ISOTSHA lamaNazi lakhwazela iqembu laboFakazi bakaJehova ngesikhathi seMpi Yomhlaba Yesibili lathi: “Nxa omunye wenu engayala ukuyakulwa lelizwe leFrance loba ele-England lonke kumele life!” Akula ngitsho loyedwa umfowethu owavumayo lanxa kwakulamasotsha amaNazi eduze ayehlome ephelele. Babelesibindi sibili. Lesi yisibonelo esihle esitshengisa ukuthi oFakazi bakaJehova bakubona njani ukuya empini. Asingeneli ezimpini zomhlaba lo. Lanxa kungaze kuthiwe sizabulawa kasingeneli ezimpini zomhlaba.

1. BONKE ABANTU BAKANKULUNKULU BABEYISIZWE ESISODWA

Kudala uJehova wakhetha isizwe esisodwa sako-Israyeli ukuthi sibe ngabantu bakhe. Wabiza ama-Israyeli ngokuthi “yimpahla yami eqakathekileyo phakathi kwabo bonke abantu.” (Eks. 19:5) UJehova wababela lendawo eyayizakuba ngeyabo. Yikho nxa uNkulunkulu wayesithi ama-Israyeli ayekulwa lezinye izizwe ayengahambi ayekulwa loba abulale abantu abakhonza uNkulunkulu. * 

Lamuhla abantu bakaNkulunkulu baphuma “kuzo zonke izizwe lezizwana labantu kanye lezindimi.” (Isam. 7:9) Yikho nxa abantu bakaNkulunkulu bebengaya empini, bebengabe besilwa loba bebulala amaKhristu abakhonza lawo.

 2. UJEHOVA NGUYE OWAYETSHELA AMA-ISRAYELI UKUTHI AYE EMPINI

Kudala uJehova nguye owayetshela ama-Israyeli ukuthi ahambe nini empini lokuthi kungani kwakumele enze njalo. Ngokwesibonelo watshela ama-Israyeli ukuthi ayekulwa lamaKhenani ayesaziwa ngokukhonza amadimoni lokuziphatha kubi kwezemacansini kanye lokwenza imihlatshelo ngabantwana. UJehova watshela ama-Israyeli ukuthi atshabalalise abantu laba ababesenza izinto ezimbi eLizweni Lesithembiso ngoba babengabayenga ukuthi benze izinto ezinjalo. (Levi. 18:24, 25) Ama-Israyeli athi esehlala eLizweni Lesithembiso kwezinye izikhathi uNkulunkulu wayebanika imvumo yokuthi balwe labantu ababebacindezela. (2 Sam. 5:17-25) Kodwa uJehova kazange avumele ama-Israyeli ukuthi azikhethele ukuya empini. Kwakungajayelanga ukuwahambela kuhle nxa angazikhethela ukuya empini.—Nani. 14:41-45; 2 Imilan. 35:20-24.

Lamuhla uJehova kavumeli abantu ukuthi baye empini. Amazwe alwela lokho okufunwa yiwo kulalokho okufunwa nguNkulunkulu. Angaya empini ukuze aqhelise amazwe awo kumbe ukuze athole inotho loba ngenxa yezinye izizatho. Kodwa kuthiwani ngalabo abalwa besithi balwela uNkulunkulu ukuze bavikele ukukhonza kwabo loba babulale izitha zikaNkulunkulu? UJehova yena impi azayilwa ngeye-Amagedoni ezakwenzakala ngesikhathi esizayo. Empini leyo uzavikela abantu bakhe njalo abhubhise izitha zakhe. (Isam. 16:14, 16) Uzasebenzisa ibutho lakhe elisezulwini hatshi izinceku zakhe ezisemhlabeni.—Isam. 19:11-15.

3. AMA-ISRAYELI AYENGABULALI LABO ABABELOKHOLO KUJEHOVA

Kudala ibutho lako-Israyeli lalisiba lesihawu kulabo ababelokholo kuNkulunkulu njalo lalibulala kuphela labo uJehova ayethe kumele babulawe. Cabanga ngezibonelo ezimbili. Lanxa uJehova wayethe iJerikho itshabalaliswe, ama-Israyeli kazange ambulale uRahabi lemuli yakhe ngenxa yokuthi wayelokholo. (Josh. 2:9-16; 6:16, 17) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi idolobho lonke labaseGibhiyoni alizange litshabalaliswe ngenxa yokuthi  abaseGibhiyoni batshengisa ukuthi bayamesaba uNkulunkulu.—Josh. 9:3-9, 17-19.

