakuyingubo ende enhle, mhlawumbe eyayivala imilenze nezingalo. Kungenzeka ukuthi kwakuyingubo efana naleyo eyayigqokwa umuntu ohlonishwayo noma inkosana.

UJakobe wayengahlose lutho olubi futhi kumelwe ukuba kwamthinta kakhulu uJosefa ukunakwa nokuthandwa nguyise. Kodwa leyo ngubo yayizomlethela inkinga enkulu. Khumbula ukuthi lo mfana wayesebenza njengomalusi. Kwakuwumsebenzi onzima lowo. Mbone ngeso lengqondo egqoke leyo ngubo njengoba ehlwathiza ezikhotheni, ehamba ematsheni noma ezama ukukhipha imvu elahlekile emeveni. Okubi nakakhulu, lolu phawu lothando olukhethekile lwaluzobuthinta kanjani ubuhlobo bukaJosefa nabafowabo?

IBhayibheli liyaphendula: “Lapho abafowabo bebona ukuthi uyise wayemthanda ngaphezu kwabo bonke abafowabo, baqala ukumzonda, futhi babengakwazi ukukhuluma naye ngokuthula.”a (Genesise 37:9) Umona wabo ungase uqondakale, kodwa kwakuwubuwula ngabo ukuvumela ukulawulwa yilowo muzwa owushevu. (IzAga 14:30; 27:4) Kwake kwenzeka yini ukuba uzizwe unomona ngothile ngoba enakwa noma enikwa udumo obulufuna? Khumbula abafowabo bakaJosefa. Umona wabo wabangela ukuba benze izenzo ababeyozisola kakhulu ngazo. Isibonelo sabo sikhumbuza amaKristu ukuthi kuwukuhlakanipha ‘ukujabula nabantu abajabulayo.’—Roma 12:15.

Ngokuqinisekile uJosefa wayibona inzondo yabafowabo. Ingabe wayeyifihla ingubo yakhe enhle lapho ekanye nabafowabo? Kungenzeka walingeka ukuba ayifihle. Nokho, khumbula ukuthi uJakobe wayefuna ukuba le ngubo ibe uphawu lothando lwakhe ngaye. UJosefa wayengafuni ukudumaza uyise, ngakho wayeyigqoka ngokwethembeka le ngubo. Singazuza kakhulu esibonelweni sakhe. Nakuba uBaba wethu osezulwini engalokothi abandlulule, ngezinye izikhathi ukhetha ukuzithanda kakhulu izinceku zakhe ezithembekile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uthi mazihluke kuleli zwe elonakele elinokuziphatha okubi. Njengengubo kaJosefa ekhethekile, ukuziphatha kwamaKristu eqiniso kuwenza ahluke kwabanye abantu. Ngezinye izikhathi ukuziphatha okunjalo kubangela umona nenzondo. (1 Petru 4:4) Ingabe umKristu kufanele afihle ukuthi uyisikhonzi sikaNkulunkulu? Cha—kunalokho uyolingisa uJosefa ongazange ayifihle ingubo yakhe.—Luka 11:33.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uJosefa wathola amaphupho amabili angavamile. Ephusheni lokuqala uJosefa wabona yena nabafowabo bebopha izithungo zikakolweni. Kodwa izithungo zabafowabo zenza isiyingi zakhothamela isithungo sakhe njengoba sona sasimile. Ephusheni lesibili, ilanga, inyanga nezinkanyezi ezingu-11 zazikhothamela uJosefa. (Genesise 37:6, 7, 9) Yini okwakufanele yenziwe uJosefa ngalawo maphupho angavamile?

La maphupho ayevela kuJehova uNkulunkulu. Ayeyisiprofetho futhi uNkulunkulu wayefuna ukuba uJosefa adlulisele umyalezo owawukuwo. Ngomqondo othile, uJosefa kwakufanele alingise lokho okwenziwa abaprofethi abaphila ngemva kwakhe lapho besho imiyalezo nezahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu ezaziya kubantu baKhe ababengalaleli.

Ngobuhlakani uJosefa wathi kubafowabo: “Ngicela nilalele iphupho engiliphuphile.” Abafowabo baliqonda iphupho futhi abazange balithande. Baphendula bathi: “Ingabe ngokuqinisekile uzoba inkosi phezu kwethu?” Ukulandisa kuyaqhubeka: “Ngakho bathola isizathu esisha sokumzonda ngenxa yamaphupho akhe nangenxa yamazwi akhe.” Lapho uJosefa echazela uyise nabafowabo iphupho lesibili, basabela ngendlela efanayo. Siyafunda: “Uyise waqala ukumkhuza wathi kuye: ‘Lisho ukuthini leli phupho oliphuphile? Ingabe mina kanye nonyoko nabafowenu ngokuqinisekile sizokukhothamela emhlabathini?’” Nokho, uJakobe waqhubeka ecabanga ngalokhu. Ingabe uJehova wayekhuluma nalo mfana?—Genesise 37:6, 8, 10, 11.

UJosefa wayengeyona inceku yokuqala noma yokugcina uJehova ayitshela ukuba isho umyalezo oyisiprofetho owawungeke uthandwe owawungase uholele nasekushushisweni. UJesu wayengummemezeli omkhulu wemiyalezo enjalo futhi washo lokhu kubafundi bakhe: “Uma beye bashushisa mina, bayonishushisa nani.” (Johane 15:20) AmaKristu abo bonke ubudala angafunda lukhulu okholweni nasesibindini sikaJosefa osemusha.

