Amabhinqa Aselusizini ‘Ayakha Indlu KaSirayeli’

NJENGOKUBA kwakusondela unyezi, uLeya wayesazi ukuba kwakuza kuphela amasebe okusithela. UYakobi awayelele naye, wayeza kufumanisa ukuba wayengenguye udadewabo omncinane uRakeli. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba, ecelwa nguyise, uLeya wayezigqume ngesigqubuthelo ukuze angabonakali, waza walala kwibhedi yomtshakazi eyayilungiselelwe uYakobi noRakeli.

Khawufan’ ucinge nje indlela amele ukuba wavakalelwa ngayo uYakobi xa ukukhanya kokusa kwabhenca iqhinga awayeqanyangelwe ngalo! Enomsindo waxambulisana noLabhan, uyise kaLeya. Kwangaxeshanye, kusenokwenzeka ukuba uLeya wacinga ngeyakhe indima kweli qhinga nemiphumo yalo kwikamva. Ibali likaLeya noRakeli libaluleke kakhulu kwimbali yeBhayibhile. Likwasibonisa ubulumko bokutshata umntu omnye nokuhlala uthembekile emtshatweni.

Umntu Ongaziwayo Equleni

Kwiminyaka esixhenxe ngaphambilana, uRakeli wabaleka waya kuxelela uyise ngendoda angayaziyo adibene nayo neyayisithi bayazalana. Kwathi kanti ngumza wakhe uYakobi umnquli kaYehova. Kwinyanga kamva, uYakobi wacela ukusebenzela uLabhan kangangeminyaka esixhenxe ukuze atshate noRakeli. Eyazi indlela awayekhuthele ngayo nokuba kwakuqhelekile ngezalamane ukuba zitshate kubantu bakubo, uLabhan wavuma.—Genesis 29:1-19.

Ukuthanda kukaYakobi uRakeli kwakungeyiyo intabatheko. Ukuganana kwabo iminyaka esixhenxe “yaba ngathi ziintsuku ezimbalwa emehlweni akhe ngenxa yokumthanda kwakhe.” (Genesis 29:20) Into yokuba uYakobi amthande uRakeli de abe sengcwabeni, yayibonisa ukuba wayeneempawu ezithandekayo.

Ngaba uLeya wayenethemba lokutshata umkhonzi kaYehova othembekileyo? IBhayibhile ayitsho. Kodwa into eyayicingwa nguLabhan ngokutshatwa kwentombi yakhe icace gca. Xa kwafika ixesha lokutshata kukaRakeli, uLabhan wenza itheko lomtshato. Kodwa ekutshoneni kwelanga, iBhayibhile ithi wazisa uLeya kuYakobi “ukuze abe neentlobano zokwazana naye.”—Genesis 29:23.

Ngaba uLeya wakuceba ukulukuhla uYakobi? Okanye bethu ngaba wayenyanzelekile ukuba athobele uyise? Wayephi phofu uRakeli? Ngaba yena wayesazi ukuba kwakuqhubeka ntoni? Ukuba kunjalo, wayevakalelwa njani yiyo yonke le nto? Ngaba wayenokuvukela intando kayise ongqongqo? IBhayibhile ayiyiphenduli le mibuzo. Nokuba yintoni eyayicingwa nguRakeli noLeya ngalo mbandela, uYakobi yena wayeligqabi ngumsindo. Kubonakala ukuba umsindo wakhe wawubhekisa kuLabhan, kungekhona kwiintombi zakhe xa wathi: “Andikukhonzanga ngenxa kaRakeli na? Kutheni ke undikhohlisile nje?” Wayeza kuphendula athini ke uLabhan? Wathi: “Akwenziwa njalo kule ndawo yakowethu, ukuthi kwendiswe ibhinqa elincinane ngaphambi kwelamazibulo. Yibhiyozele ngokupheleleyo iveki yeli bhinqa. Wothi ke emva koko unikwe nelinye eli ibhinqa ngenkonzo oya kundikhonza ngayo iminyaka esixhenxe engakumbi.” (Genesis 29:25-27) Ngaloo ndlela uYakobi waqhathwa ukuba atshate isithembu yaye imiphumo yaso yaba yinzondo engathethekiyo.

