UDAVIDE uyaxhathisa ukuze angawiswa ngamajoni adlula kuye ebaleka. Ayatyhwatyhwa luloyiko, ebaleka edabini. Oyika ntoni? UDavide umele ukuba uweva emana ekhwaza igama elinye. Ligama lendoda emi endulini, izithembile yaye iyageza. Inoba uDavide zange wayibona ingxilimbela engako yendoda.

YayinguGoliyati! UDavide wayesiqonda isizathu sokuba amajoni amoyike. Wayemkhulu ngendlela engaqhelekanga, eyingxilimbela. Nokuba akanxibanga iimpahla ezinzima zokulwa, ubunzima bakhe bunokulingana nobamadoda amabini amakhulu. Phezu kokuba emkhulu enjalo, wayexhobe wafohlela, omelele yaye elijoni eliqhele ukulwa. UGoliyati wakhwaza ngamandla esithi ozivayo makeze. Khawube ngathi uyaliva elo lizwi lingqokolayo, ligquma lisenza ingxolo ephindaphindanayo kwezo nduli njengoko wayehlekisa ngamaSirayeli nokumkani wawo uSawule. Wathi ozivayo makeze kuzode kubonakale owoyiswayo!—1 Samuweli 17:4-10.

AmaSirayeli ekunye noKumkani uSawule ayesoyika. UDavide weva ukuba oku sekungaphezu kwenyanga kusenzeka! Umkhosi wamaFilisti nowamaSirayeli wawumi xhonkxosholo njengoko uGoliyati wayeqhubeka ehlekisa ngomkhosi wamaSirayeli umhla nezolo. Yamcaphukisa uDavide le nto. Yayilihlazo ukubona ukumkani wakwaSirayeli nomkhosi wakhe ekukho kuwo abakhuluwa bakaDavide abathathu utyhwatyhwa kangako luloyiko! KuDavide lo mhedeni uGoliyati wayengagezeli amaSirayeli nje kuphela kodwa wayethuka uThixo wawo, uYehova ngenkqu! Kodwa yintoni eyayinokwenziwa nguDavide ekubeni wayeyidyongwana? Yintoni thina esinokuyifunda kukholo lwakhe?—1 Samuweli 17:11-14.

Makhe sibuye umva sithethe ngokwenzekayo kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ngaphambili. Kwakusele kuza kuhlwa, uDavide wayesalusa iigusha zikayise kufutshane naseBhetelehem. Inoba wayengumfana ofikisayo, oyinzwana ebubomvurha nonamehlo aqumqum. Wayechitha isithukuthezi ngokudlala uhadi. Wayeyithanda kakhulu indalo kaThixo ibe wayesiya esiba lichule ekudlaleni umculo ekubeni wayesoloko ewudlala. Kodwa ngale mvakwemini uyise wathi makakhawuleze afik’ ekhaya.—1 Samuweli 16:12.

Wafika uyise owalupheleyo uYese encokola nenye inkonde. Yayingumprofeti uSamuweli. Wayethunywe nguYehova ukuba athambise omnye woonyana bakaYese ukuze abe ngukumkani olandelayo wakwaSirayeli! Wayesele ebabonile abakhuluwa abasixhenxe bakaDavide, kodwa uYehova wamxelela ukuba akakhethanga nomnye kubo. Akufika uDavide, uYehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Mthambise, kuba nguye lo!” USamuweli wavula uphondo olwaluneoli waza wayigalela entlokweni kaDavide phambi kwabakhuluwa bakhe. Emva koko batshintsha ubomi bukaDavide. IBhayibhile ithi: “Umoya kaYehova waqalisa ukusebenza kuDavide ukususela loo mini.”—1 Samuweli 16:1, 5-11, 13.

