Imfazwe yayiphelile, ibe kwakuthe cwaka kamnandi kwiNtlambo ka-Elaha. Njengoko umoya wasemva kwemini wawuphephezela kwintente yomkhosi, uKumkani uSawule wayenentlanganiso namanye wamadoda akhe. Unyana wakhe omdala uYonatan wayekhona, kwakukho nomalusi osemtsha owayekuvuyela ukubalisa ibali lakhe. Lo malusi umtsha wayenguDavide ibe wayezimisele esemdleni kakhulu. USawule wayemamelisise kakuhle engafuni ukuphoswa nayinto encinci kweli bali likaDavide. Wayeziva njani yena uYonatan? Woyisa kwiimfazwe ezininzi ebomini bakhe xa wayekhokhela umkhosi kaYehova. Kodwa kule kwakungawinanga uYonatan, nguDavide owabulala uGoliyathi! Ngaba uYonatan waba nomona kuba kunconywa uDavide?

 Ingakothusa indlela awenza ngayo uYonatan, iBhayibhile ithi: “Wathi nje akugqiba uDavide ukuthetha noSawule, uYonatan noDavide bangabahlobo abasenyongweni, yaye uYonatan wamthanda kanye ngendlela azithanda ngayo yena. UYonatan wanika uDavide izixhobo zakhe zokulwa nesaphetha sakhe, ibe esi yayisesona sipho sixabisekileyo kuba uYonatan wayengoyena mtoli waziwayo. Enye into uDavide noYonatan benza isivumelwano esabenza baba ngabahlobo abasenyongweni ababencedana.—1 Samuweli 18:1-5.

 Le ndlela babevana ngayo yenye yeendlela ekuthethwa ngazo eBhayibhileni. Ubuhlobo bubalulekile kubazalwana noodade. Ukuba sibakhetha kakuhle abahlobo, size sibancede xa kuyimfuneko, ukholo lwethu luza kuqina kula maxesha anzima. (IMizekeliso 27:17) Ngoku makhe sibone ukuba sinokufunda ntoni ngobuhlobo kuYonatan.

 Baqala njani ngokukhawuleza obu buhlobo? Impendulo siyifumana kwinto obusekelwe kuyo ubuhlobo. Makhe sijonge indlela awakhula ngayo uYonatan. Ngexesha awayekhula ngalo kwakunzima kakhulu. Utata wakhe, uKumkani uSawule wayengasenguye la mntu wayenguye kuqala, wayekhohlakele kakhulu. Ekuqaleni wayethobekile, enokholo oluqinileyo, kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha waba ngukumkani onekratshi ongathobekanga.—1 Samuweli 15:17-19, 26.

 Ukutshintsha kukaSawule kumele ukuba kwamkhathaza nyhani uYonatan, kuba wayemthanda utata wakhe. (1 Samuweli 20:2) UYonatan umele ukuba wazibuza ukuba bubuphi ubungozi amele ukuba waba nabo kubantu bakaYehova. Ngaba ukungathobeli kwalo kumkani kwakuza kwenza abantu abalawulayo bangathandwa nguYehova? Kwakuza kwenzeka loo nto kanye, ibe izinto ezinjalo zazimkhathaza uYonatan indoda eyayinokholo.

 Ezi zinto zinokusinceda siqonde isizathu sokuba uYonatan abe ngumhlobo kaDavide. UYonatan wabona indlela oluqine ngayo ukholo lukaDavide. Ukhumbule ukuba, ngokungafaniyo namajoni kaSawule, uDavide wayengamoyiki uGoliyathi nangona wayeyindoda enkulu. Waqonda ukuba uza kuncedwa ligama likaYehova ukuze amoyise uGoliyathi onamandla nezixhobo.—1 Samuweli 17:45-47.

 Kwiminyaka engaphambi koku, noYonatan wayekhe wacinga ngendlela efanayo. Wayeqinisekile ukuba, yena nomphathi wezixhobo zakhe baza kuhlasela baze boyise umkhosi wamajoni. Wayeqinisekiswa yintoni? UYonatan wathi: “Akukho nto inokuma endleleni kaYehova.” (1 Samuweli 14:6) Ngoko uYonatan noDavide babenezinto ezininzi abafana ngazo, ukholo oluqinileyo nokuthanda uYehova. Nantso ke into eyabangela ukuba la madoda mabini ahlale engabahlobo abavana kakhulu. Nangona uYonatan wayeyinkosana eyayiza kugqiba iminyaka eyi-50, yena uDavide engumalusi othobekileyo ongagqibanga neminyaka eyi-20 le, kodwa ezo zinto zange zibenze bangabi ngabo abahlobo. *

