Abaprofeti Nookumkani

12—Ukusuka Eyizereli Ukuya EHorebhe

[Esi sahluko sisekwe ku-1 Kumkani 18:41-46; 19:1-8.]

Ngokubulawa kwabaprofeti bakaBhahali, indlela yayivulekile ukuba kuqhutyelwe phambili nohlaziyo lwasemoyeni olukhulu phakathi kwezizwe ezilishumi zobukumkani bangasentla. UEliya wayelubekile phambi kwabantu ukreqo lwabo; wayebamemile ukuba bazithobe iintliziyo zabo babuyele kuYehova. Izigwebo zeZulu zazithunyelwe; abantu bazivuma izono zabo, bamvuma uThixo wooyise ukuba unguThixo ophilayo; ngoku isiqalekiso seZulu sasiza kurhoxiswa, zithi iintsikelelo zokuphila emhlabeni zihlaziywe. Ilizwe laliza kuhlaziywa ngemvula. “Nyuka uye kudla, usele,” uEliya watsho kuAhabhi; “ngokuba kuvakala ulwandile lwemvula enkulu.” Waza umprofeti wenyuka waya encotsheni yentaba ukuba athandaze. AN 155.1

Kwakungengakubonakala kwanto esibhakabhakeni ethi imvula yayiza kuna, okwenza ukuba uEliya ayalele uAhabhi ngesibindi ukuba alungiselele imvula. Umprofeti akazange abone mafu emazulwini; akazange eve nazindudumo. AN 155.2

Wasuka wathetha ilizwi awaqhutywa nguMoya weNkosi ukuba alithethe ukuphendula kukholo lwakhe olwaluqinile. Imini yonke wenza engenaloyiko intando kaThixo wabonakalalisa ukuzithemba ngokupheleleyo iziprofeto zelizwi likaThixo; kwathi ngoku, akuba ekwenze konke oko kwakusemandleni akhe ukuba akwenze, wazi ukuba iZulu liya kuzithulula ngokukhululekileyo iintsikelelo ebezixelwe kwangaphambili. Kwala Thixo ebethumele imbalela, wayethembise imvula eninzi njengomvuzo wokwenziwa kokulungileyo; waza ngeli xesha uEliya walindela ukuthululwa okube kuthenjisiwe. Ngomoya wokuzithoba, “ubuso bakhe phakathi kwamadolo,” wathetha noThixo ngenxa kaIsrayeli oguqukayo. AN 156.1

Waphinda-phinda uEliya ukuthuma isicaka sakhe kwindawo evelele iMeditere, ukuba iqwalasele ukuba akukho mqondiso na wokuba uThixo uwuvile umthandazo wakhe. Isihlandlo ngasinye isicaka sabuya nelizwi, “Akukho nto.” Umprofeti akazange aphelelwe ngumonde okanye alahlekelwe lukholo, kodwa waqhubeka nokucenga kwakhe ngokunyaniseka. Kwaba kathandathu isicaka sibuya nelizwi lokuba akukho mqondiso kumazulu afana nobhedu. Ngokungoyikiyo, uEliya wasithuma kwakhona; ngesi sihlandlo, isicaka sabuya nelizwi, “Ndibona ilifana elingangesandla somntu.” Oku kwakwanele. UEliya akazange alindele ukuba amazulu ade abemnyama. Kwelo lifana lincinane wabona ngokholo imvula eninzi; waza wenza ngokokholo lwakhe, ukuthumela isicaka sakhe ukuba sikhawuleze siye kuAhabhi nesigidimi, “Bopha, uhle, ingakuvingceli imvula.” AN 156.2

