1, 2. (a) Yayinjani imeko yabantu ngexesha likaEliya? (b) UEliya wajamelana nayiphi inkcaso kwiNtaba yeKarmele?

 UELIYA wakhel’ umkhanya isihlwele njengoko sasinyuka amaxethuka eNtaba yeKarmele. Nkqu nasekuzeni kokusa, aba bantu babebonakala nakuthathatha ukuba bayimipha echutywe yalahlwa yaye babebethwe linxele likaKhetsekile. Yayibonakala nasebusweni iminyaka emithathu enesiqingatha yembalela.

² Phakathi kweso sihlwele kwakukho abaprofeti bakaBhahali abangama-450, benekratshi yaye bemthiy’ egazini umprofeti kaYehova uEliya. UKumkanikazi uIzebhele wayesele ebulele intlaninge yabakhonzi bakaYehova, kodwa le ndoda yayinxamnye nonqulo lukaBhahali. Phofu yema de kwanini le ndedeba? Mhlawumbi abo babingeleli babecinga ukuba ekubeni engumth ‘uzimele wayengenakumelana nabo. (1 Kum. 18:4, 19, 20) UKumkani uAhabhi wayelapho eze ngenqwelo yakhe yamahashe yasebukhosini. Naye wayengafuni nokumbona uEliya.

3, 4. (a) Yintoni eyayinokwenza uEliya azive esoyika njengoko olo suku lwalusondela? (b) Siza kuqwalasela eyiphi imibuzo?

³ Phezu kokuba wayekuphela kommeli wonqulo lokwenyaniso, lo mprofeti wayejongene nemini engafani nezinye ebomini bakhe. Ebukele uEliya, zazigagene ebezikade zizondana, ukulunga nobungendawo emhlabeni ngendlela engazange yabonwa ngaphambili. Wavakalelwa njani njengokuba kwakusisa? Kusenokwenzeka wayethe xhungu luloyiko, kaloku naye “wayengumntu oneemvakalelo ezinjengezethu.” (Funda uYakobi. 5:17.) Nokuba sele kutheni, nantsi into esinokuqiniseka ngayo: Ekubeni wayengqongwe ngabantu abangenalukholo, ngukumkani owexukileyo nezo zigwinta zababingeleli, wayenokuqiniseka ukuba yayinguye yedwa kwicala lakhe.—1 Kum. 18:22.

⁴ Yintoni eyabeka uSirayeli kobu bugxwayiba? Khona, inantoni yakwenza nawe le ngxelo? Qwalasela umzekelo wokholo lukaEliya nendlela esinokuluxelisa ngayo namhlanje.

5, 6. (a) Kwakugquba wuphi umlo kwaSirayeli? (b) Ukumkani uAhabhi wamcaphukisa njani uYehova?

⁵ Ixesha elininzi lobomi bakhe, uEliya wayebukele engenakwenza  kwanto njengokuba abantu bakowabo babenyhasha unqulo lokwenyaniso. Apha kwaSirayeli kwakuqhum’ uthuli kusilwa unqulo lokwenyaniso lukaYehova uThixo nonqulo lobuxoki lwezithixo zeentlanga ezazibangqongile. Ngemihla kaEliya, elo dabi lalisele liyimfazwe.

⁶ UKumkani uAhabhi wamcaphukisa kakhulu uYehova. Watshata uIzebhele, intombi yokumkani waseSidon. UIzebhele wayezimisele ukuhlwayela unqulo lukaBhahali kwilizwe lakwaSirayeli aze alususe neengcambu unqulo lukaYehova. Akuzange kube kudala uAhabhi wathi swii yimpembelelo yakhe. Wakha itempile nesibingelelo sikaBhahali, waza wakhokela ekunquleni lo thixo wobuhedeni.—1 Kum. 16:30-33.

