Ikosi yeSiriya beyimfuna ngamehlo abomvu umphorofidi kaZimu u-Elitjha begodu yamfumana emzini weDotani ogade ukantjelwe ngeboda. Ebusuku, umbusi weSiriya wathumela iimpera, iinkarana zepi, namabutho eDotani. Kwathi nekusako ibutho lakhe lepi besele libhode umuzi.—2 Kho. 6:13, 14.

Inceku ka-Elitjha neyisukumako iya ngaphandle, yabona labo ebebazokubamba umphorofidi. Yalila, “Maye kosami! Kazi sizokwenzani-ke nakunje?” U-Elitjha wathi, ‘Ungasabi. Abangakithi banengi khulu kunabangakibo.’ Ngemva kwalokho umphorofidi wathandaza wathi: ‘Awu Jehova ivule amehlo bona ibone!’ Ukulandisa kuragela phambili kuthi: ‘Yeke [uJehova] wavula amehlo wenceku, kwathi nayiqalako yabona umbundu uzele iinjomani neenkarana zomlilo zizombeleze u-Elitjha!’ (2 Kho. 6:15-17) Khuyini esingayifunda kilokhu nakwezinye izenzakalo ezenzeka ekuphileni kwaka-Elitjha?

U-Elitjha bekanomoya ophasi ngitjho nalokha avinjezelwe maSiriya ngombana wathembela kuJehova begodu wabona isenzo samandla kaZimu avikelako. Asikalindeli bona kwenzeke iinkarisomraro namhlanje, kodwana siyalemuka bonyana uJehova uvikela abantu bakhe njengesiqhema. Ngomqondo ofanako, nathi sibhodwe ziimpera neenkarana zomlilo. ‘Nesizibona’ ngamehlwethu wekholo begodu sihlala sithembele kuZimu, ‘sizokuhlala ngokuphepha’ sibone iimbusiso zakaJehova. (Rhu. 4:9 [4:8, NW.]) Akhe sicabangele indlela esingazuza ngayo kezinye izenzakalo ezenzeka ekuphileni kwaka-Elitjha.

Kesinye isenzakalo, u-Elitjha nekatjala esimini, umphorofidi u-Eliya waya kuye begodu wamphosela isembatho sakhe sobuphorofidi. U-Elitjha bekazi bona lokho kutjho ukuthini. Wenza umnyanya, walayelisa kuyise nakunina, begodu watjhiya ikhaya wayokukhonza u-Eliya. (1 Kho. 19:16, 19-21) Ngombana u-Elitjha wazenza wafumaneka bona akhonze uZimu ngokuzeleko ngendlela angakghona ngayo, wasetjenziswa nguJehova begodu ekugcineni wakhonza njengomphorofidi esikhundleni saka-Eliya.

 U-Elitjha wakhonza u-Eliya iminyaka engaba sithandathu. Ngesikhatheso, u-Elitjha ‘gade anande aqongela u-Eliya izandla.’ (2 Kho. 3:11) Ngesikhatheso, abantu bekujayelekile bona badle ngezandla, ngaphandle kweemforogo, imikhwa, nezinye iinsetjenziswa zokudla. Ngemva kwesidlo, inceku beyithelela ikosayo amanzi bona ihlambe izandla. Ngalokho eminye yemisebenzi ka-Elitjha beyiqalelwa phasi. Nanyana kunjalo, wakuqala njengelungelo ukuba yinceku ka-Eliya.

Namhlanjesi, ngokufanako amaKrestu amanengi enza imihlobo ehlukahlukeneko yekonzo yesikhathi esizeleko. Bona enze njalo, atjhukunyiswa likholo nesifiso sokusebenzisa amandlawo ngokuzeleko ngendlela angakghona ngayo bonyana akhonze uJehova. Ezinye zezabelo zifuna bona batjhiye amakhaya begodu benze umsebenzi—eBethel, emisebenzini yokwakha nakweminye—abanengi abayiqala njengephasi. Akekho umKrestu okufuze aqale ikonzo enjalo njengengakaqakatheki namtjhana eyehlisa isithunzi, ngombana iligugu khulu kuJehova.—Heb. 6:10.

Ngaphambi kobana uZimu ‘ahlwithele u-Eliya ezulwini ngesiwuruwuru,’ wathumela umphorofidi asuka eGiligali bona aye eBhetheli. U-Eliya wathi umkhambisanakhe angamphekeleli, kodwana u-Elitjha waphendula wathi: “Angekhe ngikutjhiye.” Njengombana baragela phambili nekhambo, iinkhathi eembili u-Eliya wakhuthaza u-Elitjha bona asale kodwana akhenge avume. (2 Kho. 2:1-6, NW) Njengombana uRute anamathela kuNawomi, no-Elitjha wanamathela ku-Eliya. (Rut. 1:8, 16, 17) Kubayini? Ngombana u-Elitjha bekalithokozela ilungelo aliphiwe nguZimu lokukhonza u-Eliya.

U-Elitjha wasibekela isibonelo esihle. Nesifumana ilungelo elithileko lekonzo ehlanganweni kaZimu, sizoliqala njengeliligugu nesikhumbula bona sikhonza uJehova. Alikho ilungelo elidlula lelo.—Rhu. 65:5; 84:11 [65:4; 84:10, NW].

