URahabhi—Wavakaliswa Elilungisa Ngemisebenzi Yokholo
KHAWUFANE ucinge! Ihenyukazi livakaliswe lililungisa ngokwembono kaThixo. “Unotshe!” abaninzi basenokutsho. Sekunjalo, oko koko kwenzeka kwihenyukazi elinguRahabhi laseYeriko, isixeko samandulo sakwaKanan.
Umbhali weBhayibhile uYakobi unikela le ngxelo: “Umntu uyagwetyelwa ngokwasemisebenzini; kungabi ngokwaselukholweni lodwa. Ngokunjalo ke, noRahabhi, ihenyukazi, akagwetyelwanga na ngokwasemisebenzini, akubamkela ngobubele abathunywa, abakhuphele phandle ngayimbi indlela? Kuba, kwanjengokuba umzimba, ungekho umoya, ufile, ngokunjalo ukholo, ingekho imisebenzi, lufile nalo.” (Yakobi 2:24-26) Kwakutheni ukuze uRahabhi avakaliswe elilungisa? Wenza ntoni ukuze afumane ilungelo elinjalo kuThixo?
AmaSirayeli Ayeza!
Makhe sibuyele emva kunyaka we-1473 B.C.E. Yiba nombono wokwakusenzeka. IYeriko inqatyiswe kakhulu. Phezulu kwiindonga zesixeko kukho indlu kaRahabhi ihenyukazi. Ekule ndawo iphezulu, usenokuba wayekhangela ngasempuma kumanzi aphuphumayo omlambo iYordan. (Yoshuwa 3:15) Kunxweme lwayo olungasempuma, wayenokuzibona iintente zamaSirayeli, ezinomkhosi wokulwa ongaphezu kwama-600 000. Ezi ntente zikumgama oziikhilomitha ezimbalwa kuphela!
URahabhi uye wafunda ngokoyisa kwamaSirayeli emfazweni. Kwakhona uvile ngeembonakaliso zamandla kaYehova, ngokukodwa ekuvuleni kwakhe indlela yokusaba yamaSirayeli kuLwandle Olubomvu. Ngoko, ngokuqinisekileyo, ukuzala ngamanzi kweYordan akuyi kuba sisithintelo. Eli lixesha lamanqam! Uya kusabela njani uRahabhi?
URahabhi Uthabatha Ukuma Kwakhe
Kungekudala, uRahabhi ufikelwa ziindwendwe ezimbini angazilindelanga—iintlola ezivela kwiintente zamaSirayeli. Zifuna indawo yokulala, yaye uyazamkela ekhayeni lakhe. Kodwa iindaba zobukho bazo zifikelela ezindlebeni zokumkani waseYeriko. Ngokukhawuleza uthumela amagosa akhe asemthethweni ukuba azivalele entolongweni.—Yoshuwa 2:1, 2.
Ngexesha lokufika kwamagosa okumkani, uRahabhi wayesele eme ngakwicala likaYehova uThixo. Ezi zigidimi zasebukhosini ziyalela zithi: “Wakhuphe amadoda afikileyo kuwe.” URahabhi uzifihle phakathi kweendiza zeflakisi ezazomiswe kuphahla lwendlu yakhe iintlola. Uthi: “Okunene afikile kum amadoda lawo, andazi ukuba avela ngaphi na; kwathi, ukuvalwa kwesango, kwakuba mnyama, amadoda lawo aphuma; andazi ukuba aye ngaphi na amadoda lawo; wasukeleni kamsinya, ngokuba nowafumana.” (Yoshuwa 2:3-5) Oko ayakwenza amadoda kakumkani—akawafumani.
URahabhi wayezilahlekisile ezo ntshaba. Ngokukhawuleza uthabatha amanyathelo angakumbi abonakalisa ukholo lwakhe kuYehova ngemisebenzi. Uya kuphahla lwendlu aze axelele iintlola oku: “Ndiyazi ukuba uYehova uninikile eli lizwe.” URahabhi uyavuma ukuba bonke abemi belo zwe bayoyika kuba bavile ukuba uThixo “wawomisa amanzi oLwandle Olubomvu” phambi kwamaSirayeli kwiminyaka engama-40 engaphambilana. Kwakhona abantu bayazi ukuba amaSirayeli atshabalalisa ookumkani ababini bama-Amori. URahabhi uthi: “Sivile ke, zanyibilika iintliziyo zethu, akwaba sabakho kuqina kwamxhelo mntwini ngenxa yenu; ngokuba uYehova uThixo wenu nguye uThixo emazulwini phezulu, nasehlabathini phantsi apha.”—Yoshuwa 2:8-11.
