USamuweli Ufak’ Isandla Kunqulo Oluyinyaniso

UMPROFETI ukhalimela abazalwana bakhe abaye bacela ukumiselwa ukumkani ongumntu abe sele ebabongoza ukuba bathobele uThixo. Ukuze abaqinisekise ngegunya analo lokuba ngumprofeti, ucela umqondiso kuYehova wokuba athumele isiphango. KwaSirayeli asaziwa isiphango ngeli xesha lonyaka, ixesha lokuvunwa kwengqolowa. Ukanti, naku ngoku uThixo ezisa iindudumo nemvula. Ngenxa yoko, abantu batsho bamoyike gqitha uYehova nommeli wakhe, uSamuweli.—1 Samuweli 12:11-19.

Umprofeti uSamuweli wayekwanguye nombhali. Ingxelo yakhe yentlaninge yeziganeko ezibangel’ umdla igubungela iminyaka emalunga nama-330 kuquka izenzo eziphawulekayo zaBagwebi bakwaSirayeli. Ngokomzekelo, ngenxa yebali lokwenene lobomi bukaSamson, eyona ndoda yomeleleyo yakha yaphila, abanye baye baqamba imibongo, iingoma zomculo weopera kuquka imidlalo yeqonga nemiboniso. (ABagwebi, isahluko 13-16) USamuweli wabhala nangoRute noninazala, uNahomi, ababengabahlolokazi yaye betsala nzima. Nalo eli bali lokwenene liphela kamnandi libangela umdla njengelo likaSamson.—Rute, isahluko 1-4.

Yintoni esinokuyifunda kwiincwadi zikaSamuweli nakubomi bakhe? Wasifaka njani isandla kunqulo oluyinyaniso?

Ebutsheni Bakhe

Uyise kaSamuweli, uElikana wayengumnquli kaYehova nomyeni onothando. Umfazi kaElikana uHana wayomelele ngokomoya. Endlwini kaYehova eShilo, uHana olidlolo wathandaza ezingisa waza wenza esi sibhambathiso: “Owu Yehova wemikhosi, ukuba nakanjani na uthe wayikhangela inkxwaleko yekhobokazana lakho waza okunene wandikhumbula, ungalilibali ikhobokazana lakho uze okunene ulinike ikhobokazana lakho inzala eyinkwenkwe, ndiza kuyinikela kuYehova yonke imihla yobomi bayo, nencakuba ayiyi kufika entlokweni yayo.” (1 Samuweli 1:1-11) Oku kwakuthetha ukuba loo mntwana wayeza kunikelwa kuYehova ukuze enze inkonzo yakhe.

UHana wayethandazela entliziyweni. Le ngxelo ithi, “kwakubebezela imilebe kuphela.” Ephazama, uMbingeleli Omkhulu uEli wacinga ukuba unxilile waza ke wamkhalimela. Kodwa, ngentlonelo uHana wacacisa imeko yakhe, waza ke uEli wathi kuye: “Hamba ngoxolo, yaye ngamana uThixo kaSirayeli angenza ngokwesibongozo sakho osicelileyo kuye.” UYehova wawuphendula loo mthandazo ngoko, le ngxelo iqhubeka ithi: “Kwathi ekupheleni konyaka uHana wamitha, wazala unyana, wambiza ngokuba nguSamuweli igama lakhe, ngokuba wayesithi, ‘ndimcele kuYehova.’”—1 Samuweli 1:12-20.

USamuweli wakhuliselwa “kwingqeqesho nasekweyiselweni kwengqondo kuYehova.” (Efese 6:4) Wathi akulunyulwa, uHana wamsa endlwini kaThixo eShilo wamnika uMbingeleli Omkhulu uEli. Ngoxa yayilapho phantsi kweliso layo le nkwenkwe “yaba ngumlungiseleli kaYehova.” Indlela awavuya ngayo uHana ibonwa kumazwi akhe ombulelo abhalwe kamva kwingxelo kaSamuweli.—1 Samuweli 2:1-11.

Ukuba unabantwana, ngaba ubakhuthaza ukuba usukelo lwabo lube kukukhonza uYehova? Unqulo oluyinyaniso yeyona nto umntu anokukhuphela kuyo onke amandla akhe.

USamuweli waqhuba kakuhle kubomi basetempileni. ‘Waqhubeka ekhulela kuYehova’ waza ‘wathandeka ngakumbi kokubini kuYehova nakubantu.’ Waxelisa iimpawu zikaThixo watsho wathandeka ebantwini.—1 Samuweli 2:21, 26.

