UMFELOKAZI ongumyanga ugona umntanakhe ongumfana, onguye yedwa. Kakukholwa okusanda kwenzakala. Ubephethe umntanakhe ofileyo abemthanda kakhulu. Kodwa khathesi owesifazana lo uyathokoza ebona indodana yakhe esivuswe kwabafileyo ibobotheka. Isethekeli sakhe sithi kuye, “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila.”

Isehlakalo lesi esimangalisayo senzakala eminyakeni engu-3 000 eyadlulayo. Ungabala ngaso ku-1 AmaKhosi, isahluko-17. Isethekeli kwakungumphrofethi kaNkulunkulu, u-Elija. Unina wendodana eyavuswayo ke? Kwakungumfelokazi ongaqanjwanga ngebizo owayehlala edolobheni laseZarefathi. Isehlakalo sokuvuswa kwendodana yakhe saluqinisa kakhulu ukholo lwakhe. Ake sikhulume ngaye besesithola ezinye izifundo eziqakathekileyo.

UJehova wayethe kwakuzakuba lendlala okweminyaka ethile embusweni ka-Ahabi, inkosi embi yako-Israyeli. U-Elija esememezele ukuthi kuzakuba lendlala, uNkulunkulu wamfihla ukwenzela ukuthi u-Ahabi angamboni njalo wanika umphrofethi lo isinkwa lenyama ngendlela eyisimangaliso. Ukudla lokhu wayekuphathelwa ngamawabayi. UJehova wasesithi ku-Elija: “Suka khathesi uye eZarefathi yeSidoni uyehlala khona. Sengilungisile khona ukuthi umfelokazi uzakulungisela abe ekupha ukudla.”​—1 AmaKho. 17:1-9.

Kwathi u-Elija efika eZarefathi wabona umfelokazi ongumyanga ebutha incwathi. Kambe kwakunguye yini owesifazana owayezanika umphrofethi lo ukudla? Wayezamnika njani yena ezihawulela nje? Lanxa kungenzeka ukuthi u-Elija wayezibuza izinto ezinengi, waqalisa ukuxoxa lowesifazana lo. Wathi: “Ungangilethela amanzi ngenkezo kenginathe na?” Wathi esesiyamthathela amanzi, u-Elija waphinda wathi: “Ngicela ungiphathele locezu lwesinkwa.” (1 AmaKho. 17:10, 11) Umfelokazi kwakungamhluphi  ukunika umuntu wemzini lo amanzi kodwa ukumnika isinkwa kwakungalula.

Waphendula wathi: “Ngeqiniso lanjengoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ephila, angilaso isinkwa​—⁠ngilengcosana nje yefulawa engcebethwini encane lamafutha angenganani ediweni. Ngidobha incwathi lezi nje ngiya lazo ekhaya ukuze ngiyezigoqozela engingakudla mina lendodana yami, kube yikho esizakudla​—⁠anduba sife.” (1 AmaKho. 17:12) Ake sihlole ukuthi ingxoxo le ivezani.

Umfelokazi wayekwazi ukuthi u-Elija wayengum-Israyeli owayesesaba uNkulunkulu. Lokhu kukhanya ngamazwi akhe athi, “ngeqiniso lanjengoba uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ephila.” Kukhanya angani wayelolwazi oluthile ngoNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli kodwa lwalungakabi banzi okokuthi wayengabiza uJehova athi “nguNkulunkulu wakhe.” Wayehlala eZarefathi, idolobho ‘leSidoni’ kumbe elalingabe lingaphansi kwayo. Kumele ukuthi eZarefathi kwakuhlala abantu ababekhonza uBhali. Kodwa uJehova wayebone okuthile okuhle kumfelokazi lo.

Umfelokazi waseZarefathi ongumyanga wayelokholo lanxa wayakhelane labantu ababekhonza izithombe. UJehova kazange amtshiye enjalo umfelokazi lo yikho wathuma u-Elija ukuthi aye kuye ukuze abanakekele bobabili. Kulokuthile okuqakathekileyo esingakufunda endabeni le.