Ngaba uDavide waqalisa ukuba namabhongo ngento aza kuyenza xa engukumkani? Akunjalo,  kodwa walindela umoya kaYehova ukuba umazise ixesha aza kuqalisa ngalo ukuba ngukumkani. Ngoxa wawungekamazisi, waqhubeka nomsebenzi ophantsi wokwalusa. Wayekhaliphile yaye ezilahlele nofele kulo msebenzi. Ubomi bomhlambi kayise babukhe baphakathi kwenyama nozipho kwade kwakabini. Wahlaselwa yingonyama nebhere. UDavide zange awagxothe emele kude loo marhamncwa akhohlakeleyo. Kodwa walwa nawo ekhusela loo mhlambi ungenakuzenzela nto. Ngawo omabini loo matyeli wawoyisa yedwa!—1 Samuweli 17:34-36; Isaiah 31:4.

Emva kwexesha, uDavide waphinda wabizwa. UKumkani uSawule weva kuthethwa kakuhle ngaye. Nangona wayeselijoni elinamandla, wayengasaxhaswa nguYehova kuba zange akwenze oko wayemxelele kona. UYehova wawususa umoya wakhe kuSawule, ngoko lo kumkani wayesoloko eba nomoya ombi—umsindo ohleli usempulweni, ukurhana futhi endlongondlongo. Xa ekule meko wayencedwa ngumculo. Abanye babakhonzi bakaSawule babesazi ukuba uDavide ulichule ekudlaleni umculo yaye ungumlwi ophum’ izandla. Ngoko wabizwa waza waba ngomnye wabantu ababedlalela uSawule umculo nomphathi wezixhobo zakhe zemfazwe.—1 Samuweli 15:26-29; 16:14-23.

Abantu abasebatsha ngokukhethekileyo banokufunda into eninzi kukholo lukaDavide. Wachitha ixesha angenzi nto ngalo kwizinto ezazimenza asondele ngakumbi kuYehova. Kwakhona wafunda waza waba nobuchule bokusebenza ngezandla ukuze akwazi ukufumana umsebenzi. Ngaphezu kwako konke, wavumela umoya kaYehova umxelele oko makakwenze. Sifunda lukhulu nyhani kuye!—INtshumayeli 12:1.

Ngoxa uDavide wayesebenzela uSawule wayemane egoduka, ngamanye amaxesha emke ixesha elide. Wayesagodukile xa uYese wamthuma ukuba aye kubona abakhuluwa bakhe abathathu, ababekumkhosi kaSawule. UDavide wavuma waza waya entilini kaElaha ebaphathele iintwanantwana. Xa wafikayo, kwamcaphukisa ukubona imikhosi emibini imi xhonkxosholo njengokuba bekutshiwo ekuqaleni. Yayimi kumacala omabini entlambo, ijongene.—1 Samuweli 17:1-3, 15-19.

Zange akwazi ukuyinyamezela le nto uDavide. Umkhosi kaThixo ophilayo, uYehova, ubaleke kuba usoyika umntu nje, umhedeni nalapha ebantwini? KuDavide, uGoliyati wayehlekisa ngoYehova. Ngoko wathetha namajoni esithi angamoyisa uGoliyati. Umkhuluwa wakhe uEliyabhi wamva. Wamngxolisa esithi uDavide uyele nje ukubukela kuchitheka igazi. UDavide wathi: “Ndenze ntoni ngoku? Ibingelolizwi nje kuphela na?” Waqhubeka ezithembile esithi angamoyisa uGoliyati, kwade kwabakho umntu oya kuxelela uSawule. Ukumkani wathi makabizelwe uDavide.—1 Samuweli 17:23-31.

UDavide wakhuthaza ukumkani esithi: “Makungawi ntliziyo yakhe nawuphi na umntu ngenxa yakhe [uGoliyati].” USawule nomkhosi wakhe babemoyika uGoliyati. Mhlawumbi kwakungenxa yokuba babesithi xa bejonge le ngxilimbela yendoda bazibone kungekho yabo, bebancinci kakhulu. Babecinga ukuba iza kubathi qwaka-qwaka nje kuphele  ngabo. Kodwa yena uDavide zange acinge ngolo hlobo. Njengoko siza kubona, yonke le nto yena wayijonga ngenye indlela. Ngoko wathi uza kulwa noGoliyati.—1 Samuweli 17:32.