URahabhi uyacela: “Kaloku khanindifungele uYehova, nithi, kuba ndinenzele inceba, niyenzele inceba nani indlu kabawo, nindinike umqondiso wenyaniso; nimsindise ubawo, noma, nabanakwethu, noodade bethu, neento zonke abanazo.”—Yoshuwa 2:12, 13.
La madoda ayavuma aze axelele uRahabhi amakakwenze. Kwifestile yendlu yakhe, umele ajingise intsontelo ebomvu eyenzelwe ukuhlisa iintlola ngaphandle kweendonga zeYeriko. Umele aqokelele intsapho yakowabo endlwini yakhe, apho imele ihlale khona ukuze ikhuselwe. URahabhi unika iintlola ezindulukayo inkcazelo eluncedo ngokuma kwelizwe aze azixelele indlela yokuphepha abo babezisukela. Iintlola zenza njengoko eziyalele. Emva kokubeka intsontelo ebomvu yaye eqokelele amalungu endlu yakokwabo, uRahabhi ulindela okungakumbi okuza kwenzeka.—Yoshuwa 2:14-24.
Wenze ntoni uRahabhi? Kaloku, uye wazingqina ukuba unokholo kuThixo uSomandla, uYehova! Uza kuphila ngokwemilinganiselo yakhe. Ewe, ibe uza kuvakaliswa elilungisa ngenxa yemisebenzi enjalo yokholo.
Iindonga Ziyadilika!
Iiveki ezimbalwa ziyadlula. Ephelekwe ngababingeleli—amanye ephethe izigodlo ibe amanye ethwele ityeya engcwele yomnqophiso—amadoda emfazwe akwaSirayeli arhangqa iYeriko. Ebekwenza oku suku ngalunye iintsuku ezintandathu. Noko ke, kolu suku lwesixhenxe, sele esijikeleze esi sixeko izihlandlo ezintandathu. Nanko ebuyela kwakhona!
Umjikelo wesixhenxe ugqityiwe, kuvakala ingxolo enkulu yezigodlo. Ngoku amaSirayeli akhwaza ngamandla. Ngelo xesha, uYehova ubangela iindonga ezikhusele iYeriko zidilike ngesandi esivakala ngathi ziindudumo. Kusinda kuphela icala elinendlu kaRahabhi. Sonke isixeko nabemi baso siyatshatyalaliswa. Ngokholo lwalo olungqinelwe yimisebenzi, eli henyukazi liguqukileyo liyakhuselwa kunye nabendlu yakowalo, ibe liqalisa ukuhlala phakathi kwabantu bakaYehova.—Yoshuwa 6:1-25.
Ukuhlolisisa Iimpawu ZikaRahabhi
URahabhi wayengelovila elifekethisiweyo, kuba kuphahla lwendlu yakhe kwakukho iindiza zeflakisi ezazomiswe elangeni. Imisonto yeflakisi yayiza kusetyenziselwa ukwenza ilinen. Kwakukwakho nemfumba yomsonto obomvu endlwini kaRahabhi. (Yoshuwa 2:6, 18) Ngoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba wenza ilinen ibe kusenokwenzeka ukuba wayebazi ubuchule bokuyijika umbala. Ewe, uRahabhi wayelibhinqa elikhutheleyo. Ngaphezu koko, wayenoloyiko lokuhlonel’ uYehova.—Thelekisa IMizekeliso 31:13, 19, 21, 22, 30.
Kuthekani ngomnye umsebenzi kaRahabhi? Wayengengomamkeli-ndwendwe nje kuphela kwindlu yabahambi. Akunjalo, iZibhalo zimchaza ngokusebenzisa igama lesiHebhere nelesiGrike athetha ihenyukazi. Ngokomzekelo, igama lesiHebhere elithi zoh·nahʹ lisoloko linento yokwenza neentlobano ezingekho mthethweni. Kambe ke, kumaKanan ukuba lihenyukazi kwakungengomsebenzi ongafanelekanga.
Ukusebenzisa kukaYehova ihenyukazi kubonakalisa inceba yakhe enkulu. Inkangeleko yangaphandle inokusikhohlisa, kodwa uThixo “ukhangela indlela eyiyo intliziyo.” (1 Samuweli 16:7, NW) Ngenxa yoku, amahenyukazi aneentliziyo ezilungileyo naguqukayo kubuhenyukazi anokuxolelwa nguYehova uThixo. (Thelekisa uMateyu 21:23, 31, 32.) URahabhi waguquka esonweni waza wahamba ngekhondo elilungileyo akholiswayo lilo uThixo.
