U-Ehudi Ugqabula Ijoka Lomcindezeli
LENA indaba engokoqobo yokuba nesibindi namasu. Yenzeka eminyakeni ethi ayibe ngu-3 000 edlule. Ukulandisa kwemiBhalo kuqala ngala mazwi: “Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli baphinda benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova. Khona-ke uJehova wavumela u-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi ukuba abe namandla ekulweni no-Israyeli, ngoba wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova. Ngaphezu kwalokho, wababuthela abantwana bakwa-Amoni nabakwa-Amaleki. Khona-ke baya bamshaya u-Israyeli futhi badla umuzi wemithi yesundu. Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bakhonza u-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi iminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalombili.”—AbaHluleli 3:12-14.
Izwe labakwaMowabi lalingasempumalanga yoMfula iJordani noLwandle Olufile. Kodwa babewuwelile lo mfula badla nendawo engaseJeriko, “umuzi wemithi yesundu,” ngaleyo ndlela babusa phezu kwama-Israyeli. (Duteronomi 34:3) Inkosi yakwaMowabi, u-Egiloni, “umuntu okhuluphele kakhulu,” yaphoqa ama-Israyeli iminyaka ecela emashumini amabili ukuba akhiphe inkokhiso eyayiwumthwalo futhi ilulaza. (AbaHluleli 3:17) Nokho, ukufuna kwayo inkokhiso kwavulela ama-Israyeli ithuba lokuyibulala le nkosi enonya.
Ukulandisa kuthi: “Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bacela usizo kuJehova. Ngakho uJehova wabavusela umsindisi, u-Ehudi indodana kaGera, umBhenjamini, indoda eyinxele. Ngemva kwesikhathi abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bathumela inkokhiso ngesandla sakhe ku-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi.” (AbaHluleli 3:15) Kumelwe ukuba uJehova waqiniseka ukuthi kukhethwa u-Ehudi ukuba ahambise inkokhiso. Ukuthi wayeke wawenza yini lowo msebenzi ngaphambili, akushiwo. Nokho, indlela u-Ehudi akuhlela ngokucophelela ngayo ukuhlangana no-Egiloni, namasu awasebenzisa, kusikisela ukuthi kungenzeka wayejwayelene ngandlela-thile nesigodlo sika-Egiloni nalokho ayengakulindela khona. Kukho konke lokhu, ukuba kwakhe yinxele kwakubaluleke kakhulu.
Wayekhubazekile Noma Wayeyiqhawe?
NgesiHebheru, igama elithi “-yinxele” ngokwezwi nezwi, lisho ukuthi ‘valekile, gogekile, noma boshiwe esandleni sokunene.’ Ingabe lokhu kusho ukuthi u-Ehudi wayekhubazekile, mhlawumbe isandla sakhe sokunene sigogekile? Cabanga ngalokho iBhayibheli elikushoyo ‘ngamadoda angamanxele angamakhulu ayisikhombisa, akhethwa’ esizweni sakwaBhenjamini. Incwadi yabaHluleli 20:16 ithi: “Ngamunye kuwo wayengumjikijeli wamatshe ngesihlilingi ongageji ngisho nonwele.” Cishe lawo madoda akhethwa ngenxa yobuqhawe bawo empini. Ngokwezinye izazi zeBhayibheli, elithi “inxele” lisho umuntu osebenzisa isandla sobunxele kanye nesokunene, umuntu oyikhabe.—AbaHluleli 3:15.
Empeleni, isizwe sakwaBhenjamini sasaziwa ngamadoda akhona ayengamanxele. Incwadi yoku-1 IziKronike 12:1, 2 ikhuluma ‘ngamadoda akwaBhenjamini anamandla, abasizi empini, ayehlome ngomnsalo, esebenzisa isandla sokunene nesandla sobunxele ngamatshe noma ngemicibisholo emnsalweni.’ Enye incwadi ithi leli khono lalingase lifinyelelwe “ngokubopha ingane ingalo yesokunene—ngaleyo ndlela ibe ‘eboshiwe esandleni sokunene’—bese ifundiswa leli khono esandleni sobunxele.” Ngokuvamile izitha zika-Israyeli zazifundiswa ukulwa namabutho asebenzisa isandla sokunene. Ngakho, lapho isitha sesizithola sibambene phezulu nesosha eliyinxele, ingxenye enkulu yokuqeqeshwa kwaso yayingaba yize leze.
