IZwi LikaJehova Liyaphila
Amaphuzu Avelele Encwadi KaRuthe
LENA indaba ejabulisayo eyenzeka ngempela ebonisa ubuqotho babesifazane ababili. Indaba eveza ukwazisa ngoJehova uNkulunkulu kanye nokuthembela elungiselelweni lakhe. Iwumlando ogcizelela isithakazelo esijulile sikaJehova ohlwini lozalo lukaMesiya. Iwumlando othinta inhliziyo, okhuluma ngenjabulo nangezinsizi zomkhaya. Incwadi yeBhayibheli kaRuthe iqukethe lezi zindaba kanye nezinye.
Incwadi kaRuthe iqukethe izenzakalo ezenzeka cishe phakathi neminyaka engu-11 “ezinsukwini lapho abahluleli bephethe ezobulungisa” kwa-Israyeli. (Ruthe 1:1) Izinto ezalotshwa kumelwe ukuba zenzeka ekuqaleni kwenkathi yabaHluleli, ngoba uBhowazi, umnikazi wezwe ongomunye wabalingiswa kule ndaba eyenzeka ngokoqobo, wayeyindodana kaRahabi owayephila ngesikhathi sikaJoshuwa. (Joshuwa 2:1, 2; Ruthe 2:1; Mathewu 1:5) Kungenzeka ukuthi lo mlando wabhalwa ngumprofethi uSamuweli ngo-1090 B.C.E. Lena yiyo kuphela incwadi yeBhayibheli ebizwa ngegama lowesifazane ongeyena umIsrayeli. Isigijimi esiqukethwe yile ncwadi ‘siyaphila futhi sinamandla.’—Hebheru 4:12.
“LAPHO UYA KHONA NGIZOYA KHONA NAMI”
Lapho uNawomi noRuthe befika eBhetlehema, baba undab’ uzekwayo. Bekhuluma ngowesifazane omdala kulaba ababili, abesifazane bomuzi balokhu bebuza: “Akuyena yini uNawomi lo?” UNawomi uphendula athi: “Ningangibizi ngokuthi nginguNawomi. Ngibizeni ngokuthi nginguMara, ngoba uMninimandla onke wenze kwaba munyu kakhulu kimi. Ngangigcwele lapho ngihamba, kodwa uJehova ungenzé ngabuya ngilambatha.”—Ruthe 1:19-21.
Lapho kunendlala kwa-Israyeli umkhaya wakhe waphoqeleka ukuba usuke eBhetlehema uye ezweni lakwaMowabi, futhi uNawomi ‘wayegcwele’ ngokuthi wayenomyeni kanye namadodana amabili. Nokho, lapho sebezinzile kwaMowabi, umyeni wakhe u-Elimeleki uyashona. Kamuva, amadodana akhe womabili ashada nabesifazane bakwaMowabi u-Orpa noRuthe. Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe yishumi, namadodana ayashona engenabantwana, ashiye laba besifazane abathathu bengenabani. Lapho umamezala wabo, uNawomi, enquma ukuphindela kwaJuda, omalokazana bakhe bahamba naye. Ngesikhathi besendleleni uNawomi uncenga omalokazana bakhe ukuba babuyele kwaMowabi bazitholele abayeni kubantu bakubo. U-Orpa uyavumelana nalesi sicelo. Nokho, uRuthe unamathela kuNawomi, athi: “Lapho uya khona ngizoya khona nami, nalapho ulala khona nami ngizolala khona. Abantu bakini bazoba ngabantu bakithi, noNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami.”—Ruthe 1:16.
Laba bafelokazi ababili, uNawomi noRuthe, bafika eBhetlehema ngesikhathi sekuqalwa ukuvuna ibhali. Esebenzisa ilungiselelo loMthetho kaNkulunkulu, uRuthe uqala ukukhothoza ensimini yesihlobo sika-Elimeleki—indoda endala engumJuda egama layo linguBhowazi. URuthe uthola umusa kuBhowazi futhi uyaqhubeka nokukhothoza ensimini yakhe ‘kuze kube sekugcineni kokuvunwa kwebhali nokukakolweni.’—Ruthe 2:23.
