Indlu kaDavide yayiwumndeni ekuqaleni owathola isethembiso nefa likaJehova. Kwasekuqaleni yayingesinye sezizwe zakwa-Israyeli futhi kwakungesabantu ababekhethiwe. Ngaleso sikhathi, uJehova washaya umthetho kubantu bakwa-Israyeli othi bonke abantu abangamaJuda bendlu kaDavide, bonke labo ababezalwe kuleyo ndlu bayothola ifa Lakhe. Babezothola ngokuphindaphindwe kakhulu futhi bazuze nesikhundla samakhosana. Ngaleso sikhathi, babengabantu abaphakanyiswe kakhulu phakathi kwama-Israyeli—babenezikhundla eziphezulu kakhulu phakathi kwemindeni yakwa-Israyeli, kanti futhi babekhonza uJehova ngokuqondile ethempelini, bembatha izingubo zobupristi nemiqhele. Ngaleso sikhathi, wathi bathembekile futhi bayizinceku ezingcwele futhi bazuza isithunzi esincomekayo kuzo zonke izizwe zakwa-Israyeli. Futhi, ngaleso sikhathi babehlonishwa bebizwa ngokuthi bangamakhosi—lokhu kwakungumsebenzi kaJehova ngeNkathi Yomthetho. Nanamhlanje basakhonza uJehova ngale ndlela ethempelini, ngakho bayakuba njalo amakhosi aqokwe uJehova. Akekho oyobaphuca imiqhele yabo, futhi akekho ongaguqula umsebenzi wabo ngoba kwaseqaleni bangabendlu kaDavide; lokhu kuyikho uJehova abanika khona. Isizathu sokuba ningabi ngabendlu kaDavide ukuthi anibona bakwa-Israyeli, kepha ningabendlu engaphandle kuka-Israyeli. Futhi, imvelo yenu akusiyo eyokukhonza uJehova, kepha ukumelana Naye, ngakho-ke anifani nalabo abavela endlini kaDavide futhi anibona labo abazothola ifa Lami. Ikakhulukazi nina ngeke nibe yilabo abazokwamukela ngokuphindaphindwe ngekhulu.

Ngaleso sikhathi kwa-Israyeli kwakunezindlu eziningi ezihlukene futhi nezizwe ezahlukene, kepha zonke zazingabantu abakhethiwe. Nokho, okuhlukile kwamanye amazwe ukuthi kwa-Israyeli abantu bahlukanisiwe, izikhundla zabo phambi kukaJehova zinomahluko, futhi umbuso womuntu ngamunye ubekwe ngokwehluka kwesizwe sakhe. Kwamanye amazwe ngaphandle kwakwa-Israyeli, abantu abakwazi nje ukuzibiza ngabantu bezindlu zikaDavide, uJakobe noma uMose. Lokhu kungaba okuphambene neqiniso—izizwe zakwa-Israyeli ngeke zibekwe kalula nje ngokungafanele kwamanye amazwe. Abantu bavamile ukusebenzisa amagama kaDavide, u-Abrahama, u-Isawu, nabanye ngendlela engafanele noma bathi: “Sesimamukele manje uNkulunkulu, ngakho singabendlu kaJakobe.” Ukusho lezi zinto akulutho ngaphandle kokucabanga komuntu okungenasisekelo futhi akuveli kuJehova, futhi akuveli emibonweni Yami. Kuyinto nje engumbhedo wabantu! Njengoba iciko lokukhuluma lixoxa izindaba ezingekho, ngokungenasisekelo abantu bacabanga ukuthi bayinzalo kaDavide noma bayilungu lomndeni kaJakobe, futhi bakholelwa ekutheni bafanelwe ilokho. Ngabe abantu abazi na ukuthi labo bendlu kaDavide kudala bagcotshwa uJehova, futhi akusiye uDavide owazikhetha njengenkosi? Nokho, baningi abangenamahloni ngokuzibiza ngenzalo yendlu kaDavide—abantu abanalo ulwazi! Eqinisweni izimo zakwa-Israyeli azihlangene nabeZizwe—kuyizinto ezimbili ezahlukene, futhi ezingahlobene nhlobo. Izindaba zakwa-Israyeli zingakhulunywa ngabantu bakwa-Israyeli, kodwa abeZizwe abathinteki nhlobo kulokhu, futhi nomsebenzi owenziwa phakathi kwabeZizwe awuhlanganisi lutho nabantu bakwa-Israyeli. Okushiwo ngabeZizwe kunqunywe yilokhu engikushoyo, futhi umsebenzi owenziwe kwa-Israyeli awukwazi ukuba “yisibikezelo” somsebenzi phakathi kwabeZizwe. Ngabe lokho akukhombisi ukuthi uNkulunkulu ulandela imigudu ejwayeleke ngokwedlulele? Kuyoba kuphela uma umsebenzi uqala ukusakazeka phakathi kweZizwe lapho lokhu okushiwo ngabo, noma imiphumela yabo iyokwembulwa khona, ngakho amazwi edlule abantu, “Siyinzalo kaDavide,” noma “uJesu uyindodana kaDavide,” kuyinto ewubuwula kakhulu ekhulunywayo. Umsebenzi Wami uhlukaniswe ngokwamagumbi. Ngeke ngithi inyamazane yihhashi; kunalokho, umsebenzi uhlukanisiwe ngokulandelana kwawo.