Ubaba kaRerhobhowamu nguSolomoni, owabusa kwa-Israyeli iminyaka ema-40. (1 Kho. 11:42) Ngemva kokuhlongakala kwakaSolomoni, uRerhobhowamu wasuka eJerusalema waya etlhagwini eTjhekemu ayokubekwa bona abe yikosi. (2 Kron. 10:1) Ucabanga ukuthi bekasaba na ukuvala isikhundla sakaSolomoni, mhlamunye ngebanga lokuthi uSolomoni bekayikosi ehlakaniphe khulu? Yini ebeyingasiza uRerhobhowamu azi ukuthi kungasikade kuzokufuze atjengise ikghono lakhe lokurarulula imiraro ebudisi?

Kungenzeka uRerhobhowamu wafumana izinto zihlangahlangene kwa-Israyeli. Kodwana kungakabiphi, abajameli babantu beza kuye bamtjela izinto ezibatshwenyako, bathi: “Uyihlo wasithwesa ijogi elibudisi. Nje-ke wena gedlisa umsebenzi obudisi kayihlo lo nejogi asithwesa loneli, khona-ke sizakulotjha.”—2 Kron. 10:3, 4.

Kungenzeka uRerhobhowamu wakhulelwa yihloko! Nabekangenza ngokuvumelana nabantu, bekuzokutjho ukuthi yena, umndenakhe neenkhulu zesigodlweni kufuze baphungule uburhanyarhanya abaphila ngabo, bangasafuna izinto ezinengi ebantwini. Ngakelinye ihlangothi, nakangenzi ngokuvumelana nabantu, bebangabhenyoga. Alo bekazakubona enzeni? Njengombana bekayikosi esand’ ukubekwa, wayokubuza emadodeni amadala ebekabaluleki bakaSolomoni. Kodwana ngemva kwalokho wakhamba wayokufuna ukwelulekwa ziintanga zakhe. Walalela iseluleko sabangani bakhe, wakhetha ukuphatha abantu ngesandla sesimbi. Waphendula wathi: “Ngizokwenza ijogi libe budisi, mina ngokwami ngizolenza libe budisi ukudlula. Ubaba waniritha ngesibebhu, mina ngizonirhadla ngomrwedla.”—2 Kron. 10:6-14.

Kukhona na esikufundako kilokhu? Kuyakhanya ukuthi kanengi kukuhlakanipha ukulalela abantu abadala abathanda uZimu. Ngebanga lokuthi kade badla amabele, kungenzeka babone ukuthi into izokukhamba njani bese basiyelelise kuhle.—Job. 12:12.

Ngemva kokuhlubukokho, uRerhobhowamu wabuthelela amasotjakhe. Kodwana uJehova wangenela endabeni le asebenzisa umphorofidi uTjhemaya, wathi: “Ningenyuki bona niyokulwa nabafowenu, ama-Israyeli. Godukani, omunye nomunye anqombe kwakhe ngombana lokhu kusisenzo sami.”—1 Kho. 12:21-24. *

Alo angalwi nokulwa na? Akhucabange ukuthi lokho kwamhlangahlanganisa njani uRerhobhowamu! Cabanga ukuthi abantu bebazakuthini, kazi ingasikade bekhewathusela abantu ngokubajezisa ‘ngokubarhadla ngomrwedla’ kodwana nje uyabalisa bahlubuke. (Madanisa neye-2 yeenKronike 13:7.) Ngaphezu kwakho koke lokho, ikosi namasotjayo “balalela ilizwi lakaSomnini babuyela emakhaya njengombana uSomnini bekabatjelile.”

Sifundani kilokhu? Kukuhlakanipha ukulalela uZimu ngitjho nanyana singahlekwa babantu. Nasilalela uZimu sizokufumana umusa neembusiso zakhe.—Dut. 28:2.

Waba yini umphumela wokulalela kwakaRerhobhowamu? Ngebanga lokulalela kwakhe alise amanwakhe wokulwa nombuso osand’ ukuthoma lo, wakhela iinkoro ezimbili ebekasazibusa, ikoro yakwaJuda neyakwaBhenjamini amadorobho amanengi. Wandisa isivikelo samadorobho, “wawenza aqina kwamambala.” (2 Kron. 11:5-12) Okuqakatheke khulu kukuthi walalela umthetho kaJehova isikhathi esithileko. Njengombana umbuso weenkoro elitjhumi zakwa-Israyeli obuswa nguJerobhowamu sewungene ngehloko ekulotjheni iinthombe, abanengi kiwo “bebasekela uRerhobhowamu” ngokuthi baye eJerusalema bayokulotjha uZimu ngeqiniso. (2 Kron. 11:16, 17) Yeke ukulalela kwakaRerhobhowamu kwawuqinisa umbuswakhe.