 Isivumelwano abasenzayo sabanceda bahlala bengabahlobo. Kutheni sisitsho? Kaloku uDavide wayesazi ukuba uYehova ufuna abe ngukumkani olandelayo wakwaSirayeli! Ngaba wayifihla le nto kuYonatan? Hayi! Ubuhlobo obuhle obufana nobu babo benziwa kukuthetha, kungabikho zimfihlo nabuxoki. Wayeza kuthini uYonatan xa efumanisa ukuba uDavide uza kuba ngukumkani? Akungebi mhlawumbi uYonatan wayenethemba lokuba ngukumkani ngenye imini, alungise iimpazamo zikatata wakhe? IBhayibhile ayisixeleli kwanto ngokukhathazwa kukaYonatan yile nto. Into esixelela yona kukuba kuYonatan, kwakubaluleke ukuthembeka nokuba nokholo. Wayebona ukuba uDavide, unomoya kaYehova. (1 Samuweli 16:1, 11-13) UYonatan wenza ngendlela awayethembise ngayo, waza waqhubeka engumhlobo noDavide, endaweni yokucinga ukuba ufuna ukuthatha indawo yakhe. Wayefuna kwenzeke ukuthanda kukaYehova.

 Obo buhlobo, baba yintsikelelo. Sinokufunda ntoni kukholo lukaYonatan? Kubakhonzi bakaThixo, ubuhlobo bubalulekile. Akunyanzelekanga ukuba indlela abakhule ngayo neminyaka yabo ifane, kodwa bangasinceda kakhulu ukuba banokholo olomeleleyo. UYonatan noDavide bakwazi ukuqinisana nokukhuthazana amaxesha amaninzi. Futhi babeza kuludinga olo ncedo kuba ubuhlobo babo babuza kudibana neengxaki.

 Ekuqaleni, uSawule wayemthanda uDavide, wade wambeka ukuba aphathe umkhosi wakhe. Zange kube kudala uSawule wanomona, uphawu olubi uYonatan angazange azivumele ukuba abe nalo. UDavide wayezoyisa ezoyisile iintshaba zamaSirayeli amaFilisti. Ngenxa yaloo nto, abantu babemncoma, futhi bemhlonipha. Abanye abafazi babede bacule besithi: “USawule uxabele amawaka akhe, yena uDavide amashumi amawaka akhe.” USawule zange ayithande le ngoma. Sifunda oku “Ukususela ngaloo mini, uSawule wayesoloko emgxeleshile uDavide.” (1 Samuweli 18:7, 9) Wayenexhala lokuba uDavide, uza kubuthatha uBukumkani bakhe. USawule waba sisidenge. Ewe kona, uDavide wayesazi ukuba uza kungena endaweni kaSawule, kodwa zange ayicinge nokuyicinga into yokususa ukumkani okhethwe nguYehova kulawulo lwakhe!

 USawule weza neqhinga lokuba uDavide abulawe emfazweni, kodwa loo nto zange isebenze. UDavide waqhubeka esoyisa kwiimfazwe nabantu baya bemthanda futhi bemhlonipha. Enye into awayenzayo uSawule kukudibanisa intsapho yakhe, abakhonzi bakhe kunye nonyana wakhe omdala ukuze beze necebo lokubulala uDavide! Inoba waphoxeka nyhani uYonatan xa ebona utata wakhe esenza into embi kanje! (1 Samuweli 18:25-30; 19:1) UYonatan wayethembekile kutata wakhe, ethembekile nakumhlobo wakhe. Ekubeni kwakuza kufuneka akhethe, wayeza kukhetha bani?

 UYonatan wathetha wathi: “Ukumkani makangamenzi into embi uDavide isicaka sakhe, kuba akakonanga yaye izinto azenzileyo, zincede kwawena. Uye wabeka ubomi bakhe engozini waxabela umFilisti ukuze uYehova enze uSirayeli wonke oyise. Nawe lo wayibona loo nto wavuya kakhulu. Ngoko kutheni ufuna ukona igazi elimsulwa ngokubulala uDavide ngaphandle kwesizathu?” USawule wakhe wammamela uYonatan kancinci, into angafane ayenze, wade wafunga ukuba akazumenzakalisa uDavide. Kodwa uSawule zange asigcine eso sithembiso. Izinto zaqhubeka zimhambela kakuhle uDavide, uSawule wade wanomsindo wathatha umkhonto wamgibisela ngawo! (1 Samuweli 19:4-6, 9, 10) Kodwa uDavide wabaleka wemka kwindlu kaSawule.