 7. (a) Yintoni eyayisenza unqulo lukaBhahali lube lisikizi? (b) Ngokuphathelele ubude bembalela ngemihla kaEliya, yintoni esenza siqiniseke ukuba iBhayibhile ayiziphikisi? (Quka  ibhokisi.)

⁷ Yintoni le yayisenza unqulo lukaBhahali lube lisikizi? Olu nqulo lwaluwexula amaSirayeli, luwarhwebeshela kude noThixo oyinyaniso. Yayilunqulo olucekisekayo nolukhohlakeleyo. Lwalubandakanya oonongogo abangamadoda nabafazi etempileni, amatheko anxulumene nesini nokubingelela ngabantwana. UYehova wasabela ngokuthumela uEliya kuAhabhi ukuze avakalise imbalela eyayiza kuphela ngokutsho komprofeti kaThixo. (1 Kum. 17:1) Kwiminyaka eliqela ngaphambili, uEliya wafika kuAhabhi waza wayalela ukuba aqokelele abantu phambi kwabaprofeti bakaBhahali kwiNtaba yeKarmele. a

 8. Ingxelo engonqulo lukaBhahali inantoni yakwenza nathi?

⁸ Kuthetha ukuthini oku kusukuzana kuthi namhlanje? Abanye basenokuthi ibali likaBhahali yintw’ endala kuba zingasekho iitempile nezibingelelo zikaBhahali namhlanje. Le ngxelo asiyombali nje yakudala. (Roma 15:4) Igama elithi “Bhahali” lithetha “umnini” okanye “inkosi.” UYehova wathi abantu bakhe babemele bakhethe yena ‘njengobhahali’ wabo okanye indoda engumnini wabo. (Isa. 54:5) Ngaba ungaliphika elokuba abantu bakhonza ezinye iinkosi kunokukhonza uThixo uSomandla? Enyanisweni, kungakhathaliseki ukuba abantu bachitha ubomi babo besukela imali, imisebenzi esemanqwanqweni, ukuzonwabisa, ukuzanelisa ngokwesini, okanye abanye oothixo abaninzi abanqulwayo endaweni yokunqula uYehova, bakhetha inkosi yabo. (Mat. 6:24; funda amaRoma 6:16.) Ngandlel’ ithile, iimpawu ezazibalasele kunqulo lukaBhahali zikho nakule mihla yethu. Ukucamngca ngolo sukuzwano phakathi konqulo lukaYehova  nolukaBhahali kunokusinceda senze ukhetho lobulumko ngalowo siya kumkhonza.

 9. (a) Ziziphi iimeko ezazisenza iNtaba yaseKarmele ibe yeyona ndawo ifanelekayo yokubhenca unqulo lukaBhahali? (Funda nombhalo osemazantsi.) (b) Wathini uEliya ebantwini?

⁹ Xa ume kwiNtaba yaseKarmele ebhudla umoya, libonakala kakuhle ilizwe—ukusuka kwintlambo yeKishon ukuya kuLwandle Olukhulu (ULwandle LweMeditera) kufuphi neentaba zaseLebhanon elundini ngasentla. b Njengokuba kwakusithi qheke ilanga kolu suku luyincopho, ilizwe lalikwimeko engancumisiyo. Ilizwe elichumileyo uYehova awayelinike abantwana baka-Abraham ngoku lalithwaxwe  yimbalela. Ilanga lawugqatsa wayinkqantosi lo mhlaba ngenxa yobudenge babantu bakaThixo! Njengokuba abantu babehlanganisene kule ntaba, uEliya wasondela waza wathi: “Koda kube nini na nimbaxa? Ukuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso, landelani yena; kodwa ukuba nguBhahali, landelani yena.”—1 Kum. 18:21.

10. ‘Babembaxa’ njani abantu bomhla kaEliya, yaye yiyiphi inyaniso ebalulekileyo ababeyilibele?