Kwathi bona ukukhosi bakhe buqine, uRerhobhowamu wenza into engakalindeleki. Walisa ukulotjha uJehova, walotjha abozimu bamala! Kubayini? Kghani bekahlohlozelwa ngunina omAmoni? (1 Kho. 14:21) Asazi ukuthi bekabangelwa yini kodwana soke isitjhaba samlandela. Nje-ke uJehova wavumela ikosi yeGibhide uTjhitjhakhi bona ithumbe amadorobho weJudiya amanengi, ngitjho nanyana uRerhobhowamu bekawavikele khulu.—1 Kho. 14:22-24; 2 Kron. 12:1-4.

Indaba le yafika esitlhorini lokha uTjhitjhakhi nakafika eJerusalema, indawo uRerhobhowamu ebekabusela kiyo. Ngesikhatheso umphorofidi uTjhemaya wethula umlayezo ovela kuZimu kuRerhobhowamu namakhosanakhe wathi: “Angithi ningilahlile! Nami-ke nginilahlela ezandleni zakaTjhitjhakhi.” Wenzani uRerhobhowamu nakezwa umlayezo omkhalimako lo? Wenza into ebukwako! IBhayibheli lithi: “Abarholi bakwa-Israyeli kanye nekosi uRerhobhowamu bazithoba bathi: ‘USomnini uqinisile!’” Ngalokho uJehova wamsindisa uRerhobhowamu neJerusalema ekutjhatjalalisweni.—2 Kron. 12:5-7, 12.

Ngemva kwalokho uRerhobhowamu waragela phambili aphethe umbuso wesewula. Ngaphambi kokuthi ahlongakale, wabela amadodanakhe amanengi izipho ngesandla esivulekileko, mhlamunye ngombana alinga ukuwenza angavukeli u-Abiya umfowabo, ebekazokuthatha isikhundla sakhe. (2 Kron. 11:21-23) Kwaba kuhlakanipha ukwenza lokho, okuyinto uRerhobhowamu abhalelwa kuyenza ekuthomeni.

Nanyana zikhona izinto ezihle azenzako, uRerhobhowamu wabhelelwa kufumana umusa kaZimu. IBhayibheli ihlathulula ukubusa kwakhe ngokuthi, “Wenza ubumbi.” Kubayini? Ngombana “azange abeke ihliziywakhe ekufuneni” uJehova.—2 Kron. 12:14.

Akhesitsenge ukuthi lokho kutjho ukuthini: ngezinye iinkhathi uRerhobhowamu wamlalela uZimu. Zikhona nezinto ezihle azenzela isitjhaba sakaJehova. Kodwana wabhalelwa kukwakha ubuhlobo obuseduze noJehova begodu bekungasiyinto ayifisa ngehliziywakhe yoke ukumthabisa. Ngebanga lalokho waziphatha kumbi begodu walotjha abozimu bamala. Lokho kungenza uzibuze ukuthi, ‘Ngesikhathi uRerhobhowamu avuma ukukhalinywa  nguZimu, inga-kghani bekenza lokho ngombana ahlohlozelwa babanye ingasi bona bekatjhuguluke kwamambala begodu afisa ngokusuka ehliziyweni ukuthabisa uZimu?’ (2 Kron. 11:3, 4; 12:6) Kamuva wabuyela ekwenzeni okumbi. Bekangafani nakancani nomkhulwakhe iKosi uDavida. Iye khona uDavida wayenza imitjhapho, kodwana bekamthanda khulu uJehova, amlotjha ngendlela afuna ngayo begodu bekatjhuguluka ngokusuka ehliziyweni nakenze umtjhapho.—1 Kho. 14:8; Rhu. 51:3, 19; 63:2.

Mbala singafunda kuRerhobhowamu. Kuhle abantu nabalinga ukutlhogomela imindenabo begodu balwele nokwenza izinto ezihle. Kodwana bona sifumane umusa kaZimu, into eqakatheke khulu ekufuze siyenze kumlotjha ngendlela afuna ngayo begodu sikwenze qobe lokho.

Singakghona ukukwenza lokho nasingalwela ukuhlala simthanda khulu uJehova. Njengombana sikhwezela umlilo bona uhlale uvutha, singenza bona ukuthanda kwethu uZimu kuhlale kuvutha ngokufunda iliZwi lakhe qobe, ngokuzindla ngalokho esikufundako nokuphikelela emthandazweni. (Rhu. 1:2; Rom. 12:12) Kuzakuthi ukuthanda kwethu uJehova, kubasele isifiso sethu sokumthabisa kikho koke esikwenzako. Kuzosenza bona nasenze umtjhapho, sitjhuguluke ngokusuka ehliziyweni. Angekhe sifane noRerhobhowamu, sizokudzimelela ekulotjheni uZimu ngeqiniso.—Jud. 20, 21.