Iintlola zakwaSirayeli zaziphila ngokoMthetho kaThixo, ngoko azizange zingene kwindlu kaRahabhi ngeenjongo zokuziphatha okubi. Kusenokuba isizathu sokuya kwazo endlwini yakhe yayikukuba zazingayi kukrokrelwa ngobukho bazo kwindlu yehenyukazi. Kwakhona indawo eyayimi kuyo kudonga lwesixeko yayiza kwenza kube lula ukusaba. Ngokucacileyo uYehova wazalathisa kumoni owayenentliziyo eyayichukunyiswe ziingxelo ngendlela uThixo aqhubana ngayo namaSirayeli kangangokuba waguquka waza waguqula neendlela zakhe. Amazwi kaThixo okuba uSirayeli wayeza kuwatshabalalisa amaKanan ngenxa yezenzo zokuziphatha okubi, nokusikelela kwakhe uRahabhi nokoyiswa kweYeriko, enza kucace ukuba iintlola azizange zibandakanyeke ekuziphatheni okubi naye.—Levitikus 18:24-30.
Kuthekani ngamazwi kaRahabhi okulahlekisa abo babesukela iintlola? UThixo wakholiswa likhondo lakhe. (Thelekisa eyabaseRoma 14:4.) Wabeka ubomi bakhe esichengeni ukuze akhusele abakhonzi bakhe, enikela ubungqina bokholo lwakhe. Nangona ubuxoki obenzakalisayo buphosakele emehlweni kaYehova, umntu akanyanzelekanga ukuba anikele inkcazelo eyinyaniso kubantu engabafanelanga. KwanoYesu Kristu akazange anikele inkcazelo ezeleyo okanye iimpendulo ezingqalileyo xa ukwenjenjalo kwakuya kubangela umonakalo ongeyomfuneko. (Mateyu 7:6; 15:1-6; 21:23-27; Yohane 7:3-10) Kuyabonakala ukuba, ikhondo likaRahabhi lokulahlekisa loo magosa aziintshaba limele lijongwe ngokwaloo ngqiqo.
Umvuzo KaRahabhi
Wavuzwa njani uRahabhi ngokubonakalisa ukholo? Ukusindiswa kwakhe ebudeni bokutshatyalaliswa kweYeriko ngokuqinisekileyo kwakuyintsikelelo evela kuYehova. Kamva, watshata noSalemon (Salima), unyana wenkulu yasentlango uNashon yohlanga lwakwaYuda. Njengabazali bakaBhohazi ohlonel’ uThixo, uSalima noRahabhi benza ikhonkco kumnombo wokuzalwa elakhokelela kuKumkani uDavide wakwaSirayeli. (1 Kronike 2:3-15; Rute 4:20-22) Okubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba, uRahabhi owayesakuba lihenyukazi ngomnye wabafazi abane kuphela abakhankanywe kwincwadi kaMateyu kumlibo wokuzalwa kukaYesu Kristu. (Mateyu 1:5, 6) Enjani yona intsikelelo evela kuYehova!
Nangona wayengengomSirayeli yaye elihenyukazi ngaphambili, uRahabhi ungumzekelo obalaseleyo womfazi owazingqina ngemisebenzi yakhe ukuba wayenokholo olupheleleyo kuYehova. (Hebhere 11:30, 31) Njengabanye, bambi abaye bashiya ubomi bobuhenyukazi, uza kufumana omnye umvuzo—uvuko kwabafileyo evukela ebomini kwiparadisi esemhlabeni. (Luka 23:43) Ngenxa yokholo lwakhe olwaphelekwa yimisebenzi, uRahabhi wazuza inkoliseko kuBawo wethu onothando noxolelayo wasezulwini. (INdumiso 130:3, 4) Ibe ngokuqinisekileyo umzekelo wakhe omhle unikela ukhuthazo kubo bonke abathandi bobulungisa ukuba bakhangele kuYehova uThixo ukuze bafumane ubomi obungunaphakade.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]
URahabhi wavakaliswa elilungisa kuba imisebenzi yakhe yangqina ukuba wayenokholo
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 24]
Abembi bezinto zakudala baye bafumana amabhodlo eYeriko yamandulo, kuquka nenxalenye encinane yodonga lwamandulo
[Inkcazelo]
Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.