IHLWEMPU lomhlolokazi langa unyana walo, nokuphela komntwana anaye. Ayikholeleki le nto ayibonayo. Kaloku, kwimizuzwana nje ngaphambi koku, ebewole isidumbu salo mntwana wakhe esentlungwini. Naku ngoku ejonge lo nyana wakhe uvuswe ekufeni yaye uchulumancile kukubona uncumo lwakhe. Undwendwe lwakhe luthi kuye: “Uyabona, unyana wakho uyaphila.”

Esi siganeko sokuvuswa komntu senzeka kwiminyaka emalunga neyi-3 000 eyadlulayo. Ingxelo yaso ifumaneka kweyoku-1 yooKumkani isahluko 17. Olu ndwendwe lwalo mhlolokazi ngumprofeti kaThixo uEliya. Ngubani yena loo mhlolokazi? Ngumhlolokazi ohlala eTsarefathi kodwa asilichazelwa igama lakhe. Ukuvuswa konyana wakhe kwaba sesinye seziganeko ezomeleza ukholo kubomi bakhe. Njengokuba sinikela ingqalelo kubomi bakhe, siza kufunda izinto ezithile ezibalulekileyo.

UYehova wagqiba ekubeni kubekho imbalela kangangexesha elide kummandla olawulwa nguAhabhi, ukumkani ongendawo wakwaSirayeli. Emva kokuba uEliya ebhengeze imbalela, uThixo wamfihla ukuze angabulawa nguAhabhi waza wondla lo mprofeti ngendlela engummangaliso esebenzisa amahlungulu ukuba amphathele isonka nenyama. Emva koko, wathi kuEliya: “Phakama, uye eTsarefathi, eyeyamaSidon, uye kuhlala khona. Khangela! Ndiya kuyalela umfazi apho, ongumhlolokazi, ukuba akubonelele ngokutya.”—1 Kum. 17:1-9.

Ukufika kwakhe eTsarefathi, uEliya wabona umhlolokazi olihlwempu etheza iinkuni. Ngaba yayinguye lo wayeza kunyamekela lo mprofeti ngokutya? Wayeza kumnyamekela njani ekubeni kwayena wayelihlwempu? Enoba ngawaphi na amathandabuzo awayenawo, uEliya waqalisa ukuthetha neli bhinqa. Wathi: “Nceda,  undirhabulise amanzi ngesitya ukuze ndisele.” Xa waya endlwini ukuya kumkhelela amanzi, uEliya wongezelela wathi: “Nceda, undiphe intwana yesonka esisesandleni sakho.” (1 Kum. 17:10, 11) Ukunika lo mntu angamaziyo amanzi akuzange kube yingxaki kulo mhlolokazi, kodwa yaba nzima le yokumnika isonka.

Ephendula wathi: “Njengoko uYehova uThixo wakho ephila, andinalo iqebengwana elibusazinge, kodwa ndinomgubo onokuzalisa isandla osengqayini enkulu nentwana yeoli esengqayini encinane; yaye yabona nditheza iinkuni ezimbalwa, ndiza kwenzela mna nonyana wam, ukuze sidle size sife.” (1 Kum. 17:12) Makhe sicinge ngoko kutyhilwa yile ncoko yabo.

Lo mhlolokazi wayeqonda ukuba uEliya ngumSirayeli ohlonela uThixo. Oku sikuva kumazwi akhe athi, “njengoko uYehova uThixo wakho ephila.” Kuyabonakala ukuba nakuba wayenalo ulwazi oluthile ngoThixo kaSirayeli, olo lwazi zange lumenze athi “uThixo wam” xa ethetha ngoYehova. Wayehlala eTsarefathi, idolophu ekubonakala ukuba yayixhomekeke kwiFenike eyayisisixeko samaSidon. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba, eTsarefathi kwakuhlala abanquli bakaBhahali. Noko ke, kumele ukuba kukho nto ithile awayibonayo uYehova kulo mhlolokazi.

Nakuba eli hlwempu lomhlolokazi lalihlala phakathi kwabanquli-zithixo, lalinalo ukholo. UYehova wathumela uEliya kuye ukuze asindise yena naloo mhlolokazi. Kukho isifundo esibalulekileyo koku.