Noko ke, kwakungenjalo kumatshivela oonyana bakaEli, uHofeni noFinehasi, ‘ababengamqondi uYehova.’ Babeziphatha kakubi ngokwesini baphinde bethabathe ngenkani eyona nyama ibhetele kwimibingelelo eyayiziswa ngabantu engcweleni. UThixo wayesethumele umprofeti owachazela uEli isohlwayo sakhe, nesasiquka ukufa koonyana bakhe bobabini. (1 Samuweli 2:12, 15-17, 22-25, 27, 30-34) UYehova wakhupha esinye isigidimi somgwebo esebenzisa uSamuweli.

USamuweli Uba Ngumprofeti

UThixo wathi kuSamuweli: “Uze umxelele ke [uEli] ukuba ndiyayigweba indlu yakhe ukusa kwixesha elingenammiselo ngenxa yesiphoso asaziyo, ngenxa yokuba oonyana bakhe baqalekisa uThixo, yena akabakhalimela.” Esi sigidimi sasingelula, ibe uEli wamcenga uSamuweli ukuba amchazele. Ngoko, uSamuweli wamchazela konke oko kwakuthethwe nguYehova. Kwakufuneka abe nesibindi!—1 Samuweli 3:10-18.

Ekukhuleni kwakhe uSamuweli, wonke uSirayeli wazi ukuba ungumprofeti kaThixo. (1 Samuweli 3:19, 20) Umgwebo owavakaliswa nguSamuweli waqalisa xa uSirayeli woyiswa ngamaFilisti. UHofeni noFinehasi bafela kwelo dabi, aza amaFilisti athimba ityeya yomnqophiso kaYehova. Wathi akuva ngokufa koonyana bakhe nokuthinjwa kweTyeya, uEli wawela ngasemva esihlalweni, wophuka intamo waza wafa.—1 Samuweli 4:1-18.

Kwiminyaka engama-20 kamva, uSamuweli wabongoza amaSirayeli ukuba ashiye unqulo lobuxoki. Azitshabalalis’ izithixo zawo, azila aza avuma izono zawo. USamuweli wawathandazela waza wawanyusela imibingelelo. Yaba yintoni imiphumo yoko? Athi amaFilisti akuhlasela, uThixo wabangela isiphithiphithi phakathi kwawo, waza ke uSirayeli wawahlasela wawoyisa. Ngokusikelelwa nguYehova, imeko yamaSirayeli yaphucuka ngokuphawulekayo, aphinda awufumana umhlaba owawuthinjwe ngamaFilisti kuwo.—1 Samuweli 7:3-14.

Ngokwenene uSamuweli wafak’ isandla kunqulo oluyinyaniso. Ngokomzekelo, waqinisekisa ukuba amaxhoba athile afunyenwe edabini asetyenziswa ukunyamekela umnquba. Waququzelela ukubhiyozelwa kwePasika nobukho benkonzo yabaLevi abagcina amasango. (1 Kronike 9:22; 26:27, 28; 2 Kronike 35:18) Nakuba wayehlala kwikhaya lakhe eRama, minyaka le wayesihla enyuka kwizixeko eziliqela ukuze agwebe amatyala. Waduma ngokunyaniseka nokungakhethi-buso. Ekubeni wayehlonelwa ngabantu wakwazi ukubanceda ngokomoya. (1 Samuweli 7:15-17; 9:6-14; 12:2-5) Ngokuqinisekileyo, ukunyaniseka nokuxabisa kwakhe izinto zokomoya kwenza abaninzi bamxelisa. Ngaba liyakuchukumisa nawe ikhondo lobomi bukaSamuweli?

USirayeli Uzifunela Ukumkani

Akuba mdala, uSamuweli wamisela oonyana bakhe, uYoweli noAbhiya baba ngabagwebi. Bona ke “babengahambi ngeendlela zakhe, kodwa babetyekele ekulandeleni ingeniso yokungekho sikweni yaye babesamkela nokunyotywa baze bagqwethe nomgwebo.” Ngenxa yehambo yabo amadoda amakhulu akwaSirayeli azifunela ukumkani. (1 Samuweli 8:1-5) Oku kwaba kubi emehlweni kaSamuweli. Noko ke, wathi akuthandaza ngoku uYehova wathi: ‘Asinguwe abamgatyayo, kodwa bagatye mna ukuba ndingabi ngukumkani phezu kwabo.’ (1 Samuweli 8:6, 7) UThixo waxelela uSamuweli ukuba anike abantu oko bakucelayo aze abalumkise ukuba xa belawulwa yikumkani baza kuphulukana namalungelo nenkululeko ethile. Bathi abantu bakuzingisa, uYehova walungiselela ukuba uSamuweli athambise uSawule abe yikumkani.—1 Samuweli 8:6-22; 9:15-17; 10:1.

