SONKE sikholelwa ukuthi uJehova uqondisa abantu bakhe futhi ubanika abakudingayo ukuze basondelane naye phakathi nalezi ‘zinsuku zokugcina.’ (2 Thim. 3:1) Kodwa kuncike kumuntu ngamunye ukuthi uyasabela yini. Isimo sethu singasifanisa nesama-Israyeli ehlane. Kwakumelwe enze okuthile lapho kukhala icilongo.

UJehova wayala uMose ukuba azenzele amacilongo amabili esiliva ‘ayezosetshenziselwa ukubiza inhlangano nokudiliza amakamu.’ (Num. 10:2) Abapristi kwakumelwe bashaye la macilongo ngezindlela ezingafani ukuze batshele abantu lokho okwakufanele bakwenze. (Num. 10:3-8) Namuhla, abantu bakaNkulunkulu bazithola ngezindlela eziningi iziqondiso. Kulesi sihloko, sizoxoxa ngezindlela ezintathu esithola ngazo iziqondiso, siziqhathanise nokukhala kwecilongo kwasendulo. Lezi zindlela ezintathu yilapho simenyelwa khona emihlanganweni emikhulu, yilapho abadala beqeqeshwa khona, nalapho iziqondiso zawo wonke amabandla zithuthukiswa noma zilungiswa.

Lapho uJehova efuna ukuba “yonke inhlangano” ihlangane endaweni yokungena esohlangothini olusempumalanga yetabernakele, abapristi babewashaya womabili amacilongo. (Num. 10:3) Zonke izizwe ezazikanise nxazonke zetabernakele ngokwezigaba ezine, zawuzwa lowo msindo wecilongo. Labo ababekanise eduze nendawo yokungena, cishe bona babengasabela ngokushesha. Labo ababethe ukuqhela babengase badinge isikhathi esithe xaxa, nomzamo owengeziwe ngaphambi kokuba bafike. Kunoma yikuphi, uJehova wayefuna bonke bahlangane futhi bezwe iziqondiso zakhe.

Namuhla, asihlangani etabernakele, kodwa simenyelwa emihlanganweni yabantu bakaNkulunkulu. Le mihlangano ihlanganisa imihlangano yesifunda nezinye izenzakalo ezikhethekile, lapho sithola khona ulwazi olubalulekile neziqondiso. Kuwo wonke amazwe emhlabeni jikelele, abantu bakaJehova bajabulela imfundo efanayo. Ngakho, labo abamukela leso simemo bayingxenye yeqembu elikhulu labantu abajabulayo. Abanye kudingeka bahambe ibanga elide kunabanye. Noma kunjalo, labo abamukela isimemo bayavuma ukuthi abazisoli nhlobo ngokuba khona.

Kuthiwani ngamaqembu akude, aqhelelene nemihlangano emikhulu? Siyazibonga ezobuchwepheshe ngokuthi abaningi abanjalo bayakwazi ukuzuza kule mihlangano emikhulu futhi bazizwe beyingxenye yayo. Ngokwesibonelo, phakathi nokuhambela kommeleli wendlunkulu, igatsha laseBenin lasakaza isimiso somhlangano e-Arlit, eNiger, okuyidolobha  elinezimayini ogwadule iSahara. Babengu-21 ababethamele lowo mhlangano, babehlanganisa abafowethu, odadewethu, nalabo abafuna ukwazi iqiniso. Nakuba babeqhelile, bazizwa bemunye neqembu elikhulu labantu abangu-44 131. Omunye umzalwane wabhala: “Sibonga kakhulu ngokusuka enhliziyweni ngokusakazwa kwalesi simiso somhlangano. Nisibonisile ukuthi nisithanda kangakanani.”

Lapho abapristi abangama-Israyeli beshaya icilongo elilodwa kuphela, ‘kwakuyizikhulu njengezinhloko zezinkulungwane’ kuphela okwakumelwe zize etendeni lokuhlangana. (Num. 10:4) UMose wayebaqeqeshela lapho ebatshela nezinto okudingeka bazazi. Lokho kwakubasiza benze imisebenzi yabo ezizweni zabo. Ukube wawungesinye salezo zikhulu, wawungeke yini wenze konke ongakwenza ukuze ube khona futhi uzuze?