USawule wathi: “Akukwazi ukuya kulo mFilisti ukuze ulwe naye, kuba wena useyinkwenkwe, abe yena eyindoda yemfazwe ukususela ebukhwenkweni bakhe.” Ngaba nyhani uDavide wayengumntwana? Wayengengomntwana, kodwa wayengekafiki kwiminyaka yokuba abe lijoni, ibe mhlawumbi wayebonakala ngathi useyinkwenkwana. Wayesaziwa ngokuba likroti yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayesondele kwiminyaka engama-20.—1 Samuweli 16:18; 17:33.

Ukuze uSawule ayekelele, uDavide wamkhumbuza ngebali lakhe lengonyama nebhere. Ngaba wayeqhayisa? Hayi. Wayesazi ukuba wancedwa yintoni ukuze abulale loo marhamncwa. Wathi: “UYehova, owandihlangulayo ethupheni lengonyama nasethupheni lebhere, nguye oya kundihlangula esandleni salo mFilisti.” Ekugqibeleni uSawule wathi: “Hamba, yaye ngamana uYehova angaba nawe.”—1 Samuweli 17:37.

Ngaba uyafuna ukuba nokholo njengoDavide? Phawula ukuba, ukuba nokholo kukaDavide asinto nje wayeyinqwenela. Wayenokholo kuThixo wakhe ngenxa yokuba wayemazi kwaye esazi nezinto awayemenzele zona. Wayesazi ukuba uyabakhusela abakhonzi bakhe kwaye uyazigcina izithembiso zakhe. Ukuze sibe nokholo olunjalo, kufuneka singayeki ukufunda ngoThixo. Ukuba siyazenza izinto esizifundayo, ukholo lwethu luya komelela.—Hebhere 11:1.

USawule wanxibisa uDavide iimpahla zakhe zokulwa. Zazibufana nezikaGoliyati, zenziwe ngobhedu. UDavide wakhe wazulazula ngezo mpahla waza wabona ukuba azizukumlungela. Zange aqeqeshelwe ukuba lijoni, ngoko wayengaziqhelanga iimpahla zokulwa, ingakumbi ezo zazinxitywa nguSawule, owayeyeyona ndoda isukileyo egadeni kwaSirayeli! (1 Samuweli 9:2) Wazikhulula zonke waza wanxiba iimpahla aziqhelileyo—ezenzelwe ukuba umalusi akwazi ukukhusela umhlambi wakhe.—1 Samuweli 17:38-40.

UDavide waxwaya ibhegi yakhe ayiphatha xa esiya kwalusa, waza waphatha nesilingi. Sisenokucinga ukuba isilingi yinto nje engeyongozi kangako, kanti yayisisixhobo esoyikekayo. Sasenziwe ngeentambo ezimbini ezinde zofele ezidityaniswe sisingxobo esincinci ekupheleni. Yayisisixhobo sokwalusa ngokwenene. Xa umalusi eza kudubula ixhoba, wayefaka ilitye kweso singxobo, ajikelezise isilingi phezu kwentloko yakhe kakhulu, aphuncule enye yeentambo, lize ilitye liye ngqo kwelo xhoba ngamandla amakhulu, lilonzakalise. Sasiwenza kakuhle umsebenzi waso esi sixhobo kangangokuba nomkhosi wawukhe usebenzise iintlobo ezahlukahlukeneyo zaso.

Exhobile, uDavide wakhawuleza waya kudibana notshaba. Wema kwintlambo eyomileyo waza wachola amatye amahlanu. Sinokuyicingela indlela awayethandaza ngayo ngelo xesha. Emva koko waya kuGoliyati—engathanga chu kodwa ebaleka!

