URehobhowami wayeyindodana kaSolomoni owabusa okweminyaka engu-40 ko-Israyeli. (1 AmaKho. 11:42) USolomoni wafa ngomnyaka ka-997 B.C.E. Ngemva kwalokho uRehobhowami wasuka eJerusalema waya eShekemu ukuze ayegcotshwa ukuba yinkosi. (2 ImiLan. 10:1) Kambe wayekhathazekile yini njengoba kwasokumele athathe isikhundla sikayise uSolomoni owayelenhlakanipho enkulu? Kufanele ukuthi abantu babemkhangele ngelokhozi befuna ukubona ukuthi uzakwenelisa yini ukuphatha izindaba ezihluphayo ngokuhlakanipha.

Kumele ukuthi kwakulokudonselana lokungezwani ngesikhathi uRehobhowami eqalisa ukubusa ko-Israyeli. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kweza abameli bakazulu wonke bezomtshela izikhalazo zabo. Bathi: “Uyihlo wasithwalisa umthwalo onzima, kodwa wena khathesi ake uphungule ubunzima asethesa bona, wethule lemithwalo yethu enzima abesithwalise yona, yikho sizakukhonza.”​—2 ImiLan. 10:3, 4.

Kungenzakala ukuthi isicelo leso satshiya uRehobhowami engazi ukuthi enzeni. Phela ukuvuma isicelo lesi kwakuzakutsho ukuthi impilo yakhe leyemuli yakhe kanye leyezikhulu ezazisesigodlweni intshintshe ngoba babengasoze besathola okuthe xaxa okuvela ebantwini. Ikanti ukwala isicelo leso kwakuzakwenza abantu bamhlamukele. Pho wenzani uRehobhowami? Waqala wabuza amadoda amadala ayengabeluleki bakaSolomoni. Ngemva kwalokho wayabuza ontanga yakhe futhi walandela icebo abamnika lona, wasekhetha ukuphatha abantu ngochuku. Wathi kubo: “Ubaba walethwesa ubunzima, mina ngizakwengezelela kubo. Ubaba walitshaya ngezaswebhu, mina ngizalilumisa ngezinkume.”​—2 ImiLan. 10:6-14.

Thina sifundani kulokhu? Esikufundayo yikuthi ukulalela abantu abadala njalo abaqinileyo ekukhonzeni kuyanceda. Ulwazi abalalo lungasisiza ukuthi senze izinqumo ezinhle njengoba nje indlela ibuzwa kwabaphambili. Kanti njalo ulwazi lwabo lungenza benelise ukubona ukuthi isinqumo esithile singaba lempumela bani.​—Jobe. 12:12.

URehobhowami wathi ebona izizwe ezilitshumi zimhlamukela wahle waqoqa ibutho lakhe ukuze ayehlasela. Kodwa uJehova wahle wakuvimba lokhu ngokuthumela umphrofethi uShemiya ukuthi ayekhuluma amazwi la: “Lingahambi ukuyakulwa labafowenu, abako-Israyeli. Yanini emakhaya enu, munye ngamunye, ngoba lokhu okwenzakalayo kuvela kimi.”​—1 AmaKho. 12:21-24. *

Kumele ukuthi lokhu kwamkhathaza uRehobhowami ngoba wayezimisele ukujezisa izizwe ezilitshumi. Mhlawumbe wayezibuza lokuthi abantu bazamkhangela njani ngoba eqalisa ukubusa wethusela abantu esithi uzabajezisa ‘ngokubalumisa ngezinkume.’ Pho kwasekusenzakala njani ukuthi ayekele abahlamuki bengajeziswanga? (Qathanisa lo-2 ImiLando 13:7.) Loba kunjalo inkosi lebutho layo ‘balalela ilizwi likaJehova babuyela emakhaya abo, njengokulaywa kwabo nguJehova.’

Kuyini esikufundayo endabeni le? Sifunda ukuthi kumele silalele uJehova lanxa ukwenza njalo kungabangela ukuthi sichothozwe. Ukulalela uNkulunkulu kwenza abe lomusa kithi futhi asibusise.​—Dute. 28:2.

URehobhowami wathi esetshiye icebo lakhe lokuyakulwa lezizwe ezilitshumi waqalisa ukwakha lokuqinisa amadolobho akoJuda lakoBhenjamini. IBhayibhili lichaza ukuthi wakha amadolobho amanengi njalo ‘wawaqinisa kakhulu.’ (2 ImiLan. 11:5-12) Okunye okuhle yikuthi uRehobhowami waqala ukulalela imithetho kaJehova. Izizwe ezilitshumi ezazibuswa nguJerobhowami zasezicwile ekukhonzeni izithombe. Kodwa abantu abanengi ngaphansi kombuso kaJerobhowami “basekela uRehobhowami” ngokuya eJerusalema belanda ukuyakhonza uJehova. (2 ImiLan. 11:16, 17) Ukulalela kukaRehobhowami kwawuqinisa umbuso wakhe.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uRehobhowami wenza into eyatshiya abantu bebambe owangaphansi. Watshiya imithetho kaJehova wayakhonza onkulunkulu bamanga. Kungani wenza njalo? Wayengwa ngunina yini owayedabuka esizweni sama-Amoni? (1 AmaKho. 14:21) Asilaqiniso ukuthi wayefuqwa yini kodwa esikwaziyo yikuthi isizwe sonke samlandela ekukhonzeni kwamanga. UJehova wathi ekubona lokhu wavumela inkosi yaseGibhithe uShishaki ukuthi ihlasele amadolobho akoJuda lanxa uRehobhowami wayewakhe aqina.​—1 AmaKho. 14:22-24; 2 ImiLan. 12:1-4.