Amahla-ndinyuka Entsapho

UYakobi wayemthanda uRakeli. Xa uThixo wabona ukuba uLeya “wayethiyiwe,” wavula isibeleko sakhe kodwa uRakeli wahlala eludlolo. Kodwa uLeya wayefuna okungaphaya kokuba nabantwana; wayefuna ukuthandwa nguYakobi. Ukubona indlela uRakeli awayethandwa ngayo, kwashiya intliziyo yakhe ilihlwili. Nakuba kunjalo, uLeya waba nethemba lokuba uya kuze aluzuze uthando lukaYakobi ngenxa yokuba wamzalela unyana wakhe wamazibulo, uRubhen, ogama lithetha ukuthi “Uyabona, uNyana!” Wayenesizathu uLeya sokuba amthiye eli gama unyana wakhe, kaloku wathi: “Kungenxa yokuba uYehova uzikhangele iintsizi zam, yaye ngoku indoda yam iya kundithanda.” Wayengavakalelwa kwanto ke yena uYakobi, nkqu naxa uLeya wazala omnye unyana. ULeya wamthiya unyana wakhe ngokuba nguSimeyon, ogama lithetha ukuthi “Viwe.” Wayecinga ukuba: “Kungenxa yokuba uYehova uzikhangele iintsizi zam, yaye ngoku indoda yam iya kundithanda.”—Genesis 29:30-33.

Isizathu sokuba athi uThixo wayephulaphule sibonisa ukuba uLeya wayithandazela le meko wayekuyo. Wayebonakala engumfazi othembekileyo. Kodwa intlungu yakhe yayimthe mbende nasemva kokuba ezele unyana wakhe wesithathu, uLevi. Igama lalo unyana elithetha ukuthi “Namathela,” okanye “Dibeneyo,” licaciswa kakuhle ngamazwi kaLeya athi: “Ngoku indoda yam iya kunamathela kum, kuba ndiyizalele oonyana abathathu.” Kwakucace mhlophe ukuba uYakobi akazange anamathele kuye. Mhlawumbi kwatsho kwasa nakuLeya, kuba emva kokuzala unyana wakhe wesine, igama lonyana wakhe alibonisi nakancinane ukuba wayenethemba lokuthandwa nguYakobi. Kunoko, ngokumbiza ngokuba nguYuda, wayebonisa ukuba ubulela uThixo. Igama elithi “Yuda” lithetha ukuthi “Dumisa,” okanye “Isizathu Sokudumisa.” Wafana wathi uLeya: “Ngesi sihlandlo ndiya kumbonga uYehova.”—Genesis 29:34, 35.

Ukuba ke intliziyo kaLeya yayilihlwili, uRakeli ufanele ukuba wayetyumke intliziyo. Wabongoza uYakobi esithi: “Ndinike abantwana, kungenjalo ndiya kuba ngofileyo.” (Genesis 30:1) URakeli wayethandwa nguYakobi, kodwa wayefuna ukuba nabantwana. ULeya wayenabantwana, kodwa efuna ukuthandwa. Omnye efuna oko omnye anako, kodwa kungekho namnye owonwabileyo. Bobabini babemthanda uYakobi befuna ukumzalela abantwana. Omnye enekhwele ngodadewabo. Le ntsapho yayisengxakini!

Ngaba URakeli Waba Nabantwana?

Ngaloo minyaka, ukuba ludlolo kwakujongwa njengesibetho. UThixo wathembisa uAbraham, uIsake noYakobi ukuba intsapho yabo yayiya kuzala “imbewu” zize zonke iintsapho zizisikelele ngayo. (Genesis 26:4; 28:14) Kodwa, uRakeli wayeludlolo. UYakobi wayecinga ukuba, ukuba uThixo wayenokunika uRakeli oonyana, wayenokukwazi naye ukudlala indima ethile kule ntsikelelo. Nakuba kunjalo, uRakeli wayengasaziva. Wathi: “Nali ikhobokazana lam uBhiliha. Yiba neentlobano zokwazana naye, ukuze azalele emadolweni am, ndize nam lo, ndifumane abantwana ngaye.”—Genesis 30:2, 3.

Kusenokuba nzima ngathi ukusiqonda isimo sengqondo sikaRakeli ngalo mba. Noko ke, izivumelwano zamandulo zomtshato eziye zavunjululwa kumazwe aseMpuma zibonisa ukuba kwakwamkelekile ngabafazi abangafumani bantwana ukunika abayeni babo izicakakazi zabo ukuze zibazalele iindlalifa.a (Genesis 16:1-3) Kwezinye iimeko, abantwana besicakakazi bebesaziwa njengabantwana bomfazi.

Xa uBhiliha wafumana umntwana oyinkwenkwe, uRakeli wavuya kakhulu waza wadanduluka wathi: “UThixo undigwebele kwaye uye waliphulaphula nelizwi lam, waza wandinika unyana.” Wamthiya ukuba abe nguDan, oko kuthetha ukuthi “Umgwebi.” Naye wazithandazela iintsizi zakhe. Ekuzaleni kukaBhiliha unyana wesibini, uNafetali, oko kuthetha ukuthi “Ndizamile,” uRakeli wathi: “Ndizamene nodade wethu imizamo eqobayo. Kwaye ndiphumelele!” Eli gama libhekisela kwimpikiswano ekrakra phakathi kweentshaba.—Genesis 30:2-8.

