1, 2. Chinhu chipi chisinganakidzi chaifanira kuitwa naEriya, uye iye naAhabhi vainge vakasiyana sei?

ERIYA aida chaizvo kuva pake ega kuti anyengetere kuna Baba vake vekudenga. Asi gurusvusvu revanhu vainge vakamupoteredza rakanga richangobva kuona muprofita uyu wechokwadi achidana moto kubva kudenga, uye vakawanda vevanhu vacho pasina mubvunzo vaida chaizvo kuita zvinhu zvaizoita kuti vafarirwe naye. Eriya asati akwira pamusoro peGomo reKameri kuti anyengetere ari pake ega kuna Jehovha Mwari, paiva nechinhu chisingafadzi chaaifanira kuita. Aifanira kutaura naMambo Ahabhi.

² Eriya naAhabhi vainge vakasiyana zvikuru. Ahabhi uyo ainge akapfeka mbatya dzakanaka dzamambo, aiva munhu ane makaro uye mupanduki aifuririka zviri nyore. Eriya ainge akapfeka nguo yemuprofita iyo yaiva jasi risina zvitayera, zvichida redehwe remhuka kana kuti remvere dzakarukwa dzengamera kana kuti dzembudzi. Aiva murume akashinga, akaperera uye aiva nokutenda zvikuru. Zviitiko zvezuva iroro zvainge zvanyatsobudisa pachena kusiyana kwainge kwakaita mumwe nemumwe wevarume vacho.

3, 4. (a) Nei Ahabhi nevamwe vanamati vaBhaari vakanyadziswa musi uyu? (b) Tichakurukura mibvunzo ipi?

³ Ahabhi nevamwe vanamati vaBhaari vakanga vanyadziswa musi uyu. Chitendero chechihedheni chaitsigirwa naAhabhi nemudzimai wake, Mambokadzi Jezebheri, muumambo hwaIsraeri hwemadzinza gumi chakanga charakashwa zvikuru. Bhaari akanga afumurwa samwari wenhema. Mwari iyeye asina upenyu akanga atadza kungobatidza moto achipindura vaprofita vake vaiteterera zveupengo, vaitamba uye vaizvicheka kusvika pakubuda ropa. Bhaari akanga atadza kudzivirira varume ivavo 450 vainge vakakodzera kuurayiwa. Asi mwari wenhema iyeye akanga akundikana kuita chimwewo chinhu, uye kukundikana kwacho kwainge kwava pedyo kuzadziswa. Kweanopfuura makore matatu, vaprofita vaBhaari vakanga vakumbira mwari wavo kuti agumise kusanaya kwemvura kwaitambudza nyika yacho, asi Bhaari akaratidza kusakwanisa kuita izvozvo. Nokukurumidza, Jehovha pachake aizoratidza kuti ndiye Mwari wechokwadi nokugumisa kusanaya kwemvura.—1 Madz. 16:30–17:1; 18:1-40.

⁴ Zvisinei, Jehovha aizozviita rini? Eriya aizenge achiitei kusvika  panguva iyoyo? Uye tingadzidzei kubva kumurume uyu aiva nokutenda? Ngationei sezvatinoongorora nhoroondo yacho.—Verenga 1 Madzimambo 18:41-46.

5. Eriya akaudza Ahabhi kuti aitei, uye zvinoratidza here sokuti Ahabhi ainge adzidza chimwe chinhu pazviitiko zvezuva racho?

⁵ Eriya akaenda kuna Ahabhi ndokuti: “Endai, idyai uye inwai; nokuti kune kutinhira kwemvura zhinji.” Mambo uyu ainge akaipa ane chaakadzidza here pazviitiko zvezuva racho? Nhoroondo yacho haitauri zvakananga, asi hapana patinowana mashoko ekupfidza kwake kana paakakumbira muprofita wacho kuti amubatsire kunyengetera kuna Jehovha kuti akanganwirwe. Ahabhi ‘akangoenda kuti anodya nokunwa.’ (1 Madz. 18:41, 42) Zvakadini naEriya?

6, 7. Eriya akanyengeterera chii, uye nei akadaro?