¹⁰ Wayethetha ukuthini uEliya xa wathi “nimbaxa”? Kaloku, abo bantu babengazi ukuba babefanele bakhethe phakathi konqulo lukaYehova nonqulo lukaBhahali. Babecinga ukuba babenokubetha iintaka ezimbini ngelitye elinye—banelise uBhahali ngemibingelelo elisikizi baze bacele uncedo kuYehova uThixo. Mhlawumbi babeqiqa ngelithi uBhahali wayenokusikelela intsimi nemfuyo yabo, ngoxa “uYehova wemikhosi” wayeza kubakhusela edabini. (1 Sam. 17:45) Babelibele inyani ebalulekileyo—esabhida abaninzi namhlanje. UYehova akaluniki nabani na uzuko lwakhe. Ufuna yaye ulufanele uzinikelo olupheleleyo. Ukuvanga unqulo akwamkelekanga kuye yaye ukuthiy’ egazini!—Funda iEksodus 20:5.

11. Intetho kaEliya eNtabeni yaseKarmele inokusinceda njani sihlole izinto eziza kuqala ebomini bethu nakunqulo lwethu?

¹¹ Ngoko ke, olo hlanga lwakwaSirayeli ‘lwalumbaxa’ ngokungathi ngumntu ofuna ukuhamba ngeendlela ezimbini ezahlukeneyo ngaxeshanye. Abantu abaninzi namhlanje benza impazamo efanayo, bavumela abanye ‘oobhahali’ ebomini babo, belushiya kwesinomhlwa unqulo lukaThixo! Ukusabela kwiIkhwelo elihlatywa nguEliya lokushiya ikhondo elimbaxa kunokusinceda sihlole izinto eziza kuqala kuthi nakunqulo lwethu.

12, 13. (a) UEliya wacela ukuba kwenziwe luphi uvavanyo? (b) Thina singabonisa njani ukuba asoyiki njengoEliya?

¹² UEliya wacela ukuba kwenziwe uvavanyo. Lwalubonakala lulula kakhulu. Abaprofeti bakaBhahali kwakufuneka balungiselele isibingelelo baze babeke umbingelelo phezu kwaso; kwakuza kufuneka bathandaze kuthixo wabo athumele umlilo. NoEliya wayeza kwenza into efanayo. Wathi: “UThixo wenyaniso ophendule ngomlilo abe nguThixo wenyaniso.” UEliya wayesazi ukuba yayingubani uThixo wenyaniso. Lwalomelele ukholo lwakhe kangangokuba wavumela abo baprofeti bakaBhahali bathandaze kuqala. Wanika aba baprofeti ukuba bakhethe inkunzi yenkomo abaza kubingelela ngayo baze basondele kuBhahali kuqala. c—1 Kum. 18:24, 25.

 ¹³ Yaphela imihla yemimangaliso. Kodwa uYehova akakatshintshi. Sifanele sibe nokholo kuye kanye njengokuba uEliya wayenjalo. Ngokomzekelo, xa abanye bekuphikisa oko kufundiswa yiBhayibhile, asimele soyike ukubavumela bathethe oko bafuna ukukuthetha. NjengoEliya, sifanele sikhangele kuThixo wokwenyaniso ukuze alungelelanise izinto. Asithembeli ngamandla ethu, kodwa ngeLizwi lakhe eliphefumlelweyo, elilungiselelwe ‘ukulungelelanisa izinto.’—2 Tim. 3:16.

14. UEliya wabagculela njani abaprofeti bakaBhahali, yaye kwakutheni?

¹⁴ Abaprofeti bakaBhahali baqalisa ukulungiselela isibingelelo baza babiza egameni lothixo wabo. Badanduluka ngokuphindaphindiweyo besithi: “Owu Bhahali, siphendule!” Bakhwaza njengoko kwakudlula imizuzu neeyure. IBhayibhile ithi: “Kodwa akuzange kubekho lizwi, yaye akuzange kubekho uphendulayo.” Emva kokutshona kwelanga uEliya wabagculela ekwekwa uBhahali esithi, mhlawumbi uxakekile akakwazi ukuniphendula, makube usazithuma okanye usangqengqile yaye kufuneka avuswe. Wabanxwala esithi: “Waphakamiseni amazwi enu.” Wabona ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba unqulo lukaBhahali lwaluyinto engekhoyo, yaye wayefuna ukuba abantu bakaThixo babone ubuqhetseba obululo.—1 Kum. 18:26, 27.