EZarefathi kwakugcwele abantu ababekhonza uBhali kodwa kayisibo bonke ababehlala khona ababesenza izinto ezimbi. Lapho uJehova ethuma u-Elija ukuthi ayebona umfelokazi lo, wayetshengisa ukuthi uyababona abantu abaqotho abangakamkhonzi. Kuliqiniso ukuthi, “[uNkulunkulu] wamukela abantu benhlanga zonke abamesabayo, abenza okulungileyo.”​—ImiSeb. 10:35.

Kulabantu abangaki ensimini yenu abanjengomfelokazi waseZarefathi? Lanxa kuyikuthi baphila labantu abasenkolweni yamanga, bangaba lesifiso esikhulu sokufunda iqiniso. Bangabe belolwazi olulutshwana kumbe bengazi lutho ngoJehova. Yikho-ke kuyabe kumele sibancedise ukuthi bamukele ukukhonza okumsulwa. Uyabadinga yini abantu abanjalo futhi uyabancedisa na?

Ake sihlole lokho u-Elija acela umfelokazi ukuthi akwenze. Umfelokazi wayesanda kumtshela ukuthi wayelokudla ababezakudla okokucina lendodana yakhe besebezifela nje. Kodwa u-Elija wathini? Wathi: “Ungesabi. Hamba uye ekhaya uyekwenza khonokho okutshoyo. Kodwa uqale ungiphekele iqebelengwana eliyisinkwa ngalokho olakho ube usuliletha lapha kimi, anduba uziphekele okwakho lendodana yakho. Ngoba lokhu yikho uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akutshiloyo: ‘Impuphu esengcebethwini kayiyikuphela lamafutha asediweni kawayikuphela, kuze kufike usuku uJehova azanisa ngalo izulu elizweni.’”​—1 AmaKho. 17:11-14.

Omunye kwakungamkhathaza athi, ‘Ngimnike ukudla kwami, kukuncane kangaka? Uyazisomela.’ Kodwa umfelokazi lo kazange enze njalo. Lanxa wayelolwazi oluncane ngoJehova, wamkholwa u-Elija wasesenza ayemtshele khona. Lapha ukholo lwakhe lwaluvivinywa sibili njalo wenza isinqumo esitshengisa ukuhlakanipha okukhulu.

UNkulunkulu kazange amkhohlwe umfelokazi lo owayengumyanga. Njengoba u-Elija wayethembisile, uJehova wakwengezelela kanengi ukudla kwakhe okwakukuncane. Yikho-ke, umfelokazi, indodana yakhe kanye lo-Elija abazange balambe indlala  yaze yaphela. Lakanye “ifulawa elutshwana eyayisengcebethwini ayiphelanga, kanti njalo lamafutha agobhoza kokuphela kazaphela njengokutsho kukaJehova ku-Elija.” (1 AmaKho. 17:16; 18:1) Aluba umfelokazi kenzanga ayekutshelwa, isinkwa ayesenze ngefulawa yakhe eyingcosana kanye lamafutha kwakuzakuba yikudla kwakhe kokucina. Kodwa yena waba lokholo, wathemba uJehova njalo waqala ngokunika u-Elija ukudla.

Esingakufunda lapha yikuthi uNkulunkulu ubusisa labo abatshengisa ukholo. UJehova uzakuncedisa nxa ungaba lokholo ngesikhathi usehlelwa yisilingo esithile esenza kubenzima ukuthi uhlale uqotho. Uzakuba nguMkhululi, uMvikeli njalo abe nguMngane ukuze akuncedise ulwisane lesilingo sakho.​—Eks. 3:13-15.

Ngo-1898, i-Zion’s Watch Tower yabhala isifundo lesi esitholakala endabeni yomfelokazi: “Nxa owesifazana waba lokholo olwamenza walalela, wayezabe efanele ukuthi ancedwe yiNkosi isebenzisa uMphrofethi; aluba kazange abe lokholo, kwakuzadingwa omunye umfelokazi owayelokholo. Lathi empilweni kulezikhathi lapho iNkosi evivinya ukholo lwethu. Nxa singaqhubeka sitshengisa ukuthi silokholo sizabusiswa kodwa nxa singekela, kasisoze sibusiswe.”

