“Ukhona Umvuzo Womsebenzi Wenu”

IHOLA amabutho ayo, iNkosi u-Asa isuka phezulu ezintabeni zakwaJuda iphuthuma esigodini esisezansi impela esisethafeni elisogwini. Uma ifika lapho isigodi siba banzi khona, iyama imangele. Laphaya ezansi ibona ikamu lesitha—futhi likhulu kakhulu! Lawo mabutho aseTopiya kumelwe ukuba ngempela abalelwa esigidini. Ibutho lakhe lingaphezudlwana kwengxenye yalelo butho elikhulu.

Njengoba ebhekene nempi esizohlasela, yini esengqondweni ka-Asa? Ingabe ucabanga ngeziyalezo okumelwe azinike ojenene bakhe? Isikhuthazo okumelwe asinike amabutho? Ukubhalela umkhaya wakhe? Lutho neze! Njengoba ebhekene nalesi simo esibucayi, u-Asa uyathandaza.

Ngaphambi kokubukeza lowo mthandazo nokuhlola okwenzeka kuleso senzakalo, ake sixoxe ngokuthi u-Asa wayeyindoda enjani. Kungani akhetha ukuthandaza? Wayenaso yini isizathu esizwakalayo sokufuna usizo kuNkulunkulu? Ukulandisa okuphathelene no-Asa kusitshelani ngendlela uJehova abusisa ngayo umsebenzi wezinceku zaKhe?

UMLANDO KA-ASA

Phakathi neminyaka engu-20 yangemva kokuhlukana kuka-Israyeli abe imibuso emibili, uJuda wayesonakaliswe ngokuphelele imikhuba yobuqaba. Lapho u-Asa eba yinkosi ngo-977 B.C.E., ukukhulekelwa konkulunkulu benzalo bamaKhanani kwase kungene nasesigodlweni. Kodwa umlando ophefumulelwe wezenzakalo zansuku zonke wokubusa kuka-Asa uthi “wenza okuhle nokulungile emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe.” U-Asa “wasusa ama-altare abanye onkulunkulu nezindawo eziphakeme futhi waphula izinsika ezingcwele wanquma nezigxobo ezingcwele.” (2 IziKr. 14:2, 3) Wabuye waxosha “izifebe zesilisa zasethempelini” embusweni wakwaJuda, ezazenza ubungqingili egameni lenkolo. Kodwa akagcinanga lapho. Wabuye wanxusa abantu ukuba ‘bafune uJehova uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo’ futhi bagcine “umthetho nomyalo” kaNkulunkulu.—1 AmaKh. 15:12, 13; 2 IziKr. 14:4.

Ejatshuliswe ukushisekela kuka-Asa ukukhulekela kweqiniso, uJehova wamvuza ngeminyaka yokuthula. Yilokho okwenza le nkosi yathi: “Siye samfuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu. Simfunile, yena usinika ukuphumula nxazonke.” Abantu basebenzisa le nkathi ukuze bakhe izivikelo zemizi yasembusweni wakwaJuda. Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kuthi, “Base beyakha futhi baba nempumelelo.”—2 IziKr. 14:1, 6, 7.

EMPINI

Ngenxa yalo mlando ka-Asa, akufanele kusimangaze ukuthi wathandaza lapho ebhekene nebutho labantu elikhulu kunawo wonke okwake kwakhulunywa ngawo emiBhalweni. U-Asa wayazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyazibusisa izenzo zokholo. Emthandazweni wayo, inkosi yanxusa usizo lukaJehova. U-Asa wayazi ukuthi uma encika kuNkulunkulu futhi esekelwa nguye, kwakungenandaba ukuthi izitha zaziningi noma zinamandla kangakanani. Kwakuhileleke igama likaJehova kule mpi, ngakho u-Asa wancenga uNkulunkulu ngokusekelwe kulokho. Le nkosi yathandaza: “O Jehova Nkulunkulu wethu, sisize, ngoba sinciké kuwe, futhi size ukuzomelana nalesi sixuku egameni lakho. O Jehova, wena unguNkulunkulu wethu. Ungavumeli umuntu ofayo abe namandla ngokumelene nawe.” (2 IziKr. 14:11) Kwakusengathi ithi: ‘Amabutho aseTopiya ahlasela wena Jehova. Ungavumi ukuba igama lakho lihlaziswe  ngokuvumela abantukazana banqobe abantu ababizwa ngegama lakho.’ Nangempela “uJehova wawahlula amaTopiya phambi kuka-Asa naphambi kukaJuda, futhi amaTopiya abaleka.”—2 IziKr. 14:12.

