Izelamani Ezicindezelekile ‘Ezakha Indlu Ka-Israyeli’

NJENGOBA kwase kuzosa, uLeya wayazi ukuthi iqiniso lase lizohlala obala. UJakobe, indoda ayelele esifubeni sayo, wayesezothola ukuthi wayengeyena uRaheli, udadewabo omncane. Enza lokho ayekutshelwe uyise, uLeya, okungenzeka ukuthi wayefihle ubuso, walala embhedeni womshado owawulungiselelwe uJakobe noRaheli.

Cabanga ukuthi kumelwe ukuba uJakobe wazizwa kanjani lapho kusa futhi ethola iqiniso! Ethukuthele engqangqa, waxabana noLabani, uyise kaLeya. Kumelwe ukuba ngaleso sikhathi uLeya wayecabangisisa ngeyakhe indima kuleli cebo elibi nangemiphumela ehlala isikhathi eside elalingase libe nayo. Indaba kaLeya noRaheli ibaluleke kakhulu emlandweni weBhayibheli. Isenza sibone nokuhlakanipha kokuba nomfazi oyedwa nokwethembeka emshadweni.

Isihambi Esasisemthonjeni

Eminyakeni engu-7 ngaphambili, uRaheli wayehlangane nendoda angayazi emthonjeni eyathi iyisihlobo sakhe, futhi wagijima wayobikela uyise. Kwatholakala ukuthi lowo muntu wayenguJakobe umzala kaRaheli, indodana kababekazi wakhe, futhi wayengumkhulekeli kaJehova. Ngemva kwenyanga, uJakobe wacela ukusebenzela uLabani iminyaka engu-7 ukuze amnike uRaheli abe umkakhe. Ebona indlela umshana wakhe ayekhuthele ngayo futhi azi ukuthi kwakuvamile esizweni sakubo ukuba izihlobo ziganane, uLabani wasamukela leso sicelo.—Genesise 29:1-19.

UJakobe wayemthanda ngempela uRaheli. Isithembiso sabo somshado seminyaka engu-7 ‘saba njengezinsuku ezimbalwa ngenxa yothando lwakhe ngaye.’ (Genesise 29:20) Iqiniso lokuthi uJakobe wamthanda uRaheli kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe lisikisela ukuthi wayenezimfanelo eziningi ezazimenza athandeke.

Ingabe noLeya wayefisa ukushada nomkhulekeli kaJehova othembekile? IBhayibheli alisho. Kule ndaba, kuvela kakhulu umuzwa kaLabani ngalo mshado. Lapho kuphela iminyaka engu-7 uRaheli ethenjiswe umshado, uLabani wenza idili lomshado. Kodwa iBhayibheli lithi kusihlwa uLabani wayisa uLeya kuJakobe “ukuze alale naye.”—Genesise 29:23.

Ingabe uLeya wakuceba ukukhohlisa uJakobe? Noma ingabe kungenxa nje yokuthi wayebophekile ukuba alalele uyise? URaheli yena wayekuphi? Wayekwazi yini okwakwenzeka? Uma kunjalo, wayezizwa kanjani ngakho? Wayengase akwazi yini ukwenza okuphambene nentando kayise onguzwilakhe? IBhayibheli aliyiphenduli le mibuzo. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yini uRaheli noLeya abayicabanga ngale ndaba, leli cebo lamthukuthelisa kakhulu uJakobe. UJakobe waxabana noLabani, hhayi namadodakazi akhe. Wathi: “Angikusebenzelanga yini ngenxa kaRaheli? Pho ungikhohliseleni?” ULabani waphendula wathini? Wathi: “Akuyona inkambiso . . . ukwendisa owesifazane omncane ngaphambi kwezibulo. Ligubhe ngokugcwele isonto lalona wesifazane. Ngemva kwalokho uzonikwa nalona omunye wesifazane ngenkonzo ongayenza kimi eminye iminyaka eyisikhombisa.” (Genesise 29:25-27) UJakobe wazithola esenesithembu esaholela embangweni omubi obangelwa isikhwele.

Umkhaya Ongajabule

UJakobe wayethanda uRaheli. Lapho uNkulunkulu ebona ukuthi uLeya “wayezondwa” uma kuqhathaniswa, wavula isibeletho sakhe, uRaheli yena wahlala eyinyumba. Kodwa uLeya wayengafuni ingane nje; wayefuna ukuthandwa uJakobe. Lapho ebona ukuthi kwakuthandwa uRaheli, waba lusizi. Noma kunjalo, wayenethemba lokuthi uJakobe wayezomthanda ngoba wamzalela izibulo, uRubeni, ogama lakhe lisho ukuthi “Bheka, iNdodana!” ULeya wayenesizathu sokuqamba indodana yakhe lelo gama. Wathi: “Kungenxa yokuthi uJehova ulubonile usizi lwami, ngoba manje umyeni wami usezoqala ukungithanda.” Kodwa akubanga njalo; futhi akubanga njalo nangemva kokuzala enye indodana. ULeya waqamba leyo ndodana ngokuthi uSimeyoni, okusho ukuthi “Ukuzwa.” Wathi: “Kungenxa yokuthi uJehova uye walalela, ngoba bengizondwa ngakho wanginika nalona futhi.”—Genesise 29:30-33.

Iqiniso lokuthi uNkulunkulu walalela lisho ukuthi uLeya wayethandazile ngesimo sakhe. Kubonakala sengathi wayengowesifazane othembekile. Nokho, usizi lwakhe aluphelanga ngisho nangemva kokuzala indodana yesithathu, uLevi. Amazwi kaLeya alichaza kahle igama lale ndodana elisho “Ukunamathela,” noma “Ukuhlanganiswa.” Wathi: “Manje umyeni wami usezozihlanganisa nami, ngoba ngimzalele amadodana amathathu.” Nokho, kubonakala uJakobe engazange azizwe esemthanda uLeya. Kungenzeka ukuthi uLeya walamukela lelo qiniso ngoba igama lendodana yakhe yesine alisawabonisi lawaya mathemba ayenawo okuthi wayeyoke athandwe uJakobe. Kunalokho, igama aliqamba uJuda libonisa ukubonga kwakhe uNkulunkulu. Igama elithi “Juda” lisho “Ukudunyiswa,” noma “Lowo Odunyiswayo.” ULeya wamane wathi: “Kulokhu ngizomdumisa uJehova.”—Genesise 29:34, 35.

URaheli naye wayelusizi njengoLeya. Wancenga uJakobe: “Nginike abantwana ngaphandle kwalokho ngizoba owesifazane ofileyo.” (Genesise 30:1) URaheli wayethandwa uJakobe, kodwa efisa ukuba nabantwana. ULeya wayenabantwana, kodwa efisa ukuthandwa. Omunye wayefisa okomunye, futhi akekho kubo owayejabule. Babemthanda bobabili uJakobe befisa ukumzalela abantwana. Bobabili babekhwelezelana. Yeka isimo esingajabulisi esaba kulowo mkhaya!

Ingabe URaheli Wayengaba Nabantwana?

Ngaleso sikhathi, ukungatholi abantwana kwakubhekwa njengesiqalekiso. UNkulunkulu wayethembise u-Abrahama, u-Isaka noJakobe ukuthi “inzalo” yonke imindeni eyayiyozibusisa ngayo yayizovela emndenini wabo. (Genesise 26:4; 28:14) Kodwa uRaheli wayengabatholi abantwana. UJakobe wathi nguNkulunkulu kuphela owayengenza uRaheli azale amadodana, ngaleyo ndlela akwazi ukuba nendima kulezo zibusiso. Kodwa uRaheli wayesephelelwe isineke. Wathi: “Nasi isigqilakazi sami uBhiliha. Lala naso, ukuze sizalele emadolweni ami yikhona nami, yebo nami, ngizothola abantwana kuso.”—Genesise 30:2, 3.

Kungase kube nzima ngathi ukuqonda indlela uRaheli ayecabanga ngayo. Nokho, izincwadi zomshado zasendulo ezatholakala kuyo yonke iMpumalanga Eseduze zibonisa ukuthi kwakuyinkambiso eyamukelwayo ngomfazi oyinyumba ukunika umyeni wakhe incekukazi yakhe ukuze imzalele indlalifa.a (Genesise 16:1-3) Kwezinye izimo, izingane ezazizalwa yileso sigqilakazi zazibe sezibhekwa njengezingane zalowo mfazi.

Lapho uBhiliha ethola umfana, uRaheli owayejabule wathi: “UNkulunkulu usebenze njengomahluleli wami futhi ulilalele izwi lami, wanginika indodana.” Wayiqamba ngokuthi uDani, okusho ukuthi “uMahluleli.” Naye wayethandazile ngosizi lwakhe. Lapho kuzalwa indodana kaBhiliha yesibili, uNafetali, okusho ukuthi “Ukubambana,” uRaheli wathi: “Ngibambene nodadewethu ngokubambana okukhathazayo. Futhi ngibe umnqobi!” La magama abonisa umbango owawuphakathi kwalezi zimbangi.—Genesise 30:5-8.

Kungenzeka ukuthi ngokunikeza uJakobe uBhiliha, uRaheli wayecabanga ukuthi wayenza ngokuvumelana nemithandazo yakhe, kodwa lena kwakungeyona indlela uNkulunkulu ayezomnika ngayo abantwana. Kunesifundo lapha. Akufanele siphelelwe isineke lapho sicela okuthile kuJehova. Angaphendula imithandazo ngezindlela esingazilindele nangesikhathi esingasilindele nhlobo.

Engafuni ukudlulwa, uLeya wanikeza uJakobe uZilipha, incekukazi yakhe. Waqale wazala uGadi, kamuva wazala u-Asheri.—Genesise 30:9-13.

Indaba ewubonisa kahle umbango owawuphakathi kukaRaheli noLeya yileyo ephathelene namamandrake ayetholwe indodana kaLeya, uRubeni. Kwakucatshangwa ukuthi lesi sithelo singasiza owesifazane akwazi ukukhulelwa. Lapho uRaheli ecela ambalwa, uLeya wamphendula ngomunyu: “Ingabe yinto encane le, ukuba uthathe umyeni wami, futhi manje usuthatha namamandrake endodana yami?” Abanye bathi amazwi kaLeya abonisa ukuthi uJakobe wayechitha isikhathi esiningi noRaheli kunoLeya. Mhlawumbe uRaheli wabona ukuthi uLeya wayekhononda kufanele, ngoba wamphendula: “Ngaleso sizathu uzolala nawe namuhla ebusuku ngenane amamandrake endodana yakho.” Ngakho, lapho uJakobe efika ekhaya kusihlwa, uLeya wamtshela: “Uzolala nami, ngoba ngikuqashe ngokuqondile ngamamandrake endodana yami.”—Genesise 30:15, 16.

ULeya wathola indodana yesihlanu neyesithupha, u-Isakare noZebhuloni. Ngemva kwalokho, wathi: “Ekugcineni umyeni wami uzongibekezelela, ngoba ngimzalele amadodana ayisithupha.”b—Genesise 30:17-20.

Amamandrake awazange asize. Lapho uRaheli ekhulelwa ngemva kweminyaka eyisithupha futhi ekugcineni ezala uJosefa, kwakungenxa yokuthi uJehova “wamkhumbula” futhi waphendula umthandazo wakhe. URaheli wakwazi ukuthi: “UNkulunkulu usisusile isihlamba sami!”—Genesise 30:22-24.

Ukufa Nefa

URaheli washona lapho ebeletha indodana yakhe yesibili, uBhenjamini. UJakobe wayemthanda ngempela uRaheli futhi wawathanda amadodana akhe amabili. Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi lapho naye esezoshona, wakhuluma ngokufa ngokuzumayo kukaRaheli wakhe othandekayo esemncane. (Genesise 35:16-19; 48:7) Akukho esikwaziyo ngokufa kukaLeya ngaphandle kokuthi uJakobe wamngcwaba emhumeni naye ayefuna ukungcwatshwa kuwo.—Genesise 49:29-32.

Lapho esegugile, uJakobe wavuma ukuthi ukuphila kwakhe—kuhlanganise nezindaba zomkhaya wakhe—kwakucindezela. (Genesise 47:9) Akungatshazwa ukuthi ukuphila kwakucindezela nakuLeya noRaheli. Okwenzeka kubo kugcizelela imiphumela ebuhlungu yesithembu futhi kubonisa isizathu esenza uJehova athi indoda kufanele ibe nomfazi oyedwa. (Mathewu 19:4-8; 1 Thimothewu 3:2, 12) Kuba khona isikhwele lapho indoda noma owesifazane bengagcini uthando lwabo noma ubuhlobo babo bobulili buphakathi kwabo kuphela. Leso esinye sezizathu ezenza uNkulunkulu enqabele ubufebe nokuphinga.—1 Korinte 6:18; Hebheru 13:4.

Naphezu kwakho konke lokho, uNkulunkulu waqhubeka—futhi usaqhubeka—efeza injongo yakhe esebenzisa amadoda nabesifazane abangaphelele kodwa abathembekile. Lezi zelamani zazinobuthakathaka njengathi. Nokho, uJehova waqala ukufeza isithembiso asithembisa u-Abrahama esebenzisa laba besifazane. Kushiwo kufanele-ke ukuthi uRaheli noLeya “bakha indlu ka-Israyeli.”—Ruthe 4:11.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 9]

ULeya noRaheli babefisa okomunye nomunye, futhi akekho kubo owayejabule

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Isizwe sakwa-Israyeli savela emadodaneni kaJakobe angu-12