UKHONA yini umuntu ongahlala ethembekile kuNkulunkulu uma evivinywa kakhulu, kubonakala nokuthi ngeke athole nzuzo ngisho noma engalalela? Lowo mbuzo wabuzwa futhi waphendulwa ngokuqondene nendoda enguJobe.

Lapho ama-Israyeli eseseGibhithe, uJobe, isihlobo sika-Abrahama, wayehlala endaweni manje ebizwa ngokuthi i-Arabhiya. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, izingelosi ezulwini zaya phambi kukaNkulunkulu, futhi isihlubuki esinguSathane sasikanye nazo. UJehova watshela izingelosi indlela ayethemba ngayo inceku yakhe ethembekile uJobe. Eqinisweni, uJehova wathi akekho omunye umuntu owayeqotho njengoJobe. Kodwa uSathane wagomela ngokuthi uJobe ukhonza uNkulunkulu ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu wayembusisile futhi wamvikela. Wathi uma uJobe engaphucwa zonke izinto ayenazo, wayezomthuka uNkulunkulu.

UNkulunkulu wavumela uSathane ukuba aqale ngokuphuca uJobe ingcebo nezingane zakhe, kamuva amshaye ngesifo. Engazi ukuthi nguSathane obangela konke lokhu, uJobe wayengaqondi ukuthi kungani uNkulunkulu emyeka ahlupheke kangaka. Noma kunjalo, uJobe akazange amshiye uNkulunkulu.

Abangane bakaJobe bamanga abathathu beza kuye. Amazwi alotshwe encwadini kaJobe alandisa ngephutha lalawa madoda lokuzama ukubonisa uJobe ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayemjezisela izono zakhe zangasese. Baze bamtshela nokuthi uNkulunkulu akaboni lutho oluhle ezikhonzini zakhe futhi akazethembi. UJobe wakwenqaba ukucabanga kwabo okuyiphutha. Wabatshela ngokuqiniseka ukuthi wayezogcina ubuqotho bakhe aze ayongena egodini!

Kodwa uJobe wenza iphutha lokukhathalela ngokweqile ukuveza ukuthi yena ulunge kangakanani. Insizwa engu-Elihu eyayikade ilalele yonke le ngxoxo, yangenela. Yasola uJobe ngokungaqondi ukuthi ukulwelwa kobukhosi bukaJehova uNkulunkulu kubaluleke kakhulu kunokulwelwa kwanoma imuphi umuntu. U-Elihu wabuye wabakhuza ngamazwi ashubile abangane bakaJobe bamanga.

UJehova uNkulunkulu wabe esekhuluma noJobe, elungisa ukucabanga kwakhe. Wamtshela ngezimangaliso eziningi zendalo, emfundisa isifundo ngobuncane bomuntu uma eqhathaniswa nobukhulu bukaNkulunkulu. Ngokuthobeka, uJobe wasamukela iseluleko sikaNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yokuthi uJehova “unothando futhi unesihe,” wenza uJobe walulama, wambuyisela ingcebo yakhe isiphindwe kabili futhi wambusisa ngezingane eziyishumi. (Jakobe 5:11) Ngokuhlala eqotho kuJehova lapho evivinywa kabuhlungu, uJobe waphumelela ukuphendula ukumangalela kukaSathane kokuthi abantu ngeke bahlale bethembekile kuNkulunkulu uma bevivinywa.

—Isekelwe encwadini kaJobe.