⁶ “Asi Eriya akakwira pamusoro peKameri, [akagwadama] pasi, akaramba akaisa chiso chake pakati pemabvi ake.” Ahabhi paakaenda kunozadza dumbu rake, Eriya akawana mukana wokunyengetera kuna Baba vake vokudenga. Cherechedza kuzvininipisa kunorondedzerwa pano—Eriya aiva pasi uye akakotamisa musoro wake zvokuti chiso chake chaiva pedyo nemabvi ake. Eriya aiitei? Hatifaniri hedu kuita zvokufungidzira. Pana Jakobho 5:18, Bhaibheri rinotiudza kuti Eriya  akanyengeterera kuti kusanaya kwemvura kupere. Kunenge kuti aipa munyengetero iwoyo ari pamusoro peKameri.

⁷ Jehovha akanga amboti: “Ndatsunga kunayisa mvura panyika.” (1 Madz. 18:1) Saka Eriya akanyengeterera kuti chinangwa chaJehovha chizadziswe, seizvo Jesu akadzidzisa vateveri vake kuti vanyengeterere papfuura anenge makore 1 000.—Mat. 6:9, 10.

8. Zvakaitwa naEriya zvinotidzidzisei nezvekunyengetera?

⁸ Zvakaitwa naEriya zvinotidzidzisa zvakawanda nezvekunyengetera. Eriya ainyanya kufunga nezvekuzadziswa kwechinangwa chaMwari. Patinonyengetera, zvakanaka kuyeuka kuti: “Zvisinei nokuti chii chatinokumbira maererano nezvaanoda [Mwari], iye anotinzwa.” (1 Joh. 5:14) Saka zviri pachena kuti tinofanira kuziva kuti kuda kwaMwari ndekupi kuitira kuti tinyengetere zvinogamuchirika—uye kuti tizive kuda kwaMwari tinofanira kugara tichidzidza Bhaibheri. Zvechokwadi Eriya aidawo kuona kusanaya kwemvura kuchipera nemhaka yokuti vanhu vemunyika yake vaitambura. Mwoyo wake ungangodaro wakazara nokuonga pashure pokunge aona chishamiso chakaitwa naJehovha zuva iroro. Isuwo tinoda kuti minyengetero yedu iratidze kuonga kunobva pamwoyo uye kuti tinoda kuti vamwe zvivafambire zvakanaka.—Verenga 2 VaKorinde 1:11; VaFiripi 4:6.

9. Eriya akarayira mushandi wake kuti aitei, uye tichakurukura zvinhu zvipi zviviri?

⁹ Eriya aiva nechokwadi chokuti Jehovha aizoita chimwe chinhu kuti agumise kusanaya kwemvura, asi aisava nechokwadi kuti Jehovha aizodaro rini. Saka muprofita wacho akaitei panguva iyi? Ona zvinotaura nhoroondo yacho: “Akabva ati kumushandi wake: ‘Ndapota, enda. Tarira kurutivi rwokugungwa.’ Naizvozvo akaenda, akatarira, akabva ati: ‘Hakuna kana chiriko.’ Iye akati, ‘Dzokera,’ kanomwe.” (1 Madz. 18:43) Muenzaniso waEriya unotidzidzisa zvidzidzo zviviri kana kupfuura. Tanga nokucherechedza chivimbo chaiva nemuprofita wacho. Chibva wazofunga nezvekurinda kwaaiita.

10, 11. (a) Eriya akaratidza munzira ipi kuti aiva nechivimbo muchipikirwa chaJehovha? (b) Nei tingava nechivimbo chakadaro?

¹⁰ Nemhaka yokuti Eriya aiva nechivimbo muchipikirwa chaJehovha, akaramba achitsvaka chiratidzo chokuti Jehovha aizoita kuti kunaye nokukurumidza. Akatuma mushandi wake kuti aende panzvimbo yakakwirira kuti atarise kure aone kana paiva nechiratidzo chokuti kwainge kwava kuda kunaya. Paakadzoka, mushandi wacho akataura  mashoko aya asingafadzi okuti: “Hakuna kana chiriko.” Mujengachenga mainge makati hwa, uye zvaiva pachena kuti denga rakanga risina kana gore. Waona here chimwe chinhu chinoshamisa? Yeuka kuti Eriya ainge achangobva kuudza Mambo Ahabhi kuti: “Kune kutinhira kwemvura zhinji.” Muprofita wacho aizotaura zvakadaro sei iko kwainge kusina makore emvura?

