Inkhosi yaseSiriya beyifuna umphrofethi waNkulunkulu Elisha yaze yamtfola edolobheni laseDothani. Ebusuku iNkhosi yase ikhipha umhlambi wemahhashi netincola temphi nemadvodza lanemandla ayawukaka lelo dolobha laseDothani. Kwatsi nje nakusa, lemphi yemahhashi netincola yase itungelete lonkhe lidolobha.—2 Khos. 6:13, 14.

Ngesikhatsi inceku ya-Elisha ivuka iphumela ngephandle, yetfuka kakhulu. Yakhala yatsi: “Awu! nkhosi yami! Sitakwenta njani?” Elisha watsi: “Ungesabi. Laba labangakitsi banyenti kakhulu kunalaba labangakubo.” Wase lomphrofethi uyathantaza: “Awu, Simakadze, vula emehlo akhe kuze abone.” Lendzaba nayichubeka itsi: “Nembala, Simakadze wavula emehlo alenceku ya-Elisha, yatsi iyabuka, yabona tindimbane temabutfo, nemahhashi, netincola temphi tivutsa umlilo ticancele intsaba, kutungeleta Elisha.” (2 Khos. 6:15-17) Yini lesingayifundza kuloku nakulokunye lokwenteka ekuphileni kwa-Elisha?

Elisha abengaketfuki nakabona libutfo lemaSiriya ngobe abetsembele kuJehova futsi wabona nendlela Nkulunkulu labemvikele ngayo. Asikalindzeli timangaliso lamuhla, kodvwa siyacondza kutsi Jehova uyabavikela bantfu bakhe njengelicembu. Ngemcondvo lofanako, natsi situngeletwe ngemahhashi netincola temlilo. Nangabe “siwabona” ngemehlo ekukholwa futsi njalo setsembela kuNkulunkulu ‘sitawuhlala siphephile’ futsi sitawutfola sibusiso saJehova. (Hla. 4:8) Ase sihlole kutsi singazuza njani kuletinye tintfo letenteka ekuphileni kwa-Elisha.

Ngalelinye lilanga Elisha abelima ensimini, kwefika umphrofethi Elija wamembesa ngengubo yakhe. Elisha bekati kutsi loko kwakusho kutsini. Waba nelidzili lekuvalelisa make nababe wakhe, wase ushiya likhaya lakubo wayosita Elija. (1 Khos. 19:16, 19-21) Ngesizatfu sekutsi Elisha abekulungele kukhonta Nkulunkulu ngalokuphelele, waba lithulusi esandleni saJehova futsi ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi waba ngumphrofethi esikhundleni sa-Elija.

Elisha wasita Elija lokungenani iminyaka lesitfupha. Ngaleso sikhatsi, Elisha nguye ‘lobekatsela emanti etandleni ta-Elija.’ (2 Khos. 3:11) Ngaleso  sikhatsi, bantfu bebasebentisa tandla kute badle ngato, hhayi imikhwa netimfologo, nobe tipuni. Ngemuva kwekudla, inceku beyitsela emanti etandleni tenkhosi yayo kute itigeze. Leminye yemisebenti ya-Elisha bekukwenta imisebenti lephansi. Nobe kunjalo, bekakubheka njengelilungelo kuba yinceku ya-Elisha.

Lamuhla, emaKhristu lamanyenti enta imisebenti yasikhatsi sonkhe leyehlukahlukene. Ngekwenta njalo, ashukunyiswa kukholwa kanye nesifiso sekusebentisa emandla awo ngalokugcwele ekukhonteni Jehova. Leminye yalemisebenti ibitela kutsi ashiye emakhaya akubo kute ente imisebenti yaseBethel, imisebenti yekwakha naleminye imisebenti labanye labayitsatsa njengemisebenti lephansi. Akekho umKhristu lokufanele atsatse imisebenti lenjalo njengalengakabaluleki nobe angayihloniphi, ngobe kuJehova ibaluleke kakhulu.—Heb. 6:10.

Ngaphambi kwekutsi Nkulunkulu ‘atsatse Elija amenyusele ezulwini ngesiwunguwungwana,’ watfumela lomphrofethi eBethel asuka eGilgali . Elija wasikisela kutsi Elisha asale, kodvwa waphendvula watsi: “Ngingeke ngikushiye.” Njengobe loluhambo luchubeka, kabili Elija wacela Elisha kutsi asale kodvwa akazange avume. (2 Khos. 2:1-6) Ngendlela Ruthe lanamatselana ngayo naNawomi ifana nendlela Elisha lanamatselana ngayo na-Elija. (Rut. 1:8, 16, 17) Kungani? Ngalokucinisekile kungobe Elisha walijabulela lilungelo labekaliniketwe nguNkulunkulu lekusita Elija.

Elisha wasibekela sibonelo lesihle. Nasitfola emalungelo latsite enhlanganweni yaNkulunkulu, sitawatsatsa njengalabaluleke kakhulu nangabe etingcondvweni tetfu sati kutsi sikhonta Jehova. Kute emalungelo lancono kunalawa.—Hla. 65:4; 84:10.