15. Le ngxelo ingabaprofeti bakaBhahali isibonisa buphi ubudenge ekukhetheni enye inkosi ngaphandle kukaYehova?

¹⁵ Baba ngathi bayaqinisa abanquli bakaBhahali, “bawaphakamisa amazwi abo, bezicenta ngezinkempe neencula ngokwesiko labo, kwade kwatsaza igazi kubo.” Kodwa babuya nemband’ esikhova! “Akuzange kubekho lizwi, yaye akuzange kubekho uphendulayo, akuzange kunikelwe ngqalelo.” (1 Kum. 18:28, 29) Xa sitheth’ inyani kwakungekho kwanto ibizwa ngokuba nguBhahali. Yayiliqhinga nje likaSathana lokulukuhla abantu ukuze bamshiye uYehova. Inyani kukuba, ukukhetha inkosi engenguye uYehova kukhokelela kwimpoxo nehlazo.—Funda iNdumiso 25:3; 115:4-8.

16. (a) Yintoni ekusenokwenzeka ukuba sawakhumbuza yona amaSirayeli isibingelelo awasenzayo uEliya kwiNtaba yaseKarmele? (b) UEliya wayibonisa njani intembelo engakumbi kuThixo?

¹⁶ Xa ilanga lalibantu bahle, lafika ityeli likaEliya. Walungisa isibingelelo sikaYehova esasidilizwe ziintshaba zonqulo lokwenyaniso.  Wasakha ngamatye ali-12, mhlawumbi ekhumbuza izizwe ezili-10 zakwaSirayeli ukuba zazisephantsi koMthetho owawunikwe ezo zizwe zili-12. Wabeka umbingelelo wakhe phezu kwesibingelelo wagalela namanzi, ekunokwenzeka ukuba ayekhiwe kuLwandle lweMeditera olwalukufutshane. Kwade kwavulwa nomsele wamanzi ecaleni kwesibingelelo, waze nawo wazaliswa ngamanzi. Kwakungeyomfuneko ukuba abaprofeti bakaBhahali bakwenze oku ebonisa indlela awayemthembe ngayo uThixo.—1 Kum. 18:30-35.

17. Sifunda ntoni ngezinto ezazibalulekile kuEliya kumthandazo wakhe, yaye sinokumxelisa njani kwimithandazo yethu?

¹⁷ Yathi isakulunga yonke into, uEliya wathandaza. Engacikozi kumthandazo wakhe wachaza ezona zinto zibalulekileyo kuye. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo awayefuna yaziwe, kukuba ‘uThixo kaSirayeli’ nguYehova, kungekhona uBhahali. Okwesibini wayefuna bonke abantu bazi ukuba yena wayesisicaka nje sikaYehova; lonke uzuko neendumiso zazimele ziye kuThixo. Okokugqibela, wabonisa ukuba ubakhathalele abantu bakhe, yaye ulangazelela ukubona uYehova ‘eguqula iintliziyo zabo.’ (1 Kum. 18:36, 37) Nangona bazifaka ezintlungwini ngenxa yokungabi nalukholo, uEliya wayebathanda. Ngaba xa sithandaza, sinokubonisa inkxalabo efanayo ngegama likaThixo, size sibe novelwano nemfesane ngabanye?

18, 19. (a) UYehova wawuphendula njani umthandazo kaEliya? (b) UEliya wacela abantu ukuba benze ntoni, yaye yintoni eyabangela ukuba abaprofeti bakaBhahali bangafanelwa yinceba?