 Ngaba wakhe waxakwa ukuba uza kuthembeka kubani? Le nto iyakhathaza. Ngamanye amaxesha abanye banokukucebisa bathi kufuneka uthembeke kwintsapho. Kodwa uYonatan wayesazi ukuba makenze ntoni kule meko. Wayenokuyenza njani into yokuthembeka kutata wakhe kukho uDavide owayethobekile futhi ethembekile kuYehova? Ngamanye amazwi uYonatan wakhetha ukuthembeka kuYehova. Yiloo nto wayemthethelela kangaka uDavide. Kodwa ke, nangona uYonatan wayethembeke kuThixo, wabonisa nokuba uthembekile nakutata wakhe ngokumlungisa endaweni yokumxelela into eza kumvuyisa. Sonke kunokusinceda ukuthembeka njengoYonatan.

 UYonatan waphinda wazama ukwenza uSawule noDavide babe seluxolweni kodwa uSawule zange afune ukummamela. UDavide weza kuYonatan eyedwa ezokumxelela ukuba woyika ukuba uza kubulawa. Wathi kumhlobo wakhe, “Ubomi bam, busengozini!” UYonatan wavuma ukuyokuthetha notata wakhe aze axelele uDavide ukuba uyavuma na ukuba benze uxolo. Xa uDavide wayezimele, uYonatan wayeza kudubula ngotolo ukuze uDavide azi ukuba umele abaleke okanye abuye. UYonatan wacela uDavide amfungele ukuba uza kusigcina isithembiso sakhe sokuba: “Angaze ayeke ukuyithanda indlu yakhe, kwanaxa uYehova ezitshayela zonke iintshaba zakhe phezu komhlaba.” UDavide wavuma ukuba uza kuyikhathalela aze ayikhusele intsapho kaYonatan.​—1 Samuweli 20:3, 13-27.

 UYonatan wazama ukumthethelela uDavide kuSawule, kodwa ukumkani, wacaphuka! USawule wabiza uYonatan ngokuba ‘ngunyana womfazi ongathobeliyo’ wade wathi ukuthembeka kwakhe kuDavide, kulihlazo kwintsapho yakowabo. Wathetha into acinga ukuba uYonatan unomdla kuyo esithi: “Logama unyana kaYese esaphila kulo mhlaba, wena nobo bukumkani bakho anizukumiselwa ngokuqinileyo.” Engenamdla kuloo nto, uYonatan wamphendula utata wakhe wathi: “Kutheni efanele abulawe? Wenze ntoni?” USawule wavutha ngumsindo! Nangona wayemdala, wayesenamandla. Wamgibisela ngomkhonto unyana wakhe! Nangona wayesaziwa ngokuchana, kodwa wamphosa. UYonatan wahamba enomsindo, ekhathazekile futhi ehlazekile.​—1 Samuweli 20:24-34.

 UYonatan waya kwindawo uDavide awayezimele kuyo. Wadubula ngotolo esazisa uDavide ukuba uSawule, ufuna ukumbulala. Emva koko, uYonatan wathi kunogada wakhe makabuyele esixekweni. Watsho wafumana ithuba lokuthetha noDavide bebodwa. Bobabini balila. UYonatan wambukela umhlobo wakhe uDavide njengoko wayehamba, eqalisa ubomi bokuba yimbacu.​—1 Samuweli 20:35-42.

 Naphantsi kwezi meko zinzima, uYonatan wabonisa ukuba uthembekile akazicingeli yedwa. Ekubeni uSathana engabafuni abantu abathembekileyo, wayeza kuvuya xa ebona uYonatan elinganisa uSawule ngokufuna uzuko. Kaloku uSathana, uyathanda ukwenza abantu bazicingele bodwa. Waye waphumelela kubazali bethu bokuqala uAdam noEva. (Genesis 3:1-6) Kodwa zange alunge kuYonatan. Inoba yamcaphukisa nyhani loo nto! Ngaba nawe ungakwazi ukulwa nezo nzame zikaSathana? Siphila kwixesha apho ukuzicingela wedwa, kufana nesifo esosulelayo. (2 Timoti 3:1-5) Ngaba ikhona into esinokuyifunda kuYonatan ngokuzincama nokuthembeka?

 USawule waya emcaphukela kakhulu uDavide. UYonatan wabukela utata wakhe eshiywa ziingqondo, edibanisa umkhosi ukuze kubulawe umntu ongenatyala. (1 Samuweli 24:1, 2, 12-15; 26:20) Ngaba uYonatan wancedisa naye? Izibhalo azibonisi ukuba waye wancedisa kuloo mizamo. Kuba uYonatan wayethembekile kuYehova nakuDavide, ekwangumhlobo wabo, wayengena kuyenza loo nto.