Izimpendulo Zemibuzo YemiBhalo
1:8—Kungani uNawomi atshela omalokazana bakhe ukuba babuyele “yilowo nalowo endlini kanina” kunokuba abatshele ukuba babuyele ezindlini zoyise? Ukuthi uyise ka-Orpa wayesaphila yini ngaleso sikhathi akushiwo. Nokho, uyise kaRuthe wayesaphila. (Ruthe 2:11) Nakuba kunjalo, uNawomi wakhuluma ngezindlu zonina, mhlawumbe ecabanga ukuthi ukubhekisela konina kwakuyobakhumbuza ukuthokomala kothando lomzwelo lukamama. Lokhu kwakuzowaduduza ngokukhethekile amadodakazi ayekhungethwe usizi lokuhlukana nomamezala wawo amthandayo. La mazwi angase aveze nomqondo wokuthi ngokungafani noNawomi, unina kaRuthe noka-Orpa babenemizi ezinzile.
1:13, 21—Ingabe uJehova wenza ukuphila kukaNawomi kwaba munyu futhi wambangela inhlekelele? Cha, futhi uNawomi akazange asole uNkulunkulu ngakho konke okubi okwamehlela. Nokho, kukho konke okwamehlela, wayecabanga ukuthi uJehova wayemelene naye. Wazizwa enomunyu futhi edumele. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngalezo zinsuku ukuthola abantwana kwakubhekwa njengesibusiso sikaNkulunkulu kanti ukuba yinyumba kuyisiqalekiso. Njengoba ayefelwe amadodana akhe amabili futhi engenabo abazukulu, kungenzeka uNawomi wakubona kufaneleka ukucabanga ukuthi nguJehova owayemlulaza.
2:12—Iyiphi ‘inkokhelo ephelele’ uJehova ayinika uRuthe? URuthe wathola indodana futhi waba nelungelo lokuba sohlwini olubaluleke kunalo lonke emlandweni—uhlu lukaJesu Kristu.—Ruthe 4:13-17; Mathewu 1:5, 16.
Izifundo Esizitholayo:
1:8; 2:20. Naphezu kwezinhlekelele abhekana nazo, uNawomi waqhubeka ethembele emuseni kaJehova wothando. Nathi kufanele senze okufanayo, ikakhulu lapho sibhekene nezilingo ezinkulu.
1:9. Ikhaya kufanele lingabi nje indawo lapho amalungu omkhaya edla futhi alale khona. Kufanele libe indawo enokuthula, yokuphumula nokuthokomala.
1:14-16. U-Orpa ‘wabuyela kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu bakhe.’ URuthe akazange. Washiya ukuthokomala nokulondeka kwezwe azalelwa kulo futhi wahlala eqotho kuJehova. Ukuhlakulela uthando oluqotho ngoNkulunkulu nokubonisa umoya wokuzidela kuyosivikela ekubeni singehlulwa izifiso zobugovu bese ‘sihlehlela emuva ekubhujisweni.’—Hebheru 10:39.
2:2. URuthe walisebenzisa ilungiselelo lokukhothoza elalenzelwe abantu bezinye izizwe nabahluphekayo. Wayethobekile. UmKristu oswele akufanele aqhoshe kangangokuthi aze angalwamukeli usizo lothando oluvela kwakholwa nabo noma olunye usizo oluvela kuhulumeni angase alufanelekele.
2:7. Nakuba uRuthe ayenelungelo lokukhothoza, wacela imvume. (Levitikusi 19:9, 10) Lokhu kwakubonisa ukuthi wayemnene. Sihlakaniphile uma ‘sifuna ubumnene,’ ngoba “abamnene bayodla ifa lomhlaba, futhi ngempela bayothola injabulo enkulu ngokuchichima kokuthula.”—Zefaniya 2:3; IHubo 37:11.
2:11. URuthe wazibonakalisa engaphezu kokuba yisihlobo kuNawomi. Wayengumngane weqiniso. (IzAga 17:17) Ubungane babo babuqinile ngoba babusekelwe ezimfanelweni ezinjengothando, ubuqotho, ububele, umusa kanye nomoya wokuzidela. Okubaluleke kakhulu, babusekelwe esifisweni sabo sokukhonza uJehova nokuba phakathi kwabakhulekeli bakhe. Nathi sinamathuba amahle okwakha ubungane obuqotho nabakhulekeli beqiniso.