‘Izwi Eliyimfihlo’ Eliya Enkosini
Isinyathelo sokuqala u-Ehudi asithatha saba ‘ukuzenzela inkemba’—eyayisika nhlangothi zombili futhi imfushane ngokwanele ukuba ayithukuse ngaphansi kwezingubo zakhe. Kungenzeka wayekulindele ukuseshwa. Izinkemba zazivame ukubhincwa ngakwesobunxele ukuze labo abasebenzisa isandla sokunene basheshe bakwazi ukuzikhipha. Njengoba ayeyinxele, u-Ehudi wafihla inkemba yakhe “ngaphansi kwengubo yakhe phezu kwethanga lakhe lesokunene,” lapho onogada benkosi babengavamile ukusesha khona. Kungasekho lutho olumthikamezayo, “wayethula le nkokhiso ku-Egiloni inkosi yakwaMowabi.”—AbaHluleli 3:16, 17.
Imininingwane ngokwenzeka ekungeneni kwakhe ehlalankosi, ayichazwanga. IBhayibheli limane lithi: “Kwathi lapho [u-Ehudi] eseqedile ukuyethula le nkokhiso, ngaso leso sikhathi wabamukisa abantu, abaphathi benkokhiso.” (AbaHluleli 3:18) U-Ehudi wayethula inkokhiso, wakhapha abaphathi benkokhiso wabayisa endaweni ephephile kude nomuzi ka-Egiloni, wabe esebuyela kwa-Egiloni ngemva kokubamukisa. Wakwenzelani lokhu? Ingabe u-Ehudi wayehamba nala madoda ukuze amvikele, noma ngenxa yenkambiso nje, noma mhlawumbe ayemane engabathwali benkokhiso? Futhi ingabe wayefuna ukuba la madoda ahambe ngaphambi kokufeza isu lakhe ukuze angachaphazeleki? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi u-Ehudi wayecabangani, ngesibindi wabuyela yedwa emzini ka-Egiloni.
“[U-Ehudi] wabuya ngasezinkwalini ezaziseGiligali, wathi: ‘Nginezwi eliyimfihlo engingathanda ukulixoxa nawe, nkosi.’” ImiBhalo ayichazi ukuthi wakwazi kanjani ukuphinde angene aze ayofika ku-Egiloni. Kwakungafanele yini onogada basole ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi? Ingabe bacabanga ukuthi umIsrayeli oyedwa nje vó akanakuba usongo enkosini yabo? Ingabe ukufika kuka-Ehudi ehamba yedwa kwenza kwabonakala sengathi uthengisa abantu bakubo? Kunoma ikuphi, u-Ehudi wacela ukukhuluma nenkosi ngasese, futhi inkosi yavuma.—AbaHluleli 3:19.
Ukulandisa okuphefumulelwe kuyaqhubeka: “U-Ehudi weza [eNkosini u-Egiloni] njengoba yayihlezi egumbini layo elipholile elisophahleni okwakungelayo yodwa. U-Ehudi wathi: ‘Ngikuphathele izwi elivela kuNkulunkulu.’” U-Ehudi wayengakhulumi ngomyalezo othile ovela kuNkulunkulu. Wayekhuluma ngokusebenzisa inkemba yakhe. Inkosi “yasukuma esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi,” mhlawumbe ilindele ukuzwa umyalezo othile ovela kunkulunkulu wayo uKemoshi. Ngokuphazima kweso, u-Ehudi wahosha inkemba yakhe wabhokoda u-Egiloni esiswini. Kubonakala sengathi inkemba yayingenayo ingxenye ehlukanisa isibambo nokudla kwayo. Ngenxa yalokho, “isibambo sasilokhu singena silandela ukudla kwenkemba kangangokuba amanoni akuzungeza ukudla kwenkemba, . . . kwaphuma indle,” mhlawumbe yaphuma enxebeni noma yamane yaziphumela engahlosile.—AbaHluleli 3:20-22.
