ISAHLUKO 8
Babalekela INkosi Elolunya
IMULI YANGAKIBO KAJESU IBALEKELA EGIBHITHE
UJOSEFA UTHUTHA LEMULI YAKHE BAYE ENAZARETHA
UJosefa uvusa uMariya ukuthi amtshele umbiko oqakathekileyo. Ingilosi kaJehova isanda kukhuluma laye ephutsheni imtshela ukuthi: “Thatha umntwana lonina ubalekele eGibhithe, ufike uhlale khonale ngize ngikutshele ukuthi uphenduke ngoba uHerodi usezamdinga umntwana ukuze ambulale.”—UMathewu 2:13.
Ngokuphangisa uJosefa loMariya lomntanabo baphuma ngobusuku babaleke. Kukhanya babaleke ngesikhathi esiyiso ngoba uHerodi usezwile ukuthi izazi zimbambise ilitshe. Ubezitshele ukuthi ziphenduke kuye zizombikela ukuthi uJesu ungaphi kodwa zona sezibuyele elizweni lazo zingenzanga njalo. UHerodi uthi esezwe lokhu azonde abile. Ngenxa yokuthi unxwanele ukubulala uJesu, ufaka umlayo wokuthi kubulawe bonke abantwana abangabafana abaseBhethilehema lezindaweni eziseduze layo. Kumele kubulawe abaleminyaka emibili kusiya phansi. Ukhethe iminyaka le esebenzisa isikhathi ayesitshelwe lapho ebuzisisa izazi zezinkanyezi.
Ukubulawa kwabafana laba yisihluku esesabekayo. Asikwazi ukuthi kwabulawa abangaki kodwa ukukhala kakhulu lokulila kwabonina kugcwalisa isiphrofetho seBhayibhili esakhulunywa ngumphrofethi kaNkulunkulu uJeremiya.—UJeremiya 31:15.
Ngesikhathi kusenzakala lokhu uJosefa loMariya sebebaleke baya eGibhithe futhi bafika bahlale khona. Ngobunye ubusuku ingilosi kaJehova iphinda ibonakale kuJosefa ephutsheni. Ithi kuye: “Thatha umntwana lonina, uye elizweni lako-Israyeli ngoba ababefuna impilo yomntwana sebefile.” (UMathewu 2:20) Yikho uJosefa uyabuyela kibo lemuli yakhe. Lokhu kugcwalisa esinye isiphrofetho seBhayibhili esithi iNdodana kaNkulunkulu izabizwa iphume eGibhithe.—UHoseya 11:1.
Kukhanya uJosefa ufuna bahlale eJudiya, mhlawumbe eduze kwedolobho leBhethilehema lapho ababehlala khona bengakabalekeli eGibhithe. Kodwa uzwa kuthiwa indodana kaHerodi elesihluku u-Akhelawu yiyo esibusa eJudiya futhi uNkulunkulu uphinda amxwayise ngephupho ukuthi angayi khonale. Yikho uJosefa lemuli yakhe baya edolobheni laseNazaretha elisesabelweni saseGalile futhi elikhatshana leJerusalema. UJesu ukhulela edolobheni leli futhi lokhu kugcwalisa esinye isiphrofetho esithi: “Uzabizwa ngokuthi ngumNazaretha.”—UMathewu 2:23.