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Live Happy … Today
Live Happy … Today – Day 12
Benescke Janse van Rensburg

Live Happy … Today – Day 12

Live happy ... trusting God

Itekisi yeBhayibhile

2 YOOKUMKANI 18

UHezekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda

(2 Gan 29:1-2; 31:1)

1Ke kaloku kwathi ngonyaka wesithathu kaHosheya unyana kaEla ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, uHezekiya unyana ka-Ahazi ukumkani wakwaJuda waqalisa ukulawula. 2Ukuqalisa kwakhe ukulawula wayenamashumi amabini anesihlanu ezelwe, waza ke walawula eJerusalem amashumi amabini anethoba eminyaka. Unina yayinguAbhiya intombi kaZakariya. 3Wênza okuhle emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo njengoyise-mkhulu uDavide. 4Wazibhangisa iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo, wawaqhekeza amatye awodwa onqulo, wazigawula iintsika zika-Ashera. Wayikroboza inyoka yobhedu eyayenziwe nguMosis. Kaloku ukuza kuthi ga kwelo thuba amaSirayeli ayeyenzela iziqhumiso, kusithiwa nguNehushtani.

5UHezekiya yena wakholosa ngoNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli. Kubo bonke ookumkani bakwaJuda akuzange kubekho ofana naye, ngaphambili nangasemva kwakhe. 6Wabambelela kuNdikhoyo, akashenxa kuye, wayithobela loo mithetho wayinika uMosis uNdikhoyo. 7Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo waba ngakuye, wamphumelelisa nakuyiphi na into ayenzayo. Wayivukela ikumkani yaseAsiriya, akavuma ukuyibusa. 8Wawagqogqa wawagqugqisa amaFilistiya esusela ezimboniselweni ukuya kwizixeko ezinqatyisiweyo, wada wee xhaxhe ngeGaza nemimandla yayo.

9Kwathi kunyaka wesine kakumkani uHezekiya owawungunyaka wesixhenxe kaHosheya unyana kaEla ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, ukumkani waseAsiriya uShalmanesere wahlasela iSamariya wayingqinga. 10Ekupheleni kweminyaka emithathu ama-Asiriya lawo ayoyisa iSamariya, yaza ke yaba ithinjiwe ngonyaka wesithandathu kaHezekiya, owawungunyaka wethoba kakumkani uHosheya wakwaSirayeli. 11Ukumkani waseAsiriya wamfudusa uSirayeli, wamsa eAsiriya, abantu wabamisa eHala, naseGozan kumlambo iHabhore, nakwiidolophu zamaMedi. 12Isihla nje le ntlekele kungokuba amaSirayeli engamthobelanga uNdikhoyo uThixo wawo, koko esuka awaphula umnqophiso nayo yonke imiyalelo yesicaka sikaNdikhoyo uMosis. Ewe, akeva, akenza.

USenakeribhe uhlasela elakwaJuda

(2 Gan 32:1-19; Isaya 36:1-22)

13Ngonyaka weshumi elinesine wokulawula kukakumkani uHezekiya, ukumkani waseAsiriya uSenakeribhe wazihlasela wazithimba zonke izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo zakwaJuda. 14Ke uHezekiya, ukumkani wakwaJuda, wathumela lo myalezo kukumkani waseAsiriya eLakishe, esithi: “Ewe, ndikonile; nceda ke ngoko urhoxe kum. Ndokhupha nantoni na othi mandirhume ngayo.” Ukumkani waseAsiriya ke wamrhafisa ishumi lamawaka eekhilogram zesiliva kunye newaka leekhilogram zegolide. 15Ngoko ke uHezekiya wamnika yonke isiliva eyafumanekayo endlwini kaNdikhoyo nakoovimba bakomkhulu.

16Kananjalo ke uHezekiya, ukumkani wakwaJuda, ngelo xesha wayixobula negolide awayetyabeke ngayo iingcango nemigubasi yendlu kaNdikhoyo, wayinika ukumkani waseAsiriya.

