ILizwi LikaYehova Liphilile

Iimbalasane Zencwadi Yokuqala KaSamuweli

NGUNYAKA we-1117 B.C.E. Sekudlule iminyaka engamakhulu amathathu uYoshuwa walithimbayo iLizwe leSithembiso. Amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli acela into engaqhelekanga kumprofeti kaYehova. Umprofeti uwuphalaza kuYehova lo mbandela ngomthandazo, yaye uYehova wenza ngokuvisisana nesicelo sawo. Ngaloo ndlela lifikelela esiphelweni ixesha lokulawula kwaBagwebi yaye kuqalisa ixesha lookumkani abangabantu. Incwadi yeBhayibhile Yokuqala kaSamuweli ichaza iziganeko ezibangel’ imincili ezimayela notshintsho olubalulekileyo kwimbali yesizwe samaSirayeli.

Incwadi Yokuqala kaSamuweli eyabhalwa nguSamuweli, uNathan noGadi, igubungela iminyaka eli-102—esusela ngowe-1180 ukusa kowe-1078 B.C.E. (1 Kronike 29:29) Iqulethe ingxelo yeenkokeli ezine zakwaSirayeli. Ezimbini kuzo ziba ngabagwebi, ezimbini ziba ngookumkani; ezimbini ziyamthobela uYehova ukanti ezimbini azimthobeli. Kwakhona siva ngabafazi ababini abangumzekelo nabakhaliphileyo nakuba bezolile. Le mizekelo iqulethe izifundo ezibalulekileyo mayela nezimo zengqondo nezenzo esinokuzixelisa nesinokuziphepha. Ngaloo ndlela incwadi Yokuqala kaSamuweli inokuphembelela imilinganiselo nezenzo zethu.—Hebhere 4:12.

USAMUWELI UNGENA EZIHLANGWINI ZIKAELI NJENGOMGWEBI

(1 Samuweli 1:1–7:17)

Lixesha loMthendeleko Wentlahlela yesivuno, yaye uHana ohlala eRama akakwazi kuzibamba luvuyo. * UYehova uye wawuphendula umthandazo wakhe, uzele umntwana oyinkwenkwe. Ukuze azalisekise isifungo sakhe, uHana usa unyana wakhe uSamuweli “endlwini kaYehova” ukuze amkhonze. Apho le nkwenkwe iba “ngumlungiseleli kaYehova phambi koEli umbingeleli.” (1 Samuweli 1:24; 2:11) Ngoxa eselula uSamuweli uYehova uthetha naye, emxelela ngokugwetywa kwendlu kaEli. Njengoko uSamuweli ekhula, bonke abantu bakwaSirayeli bamgqala njengomprofeti kaYehova.

Ethubeni amaFilisti ahlasela amaSirayeli. Athimba iTyeya aze abulale oonyana ababini bakaEli. Akuva ezi ndaba, uEli osele aluphele uyafa, ‘emva kokukhonza njengomgwebi wakwaSirayeli iminyaka engamashumi amane.’ (1 Samuweli 4:18) ITyeya ibangela intlekele engathethekiyo kumaFilisti, ekugqibeleni ayibuyisela kumaSirayeli. Ngoku uSamuweli ngumgwebi wakwaSirayeli, kwaye ilizwe liseluxolweni.

Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:

2:10—Kutheni uHana wathandazela ukuba uYehova ‘anike amandla ukumkani’ ekubeni kwakungekho kumkani ungumntu kwaSirayeli? Into yokuba uSirayeli wayeza kuba nokumkani ongumntu yayixelwe kwangaphambili kuMthetho kaMoses. (Duteronomi 17:14-18) Xa wayeza kufa uYakobi waprofeta wathi: “Intonga yobukhosi ayisayi kusuka kuYuda.” (Genesis 49:10) Ukanti, ngokuphathelele uSara—ukhokhokazi wakwaSirayeli—uYehova wathi: ‘Ookumkani bezizwana baya kuphuma kuye.’ (Genesis 17:16) Ngoko uHana wayethandazela ukumkani wexesha elizayo.

3:3—Ngaba uSamuweli wayelala ngokwenene kweYona Ngcwele? Akunjalo. USamuweli wayengumLevi ophuma kwintsapho kaKohati engengabo ababingeleli. (1 Kronike 6:33-38) Ngoko, wayengavumelekanga ukuba ‘akhangele ezintweni ezingcwele.’ (Numeri 4:17-20) Ekuphela kwendawo awayekwazi ukungena kuyo uSamuweli yayiyintendelezo yomnquba. Umele ukuba wayelala apho. Kuyabonakala ukuba  uEli wayelala kwalapho entendelezweni. Ibinzana elithi, “apho kwakukho khona ityeya kaThixo” kucaca ukuba libhekisela kummandla womnquba.

7:7-9, 17—Kwakutheni ukuze uSamuweli enze idini eMizpa aze akhe isibingelelo eRama, ekubeni amadini ayemele enziwe rhoqo kwindawo ekhethwe nguYehova kuphela? (Duteronomi 12:4-7, 13, 14; Yoshuwa 22:19) Emva kokufuduswa kweTyeya engcwele kumnquba owawuseShilo, babungasabonakali ubukho bukaYehova apho. Ngoko ke njengommeli kaThixo, uSamuweli wenza idini eMizpa waza wakha isibingelelo eRama. Kuyacaca ukuba uYehova wayekholiswa zezi zinto.

Oko Sikufundayo:

1:11, 12, 21–23:19. Umthandazo kaHana, ukuthobeka kwakhe, umbulelo wakhe ngobubele bukaYehova nokuba yindlezane kwakhe ungumzekelo omhle kubo bonke abafazi aboyika uThixo.

1:8. Onjani ukuba mhle umzekelo owamiselwa nguElikana ngokomeleza abanye ngamazwi! (Yobhi 16:5) Waqala ngokubuza uHana owayedandathekile ngaphandle kokumtyhola wathi: “Kutheni intliziyo yakho imbi nje?” Oku kwamenza wazityand’ igila. Wandula ke uElikana wamqinisekisa ukuba uyamthanda wathi: “Andilungile na kuwe ngaphezu koonyana abalishumi?”

2:26; 3: 5-8, 15, 19. Xa sizibhokoxa kumsebenzi esiwunikwe nguThixo, sivume ukuqeqeshwa ngokomoya, size sibe ngabantu abachubekileyo nabanembeko, ‘siyathandeka’ kuThixo nakubantu.

4:3, 4, 10. Nento engcwele njengetyeya yomnqophiso ayizange ibe likhubalo lokuzikhusela. Simele ‘sizilinde kwizithixo.’—1 Yohane 5:21.

NGABA UKUMKANI WOKUQALA WAKWASIRAYELI—WAPHUMELELA OKANYE WASILELA?

(1 Samuweli 8:1–15:35)

USamuweli uyathembeka kuYehova ubomi bakhe bonke, kodwa oonyana bakhe abahambi ngeendlela zikaThixo. Xa amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli ecela ukuba nokumkani ongumntu, uYehova uyawavumela. USamuweli ulandela ulwalathiso lukaYehova aze athambise uSawule, njengokumkani, inzwana yesizwe sakwaBhenjamin. USawule womeleza isikhundla sakhe sokuba ngukumkani ngokoyisa ama-Amoni.

UYonatan unyana kaSawule olikhalipha ubulala umkhosi wamaFilisti. AmaFilisti eza kuhlasela amaSirayeli ngomkhosi omkhulu. USawule wonganyelwa luloyiko yaye ngokungathobeli unyusa idini ngokwakhe. Ephelekwa ngumphathi wezixhobo zakhe kuphela, uYonatan uhlasela omnye umkhosi wamaFilisti. Noko ke, isifungo sokungxama sikaSawule siwenza buthathaka uze ungakwazi ukoyisa umkhosi. USawule ‘ulwa’ nazo zonke iintshaba zakhe. (1 Samuweli 14:47) Noko ke, emva kokoyisa ama-Amaleki, akamthobeli uYehova ngokusindisa izinto ‘ezinikelwe kwintshabalalo.’ (Levitikus 27:28, 29) Ngenxa yoko, uYehova uyamlahla uSawule njengokumkani.

Iimpendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:

9:9—Lithetha ukuthini ibinzana elithi “umprofeti lo wanamhlanje wayedla ngokubizwa ngokuba yimboni kumaxesha angaphambili”? La mazwi asenokubonisa ukuba ekubeni abaprofeti baye bazibalula ngemihla kaSamuweli nangexesha lookumkani bakwaSirayeli, igama elithi “imboni” lathatyathelw’ indawo ligama elithi “umprofeti.” USamuweli uthatyathwa njengowokuqala kuluhlu lwabaprofeti.—IZenzo 3:24.

14:24-32, 44, 45—Ngaba uThixo wayeka ukukholiswa nguYonatan emva kokudla ubusi esenza ngokuchasene nesifungo sikaSawule? Akubonakali ngathi esi senzo samphulukanisa nenkoloseko kaThixo. Okokuqala uYonatan wayengazinto ngesifungo sikayise. Ngaphezu koko, mhlawumbi esi sifungo wasenza ngenxa yenzondelelo yobuxoki okanye ngenxa yembono ephosakeleyo ngokuba ngukumkani, sabafaka engxakini abantu. Wayenokukholiswa njani uThixo seso sifungo? Nangona uYonatan wayekulungele ukohlwaywa ngenxa yokophula isifungo, akazange abulawe.

15:6—Kwakutheni ukuze uSawule awaphathe kakuhle amaKeni? AmaKeni ayengoonyana  bomkhwe kaMoses. Anceda amaSirayeli emva kokufuduka kwiNtaba yeSinayi. (Numeri 10:29-32) Kwilizwe lakwaKanan, amaKeni ahlala noonyana bakaYuda ixesha elithile. (ABagwebi 1:16) Nangona kamva aye ahlala phakathi kwama-Amaleki naphakathi kwezinye izizwe ezahlukahlukeneyo, amaKeni aqhubeka enobuhlobo namaSirayeli. Ngesizathu esivakalayo, uSawule wawasindisa amaKeni.

Oko Sikufundayo:

9:21; 10:22, 27. Ukuthozama nokuthobeka kukaSawule xa wayeqala ukuba ngukumkani kwamkhusela ukuba angazenzi ngobudenge izinto xa “amadoda angamatshivela” engazange amamkele njengokumkani. Hayi indlela esiluncedo ngayo isimo sengqondo esilolo hlobo nxamnye nezenzo ezingena ngqiqo!

12:20, 21. Ungaze uvumele “izinto ezingeyonene,” njengokukholosa ngabantu, ukuthembela kumkhosi weentlanga okanye unqulo-zithixo, zikuphambukise enkonzweni kaYehova.

12:24. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo kukuba nentlonelo enzulu ngoYehova size simkhonze ngeentliziyo zethu zonke ‘sibone izinto ezinkulu azenzele’ abantu mandulo nanamhlanje.

13:10-14; 15:22-25, 30. Kuphaphele ukuzikhukhumalisa—nokuba kubonakaliswa ngezenzo zokungathobeli okanye ngesimo sengqondo sokuba nekratshi.—IMizekeliso 11:2.

INKWENKWANA ENGUMALUSI YENZIWA UKUMKANI

(1 Samuweli 16:1–31:13)

USamuweli uthambisa uDavide wesizwe sakwaYuda ukuba abe ngukumkani wexesha elizayo. Ngokukhawuleza emva koko, uDavide ubulala uGoliyati ingxilimbela yomFilisti ngesalinge. UDavide noYonatan baba ngabahlobo abasenyongweni. USawule umisela uDavide ukuba abe ngumphathi-mkhosi wakhe. Bechukunyiswe luloyiso lukaDavide, abafazi bakwaSirayeli baqamba ingoma bathi: “USawule uxabele amawaka akhe, noDavide amashumi akhe amawaka.” (1 Samuweli 18:7) Ejwaqwa ngumona, uSawule ufuna ukubulala uDavide. Emva kokuhlaselwa nguSawule, izihlandlo ezithathu uDavide uyabhaca.

Ebudeni baloo minyaka yokubhaca, uDavide usindisa ubomi bukaSawule izihlandlo ezibini. Udibana nenzwakazi uAbhigali yaye ekugqibeleni utshata nayo. Xa amaFilisti esiza kuhlasela uSirayeli, uSawule ufuna ukubuza kuYehova. Kodwa uYehova umkile kuye. USamuweli sele efile. Exakanisekile uSawule ubuzisa kwimimoya, yaye imxelela ukuba uza kubulawa ngamaFilisti. Kwelo dabi, uSawule ungxwelerhwa kanobom, baze oonyana bakhe babulawe. Le ngxelo iqukunjelwa ngokufa kukaSawule njengetyutyusi. UDavide useselubhacweni.