¹⁸ Ngaphambi kokuba uEliya athandaze, kusenokwenzeka ukuba loo ndimbane yabantu yayizibuza enoba uYehova wayeza kubaphoxa na njengoBhahali. Noko ke, emva kokuba ethandazile lalingekho ixesha lokucinga loo nto. Ingxelo ihlabela mgama ithi: “Wawa ke umlilo kaYehova, wawudla wawugqiba umnikelo otshiswayo neenkuni namatye nothuli, namanzi awayesemseleni wawakhotha.” (1 Kum. 18:38) Enjani ukuchukumisa indlela awamphendula ngayo. Abantu basabela njani?

¹⁹ Badanduluka besithi: “UYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso! UYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso!” (1 Kum. 18:39) Ekugqibeleni bayibona inyaniso. Noko ke, babengekabi nalo ukholo. Into yokuvuma nje ukuba uYehova unguThixo wokwenyaniso ngenxa yokubona umlilo usihla uvela ezulwini uphendula umthandazo, ayibonisi ukholo lokwenene. UEliya wababongoza ukuba babe nokholo  olungakumbi. Wabacela ukuba benze into ababefanele bayenze kakade—ukuthobela uMthetho kaYehova. UMthetho kaThixo wawusithi abaprofeti bobuxoki nabanquli zithixo babefanele bacinyw’ igama. (Dut. 13:5-9) Aba babingeleli bakaBhahali babeziintshaba zikaYehova uThixo ezazizijul’ ijacu nxamnye neenjongo zakhe. Ngaba babefanele benzelwe inceba? Ngaba babebonise inceba ngokutshisa abantwana bephila esibingelelweni sikaBhahali? (Funda iMizekeliso 21:13; Yer. 19:5) Inceba yantoni kwizigwinta ezinje! UEliya wayalela ukuba babulawe bonke, ibe bafa bonke.—1 Kum. 18:40.

20. Kutheni abanye abahlalutyi banenkxalabo ngesenzo sikaEliya sokubulala abo baprofeti?

²⁰ Abahlalutyi banamhlanje basenokukuhlab’ amadlala ukubulawa kwabaprofeti kwiNtaba yaseKarmele. Abanye boyikisela ukuba abantu basenokusebenzisa esi siganeko ukuthethelela ugonyamelo nxamnye nonqulo olungafaniyo nolwabo. Okulusizi kukuba namhlanje lugqugqisile ugonyamelo olunento yokwenza nonqulo. Noko ke, uEliya wayengaphambaniswa lunqulo. Wayesetyenziswa nguYehova ukuba kubulawe ngokusesikweni abo bantu. Ngaphezu koko, amaKristu okwenyaniso akanakubulala abantu abangendawo ngekrele kuba esithi alandela umzekelo kaEliya. Bonke abalandeli bakaYesu balandela umgaqo uKristu awawuxelela uPetros othi: “Buyisela ikrele lakho endaweni yalo, kuba bonke abathabatha ikrele baya kutshabalala ngekrele.” (Mat. 26:52) UYehova uza kusebenzisa uNyana wakhe ukuze aphumeze okusesikweni kwixesha elizayo.

21. Umzekelo kaEliya usinceda njani njengamaKristu namhlanje?

²¹ Ekuphela kwento emele ukwenziwa ngumKristu wokwenyaniso kukuphila ngokuvisisana nokholo lwakhe. (Yoh. 3:16) Enye indlela yokwenza oko kukuxelisa ukholo lwamadoda athembekileyo anjengoEliya. Wakhonza uYehova kuphela yaye wabongoza nabanye ukuba benjenjalo. Ngenkalipho wabhenca unqulo olwalusetyenziswa nguSathana ukurhwebesha abantu bakaYehova. Eny’ into wayekela imicimbi kuYehova kunokuba athembele kwisiqu sakhe. UEliya walumela unqulo lokwenyaniso. Ngamana sonke singaxelisa ukholo lwakhe!