Ukuthembela kuNkulunkulu

PHOSE abantu abangu-50 000 bahamba umango omude wokusuka eBhabhiloni besiya eJerusalema. Kodwa nxa befika bathola iJerusalema ilunxiwa. Akulamuntu ohlala khona. Ama-Israyeli kumele akhe kutsha yonke into.

Enye into abayakha kuqala, yi-alithare. Le yindawo abangenzela uJehova imihlatshelo loba izipho. Ama-Israyeli ayaqalisa ukwakha ithempeli sekudlule izinyanga ezilutshwana. Kodwa izitha ezihlala ezindaweni eziseduze kazifuni ama-Israyeli alakhe. Yikho-ke, bazama ukubethusela ukuze bayekele ukwakha. Ekucineni, izitha lezi zenza ukuthi inkosi entsha eyasePhesiya yenze umthetho wokumisa umsebenzi wokwakha.

Sekudlule iminyaka. Sekuleminyaka engu-17 kusukela ama-Israyeli abuya evela eBhabhiloni. UJehova uthuma abaphrofethi bakhe uHagayi loZakhariya ukuthi batshele abantu ukuthi baqalise ukwakha. Abantu bayathemba ukuthi uJehova uzabanceda njalo bayalalela abaphrofethi. Bayaqalisa njalo ukwakha lanxa kulomthetho othi akumelanga benze njalo.

Kufika isiphathamandla sasePhesiya okuthiwa nguThathenayi sibuze ama-Israyeli ukuthi baphiwe ngubani imvumo yokwakha ithempeli. Abako-Israyeli bamtshela ukuthi besaseBhabhiloni iNkosi uKhurosi yathi: ‘Hambani eJerusalema liyekwakha ithempeli likaJehova uNkulunkulu wenu.’

UThathenayi uthumela incwadi eBhabhiloni ebuza ukuthi uKhurosi osefile khathesi watshonjalo yini. Ngesikhatshana iyafika incwadi evela enkosini entsha yasePhesiya. Ithi uKhurosi watshonjalo sibili. Yikho-ke inkosi ibhala isithi: ‘Yekelani ama-Israyeli akhe ithempeli likaNkulunkulu wabo. Njalo ngithi libancedise.’ Ithempeli liyaphela ngeminyaka ephose ibe mine njalo abako-Israyeli bayathaba kakhulu.

Kudlula eminye iminyaka eminengi. Sekuleminyaka ephose ibe ngu-48 ithempeli laphela. Abantu abaseJerusalema bangabayanga njalo idolobho kanye lethempeli likaNkulunkulu kakukho esimweni esihle. EseBhabhiloni, u-Ezra ongumIsrayeli uzwa ngesidingo sokuthi ithempeli likaNkulunkulu lilungiswe. Uyakwazi ukuthi uyenzani?

U-Ezra uhamba ayebona inkosi yasePhesiya, u-Athakisekisi, inkosi le elungileyo ibe isinika u-Ezra izipho ezinengi ukuthi ahambe lazo eJerusalema. U-Ezra ucela ama-Israyeli aseBhabhiloni ukuthi amncedise ukuthwala izipho lezi esiya eJerusalema. Abantu abaphose babe ngu-6 000 bathi bazahamba laye. Balegolide lesiliva elinengi lezinye izinto eziligugu okumele bazithwale.

U-Ezra ukhathazekile ngoba kulabantu ababi endleleni. Abantu laba bangabathathela isiliva legolide labo njalo bababulale. Yikho-ke, u-Ezra ubuthanisa abantu njengoba ubona emfanekisweni. Bayakhuleka kuJehova ukuthi abavikele ohambweni lwabo olude lokubuyela eJerusalema.

UJehova uyabavikela. Sebehambe inyanga ezine bafika kuhle eJerusalema. Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi uJehova uyenelisa ukuvikela abantu abathembela kuye.