Nanamuhla, abantu bakaJehova babhekene nabaphikisi abaningi abanamandla. Ngeke silwe nabo impi engokoqobo ngezikhali zenyama. Noma kunjalo, singaqiniseka ukuthi uJehova uyobenza banqobe bonke abathembekile abalwa impi engokomoya egameni lakhe. Izimpi esibhekene nazo ngabanye zingahlanganisa ukuzabalaza kanzima simelana nomoya odlangile wokuyekelela ekuziphatheni, ukulwa nobuthakathaka bethu noma ukuvikela imikhaya yethu emathonyeni onakalisayo. Nokho, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sibhekene nabuphi ubunzima, singathola isikhuthazo emthandazweni ka-Asa. Ukunqoba kwakhe kwakuwukunqoba kukaJehova. Kubonisa lokho okungalindelwa yibo bonke abancika kuNkulunkulu. Akekho umuntu ongaba namandla okumelana noJehova.

ISIKHUTHAZO NESIXWAYISO

Lapho ebuya empini, u-Asa wahlangatshezwa u-Azariya. Lo mprofethi wamkhuthaza futhi wamxwayisa: “O Asa naye wonke uJuda noBhenjamini, ngizweni! UJehova unani kuphela uma nina niba naye; uma nimfuna, uyozenza ukuba nimthole, kodwa uma nimshiya uyonishiya. . . . Yibani nesibindi futhi ningavumeli izandla zenu ziyethe, ngoba ukhona umvuzo womsebenzi wenu.”—2 IziKr. 15:1, 2, 7.

La mazwi angaluqinisa ukholo lwethu. Abonisa ukuthi uJehova uzoba nathi uma nje simkhonza ngokwethembeka. Lapho sikhala kuye sicela usizo, singaqiniseka ukuthi uyasizwa. U-Azariya wathi, “Yibani nesibindi.” Ngokuvamile, ukwenza okulungile kudinga isibindi esikhulu, kodwa siyazi ukuthi singaba naso ngosizo lukaJehova.

Ngenxa yokuthi ugogo wakhe uMahakha wayenzele “isigxobo esingcwele isithombe esisabekayo,” u-Asa wabhekana nenselele enkulu yokumsusa esikhundleni sakhe ‘njengendlovukazi.’ Akayibalekelanga leyo nselele, wamsusa, wasishisa naleso sithombe. (1 AmaKh. 15:13) U-Asa wabusiswa ngokuba kwakhe nesibindi nokuzimisela. Nathi kumelwe sinamathele ngokuqinile kuJehova nasezindinganisweni zakhe zokulunga kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izihlobo zethu ziqotho yini kuYe noma cha. Uma senza kanjalo, uJehova uzosivuza ngokuziphatha kwethu ngokwethembeka.

Omunye wemivuzo ka-Asa kwaba ukubona ama-Israyeli amaningi avela embusweni osenyakatho oyisihlubuki ethutheleka kwaJuda lapho ebona ukuthi uJehova unaye. Ayekwazisa kakhulu ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile kangangokuthi akhetha ukushiya amakhaya awo ukuze azohlala nezinceku zikaJehova. Bejabule, u-Asa nawo wonke uJuda babe ‘sebengena esivumelwaneni sokufuna uJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yabo nangawo wonke umphefumulo wabo.’ Kwaba namuphi umphumela? UNkulunkulu “wazenza ukuba bamthole; futhi uJehova waqhubeka ebanika ukuphumula nxazonke.” (2 IziKr. 15:9-15) Yeka indlela esijabula ngayo lapho abathandi bokulunga bamukela ukukhulekela kukaJehova okuhlanzekile!

Nokho, amazwi omprofethi u-Azariya ayequkethe nesixwayiso. Wathi: “Uma nimshiya [uJehova] uyonishiya.” Kwangathi kungelokothe kwenzeke kithi lokho, ngoba imiphumela ingaba yinhlekelele! (2 Pet. 2:20-22) ImiBhalo ayisho ukuthi kungani uJehova anika u-Asa lesi sixwayiso kodwa inkosi ayizange isilalele.