Kwakungokuba uEliya wayeyindoda yokholo olukhulu lokuba uThixowayenakho ukumsebenzisa nakule ntlekele inkulu kwimbali kaIsrayeli kaIsrayeli. Ngexesha wayethandaza, ukholo lwakhe lwaphuma lwabamba izithembiso zeZulu, waza wazingisa ekuthandazeni zada izicelo zakhe zaphendulwa. Akazange alindele umqondiso opheleleyo wokuba uThixo umvile, kodwa waba nentumekelelo ukwenza konke ngenxa yowona mqondiso mncinane wokwamkelwa lizulu. Kanti ke, oko wanikwa amandla okuba akwenze phantsi kukaThixo, wonke umntu unakho ukukwenza kwindawo yakhe emsebenzini kaThixo; kuba ngomprofeti ophuma kwiintaba zeGiliyadi kubhalwe kwathiwa: “UEliya wayengumntu oluvo lunjengolwethu, wathandaza umthandazo ukuba ingani; ayana emhlabeni iminyaka emithathu eneenyanga ezintandathu.” Yakobi 5:17. AN 157.1

Ukholo olunje ngolu luyafuneka emhlabeni namhlanje—ukholo oluya kuhlala lubambelele kwizithembiso zelizwi likaThixo lingavumi ukuyeka lide liphendule izulu. Ukholo olunje, lusixhumanisa neZulu, lusiphathele amandla okumelana namagunya obumnyama. Ngokholo, abantwana bakaThixo “beyisa izikumkani, basebenza ubulungisa, bazuzana namadinga, bavingca imilomo yeengonyama, bacima amandla omlilo, basinda kwiintlangothi zekrele, bomelela ekubeni bebeswele amandla, baba ngamagorha emfazweni, bagxotha imikhosi yabasemzini.” Hebhere 11:33, 34. Ngokholo, nathi namhlanje, kufuneka sifikelele kwiincopho zenjongo kaThixo ngathi. “Ukuba unokukholwa! Zonke izinto zinokwenzeka kuye okholwayo.” Marko 9:23. AN 157.2

Ukholo sisiqalelo esifunekayo kumthandazo owoyisayo. “Lowo uzayo kuThixo, umelwe kukukholwa ukuba ukho, nokuba ungumvuzi wabo bamfunayo.” “Ukuba sithi sicele into ngokokuthanda kwakhe, AN 158.1

uyasiva. Ukuba siyazi okokuba uyasiva esisukuba sikucela, siyazi ukuba sinazo izinto ezicelwayo, esizicelileyo kuye.” Hebhere 11:6, 1 Yohane 5:14, 15. Ngokuzingisa kukaYakobi, ngokuthi rhoqo okungayekiyo kukaEliya, singazibeka izicelo zethu kuBawo, sikubanga konke akuthembisileyo. Uzuko lwetrone yaKhe lubekelwe ukuzalisekiswa kwelizwi laKhe. AN 158.2

Amathunzi obusuku ayesangana kwiNtaba iKarmele ngexesha uAhabhi wayelungiselela ukuhla. “Kwathi ke kwakamsinya lasuka izulu lamnyama ngamafu nomoya; kwabakho imvula enkulu. Wakhwela uAhabhi, waya eYizereli.” Wathi xa esiya ngakwisixeko sakomkhulu ebumnyameni nasemvuleni emphandlayo, uAhabhi akakwazi ukuyibona indlela yakhe phambi kwakhe. UEliya, owayethe, njengomprofeti kaThixo, ngaloo mini wamthoba isidima uAhabhi phambi kwabantu bakhe, wabulala ababingeleli bakhe abanqula izithixo, wayesamamkela njengokumkani kaIsrayeli; waza ngoku, njengesenzo sentlonipho, esomelezwa ngamandla kaThixo, wabaleka phambi kwenqwelo kakumkani, emkhokelela ukumkani ekungeneni esangweni lesixeko. AN 158.3