2:15-17. Ngisho nalapho uBhowazi efuna ukunciphisa umsebenzi kaRuthe, “waqhubeka ekhothoza ensimini kwaze kwaba kusihlwa.” URuthe wayekhuthele. UmKristu kufanele abe nedumela lokuba isisebenzi esikhuthele.
2:19-22. UNawomi noRuthe babejabulela izingxoxo ezimnandi kusihlwa, omdala ebonisa isithakazelo emisebenzini eyenziwa omncane, bobabili beveza imizwa kanye nemicabango yabo ngokukhululekile. Akufanele yini kube okufanayo emkhayeni womKristu?
2:22, 23. Ngokungafani nendodakazi kaJakobe, uDina, uRuthe wafuna ukuzihlanganisa nabakhulekeli bakaJehova. Yeka ukuthi yisibonelo esihle kanjani kithi leso!—Genesise 34:1, 2; 1 Korinte 15:33.
UNAWOMI ‘UYAGCWALA’
UNawomi usemdala kakhulu ukuba athole abantwana. Ngakho uyala uRuthe ukuba angene esikhundleni sakhe ngokuthi ashade nomuntu onelungelo lokuhlenga ngomshado, noma ukungenwa yisihlobo. Elalela isiqondiso sikaNawomi, uRuthe ucela uBhowazi ukuba abe umhlengi. UBhowazi ukulungele ukusivuma lesi sicelo. Nokho, kunesihlobo esiseduze okufanele sinikezwe kuqala leli thuba.
UBhowazi usheshe ayilungise le ndaba. Ngakusasa ekuseni, uhlanganisa amadoda amadala ayishumi aseBhetlehema phambi kwesihlobo abese esibuza ukuthi sizimisele yini ukuhlenga. Le ndoda iyenqaba. Ngakho-ke, uBhowazi uba umhlengi futhi ushada noRuthe. Sebeshadile, bathola indodana, u-Obede, umkhulu weNkosi uDavide. Manje abesifazane baseBhetlehema bathi kuNawomi: “Makabongwe uJehova . . . Usebé ngumbuyiseli womphefumulo wakho nalowo oyokondla ekugugeni kwakho, ngoba umalokazana wakho okuthandayo, ongcono kuwe kunamadodana ayisikhombisa, umzele.” (Ruthe 4:14, 15) Owesifazane owayebuyele eBhetlehema ‘elambatha’ usephinde ‘wagcwala’ futhi!—Ruthe 1:21.
Izimpendulo Zemibuzo YemiBhalo
3:11—Yini eyenza uRuthe abe nedumela lokuba “owesifazane ovelele”? Okwenza abanye bancome uRuthe, kwakungekona ‘ukwaluka kwakhe izinwele kwangaphandle’ noma ‘ukufaka imihlobiso yegolide noma ukugqoka izambatho zangaphandle.’ Kunalokho, ‘kwakungumuntu osithekile wenhliziyo’—ubuqotho nothando lwakhe, ukuthobeka nobubele bakhe, ukukhuthala nomoya wakhe wokuzidela. Wonke umuntu wesifazane owesaba uNkulunkulu ofisa ukuba nedumela elinjengelikaRuthe, kumelwe alwele ukuhlakulela lezi zimfanelo.—1 Petru 3:3, 4; IzAga 31:28-31.
3:14—Kungani uRuthe noBhowazi bavuka entathakusa? Isizathu kwakungekhona ukuthi ebusuku babenze okuthile okuwukuziphatha okubi futhi befuna ukukufihla. Kusobala ukuthi izenzo zikaRuthe ngalobo busuku zazivumelana nesiko elenziwa owesifazane ofuna ilungelo lokungenwa. Wenza njengoba uNawomi ayemyalile. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izenzo zikaBhowazi zikuveza ngokusobala ukuthi akabonanga lutho olubi kulokho okwenziwa uRuthe. (Ruthe 3:2-13) Ngokusobala, uRuthe noBhowazi bavuka ekuseni ukuze kungabikho muntu ongaqala amahemuhemu angamanga.
3:15—Kwakusho ukuthini ukunika kukaBhowazi uRuthe izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali? Njengoba usuku lokuphumula lwalufika ngemva kwezinsuku eziyisithupha zokusebenza, kungenzeka ukuthi lesi senzo sibonisa ukuthi isikhathi sokuphumula kukaRuthe sase siseduze. UBhowazi wayezoqikelela ukuthi uRuthe uthola “indawo yokuphumula” endlini yomyeni wakhe. (Ruthe 1:9; 3:1) Kungenzeka nokuthi uRuthe wayengathwala kuphela izilinganiso eziyisithupha zebhali.