Lamuhla nxa amazwe esilwa ayabulala abantu kuhlanganise lalabo abalokholo. Kwezinye izikhathi abantu abangelacala njalo abangayisiwo masotsha bayabulawa nxa amazwe esilwa.

4. AMA-ISRAYELI KWAKUMELE ALANDELE IMITHETHO KANKULUNKULU YOKULWA IZIMPI

Kudala uJehova wayefuna amasotsha ako-Israyeli alwe esebenzisa iziqondiso ayebanika zona. Ngokwesibonelo kwezinye izikhathi wayetshela ama-Israyeli ukuthi aqale enze ukuthula engakahlaseli isizwe esithile. (Dute. 20:10) UJehova wayefuna amasotsha ako-Israyeli azigcine ehlanzekile njalo aziphathe kuhle. (Dute. 23:9-14) UJehova wayengavumeli ukuthi ama-Israyeli abambe iganyavu abesifazane bezizwe ababezinqobile njengalokho okwakusenziwa ngamabutho ezinye izizwe. Ayengavunyelwa ukuthi athathe abesifazana abathunjiweyo ukuthi abe ngomkabo kuze kudlule inyanga idolobho lakhona linqotshiwe.—Dute. 21:10-13.

Lamuhla amazwe amanengi abhalelana izivumelwano zokuthi kumele alwe njani izimpi. Lanxa izivumelwano lezi zenzelwe ukuvikela abantu abangayisiwo masotsha, izikhathi ezinengi azilandelwa.

5. UNKULUNKULU WALWELA ABANTU BAKHE

Kudala uJehova walwela ama-Israyeli njalo izikhathi ezinengi wayewenza anqobe ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Ngokwesibonelo uJehova wancedisa ama-Israyeli ukuthi anqobe idolobho leJerikho. Wakwenza njani lokho? Belandela lokho ababekutshelwe nguJehova, abako-Israyeli “baklabalala kwaba lokuhlokoma kwempi, wonke umduli wadilikela phansi.” Kwaba lula ukuthi balinqobe idolobho lelo. (Josh. 6:20) Ama-Amori wona bawanqoba njani? ‘UJehova wabehlisela isiqhotho esikhulu. Isiqhotho sabulala abantu abanengi kakhulu ukwedlula labo ababulawa ngabako-Israyeli ngenkemba.’—Josh. 10:6-11.

AMAKHRISTU EQINISO ATHANDA UKUTHULA

Sesibonile ukuthi kulomehluko omkhulu phakathi kwethu lama-Israyeli. Kodwa lokho ayisikho kodwa okwenza singayi empini. Ngokwesibonelo uNkulunkulu wathi ezinsukwini zokucina labo abafundiswe nguye ‘abasoze baphinde bafundele ukulwa impi’ okutsho lokuthi abasoze balwe. (Isaya. 2:2-4) Kanti njalo uKhristu wathi abafundi bakhe ‘abasibo bomhlaba’ okutsho ukuthi babengasoze bangenele ezimpini zomhlaba.—Joh. 15:19.

UKhristu wakhuthaza abalandeli bakhe ukuthi babalekele ukwenza izinto ezazingenza babe lenzondo lolaka, okwakungenza bacine besilwa. (Mat. 5:21, 22) Waphinda watshela abalandeli bakhe ukuthi benze “kube lokuthula” lokuthi bathande izitha zabo.—Mat. 5:9, 44.

Thina singakulandela njani lokho okwatshiwo nguJesu? Asifuni ukuya empini kodwa enhliziyweni singabe sizonda omunye umuntu okungabangela ukuthi kube lokungazwanani loba ukwehlukana ebandleni. Asiqhubekeni sisebenza nzima ukuthi singabi lemicabango enjalo.—Jak. 4:1, 11.

Asihlanganyeli ezimpini zezizwe kodwa sisebenza nzima ukuze kube lokuthula lothando phakathi kwethu. (Joh. 13:34, 35) Asizimiseleni ukungangeneli ezimpini njengoba sisalindele usuku lapho uJehova azaqeda khona zonke izimpi.—Hubo. 46:9.