Ubaba kaRehobowamu uSolomoni, owabusa kwa-Israyeli iminyaka engu-40. (1 AmaKh. 11:42) USolomoni washona ngo-997 B.C.E. URehobowamu wasuka eJerusalema waya eShekemi ukuze agcotshwe abe inkosi. (2 IziKr. 10:1) Ingabe wayesaba ukuba inkosi ngemva kukaSolomoni? Phela uSolomoni wayehlakaniphe ngokwedlulele. Kwakudingeka ukuba uRehobowamu abonise ukuthi unalo yini ikhono lokuxazulula izinkinga.

Kumelwe ukuba uRehobowamu wabona ukuthi abantu kwa-Israyeli babengajabule. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, abameleli babantu beza kuye babika izikhalazo zabo: “Uyihlo wenza ijoka lethu laba nzima; manje yenza inkonzo enzima kayihlo nejoka elinzima alibeke phezu kwethu kube lula, sizokukhonza.”—2 IziKr. 10:3, 4.

Cishe uRehobowamu wazithola esenkingeni. Uma enza lokho okufunwa abantu, yena nomndeni wakhe nalabo abasesigodlweni sakhe kwakungase kudingeke badele ubukhazikhazi ababenabo nezinto ababezithola kubantu. Ngakolunye uhlangothi uma enqaba abantu babengase bavukele. Wayezokwenzenjani? Inkosi yaqale yakhuluma namadoda amadala ayengabeluleki bakaSolomoni. Nokho, uRehobowamu wabe esefuna iseluleko ezinsizweni ezilingana naye. Elandela iseluleko sazo, uRehobowamu wanquma ukuphatha abantu ngokhahlo. Wabaphendula wathi: “Ngizokwenza ijoka lenu libe nzima ngokwengeziwe, futhi mina ngizonezela kulo. Ubaba wanishaya ngezitswebhu, kodwa mina ngizonishaya ngezitswebhu ezinameva.”—2 IziKr. 10:6-14.

Yini esiyifundayo kulokhu? Kuyacaca ukuthi kuwukuhlakanipha ukulalela asebekhulile, abavuthiwe ngokomoya. Ngenxa yezinto ababhekene nazo ekuphileni bangase bakwazi ukubona umphumela wesinqumo esithile bese besinika iseluleko esihle.—Jobe 12:12.

URehobowamu wabutha ibutho lakhe ukuze ahlasele izizwe ezihlubukile. Kodwa uJehova  wangenela ngomprofethi uShemaya, wathi: “Akumelwe nikhuphuke niyokulwa nabafowenu abantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Buyelani yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe, ngoba le nto ivelé ngokuthanda kwami.”—1 AmaKh. 12:21-24. *

Ingabe uRehobowamu wayengeke alwe ngempela? Ungase ucabange nje indlela lokho okwamkhathaza ngayo uRehobowamu! Yini abantu ababezoyicabanga ngenkosi ayasongela ukujezisa abantu bayo “ngezitswebhu ezinameva” kodwa eyahluleka ukubajezisa lapho behlubuka? (Qhathanisa neyesi-2 IziKronike 13:7.) Noma kunjalo, inkosi nebutho layo “balilalela izwi likaJehova, babuyela emakhaya ngokuvumelana nezwi likaJehova.”

Yini esiyifundayo? Kuwukuhlakanipha ukulalela uNkulunkulu ngisho noma ukwenza kanjalo kungase kusenze sigconwe. Ukulalela uNkulunkulu kusenza sibe abangane bakhe futhi sithole izibusiso.—Dut. 28:2.

Kwenzekani kuRehobowamu? Ngokuthobeka wayeka ukuhlasela isizwe esasisanda kumiswa, wabe eseqala ukwakha amadolobha kwaJuda nakwaBhenjamini okuyizindawo ayesabusa kuzo. Waqinisa amadolobha amaningi “ngezinga elikhulu kakhulu.” (2 IziKr. 11:5-12) Okubaluleke nakakhulu, okwesikhathi esithile walalela imithetho kaNkulunkulu. Njengoba umbuso wakwa-Israyeli wezizwe eziyishumi owawubuswa uJerobowamu wawugxile ekukhulekeleni izithombe, abantu abaningi kuleso sizwe basekela uRehobowamu ngokuya eJerusalema ukuze bamelele ukukhulekela kweqiniso. (2 IziKr. 11:16, 17) Ukulalela kukaRehobowamu kwaqinisa umbuso wakhe.