Njengobe lamadvodza lamabili achubeka neluhambo lwawo, Elija watsi ku-Elisha: “Ase ungitjele, ufuna ngikwenteleni ngisengakasuswa kuwe.” Njengobe sicelo lesentiwa nguSolomoni eminyakeni leyendlulile sakhombisa kuvutfwa, na-Elisha wenta lokufanako. Wacela Elija kutsi ‘amuphe sabelo sebundlalifa semoya wakhe sesiphindvwe kabili.’ (1 Khos. 3:5, 9; 2 Khos. 2:9) Ka-Israyeli, Indvodzana yekucala yendvodza kwakufanele itfole sabelo lesiphindvwe kabili efeni lakhe. (Dut. 21:15-17) Ecinisweni Elisha wacela kutsi Elija amtsatse njengendlalifa. Ngetulu kwaloko, Elisha bekafuna kuba nesibindzi njenga-Elija ‘lobekanenshisekelo lenkhulu yekukhonta Simakadze.’—1 Khos. 19:13, 14.

Elija wasitsatsa njani lesicelo senceku yakhe? Lomphrofethi watsi: “Ucele intfo lelukhuni; noko nawutangibona sengitsatfwa kuwe, kutakuya njengesicelo sakho; kodvwa nawungangiboni, kungeke kube njalo.” (2 Khos. 2:10) Imphendvulo ya-Elija yayinetintfo letimbili letibalulekile. Kwekucala, nguNkulunkulu lobekangasho kutsi Elisha utawutfola loko lakucelile. Kwesibili, nangabe Elisha abetakutfola bekufanele anamatsele esincumeni sakhe sekuhlala na-Elija nobe ngabe kwentekani.

Nkulunkulu wasitsatsa njani sicelo sa-Elisha sesabelo sebundlalifa semoya wa-Elija sesiphindvwe kabili? Lokulandzisa kuchubeka kutsi: “Basahamba bakhulumisana bobabili, masinyane kwachamuka incola yemlilo idvonswa ngemahhashi emlilo, yabehlukanisa ekhatsi, Elija wenyuka ngesiwunguwungwana wayawushona ezulwini. Elisha wakubona loko.” * Leyo kwakuyimphendvulo yaJehova lephendvula sicelo sa-Elisha. Elisha wabona nakutsatfwa Elija, watfola sabelo lesiphindvwe kabili futsi waba yindlalifa yemphrofethi.—2 Khos. 2:11-14.

Elisha watsatsa ingubo leyawa ku-Elija wayigcoka. Ngaleso sikhatsi lengubo beyikhombisa kutsi Elisha sengumphrofethi waNkulunkulu. Bufakazi lobengetiwe bekubekwa kwakhe babonakala kamuva nakenta simangaliso sekwehlukanisa emanti eMfuleni iJordani.

Loko lakubona ngesikhatsi Elija akhushulwa ngulesiwunguwungwana kwamkhutsata kakhulu. Ecinisweni, umuntfu akaboni imphi yetincola temlilo nemahhashi emlilo onkhe emalanga! Aba bufakazi lobuvela kuJehova nakaphendvula sicelo sa-Elisha. Nkulunkulu nakaphendvula imithantazo yetfu, asibi nembono wemphi wetincola nemahhashi emlilo. Kodvwa singabona kutsi Nkulunkulu usebentisa  emandla akhe lamakhulu kute aciniseke kutsi intsandvo yakhe iyentiwa. Nasibona kutsi Jehova uyayibusisa incenye yenhlangano yakhe lesemhlabeni, ecinisweni ‘sibona’ incola lenkhulu yasezulwini isebenta.—Hez. 10:9-13.

Elisha waba nalokuhlangenwe nako lokunyenti lokwamcinisekisa ngemandla aJehova lamangalisako. Ecinisweni umoya longcwele waNkulunkulu wabangela lomphrofethi kutsi ente timangaliso letingu-16—letiphindvwe kabili kuleto letentiwa ngu-Elija. * Elisha waphindze wabona emahhashi nencola yemlilo ngesikhatsi atungelete eDothani njengobe kuchaziwe ekucaleni kwalesihloko.

Nanobe abetungeletwe titsa eDothani, Elisha aketfukanga. Kungani? Kungobe abenekukholwa lokucinile kuJehova. Natsi sidzinga kukholwa lokunjalo. Ngako-ke, asithantazele umoya longcwele waNkulunkulu kute sikhombise kukholwa naletinye titselo temoya.—Luk. 11:13; Gal. 5:22, 23.

Loko lokwenteka eDothani kwanika na-Elisha sizatfu lesicinile sekwetsembela kuJehova nasemabutfweni labekamvikele langabonakali. Lomphrofethi wabona kutsi Nkulunkulu utfumele tingilosi takhe kutsi titungelete lelidolobha kanye nemabutfo alo. Ngekubashaya ngebumphumphutse, ngalokusimangaliso Nkulunkulu wasindzisa kuphila kwa-Elisha nekwenceku yakhe. (2 Khos. 6:17-23) Kuleso sikhatsi lebesimatima, njengakuletinye timo, Elisha wakhombisa kukholwa nekwetsembela ngalokuphelele kuJehova.

Njenga-Elisha, asetsembele kuNkulunkulu Jehova. (Taga 3:5, 6) Nasenta njalo, “Nkulunkulu angaba nemusa kitsi, asibusise.” (Hla. 67:1) Kuliciniso kutsi asikatungeletwa tincola temlilo nemahhashi. Nobe kunjalo, ngesikhatsi ‘sekuhlupheka lokukhulu,’ lokutako Jehova utasivikela njengebazalwane bemhlaba wonkhe. (Mat. 24:21; Semb. 7:9, 14) Kute kufike leso sikhatsi, asihlale sikhumbula kutsi “Nkulunkulu usiphephelo setfu.”—Hla. 62:8.