Nxa sisehlelwa yizilingo ezithile kumele sidinge usizo lukaNkulunkulu eMibhalweni kanye lasemabhukwini ethu asekelwe eBhayibhilini. Ngemva kwalokho besesisenza okuhambelana lesiqondiso sikaJehova lanxa kungabanzima ukusilandela. Sizabusiswa sibili nxa singalandela amazwi la ahlakaniphileyo: “Themba kuJehova ngenhliziyo yakho yonke, ungathembi okwakho ukuzwisisa; Mvume kuzo zonke izindlela zakho, yena uzaqondisa zonke izindlela zakho.”​—Zaga. 3:5, 6.

Ukholo lomfelokazi lo lwaseluzavivinywa futhi. IBhayibhili ithi, “Ngemva kwesikhatshana indodana yomfelokazi owayengumninindlu yagula. Wakhula umkhuhlane ngamandla, yaze yema ukuphefumula.” Ezibuza ukuthi umonakalo lo ungabe ubangelwe yini, umama lo owayehlulukelwe wathi ku-Elija: “Kanti kuyini ongizondela khona, wena muntu kaNkulunkulu? Kambe ungabe ulande ukuzangikhumbuza ngesono sami ukuze ubulale indodana yami na?” (1 AmaKho. 17:17, 18) Atshoni amazwi la abuhlungu?

Kambe owesifazana lo wayecabange isono ayeke wasenza esasimudla ngaphakathi? Kumbe wayecabanga ukuthi ukufa kweNdodana yakhe kwakuyisijeziso esasivela kuNkulunkulu yini lokuthi u-Elija wayeyisithunywa sikaNkulunkulu esasizobulala umntwana na? Lanxa iBhayibhili lingasitsheli, kusegcekeni ukuthi kazange asole uNkulunkulu, athi kalunganga.

Kumele ukuthi u-Elija wethuka kakhulu ngokufa kwendodana yomfelokazi langokuthi umfelokazi wayecabanga ukuthi nguye obangele usizi olungaka. U-Elija wathwala isidumbu somfana wasisa endlini ephezulu wasekhala wathi: “Yebo Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, wehlisele umonakalo lakulo umfelokazi engihlezi kuye na, ngokubangela ukufa kwendodana yakhe na?” Umphrofethi lo kwakumdanisa kakhulu ukucabanga ukuthi ibizo likaNkulunkulu lalizagconwa nxa evumela ukuthi owesifazana lo owayelomusa njalo esemukela kuhle izethekeli aphinde ahlupheke. Yikho-ke u-Elija wancenga wathi: “Wena Jehova Nkulunkulu wami, ake ubuyisele impilo yalumntwana!”​—1 AmaKho. 17:20, 21.

UJehova wawulalela umthandazo ka-Elija. Umfelokazi wamphatha kuhle umphrofethi njalo watshengisa ukholo. Kukhanya angani uNkulunkulu wavumela ukuthi umfana agule aze afe, ekwazi ukuthi wayezamvusa njalo lokhu kwakuzanika izizukulwane ezizayo ithemba. Ukuvuswa kwakhe yikho okwakuqala okubhalwe eBhayibhilini. U-Elija wakhuleka encenga kakhulu, uJehova wasemvusa umntwana. Cabanga ukuthi umfelokazi wathaba njani lapho u-Elija esithi: “Khangela ubone, indodana yakho iyaphila!” Umfelokazi lo wasesithi ku-Elija: “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi ungumuntu kaNkulunkulu lokuthi ilizwi likaNkulunkulu elivela emlonyeni wakho liliqiniso.”​—1 AmaKho. 17:22-24.

Indaba le yomfelokazi eku-1 AmaKhosi isahluko-17 iphelela khonapho. Kodwa kumele ukuthi waba yisikhonzi sikaJehova esithembekileyo okwempilo yakhe yonke ngoba uJesu wamkhulumela kuhle. (Luk. 4:25, 26) Indaba yakhe isifundisa ukuthi uJehova uyababusisa labo abenzela izinceku zakhe okuhle. (Mat. 25:34-40) Itshengisa lokuthi uJehova uyabanakekela abathembekayo lanxa besebunzimeni. (Mat. 6:25-34) Indaba le isinika lobufakazi bokuthi uJehova ulesifiso njalo uyenelisa ukuvusa abafileyo. (ImiSeb. 24:15) Lokhu yikho kanye okwenza singamkhohlwa umfelokazi waseZarefathi.