Kwesi senzo sovelwano somthunywa kaThixo esibonakalaliswe kwikumkani ekhohlakeleyo, kukho isifundo sabo bonke ababanga ukuba bangabakhonzi bakaThixo, kodwa abaphakanyisiweyo, ngokukokwabo ukucinga. Kukho abo baziva bengaphezulu kokwenza imisebenzi ebonakala kubo iphantsi. Bade bazizilize nokwenza naleyo idingekayo, besoyika ukuba baya kufunyanwa besenza umsebenzi wesicaka. Aba bantu kuninzi ekufuneka bekufundile kumzekelo kaEliya. Ngelizwi lakhe, iintsikelelo zezulu, iminyaka emithathu, zabanjwa ukuba zize emhlabeni; wayephakanyiswe nguThixo ngendlela ebaluleke kakhulu xa,ekuphenduleni umthandazo wakhe eKarmele, umlilo wehla uphuma ezulwiniwalidla idini; isandla sakhe saphumeza isigwebo sikaThixo ekubulaleni abaprofeti ababengabanquli bezithixo; isicelo sakhe semvula sasinikiwe. Kanti ke, emva koloyiso olukhulu awathi uThixo wabona kufanelekile ukuba awuhloniphe ngalo umsebenzi wakhe wasekuhleni, wayesakhululekile ukuba enze umsebenzi ongowona uphantsi. AN 158.4

Esangweni laseYizereli, uEliya noAhabhi baya bohlukana. Umprofeti, ekhetha ukuhlala ngaphandle kweendonga, wazisongela ngengubo yakhe, wangqengqa emhlabeni oze ukuba alale. Ukumkani, edlulele ngaphakathi, wakhawuleza wafika ekukhuselekeni kwebhotwe apho wachazela umfazi wakhe iziganeko ezimangalisayo zemini nentyilelo emangalisayo yamandla abonise kuIsrayeli ukuba uYehova unguThixo oyinyaniso nokuba uEliya ungumthunywa waKhe onyuliweyo. Ngexesha uAhabhi ebalisela ukumkanikazi ngokubulawa kwabaprofeti bonqulo-zithixo, uIzebhele, ingqola engaguqukiyo, waba nomsindo. Wakwala ukuzivuma iziganeko zaseKarmele ukuba zikukulawula kokwazelelela kukaThixo, waza wathi, esadelela, wavakalisa ngesibindi ukuba uEliya umele ukuba afe. AN 159.1

Ngobo busuku, umthunywa wamvusa umprofeti odiniweyo wamnika ilizwi likaIzebhele: “Mabenjenje oothixo kum baqokele ukwenjenje, ukuba andithanga, mayela ngeli xa ngomso, ndiwenze umphefumlo wakho ube njengomphefumlo womnye kubo.” AN 159.2

Ingathi bekunokulindeleka ukuba, emva kokubonisa isibindi esingenaloyiko, emva kokoyisa ngokupheleleyo ukumkani nababingeleli kunye nabantu, uEliya wayengamele ukuba ayeke alawulwe kukuphelelwa lithemba okanye oyikiswe ade abe phakuphaku. Noko kunjalo, lowo wayesikelelwe ngezibonakaliso ezininzi kangako zothando olukhathalelayo lukaThixo, wayengekho ngaphezulukobuthakathakaboluntu,kwazakwathi ngale yure imnyama, ukholo lwakhe nesibindi sakhe, zamshiya. Othukile, wavuswaebuthongwenibakhe. Imvula yayigalela iphuma amazulwini, baye ubumnyama bukho kumacala onke. Elibele ukuba kwiminyaka emithathu edlulileyo, uThixo wayeyikhokele indlela yakhe ukuya kwindawo yokubalekela ukumka kwintiyo kaIzebhele nasekugqogqweni nguAhabhi, umprofeti ngoku ubalekela ubomi bakhe. Akufika eBher-shebha, “wayishiya indodana yakwakhe. Wahamba entlango uhambo lwemini enye.” AN 159.3

