“Umsebenti Wenu Utakuba Nemvuzo”

IHOLA libutfo layo lemphi, iNkhosi Asa yehlela masinyane endzaweni lebekile isuka etindzaweni letiphakeme temaJuda ilibangise ngaselwandle. Njengobe ehla, Asa utsi kuma kancane advonse umoya. Entasi kunenkambu lenkhulu kakhulu yetitsa takhe. Lawo mabutfo aseTopiya abenemasotja lasigidzi. Libutfo la-Asa belingalingana nencenye yalelo laseTopiya.

Njengobe Asa abukene nalemphi, yini lefika engcondvweni yakhe? Ticondziso latatinika tikhulu takhe temphi? Tikhutsato latatinika libutfo lakhe? Tincwadzi langatibhalela umndeni wakhe? Cha, akakucabangi konkhe loko. Kulenkinga lakuyo, Asa uyathantaza.

Ngembikwekutsi sibukete lomthantazo futsi sihlolisise loko lokwenteka, ase sicabange ngekutsi Asa abeyindvodza lenjani. Yini leyamenta kutsi ente loko lakwenta? Bekufanele yini acele lusito lwaNkulunkulu? Lokulandzisa lokumayelana na-Asa kusitjelani ngendlela Jehova labusisa ngayo imisebenti yetinceku taKhe?

UMLANDVO WA-ASA

Eminyakeni lengu-20 leyalandzela kwehlukana kwema-Israyeli abe ngimibuso lemibili, bantfu bakaJuda besebakhonta titfombe. Ngesikhatsi Asa aba yinkhosi nga-977 B.C.E., kukhontwa kwabonkulunkulu bentalo bemaKhenani bese kungene ngisho nasebukhosini. Kodvwa tikhronike letiphefumulelwe letimayelana nekubusa kwa-Asa titsi: “Wenta lokuhle nalokulungile emehlweni aSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakhe.” Asa “wesusa onkhe emalati etive kanye netindzawo letiphakeme, wabhidlita nematje lababetsi angcwele, wagawula netinsika ta-Ashera.” (2 Khr. 14:2, 3) Asa waphindze wesusa “titabane tasemathempelini” lebetisembusweni wakaJuda, lebetenta bunkonkoni. Asa akagcinanga ngekususa leto tintfo kuphela. Waphindze wakhutsata bantfu kutsi ‘bafunisise’ Nkulunkulu Jehova waboyise babo futsi ‘balalele imitsetfo nemiyalo’ yaNkulunkulu.—1 Khos. 15:12, 13; 2 Khr. 14:4.

Ngesizatfu sekutsi abejabula ngenshisekelo ya-Asa ekukhonteni kweliciniso, Jehova wambusisa ngeminyaka lenekuthula. Lenkhosi beyingakhona kutsi itsi: “Simfunile [Jehova longuNkulunkulu wetfu], yena wase usipha kuthula yonkhe indzawo.” Bantfu balisebentisa kahle lelitfuba ngekutsi bakhe bacinise emadolobha embuso wakaJuda. Kulandzisa kweliBhayibheli kutsi: “Bavele bachubeka nekwakha, bachuma.”—2 Khr. 14:1, 6, 7.

EMPHINI

Njengobe sicabanga ngemlandvo wa-Asa, akusimangalisi kutsi wathantaza ngesikhatsi abukene nelibutfo lelikhulu kunawo onkhe lokukhulunywa ngawo emiBhalweni. Asa abati kutsi Nkulunkulu uyatibusisa tento tekukholwa. Emthantazweni wayo, lenkhosi yacela lusito lwaJehova. Asa wakhumbula kutsi naketsembele ekusekelweni nguNkulunkulu, bekungenandzaba kutsi titsa takhe tinyenti nobe tinemandla kangakanani. Libito laJehova belitsintseka kulendzaba, kungako Asa acela Nkulunkulu mayelana nalo. Lenkhosi yathantaza yatsi: “Sisite, Simakadze Nkulunkulu wetfu, ngobe setsembele kuwe, futsi site kutekulwa nalemphi lenkhulu kangaka, ngobe setsembele ebitweni lakho. Awu, Simakadze, wena unguNkulunkulu wetfu; ungavumeli muntfu kutsi akuncobe.” (2 Khr. 14:11) Loko bekufana nekutsi itsi: ‘Jehova, emaTopiya ahlasela wena. Ungavumeli libito lakho lihlazeke ngekutsi bantfu labete emandla behlule bantfu lababitwa ngelibito lakho.’ Ngako-ke “Simakadze washaya wancoba emaKushe embikwa-Asa nebakaJuda. EmaKushe abaleka.”—2 Khr. 14:12.