Ngemva nje kwalokho, uJakobe wathuma uJosefa osemusha. Amadodana amadala kaJakobe ayenakekela imihlambi enyakatho eduze neShekemi, indawo ayesanda kwenza kuyo izitha ezinkulu. Ngenxa yalokho, uJakobe wayekhathazekile ngamadodana akhe, ngakho wathuma uJosefa ukuba ayohlola ukuthi konke kusahamba kahle yini. Cabanga nje indlela uJosefa ayezizwa ngayo. Wayazi ukuthi abafowabo bamzonda ngempela! Babezozizwa kanjani lapho efika kubo eyisithunywa sikayise? Naphezu kwaleyo micabango, uJosefa walalela wahamba.—Genesise 34:25-30; 37:12-14.

Kwakuwuhambo olude ngempela, cishe lwaba izinsuku ezine noma ezinhlanu. IShekemi laliqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-80 ukuya enyakatho yeHebroni. Kodwa kwathi lapho efika eShekemi, uJosefa wathola ukuthi abafowabo base beye eDothani, eqhele ngamanye amakhilomitha angu-22 noma ngaphezulu ukuya enyakatho. Lapho ekugcineni uJosefa esondela eDothani, abafowabo bambona eza kude. Ngokushesha, inzondo yabo yavuka yama ngezinyawo. Ukulandisa kuthi: “Bathi omunye komunye: ‘Bhekani! Nangu eza lowaya mphuphi. Manje wozani simbulale simphonse komunye wemigodi yamanzi; sithi, ushwabadelwe isilo sasendle esinolaka. Khona-ke sibone ukuthi kuyokwenzekani ngamaphupho akhe.’” Nokho, uRubeni wancenga abafowabo ukuba baphonse uJosefa emgodini ephila, enethemba lokuthi uzokwazi ukumkhipha kamuva.—Genesise 37:19-22.

Engazi, uJosefa waqhubeka eza cishe enomuzwa wokuthi bazomamukela ngokuthula. Kunalokho, abafowabo bamhlasela! Bamgxavula, bamkhumula ingubo yakhe ekhethekile, bamhudulela emgodini wamanzi owomile bamkhalakathisela kuwo. Wajikijeleka phakathi! Esamangazwe yilokho, wazama ukusukuma kodwa wayengakwazi ukuphuma kulo mgodi. Ukuphela kwento ayeyibona isibhakabhaka njengoba amazwi abafowabo ayeya eqhela. Wakhala ebancenga kodwa bamziba. Badla endaweni eseduze bengenandaba naye. Ngesikhathi uRubeni esahambile, baphinde bacabanga ukumbulala lo mfana, kodwa uJuda wabancenga ukuba bamdayise kubathengisi ababedlula kunokuba bambulale. IDothani laliseduze nendlela yezohwebo eya eGibhithe futhi ngokushesha kwaqhamuka inqola yabakwa-Ishmayeli nabakwaMidiyani. Bamthengisa engakabuyi uRubeni. Bathengisela umfowabo ebugqilini ngamashekeli angu-20.b—Genesise 37:23-28; 42:21.

Ukulandisa kusiphindisela lapho siqale khona. Njengoba uJosefa eyiswa eningizimu ngomgwaqo oya eGibhithe, kwakubonakala sengathi uselahlekelwe yikho konke. Wayeseyedwa! Wayengeke ezwe lutho ngomndeni wakhe iminyaka eminingi—wayengeke azi ngobuhlungu obazwiwa uRubeni lapho ebuya emthola engasekho; wayengeke azi ngosizi lukaJakobe lapho ekhohliswa kuthiwa uJosefa amthandayo ufile; engeke azi lutho ngomkhulu wakhe owayesegugile, u-Isaka, owayesaphila; engeke azi lutho futhi ngomfowabo omncane ayemthanda uBhenjamini, ayeyomkhumbula kakhulu. Kodwa ingabe uJosefa wayelahlekelwe yikho konke ngempela?—Genesise 37:29-35.

Kwakusekhona okuthile uJosefa ayenakho abafowabo ababengeke bakwazi ukumphuca khona: ukholo. Wayazi okuningi ngoNkulunkulu wakhe, uJehova, futhi akukho okwakungamphuca lokho—ukulahlekelwa ikhaya, ubunzima bokuba isithunjwa endleleni ende eya eGibhithe, ngisho nehlazo lokuthengiswa njengesigqila kumGibhithe ocebile uPotifari kwakungeke kumphuce ukholo lwakhe. (Genesise 37:36) Ukholo lukaJosefa nokuzimisela kwakhe ukuhlala eduze noNkulunkulu wakhe kwajula njengoba ayebhekene nalobo bunzima. Ezihlokweni ezizolandela esikhathini esizayo, sizobona indlela lolo kholo olwenza ngayo ukuba uJosefa asetshenziswe uNkulunkulu wakhe uJehova futhi asize umndeni wakubo owawunezinkinga. Yeka indlela esiyobe sihlakaniphe ngayo ngokulingisa ukholo lukaJosefa!