UEliya wayengamele ukuba ubalekile kwindawo yakhe yokusebenza. Wayemele ukuba uhlangabezene noloyikiso lukaIzebhele ngokubhenela ngenkuseleko kuLowo wayethunywe nguYe ukuba aphindisele ukuzukiswa kukaYehova. Wayemele ukuba umxelele umthunywa ukuba uThixo awayethembele kuYe uya kumkhusela kwintiyo kakumkanikazi. Kwakudlule nje iiyure ezimbalwa emva kokuba ebone ummangaliso wokubonakalaliswa kwamandla ezulu, kwaye oku kwakumele ukuba kumnike ingqinisekiso yokuba nangoku akasayi kushiywa. Ukuba wayehleli apho wayekhona, ukuba wayemenze uThixo igwiba namandla akhe, eme aqine enyanisweni, ngewayekhuselwe engozini. UYehova ngewayemnike olunye uloyiso olubonakalayo ngokuzisa izigwebo kuIzebhele; uze umbhalo owawuya kwenzeka kukumkani nasebantwini wenze kubekho uhlaziyo olukhulu. AN 160.1

UEliya wayelindele okukhulu kummangaliso owenzeka eKarmele. Wayethembe ukuba emva koku kubonakaliswa kwamandla kaThixo, uIzebhele wayengasayi kuphinda abe nempembelelo kwingqondo ka-Ahabhi, nokuba kwakuya kubakho uhlaziyo olukhawulezileyo kuye wonke uIsrayeli. Imini yonke kwincopho yeKarmele, wasebenza nzima ngaphandle kokutya. Sekunjalo, wakhokela inqwelo ka-Ahabhi ukuya esangweni leYizereli, isibindi sakhe siqinile, nangona wayesebenze nzima phantsi koxinzelelo. AN 160.2

Into eye yenzeke emva kokholo oluphezulu nempumelelo ephakame kakhulu yathi zinzi phezu kukaEliya. Woyika hleze uhlaziyo oluqale eKarmele lunganyamezeli; waza wathiwa hlasi kukudakumba. Ebephakanyiselwe kwincopho yePisga; ngoku wayesentilini. Ngexesha wayephantsi kwempefumlelo kaSomandla,wamelananezona zilingo zokholo zikhulu; kodwa ngeli xesha lokutyhafiswa, isoyikiso sikaIzebhele sivakala ezindlebeni zakhe, noSathana esasebenza ngokuceba kwalo mfazi ukhohlakeleyo, walahlekwa kukubambelela kuThixo. Kuba ephakanyiswe ngaphezu komlinganiselo, unkwantyo lwakhe lwacaca kakhulu. AN 161.1

Emlibele uThixo, uEliya wabaleka wabaleka wada wazifumana esendaweni eyinkqantosi, eyedwa. Edinwe ephelile, wahlala waphumla phantsi konwele. Wathi ehleli apho, wazicelela ukuba afe. “Kwanele ngoku, Yehova;” watsho, “wuthabathe umphefumlo wam, ngokuba ndingalungile ngaphezu koobawo.” Imbacu, ekude neendawo apho kwakuhlala khona abantu, umoya wakhe utyumkile kukudaniswa okukhulu, walangazelela ukuba angaze abuye akhangelane nobuso bomntu. Ekugqibeleni, enxaphe ephelile enjalo, wozela walala. AN 162.1

Kumava ethu sonke, ayafika amaxesha okudaniswa okukhulu nokutyhafa ngokupheleleyo—imihla xa usizi lusisabelo, kubenzima ukukholwa ukuba uThixo use ngumncedi wabantwana baKhe bamazibulo; imihla xa iinkathazo ziwuhlasela umphefumlo, kude ukufa kube nokukhetheka kunobomi. Kungelo xesha kanye abathi abaninzi balahlekwe kukubambelela kuThixo, baze babe ngaphantsi kokuthinjwa yintandabuzo, ubukhoboka bokungakholwa. Ukuba nje besingathi sibone ngeliso lomoya intsingiselo yokwazelela kukaThixo, besingazibona iingelosi zizama ukusisindisa kuthi, zizama ukumilisela iinyawo zethu phezu kwesiseko ngokuqinileyo ngakumbi kuneenduli ezingunaphakade, luze luthi ukholo olutsha, ubomi obutsha, bubonakale buvela. AN 162.2