17Ke kaloku ukumkani waseAsiriya wathi eseLakishe wathumela ukumkani uHezekiya eJerusalem umkhosi omkhulu uphantsi kwenjengele yakhe, nengqwayi-ngqwayi engumaqhuzu, ndawonye nengqwayi-ngqwayi ebhexeshayo. Wakufika eJerusalem loo mkhosi, wema kwindlela ebheka apho kusetyenzwa khona amalaphu, ngakumjelo otsala amanzi kwiqula elingentla. 18La madoda ke akhwaza ukumkani, kwaza ke kwaphuma uEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya umaqhuzu wakomkhulu, noShebhena unobhala wenkundla, ndawonye noJowa unyana ka-Asafu usiba-khulu, bawahlangabeza.

19Ingqwayi-ngqwayi ebhexeshayo yathetha nabo yathi: “Xelelani uHezekiya nithi: ‘Ithethe ngolu hlobo ingangalala ukumkani waseAsiriya: Njengokuba uzithembe kangaka nje, Hezekiya, uqamele ngantoni kanye? 20Akuzilibali unamacebo nobuchule bomkhosi onamandla. Awu, waza walavuza kambe! Ukholose ngabani, undivukela nje? 21Jonga, ndiyazi ukuba uthembele ngeJiputa. Xa ingubani yona, umsimelelo ofana nengcongolo entlekekileyo, ojika uhlabe izandla zomntu osimelela ngawo, umtsho abe namanxeba. Ewe, unjalo ukumkani waseJiputa; ubenjenjalo bonke abakholosa ngaye. 22Mhlawumbi ke uthi: “Hayi, thina sikholose ngoNdikhoyo uThixo wethu.” Kanene lowo asingulo uHezekiya amdilizele iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo, wabhangisa namaqonga amadini akhe, esithi kuJuda neJerusalem: “Yizani kunqula kwiqonga eliseJerusalem”?

23“ ‘Hayi bo! Yiza kaloku, ukhe unqophisane nenkosi yam, umhlekazi ukumkani waseAsiriya. Ndokunika amawaka amabini amahashe ukuba unganabo abakhweli. 24Kuxa ungubani wena? Akunakuthelekiswa nalo nebhetye-bhetye kumajoni aseAsiriya, noba ungade ukholose ngeenqwelo namahashe aseJiputa. 25Kakade ke, uthi ndifane ndeza kuhlasela ukuze nditshabalalise ndibhuqe konke apha ndingayalelwanga nguNdikhoyo? Hayi, nguNdikhoyo ngokwakhe othe mandingene apha, ndilitshabalalise eli lizwe!’ ”

26Kwesi sithuba ke uEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya, noShebhena, noJowa, babhekisa apho kwingqwayi-ngqwayi engumbhexeshi, bathi: “Khawuncede ukhumshe isiAram, mhlekazi; izicaka zakho ezi ziyasiqonda. Musa ukuthetha nathi ngesiHebhere, hleze kuve naba bantu baseludongeni.”

27Kambe ke loo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yaphendula yathi: “Yini le, nicinga ukuba la mazwi inkosi yam iwabhekisa enkosini yenu nakuni kuphela? Nithi ayiwabhekisi nakwaba bantu bahleli kolu donga? Andithi kaloku nabo kwanjengani baza kutya ilindle labo, basele umchamo wabo!”

28Yaphakama ke ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo, yadanduluka ithetha ngesiHebhere, yathi: “Phulaphulani nive ekuthethayo ingangalala, ukumkani waseAsiriya! 29Ukumkani uthi: ‘Sanukukhohliswa nguHezekiya lo! Akanako ukunihlangula esandleni sam. 30Sanukumvumela aniwexulele ekukholoseni ngoNdikhoyo, esithi: “Ngenene uNdikhoyo uya kusihlangula, nesi sixeko asiyi kuba lixhoba lokumkani waseAsiriya.” ’

31“Musani ukumphulaphula uHezekiya lo! Ukumkani waseAsiriya uthi: ‘Phumani, nize kuzinikezela kum, sivisisane. Ukuba niyayenza loo nto, nonke ngabanye niya konwaba, ibe ngulowo nalowo atye iziqhamo zesidiliya sakhe namakhiwane akhe, esela amanzi equla lakhe, 32ndide ndize kunithatha, ndinise kwilizwe elifana neli lenu, umhlaba onemveliso yeenkozo newayini, ilizwe lengqolowa nediliya, ilizwe elinemithi yeminquma kunye nobusi. Zikhetheleni ubomi ke, ningakhethi ukufa.’

