UMFELOKATI lophuyile wanga umfanyana wakhe lolitinyo lekubulala. Akakukholwa loku lakubonako. Esikhashaneni nje lesengcile, abegodle sidvumbu salendvodzana yakhe ngebunono. Nyalo ubuka indvodzana yakhe leseyivukile ekufeni futsi ujatjuliswa kuyibona imamatseka. Sivakashi sakhe sitsi: “Buka-ke, umfana wakho sewuyaphila.”

Lesimangaliso senteka eminyakeni lecishe ibe ngu-3 000 leyengcile. Ungafundza ngaso ku-1 Emakhosi sehluko 17. Lesivakashi ngumphrofethi waNkulunkulu longu-Elija. Ngubani-ke lomfati? Ngumfelokati lohlala edolobheni laseSarefathi, lesingakatjelwa libito lakhe. Kuvuswa kwendvodzana yakhe kwaba ngulenye yetintfo letakucinisa kakhulu kukholwa kwakhe. Njengobe sitawube sicoca ngaye, sitawufundza tifundvo letimcoka.

Jehova besekancumile kutsi bekutawuba nesomiso lesikhulu ngesikhatsi sekubusa kwa-Ahabi, inkhosi lembi yaka-Israyeli. Ngemuva kwekutsi Elija akhiphe simemetelo sekutsi kutawuba nesomiso, Nkulunkulu wambhacisa ku-Ahabi futsi ngalokusimangaliso wondla lomphrofethi ngesinkhwa nangenyama lobekuletfwa ngemahhwabayi. Jehova wabese utsi ku-Elija: “Hamba nyalo uye eSarefathi yaseSidoni uyewuhlala khona. Ngiyale umfelokati wakuleyo ndzawo kutsi akuphe kudla.”—1 Khos. 17:1-9.

Ngesikhatsi Elija efika eSarefathi, wabona umfelokati lophuyile atfota tinkhuni. Lomfati bekunguye yini labetawupha lomphrofethi kudla? Abengamupha njani njengobe naye bekaphuyile? Ngetulu kwekungabata lokunjalo labengaba nako, Elija wacala wakhulumisa lomfati. Watsi: “Ungangiletsela yini emanti ngendzebe kutsi ngifane nginatse?” Nasekatsi uyewulandza lamanti, Elija waphindze watsi kuye: “Ubomane ungiphatsele nelucetwana lwesinkhwa, tsine.” (1 Khos. 17:10, 11) Kunatsisa lesihambi emanti akuzange kumkhatsate lomfelokati, kodvwa kusipha sinkhwa ngiko lobekuyinkinga.

Waphendvula watsi: “Ngifunga kuphila kwaSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakho, ngitsi: Ngite  nasinye sinkhwa. Nginengcosana nje yafulaha esitjeni, nenseketse yemafutsa eludziweni. Bengisasabutela tinkhunyana nje lapha, kutsi ngiye ekhaya ngitiphekele mine kanye nendvodzana yami, kuze sidle, emvakwaloko bese siyafa.” (1 Khos. 17:12) Ase sihlolisise kutsi lamavi avetani.

Lomfelokati wabona kutsi Elija ungumIsrayeli lowesaba Nkulunkulu. Loku kufakazelwa ngemavi akhe latsi: “Ngifunga kuphila kwaSimakadze Nkulunkulu wakho.” Nanobe bekanelwati lolutsite ngaNkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, kubonakala shengatsi abengakafiki ezingeni lekutsi atsi “Nkulunkulu wami” nakakhuluma ngaJehova. Abehlala eSarefathi, edolobheni lebelilaseFenisiya leseSidoni, nobe lebeletsembele kuyo. Kungenteka kutsi eSarefathi kwakugcwele bantfu lebebakhonta Bhali. Nanobe kunjalo, Jehova abebone lokutsite lokwamkhanga kulomfelokati.

Nanobe lomfelokati lophuyile waseSarefathi bekahlala nebantfu labakhonta tithico, waba nekukholwa. Jehova watfuma Elija kuye kute kuzuze bobabili, lomfati kanye nalomphrofethi. Kuloku, sitfola sifundvo lesimcoka.