Lamuhla, bantfu baJehova babhekene nebaphikisi labanemandla. Angeke silwe nabo ngetikhali emphini. Nobe kunjalo, singaciniseka kutsi Jehova utawubabusisa ngekuncoba bonkhe labetsembekile labalwela libito lakhe. Timphi lokungenteka sitilwe tingafaka ekhatsi imetamo yekumelana nemoya losakatekile wekuyekelela endzabeni yekutiphatsa, kulwisana nebutsakatsaka betfu nobe kuvikela imindeni yetfu emikhubeni lemibi. Nobe ngabe ngubuphi bulukhuni lesinabo, singatfola sikhutsato emthantazweni wa-Asa. Kuncoba kwakhe kwakukuncoba kwaJehova. Kwakhombisa kutsi yini lengatfolwa ngibo bonkhe labetsembela kuNkulunkulu. Kute umuntfu longamelana naJehova.

SIKHUTSATO NESECWAYISO

Nakabuya emphini, Asa wahlangana na-Azariya. Lomphrofethi wamniketa sikhutsato nesecwayiso: “Lalela lapha kimi, nkhosi Asa, nani nonkhe nine bakaJuda nebakaBhenjamini. Simakadze unani, uma ninaye. Nanimfuna, nitamtfola, kodvwa nanimlahla, naye uyakunilahla. . . . Cinani, ningalilahli litsemba, ngobe umsebenti wenu utakuba nemvuzo.”—2 Khr. 15:1, 2, 7.

Lamavi angakucinisa kukholwa kwetfu. Akhombisa kutsi Jehova utawuba natsi nangabe simkhonta ngekwetsembeka. Nasicela lusito kuye, singaciniseka kutsi uyasiva. Azariya watsi: “Cinani.” Kuvame kudzingeka sibindzi kute sente lokulungile, kodvwa siyati kutsi singakwenta loko ngelusito lwaJehova.

Ngesizatfu sekutsi gogo wa-Asa Makha abakhe “insika ya-Ashera leyayisinengiso,” Asa kwakudzingeka ente umsebenti lomatima kakhulu wekumsusa esikhundleni sakhe sasebukhosini sekuba “yindlovukazi.” Asa wakwenta loko waphindze washisa nensika yakhe. (1 Khos. 15:13) Wabusiswa ngekwenta leso sincumo nekuba nesibindzi. Natsi kufanele sitimisele kunamatsela kuJehova nasetimisweni takhe letilungile, ngisho nobe tihlobo tetfu ticotfo kuNkulunkulu nobe cha. Nasenta njalo, Jehova utawusibusisa ngetento tetfu tekwetsembeka.

Lokunye lokwaba sibusiso ku-Asa kubona linyenti lema-Israyeli lebelivela embusweni lowawuhlubukile wasenyakatfo lita kaJuda ngesikhatsi babonga Jehova ngekuba nabo. Bakhombisa kubonga ngekukhonta kweliciniso baze bakhetsa kushiya emakhaya abo kute bahlale netinceku taJehova. Asa akanye nabo bonkhe bakaJuda “bangena esivumelwaneni sekufuna Simakadze, Nkulunkulu waboyise, ngenhlitiyo yabo yonkhe nangemphefumulo wabo wonkhe.” Waba yini umphumela? “Bamtfola [Nkulunkulu]. Ngako Simakadze wabanika kuphumula ndzawana tonkhana.” (2 Khr. 15:9-15) Sijabula kakhulu nangabe bantfu labatsandza kulunga bemukela kukhonta Jehova ngeliciniso.

Nobe kunjalo, emavi emphrofethi Azariya abenesecwayiso lesitsite. Wecwayisa watsi: “Nanimlahla [Jehova], naye uyakunilahla.” Shengatsi kungete kwenteka loko kitsi, ngobe imiphumela ingaba mibi kakhulu. (2 Phet. 2:20-22) ImiBhalo ayisitjeli kutsi kungani Jehova ecwayisa Asa ngaloko, kodvwa lenkhosi yehluleka kusilalela lesecwayiso.