“Sanukulahlekiswa nguHezekiya, kuba uyanilahlekisa xa esithi: ‘UNdikhoyo uza kusihlangula.’ 33*Nguthixo wasiphi isizwe owakhe wasihlangula esandleni sokumkani waseAsiriya? 34Baphi oothixo baseHamati naseArpadi? Baphi oothixo baseSefarvayim, abaseHena, nabaseIva? Ngaba bakha bayihlangula iSamariya esandleni sam? 35Nguwuphi kwaba thixo bezi zizwe xa bebonke owakha wanako ukuhlangula ilizwe esandleni sam? Ke, uNdikhoyo lowo yena angayihlangula njani iJerusalem esandleni sam?”

36Kodwa ke bona abantu abo bathula bathi cwaka, abaphendula, kuba kaloku ukumkani uHezekiya wayebayalile wathi: “Ze ningamphenduli.”

37Ke kaloku uEliyakim unyana kaHilekiya, umaqhuzu wakomkhulu, noShebhena unobhala wenkundla, kunye noJowa unyana ka-Asafu, usiba-khulu, bakhathazeka, bazikrazula izambatho zabo, bahamba baya kuHezekiya, baza bamazisa loo mazwi athethwe yingqwayi-ngqwayi.

2 YOOKUMKANI 18XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

IINDUMISO 46

10Uthetha ngelizwi athi:

“Phezani, ndim uThixo.

Ndizivelele izizwe;

nehlabathi ndilikrobele.”

11UNdikhoyo uSomandla ungakuthi;

ihlathi lethu nguThixo kaYakobi.

IINDUMISO 46:10-11XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

Here is an excerpt from an e-mail from Johan, a Verse-a-Day reader from Kazakhstan, in response to Day 11s piece in which we are reminded that God’s ways are not our ways:

Johan: “My stepfather, whom I loved dearly, fell ill and was hospitalised a while ago. At the same time, a visiting minister held special services at our church. One night, after the church service, the minister invited all sick people (or those who wanted to stand in for a sick loved one) to go forward, so he could pray for us. I immediately went on my stepfather’s behalf.

The preacher prayed for everyone in the line. When he got to me, he did not pray for me, but moved onto the next person. I left, feeling very disappointed. When I got home, I received a call from my mother with the news that my stepfather had passed away after a heart attack.

I went back to church the following evening. After the service, I asked the minister why he did not pray for me the previous night. He told me that God showed him that my stepfather was seriously ill. If he prayed for him, my stepfather would have lived to die a much worse death later on.

During the autopsy, they discovered that my stepdad had cancer. It was never diagnosed when he was alive. I now know that God spared him from that.

God is sovereign. When it feels like he is not answering our prayers, he might actually be protecting us!”

Johan is right. God always knows best. It was demonstrated in King Hezekiah’s life as well. Hezekiah was a righteous and godly man who reigned in the heyday of Judah. In 2 Kings 18, we read that he fell seriously ill. On his deathbed, he begged God not to end his life. God heard his prayer and extended his life for 15 years more.

At first, this sounds great. However, look closer to the 15 “extra years” and you will find that pride entered Hezekiah’s life. He forgot to give God the honour when he boasted with the Babylonians about his wealth and possessions. In addition, his son Manasseh was born. Manasseh became the evil king later on, deeply involved with the occult, which caused severe punishment on the nation. Would Hezekiah have been better off if his life was not extended? Quite possibly, yes.

What are you begging God for today? Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of the words in Psalm 46:10-11: “‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

God is yesterday, today and forever the same. He is love and he wants what is best for your life. Therefore, do not try to kick a door open. Apart from hurting your foot, you might not even like what is waiting behind the door. Instead, rely on God. He knows the future and he will protect you, if you allow Him to. God bless.

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
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