¹¹ Eriya aiziva chipikirwa chaJehovha. Semuprofita uye mumiririri waJehovha, aiva nechokwadi chokuti Mwari wake aizozadzisa shoko Rake. Eriya aiva nechivimbo zvokuti zvaiita sokunge kuti akanga ava kutonzwa mvura zhinji ichinaya. Tingayeuchidzwa nezvekurondedzerwa kunoitwa Mosesi neBhaibheri kuti: “Akaramba akasimba seaiona Uyo asingaoneki.” Mwari munhu chaiye zvakadaro kwauri here? Anopa chikonzero chakakwana chokuti tive nokutenda kwakadaro maari uye muzvipikirwa zvake.—VaH. 11:1, 27.

12. Eriya akaratidza sei kuti ainge akarinda, uye akaita sei paakanzwa kuti kwaiva negore duku rimwe chete?

¹² Chibva wacherechedza kuti Eriya ainge akarinda zvakadini. Akaudza mushandi wake kuti adzokere, kwete kamwe chete kana kaviri, asi kanomwe! Tingafungidzira mushandi wake achineta nokungoramba achidzokera, asi Eriya akaramba achitarisira kwazvo kuona chiratidzo uye haana kukanda mapfumo pasi. Pakupedzisira, pashure perwendo rwake rwechinomwe, mushandi wacho akashuma kuti: “Tarirai! Kune gore duku rakaita sechanza chomunhu riri kukwira richibva mugungwa.” Unogona here kufungidzira mushandi wacho achitambanudza ruoko rwake uye achishandisa chanza chake kuyera kukura kwegore duku rimwe chete raisimuka mujengachenga meGungwa Guru? Mushandi wacho angangodaro akaona gore duku iroro serisingakoshi. Zvisinei, kuna Eriya gore iroro raikosha zvikuru. Akabva audza mushandi wake zvaaifanira kuita nokukurumidza achiti: “Enda unoti kuna Ahabhi, ‘Sungai ngoro yenyu! Endai kuti murege kudzivirirwa nemvura zhinji!’”—1 Madz. 18:44.

13, 14. (a) Tingatevedzera sei kurinda kwaEriya? (b) Tine zvikonzero zvipi zvokuita zvinhu tichiziva kuti nguva yapera?

¹³ Eriya akatiratidza zvakare mumwe muenzaniso une simba. Isuwo tinorarama panguva apo Mwari achakurumidza kuita chimwe chinhu kuti azadzise chinangwa chake. Eriya akamirira kuguma kwekusanaya kwemvura; vashumiri vaMwari mazuva ano vanomirira kuguma kwenyika yakaipa. (1 Joh. 2:17) Kusvikira Jehovha aita chimwe chinhu, tinofanira kuramba takarinda, sezvakaita Eriya. Mwanakomana waMwari pachake, Jesu, akarayira vateveri vake kuti: “Naizvozvo, rambai makarinda nokuti hamuzivi kuti Ishe wenyu ari kuuya zuva ripi.” (Mat. 24:42) Jesu aireva here kuti vateveri vake vaisazomboziva zvachose kuti mugumo wainge wava pedyo? Kwete, nokuti akatsanangura zvaizenge zvakaita nyika mugumo paunenge wava pedyo. Tose zvedu tinogona kuona kuzadzika kwechiratidzo ichi chinoumbwa nezvinhu  zvakawanda “chokuguma kwemamiriro ezvinhu epanguva yacho.”—Verenga Mateu 24:3-7.

¹⁴ Chikamu chimwe nechimwe chechiratidzo ichocho chinotipa uchapupu hune simba uye hunogutsa. Uchapupu ihwohwo hwakakwana here zvokutipa simba rokuita basa raJehovha tichiziva kuti nguva yapera? Gore duku rimwe chete raisimuka mujengachenga rainge rakakwana kuti Eriya ave nechokwadi chokuti Jehovha ainge ava kuda kuita chimwe chinhu. Muprofita wacho akatendeka akaora mwoyo here?

15, 16. Zviitiko zvipi zvakaitika nokukurumidza, uye Eriya angangodaro akatarisira kuti Ahabhi aizoitei?

¹⁵ Nhoroondo yacho inotiudza kuti: “Munguva iyi matenga akasviba nemakore, kukava nemhepo nemvura zhinji kwazvo. Ahabhi akaramba ari mungoro, akaenda kuJezreeri.” (1 Madz. 18:45) Zvinhu zvakatanga kuitika nokukurumidza zvikuru. Mushandi waEriya paaiudza Ahabhi mashoko emuprofita wacho, gore duku iroro rakakura, ndokuzadza denga richibva rati ndo-o. Mhepo huru yakavhuvhuta. Pakupedzisira, pashure pemakore matatu nehafu, mvura yakanaya panyika yeIsraeri. Pasi painge panzwa nenyota pakanwirira madonhwe acho. Mvura zvayakatanga kuturuka iri zhinji, rwizi rwaKishoni rwakazara, pasina mubvunzo ruchisuka ropa revaprofita vaBhaari vainge vaurayiwa. VaIsraeri vainge vapanduka vakapiwawo mukana wokuti vabvise kunamatwa kwaBhaari munyika yaIsraeri vokanganwirwa naJehovha.