 “WENZÉ NGOBUWULA”

Ngonyaka wama-36 wokubusa kuka-Asa, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli uBhahasha yaqala ukulwa noJuda. Mhlawumbe ukuze avimbele izikhonzi zakhe ukuba zingasekeli u-Asa nokukhulekela okuhlanzekile, uBhahasha waqala ukuqinisa umuzi waseRama owawungumngcele, oqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-8 ukusuka enyakatho yeJerusalema. Kunokuba afune usizo lukaNkulunkulu njengoba enza lapho ehlaselwa abaseTopiya, u-Asa wafuna usizo lomuntu. Wathumelela inkosi yaseSiriya isipho eyicela ukuba ihlasele umbuso wakwa-Israyeli osenyakatho. Lapho abaseSiriya beqala ukumhlasela, uBhahasha wasuka eRama.—2 IziKr. 16:1-5.

UJehova akazange ajabule ngesenzo sika-Asa, ngakho wathumela umprofethi uHanani ukuba amtshele ngalokho. Njengoba ayekwazi lokho uNkulunkulu ayekwenze kwabaseTopiya, u-Asa kwakufanele ngabe wafunda ukuthi ‘amehlo kaJehova aqalaza kuwo wonke umhlaba ukuze abonise amandla akhe ngenxa yalabo abanhliziyo yabo iphelele kuye.’ Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Asa wathola iseluleko esibi noma wayengambheki njengosongo olukhulu uBhahasha nebutho lakhe futhi wacabanga ukuthi angakwazi ukusisingatha ngokwakhe leso simo. Kunoma yikuphi, u-Asa wasebenzisa ukucabanga komuntu futhi wahluleka ukuncika kuJehova. UHanani wathi, “Wenzé ngobuwula ngokuqondene nalokhu, ngoba kusukela manje kuqhubeke kuzoba khona izimpi ngokumelene nawe.”—2 IziKr. 16:7-9.

U-Asa akazange asabele kahle, kunalokho wathukuthela, waphonsa lo mprofethi esitokisini. (2 IziKr. 16:10) Kungenzeka yini ukuthi wacabanga, ‘Ingabe kufanele ngisolwe ngemva kweminyaka eminingi ngithembekile?’ Njengoba ayesekhulile, kungenzeka yini ukuthi ikhono lakhe lokucabanga lase lithuntubezekile? IBhayibheli alisho.

Ngonyaka wama-39 wokubusa kwakhe, u-Asa wagula kakhulu ephethwe izinyawo. Ukulandisa kuthi, “Ngisho nasekuguleni kwakhe akafunanga uJehova kodwa abaphulukisi.” Ngaleso sikhathi, kubonakala sengathi u-Asa wayeselidebeselela ingokomoya lakhe. Cishe wafa isimo sakhe sisenjalo nendlela yakhe yokucabanga ingashintshile, ngonyaka wama-41 wokubusa kwakhe.—2 IziKr. 16:12-14.

Noma kunjalo, kubonakala sengathi izimfanelo zika-Asa ezinhle nokushisekela kwakhe ukukhulekela okuhlanzekile kwakuwedlula amaphutha akhe. Akazange nanini ayeke ukukhonza uJehova. (1 AmaKh. 15:14) Khona-ke, sinalokhu engqondweni, yini esingayifunda endabeni yokuphila kwakhe? Ingasisiza ukuba siqaphele ukuthi kufanele sikhumbule indlela uJehova asisize ngayo esikhathini esidlule, ngoba izinkumbulo ezinjalo eziyigugu zingasishukumisela ukuba sicele usizo kuye lapho sibhekene nezilingo ezintsha. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, akufanele sicabange ukuthi asisidingi iseluleko esingokomBhalo ngenxa nje yokuthi sesikhonze uNkulunkulu ngokwethembeka iminyaka eminingi. Kungakhathaliseki umlando wethu, uJehova uyosisola uma siphambuka. Kudingeka sisamukele ngentobeko leso siyalo ukuze sizuze kuso. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, uBaba wethu osezulwini uzoba nathi kuphela uma nathi sinaye. Amehlo kaJehova aqalaza emhlabeni wonke efuna labo ababonisa ukwethembeka kuye. Ubavuza ngokusebenzisa amandla akhe ngenxa yabo. UJehova wakwenza lokhu ku-Asa futhi angakwenza nakithi.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 9]

UJehova uyabavuza abathembekile abalwa impi engokomoya

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 10]

Kudinga isibindi ukwenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova