Ukushada KukaBhowazi NoRuthe Okwakungalindelekile

KUMATASA esibuyeni esiseduze kwaseBhetlehema. Usuku belunzima. Iphunga lokusanhlamvu okusanda kugazingwa litshela izisebenzi ezilambile ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokudla. Ngasinye sizojabulela umvuzo wezithukuthuku zaso.

UBhowazi, umnikazi wezwe ocebile, uyaphuza adle asuthe abese ephumula ngasengqumbini yesivuno sakhe. Kamuva, usuku lokuvuna luyaphela, indoda ngayinye ifune indawo ethokomele yokuphumula. Anelisekile, uBhowazi uyembatha, azumeke.

Ukuhlangana Ngesinyenyela

Phakathi kwamabili, uBhowazi uvuka egodola, eqhaqhazela. Phela, izinyawo zakhe zembuliwe, futhi kukhona olele ngakuzo! Engaboni ukuthi ubani lona osebumnyameni, uyabuza: “Ungubani wena?” Kuphendula izwi lowesifazane: “NginguRuthe incekukazi yakho, futhi kumelwe welulele umphetho wengubo yakho phezu kwencekukazi yakho ngoba nguwe onelungelo lokuhlenga.”—Ruthe 3:1-9.

Bakhuluma bodwa ebumnyameni. Abesifazane abaveli kanjena esibuyeni. (Ruthe 3:14) Nokho, ngemvume kaBhowazi, uRuthe uyaqhubeka elele ngasezinyaweni zale ndoda kuze kube sentathakusa, abese evuka ehamba, kanjalo egwema ukugxekwa okungenasisekelo.

Ingabe lokhu kwakuwukubonana kwezithandani? Ingabe le ndoda ecebile endala yayengwa ngobuhlakani uRuthe—umfelokazi ompofu osemncane wasezweni lamaqaba? Noma ingabe uBhowazi wayesizakala ngesimo sikaRuthe nokuba yedwa kwakhe ngalobo busuku? Impendulo yaleyo mibuzo iphathelene nobuqotho nothando ngoNkulunkulu. Futhi kunamaqiniso athinta inhliziyo.

Kodwa ungubani uRuthe? Siyini isisusa sakhe? Futhi ubani le ndoda ecebile, uBhowazi?

“Ungowesifazane Ovelele”

Eminyakeni ethile ngaphambi kwalesi senzakalo, elakwaJuda lahlaselwa indlala. Umkhaya wama-Israyeli wabantu abane—u-Elimeleki; umkakhe, uNawomi; namadodana abo amabili, uMahaloni noKiliyoni—wathuthela ezweni elinothile lakwaMowabi. Amadodana ashada nabesifazane ababili bakwaMowabi, uRuthe no-Orpa. Ngemva kokufa kwala madoda amathathu kwaMowabi, abesifazane abathathu bezwa ukuthi izimo zase zingcono kwa-Israyeli. Ngakho uNawomi—owayesengumfelokazi, elusizi, engenangane namzukulu—wanquma ukuphindela ezweni lakubo.—Ruthe 1:1-14.

Endleleni eya kwa-Israyeli, uNawomi wancenga u-Orpa waze wavuma ukuba aphindele kubantu bakubo. UNawomi wabe esetshela uRuthe: “Bheka! Umnakwenu ongumfelokazi ubuyele kubantu bakubo nakonkulunkulu bakhe. Buyela emuva nomnakwenu ongumfelokazi.” Kodwa uRuthe wathi: “Ungangincengi ukuba ngikushiye, . . . ngoba lapho uya khona ngizoya khona nami . . . Abantu bakini bazoba ngabantu bakithi, noNkulunkulu wakho abe nguNkulunkulu wami. Lapho ufela khona nami ngiyofela khona, futhi yilapho ngiyongcwatshwa khona.” (Ruthe 1:15-17) Ngakho laba bafelokazi ababili abangenabani baphindela eBhetlehema. Lapho, uthando nokukhathalela kukaRuthe uninazala kwabahlaba umxhwele omakhelwane, baze bambheka ‘njengongcono kuNawomi kunamadodana ayisikhombisa.’ Abanye bathi “ungowesifazane ovelele.”—Ruthe 3:11; 4:15.

EBhetlehema, lapho kuqala ukuvunwa kwebhali, uRuthe wathi kuNawomi: “Ngicela ukuya ensimini ngiyokhothoza phakathi kwezikhwebu zokusanhlamvu ngilandele noma ubani engiyothola umusa emehlweni akhe.”—Ruthe 2:2.

Uqondana nensimu kaBhowazi, isihlobo sikayisezala, u-Elimeleki. Ucela imvume yokukhothoza kumphathi. Ukukhuthala kwakhe ekukhothozeni kuyaphawuleka, futhi umphathi utusa umsebenzi wakhe kuBhowazi.—Ruthe 1:22–2:7.

Umvikeli Nomvuzi

UBhowazi ungumkhulekeli kaJehova ozinikele. Njalo ekuseni, uBhowazi ubingelela abavuni bakhe ngamazwi athi: “UJehova abe nani,” bona baphendule ngokuthi: “UJehova akubusise.” (Ruthe 2:4) Ngemva kokubukela ukukhuthala kukaRuthe nokuzwa ngobuqotho bakhe kuNawomi, uBhowazi unika uRuthe amalungelo akhethekile okukhothoza. Ngamafuphi nje, uthi kuye: ‘Hlala emasimini ami; akudingeki uye kwamanye. Namathela emantombazaneni ami; uzophepha. Ngiyalé izinsizwa ukuba zingakuthinti. Uma womile, zizokukhelela amanzi.’—Ruthe 2:8, 9.

URuthe uyakhothama athi: ‘Kwenzeké kanjani ukuba ngithole umusa kuwe ngibe ngingowesinye isizwe?’ UBhowazi uyaphendula: ‘Kubikwe ngokuphelele kimi konke okwenzele unyokozala ngemva kokufa komyeni wakho—ukushiya kwakho uyihlo nonyoko, izihlobo zakho nezwe lakini uzoba sesizweni obungasazi ngaphambili. Kwangathi uJehova angayivuza indlela owenza ngayo. Kwangathi angakunika inkokhelo ephelele.’—Ruthe 2:10-12.

UBhowazi akazami ukuzakhela ugazi. Umtusa ngobuqotho. NoRuthe uthobeke ngobuqotho, embonga ngokududuzwa okuqinisekisayo. URuthe ukubheka njengokungamfanele, aqhubeke ezikhandla nakakhulu. Kamuva, ngesikhathi sokudla, uBhowazi ubiza uRuthe athi: ‘Sondela uzokudla isinkwa ugcobhoze kuviniga.’ URuthe udla asuthe, okunye ukudla akubeke ukuze akuphathele uNawomi ekhaya.—Ruthe 2:14.

Ekupheleni kosuku, uRuthe usekhothoze ibhali elingaba amalitha angu-22. Uyalithatha kanye nokudla okusalile agoduke nako akuyise kuNawomi. (Ruthe 2:15-18) Ejabule ngensada engaka, uNawomi uyabuza: “Ukhothozé kuphi namuhla? . . . Kwangathi lowo okuqaphelile angabusiswa.” Lapho ezwa ukuthi nguBhowazi, uNawomi uthi: “Makabusiswe nguJehova, ongawushiyanga umusa wakhe wothando kwabaphilayo nakwabafileyo. . . . Lowo muntu uhlobene nathi. Ungomunye wabanelungelo lokusithenga.”—Ruthe 2:19, 20.

Ukuthola “Indawo Yokuphumula”

Efisa ukutholela umalokazana wakhe “indawo yokuphumula,” noma umuzi, uNawomi ubamba leli thuba ahlele ukucela ukuba bahlengwe, ngokuvumelana noMthetho kaNkulunkulu. (Levitikusi 25:25; Duteronomi 25:5, 6) Manje uNawomi utshela uRuthe icebo elizophumelela kakhulu, futhi elihlaba umxhwele—indlela yokuzenza aqapheleke kuBhowazi. Esekulungele futhi eyalwe kahle, uRuthe uhamba ngomnyama aye esibuyeni sikaBhowazi. Umthola elele. Umembula izinyawo abese elinda ukuba aphaphame.—Ruthe 3:1-7.

Lapho uBhowazi ephaphama, akungabazeki ukuthi isenzo sikaRuthe esigigiyelayo simenza aqonde ukuthi uRuthe usho ukuthini uma emcela ukuba ‘elulele ingubo yakhe phezu kwencekukazi yakhe.’ Isenzo sikaRuthe senza lo mJudiya osekhulile aqaphele isibopho sakhe njengomhlengi, njengoba eyisihlobo somyeni kaRuthe ongasekho, uMahaloni.—Ruthe 3:9.

Ukufika kukaRuthe ebusuku kwakungalindelekile. Kodwa futhi indlela uBhowazi asabela ngayo isikisela ukuthi ukucela kukaRuthe ukuba bahlengwe kwakungeyona into engalindelekile nhlobo. UBhowazi wayezimisele ukwenza okuthile ngesicelo sikaRuthe.

Kumelwe ukuba izwi likaRuthe lalizwakala linokukhathazeka, okwenza uBhowazi wamqinisekisa: “Manje, ndodakazi yami, ungesabi. Konke okushoyo ngizokwenzela kona, ngoba wonke umuntu esangweni labantu bakithi uyaqaphela ukuthi wena ungowesifazane ovelele.”—Ruthe 3:11.

Ukuthi uBhowazi wabheka izenzo zikaRuthe njengezimsulwa ngokuphelele kubonakala emazwini akhe: “Kwangathi ungabusiswa nguJehova, ndodakazi yami. Uwubonisé kangcono umusa wakho wothando kulokhu kokugcina kunasekuqaleni.” (Ruthe 3:10) Ekuqaleni, uRuthe wabonisa umusa wothando, noma uthando oluqotho, ngoNawomi. Lokhu kokugcina kwakuyilapho ngokungazicabangeli yena, eziveza kuBhowazi, indoda endala kakhulu, ngoba uBhowazi enelungelo lokubahlenga. Wayezimisele ukukhulisa izingane ezibizwa ngegama likaMahaloni, umyeni wakhe osashona, ezikhulisela noNawomi.

Umhlengi Uyahoxa

Ngakusasa ekuseni, uBhowazi ubiza isihlobo, esibizwa ngokuthi “uSibanibani,” esihlobene eduze noNawomi kunoBhowazi. Phambi kwezakhamuzi namadoda amadala omuzi, uBhowazi uthi: ‘Ngithé mangikuvezele ukuthi unelungelo lokuthenga kuNawomi umhlaba okwakungowomyeni wakhe u-Elimeleki, ngoba kumelwe awuthengise.’ UBhowazi uyaqhubeka: ‘Uzowuthenga yini? Uma ungawuthengi, mina ngizowuthenga.’ Ngemva kwalokho uSibanibani ubonisa ukuthi uzowuthenga.—Ruthe 4:1-4.

Kodwa kukhulu okwakusazommangaza lowo Sibanibani! Phambi kwabo bonke ofakazi, uBhowazi usethi: “Mhla uyithenga insimu esandleni sikaNawomi, kumelwe futhi uyithenge nakuRuthe umMowabikazi, umkamufi, ukuze wenze ukuba igama likamufi livukele phezu kwefa lakhe.” Sinovalo lokuthi singase silahlekelwe ifa laso, isihlobo siyalidedela ilungelo laso lokuthenga, sithi: “Ngiyahluleka ukuzithengela yona.”—Ruthe 4:5, 6.