Abantu ababehlala kwiTsarefathi ezaliswe lunqulo lukaBhahali babengonakalanga bonke. Ngokuthumela kwakhe uEliya kuloo mhlolokazi, uYehova wabonisa ukuba uyakwazi ukubabona abantu abaneentliziyo ezintle nokuba abakamkhonzi. Enyanisweni, “kwiintlanga zonke umntu omoyikayo [uThixo] aze asebenze ubulungisa wamkelekile kuye.”—IZe. 10:35.

Bangaphi abantu abahlala kwintsimi okuyo abafana nalo mhlolokazi waseTsarefathi? Nakuba besenokuba bangqongwe ngabanquli bobuxoki, kusenokwenzeka ukuba banqwenela into ebhetele. Basenokuba abanalwazi kangako ngoYehova, ngoko kufuneka bancedwe bamkele unqulo olunyulu. Ngaba uyabakhangela ukuze ubancede abantu abanjalo?

Qaphela oko uEliya wacela lo mhlolokazi ukuba akwenze. Wayegqiba kuxelela uEliya ukuba wayeza kuqwela umgutyana wakhe wokugqibela enzele yena nonyana wakhe isidlo, badle baze bafe. Kodwa wathini uEliya kuye? “Musa ukoyika. Ngena, wenze ngokwelizwi lakho. Kodwa kuqala ndenzele iqebengwana elibusazinge elincinane ngaloo nto ikhoyo, undizisele apha, uze wenzele wena nonyana wakho kamva. Kuba naku okuthethwe nguYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Ingqayi enkulu yomgubo ayiyi kuphela, nengqayi encinane yeoli ayiyi kuphela kude kube yimini uYehova aya kunisa ngayo izantyalantyala zemvula phezu komhlaba.’”—1 Kum. 17:11-14.

Abanye babenokuthi: ‘Sincamele wena ukutya kwethu kokugqibela? Yithi uyadlala.’ Kodwa akazange atsho lo mhlolokazi. Nakuba wayengenalwazi lungako ngoYehova, wamkholelwa uEliya waza wenza oko amyalela kona. Oko kwakuluvavanya nyhani ukholo—ibe wenza isigqibo sobulumko!

UThixo akazange amlahle loo mhlolokazi. Kanye njengokuba uEliya wayethembisile, uYehova wakwandisa oko kutya kuncinane wayenako baza bobathathu baqhubeka benento yokutya de kwaphela  loo mbalela. Eneneni, “ingqayi enkulu yomgubo ayizange iphele, nengqayi encinane yeoli ayizange iphele, ngokwelizwi likaYehova awalithethayo ngoEliya.” (1 Kum. 17:16; 18:1) Ukuba loo mhlolokazi wayengalithobelanga ilizwi likaEliya, kumele ukuba ngekwaphela kwangoko oko kutya kwakhe. Noko ke, waba nokholo, wathembela kuYehova waza wondla uEliya kuqala.

Into esiyifundayo koku kukuba, uThixo uyabasikelela abo banokholo kuye. Xa ujamelana novavanyo uze ube nokholo, uYehova uya kukunceda. Uya kuba nguMxhasi, uMkhuseli noMhlobo ukuze akuncede ukwazi ukunyamezela izilingo.—Eks. 3:13-15.

Ngo-1898, iZion’s Watch Tower yachaza isifundo esifumaneka kwibali lalo mhlolokazi yathi: “Ukuba elo bhinqa lathobela ngenxa yokuba nokholo, limele ukuba lakufanelekela ukuncedwa yiNkosi isebenzisa loo mProfeti; ukuba lalingenalo ukholo, uYehova wayesenokufumana omnye umhlolokazi. Kunjalo ke nakuthi, kwiimeko ezahlukeneyo zobomi iNkosi iye ivumele iimeko eziza kuvavanya ukholo lwethu. Xa sinokholo sifumana intsikelelo; xa singenalo, asiyifumani.”

