Ungehleli EGibhithe.
EmBhalweni, "ukwehlela eGibhithe" kuyindikimba ephindaphindayo. IGibhithe lalivame ukuba yindawo yokuhlenga ngezikhathi zendlala noma zezinkinga. U-Abrahama wehlela eGibhithe ngesikhathi kunendlala ezweni (Genesise 12:10). UJakobe watshelwa, “Ungesabi ukwehlela eGibithe” (Genesise 46:3). UJosefa wathunyelwa eGibhithe ukuba ayolungiselela umndeni wakhe indawo yokukhosela (Genesise 45:5-7). Kodwa u-Isaka, ngesikhathi sakhe sendlala, uNkulunkulu wamtshela ngokucacile, “Ungehleli eGibithe, hlala ezweni engizokutshela lona” (Genesise 26:2).
I-Egypt imele ukuhlinzekwa kwemvelo nokuvikeleka kwezwe. Kubukeka njengokuphepha, ukuzinza, nethuba—kodwa akulona iZwe Lesithembiso. Okuthakazelisayo ukuthi uNkulunkulu wavumela amadoda kaNkulunkulu ahlukene ukuba aye eGibhithe ngezinkathi ezithile zonyaka. Kodwa ngaso sonke isikhathi, kwakungenhloso futhi ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwaphezulu kuphela.
Ingozi nge-Egypt ayingeni kuyo. Ingozi ukuhlala ngokweqile. Lapho usuhlala ngokweqile eGibhithe, uyasuka ekubeni usizwe uye ekubeni yisigqila. IGibhithe iba yisicupho. Yini eyake yaba isiphephelo sesikhashana esingaphenduka ngokushesha sibe indawo yobugqila? I-Egypt yayingahloselwe ukuba yindawo yokugcina—akuyona indawo yesithembiso, kodwa indawo yokuphumula kwesikhashana (Eksodusi 1:13-14).
Kunezikhathi ekuphileni lapho uNkulunkulu ekuvumela ukuba ungene ebhizinisini, ebudlelwaneni, noma ekuhlelweni—hhayi ngoba yisiphetho sakho, kodwa ngoba kuzokusekela isikhathi esithile. Lokho kungase kube iGibhithe lakho. Kubukeka kuwusizo, kodwa akulona ifa lakho. Inselele yilapho abantu benza iGibhithe ikhaya labo kanye nobuntu babo. Bancika ohlelweni uNkulunkulu angakaze ababizele ukuba bahlale kulo.
Amanye amakhosi akwa-Israyeli aze athumela izithunywa eGibhithe ukuyocela usizo ngezikhathi zempi (2 Amakhosi 18:21). Banikeza iGibhithe indawo okwakungahloselwe ukuba ihlale kuyo. Futhi ngesikhathi iGibhithe iba umthombo wakho wosizo esikhundleni sikaNkulunkulu, ulahlekelwa umbono wesiyalo saKhe.
Uma uhlola zonke izigameko zomuntu oya eGibhithe ngemiBhalo, uzoqaphela ukuthi isikhathi ngasinye wayeqondiswa nguNkulunkulu. Ngaphandle komyalelo Wakhe, iGibhithe lalivinjelwe. Lokho kusiletha namuhla. I-Egypt isebenza kanjani kithi ekhulwini lama-21?
IGibhithe namuhla lifanekisela noma isiphi isimiso noma indawo esiphendukela kuyo ukuze silondeke ngaphandle kwesiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu. Kwabanye, kungase kube izwe. Kwabanye, kungase kube umsebenzi, isivumelwano, noma ukuvumelana okuzwakala kuphephile. Kodwa iqiniso lihlala likhona: Uma uNkulunkulu engakuthumanga lapho, ngeke akubusise.
Lokhu kubaluleke kakhulu kwabaningi e-Afrika. I-Afrika iyizwekazi eligcwele izinsiza, kodwa lapho abantu befuna ukuchuma, bavame ukubheka eNtshonalanga. Bathi, “Uma ngiya lapho, ngingenza imali futhi ngisize umndeni wami.” Kodwa umbuzo wangempela uwukuthi: Ingabe uNkulunkulu ukutshele ukuba uhambe?
Khumbula, u-Isaka watshelwa ukuba angehleli eGibhithe—futhi wahlala. Wahlwanyela ezweni ngesikhathi sendlala futhi wavuna okuphindwe kayikhulu (Genesise 26:12-14). Kanjani? Ngoba ukuchuma akuveli endaweni—kuvela ekulaleleni. UNkulunkulu wenza abantu baphumelele (Duteronomi 8:18). Akukhona ngokuthi ukuphi, kodwa mayelana nokuthi ubani okuthumile.
IHubo 23 lithi, “UJehova ungumalusi wami, angiyikuswela.”—IHubo 23:1. Uma kukhona ukushoda empilweni yakho, hlola ukuthi ubani okuholayo. Uma ulandela uMelusi, uyakuholela emadlelweni aluhlaza, naphakathi kwendlala. Angase akuthumele eNtshonalanga—noma Angase akutshele ukuthi uhlale lapho ukhona.
Akukona mayelana nethuba. Imayelana neziyalezo. IBhayibheli lithi: “Thembela kuJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, ungenciki kokwakho ukuqonda.”— IzAga 3:5 . Ngakho abantu abaningi bajaha ukuphumula, ukulondeka, noma imali ngokuncika ezinhlelweni zabo. Behlela eGibhithe ngokomzwelo, hhayi ngokomoya.
Uma uthandazela ukuthutha kwakho okulandelayo—kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ukuthutha, ukushintsha imisebenzi, noma ukwenza isinqumo esikhulu—ungasheshi ukuxosha iGibhithe. Funani iNkosi. Cela isiqondiso kuYe. Kukhona indawo ethile, umsebenzi othile, indlela ethile uNkulunkulu akuhlelele yona (Jeremiya 29:11).
Ukuthobela leyo ndlela yikho okuholela ekuhlinzekeni nasekuthuleni.
Umthandazo wami ukuthi uNkulunkulu akusize uthole indawo yakho yangempela yamandla. Akukho emazweni angaphandle. Akukho kumasistimu abonakala eqinile. Kusekuhambeni eduze kwaLowo owazi indlela. Ukuchuma nokuthula kutholakala ngokulalela—hhayi indawo.
Inkosi ikubusise.