Impendulo Kwimibuzo YeZibhalo:

16:14—Nguwuphi lo moya mbi wankwantyisa uSawule? Umoya ombi owahlutha uxolo lwengqondo lukaSawule yayilutyekelo olubi lwengqondo nolwentliziyo. Xa uYehova wathabatha umoya wakhe, uSawule waphenjelelwa ngumoya wakhe ombi. Ekubeni uThixo wavumela loo moya ukuba uthabathel’ indawo umoya Wakhe oyingcwele, lo moya mbi ubizwa ngokuba “ngumoya ombi ophuma kuYehova.”

17:55—Ngokutsho kweyoku-1 kaSamuweli 16:17-23, kwakutheni ukuze uSawule abuze uDavide ukuba wayengunyana kabani?  USawule wayengafuni ukwazi igama likayise kaDavide nje kuphela. Kucacile ukuba wayefuna ukwazi le ndoda inonyana oligorha osandul’ ukuwisa ingxilimbela.

Oko Sikufundayo:

16:6, 7. Kunokuba sichukunyiswe yimbonakalo yangaphandle yabanye okanye sibagwebe ngokungxama, simele sizame ukubabona ngendlela uYehova ababona ngayo.

17:47-50. Ngenkalipho sinokumelana nenkcaso okanye intshutshiso evela kwiintshaba ezinjengoGoliyati kuba “lelikaYehova idabi.”

18:1, 3; 20:41, 42. Abahlobo bokwenene banokufumaneka phakathi kwabo bathanda uYehova.

21:12, 13. UYehova ulindele ukuba sisebenzise iingqondo zethu ukuze sicombulule iingxaki esidibana nazo ebomini. Usinike iLizwi lakhe eliphefumlelweyo, elisinika ubulumko, ulwazi namandla okucinga. (IMizekeliso 1:4) Siphinda sifumane uncedo kubadala abangamaKristu.

24:6; 26:11. Onjani ukuba mhle umzekelo owamiselwa nguDavide wokuhlonela umthanjiswa kaYehova!

25:23-33. Ukuba nengqiqo kuka-Abhigali kungumzekelo.

28:8-19. Kwinzame zayo zokulahlekisa okanye ukwenzakalisa abantu, imimoya engendawo inokuzenza abantu abathile abafayo. Simele siphephe zonke iintlobo zokusebenzelana nemimoya.—Duteronomi 18:10-12.

30:23, 24. Esi sigqibo, sisekelwe kwiNumeri 31:27, sibonisa ukuba uYehova uyakholiswa ngabo baxhasa ibandla. Nantoni na esiyenzayo, masiyenze ‘ngomphefumlo uphela ngokungathi siyenzela uYehova, kungekhona abantu.’—Kolose 3:23.

Yintoni “Elungileyo Kunombingelelo”?

Nguwuphi umgaqo obethelelwa ngamava kaEli, uSamuweli, uSawule noDavide? Ngowokuba: “Ukuthobela kulunge ngakumbi kunombingelelo, ukunikela ingqalelo kunamanqatha eenkunzi zeegusha; kuba imvukelo iyafana nesono sokuvumisa, nokunyanzelisa ngekratshi nqwa nokusebenzisa amandla angaqhelekanga nemilonde-khaya.”—1 Samuweli 15:22, 23.

Elinjani ilungelo esinalo lokuba nenxaxheba kumsebenzi owenziwa ehlabathini lonke wokushumayela uBukumkani nokwenza abafundi! Njengoko sinikela kuYehova “amathole eenkomo aziinkunzi, amazwi emilebe yethu,” simele senze konke okusemandleni ukuze sithobele ulwalathiso asinika lona ngeLizwi lakhe elibhaliweyo nangentlangano yakhe yasemhlabeni.—Hoseya 14:2; Hebhere 13:15.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Ukumkani wokuqala kwaSirayeli wayeka ukuba ngumlawuli othobekileyo nothozamileyo waba nekratshi wakhukhumala

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

Sinokuthembela entweni xa sijamelene nenkcaso evela kwiintshaba ezifana noGoliyati?