Xa sivavanywa, simele sikhangele ulwalathiso lukaThixo eZibhalweni nakwiincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni. Emva koko simele sithobele olo lwalathiso lukaYehova enoba kunzima kangakanani na ukulwamkela. Siya kusikelelwa ngokwenene xa sithobela la mazwi obulumko athi: “Kholosa ngoYehova ngayo yonke intliziyo yakho, ungayami ngokwakho ukuqonda. Uze umgqale yena ezindleleni zakho zonke, kwaye uya kuwenza uthi tye umendo wakho.”—IMize. 3:5, 6.

Ukholo lwalo mhlolokazi lwaluseza kuphinda luvavanywe. IBhayibhile ithi: “Emva kwezi zinto unyana walo mfazi, inkosikazi yendlu, wagula, kwaye isifo sakhe saba qatha kwada akwabakho kuphefumla kuye.” Efuna unobangela wokufelwa kwakhe, ebuhlungu lo mama wathi kuEliya: ‘Ndinantoni na yakwenza nawe, mntu kaThixo oyinyaniso? Uze kum ukuze undikhumbuze ngesiphoso sam nokuze ubulale unyana wam?’ (1 Kum. 17:17, 18) Atheth’ ukuthini la mazwi abuhlungu kangaka?

Ngaba kulo mfazi kwathi qatha isono awakha wasenza? Ngaba wayecinga ukuba wohlwaywa nguThixo ngokufa konyana wakhe abe uthumele uEliya ukwenza oko? IBhayibhile ayisixeleli kwanto, kodwa into ecacileyo yile: Lo mhlolokazi akazange atyhole uThixo ngokuthi akanabulungisa.

UEliya umele ukuba wothuswa gqitha kukufa konyana walo mhlolokazi nasisityholo sokuba bubukho bakhe obabangela loo ntlekele. Emva kokuthwala umzimba waloo nkwenkwe awuse kwigumbi eliphezulu, uEliya wabongoza uThixo esithi: “Owu Yehova Thixo wam, ngaba uza kumenzakalisa na nalo mhlolokazi ndihlala naye njengomphambukeli ngokubulala unyana wakhe?” Lo mprofeti wayengakwazi kuyinyamezela into yokuba kugculelwe igama likaThixo, nto leyo yayiza kwenzeka ukuba uThixo wayevumele intlungu enje yehlele lo mhlolokazi unobubele. Ngoko ke, uEliya wabiza kuYehova esithi: “Owu Yehova Thixo wam, nceda, wenze umphefumlo walo mntwana ubuyele kuye.”—1 Kum. 17:20, 21.

UYehova wayephulaphule. Lo mhlolokazi wayemlungiselele umprofeti wakhe ibe wayenokholo. Kuyabonakala ukuba, uThixo wamyeka lo mntwana wagula de wafa, esazi ukuba ukuvuswa kwakhe—uvuko lokuqala ekuthethwa ngalo eBhayibhileni—kwakuza kwenza izizukulwana ezilandelayo zibe nethemba. Xa uEliya wabongozayo, uYehova wambuyisela ebomini loo mntwana. Unokuyicingela indlela awavuya ngayo loo mhlolokazi xa uEliya wathi: “Uyabona, unyana wakho uyaphila”! Lo mhlolokazi wathi kuEliya: “Ngoku, eneneni, ndiyazi ukuba uyindoda yakwaThixo nokuba ilizwi likaYehova elisemlonyeni wakho liyinyaniso.”—1 Kum. 17:22-24.

Ingxelo ekweyokuqala yooKumkani isahluko 17 ayiphindi ithethe nto ngalo mhlolokazi. Noko ke, ngenxa yamazwi amnandi kaYesu, kamva xa ethetha ngalo mhlolokazi, umele ukuba waba ngumkhonzi kaYehova emva koko. (Luka 4:25, 26) Ibali lakhe lisifundisa ukuba uThixo uyabasikelela abo benza okuhle kubakhonzi bakhe. (Mat. 25:34-40) Libonisa ukuba uThixo uyabanyamekela abo bathembekileyo, kwanokuba bakwiimeko ezibuhlungu. (Mat. 6:25-34) Le ngxelo ingqina ukuba uYehova uyakunqwenela yaye unawo amandla okuvusa abafileyo. (IZe. 24:15) Ezi zizizathu ezihle zokukhumbula lo mhlolokazi waseTsarefathi.