Utata kaRehobhoham yayinguSolomon, owalawula iminyaka eyi-40 kwaSirayeli. (1 Kum. 11:42) USolomon wasweleka ngo-997 B.C.E. Akusweleka, uRehobhoham wasuka eYerusalem waya kwaShekem ukuze enziwe ukumkani. (2 Kron. 10:1) Inoba wayesoyika nyhani ukungena ezihlangwini zikatata wakhe owayesaziwa ngumntu wonke ngokuba sisilumko. Naye wayemele abonise abantu ukuba uyakwazi ukulungisa iingxaki ezinzima.

AmaSirayeli aziva ecinezelekile aza athumela abantu ukuba baye kuxelela uRehobhoham izinto awayefuna azenze. Bafika bathi kuye: “Uyihlo wayenza lukhuni idyokhwe yethu; ke wena yenze khaphukhaphu inkonzo enzima kayihlo nedyokhwe yakhe enzima awayibeka phezu kwethu, yaye siya kukukhonza.”—2 Kron. 10:3, 4.

Inoba uRehobhoham waxakwa nokuba makathini! Ukuba uyayivuma le nto, kwakuza kufuneka yena, intsapho yakhe nabantu ababekwibhotwe lakhe bancame ubomi obutofotofo. Kanti ukuba akavumi, abantu babeza kuvukela. Wayeza kuthini? Lo kumkani mtsha waqala wabuza kumadoda amakhulu awayengabacebisi bakaSolomon. Emva koko waya kubuza koontanga bakhe. Wathatha icebiso labo waza wathi ebantwini: “Ndiya kuyongeza idyokhwe yenu. Ubawo yena, wanibetha ngezabhokhwe, kodwa mna, ndiya kunibetha ngeekatsi.”—2 Kron. 10:6-14.

Sifunda ntoni thina apha? Siya kuba silumkile xa simamela abantu abadala, abakhonze uYehova ixesha elide. Kuba bebadala, zininzi nezinto abadibene nazo ebomini, basenokuyazi into enokubangelwa zizigqibo esizenzayo, baze basinike amacebiso aluncedo.—Yobhi 12:12.

URehobhoham waqokelela umkhosi wakhe ukuze alwe nezizwe ezazivukela. Kodwa uYehova wamnqanda esebenzisa umprofeti uShemaya,  wathi: “Ningenyuki niye kulwa nabazalwana benu oonyana bakaSirayeli. Buyelani ngamnye endlwini yakhe, kuba le nto yenzeka ngokuphuma kum.”—1 Kum. 12:21-24. *

Kwakuza kufuneka ayeke nje angalwi? Inoba yayinzima loo nto kuRehobhoham. Babeza kuthini abantu ngokumkani owaboyikisa ngokubabetha “ngeekatsi,” kodwa ngoku uyeka abantu abamvukelayo? (Thelekisa eyesi-2 yeziKronike 13:7.) Nakuba kunjalo, ukumkani nomkhosi wakhe “balithobela ilizwi likaYehova, baza babuyela ekhaya ngokwelizwi likaYehova.”

Sifunda ntoni thina? Sakuba silumkile xa sithobela uThixo, nokuba loo nto ingasenza sigculelwe ngabantu. UThixo uza kuhlala esithanda aze asisikelele ukuba siyamthobela.—Dut. 28:2.

Ngaba uRehobhoham wasikelelwa ngokuthobela kwakhe? Wayeka ukufuna ukulwa nezizwe ezazimvukela, waza wakha iidolophu kumhlaba wezizwe awayezilawula, kwaYuda nakwaBhenjamin. Wakhusela iidolophu ezininzi “ukusa kumlinganiselo omkhulu.” (2 Kron. 11:5-12) Eyona nto ibalulekileyo kukuba wathobela imithetho kaYehova kangangexesha elide. Njengoko izizwe ezilishumi zakwaSirayeli ezaziphantsi kukaYerobhoham zanqula izithixo, abaninzi kuzo ‘baqinisa uRehobhoham’ ngokuya eYerusalem ukuze baxhase unqulo lwenyaniso. (2 Kron. 11:16, 17) Ukuthobela kukaRehobhoham kwabenza baqina ubukumkani bakhe.