Indlela awayeziva ngayo ngomhlobo wakhe, zange itshintshe.  Ekuhambeni kwexesha, waphinda wadibana noDavide. Badibana eHoreshi. IHoreshi ke yindawo enamathafa neentaba ekufutshane ngakumzantsi mpuma weHebron. Kwakutheni ukuze uYonatan abeke ubomi bakhe esichengeni eyokubona le mbacu? IBhayibhile ithi wayefuna ukunceda uDavide ‘athembele ngoYehova.’ (1 Samuweli 23:16) Wayenza njani le nto uYonatan?

 UYonatan wathi kumhlobo wakhe “Sukoyika.” Wamqinisekisa wathi: ‘USawule utata akazukukufumana.’ Kwakutheni ukuze amqinisekise ngala mazwi? Wayenokholo lokuba uYehova uza kuzenza izinto azithembisileyo. Wathi kuye: “Uza kuba ngukumkani kwaSirayeli.” Kwiminyaka ngaphambili, umprofeti uSamuweli wayethunywe ukuba athethe la mazwi, ngoko uYonatan wayekhumbuza uDavide ukuba yonke into ethethwe nguYehova iyenzeka. Yena uYonatan wayeza kuba yintoni? Wathi, “Mna ke ndiza kuba ngowesibini emva kwakho.” Wayethobeke nyhani! Wayengena ngxaki ngokuthobela umfana owayemncinci kuye ngeminyaka eyi-30 abe lisekela lakhe! Wade wathi: “NoSawule utata, uyayazi loo nto.” (1 Samuweli 23:17, 18) KwaSawule lo wayeyazi ukuba akazukuphumelela xa esilwa nomntu okhethwe nguYehova ukuba abe ngukumkani olandelayo!

 Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, uDavide ufanele ukuba wayekhe ajonge emva aze akhumbule izinto abazithethayo ngaloo mini. Babebonana okokugqibela. Okubuhlungu kukuba ithemba awayenalo uYonatan lokuba lisekela likaDavide, zange liphumelele.

 UYonatan notata wakhe bayokulwa namaFilisti iintshaba zamaSirayeli. Wancedisa utata wakhe engenasazela, kuba zange avumele izinto ezimbi awazenzayo, zimenze angathembeki kuYehova. Walwa ngesibindi nokuthembeka, into awayehlala eyenza kakade, sekunjalo amaSirayeli oyiswa. Ububi obabusenziwa nguSawule babandile, kangangokuba wayesele esebenzelana nemimoya, into eyayisisono esikhulu kumthetho kaThixo. Ngoko uYehova wayeyekile ukumsikelela. Oonyana bakhe abathathu, ekwakukho noYonatan kubo, babulawa kuloo mfazwe. USawule wayelimele ngoko wazibulala.​—1 Samuweli 28:6-14; 31:2-6.

 UDavide wakhathazeka kakhulu. Le ndoda yayinobubele futhi ixolela yayikhathazwa nakukufa kukaSawule, owayeyiphilisa kabuhlungu xa wayesaphila! UDavide wabhala ingoma ebonisa ukuba wayekhathazekile kukufa kukaYonatan noSawule. La mazwi achukumisa kanje ayebhekiswa kumhlobo nomntu owayengumzekelo kuDavide uYonatan. Athi: “Ndibuhlungu kakhulu ngawe mntakwethu Yonatan. Bendikuthanda kakhulu. Indlela obundithanda ngayo ibilodlula uthando lwabafazi.”​—2 Samuweli 1:26.

 UDavide zange asilibale isithembiso awasenza kuYonatan. Kwiminyaka emininzi emva koko wakhangela unyana kaYonatan uMefibhoshete owayesisiqhwala waza wamkhathalela. (2 Samuweli 9:1-13) Kuyacaca ukuba uDavide wafunda into eninzi kuYonatan ngokuthembeka, intlonipho nokufuna ukuthi nca kumhlobo wakhe nangona loo nto yayiza kubenzela iingxaki. Ngaba nathi siza kufunda izinto ezifanayo? Asinakukhe sikhangele abahlobo abanje ngoYonatan? Ngaba singaba ngabahlobo abanje nathi? Ukuba siyabanceda abahlobo bethu baqinise ukholo lwabo kuYehova, nathi sithembeke kuThixo, kunokuba sicingele iziqu zethu, siza kuba ngabahlobo abafana noYonatan. Futhi siya kuba sinokholo njengaye.