Uphunyuka Kalula
Ngaphandle kokuchitha isikhathi ekhiphana nenkemba ku-Egiloni, “u-Ehudi waphuma ngembobo yomoya, kodwa wayivala iminyango yegumbi elisophahleni ngemva kwakhe, wayihluthulela. Yena waphuma. Izinceku [zika-Egiloni] zeza zabheka, futhi bheka, iminyango yegumbi elisophahleni yayihluthulelwe. Ngakho zathi: ‘Umane nje uyazikhulula ekamelweni elipholile elingaphakathi.’”—AbaHluleli 3:23, 24.
Yayiyini le “mbobo yomoya” u-Ehudi aphuma ngayo? Enye incwadi ithi: “Incazelo eqondile [yegama lesiHebheru] ayaziwa, [kodwa] kuye kwasikiselwa ukuthi lisho ‘umpheme’ noma ‘iguma.’” Ingabe u-Ehudi wahluthulela iminyango ngaphakathi wabe esephuma ngenye indlela? Noma ingabe wayihluthulela ngaphandle, ngesihluthulelo ayesithathe enkosini eyayisifile? Ingabe wabe esedlula konogada ezihambela kahle njengokungathi akonakele lutho? ImiBhalo ayisho. Nokho, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yini u-Ehudi ayenza, izinceku zika-Egiloni azisheshanga ukunuka okusantungwana lapho zithola iminyango ihluthulelwe. Zamane zacabanga ukuthi inkosi ‘imane nje iyazikhulula.’
Ngesikhathi izinceku zenkosi zisalibele, u-Ehudi waphunyuka. Wabe esebiza abantu bakubo, wathi kubo: “Ngilandeleni, ngoba uJehova unikele izitha zenu, abakwaMowabi, esandleni senu.” Ngokudla amazibuko aseJordani, amabutho ka-Ehudi avala indlela abakwaMowabi ababengasenamholi ababengahamba ngayo lapho bebalekela ezweni lakubo. Ngakho, “ngaleso sikhathi [ama-Israyeli abulala] uMowabi, amadoda angaba yizinkulungwane eziyishumi, wonke eyizingqabavu futhi wonke engamaqhawe; ayikho neyodwa eyaphunyuka. UMowabi wanqotshwa ngalolo suku ngaphansi kwesandla sika-Israyeli; izwe alibanga naso esinye isiphazamiso iminyaka engamashumi ayisishiyagalombili.”—AbaHluleli 3:25-30.
Lokho Esingakufunda
Okwenzeka ezinsukwini zika-Ehudi kusifundisa ukuthi lapho senza okubi emehlweni kaJehova siyobhekana nemiphumela eyinhlekelele. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uJehova uyabasiza labo abaphendukayo babuyele kuye.
Amasu ka-Ehudi awaphumelelanga ngenxa yokuhlakanipha kwakhe noma ukuhluleka kwesitha. Ukuphumelela kwezinjongo zikaNkulunkulu akuxhomekile kumuntu. Isizathu esiyinhloko sokuphumelela kuka-Ehudi sasiwukuthi wasekelwa uNkulunkulu njengoba enza ngokuvumelana nentando yaKhe engenakubhuntshiswa yokukhulula abantu baKhe. UNkulunkulu wayevuse u-Ehudi, ‘nalapho uJehova evusela abantu bakhe abahluleli, uJehova wayeba nalowo mahluleli.’—AbaHluleli 2:18; 3:15.