Wacinga ntoni uGoliyati akubona uDavide? Sifunda oku: “Wamdelela ngenxa yokuba eyinkwenkwe yaye ebubomvurha, emhle imbonakalo.” Ekhwaza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Ndiyinja na, ukuba uze kum uneentonga?” Ngokuqinisekileyo zange abone ukuba uDavide uphethe nesilingi. Wathuka uDavide ngoothixo bamaFilisti, efunga ngelithi uza kondla iintaka namarhamncwa asendle ngesidumbu seli fokofokwana lotshaba lwakhe.—1 Samuweli 17:41-44.

Nkqu nakule mihla, indlela awaphendula ngayo uDavide ibonisa ukholo awayenalo. Khawube nombono wetyendyana lomfana liphendula uGoliyati lisithi: “Uza kum unekrele nomkhonto nentshuntshe, kodwa mna ndiza kuwe ngegama likaYehova wemikhosi, uThixo wezintlu zedabi zakwaSirayeli, omngcikivileyo.” UDavide wayesazi ukuba amandla omntu nezixhobo anazo zazingeyonto. UGoliyati wayengamhloniphi uYehova uThixo, ibe uYehova wayengasoze ayamkele loo nto. UDavide wakuchaza ngala mazwi oko, “lelikaYehova idabi.”—1 Samuweli 17:45-47.

 UDavide wayeyibona le ngxilimbela yendoda inguGoliyati nendlela eyayixhobe ngayo. Kodwa akazange avumele ezo zinto zimenze atyhwatyhwe. Zange ayenze impazamo eyenziwa nguSawule nomkhosi wakhe yokuzithelekisa noGoliyati. Kunoko wathelekisa uGoliyati noYehova. UGoliyati wayemde kakhulu kunamanye amadoda. Yena wayeyingxilimbela eziimitha eziyi-2,9 ubude. Kodwa wayemde kangakanani xa ethelekiswa noMongami wendalo yonke? Kaloku, kuYehova wayelingana nentethe awayeza kuyityumza kuphele ngayo!

Ekhupha ilitye ebhegini yakhe, uDavide wabaleka waya kutshaba lwakhe. Wafaka elo litye kwisilingi, wasijikelezisa kakhulu phezu kwentloko yakhe sisitsho ngaloo mlozi. UGoliyati wasondela kuDavide, ezikhusele ngekhaka lakhe. Isithomo saloo ngxilimbela sayenza ixhoba kuba ikhaka eliqhelekileyo lalingafiki entloko, ibe uDavide wayejonge loo ntloko kanye.—1 Samuweli 17:41.

UDavide wadubula. Khawube nombono welo litye lisiya ngqo apho lithunyelwe khona. UYehova waqiniseka ukuba liyawenza umsebenzi walo, akuzi kufuneka adubule ngelinye uDavide. Nyhani latsho ngqo kwibunzi likaGoliyati. Loo ngxilimbela yaya kuthi bhuma phantsi ngobuso! Mhlawumbi nelo khaka layo labhabha emoyeni. UDavide wathatha ikrele leso sidumbu wasinqumla intloko.—1 Samuel 17:48-51.

Xa bebona loo ntloko, uSawule nomkhosi wakhe baba nesibindi. Besitsho ngengxolo enkulu, babaleka baya kulwa namaFilisti. Kwenzeka kanye into uDavide awayeyixelele uGoliyati esithi: “UYehova . . . umele aninikele esandleni sethu.”—1 Samuweli 17:47, 52, 53.

Kule mihla, abakhonzi bakaThixo abalwi emfazweni. Ladlula elo xesha. (Mateyu 26:52) Sekunjalo, kufuneka sibe nokholo olufana nolukaDavide. Nakuthi kufuneka uYehova abe ngumntu wokwenene—sikhonze yaye sizukise yena yedwa. Ngamany’ amaxesha sinokonganyelwa ziingxaki zethu, kodwa ezo ngxaki zincinci kakhulu xa zithelekiswa namandla kaYehova angenakulinganiswa nanto. Ukuba uThixo wethu nguYehova, kwaye sinokholo kuye njengokuba wayenjalo uDavide, akukho nto inokusoyikisa. Akukho nto inokumoyisa yena!