Izinto zantshintsha ngesikhathi uShishaki efika eJerusalema lapho okwakulesigodlo sikaRehobhowami. Ngalesosikhathi umphrofethi uShemiya wafika kuRehobhowami lezikhulu zakhe ephethe umlayezo ovela kuJehova othi: “Lingilahlile lina; ngakho sengilinikela kuShishaki.” URehobhowami wenzani esizwa amazwi lawo? IBhayibhili lithi: “Abakhokheli bako-Israyeli lenkosi yabo bazithoba batsho bathi, ‘uJehova ulungile.’” Lokhu kwenza uJehova wavikela inkosi uRehobhowami kanye ledolobho leJerusalema.​—2 ImiLan. 12:5-7, 12.

Ngemva kwalokho inkosi uRehobhowami yaqhubeka ibusa izizwe ezimbili zombuso waseningizimu. Inkosi yathi ingakafi yabela amadodana ayo wonke ilifa. Lokhu yayikwenzela ukuthi amanye amadodana ayo angabi lomona acine esevukela umnewabo u-Abhija onguye owayezathatha ubukhosi. (2 ImiLan. 11:21-23) Endabeni le uRehobhowami wenza isinqumo esihle lanxa ekuqaliseni wayevume ukutshelelwa eceleni ngontanga yakhe.

Lanxa kukhona okuhle uRehobhowami akwenzayo, uJehova kazange amamukele. IBhayibhili lifinqa indaba yokuphila kwakhe ngamazwi athi: “Wenza okubi wona ngoba engazange abeke inhliziyo yakhe ekumdingeni uJehova.”​—2 ImiLan. 12:14.

Esikunanzelelayo nanku: URehobhowami wayemlalela uJehova ngezinye izikhathi njalo wabenzela okuhle abantu bakaJehova. Kodwa wehluleka ukuba lobuhlobo obuqinileyo loJehova loba isifiso esiqotho sokumthokozisa. Lokhu kwenza ukuthi acine esekhonza onkulunkulu bamanga. Engxenye uyazibuza ukuthi: ‘Kuyini okungabe kwenza uRehobhowami walalela ngesikhathi uJehova emlaya? Mhlawumbe wayelandela lokho ayekutshelwa ngabakhula bakhe kulokuthi aphenduke ngeqiniso njalo  azimisele ukuthokozisa uNkulunkulu.’ (2 ImiLan. 11:3, 4; 12:6) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uRehobhowami waphinda waphambuka waqala ukwenza okubi. Kazange alandele isibonelo esihle asitshiyelwa ngukhokho wakhe uDavida. UDavida wawenza amaphutha kodwa wahlala emthanda uJehova, eqakathekisa ukukhonza kweqiniso njalo wayephenduka ngenhliziyo yonke nxa angenza isono.​—1 AmaKho. 14:8; Hubo. 51:1, 17; 63:1.

Sikhona yini isifundo esingasithola endabeni kaRehobhowami? Kuhle sibili ukuthi abantu basebenze ukuze banakekele izimuli zabo lokuthi benze okuthile okuzabanceda empilweni. Kodwa ukuze samukelwe nguNkulunkulu kumele siqakathekise ukukhonza kweqiniso ukwedlula loba yini njalo sinamathele kukho.

Nxa singahlala simthanda ngokujulileyo uJehova sizakwenelisa ukwenza lokhu. Njengoba nje siwukhwezela umlilo ukuze uhlale uvutha, lathi kumele sigcine uthando lwethu ngoJehova luvutha. Lokhu singakwenza ngokubala iLizwi lakhe lokucabangisisa ngalokho esikubalayo kanye lokuphikelela emthandazweni. (Hubo. 1:2; Rom. 12:12) Ukuthanda uJehova ngenhliziyo yonke kuzasenza sibe lesifiso esikhulu sokumthokozisa kukho konke esikwenzayo. Kanti njalo kuzasinceda ukuthi siphenduke ngeqiniso nxa sithe saphambuka. Ngakho kasizimiseleni ukusekela ukukhonza kweqiniso ngazo zonke izikhathi singalandeli lokho okwenziwa nguRehobhowami.​—Jud. 20, 21.