UYobhi othembekileyo, ngemini yakhe yembandezelo nobumnyama, wavakala esithi: AN 162.3

“Mayidake imini endazalwa ngayo.”
“Akwaba bekulinganisiwe nokulinganiswa
ukukhathazeka kwam,
Kwabekwa esikalini ukweyela kwam
Ndawonye nako!” “Akwaba bendingazuza isicelo sam,
UThixo andiphe endikulindelayo;
Kukholeke kuThixo ukundityumza,
Asivulele isandla sakhe, andinqumle!
Ibiya kuhlala ikho intuthuzelo yam.”

“Nam andiyi kuwubamba umlomo wam;
Ndiya kuthetha ekubandezelweni komoya wam,
Ndikhalaze ebukrakreni bomphefumlo wam.”

“Wada umphefumlo wam wanyula . . .
ukufa ngaphezu kwamathambo la.
Ndikruqukile;
Andingi ndingadla bomi ngonaphakade;
Ndiyeke,
Kuba ingumphunga imihla yam.” AN 162.4

Yobhi 3:3; 6:2, 8-10; 7:11, 15, 16.

Nangona wayediniwe bubomi, uYobhi akazange avunyelwe ukuba afe. Kuye kwakuboniswe izinto ezinokwenzeka kwixesha elizayo, waza wanikwa isigidimi sethemba: AN 163.1

“Okunene, uya kwandula
ukubuphakamisa ubuso bakho bungenasisihla,
Uthi bhuxe, ungoyiki.
Kuba wokulibala ukwaphuka kwakho,
Ukukhumbule njengamanzi adluleyo;
Ukudla kwakho ubomi kuvuke,
kuqaqambe ngaphezu kwemini enkulu;
Nakuba kusongelwe emnyameni,
kokhanya njengokusa.
Wokholosa, ngokuba sekukho ithemba. . . .
Ubuthume, kungeko wothusayo,
Bakuncekelele abaninzi.
Ke wona amehlo abangendawo ophelelwa;
Idake kubo indawo yokusabela,
Ithemba labo libe kukuphuma umphefumlo.” AN 163.2

Yobhi 11:15-20.

Ukusuka kwiinzulu zokutyhafa nokuphelelwa lithemba, uYobhi wenyukela kwiincopho zokuthembela ngokupheleleyo kwinceba namandla asindisayo kaThixo. Ngoloyiso wavakala esithi: AN 163.3

“Nokuba uthe wandibulala, ndolindela kuye; . . .
Kwaoko koba lusindiso kum.”
“Ke mna ndiyazi ukuba umhlawuleli wam uhleli;
Engowokugqibela, uya kusuka eme
phezu kothuli lwehlabathi.
Emveni kokuba ulusu lwam ludlavulwe lwanje,
Ingasekho inyama yam, ndiya kumbona uThixo,
Endiya kuzibonela mna ngokwam;
Amehlo am ambone, ingabi wumbi.” AN 164.1

Yobhi 13:15, 16; 19:25-27.

“Waza uYehova wamphendula uYobhi, esemoyeni ovuthuzayo” (Yobhi 38:1), wamtyhilela umkhonzi waKhe ukomelela kwamandla aKhe. Wathi uYobhi akuthi tshe uMdali wakhe, wazithiya yena waguquka eluthulini naseluthuthwini. Emva koko, uYehova wakwazi ukumsikelela ngokukhulu nokuyenza ukuba iminyaka yakhe yokugqibela ibe yeyona ilungileyo ebomini bakhe. AN 164.2