USamuweli walixhasa eli lungiselelo nakuba wayemadolw’ anzima. Emva kokuba uSirayeli oyise ama-Amoni, waqokelela abantu eGiligali ukuze abaqinisekise ukuba uSawule ngukumkani wabo. (1 Samuweli 10:17-24; 11:11-15) USamuweli wakhumbuza amaSirayeli ngembali yawo waza walumkisa ukumkani nabantu ukuba bathobele uYehova. UThixo wawuphendula ngesiphango seendudumo ekuthethwe ngazo ekuqaleni umthandazo kaSamuweli nakuba yayingelo xesha lazo. Eso siphango senza abantu basivuma isiphoso sabo sokugatya uYehova. Xa bacela ukuthandazelwa nguSamuweli, wathi: “Makube lee kum, ukuba ndone kuYehova ngokuyeka ukunithandazela; yaye ndimele ndiniyalele ngendlela elungileyo nefanelekileyo.” Lo ngumzekelo omhle wokuthanda uYehova nabantu bakhe. (1 Samuweli 12:6-24) Ngaba nawe uzimisele ngolo hlobo ukuxhasa amalungiselelo obuthixo nokuthandazela abazalwana bakho?

Ookumkani Ababini Bokuqala KwaSirayeli

USawule wayeyindoda ethobekileyo akholiswa yiyo uThixo. (1 Samuweli 9:21; 11:6) Kodwa, ethubeni wayeka ukuthobela uThixo. Ngokomzekelo, uSamuweli wamkhalimela ngokunyusa kwakhe umbingelelo, angalindi njengoko wayeyalelwe. (1 Samuweli 13:10-14) Xa uSawule engazange athobele suka wasindisa uKumkani uAgagi wama-Amaleki, uSamuweli wathi kuye: “UYehova ulukrazule kuwe namhlanje ulawulo lwasebukhosini lukaSirayeli, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo uya kulunika idlelane lakho elilunge ngakumbi kunawe.” USamuweli wambulala uAgagi waza wazila ngenxa kaSawule.—1 Samuweli 15:1-35.

Ekugqibeleni uYehova wathi kuSamuweli: “Kuya kude kube nini na uzilile ngenxa kaSawule, ngoxa mna, kwelinye icala, ndimgatyile ekulawuleni njengokumkani phezu koSirayeli?” Emva koko uYehova wathumela uSamuweli eBhetelehem ukuba aye kuthambisa unyana kaYese njengokumkani. USamuweli wanikela ingqalelo kuye ngamnye koonyana bakaYese de uYehova wakholiswa nguDavide, oyena mncinane ukuba athanjiswe. Loo mini, uSamuweli wafunda isifundo esibalulekileyo sokuba: “Indlela abona ngayo umntu asiyondlela abona ngayo uThixo, ngenxa yokuba umntu nje ubona okubonakalayo emehlweni; kodwa uYehova yena, ubona oko ikuko intliziyo.”—1 Samuweli 16:1-13.

Ekubeni uSamuweli wayebuhlungu kukungathobeli kukaSawule imele ukuba yamxhela gqitha eyokuthiya kwakhe uDavide de afune ukumbulala! Phezu kwazo nje ezo mvavanyo, uSamuweli wahlala exakekile nakuba wayesemdala enze konke okusemandleni akhe ukukhonza uYehova.—1 Samuweli 19:18-20.

Ilifa LikaSamuweli

Ekufeni kwalo mprofeti unesibindi nonempembelelo kubomi babaninzi, uSirayeli wazila. (1 Samuweli 25:1) USamuweli wayengafezekanga, yaye wayekhe enze iimpazamo kwizigwebo zakhe. Nakuba wayenezo ntsilelo, wazinikela ngokupheleleyo kuYehova wakhupha nawokugqibela ukuze ancede abanye benjenjalo.

Zininzi izinto eziye zatshintsha ukususela kwixesha lakhe, kodwa sifunda lukhulu kubomi bakhe. Phezu kwako konke, uSamuweli wafak’ isandla waza wangumzekelo kunqulo oluyinyaniso lukaYehova. Ngaba nawe wenza loo nto?

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 16]

CAMNGCA NGOBOMI BUKASAMUWELI

• Njengokuba abazali bakaSamuweli bamfundisa ilizwi likaThixo, nabakho abantwana bakhulisele “kwingqeqesho nasekweyiselweni kwengqondo kuYehova.”—Efese 6:4.

• Khuthaza abantwana bakho baxelise uSamuweli bakwenze usukelo lwabo ukukhonza uYehova.

• Iimpawu zobuthixo awayenazo uSamuweli zamenza wathandeka kwabanye, ngoko esibekela umzekelo omhle.

• USamuweli wenza konke okusemandleni ukukhuthaza unqulo oluyinyaniso, ngendlela esimele senze ngayo nathi.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]

USamuweli wafak’ isandla kunqulo oluyinyaniso waza ngokuzithandela wanceda abantu ngokomoya