¹⁶ Zvechokwadi Eriya aitarisira kuti vaizodaro! Zvimwe akanetseka kuti Ahabhi aizoita sei paaiona zvinhu zvikuru zvakanga zvichiitika. Ahabhi aizotendeuka obva pakusvibiswa nekunamatwa kwaBhaari here? Zviitiko zvemusi wacho zvainge zvapa zvikonzero zvakasimba zvokuti achinje kudaro. Hatigoni hedu kuziva kuti Ahabhi aifungei pashure pezvose zvaainge aona musi iwoyo. Nhoroondo yacho inongotiudza kuti mambo “akaramba ari mungoro, akaenda kuJezreeri.” Ane zvaainge adzidza here? Ainge atsunga kuchinja mararamiro ake here? Zvakazoitika zvinoratidza kuti kwete. Kunyange zvakadaro, zuva racho rakanga risati rapera kuna Ahabhi uye kuna Eriya.

17, 18. (a) Chii chakaitika kuna Eriya pamugwagwa unoenda kuJezreeri? (b) Chii chaishamisa pakumhanya kwakaita Eriya kubva kuKameri kuenda kuJezreeri? (Onawo mashoko omuzasi.)

 ¹⁷ Muprofita waJehovha akatanga kuenda nemugwagwa wainge uchishandiswawo naAhabhi. Aiva nerwendo rwakareba, rima raizowedzera uye mumugwagwa maiva nemachakwi. Asi chimwe chinhu chinoshamisa chakabva chaitika.

¹⁸ “Ruoko rwaJehovha rwakava pana Eriya, zvokuti akasunga muhudyu make, akamhanya ari mberi kwaAhabhi kusvikira kuJezreeri.” (1 Madz. 18:46) Zviri pachena kuti “ruoko rwaJehovha” rwainge ruchishanda pana Eriya nenzira inoshamisa. Jezreeri yaiva kure nemakiromita 30, uye Eriya akanga asiri jaya. * Fungidzira muprofita iyeye achikwinya nguo dzake refu, achidzisungirira muchiuno kuitira kuti makumbo ake afambe zvakasununguka, obva amhanya achitevedza mugwagwa iwoyo wainge wazara mvura—achimhanya ari museve chaiwo zvokuti anobata ngoro yamambo, oidarika uye omhanya ari mberi kwayo!

19. (a) Simba neugwinyi zvakapiwa Eriya naMwari zvingatiyeuchidza nezveuprofita hupi? (b) Eriya zvaaimhanya achienda kuJezreeri, ainyatsoziva chii?

¹⁹ Ichocho chinofanira kunge chaiva chikomborero kuna Eriya! Zvinofanira kunge zvainakidza chaizvo kunzwa aine simba neugwinyi zvakadaro—zvichida zvaitopfuura zvaainzwa achiri muduku. Tingayeuka uprofita hunovimbisa utano neugwinyi zvakakwana kuvanhu vakatendeka muParadhiso yepasi pano iri kuuya. (Verenga Isaya 35:6; Ruka 23:43) Eriya zvaaimhanya mumugwagwa iwoyo waiva nemachakwi, ainyatsoziva kuti aitsigirwa naBaba vake, Mwari wechokwadi chete, Jehovha!

20. Tingaitei kuti tiwane zvikomborero zvaJehovha?

²⁰ Jehovha anoda chaizvo kutikomborera. Zvikomborero zvake zvinokosha, saka ngatiitei zvose zvatinogona kuti tiedze kuwana zvikomborero zvake. Sezvakaita Eriya, tinofanira kurinda, tichinyatsoongorora uchapupu hune simba hunoratidza kuti Jehovha ava kuda kuita chimwe chinhu munguva dzino dzine ngozi uye dzinokosha. SaEriya, tine uchapupu hunogutsa hwokuti tive nechivimbo chakazara muzvipikirwa zvaJehovha, “Mwari wechokwadi.”—Pis. 31:5.