3:16—Kungani uNawomi abuza uRuthe: “Ungubani, ndodakazi yami?” Ingabe wayengasamboni umalokazana wakhe? Kungenzeka ukuthi wayengamboni, ngoba lapho uRuthe ebuyela kuNawomi cishe kwakusemnyama. Nokho, kungenzeka nokuthi uNawomi wayebuza uRuthe ngesimo sakhe esisha maqondana nokuhlengwa kwakhe.
4:6—Kungayiphi indlela umhlengi ‘ayengachitha’ ifa lakhe ngokuhlenga othile? Okokuqala, uma umuntu eba mpofu bese edayisa izwe eliyifa lakhe, umhlengi kwakungadingeka akhiphe imali athenge izwe ngenani leminyaka esele ngaphambi kokuba kufike iJubili. (Levitikusi 25:25-27) Ukwenza lokho kwakunciphisa imali yakhe. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uma uRuthe ayengathola indodana, yiyo eyayizodla insimu ehlengiwe, kunokuba ithathwe esinye sezihlobo eziseduze.
Izifundo Esizitholayo:
3:12; 4:1-6. UBhowazi walilandela ngokucophelela ilungiselelo likaJehova. Ingabe thina sizigcina ngokwethembeka izimiso zikaNkulunkulu?—1 Korinte 14:40.
3:18. UNawomi wayemethemba uBhowazi. Akufanele yini nathi sibethembe ngendlela efanayo esikholwa nabo abathembekile? URuthe wayezimisele ukungenwa indoda ayengayazi nakancane, engashiwo nangegama eBhayibhelini. (Ruthe 4:1) Kungani? Kungenxa yokuthi wayeqiniseka ngelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu. Ingabe nathi sinokuqiniseka okufanayo? Ngokwesibonelo, lapho sicabanga ngokufuna umngane womshado, ingabe siyasilalela iseluleko sokushada “kuphela eNkosini”?—1 Korinte 7:39.
4:13-16. Yeka ilungelo elatholwa uRuthe nakuba ngaphambili ayengumkhulekeli kankulunkulu uKhemoshi futhi engumMowabikazi! Lokhu kubonisa ukusebenza kwesimiso esithi “akuncikile kulowo ofisayo noma kulowo ogijimayo, kodwa kuNkulunkulu, onesihe.”—Roma 9:16.
UNkulunkulu “Aniphakamise Ngesikhathi Esifanele”
Incwadi kaRuthe iveza uJehova enguNkulunkulu onomusa wothando, ozinakekelayo izinceku zakhe ezithembekile. (2 IziKronike 16:9) Uma sicabanga ngendlela uRuthe abusiswa ngayo, siyazibona izinzuzo zokuthembela kuNkulunkulu ngokholo olungenakungabaza, sikholelwa ngokugcwele “ukuthi ukhona nokuthi uba umvuzi walabo abamfuna ngobuqotho.”—Hebheru 11:6.
URuthe, uNawomi noBhowazi bathembela ngokuphelele elungiselelweni likaJehova, futhi baphumelela. Ngendlela efanayo, “uNkulunkulu wenza yonke imisebenzi yakhe ibambisane ngokwenzuzo yalabo abathanda uNkulunkulu, labo abangababiziweyo ngokwenjongo yakhe.” (Roma 8:28) Ngakho-ke, masisebenzise lesi seluleko somphostoli uPetru: “Ngakho-ke, zithobeni ngaphansi kwesandla sikaNkulunkulu esinamandla, ukuze aniphakamise ngesikhathi esifanele; kuyilapho niphonsa zonke izinkathazo zenu phezu kwakhe, ngoba uyanikhathalela.”—1 Petru 5:6, 7.
[Isithombe ekhasini 26]
Uyazi ukuthi kungani uRuthe engazange amshiye uNawomi?
[Isithombe ekhasini 27]
Yini eyenza uRuthe waba nedumela lokuba “owesifazane ovelele”?
[Isithombe ekhasini 28]
Iyiphi ‘inkokhelo ephelele’ uJehova ayinika uRuthe?