Njengombana amadoda amabili la akhamba, u-Eliya wathi ku-Elitjha: “Akhese ungitjele ufuna ngikwenzeleni ngaphambi kobana ngihlwithwe kuwe?” Isibawo saka-Elitjha besibonisa ukuvuthwa ngokomoya, njengombana besinjalo nesakaSolomoni asenza eminyakeni eminengi ngaphambili. Wambawa bona ‘iingcenye eembili zomoya ka-Eliya zibuyele kuye.’ (1 Kho. 3:5, 9; 2 Kho. 2:9, NW) Kwa-Israyeli indodana elizibulo beyifumana iingcenye eembili zelifa. (Dut. 21:15-17) Ngebanga lalokho, u-Elitjha wabawa bona aqalwe njengendlalifa ka-Eliya engokomoya. Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Elitjha bekafuna ukuba nomoya wesibindi onjengoka-Eliya, ogade ‘atjhisakalela uJehova ngokupheleko.’—1 Kho. 19:13, 14.

U-Eliya wasabela njani esibaweni sencekwakhe? Umphorofidi wathi, “Ubawe into ebukhuni; nokho nange ungangibona lokha nangihlwithwa kuwe, kuzakuya njengesibawo sakho; nakungasinjalo kuzabe kubhalile.” (2 Kho. 2:10) Ipendulo ka-Eliya beyinemilayezo emibili. Kokuthoma, nguZimu kwaphela obekangatjho bona u-Elitjha uzokufumana na lokho akubawileko. Kwesibili, bona u-Elitjha akufumane, bekutlhogeka anamathele esinquntweni sakhe sokungamtjhiyi u-Eliya, nanyana kunjani.

UZimu wasiqala njani isibawo saka-Elitjha sokunikelwa iingcenye eembili zomoya ka-Eliya? Ukulandisa kuthi: “Kwathi basakhamba njalo bacoca, ginigini kwavela ikarana yomlilo idoswa ziinjomani zomlilo yahlukanisa ababilaba. U-Eliya wakhutjhulelwa ezulwini ngesiwuruwuru. U-Elitjha wakubona lokhu.” * Le bekuyipendulo kaJehova yesibawo saka-Elitjha. U-Elitjha wambona u-Eliya athathwa kuye, wamukela iingcenye eembili zomoya ka-Eliya, begodu waba yindlalifa engokomoya yomphorofidi.—2 Kho. 2:11-14.

U-Elitjha wadobha isambatho ebesiwe ku-Eliya begodu wasembatha. Isambathwesi kwanje siveza u-Elitjha njengomphorofidi kaZimu. Ubufakazi obungeziweko bokubekwa kwakhe babonakala kwamva nekenza ikarisomraro ngokuhlukanisa amanzi woMlambo iJordani.

Okwabonwa ngu-Elitjha lokha u-Eliya nekakhuphuka ngesiwuruwuru akunakuzaza bona kwatjho lukhulu kuye. Phela ukubona ikarana yepi neenjomani zomlilo akusiyinto ejayelekileko! Zinikela ubufakazi bokusabela kwakaJehova esibaweni saka-Elitjha. UZimu nekaphendula imithandazwethu, asiboni umbono wekarana yepi evuthako neenjomani zomlilo.  Kodwana singalemuka bona uZimu usebenzisa amandla amakhulu ukuqinisekisa bonyana intando yakhe iyenzeka. Nesibona bona uJehova ubusisa ingcenye yehlanganwakhe yephasini, eqinisweni ‘sibona’ ikarana ecwengileko ikhamba.—Hez. 10:9-13.

U-Elitjha bekanokuhlangabezanwe nakho okunengi egade kumqinisekisa ngamandla kaJehova ararako. Eqinisweni, umoya kaZimu ocwengileko wenza umphorofidi bona enze iinkarisomraro ezi-16—eziphindwe kabili kwezenziwa ngu-Eliya. * Kwesibili u-Elitjha nekabona iimpera neenkarana zepi zomlilo bekungesikhathi sobujamo obubudisi eDotani esihlathululwe esethulweni sesihlokwesi.

Nanyana bekabhodwe manaba eDotani, u-Elitjha zange angenwe mamanzi emadolweni. Kubayini? Ngombana waba nekholo eliqinileko kuJehova. Nathi sitlhoga ikholo elinjalo. Ngalokho, asithandazeleni umoya ocwengileko kaZimu bona sikghone ukutjengisa ikholo nezinye iingcenye zesithelo somoya.—Luk. 11:13; Gal. 5:22, 23.

Isenzakalo seDotani naso sanikela u-Elitjha ibanga elizwakalako lokuthembela kuJehova nemabuthwenakhe avikelako angabonakaliko. Umphorofidi lo wabona bona uZimu bekasebenzise amabutho weengilozi bonyana abhode umuzi nalabo egade bawuvimbezeleko. Ngokuphophaza amanaba, uZimu ngokusimangaliso waphulusa u-Elitjha nencekwakhe. (2 Kho. 6:17-23) Ngesikhathi esibudiseso, njengakwezinye iinkhathi, u-Elitjha watjengisa ikholo begodu wathembela ngokupheleleko kuJehova.

Njengo-Elitjha, asithembeleni kuJehova uZimu. (IzA. 3:5, 6) Nesenza njalo, ‘uZimu uzosibonisa umusa asibusise.’ (Rhu. 67:2 [67:1, NW]) Liqiniso, asikabhodwa ziinkarana neenjomani zomlilo zamambala. Nokho, hlangana ‘neentlayiseko ezikulu,’ uJehova uzosivikela njengobuzalwana bephasi loke. (Mat. 24:21; IsAm. 7:9, 14) Bekube sikhatheso, asihlaleni sikhumbula bona “uZimu usiphephelo sethu.”—Rhu. 62: 9 [62:8, NW.])