Ithemba nesibindi, ziyadingeka ukufezekisa umsebenzi kaThixo. Ezi ziziqhamo zokholo. Ukuphelelwa lithemba kusisono kwaye akunayo ingqiqo. UThixo unakho kwaye ekulungele ukuthi, “ngokukhona kugqithiseleyo” (Hebhere 6:17) ukuthulula phezu kwezicaka zaKhe amandla eziwadingayo ngexesha lovavanyo nokulingwa. Amacebo otshaba lomsebenzi waKhe angabonakala ngathi acwangcwiswe azinziswa kakuhle, kodwa uThixo unokubhukuqa nawona omeleleyo kuwo. Oku ke, ukwenza ngelilelaKhe ixesha nendlela, xa ebona ukuba ukholo lwabakhonzi baKhe luvavanywe ngokwaneleyo. AN 164.3

Kwabantliziyo zityhafileyo, likho ichiza eliqinisekileyo—ukholo, umthandazo, umsebenzi. Ukholo nokusebenza kunika ingqiniseko nokwaneliseka okuya kusanda yonke imihla. Ingaba uyalingeka ukuba uziyekele kwimvakalelo yexhala lokoyika okukuzelayo nokuphelelwa lithemba ngokupheleleyo? Ngeyona mihla imnyama, xa imbonakalo imfiliba kakhulu, musa ukoyika. Kholelwa kuThixo. Uyayazi intswelo yakho. Unamandla onke. Uthando lwaKhe olungenamida nemfesane yaKhe azidinwa. Musa ukoyika usithi angasilela ukusizalisekisa isithembiso saKhe. Uyinyaniso engunaphakade. Akasayi kuze awuguqule umnqophiso awawenza nabo bamthandayo. Uya kubeka phezu kwabo bangabakhonzi baKhe abathembekileyo umlinganiselo wesakhono sempumelelo esidingwa yintswelo yabo. Umpostile uPawulos uyangqina: “Ithe kum yona, Ubabalo lwam lukwanele; kuba amandla am azalisekiswa ekuswelekeni kwamandla. . . . Kungoko ndikholisiweyo kukuswela amandla, kukuphathwa kakubi, ziingxakeko, ziintshutshiso, ziingxinano, ngenxa kaKristu; kuba xa sukuba ndiswele amandla, kuxa ndinamandla” 2 Korinte 12:9, 10. AN 165.1

Ingaba uThixo wamshiya uEliya ngeyure yakhe yokulingwa? Hayi, nakanye! Wayengamthandanga umkhonzi wakhe kancinane xa uEliya wayeziva yena eshiyiwe nguThixo nangabantu kunaxa, ekuphendulweni komthandazo wakhe, umlilo wabaneka usihla ephuma ezulwini wayikhanyisa incopho yentaba. Nangoku, njengoko elele uEliya, inkcukumiso ethambileyo nelizwi elimnandi lamvusa. Waqala ngokoyika, kwathi makabaleke, esoyika hleze kuthi kanti utshaba lumfumene. Noko kunjalo, ubuso obunovelwano obabuthobe phezu kwakhe yayingebubo ubuso botshaba, kodwa ibobomhlobo. UThixo wayethumele ingelosi evela ezulwini iphethele umkhonzi waKhe ukutya. “Vuka udle,” yatsho ingelosi. “Wakhangela, nanko kukho ngasentlokweni yakhe iqebengwana elosiweyo lesonka, neselwa lamanzi.” AN 166.1

Emva kokuba uEliya etyile wasela namanzi awalungiselelweyo, waphinda walala. Okwesibini, yafika ingelosi. Yayichukumisa indoda enxaphileyo, yathi, ngobubele obunovelwano, “Vuka udle, ngokuba uhambo lukhulu kuwe. Wavuka ke, wadla wasela;” wathi, ngamandla oko kutya, wakwazi ukuhamba “iimini ezimashumi mane nobusuku obumashumi mane, wada wafika entabeni kaThixo eHorebhe,” apho wafumana khona igwiba emqolombeni. AN 166.2