Namuhla, abadala bebandla abazona “izikhulu”; futhi abazenzi izingqongqo phezu komhlambi kaNkulunkulu abawunakekelayo. (1 Pet. 5:1-3) Kodwa benza konke okusemandleni abo ukuze beluse umhlambi. Ngakho, bahlale bekulungele ukwamukela ukuqeqeshwa okwengeziwe, njengeSikole Senkonzo SoMbuso. Phakathi nalesi sikole, abadala bafunda indlela abangaphumelela ngayo kakhudlwana ekunakekeleni izindaba zebandla. Lokho kwenza abadala nomhlambi abawunakekelayo basondele kakhudlwana kuJehova. Ngisho noma ungakaze uye kwesinye salezi zikole, cishe uyazuza kulabo asebeke baya kuzo.

Ngesinye isikhathi, abapristi abangama-Israyeli babenza umsindo wecilongo oshintshashintshayo. Lesi kwakuyisimemezelo sokuthi uJehova ufuna lonke ikamu lisuke. (Num. 10:5, 6) Ukusuka kwekamu kwakubonisa ukuhleleka okumangalisayo, kodwa kwakuphinde kube umsebenzi omkhulu kuwo wonke umuntu. Kungenzeka abanye babebuye bengakuthandisisi. Kungani?

Mhlawumbe abanye babenomuzwa wokuthi icilongo lokusuka kwekamu lalikhala kaningi futhi kungalindelekile. “Ngezinye izikhathi ifu laliqhubeka lihlezi kusukela kusihlwa kuze kube sekuseni.” Ngezinye izikhathi “lalihlala izinsuku ezimbili, noma inyanga, noma izinsuku ezengeziwe.” (Num. 9:21, 22) Ukusuka kwekamu kwakwenzeka kangaki? UNumeri isahluko 33 ukhuluma ngezindawo ezingu-40 ama-Israyeli akanisa kuzo.

Ngezinye izikhathi, abanye babethola indawo enomthunzi. Lokho kwakungaba mnandi “ehlane elikhulu nelesabekayo.” (Dut. 1:19) Ngakho, abanye babengase bacabange ukuthi ukusuka kuzobenza bathole indawo abangeke bayithande.

Lapho ikamu liqala ukusuka, ezinye izizwe kwakumelwe zibonise isineke njengoba zilinde ithuba lazo lokusuka. Bonke babewuzwa umsindo wokukhala kwecilongo oshintshashintshayo, kodwa babengeke bakwazi ukusuka kanyekanye. Lowo msindo wecilongo oshintshashintshayo wawuwuphawu lokuthi izizwe ezikanise empumalanga okuwuJuda, u-Isakare noZebhuloni kwakufanele zisuke. (Num. 2:3-7; 10:5, 6) Ngemva kokuba sezisukile, abapristi babekhalisa umsindo wecilongo oshintshashintshayo okwesibili ukuze kusuke isigaba sezizwe ezintathu esikanise eningizimu. Abapristi babenza ngale ndlela kuze kube yilapho lonke ikamu selisukile.

Kungenzeka nawe uke wakuthola kunzima ukwamukela ushintsho oluthile olwenziwe inhlangano. Kungenzeka wakhungatheka lapho kwenzeka izinguquko eziningi ungalindele. Noma kungenzeka ubulithanda ilungiselelo elithile futhi ufisa sengathi ngabe alishintshwanga. Kunoma yikuphi, kungenzeka wezwa sengathi uyavivinyeka, futhi kwakuthatha isikhathi ukuzivumelanisa nezimo. Nokho, uma silwela ukusabela ngendlela efanele, siyozibona izibusiso zikaNkulunkulu.

Ngosuku lukaMose, uJehova wayeqondisa izigidi zamadoda, abesifazane nezingane ehlane. Ukube wayengabanakekeli futhi engabaqondisi, babengeke basinde. Namuhla, sigcina ubuhlobo bethu noJehova bubuhle ngenxa yokuthi uyasiqondisa. Empeleni, uma senza kanjalo siyaphumelela! Ngakho, kwangathi sonke singazimisela ukusabela ngendlela ama-Israyeli athembekile asabela ngayo lapho kukhala icilongo!