“WENTE INTFO LEBULIMA KAKHULU”

Ngemnyaka wesi-36 wekubusa kwa-Asa, iNkhosi Bhasha yaka-Israyeli yacala kuhlasela bakaJuda. Mhlawumbe lenkhosi beyetama kuvimba bantfu bayo kutsi bangetsembeli ku-Asa nasekukhonteni kweliciniso. Ngako Bhasha wakha wacinisa lidolobha laseRama, lebelingemakhilomitha lasiphohlongo enyakatfo neJerusalema. Esikhundleni sekucela lusito lwaNkulunkulu njengobe abentile ngesikhatsi ahlaselwa ngemaTopiya, Asa wacela lusito lwebantfu. Watfumela sipho enkhosini yaseSiriya, ayicela kutsi ihlasele umbuso wasenyakatfo waka-Israyeli. Ngesikhatsi emaSiriya acala kuhlasela, Bhasha wesuka eRama.—2 Khr. 16:1-5.

Jehova akumjabulisanga loko lokwentiwa ngu-Asa futsi watfumela umphrofethi Hanani kutsi amtjele. Asa bekufanele afundze kutsi “emehlo aSimakadze abuka emhlabeni wonkhe kucinisa labo labatinhlitiyo tabo titinikele kuye ngalokuphelele,” ngobe abekwati loko Nkulunkulu lakwenta kumaTopiya. Kungenteka kutsi Asa watfola seluleko lesibi nobe abecabanga kutsi Bhasha nelibutfo lakhe angeke babe yingoti kuye futsi utawukhona kutibambela yena. Kunobe ngukuphi kwaloko, Asa wakhetsa kuhlakanipha kwebantfu futsi wehluleka kwetsembela kuJehova. Hanani watsi: “Wena wente intfo lebulima kakhulu, kusukela manje utakulwa timphi siphelane.”—2 Khr. 16:7-9.

Asa kwamtfukutselisa loko. Atfukutsele, wafaka umphrofethi Hanani ejele. (2 Khr. 16:10) Kungenteka yini kutsi Asa abecabanga kutsi: ‘Ngiyakudzinga yini kusolwa ngemuva kwekuba sengetsembeke iminyaka leminyenti kangaka?’ Nyalo njengobe abesakhulile, besekete yini emandla ekucabanga? LiBhayibheli alisho.

Ngemnyaka wesi-39 wekubusa kwakhe, Asa wagula kakhulu, wachwala etinyaweni takhe. Lokulandzisa kutsi: “Nome lesifo sesimcinisela, noko akazange afune lusito lwaSimakadze; esikhundleni saloko wafunana nelusito lwetinyanga kuphela.” Ngaleso sikhatsi, kubonakala shengatsi Asa abengasabunaki buhlobo bakhe naNkulunkulu. Wafa ngemnyaka wesi-41 wekubusa kwakhe, solo akuleso simo futsi angakayishintji indlela yakhe yekucabanga.—2 Khr. 16:12-14.

Nobe kunjalo, buntfu lobuhle ba-Asa nenshisekelo yakhe yekukhonta kweliciniso kwaba ncono kunetono takhe. Akazange ayekele kukhonta Jehova. (1 Khos. 15:14) Nasicabanga ngaloko, yini lesingayifundza ngendzaba yakhe yekuphila? Ingasisita sibone kutsi kufanele sihlale sikhumbula kutsi Jehova usisite njani etikhatsini letendlulile, ngobe kukhumbula loko kungasenta sithantazele lusito lwakhe nakuletinye tilingo. Nobe kunjalo, akukafaneli sicabange kutsi asisasidzingi seluleko semiBhalo ngobe sesikhonte Nkulunkulu ngekwetsembeka iminyaka leminyenti. Nobe ungaba njani umlandvo wetfu, Jehova utawusiyala nasona. Kudzingeka sikwemukele ngemusa loko kuyalwa kute kusizuzise. Lokubaluleke kakhulu kutsi Babe wetfu losezulwini utawuba natsi nangabe sikhombisa kuba naye. Emehlo aJehova abuka umhlaba wonkhe kute abone labo labenta ngekwetsembeka kuye. Uyababusisa ngekukhombisa emandla akhe kubo. Jehova wakwenta loko ku-Asa, futsi angakwenta nakitsi.

[Emavi lacashuniwe lasekhasini 9]

Jehova uyababusisa labetsembekile labalwa imphi yekumkhonta

[Emavi lacashuniwe lasekhasini 10]

Kudzingeka sibindzi kute sente lokulungile emehlweni aJehova