Nokho, lapho umbuso wakhe usuqinile, uRehobowamu wenza into engalindelekile. Washiya umthetho kaJehova wakhonza onkulunkulu bamanga! Kungani? Ingabe wayethonywe unina owayengumAmonikazi? (1 AmaKh. 14:21) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zaziyini izizathu zakhe, isizwe sonke samlandela. UJehova wabe esevumela iNkosi uShishaki yaseGibhithe ukuba inqobe amadolobha amaningi akwaJuda ngisho noma uRehobowamu ayewaqinisile.—1 AmaKh. 14:22-24; 2 IziKr. 12:1-4.

Isimo saba sibi nakakhulu lapho uShishaki efika eJerusalema okwakuyisigodlo sikaRehobowamu. Ngaleso sikhathi uShemaya umprofethi watshela uRehobowamu nezikhulu zakhe umyalezo ovela kuNkulunkulu: “Ningishiyile, nami nginishiyele esandleni sikaShishaki.” URehobowamu wasabela kanjani kulowo myalezo oyisijeziso? Wasabela kahle. IBhayibheli lithi: “Izikhulu zakwa-Israyeli nenkosi bazithoba bathi: ‘UJehova ulungile.’” Ngenxa yalokho uJehova wasindisa uRehobowamu neJerusalema ekubhujisweni.—2 IziKr. 12:5-7, 12.

URehobowamu waqhubeka eyinkosi embusweni waseningizimu. Ngaphambi kokuba afe wanikeza amadodana akhe amaningi izipho ukuze kungabi bikho ozovukela u-Abhiya indodana yakhe eyayizoba yinkosi elandelayo. (2 IziKr. 11:21-23) Kulokhu, uRehobowamu wabonisa ukuqonda angazange akubonise ekuqaleni.

URehobowamu wehluleka ukuzakhela ubungane obuhle noNkulunkulu. Lapho likhuluma ngokubusa kwakhe iBhayibheli lithi: “Wenza okubi.” Kungani? “Ngoba wayengazange ayiqinise inhliziyo yakhe ukuba ifune uJehova.”—2 IziKr. 12:14.

Yini esingayifunda ekuphileni kukaRehobowamu? Wayelalela uJehova ngezikhathi ezithile kuphela. Zikhona nezinto ezinhle azenzela isizwe sikaJehova. Kodwa wehluleka ukwakha ubuhlobo obuseduze noJehova futhi akabanga nesifiso esiqotho sokumjabulisa. Yingakho enza okubi futhi wakhulekela onkulunkulu bamanga. Kungenzeka uyazibuza, ‘Ngesikhathi uRehobowamu elalela uNkulunkulu, ingabe wayekwenza lokho ngoba ezisola ngempela ngakwenzile futhi efuna ukujabulisa uNkulunkulu noma wayekwenza nje ngoba elalela lokho abanye abathi akakwenze?’ (2 IziKr. 11:3, 4; 12:6) Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile waphinde wenza okubi. Wayehluke ngokuphelele kumkhulu wakhe, iNkosi uDavide. UDavide wawenza amaphutha, kodwa wayemthanda ngempela uJehova, ezinikezele  ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso futhi ezisola ngobuqotho lapho enza izono.—1 AmaKh. 14:8; IHu. 51:1, 17; 63:1.

Ngempela, singafunda isifundo kuRehobowamu. Kuyancomeka lapho abantu benakekela imindeni yabo futhi bezikhandla enkonzweni kaJehova. Kodwa ukuze sibe abangane bakaJehova, kumelwe siqale ngokusekela ukukhulekela kweqiniso futhi sinamathele kukho.

Cishe lokhu siyokwenza uma silwela ukuthanda uJehova ngokujulile. Njengoba ukhwezela umlilo ukuze uhlale uvutha, kudingeka sigcine uthando lwethu ngoNkulunkulu luvutha ngokutadisha njalo iZwi lakhe, ukucabangisisa ngesikufundayo nokukhuthazela emthandazweni. (IHu. 1:2; Roma 12:12) Ukuthanda uJehova kuyosenza sifise ukumjabulisa kukho konke esikwenzayo. Lapho kudingeka, kuyosishukumisela ukuba sizisole ngobuqotho. Ngokungafani noRehobowamu siyohlala siqinile ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso.—Jude 20, 21.