Akusito tonkhe takhamiti taseSarefathi lebekukhontwa kuyo Bhali lebetikhohlakele. Ngekutfumela Elija kulomfelokati, Jehova wakhombisa kutsi uyababona bantfu labalungile labasengakacali kumkhonta. Kuliciniso kutsi “etiveni tonkhe wonkhe umuntfu lomesabako [Nkulunkulu] nalowenta lokulungile uyemukeleka kuye.”—Imis. 10:35.

Bangakhi bantfu labasensimini yakini labafanana nalomfelokati waseSarefathi? Nanobe kungenteka kutsi batungeletwe bantfu labasenkholweni yemanga, bangase balangatelele kuva lokuncono. Bangase babe nelwati loluncane ngaJehova nobe bangati nje sanhlobo ngaye, ngaleyo ndlela badzinga lusito kute bemukele kukhonta lokuhlantekile. Uyabafuna yini bantfu labanjalo futsi ubasite?

Cabangisisa ngaloko Elija lacela lomfelokati kutsi akwente. Lomfelokati abesandza nje kumtjela kutsi nakacedza kulungisa kudla kwakhe nekwendvodzana yakhe, bebatawukudla bese bayafa. Kodvwa watsini Elija? Watsi: “Ungesabi. Hamba wente njengobe ushito, kodvwa ubocala wentele mine kucala licebelengwane lelincane lesinkhwa, kuloko lonako, bese ukuletsa lapha kimi. Emvakwaloko-ke bese utentela wena nendvodzana yakho. Ngobe nguloko lokushiwo nguSimakadze Nkulunkulu wema-Israyeli, utsi: ‘Fulaha losesitjeni angeke aphele, nenseketse yemafutsa ingeke iphele eludziweni, kuze kube lilanga lapho Simakadze ayawunisa khona litulu eveni.’”—1 Khos. 17:11-14.

Labanye bebangase batsi: ‘Ngikunikete kudla kwetfu kwekugcina! Tsani uyadlala.’ Kodvwa lomfelokati akazange ente njalo. Nanobe bekanelwati loluncane ngaJehova, wamkholwa Elija futsi wakwenta loko labemcele kona. Lolo kwaba luvivinyo lolukhulu lwekukholwa kwakhe, kodvwa wenta sincumo lesihlakaniphile.

Nkulunkulu akazange amlahle lomfelokati lophuyile. Njengobe nje Elija abetsembisile, Jehova wakwandzisa kudla lokuncane kwalomfelokati kangangekutsi kwenela Elija, nemfelokati kanye nendvodzana yakhe kwate kwaphela somiso. Ecinisweni, “esitjeni safulaha akazange aphele fulaha, naseludziweni lwemafutsa akazange aphele emafutsa; kwenteka njengobe livi laSimakadze lelalikhulunywe ngu-Elija lishito.” (1 Khos. 17:16; 18:1) Kube lomfati wenta lokwehlukile,  kungenteka kutsi lesinkhwa lasenta ngafulaha wakhe lomncane kanye nemafutsa labenawo, besitawuba kudla kwakhe kwekugcina. Kodvwa wakhombisa kukholwa futsi wetsembela kuJehova, ngako wanika Elija kudla kucala.

Kulendzaba sifundza sifundvo sekutsi Nkulunkulu uyababusisa labo labanekukholwa. Nangabe ukhombisa kukholwa lapho bucotfo bakho buvivinywa, Jehova utakusita. Utawuba nguMuphi, uMvikeli neMngani wakho kute akusite ubeketelele lokuvivinywa.—Eks. 3:13-15.

Nga-1898, i-“Zion’s Watch Tower” yaveta nasi sifundvo lesitfolakala kulendzaba yalomfelokati: “Nangabe lomfati abetawuba nekukholwa lokudzingekako kute alalele, iNkhosi beyitawumbona alufanele lusito lwayo ngemPhrofethi; kube akazange akubonise kukholwa, bekutawutfolwa lomunye umfelokati lobekangenta njalo. Kunjalo nangatsi,—ngaletinye tikhatsi ekuphileni kwetfu, iNkhosi ingase ikuvivinye kukholwa kwetfu. Nasikhombisa kukholwa sitawubusiswa; nasingakukhombisi, ngeke sibusiswe.”