Ngokwesiko, indoda enqaba ukuthenga kwakudingeka ikhumule imbadada iyinike umuntu wakubo. Ngakho lapho lo mthengi ethi kuBhowazi, “Zithengele yona,” usho akhumule imbadada yakhe. UBhowazi ube esethi emadodeni amadala nakubo bonke abantu: “Ningofakazi namuhla bokuthi ngiyakuthenga konke obekungokuka-Elimeleki nakho konke obekungokukaKiliyoni noMahaloni esandleni sikaNawomi. NoRuthe futhi umMowabikazi, umkaMahaloni, ngiyazithengela yena njengomfazi ukuze ngenze ukuba igama likamufi livukele phezu kwefa lakhe . . . Ningofakazi namuhla.”—Ruthe 4:7-10.

Bonke abantu ababesesangweni bathi kuBhowazi: “Kwangathi uJehova anganika lona wesifazane ongena endlini yakho ukuba abe njengoRaheli noLeya, bobabili abakha indlu ka-Israyeli; nawe uzibonakalise ukubaluleka kwakho e-Efratha futhi wenze igama elidumile eBhetlehema.”—Ruthe 4:11, 12.

Ngemvume yabantu, uBhowazi uthatha uRuthe abe umkakhe. URuthe umzalela indodana okuthiwa u-Obede, kanjalo uRuthe noBhowazi baba okhokho beNkosi uDavide nabakaJesu Kristu ngokufanayo.—Ruthe 4:13-17; Mathewu 1:5, 6, 16.

‘Inkokhelo Ephelele’

Kuyo yonke le ndaba, kusukela ekubingeleleni kwakhe izisebenzi ngomusa ekuqaleni kuya ekwamukeleni kwakhe umthwalo wokulondoloza igama lika-Elimeleki, uBhowazi uzibonakalisa eyindoda evelele—indoda yezenzo nenegunya. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, wayeyindoda ezithibayo, enokholo neqotho. UBhowazi futhi wayenesandla esivulekile, enomusa, enesimilo futhi eyilalela ngokugcwele imiyalo kaJehova.

URuthe uphawuleka ngothando lwakhe ngoJehova, ngothando lwakhe oluqotho kuNawomi, nangenkuthalo nokuthobeka kwakhe. Shono abantu babembheka ‘njengowesifazane ovelele.’ Wayengasidli “isinkwa sobuvila,” futhi ngenxa yokuzikhandla kwakhe, wathola okuthile ayengabelana ngakho noninazala. (IzAga 31:27, 31) Ngokwamukela umthwalo wokunakekela uNawomi, kumelwe ukuba uRuthe wathola injabulo elethwa ukupha.—IzEnzo 20:35; 1 Thimothewu 5:4, 8.

Yeka izibonelo ezinhle esizithola encwadini kaRuthe! UJehova uyamkhumbula uNawomi. URuthe uthola ‘inkokhelo ephelele’ njengokhokho kaJesu Kristu. UBhowazi ubusiswa “ngowesifazane ovelele.” Thina sithola izibonelo zokholo kubantu abanjena.

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Inhlansi Yethemba

Uma uke ube nomuzwa wokuthi uphila ezikhathini ezingajabulisi, indaba kaRuthe ingakunika inhlansana yethemba. Iyisiphetho esiphawulekayo sencwadi yabAhluleli. Incwadi kaRuthe ilandisa indlela uJehova asebenzisa ngayo umfelokazi othobekile wesizwe sakwaMowabi ukuba avezele abantu baKhe inkosi. Ngemva kokwendlalelwa incwadi yabAhluleli, ukholo lukaRuthe lukhanya njengesibani kuleyo nkathi.

Ngokufunda indaba kaRuthe, ungaqiniseka ukuthi uNkulunkulu ubakhathalela njalo abantu bakhe futhi uyazifeza izinjongo zakhe, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zingaba zimbi kangakanani izikhathi.