Rehobowamu anali mwana wa mfumu Solomo, imene inalamulila mu Isiraeli kwa zaka 40. (1 Maf. 11:42) Solomo anamwalila mu 997 B.C.E. Kenako, Rehobowamu anapita ku Sekemu, dela la kumpoto kwa Yerusalemu, kuti akamulonge ufumu. (2 Mbiri 10:1) N’kutheka kuti iye anali na nkhawa kuti sadzakwanitsa kulamulila mofanana ndi Solomo, atate wake amene anali na nzelu zapadela. Komanso, sanadziŵe kuti posapita nthawi adzakumana na vuto lalikulu lofuna nzelu kuti alithetse.

Pamene anayamba kulamulila, mwacionekele Rehobowamu anazindikila kuti Aisiraeli sanali okondwela. Patapita nthawi, anthu ena otumidwa na mtundu wa Isiraeli anapita kwa iye na kum’dandaulila kuti: “Bambo anu anaumitsa goli lathu. Tsopano inuyo mufewetse nchito yoŵaŵa ya bambo anu ndi goli lawo lolemela limene anatisenzetsa, ndipo tidzakutumikilani.”—2 Mbiri 10:3, 4.

Rehobowamu anaona kuti zinali zovuta kupanga cosankha pa nkhaniyi. Anadziŵa kuti akamvela anthu, iye, banja lake, ndi a m’nyumba yacifumu adzafunika kudzimana zinthu zina zimene anali kukonda, ndipo sakanakhala na ufulu wongolamula anthu zimene akufuna. Kumbali ina, anali na nkhawa yakuti anthuwo akhoza kum’pandukila akakana pempho lawo. Kodi n’ciani cimene anacita? Coyamba, anafunsila malangizo kwa amuna acikulile amene anali alangizi a Solomo, atate wake. Koma pambuyo pake, Rehobowamu anakafunsila malangizo kwa acinyamata anzake. Pomvela malangizo a anzakewo, iye anasankha kucitila nkhanza anthuwo. Anawauza kuti: “Ine ndidzakusenzetsani goli lolemela kwambili, ndipo ndidzawonjezela goli lanulo. Bambo anga anakukwapulani ndi zikwapu, koma ine ndidzakukwapulani ndi zikoti zaminga.”—2 Mbiri 10:6-14.

Tiphunzilapo ciani pamenepa? Kumvela malangizo a anthu acikulile komanso okhwima mwauzimu, ni cinthu canzelu. Popeza iwo aona zambili, angadziŵe zotulukapo za cosankha cinacake cimene tingapange na kutipatsa malangizo abwino.—Yobu 12:12.

Ataona kuti Aisiraeli ena am’pandukila, Rehobowamu anasonkhanitsa asilikali ake kuti akawathile nkhondo. Koma Yehova anamuletsa kupitila mwa mneneli Semaya. Iye anati: “Musapite kukamenyana ndi abale anu, ana a Isiraeli. Aliyense abwelele kunyumba kwake, cifukwa zimene zacitikazi, zacitika mwa kufuna kwanga.”—1 Maf. 12:21-24. *

Kodi muganiza kuti Rehobowamu anamvela bwanji Yehova atamuletsa kumenya nkhondo? Izi ziyenela kuti zinamuvutitsa maganizo. Pa nthawiyo, Rehobowamu anali ataopseza anthu kuti adzawalanga “ndi zikoti zaminga.” Conco, mwina anali kudzifunsa kuti, ‘Kodi anthu adzaniona bwanji nikapanda kuwalanga opandukawa?’ (Yelekezelani na 2 Mbiri 13:7.) Olo zinali conco, mfumuyo na asilikali ake “anamvela mau a Yehova n’kubwelela kwawo malinga ndi mau a Yehova.”

Kodi pali phunzilo lanji pamenepa? N’cinthu canzelu kumvela malamulo a Mulungu olo kuti anthu ena angatiseke. Ngati timvela Mulungu, iye adzatikonda na kutidalitsa.—Deut. 28:2.

Kodi Rehobowamu atamvela Mulungu, zotulukapo zake zinali zotani? Iye atasintha maganizo ake omenya nkhondo, anayamba kumanga mizinda m’zigawo za fuko la Yuda na Benjamini zimene anali kulamulila. Komanso analimbitsa “kwambili” citetezo m’mizinda ina. (2 Mbiri 11:5-12) Cofunika kwambili cinali cakuti, kwa kanthawi anamvela malamulo a Yehova. Pamene anthu a mu ufumu wa Isiraeli wa mafuko 10 wolamulidwa na Yerobowamu anayamba kulambila mafano, anthu ambili ocokela kumeneko ‘analimbikitsa Rehobowamu.’ Anacita izi mwa kupita ku Yerusalemu kukacilikiza kulambila koona. (2 Mbiri 11:16, 17) Conco, kumvela kwa Rehobowamu kunapangitsa kuti ufumu wake ulimbe.