Nasibhekene neluvivinyo lolutsite, kufanele sifune sicondziso saNkulunkulu emiBhalweni nasetincwadzini letisekelwe eBhayibhelini. Ngemuva kwaloko, kufanele sente ngekuvumelana nesicondziso saJehova ngisho nobe kungase kube lukhuni kangakanani kusemukela. Sitawubusiswa kakhulu nangabe senta ngekuvumelana naloku lokushiwo ngulesaga lesihlakaniphile lesitsi: “Tsemba Simakadze ngayo yonkhe inhlitiyo yakho, ungeyami ekwatini kwakho. Matise kuko konkhe lokwentako, yena uyakucondzisa tindlela takho.”—Taga 3:5, 6.

Kukholwa kwalomfelokati bekusetawuphindze kuvivinywe. Kulandzisa kweliBhayibheli kutsi: “Kwatsi ngalelinye lilanga lendvodzana yalomfelokati, labengumnikati walomuti, yagula. Kwachubeka kugula emalanga ngemalanga, kwadzimate kwefika lapho lomfana angasaphefumuli khona.” Afuna sizatfu saloku lokumehlele, lomfati lobekaselusizini watsi ku-Elija: “Ngoneni kuwe, muntfu waNkulunkulu? Kantsi lapha kami utele kutangikhumbuta sono sami, ubulale nendvodzana yami.” (1 Khos. 17:17, 18) Lamavi labuhlungu ngalendlela asho kutsini?

Lomfati abekhumbula sono lesitsite lebesimenta ative adliwa ngunembeza yini? Kungenteka yini abecabanga kutsi kufa kwendvodzana yakhe bekusijeziso saNkulunkulu nekutsi Elija abesitfunywa saNkulunkulu lesiletse kufa? LiBhayibheli alisitjeli lutfo kodvwa nayi intfo lecacile: Lomfelokati akazange asole Nkulunkulu ngekutsi akakalungi.

Kufanele kutsi Elija wetfuka nakeva ngekufa kwendvodzana yalomfelokati nekutsi abetsi kuba khona kwakhe ngiko lokubangele lokulahlekelwa lokubuhlungu. Ngemuva kwekutsatsa sidvumbu salomfana waya naso ekamelweni lelisetulu, Elija wamemeta watsi: “Awu! Simakadze Nkulunkulu wami, sewubehliselelani bubi etikwalomfelokati, lesengihlala kakhe, ngekubulala lendvodzana yakhe?” Kwamvisa buhlungu kakhulu Elija kucabanga kutsi libito laNkulunkulu belitawedzelelwa nangabe lomfati lolungile futsi lowemukela tihambi ehlelwa ngulokunye kuhlupheka. Ngako Elija wancenga watsi: “Awu! Simakadze Nkulunkulu wami, buyisela umphefumulo walomfana kuye!”—1 Khos. 17:20, 21.

Jehova abelalele. Lomfelokati abemnakekele lomphrofethi futsi wakhombisa kukholwa. Kubonakala shengatsi Nkulunkulu wavuma kutsi lomfana afe ngobe bekati kutsi abetawuvuka—lokuluvuko lwekucala lolubhalwe emiBhalweni—futsi loku bekutawunika titukulwane letilandzelako litsemba. Ngesikhatsi Elija amncenga, Jehova wamvusa lomntfwana. Ase ucabange nje ngendlela lomfelokati lajabula ngayo ngesikhatsi Elija atsi: “Buka-ke, umfana wakho sewuyaphila.” Wabese utsi ku-Elija: “Manje sengiyati kutsi ungumuntfu waNkulunkulu, nekutsi livi laSimakadze leliphuma emlonyeni wakho liliciniso.”—1 Khos. 17:22-24.

Lendzaba leku-1 Emakhosi sehluko 17 ibese ayisasitjeli lokunye ngalomfati. Kodvwa nasibuka indlela Jesu lakhuluma kahle ngaye, kungenteka kutsi wachubeka ayinceku yaJehova leyetsembekile. (Luk. 4:25, 26) Indzaba yakhe isifundzisa kutsi Nkulunkulu uyababusisa labo labenta lokuhle etincekwini takhe. (Mat. 25:34-40) Ifakazela kutsi Nkulunkulu uyabanakekela labetsembekile, ngisho nasetimeni letimatima. (Mat. 6:25-34) Lendzaba ifakazela kutsi Jehova unesifiso sekuvusa labafile futsi unawo emandla ekwenta njalo. (Imis. 24:15) Ecinisweni leti tizatfu letinhle kakhulu tekukhumbula umfelokati waseSarefathi.