Xa kanye ubukumkani bakhe babuqinile, uRehobhoham wenza into engalindelekanga. Wayeka ukuthobela umthetho kaYehova waza wanqula izithixo! Kwakutheni? Ngaba ngumama wakhe owayengumAmonikazi owaba nefuthe kuye? (1 Kum. 14:21) Asazi, kodwa isizwe sonke samlandela. Ngenxa yoko, uYehova wavumela uKumkani uShishaki waseYiputa ukuba athimbe iidolophu zakwaYuda, ngoxa uRehobhoham wayezikhusele.—1 Kum. 14:22-24; 2 Kron. 12:1-4.

Kwaba nzima kakhulu xa uShishaki weza kuhlasela iYerusalem eyayilawulwa nguRehobhoham. Kanye ngeli xesha, umprofeti uShemaya waxelela uRehobhoham neenkosana zakhe umyalelo ovela kuThixo, othi: “Nina, nindishiyile, nam ndinishiyile ndininikele esandleni sikaShishaki.” Wathini ke uRehobhoham? Wenza into encomekayo. IBhayibhile ithi: “Iinkosana zakwaSirayeli nokumkani bazithoba baza bathi: ‘UYehova ulilungisa.’” Loo nto yabangela ukuba uYehova amkhusele uRehobhoham neYerusalem ekutshatyalalisweni.—2 Kron. 12:5-7, 12.

URehobhoham waqhubeka elawula ubukumkani basemzantsi. Ngaphambi kokuba afe wanika oonyana bakhe izipho. Inoba wayenza loo nto kuba engafuni balwe nonyana wakhe uAbhiya, owayeza kulawula esikhundleni sakhe. (2 Kron. 11:21-23) Kule meko, uRehobhoham walumka kakhulu kunaxa wayesandul’ ukulawula.

Nakubeni zikho izinto ezintle awazenzayo uRehobhoham, akazange athandwe nguThixo. Xa ithetha ngolawulo lwakhe iBhayibhile ithi: “Wenza okubi.” Ngoba? Kuba “akazange akumisele ngokuqinileyo entliziyweni yakhe ukumfuna uYehova.”—2 Kron. 12:14.

Sifunda ntoni ngoRehobhoham? Wayengasoloko emthobela uThixo. Zikho izinto ezintle awazenzela uhlanga lukaYehova. Kodwa akazange asondele kuYehova okanye afune ukumvuyisa. Ngenxa yaloo nto, wenza izinto ezimbi waza wanqula abanye oothixo. Usenokuba uyazibuza: ‘Xa uRehobhoham wavumayo ukulungiswa, ngaba wayenza loo nto ngenxa yabanye abantu, okanye kuba efuna ukuvuyisa uYehova?’ (2 Kron. 11:3, 4; 12:6) Ekuhambeni kwexesha, waphinda wenza izinto ezimbi. Wayehluke mpela kutatomkhulu wakhe, uKumkani uDavide. UDavide wazenza  iimpazamo, kodwa wayemthanda uYehova ezinikele kunqulo lwenyaniso, ibe waguquka kwizono zakhe.—1 Kum. 14:8; INdu. 51:1, 17; 63:1.

Ininzi into esiyifundayo kuRehobhoham. Kufuneka sizondle iintsapho zethu, sizimisele nakwimisebenzi esinayo entlanganweni. Kodwa ukuze sihlale sithandwa nguThixo, kufuneka simkhonze ngendlela ayifunayo size sisondele kuye.

Ukuze yenzeke loo nto, kufuneka sizimisele ukumthanda nyhani uYehova. Njengokuba kufuneka siwukhwezele umlilo ukuze uhlale uvutha, ukuze sihlale simthanda uThixo kufuneka sisoloko sifunda iLizwi lakhe, sicingisise ngezinto esizifundileyo size sihlale sithandaza. (INdu. 1:2; Roma 12:12) Indlela esimthanda ngayo, iya kusibangela ukuba sifune ukwenza izinto ngendlela ayifunayo. Naxa senze iimpazamo, siya kuzisola size siguquke nyhani. Ngokungafaniyo noRehobhoham, siya kuhlala sikunqulo lwenyaniso.—Yude 20, 21.