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba uRakeli wayecinga ukuba wayesenza ngokwemithandazo yakhe xa wayenikela ngoBhiliha kuYakobi, kodwa le yayingeyondlela kaThixo yokumnika abantwana. Ikhona into esiyifundayo apha. Asimele siphelelwe ngumonde xa sicela kuYehova. Unokuphendula imithandazo yethu singalindelanga nangendlela ebesingakhange siyicinge.

Ukuze nje naye angashiywa lukhuphiswano nodadewabo, uLeya wanika uYakobi isicakakazi sakhe uZilipa. Samzalela uGadi noAshere.—Genesis 30:9-13.

Esona siganeko siphawula ukujongana ngezikhondo zamehlo phakathi kukaRakeli noLeya sasibandakanya imithuma eyafunyanwa ngunyana kaLeya uRubhen. Kwakucingwa ukuba esi siqhamo sasinceda ekuzaleni abantwana. Xa uRakeli wasicelayo, uLeya wamphendula ngendlela ekrwada esithi: “Yinto encinane na kuwe, ukuthabatha indoda yam, ubuye ngoku uthabathe nemithuma yonyana wam?” Abanye badla ngokucinga ukuba la mazwi athetha ukuba uYakobi wayechitha ixesha elininzi noRakeli kunokuba kwakunjalo noLeya. Kunokwenzeka ukuba uRakeli wasibona isizathu sokuba oku kumvisa kabuhlungu uLeya, kuba waphendula wathi: “Ngako oko uza kulala nawe ngobu busuku kube sisananiselo semithuma yonyana wakho.” Xa wafika ekhaya uYakobi ngaloo ngokuhlwa, uLeya wathi kuye: “Uza kuba neentlobano zokwazana nam, kuba ndikuqeshile ngemithuma yonyana wam.”—Genesis 30:15, 16.

ULeya waba nonyana wesihlanu nowesithandathu, uIsakare noZebhulon. Emva koko, wathi: “Ekugqibeleni indoda yam iya kundinyamezela, kuba ndiyizalele oonyana abathandathu.”b—Genesis 30:17-22.

Imithuma ayizange isebenze. Ekugqibeleni, kuthe emva kweminyaka emithandathu etshatile uRakeli wazala uYosefu, kwakungenxa yokuba uYehova “wamkhumbula” waza waphendula imithandazo yakhe. Kungelo xesha kuphela uRakeli wayenokuthi: “UThixo ulususile ungcikivo lwam!”—Genesis 30:22-24.

Ukufa Nelifa

Ngoxa wayebeleka unyana wakhe wesibini, uBenjamin, itshoba lalal’ umbethe kuRakeli. UYakobi wayemthanda uRakeli yaye oonyana ababini balo mfazi, babesenyongweni kuye. Emva kweminyaka sele ekufutshane nengcwaba, akazange akwazi ukuzibamba ukucinga ngelahleko yokufelwa nguRakeli. (Genesis 35:16-19; 48:7) Xa kwafa uLeya, akukho kwanto sixelelwa yona ngaphandle nje kokuba uYakobi wamngcwabela emqolombeni, apho naye wayefuna ukungcwatyelwa khona.—Genesis 49:29-32.

Ebuxhegweni bakhe, uYakobi wavuma ukuba ubomi bakhe—kuquka ubomi bentsapho yakhe—babuzele kukubandezeleka. (Genesis 47:9) Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, ubomi babulusizi kuLeya nakuRakeli. Izinto abatyhubela kuzo zibonisa kakuhle imiphumo yesithembu yaye zisenza sicace isizathu sokuba uYehova wamisela ukuba indoda ibe nomfazi omnye. (Mateyu 19:4-8; 1 Timoti 3:2, 12) Kubakho ikhwele xa uthando neminqweno yesini yendoda okanye umfazi ingapheleli kumntu omnye—iqabane lomtshato. Eso sesinye sezizathu zokuba uYehova angalufuni uhenyuzo nokukrexeza.—1 Korinte 6:18; Hebhere 13:4.

Nakuba kunjalo, uThixo waqhubeka—yaye usaqhubeka—ephumeza injongo yakhe, esebenzisa abantu abangafezekanga kodwa abangamadoda nabafazi abathembekileyo. Omabini la mabhinqa ayenobuthathaka, njengokuba nathi sinjalo. Noko ke, uYehova wawasebenzisa ukuze azalisekise oko wayekuthembise uAbraham. Kufanelekile ke ngoko ukuba kuthiwe uRakeli noLeya ‘bayakha indlu kaSirayeli.’—Rute 4:11.

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URakeli noLeya babefuna oko omnye anako, kodwa kungekho namnye kubo owonwabileyo

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Izizwe zakwaSirayeli zaphuma koonyana bakaYakobi abali-12