Koma pamene ufumu wake unalimba, Rehobowamu anacita zinthu zina zosayenela. Analeka kumvela malamulo a Yehova na kuyamba kulambila mafano. N’cifukwa ciani anacita zimenezo? Kodi anatengela amayi ake, amene anali Muamoni? (1 Maf. 14:21) Mulimonsemo, cimene tidziŵa n’cakuti mtundu wonse unatsatila zocita zake. Pa cifukwa ici, Yehova analola Mfumu Sisaki ya Iguputo kulanda mizinda yambili ya Yuda, olo kuti Rehobowamu anali atailimbitsa kwambili.—1 Maf. 14:22-24; 2 Mbiri 12:1-4.

Zinthu zinafika poipa kwambili pamene Sisaki anafika ku Yerusalemu, kumene mfumu Rehobowamu anali kukhala. Panthawiyo, mneneli Semaya anapeleka uthenga wa Mulungu kwa Rehobowamu na akalonga ake. Iye anati: “Inuyo mwandisiya, conco inenso ndakusiyani ndipo ndakupelekani m’manja mwa Sisaki.” Kodi pamene Rehobowamu anamvela uthenga waciweluzo umenewo anacitanji? Baibo imati: “Akalonga a Isiraeliwo ndi mfumuyo atamva zimenezi, anadzicepetsa n’kunena kuti: ‘Yehova ndi wolungama.’” Mwa ici, Yehova analanditsa Rehobowamu na mzinda wa Yerusalemu m’manja mwa Sisaki.—2 Mbiri 12:5-7, 12.

Pambuyo pake, Rehobowamu anapitiliza kulamulila ufumu wakum’mwela wa Isiraeli. Asanamwalile, iye anapeleka zinthu zoculuka kwa ana ake aamuna ambili. Mwacionekele, anafuna kuti anawo asadzaukile m’bale wawo Abiya, amene anali kudzakhala mfumu pambuyo pa imfa yake. (2 Mbiri 11:21-23) Pamenepa, Rehobowamu anacita zinthu mozindikila kusiyana na mmene anacitila m’mbuyomo.

Olo kuti Rehobowamu anacita zinthu zina zabwino, sanapeze ciyanjo ca Mulungu. Ponena za ulamulilo wake, Baibo imati: “Anacita zoipa.” N’cifukwa ciani Baibo imakamba conco? Cifukwa “sanatsimikize kufunafuna Yehova ndi mtima wake wonse.”—2 Mbiri 12:14.

Kodi tiphunzilapo ciani pa nkhani ya Rehobowamu? Nthawi zina, iye anali kumvela malamulo a Mulungu. Ndipo anacita zinthu zina zabwino posamalila anthu a Yehova. Komabe, analephela kupanga ubwenzi wolimba na Yehova, komanso sanali na mtima wofunitsitsa kum’kondweletsa. N’cifukwa cake analeka kucita zabwino na kuyamba kulambila mafano. Izi zingatipangitse kuganiza kuti pamene Rehobowamu anamvela uphungu wa Mulungu,  mwina anacita zimenezo cabe cifukwa cosonkhezeledwa ndi anthu ena, osati cifukwa colapa na mtima wonse kapena kufuna kukondweletsa Mulungu. (2 Mbiri 11:3, 4; 12:6) M’kupita kwa nthawi, iye anayambanso kucita zoipa. Rehobowamu analidi wosiyana kwambili na Mfumu Davide, ambuye ake! Ngakhale kuti Davide anacitapo macimo, anali munthu wokonda Yehova, wodzipeleka pa kulambila koona, ndipo analapa macimo ake na mtima wonse.—1 Maf. 14:8; Sal. 51:1, 17; 63:1.

Apanso pali phunzilo labwino limene tingatengepo kwa Rehobowamu. N’cinthu cabwino ngati munthu amayesetsa kusamalila banja lake na kukwanilitsa zolinga zabwino zakuthupi. Koma kuti tiyanjidwe na Mulungu, cinthu cofunika ngako ni kucilikiza kulambila koona mosalekeza.

Kuti tikwanitse kucita zimenezi, tifunika kupitiliza kukulitsa cikondi cathu pa Yehova. Zili ngati mmene timacitila na moto. Timausonkhela kuti upitilize kuyaka. Mofananamo, kuti cikondi cathu pa Mulungu cipitilize kuyaka, tifunika kumaŵelenga Mau ake nthawi zonse, kusinkha-sinkha zimene taŵelenga, na kulimbikila kupemphela. (Sal. 1:2; Aroma 12:12) Cikondi cathu pa Yehova cidzatisonkhezela kucita zinthu zomukondweletsa nthawi zonse. Komanso tikalakwa, cidzatisonkhezela kulapa na mtima wonse. Ndipo mosiyana ndi Rehobowamu, tidzaimabe nji pa kulambila koona.—Yuda 20, 21.