EBHAYIBHELINI kukhulunywa kaningi ngabelusi, kusukela encwadini yokuqala, uGenesise, kuya kweyokugcina, isAmbulo. (Genesise 4:2; IsAmbulo 12:5) Amadoda avelele anjengo-Abrahama, uMose neNkosi uDavide, ayengabelusi. Umhubi uDavide wayichaza kamnandi imisebenzi kamalusi omuhle nezinto azikhathalelayo. Futhi ihubo okuthiwa laqanjwa u-Asafa libiza uDavide ngokuthi wayengumalusi wabantu bakaNkulunkulu basendulo.—IHubo 78:70-72.

Kamuva, ngosuku lukaJesu, ukwalusa kwakusewumsebenzi obalulekile. UJesu wazibiza ngokuthi ‘ungumalusi omuhle’ futhi wayevame ukusebenzisa izimfanelo zikamalusi omuhle ukuze afundise izifundo ezibalulekile. (Johane 10:2-4, 11) Ngisho noMninimandla onke, uJehova uNkulunkulu, ufaniswa ‘nomalusi.’—Isaya 40:10, 11; IHubo 23:1-4.

Iziphi izilwane umalusi ayezinakekela? Umsebenzi wakhe wawuhlanganisani? Yini esingayifunda kulezo zisebenzi ezikhuthele?

Abelusi bakwa-Israyeli wasendulo babelusa izinhlobonhlobo zezimvu zaseSiriya ezinomsila okhuluphele noboya obuningi. Izinqama zalolu hlobo zinezimpondo, izimvukazi azinazo. Lezi zilwane ezithobekile zaluseka kalula futhi azikwazi ukuzivikela ezingozini nasezilwaneni eziyingozi.

 Abelusi babelusa nezimbuzi. Izimbuzi zazivame ukuba nombala omnyama noma ompofu. Amadlebe azo amade abhakuzayo ayehlatshwa kalula ameva nezihlahlana ezihlabayo lapho zikhuphuka emagqumeni anamadwala nalapho ziklabile.

Umalusi wayebhekana nenselele yokulokhu efundisa izimvu nezimbuzi ukuba zilalele imiyalo yakhe. Noma kunjalo, abelusi abahle babezinakekela ngesineke izilwane zabo, baze bazethe namagama ababethi uma bezibiza ngawo, zisabele.—Johane 10:14, 16.

Entwasahlobo, usuku nosuku umalusi wayengase akhiphe umhlambi wakhe esibayeni ayowuklabisa emadlelweni aseduze nomuzi anotshani obusha nobumnandi. Phakathi nale nkathi yonyaka, umhlambi wawanda ngenxa yokuzalwa kwamawundlu namazinyane. Ngaleso sikhathi, izisebenzi zazigunda uboya bezimvu basebusika, futhi lokhu kwakuba isikhathi sokwethaba!

Kwakwenzeka isakhamuzi sibe nezimvu ezimbalwa nje kuphela. Uma kunjalo, sasiqasha umalusi owayengahlanganisa lowo mhlambi omncane nomunye. Abelusi abaqashiwe babenedumela lokungayinaki imfuyo yabanye abantu.—Johane 10:12, 13.

Ngemva kokuba amasimu endawo esevuniwe, umalusi wayefaka izimvu zakhe emasimini ukuze zidle okusanhlamvu okwakusele ezinhlangeni. Lapho kufika ukushisa kwasehlobo, abelusi babeyisa imihlambi yabo emadlelweni apholapholile ezindaweni eziphakeme. Kwakuphela izinsuku eziningi abelusi besebenza futhi belala ngaphandle, beklabisa imihlambi emathafeni aluhlaza, bagade izimvu ubusuku bonke. Ngezinye izikhathi umalusi wayengase afake umhlambi wakhe emhumeni ubusuku bonke, ukuze uvikeleke ezimpungusheni nasezimpisini. Lapho ukuhhewula kwempisi kwethusa umhlambi wezimvu ebusuku, izwi elipholile likamalusi laliwehlisa amaphaphu.

Njalo kusihlwa umalusi wayebala izimvu ahlole nokuthi zisaphile kahle yini. Ekuseni, wayewubiza umhlambi bese umlandela uya emadlelweni. (Johane 10:3, 4) Emini, abelusi babeyisa imfuyo emachibini anamanzi abandayo iyophuza. Uma amanzi eshile emachibini, babeyisa emthonjeni bayikhelele amanzi.

Ngasekupheleni kwenkathi yonyaka eyomile, umalusi wayengase ayise umhlambi wakhe emathafeni nasezigodini ezingasogwini. Lapho kufika izimvula ezibandayo, wayewuhola awuphindisele ekhaya uyohlala khona kuze kuphele ubusika. Ngalé kwalokho, imfuyo yayingase ibulawe izimvula ezinamandla,  isichotho neqhwa. Kusukela ngo-November kuze kube sentwasahlobo, abelusi babengayiklabisi ngaphandle imihlambi yabo.

Umalusi wayegqoka izingubo ezivamile kodwa eziqinile. Ukuze avikeleke emvuleni nasemoyeni wasebusuku obandayo, kungenzeka wayegqoka ingubo eyenziwe ngesikhumba semvu enoboya ngaphakathi. Ngaphansi wayegqoka ingubo engenamikhono. Wayegqoka nezimbadada ukuze angahlatshwa amatshe acijile nameva, ekhanda ashuqule indwangu yoboya.

Ngokuvamile umalusi wayephatha lezi zinto: Isikhwama sesikhumba esinokudla okunjengesinkwa, iminqumo, izithelo ezomisiwe noshizi, induku, eyayiba isikhali esikahle, ngokuvamile ibe imitha ubude bese kufakwa itshe elicijile esihlokweni sayo esibanzi, ummese, udondolo umalusi ayedondolozela ngalo lapho ehamba nalapho ekhuphuka, isigubhu samanzi, ibhakede lesikhumba elisongwayo ayekha ngalo amanzi emithonjeni ejulile, indwayimane ayejikijela ngayo amatshe ngasezimvwini noma ezimbuzini ezinhlanhlathayo ukuze azithuse bese zibuyela emhlanjini noma axoshe ngayo izilwane zasendle ezicathamela umhlambi nepayipi elenziwe ngomhlanga ayedlala ngalo umculo ukuze achithe isizungu futhi enze umhlambi uzole.

Lapho umalusi eziphatha kahle izimvu, wayethola izidingo zokuphila kuzo—njengobisi nenyama. Izinto ezinjengoboya nesikhumba kwakuhwetshwa ngazo, zibuye zigqokwe futhi kwenziwe ngazo amagabha. Uboya bezimbuzi babuphothwa kwenziwe ngabo izindwangu, kwakwenziwa nemihlatshelo ngezimvu nezimbuzi.

Abelusi abahle babekhuthele, bethembekile futhi benesibindi. Babebeka ngisho nokuphila kwabo engozini ukuze bavikele umhlambi.—1 Samuweli 17:34-36.

Yingakho nje uJesu nabafundi bakhe basebenzisa umalusi njengesibonelo ababonisi abangamaKristu okufanele basilingise. (Johane 21:15-17; IzEnzo 20:28) Njengomalusi omuhle wezikhathi zeBhayibheli, ababonisi bebandla namuhla bazama ‘ukwalusa umhlambi kaNkulunkulu abawuphathisiwe, [hhayi] ngokucindezelwa, kodwa ngokuzithandela; [hhayi] ngenxa yothando lwenzuzo yokungathembeki, kodwa ngokulangazela.’—1 Petru 5:2.